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The Oxford Thesaurus
An A-M Dictionary of Synonyms


INTRO Introduction
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   In its narrowest sense, a synonym is a word or phrase that is perfectly
   substitutable in a context for another word or phrase. People who study
   language professionally agree that there is no such thing as an ideal
   synonym, for it is virtually impossible to find two words or phrases that
   are identical in denotation (meaning), connotation, frequency,
   familiarity, and appropriateness. Indeed, linguists have long noted the
   economy of language, which suggests that no language permits a perfect
   fit, in all respects, between any two words or phrases. Many examples of
   overlapping can be cited; the more obvious ones in English are those that
   reflect a duplication arising from Germanic and Romance sources, like
   motherly and maternal, farming and agriculture, teach and instruct. In
   such pairs the native English form is often the one with an earthier,
   warmer connotation. In some instances, where a new coinage or a loanword
   has been adopted inadvertently duplicating an existing term, creating
   'true' synonyms, the two will quickly diverge, not necessarily in meaning
   but in usage, application, connotation, level, or all of these. For
   example, scientists some years ago expressed dissatisfaction with the term
   tidal wave, for the phenomenon was not caused by tides but, usually, by
   submarine seismic activity. The word tsunami was borrowed from Japanese in
   an attempt to describe the phenomenon more accurately, but it was later
   pointed out the tsunami means 'tidal wave' in Japanese. Today, the terms
   exist side by side in English, the older expression still in common use,
   the newer more frequent in the scientific and technical literature.

   Any synonym book must be seen as a compromise that relies on the
   sensitivity of its users to the idiomatic nuances of the language. In its
   best applications, it serves to remind users of words, similar in meaning,
   that might not spring readily to mind, and to offer lists of words and
   phrases that are alternatives to and compromises for those that might
   otherwise be overused and therefore redundant, repetitious, and boring.
   The Oxford Thesaurus goes a step further by offering example sentences to
   illustrate the uses of the headwords and their alternatives in natural,
   idiomatic contexts.

   1.  Selection of headwords

       Two criteria have been employed: first, headwords have been selected
       because of their frequency in the language, on the assumption that
       synonyms are more likely to be sought for the words that are most
       used; second, some headwords of lower frequency have been included
       because it would otherwise be impossible to find a suitable place to
       group together what are perceived as useful sets of synonyms with
       their attendant illustrative sentences. Obvious listings have been
       omitted on the grounds that users of the Thesaurus can easily find
       synonyms for, say, abdication by making nouns of the verbs listed
       under abdicate. This deliberate attempt to avoid duplication is
       mitigated in the case of very common words. For the convenience of the
       user, both shy and bashful are main entries, as are method, manner,
       and mode, which, though much the same in some respects, differ in
       detail and application.  In this book, however, mitigate is a main
       entry but not mitigation, mistake and mistaken are main entries but
       not mistakenly, etc. Where it is determined that such derivations are
       neither automatic nor semantically obvious, separate listings have
       been provided.

   2.  Illustrative sentences

       On the principle that a word is known by the company it keeps, one or
       more sentences showing the main entry word in context are provided for
       each sense discrimination. These have been carefully selected to
       demonstrate the use of the main entry in a context likely to be
       encountered in familiar written or spoken ordinary English.  (See also
       7, below.)

   3.  Synonym lists

       Each main entry is followed by one or more sense groupings, each
       illustrated by one or more sentences. An effort has been made to group
       the synonyms semantically as well as syntactically and idiomatically:
       that is, each synonym listed within a given set should prove to be
       more or less substitutable for the main entry in the illustrative
       sentence.

       In some instances, idiomatic congruity may, unavoidably, become
       strained; where it is felt to be stretched too far--though still
       properly listed among its accompanying synonyms--a semicolon has been
       inserted to separate sub-groups of synonyms, and, in many cases,
       additional illustrative sentences have been provided. Such
       sub-groupings have been confined largely to distinctions between
       literal uses and figures of speech, between transitive and
       intransitive verbs, and between synonyms that differ in more subtle
       aspectual characteristics of meaning or syntax. (See also 7, below.)

       Not all senses of all words are covered for either or both of the
       following reasons: the sense, though it exists, is relatively rare in
       ordinary discourse and writing; there are no reasonable synonyms for
       it.  Thus, this sense of mercy,

           an affecting or moving of the mind in any way; a mental state
           brought about by any influence; an emotion or feeling: Mercy
           is an affection of the mind.

       is not covered for the first reason, as it is a literary and somewhat
       archaic usage. The same can be said for the sense,

           a bodily state due to any influence

       and for other senses listed in the largest dictionaries but rarely
       encountered except in literary contexts. Even in such contexts it
       would be unusual to need a synonym for this word and others like it.

   4.  Cross references

       There are very few cross references between main listings in the
       Thesaurus.  Where such cross references do occur, they are simple and
       straightforward:

           superior adj....3 See supercilious, above.  --n 4 See
           supervisor, below.

       A number of cross references occur within entries, between variant
       forms of an expression. At the entry for take, for example, as one can
       say either take or take it in the sense of 'understand' etc., the
       option is shown in the following way:

           take v...19 understand, gather, interpret, perceive,
           apprehend, deduce, conclude, infer, judge, deem, assume,
           suppose, imagine, see: I take him to be a fool. I take it from
           your expression that you've had bad news.

           33 take it: a withstand or tolerate or survive punishment or
           abuse, survive: The Marines are extremely tough and can take
           it. b See 19, above.

       In a few entries, the form 'See also' is used.

   5.  Labels

       a.  All words and phrases that are recognized as being typical of a
           particular variety of English, whether geographical or stylistic,
           are labelled. It might at first seem that a large number of
           colloquial, slang, and taboo words have been included.  The labels
           used are those commonly encountered in ordinary dictionaries:

           Colloq    Colloquial; informal; used in everyday conversation and
                     writing, especially in the popular press and in dramatic
                     dialogue; sometimes avoided where more formal language
                     is felt to be appropriate, as in business
                     correspondence, scholarly works, technical reports,
                     documents, etc.

           Slang     Belonging to the most informal register and
                     characteristic of spoken English; often originating in
                     the cult language of a particular socio-cultural group.
                     Not sufficiently elevated to be used in most writing
                     (aside from dialogue), although often found in the
                     popular press and frequently heard on popular radio and
                     television programmes.

           Taboo     Not used in polite society, usually because of the risk
                     of offending sexual, religious, or cultural
                     sensibilities; occasionally encountered on late-night
                     television and radio; often occurring in graffiti and in
                     dialogue in novels, plays, and films.

           Archaic   Describing an obsolete word or phrase (like tickety-boo,
                     lounge lizard) that is used deliberately to invoke the
                     feeling of a bygone time.

           Old-fashioned
                     Used of a synonym (like comfit) that is no longer
                     current but might occasionally be encountered among
                     older speakers and in older writing.

           Technical Used of a somewhat specialized word that is not commonly
                     encountered in ordinary, everyday English, like
                     defalcator, which appears as a synonym under swindler.

           Literary  Describes a word, like euchre 'cheat', that is not
                     usually met with in everyday language, even of the
                     formal genre, but may be found in poetry and other
                     literary works.

           Brit, US, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand
                     Marks a word or phrase that occurs mainly in the
                     designated variety.

           The meanings of other labels are self-evident.

       b.  All labels can occur in combination. Usage labels always take
           precedence over regional labels. For example,

               pushover n. 1 sure thing, Colloq piece of cake, child's
               play, snap, picnic, walk-over, US breeze, Slang cinch,
               Brit doddle, US lead-pipe cinch.

           Here 'sure thing' is standard universal English. All words and
           phrases following Colloq up to the Slang label are colloquial:
           'piece of cake,...walkover' are universal colloquial English,
           'breeze' is US colloquial. All synonyms following the Slang label
           are slang; 'cinch' is universal English slang, 'doddle' is
           confined to British slang, and 'lead-pipe cinch' is confined to
           American slang.

               talented adj....Colloq ace, crack, top-notch, Brit wizard,
               whizzo, US crackerjack.

           In this entry, all synonyms shown are colloquial, 'ace, crack,
           topnotch' being universal English, 'wizard, whizzo' British, and
           'crackerjack' US.

           It must be emphasized that such labels are to some extent
           impressionistic and are based in the Thesaurus on a consensus of
           several sources: that is, there is no implication that 'breeze' is
           never used in the sense of 'pushover' except in the US, nor should
           such an inference be made.

       c.  Comments regarding what might be viewed as 'correct' in contrast
           to 'incorrect' usage are generally avoided. For example, the
           non-standard use of between in contexts referring to more than two
           of anything or of among in contexts involving fewer than three
           goes unmarked. However, if the usage question is confined to what
           can easily be represented in a 'lexical' environment, then
           suitable treatment is accorded it; thus 'now' and 'at present' are
           labelled Non-Standard under presently. To take another example,
           'different to', in the typically British usage His house is
           different to mine, is rarely encountered in American English; in
           American English, purists condemn 'different than', as in His
           house is different than mine, which is increasingly heard in
           British English; purists on both sides of the Atlantic prefer
           'different from'. Such matters are best left to usage books and to
           usage notes in dictionaries and are not treated in the Thesaurus.

       d.  Main entry words and sub-entries are not labelled, only the
           synonyms. Thus, under beat appears the idiomatic expression, beat
           it, which is not labelled:

               8 beat it: depart, leave, abscond, run off or away, Slang
               US take it on the lam, lam out of here, hit the road:
               You'd better beat it before the cops come.

           The idiom is not labelled because it is assumed that the user has
           looked it up to find a substitute for it, hence needs no
           information about it other than a listing of its alternatives
           (which are labelled, when appropriate) and an illustrative
           example.

           A rare exception to the above rule occurs where a headword has one
           meaning in British English and quite a different meaning in
           another regional variety. Thus:

               subway n. 1 In US:  underground (railway), tube: She takes
               the subway to work.  2 In Britain: tunnel, underpass: Use
               the subway to cross the road in safety.

           Here, the two regional labels do not apply to the synonyms (since,
           for example, 'tunnel' has the same meaning in both British and US
           English) but to the two definitions of the headword.

       e.  Synonyms bearing any kind of label appear at the end of the set in
           which they are listed, except in the case described immediately
           above.

   6.  Spelling and other variants

       The spellings shown throughout are those preferred by most modern
       British writers. British variant spellings are shown; if they are
       variants of the main entry word, they appear as the first word in the
       set(s) of synonyms following:

           mousy adj. 1 mousey,...
           movable adj. moveable,...

       Such variants are also shown when they appear within an entry:

           movable adj....transferable or transferrable,...

       Common American spelling variants (humor, traveler, unraveled) are not
       shown, but less common ones are listed for convenience. Where both
       forms are variants in American spelling, they are described by 'or US
       also':

           ...accoutrements or US also accouterments,...
           ...phoney or US also phony,...

       This should be understood to mean 'the normal British spelling is
       accoutrements (or phoney); this form, together with accouterments (or
       phony), occurs in American English'.

   7.  Substitutability

       a.  The purpose of a synonym book is to provide the user with a
           collection of words that are as close as possible in meaning to a
           designated word. The Oxford Thesaurus tries to go to a step
           further by providing examples that not only illustrate the main
           entry word in a natural contextual environment but also allow the
           user to substitute as many of the synonyms as possible into the
           framework of the context. For example:

               porous adj. spongy, spongelike, permeable, pervious,
               penetrable: The rainwater runs through the porous rock and
               collects in the pools below.

           It is possible to substitute for porous in the sample sentence any
           of the words given as synonyms without any adjustment of the
           grammar or phrasing of the example. That is not to suggest that
           the synonyms are identical: 'permeable' and 'pervious' belong to a
           different register from that of 'spongy, spongelike', being more
           common in technical usage. Some might argue that 'penetrable' is
           not synonymous with the other listed words; but it is the function
           of this book to provide synonyms for the main entries, not for the
           other synonyms that might be listed. No claim is made--nor could
           it be made--that synonyms are identical, either to one another or
           to another word, merely that they fall well within the criteria of
           what, for practical purposes, is viewed as synonymy in the
           language.

           It is certainly true that substituting for porous any of the five
           listed synonyms will yield five standard English sentence.

       b.  Some judgement is required of the user in determining the syntax
           and idiomaticity with which a given word or expression can be
           substituted in an illustrative context: words are rarely as
           readily interchangeable in a context as might be components in a
           chemical or mathematical formula.  Moreover, while such formulae
           are reflective of science, language offers its users the virtually
           infinite variety available only in art, with each individual
           speaker of any language being presented with the opportunity to
           become an artist.

           In the following example, nearly all terms can be substituted for
           adjoining in the first illustrative sentence; to create idiomatic
           parallels to the second sentence, the parenthetical prepositions
           must be used:

               adjoining adj. neighboring, contiguous (to), adjacent
               (to), abutting, bordering, next (to): We have bought the
               adjoining land and will build our new house there. The
               land adjoining the supermarket is for sale.

           Interpreting this, the following are all idiomatic: adjoining
           land, neighbouring land, contiguous land, adjacent land, abutting
           land, and bordering land. But if the context requires the
           adjective to come after land (with a following noun), then the
           parenthetical words must be added to yield constructions that are
           idiomatic, like land adjoining the supermarket, land neighboring
           the supermarket, land continuous to the supermarket, land adjacent
           to the supermarket, land abutting the supermarket, land bordering
           the supermarket, and land next to the supermarket.

           As this is intended as a synonym book and not a work on English
           collocations, the treatment of idiomaticity cannot be taken
           further.

       c.  There are other reasons why direct substitutability is not always
           possible within a single semantic concept. The following extract
           demonstrates this:

               possess v.... 3 dominate, control, govern, consume, take
               control of, preoccupy, obsess; charm, captivate, enchant,
               cast a spell on or over, bewitch, enthral: What possessed
               her to think that I could help? He behaves as if he is
               possessed by the devil.

           Here, two aspects of the same sense have been divided by a
           semicolon, with the synonyms preceding the semicolon illustrated
           by the first contextual example and those following it by the
           second. While it may be argued that in this instance the synonyms
           following the semicolon, with their illustrative sentence, might
           better have been listed in a separately numbered set, the close
           semantic association of the two groups would thereby have been
           lost.

       d.  Sometimes, where the sub-sense is familiar enough not to require
           its own example yet needs to be set off from the other synonyms
           because of a subtle or aspectual semantic distinction, a semicolon
           is inserted among the synonyms and only one example is provided:

               practice n.... 2 exercise, discipline, drill, practising,
               repetition, rehearsal, training, preparation, workout,
               warm-up; application, study: She needs more practice on
               the beginner`s slope before going down the main piste.

           the idiomatic usage of this sense of 'study' and 'application' is
           sufficiently familiar not to require separate example.

           On the other hand, a second example is needed for the next sense
           of practice:

               ...3 pursuit, exercise, work, profession, career,
               vocation, conduct; business, office: He genuinely enjoys
               the practice of law. I heard of a veterinary practice for
               sale in Yorkshire.

           It would be difficult--perhaps impossible--to defend such fine
           distinctions in every instance: indeed, as a comparison of the
           different lengths of the entries in any dictionary will quickly
           reveal, language does not provide the same levels of sense
           discrimination for all words. The metaphorical focus and diversity
           of a language provide for polysemy in some semantico-cultural
           spheres but not in others. The classic observation often cited to
           demonstrate this linkage is that of the Inuit language that has a
           large number of distinguishing words for types of snow or of the
           African language that has an extensive vocabulary to describe the
           kinship among its speakers. On the grounds that the lexicon of a
           language is moulded by speakers who, quite naturally, use it to
           talk (and write) about things that are important to them, one
           might be tempted to draw conclusions about the voracity of
           English-speakers by reflecting that the entry for take has about
           twice as many definitions in most dictionaries as that for give.

       e.  Often, the semicolon may be used to separate transitive uses of a
           verb from intransitive:

               preach v....2 moralize, sermonize, advise, counsel,
               admonish, reprimand, lecture, harangue, pontificate; urge,
               inculcate, advocate: Mother used to preach to us about
               being charitable. Father preached restraint in all things.

           Because of the behaviour of verbs in English, different synonyms
           may be required depending on what the object of the verb is and,
           often, whether the object is a word or phrase or a clause:

               predict v. foretell, prophesy, forecast, foresee, augur,
               prognosticate, forewarn, presage, vaticinate; portend,
               foreshadow, foretoken, forebode; intimate, hint, suggest:
               My mother predicted that there would be moments like this.
               If only I could predict the winner of the 2.30!


       f.  Wherever possible, the proper prepositional or adverbial particle
           normally accompanying a verb in a certain sense has been supplied,
           though it must be emphasized that the one offered is the most
           frequently used and not, necessarily, the only one acceptable in
           standard usage.  Particles used with some words may vary
           considerably, owing not only to dialect variation but also to
           whether the verb is used actively or passively as well as to which
           nuance of meaning, sometimes far too subtle to be dealt with
           adequately in a book of this kind, is to be expressed. The
           following entry illustrates the full treatment that can be
           accorded to words that occur in a wide variety of grammatical
           environments:

               persevere v. Often, persevere in or with or at: persist,
               resolve, decide, endure, continue, carry on or through,
               keep at or on or up, be steadfast or staunch or constant,
               keep going, stand fast or firm, see through, be or remain
               determined or resolved or resolute or stalwart or
               purposeful or uncompromising, be tenacious or persistent
               or constant or pertinacious or assiduous or sedulous, be
               tireless or untiring or indefatigable, show determination
               or pluck or grit, be plucky, be patient or diligent or
               stubborn or inflexible or adamant or obstinate or
               obdurate, show or exhibit or demonstrate patience or
               diligence or stubbornness or inflexibility or obstinacy or
               obduracy, remain dogged, pursue doggedly, be intransigent
               or intractable, cling to, stick to, support, stop at
               nothing, sustain, Colloq stick with, stick (it) out: We
               must persevere to win. I shall persevere in my loyalty.


       g.  In some adjective senses, a split might occur between attributive
           and predicative uses, though in most such cases, where the syntax
           is open, only one, usually common, illustration is given. For
           example, alone is used only predicatively or post-positively, not
           attributively; that is, one cannot say *An alone woman...In this
           particular case, the normal attributive form would be lone, but
           lone is not listed as a synonym for alone because they are not
           mutually substitutable. It is acknowledged that the detailed
           description of the special syntactic ways in which certain words
           (like alone, agog, galore) behave lies outside the province of
           this book.

           Although similar cautions must be observed and adjustments made
           throughout, it is hoped that the illustrative sentences will
           provide a substantial basis for the user to identify idiomatic
           contexts and to discriminate senses that are not always carefully
           distinguished in dictionaries.

CONTENTS Table of Contents
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


 Title Page    TITLE

 Edition Notice    EDITION

 Introduction    INTRO

 Table of Contents    CONTENTS

 A    1.0
 abandon...    1.1
 academic...    1.2
 adapt...    1.3
 aesthete...    1.4
 affair...    1.5
 age...    1.6
 ahead    1.7
 aid...    1.8
 akin    1.9
 alarm...    1.10
 amalgam...    1.11
 anachronism...    1.12
 apart...    1.13
 arbitrary...    1.14
 ashamed...    1.15
 atmosphere...    1.16
 audacious...    1.17
 available...    1.18
 awake...    1.19

 B    2.0
 babble...    2.1
 beach...    2.2
 bias...    2.3
 blab...    2.4
 board...    2.5
 brace...    2.6
 bubble    2.7
 by...    2.8

 C    3.0
 cab...    3.1
 cease...    3.2
 chafe...    3.3
 circle...    3.4
 claim...    3.5
 coach...    3.6
 crack...    3.7
 cuddle...    3.8
 cycle    3.9

 D    4.0
 dab...    4.1
 dead...    4.2
 diabolic...    4.3
 dock...    4.4
 drab...    4.5
 duck...    4.6
 dwarf...    4.7
 dying...    4.8

 E    5.0
 eager...    5.1
 ebb...    5.2
 eccentric...    5.3
 eddy...    5.4
 eerie    5.5
 effect...    5.6
 egoistic...    5.7
 eject...    5.8
 elaborate...    5.9
 emaciated...    5.10
 enable...    5.11
 epicure...    5.12
 equable...    5.13
 era...    5.14
 escape...    5.15
 etch...    5.16
 eulogize...    5.17
 evacuate...    5.18
 exact...    5.19
 eye...    5.20

 F    6.0
 fabric...    6.1
 fear...    6.2
 fianc‚(e)...    6.3
 flabby...    6.4
 foam...    6.5
 fracas...    6.6
 fuel    6.7

 G    7.0
 gab...    7.1
 gear...    7.2
 ghastly...    7.3
 giant...    7.4
 glad...    7.5
 gnarled...    7.6
 go...    7.7
 grab...    7.8
 guarantee    7.9
 gyrate    7.10

 H    8.0
 habit...    8.1
 head...    8.2
 hidden    8.3
 hoard...    8.4
 hub...    8.5
 hybrid...    8.6

 I    9.0
 icing...    9.1
 idea...    9.2
 ignorance...    9.3
 ill...    9.4
 image...    9.5
 inability...    9.6
 irk...    9.7
 island...    9.8
 itch...    9.9

 J    10.0
 jab...    10.1
 jealous...    10.2
 jiggle...    10.3
 job...    10.4
 judge...    10.5

 K    11.0
 keen...    11.1
 kick...    11.2
 knack...    11.3
 kowtow    11.4
 kudos    11.5

 L    12.0
 label...    12.1
 lead...    12.2
 liability...    12.3
 load...    12.4
 luck...    12.5
 lying...    12.6

 M    13.0
 macabre...    13.1
 meadow...    13.2
 microbe...    13.3
 moan...    13.4
 muck...    13.5
 mysterious...    13.6

 N    14.0
 nab...    14.1
 near...    14.2
 nice...    14.3
 nobility...    14.4
 nub...    14.5

 O    15.0
 oar...    15.1
 obedience...    15.2
 occasion...    15.3
 odd...    15.4
 off...    15.5
 ogle...    15.6
 oil...    15.7
 OK    15.8
 old...    15.9
 omen...    15.10
 once...    15.11
 ooze    15.12
 opacity...    15.13
 oracle...    15.14
 oscillate...    15.15
 otherwise    15.16
 out...    15.17
 oval...    15.18
 owe...    15.19

 P    16.0
 pace...    16.1
 peace...    16.2
 phantom...    16.3
 pick...    16.4
 place...    16.5
 pocket...    16.6
 practicable...    16.7
 pseudonym...    16.8
 pub...    16.9

 Q    17.0
 quack...    17.1

 R    18.0
 rabble...    18.1
 reach...    18.2
 rhapsodic...    18.3
 ribaldry...    18.4
 road...    18.5
 rub...    18.6

 S    19.0
 sabotage...    19.1
 scale...    19.2
 sea...    19.3
 shabby...    19.4
 sick...    19.5
 sketchily...    19.6
 slab...    19.7
 small...    19.8
 snack...    19.9
 soak...    19.10
 space...    19.11
 squad...    19.12
 stab...    19.13
 suave...    19.14
 swagger...    19.15
 sybarite...    19.16

 T    20.0
 tab...    20.1
 teach...    20.2
 thank...    20.3
 tickle...    20.4
 toast...    20.5
 trace...    20.6
 tug...    20.7
 tweak...    20.8
 tycoon...    20.9

 U    21.0
 ugly    21.1
 ulcer...    21.2
 umbrage...    21.3
 unabashed...    21.4
 upbeat...    21.5
 urge...    21.6
 usage...    21.7
 Utopia...    21.8

 V    22.0
 vacancy...    22.1
 vehicle...    22.2
 viable...    22.3
 vocalist...    22.4
 vulgar...    22.5

 W    23.0
 wad...    23.1
 weak...    23.2
 wheedle...    23.3
 wicked...    23.4
 woe...    23.5
 wrap...    23.6

 Y    24.0
 yank...    24.1
 yearly...    24.2
 yield...    24.3
 young...    24.4
 yucky...    24.5

 Z    25.0
 zany...    25.1
 zealot...    25.2
 zone...    25.3

1.0 A
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1.1 abandon...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   abandon   v.  1 give up or over, yield, surrender, leave, cede, let go,
             deliver (up), turn over, relinquish:  I can see no reason why we
             should abandon the house to thieves and vandals. 2 depart from,
             leave, desert, quit, go away from:  The order was given to
             abandon ship.  3 desert, forsake, jilt, walk out on:  He even
             abandoned his fianc‚e.  4 give up, renounce; discontinue, forgo,
             drop, desist, abstain from:  She abandoned cigarettes and whisky
             after the doctor's warning.

             --n.  5 recklessness, intemperance, wantonness, lack of
             restraint, unrestraint:  He behaved with wild abandon after he
             received the inheritance.

   abandoned adj.  1 left alone, forlorn, forsaken, deserted, neglected;
             rejected, shunned, cast off or aside, jilted, dropped, outcast:
             An abandoned infant was found on the church steps. Totally
             alone, she felt abandoned by her friends. 2 bad, immoral,
             amoral, wicked, sinful, evil, corrupt, unprincipled,
             unrestrained, uninhibited, reprobate; loose, wanton, debauched,
             wild, dissolute, dissipated, profligate; depraved, lewd,
             lascivious, flagitious:  His abandoned behaviour soon landed him
             in jail.

   abbreviate
             v.  1 shorten, compress, contract, truncate, trim, reduce,
             curtail:  We abbreviated some of the longer words to save space.
             2 shorten, cut, condense, abridge, abstract, digest, epitomize,
             summarize, US synopsize:  The school presented an abbreviated
             version of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

   abbreviated
             adj.  skimpy, brief, revealing:  The dancers' abbreviated
             costumes shocked some members of the audience.

   abbreviation
             n.  initialism; acronym; shortening, contraction:  UK is one
             kind of abbreviation, or initialism; NATO, which is pronounced
             as a word, is another, usually called an acronym.

   abdicate  v.  give up, renounce, disclaim, waive, disown, surrender,
             yield, relinquish, abandon, resign, quit:  He abdicated all
             responsibility for care of the children. She abdicated the
             throne to marry a commoner.

   abduct    v.  kidnap, carry off, make away or off with, seize, Slang US
             snatch, grab:  The child that was abducted is safe.

   abet      v.  1 encourage, urge, instigate, incite, provoke, egg on, prod,
             goad; aid, help, assist:  The jury found that his wife had
             abetted him in the murder.  2 countenance, approve (of),
             support, endorse, second, sanction, condone; further, advance,
             promote, uphold:  By failing to inform on the terrorists, the
             neighbours abetted the bombing.

   abeyance  n.  in abeyance. pending, abeyant, reserved, in reserve,
             shelved, pushed or shoved or shunted aside, postponed, put off,
             suspended, US tabled; temporarily inactive, dormant; latent;
             Colloq in a holding pattern, on the back burner; Slang on hold,
             in the deep-freeze, on the shelf, on ice, hanging fire:  Legal
             proceedings were held in abeyance so that talks could take place
             to reach an out-of-court settlement.

   abhor     v.  hate, loathe, detest, abominate, execrate; regard or view
             with horror or dread or fright or repugnance or loathing or
             disgust, shudder at, recoil or shrink from; be or stand aghast
             at:  He said that he abhorred any violation of human rights.

   abhorrent adj.  hateful, detestable, abhorred, abominable, contemptible,
             odious, loathsome, horrid, heinous, execrable, repugnant;
             repulsive, repellent, revolting, offensive, disgusting,
             horrifying, obnoxious:  The idea of war was totally abhorrent to
             her.

   abide     v.  1 stand, endure, suffer, submit to, bear, put up with,
             accept, tolerate, brook:  How can you abide the company of such
             a fool?  2 live, stay, reside, dwell, sojourn:  Local people
             believe that the rain god abides in these mountains.  3 remain,
             stay, continue, tarry; linger, rest:  He'll abide in my care
             till he can walk again.  4 abide by. consent to, agree to,
             comply with, observe, acknowledge, obey, follow, submit to,
             conform to, keep to, remain true to, stand firm by, adhere to,
             hold to:  You must abide by the rules of the club if you become
             a member.

   abiding   adj.  lasting, permanent, constant, steadfast, everlasting,
             unending, eternal, enduring, indestructible; unchanging, fast,
             hard and fast, fixed, firm, immutable, changeless:  Her abiding
             love is a solace to him.

   ability   n.  1 adeptness, aptitude, facility, faculty, capacity, power,
             knack, proficiency, Colloq know-how:  I have perceived your
             ability to manipulate situations to your own advantage. 2
             talent, skill, cleverness, capacity, wit, gift, genius,
             capability:  He has such extraordinary ability it is difficult
             to see why he doesn't accomplish more. 3 abilities. faculty,
             faculties, talent(s), gift(s), skill(s):  Her abilities have
             made her one of the finest cellists of our time.

   ablaze    adj.  1 aflame, afire, burning, on fire, alight, blazing:  By
             the time the firemen arrived, the roof was ablaze.  2 lit up,
             alight, brilliantly or brightly-lit, sparkling, gleaming, aglow,
             bright, brilliant, luminous, illuminated, radiant:  The ballroom
             was ablaze with the light from thousands of candles.

   able      adj.  1 capable, qualified, competent, proficient:  I feel quite
             able to take care of myself, thank you. He is an able tennis
             player. 2 talented, clever, skilled, masterful, masterly; adept,
             skilful, gifted, superior, expert, accomplished:  There is no
             doubt that Wellington was a very able general.

   abnormal  adj.  1 deviant, deviating, irregular, unusual, unconventional,
             aberrant, Psych jargon exceptional:  The wing of a bat is an
             abnormal structure.  2 peculiar, unusual, odd, strange, queer,
             freakish, unnatural, extraordinary, weird, eccentric, bizarre,
             anomalous, aberrant, perverse, deviant, irregular, Colloq
             offbeat, Slang oddball, kinky, weirdo:  They certainly make the
             contestants on that TV show do some very abnormal things.

   abnormality
             n.  1 irregularity, unconformity, unusualness, singularity,
             eccentricity, unconventionality, uncommonness, deviation,
             aberration, idiosyncrasy:  The desire in a man to wear women's
             clothing is viewed as an abnormality.  2 distortion, anomaly,
             malformation, deformity:  The child was born with an abnormality
             of the right foot.

   abode     n.  residence, dwelling, dwelling-place, house, home, domicile,
             habitation, quarters, lodging, accommodation Military billet;
             Colloq Brit digs, diggings:  He was described as being of no
             fixed abode.

   abolish   v.  eliminate, end, put an end to, terminate, destroy,
             annihilate, annul, void, make void, demolish, do away with,
             nullify, repeal, cancel, obliterate, liquidate, destroy, stamp
             out, quash, extinguish, erase, delete, expunge; eradicate,
             extirpate, deracinate, uproot:  The best way to abolish folly is
             to spread wisdom. Prohibition in the US was abolished in 1933.

   abolition n.  elimination, end, termination, annulment, nullification,
             repudiation, cancellation; destruction, annihilation:  1837
             marks the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire.

   abominable
             adj.  1 offensive, repugnant, repulsive, vile, monstrous,
             loathsome, odious, execrable, detestable, despicable, base,
             disgusting, nauseous, nauseating, foul, abhorrent, horrid,
             deplorable:  He was accused of crimes too abominable to detail
             in open court.  2 terrible, unpleasant, disagreeable; awful,
             distasteful, in bad taste, horrible, frightful , Colloq Brit
             beastly:  No one wants to go out in this abominable weather. The
             d‚cor in this hotel is simply abominable.

   aboriginal
             n.  native, indigene, autochthon; Colloq Australian Abo,
             Offensive Australian aborigine , Slang Australian contemptuous
             boong:  Many aboriginals are not assimilated to modern life.

   abound    v.  1 prevail, thrive, flourish:  Disease abounds among the
             undernourished peoples of Africa.  2 abound in. be crowded or
             packed or jammed with, be abundant or rich in, proliferate (in
             or with):  The ship abounds in conveniences.  3 abound with.
             teem or swarm or throng with, be filled or infested with,
             overflow with:  The ship abounds with rats.

   about     adv.  1 round, around, close by, nearby, on every side:  Gather
             about, for I have something to tell you.  2 approximately,
             around, nearly, roughly, more or less, almost, close to or upon;
             give or take:  In 1685 London had been, for about half a
             century, the most populous capital in Europe. Light travels at
             about 186,000 miles a second. 3 to and fro, up and down, back
             and forth, here and there, hither and yon, far and wide, hither
             and thither:  He wandered about aimlessly for several days.  4
             here and there, far and wide, hither and yon, hither and
             thither, helter-skelter:  My papers were scattered about as if a
             tornado had struck.  5 around, prevalent, in the air:  There is
             a lot of flu about this year.  6 approximately, nearly, close
             to, not far from, almost, just about, around:  It is about time
             you telephoned your mother.

             --prep.  7 around, surrounding, encircling:  There is a railing
             about the monument.  8 round, around, all round, everywhere, in
             all directions, all over:  Please look about the room for my
             hat.  9 near, nearby, adjacent to, beside, alongside, close by,
             nigh:  There were a lot of trees about the garden.  10 with, at
             hand, Colloq on:  I am sorry, but I haven't my cheque-book about
             me.  11 touching, concerning, connected with, involving, in or
             with reference to, in or with regard to, regarding, in the
             matter of, with respect to, respecting, relative to, relating
             to, apropos, Formal anent:  He wrote a book about the Spanish
             Armada.

   about-turn
             n.  reversal, reverse, turn-about, turn-round, U-turn,
             volte-face, US about-face:  There has been a complete about-turn
             in the policy concerning immigration.

   above     adv.  1 overhead, on high, aloft, in the sky or heavens:  Far
             above, the clouds scudded swiftly by.  2 upstairs:  They lived
             on the ground floor and the landlady lived above.

             --prep.  3 on, on (the) top of, upon, over, atop:  The plume of
             smoke remained fixed above the volcano. He hasn't got a roof
             above his head for the night. 4 over, more than, exceeding, in
             excess of, beyond, greater than, surpassing:  The operations are
             controlled by gears, of which there are above fifty in number. 5
             insusceptible to, unaffected by, out of reach of, not
             susceptible or vulnerable or exposed to, superior to:  The judge
             is above bribery or other influence.  6 above all. before or
             beyond everything, first of all, chiefly, primarily, in the
             first place, mainly, essentially, at bottom:  Above all, serve
             God and country before you serve yourself.

   above-board
             adv.  1 openly, candidly, freely, publicly, frankly,
             straightforwardly, plainly, for all to see, out in the open, in
             the open:  Donald has always dealt completely above-board with
             everyone.

             --adj.  2 open, candid, frank, straight, direct, honourable,
             straightforward, forthright, guileless, undeceiving, artless,
             ingenuous, undeceptive, undeceitful, straight from the shoulder;
             honest, genuine:  The company's dealings have always been
             above-board.

   abridge   v.  shorten, reduce, condense, cut, abbreviate, cut back, trim,
             curtail, pare down, contract, compress, digest, summarize,
             epitomize, abstract, US synopsize:  We abridged the original
             edition of 1000 pages to 480 pages.

   abridgement
             n.  1 shortening, reduction, abbreviation, condensation,
             contraction, truncation, trimming:  The abridgement took ten
             years.  2 curtailment:  We protested against the abridgement of
             our right to picket.  3 digest, condensation, epitome,
             compendium, concise edition or version, cut edition or version;
             synopsis, abstract, summary, pr‚cis, outline, r‚sum‚:  The
             one-volume abridgement of the dictionary is easier to use.

   abroad    adv.  1 overseas, in foreign lands or parts:  We were abroad on
             assignment for a few years.  2 broadly, widely, at large, near
             and far, far and wide, everywhere, extensively, publicly:  Don't
             spread rumours abroad.  3 outside, out of doors, away, out and
             about:  There are few people abroad this early in the morning.

   abrupt    adj.  1 sudden, hasty, quick, precipitate, snappy; unexpected,
             unannounced, unplanned, unforeseen, unanticipated:  The
             general's abrupt departure has been linked with the
             disappearance of a great deal of money. 2 precipitous, steep,
             sheer, sudden:  From the ridge there is an abrupt drop of 1000
             metres into the valley. 3 curt, short, brusque, blunt, bluff,
             gruff, uncivil, rude, discourteous, impolite, unceremonious,
             snappish:  My bank manager gave me an abrupt reply when I asked
             for an increased overdraft.

   absence   n.  1 non-attendance, non-presence, non-appearance, truancy:
             This is Jason's third absence from class in a week. She runs the
             place in my absence. 2 lack, want, deficiency, non-existence;
             insufficiency, scantiness, paucity, scarcity, dearth:  In the
             absence of new evidence, the matter must remain undecided.

   absent    adj.  1 away, out, off, elsewhere, not present, missing, gone:
             Twenty people attended, but Harold was conspicuously absent.  2
             missing, lacking, wanting, deficient:  All warmth is absent from
             her singing.

             --v.  3 absent (oneself) from. keep or stay away from; withdraw
             or retire from:  He absented himself from the court during his
             father's trial for murder. Absent thee from felicity awhile.

   absent-minded
             adj.  preoccupied, inattentive, unattentive, absorbed,
             unmindful, absent, off, withdrawn, unheeding, heedless,
             unheedful, inadvertent; distracted, abstracted, day-dreaming, in
             a brown study, in the clouds, unaware, oblivious, in a trance,
             distrait(e), mooning, (far) away (somewhere), star-gazing,
             wool-gathering:  The absent-minded professor delivered his
             lecture to an empty lecture hall.

   absolute  adj.  1 perfect, complete, total, finished, thorough,
             through-and-through, consummate, flawless, faultless,
             unadulterated, pure, unmixed, unalloyed, undiluted; rank:  Alan
             behaved like an absolute gentleman.  2 complete, outright,
             downright, genuine, real, pure, out-and-out, transparent,
             unmitigated, categorical, unqualified, unconditional, utter,
             veritable, unconditioned:  Peace is an absolute requirement for
             prosperity.  3 unrestricted, unrestrained, unconstrained,
             unlimited, unmitigated, arbitrary, despotic, dictatorial,
             totalitarian, supreme, almighty, arbitrary, autocratic,
             tyrannical:  The days of absolute monarchy are numbered.  4
             positive, certain, sure, unambiguous, unquestionable,
             authoritative, verifiable, uncompromised:  Few intelligent
             people would claim absolute knowledge of anything.

   absolutely
             adv.  1 unqualifiedly, unconditionally, unreservedly,
             unexceptionally, unequivocally, unquestionably, positively,
             definitely, really, genuinely, decidedly, surely, truly,
             certainly, categorically:  She is absolutely the best dancer I
             have ever seen. I absolutely refuse to go. 2 totally, utterly,
             completely, entirely, fully, quite, altogether, wholly:  It is
             absolutely necessary that you undergo surgery.

             --interj.  3 certainly, assuredly, positively, definitely, of
             course, naturally, indubitably, yes, to be sure:  'Are you sure
             you want to go?' 'Absolutely!'

   absorbed  adj.  engrossed, lost, wrapped up, occupied, engaged, immersed,
             buried, preoccupied, concentrating, rapt:  He was absorbed in
             his reading.

   absorbing adj.  engrossing, engaging, riveting, captivating, fascinating,
             spellbinding, gripping:  Maria was watching an absorbing
             thriller on television.

   abstract  adj.  1 theoretical, unapplied, notional, ideational,
             conceptual, metaphysical, unpractical, intellectual:  It is
             difficult to capture abstract ideas on paper.  2
             non-representational, symbolic, non-realistic:  Museums began
             buying abstract art in the 1930s.

             --n.  3 summary, epitome, synopsis, essence, digest,
             condensation, survey, conspectus, extract; outline, pr‚cis,
             r‚sum‚:  By reading the abstracts, you can determine which
             articles merit reading in full.

             --v.  4 epitomize, abbreviate, digest, summarize, condense,
             shorten, abridge, cut, cut down, US synopsize:  The service
             abstracts articles that appear in scientific journals.

   absurd    adj.  1 ridiculous, silly, nonsensical, senseless, outlandish,
             preposterous, farcical, mad, stupid, foolish, idiotic, imbecilic
             or imbecile, moronic, childish; laughable, ludicrous, risible,
             inane, Colloq crazy, nutty, nuts , Chiefly Brit daft:  The
             notion that the moon is made of green cheese is absurd.  2
             asinine, senseless, illogical, irrational, unreasoned,
             unreasonable, incongruous, paradoxical, unsound, meaningless:
             Today, most people view it absurd to believe that the earth is
             flat.

   absurdity n.  1 folly, silliness, ridiculousness, foolishness,
             ludicrousness, nonsense, senselessness, meaninglessness,
             illogicality, irrationality, unreasonableness, incongruity,
             stupidity, Colloq craziness, nuttiness , Chiefly Brit daftness:
             Many comics rely on absurdity rather than cleverness for humour.
             2 paradox, self-contradiction, error, fallacy:  No one can abide
             the man's pretentiousness and other absurdities.

   abundance n.  overflow, superfluity, over-abundance, superabundance,
             excess, surplus, oversupply, glut, satiety, over-sufficiency;
             plenty, plenteousness, plentifulness, plenitude, copiousness,
             profusion, Formal nimiety:  The days when there was an abundance
             of fresh drinking-water have come to an end.

   abundant  adj.  1 plentiful, overflowing, ample, copious, over-sufficient,
             superabundant, plenteous, profuse, inexhaustible, replete,
             bountiful, bounteous:  The abundant rainfall fills the
             reservoirs every day.  2 abounding (in), full (of), rich (in),
             luxuriant, lavish:  We know a stream that is abundant in trout.
             The abundant vegetation of the rain forest is an ecological
             wonder.

   abuse     v.  1 misuse, misemploy, pervert, misapply, exploit:  The
             officer abused his authority in ordering the forced march at
             midnight. 2 maltreat, ill-use, injure, wrong, hurt, mistreat,
             manhandle, ill-treat; damage:  I cannot stand by and watch that
             drunk abuse his wife and family.  3 malign, revile, censure,
             upbraid, assail, objurgate, lambaste, berate, rebuke, scold,
             reproach, disparage, traduce, defame, insult, swear at, curse
             (at), calumniate, slander, libel, decry, deprecate, vilify, rail
             against:  In the report the director was abused in the most
             virulent terms.

             --n.  4 misuse, misusage, misemployment, perversion,
             misapplication, misappropriation, Rhetoric catachresis:  Beware
             of imitating his abuse of the language.  5 addiction,
             dependence:  They are being treated for drug abuse at the local
             clinic.  6 maltreatment, ill-treatment, ill use, fault:  It
             seemed perfectly natural that he should defend abuses by which
             he profited. 7 self-abuse, self-pollution, masturbation,
             violation, defilement; corruption:  The schoolmasters
             consistently lectured the boys against any abuse of themselves.
             8 revilement, reviling, execration, vituperation, malediction,
             imprecation, tongue-lashing, calumny, calumniation,
             vilification, obloquy, scurrility, invective, maligning,
             upbraiding, berating, objurgation, scolding; billingsgate:  The
             two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to
             blows.

   abused    adj.  1 misused:  Permission to use the office copying machine
             has become an abused privilege. 2 maltreated, ill-treated,
             mistreated, hurt:  It was explained that he had been an abused
             child.

   abusive   adj.  1 insulting, scurrilous, vituperative, calumnious,
             offensive, slanderous, libellous, defamatory, censorious,
             opprobrious, disparaging, deprecatory, depreciatory, derogatory,
             derisory, derisive, reviling, vilifying, vituperative,
             reproachful; profane; rude, filthy, dirty, foul, vulgar,
             obscene, smutty, vile, thersitical:  The Crown refuses to
             tolerate abusive satire directed at the king.  If I hear another
             word of abusive language out of you, I'll wash out your mouth
             with soap! 2 perverted, misapplied, improper, wrong, incorrect;
             exploitive, exploitative, exploitatory; brutal, cruel,
             injurious, hurtful, harmful, destructive:  Despite the abusive
             treatment of wives, married women commanded much respect. 3
             corrupt, venal, dishonest, crooked:  The politicians exercised
             abusive power over the townspeople.

   abysmal   adj.  1 awful, appalling, dreadful, terrible, profound:  The
             government of Nero presented a spectacle of abysmal degradation.
             2 abyssal, bottomless, profound, unfathomable, unfathomed:  The
             abysmal depths have been plumbed in the diving bell.

   abyss     n.  deep, abysm, bottomless gulf, yawning chasm, gaping void,
             unfathomable cavity, impenetrable depth(s):  The path led
             straight down into the abyss. In the scandal the MP was plunged
             into the abyss of disgrace.

1.2 academic...
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   academic  adj.  1 scholastic, collegiate; scholarly, learned, lettered,
             erudite:  Green's academic background qualifies him for the
             professorship.  The university began publishing academic
             journals in the 19th century. 2 theoretical, hypothetical,
             conjectural, speculative, abstract; ivory-tower, visionary,
             idealistic; impractical, unrealistic, unpractical:  The car
             doesn't run, so the question of miles per gallon is purely
             academic.

   accent    n.  1 emphasis, stress, force, prominence, accentuation;
             intensity, inflection; cadence, beat:  The accent is on the
             second syllable in 'reward'.  2 diacritic, diacritical mark,
             mark, accent mark:  There is an acute accent on the 'e' in
             'clich‚'.  3 pronunciation, articulation, intonation, speech
             pattern, inflection:  Even after forty years in the country, he
             still speaks English with an Italian accent.

             --v.  4 accentuate, emphasize, stress, give prominence to, mark,
             underline, underscore, distinguish, highlight, set off or apart:
             In her speech, the psychologist accented the 'id' in 'idiot'.
             Why must he always accent the negative aspect of everything?

   accept    v.  1 receive, take, allow, permit:  Sorry, but we cannot accept
             any more applications.  2 accede (to), agree (to), assent (to),
             consent (to), acknowledge, admit, allow, recognize:  We accept
             your request for a hearing.  3 assume, undertake, take on or up,
             agree to bear:  I'll accept the responsibility for replying.  4
             reconcile oneself to, suffer, undergo, experience, stand,
             withstand, stomach, endure, bear, resign oneself to, brook,
             allow, tolerate, take:  I think I have accepted enough criticism
             for one day.

   acceptable
             adj.  1 satisfactory, adequate, tolerable, all right,
             sufficient, admissible, passable, Colloq OK, okay:  The bread
             and meat were acceptable, but the beer was awful.  2 agreeable,
             pleasing, welcome, satisfying, delightful, pleasant, pleasing:
             Most people find her compliments quite acceptable.

   accessible
             adj.  approachable, open, available, attainable, obtainable,
             reachable, ready, at hand, Colloq get-at-able:  The president is
             always accessible to those seeking help. The mechanism is
             accessible if the cover is removed.

   accessory n.  1 extra, addition, adjunct, attachment, component, frill,
             Slang bells and whistles, doodah, US and Canadian doodad:  My
             food processor has more accessories than I could ever need.  2
             accessary, accomplice, helper, assistant, confederate,
             colleague, abettor, aide, collaborator, co-conspirator,
             conspirator, fellow-criminal, associate or partner in crime:
             Although he did not rob the bank, he drove the getaway car,
             which legally makes him an accessory before the fact. A seller
             of stolen goods is an accessory after the fact.

             --adj.  3 extra, subordinate, auxiliary, additional, ancillary,
             supplemental, supplementary, secondary, adventitious, Formal
             adscititious:  For no apparent reason, the salamander grew an
             accessory limb near its hind leg.

   accident  n.  1 mishap, misfortune, mischance, misadventure, blunder,
             mistake; casualty, disaster, catastrophe, calamity:  A high
             percentage of the road accidents were caused by drunken drivers.
             2 chance, fortune, luck, fortuity, fluke; serendipity:  I came
             across the gold ring by accident, when cleaning out a disused
             cupboard. 3 non-essential, accessory or accessary, extra,
             addition:  Melancholy is an almost inseparable accident of old
             age.

   accidental
             adj.  chance, fortuitous, lucky, unlucky, serendipitous;
             undesigned, unpremeditated, uncalculated, unintended,
             unintentional, unwitting, inadvertent; unexpected, unplanned,
             unforeseen, unanticipated, adventitious; casual, random:  Our
             meeting was entirely accidental.

   accommodate
             v.  1 fit, suit, adapt, adjust, modify; customize:  I shall do
             my best to accommodate the equipment to your needs.  2
             harmonize, make consistent, reconcile, adapt:  It is uncertain
             whether his version of the incident can be accommodated to ours.
             3 equip, supply, provide, furnish:  Can you accommodate me with
             five pounds till tomorrow?  4 put up, house, lodge, shelter,
             quarter, Military billet:  The innkeeper is unable to
             accommodate us tonight.  5 suit, oblige, convenience, serve:  I
             was willing to accommodate you by selling your old car.

   accommodating
             adj.  1 obliging, cooperative, helpful, hospitable; considerate,
             conciliatory, easy to deal with, pliant, yielding, compliant,
             polite, friendly, complaisant, kind, kindly:  The lady at the
             complaints desk in the store was most accommodating.  2 pliable,
             accessible, corruptible, subornable, get-at-able; bribable:  If
             you want to get off scot-free, we'll have to find an
             accommodating judge.

   accommodation
             n.  1 adaptation, adjustment, modification, change, alteration,
             conformation, conformity:  Her skilful accommodation to her
             boss's demands kept the peace in the office. 2 settlement,
             treaty, compromise:  Negotiations were now opened for an
             accommodation between the belligerents. 3 convenience, favour:
             Would you take the mail to the post office as an accommodation
             to me? 4 lodging(s), room(s), quarters, shelter, housing;
             facility, premises, Brit digs, US accommodations:  We were able
             to arrange for accommodation at the hotel. Have you seen our new
             office accommodation? 5 loan, (financial) assistance or aid;
             grant, grant-in-aid:  The man was able to obtain an
             accommodation from his brother-in-law.

   accompany v.  1 convoy, escort, chaperon or chaperone, go along with;
             attend; usher, squire:  Allow me to accompany you to your taxi.
             2 go (along) with, come with, be associated with, belong with,
             go together with, be linked with:  The roast was accompanied by
             a bottle of claret.

   accomplice
             n.  accessory or accessary, partner in crime, confederate, ally,
             associate, colleague, fellow, henchman, collaborator,
             conspirator, co-conspirator, abettor, assistant,
             fellow-criminal, Colloq US cohort:  The police arrested the
             safe-cracker and three accomplices within hours of the robbery.

   accomplish
             v.  fulfil, perform, achieve, carry out, execute, carry off, do,
             complete, carry through, finish, effect, bring to an end,
             conclude, wind up, end; attain, reach, gain; Colloq bring off,
             knock off, polish off, Slang pull off, US swing, hack, cut:  I
             don't know how she accomplished it, but she sailed around the
             world single-handed. Has he accomplished his goal yet?

   accomplished
             adj.  consummate, perfect, expert, adept, skilful, proficient,
             practised, gifted, talented, skilled, professional:  Did you
             know that she is also an accomplished flautist?

   accomplishment
             n.  1 fulfilment, consummation, completion, realization,
             attainment, achievement, conclusion, culmination, realization:
             After the accomplishment of the task they were all taken out to
             celebrate. 2 coup, feat, exploit, triumph, tour de force:  Among
             her many accomplishments was climbing Mount Everest.  3 skill,
             skilfulness, talent, gift, ability:  Playing the violin is
             another of his accomplishments.

   accord    v.  1 agree, harmonize, concur, be at one, correspond, agree, be
             in harmony, be consistent, go (together), coincide, conform:
             His principles and practices do not accord with one another.

             --n.  2 agreement, unanimity, concord, reconciliation, harmony,
             mutual understanding, conformity, accordance, rapport, concert:
             The countries are in accord on a beneficial trade balance.  3
             agreement, treaty, pact, contract:  The accords will be signed
             at the summit meeting in May.  4 agreement, harmony, congruence;
             correspondence:  The colours of the curtains are in perfect
             accord with those of the carpet.

   accordingly
             adv.  1 hence, therefore, consequently, thus, in consequence
             (where)of, (and) so:  Smoking was forbidden; accordingly, we put
             out our cigars.  2 suitably, in conformity, in compliance;
             conformably, appropriately, compliantly:  Dinner-jackets were
             required, and the men dressed accordingly.

   according to
             adv.phr.  1 on the authority of, consistent with, in conformity
             or agreement with, as said or believed or maintained etc. by:
             We are going to play this game according to Hoyle. According to
             his lawyer, he should never have been acquitted. 2 conformable
             to, consistent with, in conformity with, commensurate with:  The
             queen greeted them in order, according to rank.

   account   v.  1 account for. explain, give a reason for, give or render a
             reckoning for, answer for, justify, reckon for:  The treasurer
             has been able to account for every penny of expense.  His desire
             to conceal his background accounts for his secrecy.

             --n.  2 calculation, accounting, reckoning, computation,
             (financial) statement; enumeration:  The accounts show that the
             company has ample funds in reserve.  Williams hasn't submitted
             his expense account for the trip. 3 interest, profit, advantage,
             benefit, favour; sake:  Nigel turned his convalescence to good
             account by writing a best seller. Don't read the book on my
             account. 4 explanation, statement, description, report, recital,
             narrative, history, chronicle:  The defendant gave a credible
             account of his whereabouts at the time of the crime. 5
             consideration, use, worth, importance, consequence, note, value,
             merit; standing, significance, estimation, esteem:  The
             committee decided that length of service is of some account in
             determining retirement pensions. 6 story, narration, narrative,
             report, tale, relation, description:  Alice's account of the
             rabbit wearing a waistcoat is unbelievable.  7 take into account
             or take account of. notice, take note of, consider, take into
             consideration, allow for:  In passing sentence, the judge took
             into account the child's poverty and the fact that it was
             Christmas time.

   accountability
             n.  answerability, responsibility, liability, culpability,
             accountableness:  In a democracy, there can be no reducing the
             accountability of the government to the citizens.

   accountable
             adj.  answerable, responsible, liable, obliged, obligated:  I am
             accountable to no man, but the greatest man in England is
             accountable to me.

   accumulate
             v.  collect, gather, amass, mass, pile or heap up, aggregate,
             cumulate; assemble, store, stock, hoard, stockpile, put or lay
             away:  Overnight, the snow accumulated in six-foot drifts about
             the house.  Ill fares the land, to hast'ning ills a prey,/Where
             wealth accumulates, and men decay.

   accumulation
             n.  1 collecting, amassing, gathering, piling or aggregation,
             heaping up:  One effect of the strike was the accumulation of
             rubbish in the streets. 2 growth, increase, build-up:  The
             accumulation of wealth has never proved a valid purpose in life.
             3 heap, pile, mass, collection, hoard, store, stockpile, stock,
             aggregation; assemblage:  Our gardener made sure that there was
             an ample accumulation of compost.

   accuracy  n.  exactness, correctness, Loosely precision, preciseness:  The
             translation from the Greek has been accomplished with great
             accuracy. Rifling the inside of the barrel of a firearm
             increases its accuracy.

   accurate  adj.  1 exact, correct, error-free, precise:  She gave an
             accurate description of the events. There is a nice distinction
             between 'accurate' and 'precise'. 2 careful, meticulous, nice,
             with an eye to or for detail, scrupulous, conscientious:  Marvin
             is a very accurate typist.  3 unerring, on target, Colloq on the
             mark, spot on (target):  This rifle is accurate if you allow for
             the wind.

   accusation
             n.  charge, allegation, indictment, charge, citation,
             arraignment, complaint; imputation, incrimination, denunciation,
             impeachment:  The politician denied the accusation of having
             accepted a bribe.

   accuse    v.  1 accuse (of or with). blame, censure, hold responsible
             (for), charge (with), denounce (for), point the finger (at),
             cite, call to account:  She accused the Knave of Hearts of
             lying.  2 accuse (of or with). charge, indict, impeach, arraign,
             incriminate; attribute, impute:  The prisoner is accused of
             assault, criminal damage, and disorderly conduct.

   accustom  v.  familiarize, acquaint, habituate, train, season; acclimatize
             or acclimate:  Start off by wearing your contact lenses for an
             hour at a time in order to accustom your eyes to them. She soon
             accustomed herself to the new surroundings.

   accustomed
             adj.  1 customary, habitual, usual, traditional, normal,
             regular, set, routine, ordinary, familiar, wonted, common,
             habituated:  The old man took his accustomed place near the
             fire.  2 used:  I've grown accustomed to her face.

   ache      v.  1 pain, hurt, smart, throb, pound; sting:  My jaw has been
             aching since that tooth was extracted.  2 yearn, long, hunger,
             hanker, pine; crave:  A hostage for a year, he was aching to see
             his wife and children.

             --n.  3 pain, pang, throbbing, pounding, smarting, soreness:  I
             have had this ache in my back, Doctor, and I can't stand up
             straight. 4 pang, pain; distress; longing:  There's been an ache
             in my heart, my darling, ever since you went away.

   achieve   v.  1 accomplish, carry out, execute, succeed in, complete,
             fulfil, bring off or about; realize, effect:  When the fund
             reaches its goal, we shall have achieved our purpose.  2
             accomplish, attain, reach, gain, get, acquire, win, obtain:  She
             achieved her ends by cheating and conniving.

   achievement
             n.  1 attainment, accomplishment, acquisition, acquirement:  As
             he was still in his thirties, the achievement of great fame
             still lay ahead for him. 2 accomplishment, attainment, feat,
             deed, exploit, victory:  The winning of the Nobel prize was her
             greatest achievement.  3 fulfilment, realization,
             accomplishment, attainment, completion:  What virtue lies more
             in achievement than in the desire for it?

   acknowledge
             v.  1 admit, confess, allow, concede, own, recognize, accept,
             accede, acquiesce; own up to:  We acknowledge that we might have
             been mistaken. She finally acknowledged my presence by looking
             up. 2 answer, reply to, respond to, react to:  She couldn't
             possibly acknowledge personally every letter she receives.

   acknowledgement
             n.  1 acknowledging, confessing, admitting, owning, admission,
             confession, avowal, affirmation:  His acknowledgement of his
             involvement in the crime saved the police a great deal of time.
             2 approval, acceptance, recognition, allowance:  By
             acknowledgement of the parliament, the king was the commander of
             the army and navy. 3 reply, response, answer, recognition:  Our
             acknowledgement will be in tomorrow's post.

   acme      n.  peak, apex, top, summit, pinnacle, zenith; climax,
             culmination:  Roger has reached the acme of perfection as a
             diamond-cutter.

   acquaint  n.  acquaint with. familiarize with, inform of or about, make
             aware of, apprise of, advise of:  The management requires
             employees to acquaint themselves with the safety rules.

   acquaintance
             n.  1 familiarity, knowledge, acquaintanceship, understanding,
             awareness; experience:  His acquaintance with the works of
             Coleridge is sparse at best.  2 associate, fellow, colleague:
             She's not a friend of mine, only an acquaintance.

   acquainted
             adj.  1 known to each other or one another, familiar with each
             other or one another, on speaking terms:  I have known Rory for
             years, but his wife and I are not acquainted.  2 acquainted
             with. familiar with, known to, aware of, informed of,
             knowledgeable of, conversant with:  I have studied trigonometry,
             but I am not acquainted with calculus.

   acquire   v.  get, obtain, gain, win, earn, procure, secure, come by or
             into; receive, come into possession of; buy, purchase:  He
             acquired great wealth by marrying rich old dying widows.

   acquisition
             n.  1 obtaining, getting, acquiring, acquirement, gain,
             procurement:  The acquisition of property entails many
             obligations.  2 possession(s), property, purchase; object:  This
             first edition is a recent acquisition.

   act       n.  1 deed, action, undertaking, operation, step, move; feat,
             exploit; accomplishment, achievement:  The first act of the new
             commission was to ban smoking in public places. 2 performance,
             show, bit, skit, stand, routine, turn, sketch, Colloq thing,
             Slang US shtick:  Stand-up comedians do their acts in
             nightclubs.  3 performance, pretence, posture, stance, feigning,
             front, fake, dissimulation, show, deception, hoax, affectation:
             She didn't mean what she said - it was just an act.  4 bill,
             law, decree, edict, statute, order, ordinance, command, mandate,
             resolution, measure, enactment:  Are the opening hours of public
             houses in England regulated by act of Parliament?

             --v.  5 behave (oneself), carry on, deport oneself, comport
             oneself, conduct oneself:  I don't know how she'll act when
             we're in public.  6 perform, play, do:  She is acting in the
             West End.  7 portray, represent, impersonate, act out,
             personify, take or play the part or role of, personate:
             Reginald acts the fool whenever he has had too much to drink.  8
             feign, pretend, counterfeit, fake, dissemble, make believe,
             sham, simulate, dissimulate, posture:  You may think him
             sincere, but I know he is just acting.  9 take effect, work,
             operate, function, perform:  This drug will act only if taken
             with meals.

   action    n.  1 activity, performance, movement, motion, energy,
             liveliness, vim, vigour, spirit, vitality; enterprise,
             initiative:  Being a man of action, he hates just sitting and
             reading.  2 influence, effect, power, force, strength:  The
             action of the moon's gravitational pull causes tides on earth.
             3 deed, act, undertaking, exertion, exercise:  The very action
             of breathing caused me pain.  4 remedy, proceeding, process:  If
             they don't stop beating their dog we shall take action against
             them. 5 fighting, combat:  We saw action in the Far East.  6
             fight, battle, engagement, encounter, clash, fray, sortie,
             skirmish, affray:  How many men were lost in last night's
             action?  7 effect, effectiveness, activity, function,
             performance, functioning, reaction:  What is the action of
             steroids on the lymph system?  8 actions. behaviour, conduct,
             deportment, demeanour, ways, manner, manners:  She must be held
             responsible for her actions.

   activate  v.  move, actuate, set in motion, get started, energize, get or
             set going, start, initiate, switch or turn on, trigger;
             motivate, rouse, arouse, prompt, stimulate, stir, mobilize,
             animate, impel, galvanize, Colloq US light a fire under:  The
             sensor in the pavement activates the traffic signal. Her
             enthusiasm activated him to go into business for himself.

   active    adj.  1 strenuous, vigorous, full, dynamic, physical; energetic,
             lively, busy, brisk, bustling, occupied, on the move, Colloq on
             the go, running:  She is healthier for having led a very active
             life. He always seems to be active. 2 acting, effective,
             efficacious, effectual, working, functioning, operative, potent,
             influential; powerful:  The active ingredient in her medicine is
             an antihistamine.  3 energetic, lively, hyperactive, animated,
             spry, nimble, quick, agile, sprightly:  There is no keeping up
             with an active child.

   activity  n.  1 action, movement, motion, vigour, vim, energy, liveliness,
             bustle:  Last week there wasn't much activity in the stock
             market.  2 pursuit, occupation, vocation, work, function,
             operation, job, labour, endeavour, enterprise, project,
             undertaking, venture, interest:  What sort of business activity
             are you engaged in?

   actual    adj.  1 existing, existent, real, genuine, factual, true,
             authentic, verified, verifiable, true to life, manifest,
             realized, realistic, Colloq solid:  The actual cost of the
             project turned out to be double the estimate.  2 present,
             current, existent, real, genuine, physical, tangible:  No
             telescope has detected any actual volcanic eruption on the moon.

   actually  adv.  really, in reality, in fact, in actuality, in point of
             fact, in truth, absolutely, as a matter of fact, indeed, truly,
             literally:  The interest rates actually charged by banks may
             vary from those quoted publicly.

   acute     adj.  1 sharp, pointed, narrow:  The two roads meet at an acute
             angle.  2 severe, intense, critical, crucial, dangerous, grave,
             serious, severe:  This is the ward for patients with acute
             illnesses.  3 sharp, cutting, intense, severe, violent,
             penetrating, exquisite, excruciating, fierce, shooting,
             stabbing, piercing, sudden:  The onset of the disease is marked
             by acute pains in the abdomen.  4 keen, sharp, sensitive:  The
             bloodhound is known for its acute sense of smell.  5 keen,
             sharp-witted, shrewd, clever, ingenious, astute, sharp, canny,
             incisive, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious, intelligent,
             penetrating, insightful, percipient, wise, sensitive,
             discriminating; alert, aware, on the qui vive:  Such a
             circumstance could not be lost upon so acute an observer.

1.3 adapt...
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   adapt     v.  1 suit, fit, make suitable, qualify:  The structure of the
             outer ear is adapted to collect and concentrate the vibrations.
             2 alter, modify, change, remodel, tailor, reshape, shape,
             fashion; adjust, accommodate, accustom, acclimatize or
             acclimate, habituate:  He adapted the play from an old French
             comedy. The whale adapts itself to great changes in pressure
             when it dives thousands of feet.

   adaptable adj.  flexible, pliable, pliant, compliant, accommodative,
             tractable, malleable, ductile, versatile; alterable, changeable:
             Men, in general, are not as adaptable as women.

   adaptation
             n.  1 fitting, suiting, modifying, adjusting, conversion:  In
             1831 electricity was ripe for adaptation to practical purposes.
             2 modification, change, adjustment, accommodation, reworking,
             customization, alteration:  She was responsible for the
             adaptation of her short story to a television play.

   add       v.  1 join, unite, combine, annex:  5 + 3 denotes that 3 is to
             be added to 5.  2 total, sum, sum up, combine, count up, reckon,
             Brit tot (up), US tote (up):  The computer can add all those
             figures in a few seconds.  3 continue, go on:  'And I won't take
             no for an answer', she added.  4 add to. increase, enlarge,
             amplify, augment, supplement:  His articles have added greatly
             to his reputation as a financial analyst.

   addict    n.  1 (habitual) user, Slang junkie, dope-fiend, doper, head,
             pot-head, acid-head, pill popper, tripper, Chiefly US hophead:
             His contributions helped set up the halfway houses for addicts.
             2 devotee, aficionado, fan, admirer, follower, adherent,
             supporter, enthusiast, Colloq buff, hound, fiend, groupie, Slang
             freak, bug, nut, teeny-bopper:  She became a rock 'n' roll
             addict in the '60s.

   addition  n.  1 adding, joining, putting together, uniting, combining:
             The addition of this paragraph is uncalled for.  2 totalling,
             adding up, summing-up, summation, counting up, reckoning,
             totting up:  You have made an error in addition.  3 addendum,
             appendix, appendage, supplement, increment, augmentation,
             extension:  This addition contributes nothing to the manuscript.
             4 extension, ell, Brit annexe, US annex, wing:  We used our
             lottery winnings to pay for an addition to the house.

             --prep.  5 in addition to. as well as, besides, beyond, over and
             above:  In addition to books, the shop sold greetings cards.

             ---adv.phr.  6 in addition. moreover, furthermore, additionally,
             besides, withal, to boot, in or into the bargain, too, also, as
             well:  We were compelled to exercise every morning and in
             addition we went for a ten-mile run each Saturday.

   address   n.  1 speech, talk, discourse, oration, lecture; sermon:  The
             Prime Minister's address to the nation was broadcast last night.
             2 location, whereabouts:  She couldn't write to me because she
             didn't have my address.

             --v.  3 speak or talk to; deliver or give a speech to; lecture:
             After the coup, the general addressed the crowd in the square.
             4 greet, hail, accost, approach:  She was addressing strangers
             in the street to ask their views on women's rights. 5 address
             oneself to. devote or direct or apply oneself to:  After the
             holidays, I again addressed myself to studying for examinations.

   adept     adj.  1 versed, proficient, skilled, well-skilled, expert,
             accomplished, skilful or US skillful, adroit, dexterous or
             dextrous, able, masterful, masterly, polished:  She is an adept
             pianist, and her husband is adept at carpentry.

             --n.  2 expert, master, specialist, authority , Colloq dab hand,
             old hand:  He is an adept at anything that one does with one's
             hands.

   adequate  adj.  1 sufficient, enough, ample; satisfactory, fitting, equal,
             suitable:  Is there language adequate to describe my feelings?
             2 passable, fair, fair to middling, middling, average,
             tolerable, (barely) acceptable, (barely) satisfactory, all
             right, competent, not (at all) bad, so so , Colloq OK or okay,
             up to snuff, not that or too bad, no great shakes:  The music
             was good, the band only adequate.  3 equal, suitable, suited,
             fitted, up, proper, qualified, competent, good enough:  Johnson
             was unsure that he was adequate to the task at hand.

   adjoining adj.  neighbouring, contiguous (to), adjacent (to), abutting,
             bordering, next (to):  We have bought the adjoining house. The
             land adjoining the supermarket is for sale.

   adjust    v.  1 set right, arrange, settle, harmonize, reconcile, resolve,
             set or put to rights; arbitrate, mediate; redress, rectify,
             correct, patch up:  Four were named on each side to adjust their
             differences.  2 change, alter, modify, regulate, set:  After he
             adjusted the pendulum, the clock kept good time.  3 adapt (to),
             accommodate (oneself) (to), accustom (oneself) (to); get used
             (to), acclimatize or acclimate (to), reconcile (oneself) (to):
             If she travels a distance east or west, it takes her a few days
             to adjust to the local time. Army life was very different, but I
             was able to adjust quickly. 4 put in order, arrange, rearrange,
             close or fasten or zip or button (up):  She adjusted the
             children's coats and did up their shoes.

   adjustment
             n.  1 adjusting, altering, alteration, setting, regulating,
             regulation, setting or putting right or aright or to rights,
             correcting, correction, calibrating, calibration; tuning:  The
             adjustment of the clocks is my responsibility.  2 arrangement,
             balance, coordination, order, alignment, harmony, harmonization:
             The inspector requires everything to be in perfect adjustment.

   administer
             v.  1 administrate, manage, control, run, direct, conduct,
             superintend, supervise, oversee:  The president said that she
             had administered the department well during her year as its
             head. 2 execute, carry on, carry out; apply, implement,
             prosecute:  It is the responsibility of the police to administer
             the law, not to make it. 3 dispense, supply, furnish, give
             (out), provide (with), mete out, distribute, deliver, deal, hand
             out:  Doctors sometimes administer drugs that have side effects.

   administration
             n.  1 management, direction, conduct, supervision, oversight,
             superintendence, regulation, charge:  Lord Hampden was given
             administration of her affairs till she came of age. 2 authority,
             management, US government:  The current administration is in
             favour of a better health programme.  3 dispensation,
             administering, supplying, furnishing, provision, delivery,
             distribution, application:  The judge is charged with the
             administration of justice.

   admirable adj.  wonderful, awe-inspiring, excellent, estimable, splendid,
             marvellous, superior, first-rate, first-class, of the first
             water, great, fine, Colloq top-drawer, ripsnorting, A-1, Brit
             smashing, magic:  His performance in Harper's new play is
             admirable.

   admiration
             n.  wonder, awe; delight, pleasure; esteem, regard,
             appreciation, respect:  She is lost in admiration of her
             mother's latest painting. Randolph was presented with a gold
             medal as a token of his colleagues' admiration.

   admire    v.  1 wonder or marvel (at), delight in:  Typically, he most
             admires people who are wealthy.  2 esteem, regard or respect
             highly, look up to, revere, idolize, venerate, worship:  The
             queen is one of the most admired people in the country.

   admirer   n.  1 devotee, aficionado, fan, supporter, enthusiast, adherent,
             follower Slang groupie:  Rock stars always seem to be
             accompanied by a retinue of admirers.  2 beau, suitor; lover,
             sweetheart, darling:  Scarlett was always surrounded by many
             admirers.

   admission n.  1 access, admittance, entr‚e, entry:  The special card gives
             me admission to the rare book room of the library. 2 reception,
             acceptance, appointment, institution, induction, installation,
             investiture:  The committee has at last approved the admission
             of women into the society. 3 acknowledging, acknowledgement or
             acknowledgment, allowing, allowance, admitting, admittance,
             conceding, concession:  The court refuses to consider the
             admission of testimony taken under duress. 4 acknowledgement,
             confession, concession, profession, declaration, disclosure,
             affirmation, concession, divulgence or divulgement, revelation:
             The police were able to extract an admission of guilt from the
             suspect. 5 ticket, (entry or entrance) fee, tariff:  Admission
             is free for senior citizens.

   admit     v.  1 let in, allow to enter, take or allow in; accept, receive:
             I opened the window to admit some air. The harbour is too small
             to admit even one more ship. 2 allow, permit, grant, brook,
             tolerate:  The governor will admit no delay in the execution of
             the sentence, and the prisoner will be hanged at dawn. 3 accept,
             concede, acquiesce, allow, grant, accept, recognize, take
             cognizance of:  Descartes' principle admitted nothing but what
             his own consciousness obliged him to admit. 4 confess, own,
             concede, divulge, reveal, acknowledge, declare:  She readily
             admitted to having incited the riot.

   admittance
             n.  leave or permission to enter, entry, entering, entrance,
             access, entr‚e:  Admittance to the club is restricted to
             members.

   adolescent
             n.  1 teenager, youth, juvenile, minor, stripling, youngster, US
             teen, Colloq kid; Slang teeny-bopper:  A group of adolescents
             volunteered to work at the home for the elderly.

             --adj.  2 teenaged, young, youthful, maturing, pubescent;
             immature, puerile, juvenile:  Adolescent growth is often
             dramatic, a gain of two inches in height being not unusual.

   adopt     v.  1 take (in), accept, take or accept as one's own:  Carol and
             her husband have adopted two children.  2 take, take up or on or
             over, embrace, espouse; arrogate, appropriate:  All Hugh's ideas
             are adopted from others - he's never had one of his own.

   adorable  adj.  lovable, beloved, loved, darling, sweet, dear; delightful,
             appealing, attractive, charming, captivating, fetching:  To look
             at him now, it is hard to imagine what an adorable child he once
             was.

   adore     v.  1 esteem, honour, respect, admire; idolize, dote on:  An
             entire generation adored the Beatles.  2 worship, venerate,
             reverence, revere, exalt; hallow:  O! Come let us adore him -
             Christ, the Lord!  3 love, be in love with, cherish, fancy,
             revere, adulate, Colloq have a crush on, carry the or a torch
             for:  Katie just adores the captain of the football team at
             school.

   adult     adj.  1 mature, grown (up), full-grown, matured, of age:  Now
             that you are adult, you come into a large inheritance.

             --n.  2 grown-up:  Tiger cubs are cute, but the adults are very
             dangerous.

   adulterate
             v.  falsify, corrupt, alloy, debase, water (down), weaken,
             dilute, bastardize, contaminate, pollute, taint, Colloq doctor;
             Slang US cut:  Adulterated rape seed oil was found to have
             caused the deaths of more than 600 people.

   advance   v.  1 move or put or push or go forward; approach:  Man has
             advanced the frontier of physical science. The battalion
             advanced towards the fort with guns blazing. 2 further, promote,
             forward, help, aid, abet, assist, benefit, improve; contribute
             to:  The terrorists' dynamiting of the school has done nothing
             to advance their cause. 3 go or move forward, move (onward), go
             on, proceed, get ahead:  As people advance in life, they acquire
             what is better than admiration - judgement. 4 hasten,
             accelerate, speed:  We have advanced the date of our departure
             from December to October.  5 move up, promote:  In less than a
             year, Mrs Leland has been advanced from supervisor to manager of
             the production department. 6 prepay, lend:  Could you advance me
             some money till pay-day?

             --n.  7 progress, development, progress, forward movement;
             improvement, betterment; headway:  Who has done more for the
             advance of knowledge?  8 rise, increase, appreciation:  Any
             advance in prices at this time would reduce our sales.  9
             prepayment, deposit; loan:  I cannot understand why George is
             always asking for an advance on his allowance. 10 in advance.  a
             beforehand, ahead (of time), before:  You will have to make
             reservations well in advance.  b before, in front (of), ahead
             (of), beyond:  The colonel rode in advance of the cavalry.

   advantage n.  1 superiority, upper hand, dominance, edge, head start;
             sway; Colloq US and New Zealand drop:  After a year, the
             advantage was with the Royalists. His height gives him an
             advantage at basketball. 2 gain, profit, benefit, interest;
             asset, betterment, improvement, advancement; use, usefulness,
             utility, help, service:  I have information that will be of
             advantage to her.  3 to advantage. better, (more) favourably,
             advantageously:  The dress sets off her figure to advantage.

   advantageous
             adj.  profitable, worthwhile, gainful, opportune, beneficial,
             favourable, useful, valuable:  The minister signed an
             advantageous treaty of commerce with Russia.

   adventure n.  1 exploit, escapade, danger, peril; affair, undertaking,
             feat, deed; experience, incident, event, occurrence, happening,
             episode:  We shared many wartime adventures.  2 speculation,
             hazard, chance, risk, venture, enterprise:  I lost a fortune in
             some of his financial adventures.

             --v.  3 venture, hazard, risk, imperil, endanger, jeopardize,
             threaten:  Would you adventure your pension money in such a
             scheme?  4 dare, wager, bet, gamble, stake, try one's luck, Brit
             punt:  She adventured a whole week's salary on the pools.

   adventurer
             n.  1 adventuress, soldier of fortune, swashbuckler, hero,
             heroine, daredevil; mercenary:  Errol Flynn often played the
             role of the adventurer.  2 adventuress, cheat, swindler,
             charlatan, trickster, rogue, scoundrel, knave; cad, bounder,
             philanderer, fortune-hunter, opportunist:  That adventuress is
             just after Nelson's money.

   adventurous
             adj.  daring, rash, brash, reckless, devil-may-care, bold,
             foolhardy, hazardous, risky, daredevil, venturesome,
             adventuresome, temerarious, audacious, bold, intrepid, brave,
             courageous:  She was adventurous enough to sail round the world
             single-handed.

   adversary n.  1 foe, enemy, opponent, antagonist, competitor, rival:
             Before beginning to fight, each adversary sized up the other.

             --adj.  2 opposed, hostile, antagonistic, competitive:  Why does
             she always take the adversary position in every argument?

   advertisement
             n.  1 notice, handbill, blurb, broadside, bill, circular,
             brochure, poster, placard, classified, commercial, spot
             (announcement), US car-card, Colloq ad, plug, Brit advert:  The
             company has placed advertisements in all major media.  2
             advertising, promotion; publicity; propaganda, ballyhoo,
             hoop-la, Colloq hype, beating the drum, US puffery:
             Advertisement on TV may be very effective, but it is very
             expensive.

   advice    n.  1 counsel, guidance, recommendation, suggestion, opinion,
             view; warning, admonition, Technical par‘nesis:  His solicitor's
             advice is to say nothing.  2 information, news, intelligence,
             notice, notification; communication:  Advice has reached the
             police that a shipment of arms will leave Dover tonight.

   advisable adj.  recommendable, expedient, prudent, practical, sensible,
             sound, seemly, judicious, wise, intelligent, smart, proper,
             politic:  It would be advisable for you to keep out of sight for
             a few days.

   advise    v.  1 counsel, guide, recommend, suggest, commend; caution,
             admonish, warn; urge, encourage:  I advised him to be careful
             driving at night in that area.  2 tell, announce (to), inform,
             apprise, register, make known (to), intimate (to), notify:  We
             advised her of our disapproval. The police have advised the
             defendants of their rights.

   adviser   n.  counsellor, mentor, guide, cicerone, counsel, consultant,
             confidant(e):  The chairman always consults his advisers before
             making a decision.

   advisory  adj.  1 consultive, consultative, counselling, hortatory,
             monitory, admonitory, Technical par‘netic(al):  Our firm has
             been engaged in an advisory capacity on the privatization of the
             utility companies.

             --n.  2 bulletin, notice, warning, admonition, prediction:  The
             Weather Office has issued a storm advisory for the weekend.

   advocate  v.  1 support, champion, back, endorse, uphold, recommend, stand
             behind, second, favour, speak or plead or argue for or in favour
             of:  Don't you advocate the policies of the Party?

             --n.  2 supporter, champion, backer, upholder, second, exponent,
             proponent, patron, defender, apologist:  She is an enthusiastic
             advocate of free speech.  3 lawyer, counsel; intercessor; Brit
             barrister, solicitor, US attorney, counselor-at-law:  The
             advocate for the opposition is not in court.

1.4 aesthete...
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   aesthete  n.  connoisseur, art-lover, lover of beauty, aesthetician or
             esthetician, US tastemaker:  It was the aesthetes who set the
             standard for the art purchased by the museum.

   aesthetic adj.  1 artistic, tasteful, beautiful; in good, excellent, etc.
             taste:  Daphne always does such aesthetic flower arrangements.
             2 sensitive, artistic, refined, discriminating, cultivated:
             These paintings might be realistic, but they are an aesthetic
             disaster.

1.5 affair...
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   affair    n.  1 matter, topic, issue; business, concern, interest,
             undertaking, activity:  These are affairs of state and require
             the approval of a minister.  2 concern, business, Slang US
             beeswax:  Who wiped the fingerprints off the weapon is none of
             your affair.  3 event, business, occurrence, happening,
             proceeding, incident, operation:  Last night's farewell party
             was truly a dull affair.  4 Also, affaire. love affair, amour,
             romance, intrigue, fling, liaison, relationship, affaire
             d'amour, affaire de coeur:  Lady Constance is having an affair
             with the gamekeeper.

   affect°   v.  1 attack, act upon, lay hold of, strike:  Arthritis has
             affected his hands and he can no longer play the piano. 2 move,
             stir, impress, touch, strike; perturb, upset, trouble, agitate:
             The sportsman was not affected by all the taunts and jeers.  3
             influence, sway, change, transform, modify, alter:  Her sudden
             fame has affected her view of herself.

   affectэ   v.  1 assume, adopt, put on, pretend (to), feign, sham, fake,
             counterfeit:  Charles affects a knowledge of high finance.  2
             choose, select; use, wear, adopt:  He affected a striped blazer
             and a boater which he wore at a jaunty angle.

   affectation
             n.  1 affectedness, pretentiousness, artificiality, insincerity,
             posturing:  She behaves with so much affectation that I never
             can be sure of her real feelings. 2 pretence, simulation, false
             display, show, front, pose, pretension, fa‡ade; act, airs:  Some
             people's charitable concern for others is mere affectation.
             Using a long cigarette-holder is one of her many affectations.

   affected  adj.  1 unnatural, artificial, specious, stilted, stiff,
             studied, awkward, non-natural, contrived, mannered:  Dryden
             found Shakespeare's style stiff and affected.  2 pretended,
             simulated, hollow, assumed, feigned, fake, faked, false,
             counterfeit, insincere, spurious, sham, bogus, Colloq phoney or
             US also phony:  The heir's affected grief concealed his secret
             exultation.  3 pretentious, pompous, high-sounding, mincing,
             niminy-piminy, Colloq la-di-da orlah-di-dah or la-de-da:
             Oliver's affected airs were enough to make his classmates detest
             him. 4 attacked, seized, afflicted, stricken, gripped, touched;
             diseased, laid hold of:  Her affected lungs never quite
             recovered.  5 afflicted, moved, touched, stirred, distressed,
             troubled, upset, hurt; influenced, swayed, impressed, struck,
             played or worked or acted upon:  Many affected theatre-goers
             enjoyed her performances.

   affection n.  goodwill, (high) regard, liking, fondness, attachment,
             loving attachment, tenderness, warmth, love:  The affection she
             felt towards her stepchildren was returned many times over.

   affectionate
             adj.  fond, loving, tender, caring, devoted, doting, warm:  She
             gave her mother an affectionate embrace and boarded the train.

   affiliated
             adj.  associated; attached, connected, combined, united, joined:
             For our members' convenience, the club is now affiliated with
             one that serves meals.

   affinity  n.  1 relationship, kinship, closeness, alliance, connection or
             Brit connexion; sympathy, rapport:  He felt an affinity with
             other redheaded people.  2 friendliness, fondness, liking,
             leaning, bent, inclination, taste, partiality, attractiveness,
             attraction:  I have an affinity for the sea.

   afflict   v.  affect, bother, distress, oppress, trouble, torment:  Last
             winter's intense cold afflicted everyone, but those in the north
             especially.

   affliction
             n.  1 hardship, misery, misfortune, distress, ordeal, trial,
             tribulation, adversity, suffering, woe, pain, grief, distress,
             torment, wretchedness:  Moses saw the affliction of his people
             in Egypt.  2 curse, disease, calamity, catastrophe, disaster,
             plague, scourge, tribulation, trouble:  He often observed that
             greed was the affliction of the middle class.

   afford    v.  1 have the means, be able or rich enough, manage, bear the
             expense, pay, provide:  We cannot afford to send the children to
             better schools.  2 give, spare, give up, contribute, donate;
             sacrifice:  The loss of a single day's work was more than I
             could afford.  3 yield, give, supply, produce, provide, furnish,
             grant, offer; give forth:  May kind heaven afford him
             everlasting rest. The poems afford no explanation.

   afoul     adv.  afoul of. entangled with, in trouble with, in conflict
             with, at odds with:  Barbara fell afoul of the new tax
             regulations.

   afraid    adj.  1 fearful, frightened, scared, intimidated, apprehensive,
             lily-livered, white-livered, terrified, panic-stricken,
             faint-hearted, weak-kneed, timid, timorous, nervous, anxious,
             jittery, on edge, edgy, jumpy; cowardly, pusillanimous, craven,
             Colloq yellow:  Don't be afraid, the dog won't bite you.  2
             sorry, unhappy, regretful, apologetic, rueful:  I'm afraid I
             cannot help you find a cheap flat in London.

1.6 age...
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   age       n.  1 lifetime, duration, length of existence; life-span:  The
             age of a stag is judged chiefly by its antlers. She was sixteen
             years of age. 2 maturity, discretion; majority, adulthood,
             seniority:  When he comes of age he will inherit millions.  3
             period, stage, time:  Among these people, both boys and girls
             undergo rites of passage at the age of puberty. He is a man of
             middle age. 4 long time, aeon or esp. US eon; years:  I haven't
             seen you for an age! The noise went on for ages.  5 era, epoch,
             period, time:  The 18th century was known as the Augustan Age in
             England.

             --v.  6 grow old(er), mature, ripen:  O, Matilda, I age too fast
             for my years! You must first age the whisky in the barrel, then
             bottle it.

   aged      adj.  old, elderly, superannuated, ancient, age-old, grey,
             venerable:  The three aged women crouched in their chairs, each
             with her own memories.

   agency    n.  means, medium, instrumentality; intervention, intercession,
             action, intermediation; operation, mechanism, force, power,
             activity, working(s), energy:  Pollen is carried from flower to
             flower by the agency of certain insects.

   agent     n.  1 representative, intermediary, go-between, proxy, emissary,
             delegate, spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson, deputy,
             substitute, surrogate, advocate, emissary, legate, envoy,
             factor:  Our agent in Tokyo will look after the matter for you.
             2 factor, agency, cause, means, force, instrument, power,
             vehicle, ingredient:  The active agent in this cleaner is
             ammonia.

   aggravate v.  1 worsen, intensify, exacerbate, heighten, magnify,
             increase; inflame:  They introduce new problems and aggravate
             the old ones.  2 exasperate, frustrate; anger, incense,
             infuriate; provoke, irritate, nettle, rile, vex, annoy, harass,
             hector, bother; embitter, rankle, Colloq peeve, needle, get on
             one's nerves; Slang Brit give (someone) aggro:  Threats only
             serve to aggravate people.

   aggression
             n.  1 aggressiveness, hostility, belligerence, combativeness,
             Slang Brit aggro:  The mere crossing of the river is an act of
             aggression.  2 attack, assault, onslaught, invasion,
             encroachment:  The conflict had become a war of aggression.

   aggressive
             adj.  1 combative, warlike, martial, belligerent, bellicose,
             pugnacious, quarrelsome, disputatious, litigious; hostile,
             unfriendly:  The Germanic tribes were known to the Romans as
             aggressive and hardened warriors. 2 forward, assertive,
             forceful, bold, Colloq pushy:  Dennis's aggressive nature may
             yet make him a good salesman.

   aggressor n.  assailant, attacker, instigator, initiator, provoker;
             belligerent:  You will find that the Nazis were the aggressors
             in Poland in 1939.

   agile     adj.  1 nimble, quick, brisk, swift, active, lively, lithe,
             limber, spry, sprightly:  Sofia is an agile dancer.  2 keen,
             sharp, alert, dexterous or dextrous, resourceful, acute:  With
             his agile mind Richard was able to solve the problems in no time
             at all.

   agitate   v.  1 excite, arouse, rouse, move, perturb, stir up, disquiet,
             fluster, ruffle, rattle, disconcert, discomfit, unsettle, upset,
             rock, unnerve, shake (up), Colloq discombobulate:  Rachel was
             agitated to learn of the bank's threat to foreclose on the
             mortgage. 2 push, press, campaign; promote:  The miners have
             been agitating for better safety measures.  3 stir (up), churn,
             disturb, shake, roil:  The calm lake was agitated by the motor
             boats.

   agitated  adj.  moved, stirred (up), shaken (up), rattled, disturbed,
             upset, nervous, perturbed, jittery, jumpy, uneasy, ill at ease,
             fidgety, disquieted, discomfited, ruffled, flustered, unsettled,
             unnerved, wrought up, discomposed, disconcerted, aroused,
             roused, excited, Colloq discombobulated:  The sheriff was in a
             very agitated state about the mob forming outside the jail.

   agitation n.  1 shaking, disturbance, churning, stirring, turbulence:  The
             agitation made the solution become cloudy.  2 excitement,
             arousal, rabble-rousing, provocation, stirring up, incitement,
             ferment, stimulation, over-stimulation, commotion:  The
             organized agitation of the crowds continued for weeks after the
             coup.

   agitator  n.  activist, rabble-rouser, incendiary, agent provocateur,
             insurrectionist, troublemaker, demagogue, firebrand:  The
             opposition party hires professional agitators to incite the
             people to riot.

   agog      adj.  eager, avid, keen, enthusiastic, expectant, impatient,
             breathless:  The children were all agog waiting for Santa Claus
             to come.

   agonizing adj.  painful, distressful, distressing, harrowing, torturous,
             racking, excruciating, tortured, tormented:  We went through an
             agonizing reappraisal of our policy on immigration.

   agony     n.  anguish, trouble, distress, suffering, misery, wretchedness,
             pain, pangs, woe, torment, throes, torture, affliction:  For two
             days his parents experienced the agony of not knowing whether he
             was dead or alive.

   agree     v.  1 concur, conform, come or go together, coincide,
             correspond, harmonize, reconcile; accord, tally, Colloq jibe:
             At last my cheque-book agrees with my bank statement!  2 Often,
             agree to. consent to, favour, acquiesce in or to, approve of,
             accede to, assent to:  They finally agreed to our offer. We
             agreed terms with respect to the contract. 3 concede, grant,
             consent, admit, approve, allow, accept, concur; accede (to),
             acquiesce (in or to), assent (to), see eye to eye:  The
             committee agreed that she should be given time to comply with
             the request. I objected and they agreed with me. 4 agree with.
             suit:  The climate in England agrees with me, strange to say.

   agreeable adj.  1 pleasing, pleasant, enjoyable, pleasurable, favourable,
             delightful, satisfying, satisfactory, good, nice, acceptable; to
             one's liking or taste:  He found the Caribbean an agreeable
             place for a holiday.  2 in favour, approving, willing,
             consenting, acquiescent, complying, compliant, in agreement or
             accord, concurring, amenable, sympathetic, well-disposed;
             accommodating, accommodative:  If Anne's agreeable, we can leave
             tomorrow.

   agreement n.  1 understanding, covenant, treaty, pact, accord, compact,
             settlement, concordat; contract, bargain, Colloq deal:  They
             drew up a ten-year agreement to be signed at the summit in
             Geneva. 2 concord, harmony, compatibility, unity, concurrence,
             unanimity:  Agreement in error is far worse than division for
             the sake of truth.

1.7 ahead
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   ahead     adv.  1 at the or in front, in advance, in the lead or vanguard,
             up ahead, before, to the fore:  The general rode ahead.  2
             winning:  At half time, our team was ahead by two points.  3
             onward(s), forward(s), on:  Please move ahead if you can.

1.8 aid...
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   aid       v.  1 help, support, assist, facilitate, back, abet, uphold,
             promote; succour, relieve, subsidize:  The invasion was aided by
             Richard's subjects. He salved his conscience by aiding a local
             charity.

             --n.  2 help, support, assistance, backing, relief, benefit,
             service, succour, comfort:  He was convicted of giving aid to
             the enemy in time of war.  3 funding, subsidy, subvention;
             grant-money, grant, grant-in-aid, scholarship:  He could never
             have gone to university without aid from the endowment.

   aide      n.  aide-de-camp, assistant, helper, coadjutor; good or strong
             right arm, right hand, right-hand man; colleague, partner, ally,
             comrade, comrade-in-arms, US cohort , Colloq man Friday, girl
             Friday, US gal Friday:  The general's aides are always at his
             side.

   ail       v.  1 trouble, afflict, affect, bother, distress, upset, worry,
             make ill or sick, pain, hurt:  I cannot imagine what ails him,
             and the doctor can find nothing wrong. 2 suffer, be or feel ill
             or poorly or unwell or indisposed, US be sick:  Granny has been
             ailing lately.

   ailment   n.  illness, sickness, affliction, disease, disorder,
             indisposition, malady; disability, infirmity; malaise,
             queasiness:  Granny's ailment has been diagnosed as influenza.

   aim       v.  1 direct, point, focus, train, level:  The guns of the fort
             are aimed at the narrow pass.  2 aim at. focus on, have designs
             on, aspire to, plan for or on, set one's sights on, seek, strive
             for, try for, wish, want:  Edward aimed at absolute dominion
             over that kingdom.  3 seek, intend, plan:  I aim to retire at
             fifty, if not before.

             --n.  4 direction, pointing, focus, focusing or focussing,
             sighting:  His aim is so bad that he can't hit the side of a
             barn with a shotgun. 5 purpose, goal, ambition, desire,
             aspiration, object, end, objective, target, intent, intention,
             plan:  It was never her aim in life to be rich. The aim of the
             book is set forth in the Foreword.

   aimless   adj.  1 purposeless, pointless, frivolous:  After receiving the
             inheritance she led an aimless life of ease and luxury. 2
             undirected, erratic, chance, haphazard, random, vagrant,
             wayward; wanton:  We were annoyed by the tourists' aimless
             meandering round the village.

   air       n.  1 atmosphere, ambience, aura, climate, feeling, sense, mood,
             quality:  This restaurant has a delightful air about it.  2
             breeze, zephyr, current, draught; breath, puff, wind:  Light
             airs sprang up from the south.  3 manner, style, appearance,
             aura, feeling, bearing, quality, flavour:  Louis has a
             lugubrious air about him.  4 melody, tune, song, music:  She was
             humming airs from some Italian opera.  5 airs. pretension,
             pretence, show, affectedness; haughtiness, hauteur, arrogance,
             superiority, superciliousness:  He puts on such airs since he
             got his knighthood.

             --v.  6 ventilate, freshen, refresh, aerate:  The chambermaid is
             airing the room, so you can't go in now.  7 show off, parade,
             display, exhibit; publish, broadcast, circulate, publicize, make
             public or known, reveal, expose, disclose, divulge, tell,
             express, declare:  Once again Andrew is airing his views on
             modern art.

1.9 akin
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   akin      adj.  Usually, akin to. related (to), allied or connected or
             affiliated (to or with), associated (with), germane (to), like,
             alike, similar (to):  Desultoriness is akin to indolence. Their
             decision not to show the film smacks of something akin to
             censorship.

1.10 alarm...
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   alarm     n.  1 warning, alert, danger- or distress-signal; tocsin, bell,
             gong, siren, whistle, horn:  At the approach of the storm, the
             lookouts gave the alarm. The alarm is set to wake me at four
             o'clock. 2 fear, fright, apprehension, dismay, trepidation,
             terror, dread, anxiety, excitement, panic, consternation,
             distress, nervousness, uneasiness, discomfort:  He viewed with
             alarm the arrest of his next-door neighbours.

             --v.  3 frighten, scare, daunt, startle, terrify, panic;
             unnerve, dismay, disturb, upset:  She was alarmed at the news of
             the car crash. Don't be alarmed - such delays are quite normal.

   alcohol   n.  spirits, liquor, the bottle, the cup that cheers, demon rum,
             John Barleycorn, Colloq booze, hard stuff, juice, moonshine,
             fire-water, Slang rot-gut, US and Canadian hooch:  Alcohol and
             driving do not mix.

   alcoholic adj.  1 intoxicating, inebriating:  His doctor has forbidden him
             any alcoholic beverage.

             --n.  2 drunkard, drunk, dipsomaniac, sot, toper, drinker,
             winebibber, serious or problem drinker, tippler, Colloq barfly,
             soak, Slang boozer, alchy or alkie or alky, dipso, stew, rummy,
             US and Canadian lush, booze-hound, wino:  The community runs a
             centre for rehabilitating alcoholics.

   alert     adj.  1 awake, wide awake, watchful, vigilant, attentive,
             heedful, wary, cautious, on the qui vive, aware, on guard, on
             the lookout, observant, Colloq on the ball, on one's toes:  The
             sentinels must remain alert throughout the night. Kenneth is
             alert to the perils of smoking cigarettes. 2 active, nimble,
             lively, agile, active, quick, spry, sprightly, vivacious:  He is
             an alert and joyous old soul.

             --n.  3 lookout:  She is always on the alert for new ways of
             saving money.  4 alarm, warning, signal, siren:  Sound the
             air-raid alert!

             --v.  5 warn, caution, advise, alarm, forewarn, signal, notify:
             We must alert him to the fact that the man is a vicious killer.

   alibi     n.  1 excuse, explanation:  Your alibi places you very close to
             the scene of the crime.

             --v.  2 excuse, explain:  Caught red-handed, she couldn't alibi
             her way out of it.

   alien     adj.  1 foreign, strange, exotic, outlandish, unfamiliar:  The
             customs of the country were alien to me.

             --n.  2 foreigner, stranger, outlander, outsider, non-native,
             immigrant, newcomer:  Aliens are required to register during
             January.

   alienate  v.  Usually, alienate from. disabuse (of or from), wean away
             (from), detach (from), distance (from):  Gradually the villagers
             were alienated from their old animistic beliefs.

   alike     adj.  1 similar, akin, resembling or like one another, akin to
             or similar to one another, showing or exhibiting a resemblance:
             They began to think all religions were alike.

             --adv.  2 in like manner, in the same manner or way, similarly,
             equally, uniformly, identically:  She believes that all people
             should be treated alike.

   alive     adj.  1 living, live, breathing, among the living, in the land
             of the living:  My great-grandfather is still alive, in spite of
             years of defying medical advice. 2 alive to. sensitive or alert
             to, aware or conscious of, aware or cognizant of:  She is alive
             to every slight nuance in the poem.  3 alert, active, lively,
             vivacious, quick, spirited, animated, brisk, spry, sprightly,
             vigorous, energetic:  Look alive, my lads, and hoist away!  4
             astir, teeming, swarming, thronging, crowded, packed, buzzing,
             crawling, jumping, bustling, humming, Colloq lousy:  In a few
             minutes the water around the corpse was alive with deadly
             piranha.

   allegation
             n.  charge, accusation, complaint; assertion, avowal,
             asseveration, claim, declaration, statement, deposition:  I
             resent the allegation that I don't bath often enough.

   allege    v.  declare, aver, state, assert, charge, affirm, avow,
             asseverate, depose, say:  The guard alleged that he had caught
             the boy climbing in a basement window.

   alleged   adj.  described, designated; claimed, avowed, stated; purported,
             so-called, suspected, supposed, assumed, presumed; hypothetical,
             conjectural:  The press reported that the alleged assailant had
             confessed. He is awaiting trial for his alleged involvement in
             the bombing.

   alliance  n.  1 union, confederation, combination, federation, pact,
             league, association, coalition, affiliation, connection, bond;
             unity, affinity:  The alliance between the two empires has been
             faithfully maintained.  2 marriage, affinity:  The alliance
             between the two families was welded by the children born of it.

   allot     v.  distribute, apportion, allocate, earmark, assign, parcel or
             dole out, deal (out), divide, share (out), dispense:  The
             millionaire allotted an equal share of his fortune to each of
             his children.

   allotment n.  1 share, apportionment, ration, portion, quota, allowance,
             measure:  Each prisoner was given a daily allotment of four
             ounces of black bread and a cup of water. 2 garden plot, kitchen
             garden, patch, tract, plot, Brit market garden, US truck garden:
             If I don't answer the phone, it's because I am digging my
             allotment.

   allow     v.  1 acknowledge, admit, grant, concede, own:  He allowed that
             he had not been completely truthful about his movements that
             night. 2 agree to, concede, cede to, admit, permit, authorize,
             entertain, consent to:  The judge said that he would allow a
             plea of 'guilty with an explanation'.  3 permit, let, suffer:
             Please allow the children to select their own friends.  4
             tolerate, stand (for), brook, sanction, countenance, permit,
             consider, put up with:  The headmaster refuses to allow such
             goings-on at his school.  5 give, let (someone) have,
             appropriate, grant, budget, earmark, assign, allocate, assign,
             approve:  The company allowed him њ100 a day for expenses.  6
             make allowance or concession for, set apart or aside, put aside,
             take into account or consideration; add; deduct:  You must allow
             at least an extra hour for the traffic during rush hour. The
             shipper allows ten kilos for the weight of the container.

   allowance n.  1 permission, toleration, tolerance, sufferance, admission,
             concession, sanction; allowing, permitting, tolerating,
             suffering, sanctioning, brooking, countenancing:  There were
             many causes of difference between them, the chief being the
             allowance of slavery in the south. 2 payment, recompense,
             remuneration, reimbursement, remittance:  Allowance will be made
             for all reasonable expenses.  3 stipend, dole, pin or pocket
             money, quota, ration; pension, annuity, allocation:  Bill gets a
             liberal weekly allowance for expenses.  4 deduction, discount,
             reduction, rebate; credit; tret; tare:  You must make allowance
             for the weight of the crate.  5 excuse(s), concession,
             consideration:  Allowance must be made for his poor eyesight.

   alloy     n.  1 mixture, mix, combination, compound, composite, blend,
             amalgam, admixture; aggregate:  Brass is an alloy of copper and
             zinc.

             --v.  2 contaminate, pollute, adulterate, debase, diminish,
             impair, vitiate:  Their external prosperity was not alloyed by
             troubles from within.  3 change, modify, temper, alter,
             moderate, allay:  Gentle persons might by their true patience
             alloy the hardness of the common crowd.

   ally      n.  1 comrade, confederate, collaborator, coadjutor; accessory,
             accomplice; associate, partner, friend:  I had hoped to have you
             as an ally in my proposal for reorganization.  The Allies
             finally defeated the Nazi war machine in 1945.

             --v.  2 league, combine, unite, join (up), team (up), side, band
             together, associate, affiliate, collaborate, confederate:  In
             their attempt at a take-over of our company, the raiders have
             allied themselves with two banks. We shall ally the Romans to us
             and conquer the territory.

   almost    adv.  nearly, about, approximately, practically, virtually,
             wellnigh, bordering on, on the brink of, verging on, on the
             verge of, little short of; not quite, all but; barely, scarcely,
             hardly; Colloq damn near:  We are almost ready to go. You almost
             broke the window!

   aloft     adv.  above, overhead, (up) in the air, in flight, up (above);
             on high; heavenwards, skyward:  The plane was overloaded, but we
             finally made it aloft. Five women held the banner aloft.

   alone     adj.  1 unaccompanied, unescorted, solitary, by oneself, tout(e)
             seule, solo, unattended, unassisted; abandoned, desolate,
             deserted:  I am alone in the world. Leave me alone.  2
             unequalled, unparalleled, unique, singular, unexcelled,
             unsurpassed, without equal, peerless, matchless:  As a poet, Don
             stands alone.

             --adv.  3 solitarily, by oneself, solo:  I'll walk alone.  4
             only, solely, exclusively, simply, just, merely:  You alone can
             help me.

   aloof     adv.  1 apart, away, at a distance, separate; at arm's length:
             We invited Martha to join us but she preferred to remain aloof.

             --adj.  2 private, reticent, reserved, withdrawn, haughty,
             supercilious, standoffish, formal, unsociable, unsocial;
             distant, remote:  Deirdre is quite an aloof sort of person - not
             what you would call a 'mixer'. 3 standoffish, distant, remote,
             cool, chilly, unresponsive, unfriendly, antisocial,
             unapproachable; unsympathetic, apathetic, indifferent,
             undemonstrative:  Roger keeps himself aloof from the needs of
             those less fortunate than he is.

   alter     v.  change, revise, modify, vary, transform; adjust, adapt,
             convert, remodel:  After the attack, we altered our opinion of
             the rebels. The dress fits better since being altered.

   alteration
             n.  change, modification, revision, transformation; adjustment,
             adaptation, conversion, remodelling:  We found places where
             alterations had been made in the original document. My new suit
             needs alteration to fit properly.

   alternate v.  1 rotate, exchange, change, interchange, take turns, go or
             take, etc. in turn, US change off, interexchange:  To help out,
             we could alternate our days off.  2 succeed, be in succession or
             rotation:  The wallpaper had alternating stripes of pink, grey,
             and maroon.

             --adj.  3 in rotation, successive; every other, every second:
             The embankment revealed alternate layers of clay and gravel. The
             nurse visited our district on alternate days. 4 alternative,
             second, other:  The alternate selection contains only milk
             chocolate.

             --n.  5 variant, alternative, (second) choice, US and Canadian
             substitute, deputy, stand-in, backup, understudy; pinch-hitter,
             Baseball designated hitter:  I prefer the alternate to the
             featured model. My alternate takes over if I am ill.

   alternation
             n.  rotation, succession; exchange, interchange:  In a temperate
             climate there is the advantage of the alternation of the
             seasons.

   alternative
             adj.  1 alternate, variant, (an)other, different, additional;
             substitute, surrogate:  Alternative models are available.

             --n.  2 alternate, variant, choice, option, selection;
             possibility; substitute, surrogate:  The alternative was to
             remain at home and do nothing. You leave me no alternative.
             'Esthetic' is an American spelling alternative.

   altogether
             adv.  entirely, utterly, completely, wholly, totally, fully, in
             all respects, absolutely, perfectly, quite; all in all, in all:
             I don't altogether agree with you. Altogether, you may be right.

   altruism  n.  selflessness, self-sacrifice, unselfishness, philanthropy,
             generosity, charity, charitableness, humanitarianism,
             humaneness, benevolence, humanity, public-spiritedness:  Nick
             does things for others out of altruism, expecting nothing in
             return.

   always    adv.  1 at all times, again and again, on all occasions, every
             or each time, each and every time, without exception,
             unexceptionally; often, many times, usually:  He that indulges
             hope will always be disappointed. I have always made coffee this
             way and see no reason for changing. 2 forever, continually,
             ever, perpetually; unceasingly, unendingly, eternally, evermore,
             ever after, everlastingly, till the end of time, in perpetuity:
             You are a fool, Mike, and you will always be a fool.  3 in any
             case, as a last resort:  You could always refuse to pay.

1.11 amalgam...
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   amalgam   n.  mixture, blend, combination, alloy, mix, composite,
             admixture, amalgamation; compound:  The population was an
             amalgam of original settlers and new immigrants.

   amalgamate
             v.  blend, combine, unite, mix, join, consolidate, compound,
             integrate, merge:  The four sentences of the original are
             amalgamated into two.

   amalgamation
             n.  blend, fusion, combination, mixture, mingling, admixture,
             composite, compound, blending, joining, consolidating,
             consolidation, compounding, commingling, fusing, coalescing,
             coalescence, union, uniting, unification, integration, merger,
             association, composition:  The directors voted for an
             amalgamation of the two companies that would benefit both.

   amass     v.  accumulate, mass, pile or heap or rack up, collect, gather
             (together), assemble, aggregate, cumulate, stock or store up,
             hoard, set aside:  How many points have you amassed? Owing to
             the bountiful harvest, the farmers amassed huge amounts of
             grain.

   amateur   n.  1 layman, non-professional, tiro or tyro; dabbler,
             dilettante, bungler; Colloq US bush-leaguer:  When it comes to
             repairing cars, I'm a mere amateur.

             --adj.  2 lay, non-professional, untrained; unpaid; dilettante,
             amateurish, unprofessional, unskilled, inexpert, unskilful,
             clumsy, mediocre, inferior, crude, bungling, second-rate; Colloq
             US bush-league:  The amateur theatre group's performance
             received excellent reviews.  These paintings are strictly
             amateur and totally without merit.

   amaze     v.  astound, astonish, surprise, awe, stun, stagger, take aback,
             floor, dumbfound or dumfound, confound, nonplus, stupefy, Colloq
             flabbergast, dazzle:  Annie Oakley amazed audiences with her
             fancy shooting. I was amazed that she still cared for me.

   amazement n.  astonishment, surprise, awe, wonder, stupefaction:  He
             stared at her in amazement, sure that he had misunderstood what
             she was saying.

   amazing   adj.  astonishing, astounding, surprising, wonderful,
             remarkable, extraordinary, marvellous, fabulous, stunning,
             dazzling, staggering, awesome:  The Cossacks put on an amazing
             display of horsemanship.

   ambassador
             n.  envoy, delegate, legate, emissary, minister,
             plenipotentiary, diplomat; agent, deputy, representative,
             (papal) nuncio, messenger:  The ambassador must present his
             credentials to the queen.

   ambiguity n.  1 equivocalness, equivocacy, amphibology or amphiboly;
             vagueness, indistinctness, uncertainty, indefiniteness,
             imprecision, inconclusiveness:  Ambiguity of language must be
             avoided in legal documents.  2 equivocation, double-talk,
             double-speak, equivoque; pun, double entendre, amphibologism:
             The minister's speech was full of ambiguities.

   ambiguous adj.  1 equivocal, amphibological, amphibolic or amphibolous;
             misleading:  If one says 'Taylor saw Tyler drunk', which one was
             drunk is ambiguous.  2 doubtful, dubious, questionable, obscure,
             indistinct, unclear, indefinite, indeterminate, uncertain,
             undefined, inconclusive, uncertain, vague, misty, foggy,
             unclear; cryptic, Delphic, enigmatic(al), oracular, mysterious,
             puzzling; confusable:  The soothsayer's prophecies were
             sufficiently ambiguous to allow for several conflicting
             interpretations. 3 unreliable, undependable:  How can the doctor
             decide on a correct diagnosis when the symptoms are ambiguous?

   ambition  n.  1 hunger, thirst, craving, appetite, arrivisme:  John's
             relentless ambition may yet be his undoing.  2 drive,
             enterprise, energy, initiative, vigour, enthusiasm, zeal,
             avidity, Colloq get-up-and-go:  The company is seeking young men
             of ambition. You'll never get anywhere, Stewart, since you are
             totally lacking in ambition. 3 goal, object, aim, aspiration,
             hope, desire, dream, objective, wish, purpose:  It is Olivia's
             ambition to marry someone with a title.

   ambitious adj.  1 aspiring, hopeful; enthusiastic:  My son, I am just as
             ambitious for you as you are for yourself.  2 energetic,
             enterprising, vigorous, zealous, enthusiastic, eager:  We prefer
             ambitious young people to those who are seeking a sinecure.  3
             greedy, avaricious, overzealous, overambitious, Colloq pushy,
             yuppy:  Howard is a trifle too ambitious, expecting to be
             department head after only one year.

   ambush    n.  1 trap, ambuscade or Archaic ambuscado:  The company set up
             an ambush near the crossroads.

             --v.  2 lie in wait, trap, waylay, ensnare, entrap, lurk,
             ambuscade, intercept, Colloq lay in wait, US bushwhack:  The
             guerrillas were ready to ambush the soldiers.

   amend     v.  1 reform, change for the better, improve, better,
             ameliorate:  The prisoner believes he could amend his ways if
             given the chance.  2 correct, emend, emendate, rectify, set to
             rights, repair, fix, revise:  Take whatever time you need to
             amend the text.

   amendment n.  1 correction, emendation, reformation, change, alteration,
             rectification, repair, reform, improvement, amelioration,
             betterment, enhancement:  The committee approved the amendment
             of the constitution by the addition of the suggested paragraphs.
             2 attachment, addition, addendum; clause, paragraph; alteration:
             A two-thirds majority in the Congress is needed to pass the
             amendment.

   amends    n.  make amends. compensate, pay, repay, make reparation or
             restitution, recompense, redress, remedy, requite:  How can the
             bus-driver ever make amends for the loss of a beloved kitten?

   amiable   adj.  friendly, well-disposed, kindly, kind, amicable,
             agreeable, congenial, genial, warm, winsome, winning, affable,
             agreeable, pleasant, obliging, tractable, approachable, benign,
             good-natured, good-hearted, kind-hearted; affectionate:  Melissa
             is well named for her sweet and amiable disposition.

   amicable  adj.  friendly, amiable, congenial, harmonious, brotherly,
             kind-hearted; warm, courteous, cordial, polite, civil, pleasant;
             peaceful, peaceable:  Our countries have always enjoyed the most
             amicable relations.

   amid      prep.  mid, in or into the middle or midst or centre of,
             amongst, among, surrounded by, in the thick of, Literary amidst:
             She is sitting in her cottage, Amid the flowers of May. Without
             further ado, she plunged amid the waves.

   amiss     adj.  1 wrong, at fault, awry, out of order, faulty, defective,
             improper, untoward; astray, erroneous, fallacious, confused,
             incorrect, off:  Something is amiss with the ignition. If I am
             amiss in my thinking, let me know.

             --adv.  2 wrong, awry, badly, poorly, imperfectly;
             inopportunely, unfavourably, unpropitiously:  Everything
             possible has already gone amiss with the rocket launch.  3
             wrongly, improperly, badly; incorrectly, inappropriately:  A
             word of advice might not come amiss here.  4 take or think (it)
             amiss. mistake, misinterpret, misunderstand, take offence (at):
             I trust that you will not take amiss what I intended as
             constructive criticism.

   among     prep.  1 amongst, amid, amidst, mid, in the midst or middle or
             centre of, surrounded by:  Please take a seat among the people
             over there. We lay down among the flowers. 2 among, to each or
             all (of):  The examination booklets were passed out among the
             students.

   amount    v.  1 amount to.  a add up to, total, aggregate, come (up) to:
             Waiter, what does my bill amount to, please?  b become, develop
             into:  That son of his will never amount to much.

             --n.  2 quantity, volume, mass, expanse, bulk, supply, lot;
             number; magnitude:  What amount of water is needed to fill the
             container? She eats a huge amount of chocolates every day. 3
             (sum) total, aggregate, extent, entirety:  What is the amount of
             the invoice without the tax?

   ample     adj.  1 broad, wide, spacious, extensive, expansive, great:  Her
             ample bosom heaved with sobs.  2 wide-ranging, extensive, broad:
             In one ample swoop they snatched up all the land.  3 abundant,
             extensive, fruitful:  The event proved a very ample subject for
             history.  4 abundant, full, complete, plentiful, copious,
             generous, substantial; sufficient, adequate, enough:  He had
             stored ample provision of food for the winter.  5 liberal,
             unsparing, unstinted, unstinting, generous, substantial, large,
             lavish:  Steve's contributions have always been ample,
             especially at Christmas time. 6 copious, full, broad, detailed,
             extensive, extended, thorough:  The subject deserves more ample
             treatment.

   amplify   v.  1 broaden, widen, extend, increase, expand (on), enlarge
             (on), expatiate on, detail; add to, augment, supplement:  Let no
             man comfort him But amplify his grief with bitter words.  2
             exaggerate, overstate, magnify, stretch:  The reports have
             amplified the number of horsemen slain in the encounter. 3
             enlarge (on), elaborate (on), stretch, lengthen, detail,
             embellish, embroider:  He amplifies every point in microscopic
             detail.

   amply     adv.  1 widely, broadly, extensively, greatly, expansively:
             This fabric stretches amply enough to fit over the couch.  2 to
             a great extent, largely, fully, abundantly:  My confidence in
             her was amply recompensed by her success.  3 abundantly, fully,
             copiously:  The prophecy was amply fulfilled.  4 fully, well,
             liberally, unstintingly, generously, richly, substantially,
             lavishly; sufficiently:  He has been amply paid for his work.

   amulet    n.  charm, talisman, good-luck piece; fetish:  Whenever the man
             rubbed the silver amulet, his number would win.

   amuse     v.  1 divert, entertain, please, beguile, interest, occupy:
             Perhaps the crossword puzzle will amuse her while she is
             waiting.  2 make laugh, delight, cheer, Colloq tickle:  That
             form of rowdy slapstick doesn't amuse me.

   amusement n.  1 entertainment, diversion, recreation, pleasure,
             relaxation, distraction, enjoyment, fun, sport, joke, lark,
             beguilement:  The boys in my class used to pull the wings off
             flies for amusement.  They spent their afternoons in the
             amusement arcade. 2 entertainment, diversion, divertissement,
             recreation, distraction, pastime; game, sport:  During the
             festival there are concerts, plays, and other amusements.

1.12 anachronism...
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   anachronism
             n.  misdate, misdating, misapplication; antedate, antedating,
             prochronism; postdate, postdating, parachronism:  The poster
             showing Cleopatra smoking a cigarette is an anachronism - a
             prochronism, to be specific.

   analyse   v.  1 take apart or to pieces, separate, dissect, break down,
             anatomize:  If we analyse these statistics for England and
             Wales, we find no pattern. The scientists are analysing the
             internal constitution of a glacier. 2 examine, investigate,
             study, scrutinize, interpret; assess, evaluate, critique,
             criticize, review; estimate, assay, test:  We must first
             explicitly define and analyse the nature of the sample we found.

   analysis  n.  1 examination, investigation, study, scrutiny, enquiry or
             inquiry, dissection, assay, breakdown, division:  The analysis
             has shown the presence of arsenic in her soup.  2
             interpretation, opinion, judgement, criticism, critique; review:
             She disagrees with our analysis of the poem.

   ancestor  n.  forebear, forefather; forerunner, precursor, antecedent,
             Formal progenitor, primogenitor:  His ancestors were transported
             to Australia in a prison ship, and he's proud of it. The
             eohippus, only a foot high, was the ancestor of the horse.

   anchor    n.  1 mooring:  The ship rode at anchor in the harbour.  2
             stability, security, mainstay, support, stabilizer, holdfast,
             sheet anchor:  Marie is an anchor to windward for George, who
             tends to be a bit irresponsible.

             --v.  3 attach, affix, secure, moor, fix, fasten; pin, rivet,
             glue:  You must anchor the foundation before adding the walls.
             She remained anchored to the spot, refusing to move.

   ancient   adj.  1 old, bygone, past, former, earlier, Literary olden:  In
             ancient times there were very few books.  2 old, antique,
             antediluvian, primitive, prehistoric, primeval, primordial,
             Noachian, Literary Ogygian:  In those ancient days man had only
             just come down from the trees.  3 old, old-fashioned, archaic,
             time-worn, aged, ageing, obsolescent, antiquated, elderly,
             venerable, grey, hoary, superannuated, obsolete, fossil,
             fossilized:  We were accosted by an ancient crone at the mouth
             of the cave.

   anger     n.  1 rage, wrath, ire, fury, pique, spleen, choler; antagonism,
             irritation, vexation, indignation, displeasure, annoyance,
             irritability, resentment, outrage:  Her anger got the better of
             her, so she simply punched him.

             --v.  2 enrage, infuriate, madden, pique, incense, raise one's
             hackles, make one's blood boil, rile, gall; annoy, irritate,
             vex, nettle, displease, exasperate, provoke:  Father was so
             angered by the insult that he refused to pay.

   angle°    n.  1 slant, oblique, corner, edge, intersection; bend, cusp,
             point, apex, projection:  The two walls meet at an angle.  2
             slant, point of view, aspect, viewpoint, standpoint, approach,
             position, side, perspective:  The managing editor told me he's
             looking for a new angle on the kidnapping story.

   angleэ    v.  angle for. fish for; look for, seek, be after, try for, hunt
             for:  On holiday we went angling for perch. Fran is angling for
             compliments on her new dress.

   angry     adj.  1 enraged, furious, irate, resentful, ireful, wrathful,
             piqued, incensed, infuriated, fuming; irritated, irritable,
             annoyed, vexed, irascible, provoked, indignant, exasperated,
             splenetic, Literary wroth, Colloq livid, hot under the collar,
             on the warpath, (all) steamed up, up in arms, mad, Slang browned
             off, Brit cheesed off:  Father was angry with me for letting the
             cat out.  2 inflamed, irritated, sore, smarting:  He has an
             angry lesion where the fetters rubbed against his ankles.

   anguish   n.  1 suffering, pain, agony, torment, torture, misery:  She
             endured the anguish of toothache rather than go to the dentist.
             2 suffering, grief, distress, woe, anxiety:  He underwent
             terrible anguish in the waiting-room till the surgeon arrived.

             --v.  3 disturb, upset, distress, afflict, trouble; torment,
             torture:  The anguished cries of prisoners could be heard.

   animal    n.  1 creature, being, mammal, organism:  Scientists are
             unlikely to employ the popular division of all things into
             animal, vegetable, or mineral. 2 beast, brute, savage, monster:
             Think of the poor girl married to that animal!

             --adj.  3 zoological, zooid, animalistic:  The sponge is a
             member of the animal kingdom.  4 physical, fleshly, sensual,
             gross, coarse, unrefined, uncultured, uncultivated, rude,
             carnal, crude, bestial, beastlike, subhuman:  His animal
             appetites occasionally got the better of him.

   animate   v.  1 activate, enliven, invigorate, stimulate, inspirit,
             excite, stir, vitalize, spark, vivify, revitalize, breathe life
             into, innervate:  A little enthusiasm would have animated their
             dull relationship.  2 inspire, inspirit, stimulate, actuate,
             move, motivate, incite, rouse, arouse, excite, fire (up),
             encourage, energize, vitalize, spur (on or onwards):  He spent
             the few minutes before the battle in animating his soldiers.

             --adj.  3 lively, spirited, vivacious, animated, quick:  A
             courser more animate of eye, Of form more faultless never had
             been seen. 4 alive, moving, breathing, Archaic quick:  Although
             they move, plants are not considered to be animate.

   animated  adj.  1 lively, quick, spirited, active, vivacious, energetic,
             vigorous, excited, ebullient, enthusiastic, dynamic, vibrant,
             ardent, enlivened, passionate, impassioned, fervent:  In the
             corner, Terence was engaged in an animated conversation with
             Mary. 2 mechanical, automated, lifelike, moving:  Each
             Christmas, the shop has an animated window display.

   animation n.  1 spirit, spiritedness, vitality, dash, ‚lan, zest, fervour,
             verve, liveliness, fire, ardour, ardency, exhilaration,
             intensity, energy, pep, dynamism, enthusiasm, excitement,
             vigour, vivacity:  Johnson was in high spirits, talking with
             great animation.  2 enlivenment, liveliness, energizing,
             invigoration, enlivening, innervation:  The scout leader was
             credited with the animation of the youths in his care.

   animosity n.  hostility, antagonism, antipathy, ill will, malevolence,
             enmity, hatred, animus, loathing, detestation, contempt; bad
             blood, malice, bitterness, acrimony, resentment, rancour:  The
             animosity he felt for his brother soon disappeared.

   announce  v.  1 proclaim, make public, make known, set or put forth, put
             out, publish, advertise, publicize, promulgate, broadcast,
             herald; circulate; tell, reveal, disclose, divulge, declare,
             propound:  The appointment of a new prime minister has been
             announced.  2 intimate, suggest, hint at, signal:  The sight of
             a top hat announced Gordon's presence in the club.  3 declare,
             tell, state, aver, assert, asseverate; notify; confirm:  The
             president announced that he was resigning because of the
             scandal.  4 foretell, betoken, augur, portend, presage,
             harbinger, herald, signal; precede:  The sighting of the first
             crocus announces spring.

   announcement
             n.  1 declaration, pronouncement, proclamation, statement:
             Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to make an announcement.  2
             notification, notice, word:  We received an announcement of the
             wedding but no invitation.  3 commercial, advertisement, advert,
             ad, spot:  The window was filled with announcements of houses
             for sale.  4 report, bulletin, communiqu‚, disclosure:  An
             announcement has just been received from the fire-fighters at
             the scene.

   announcer n.  presenter, master of ceremonies, master of the revels, MC,
             emcee, reporter, anchorman, anchorwoman, anchor; newsreader,
             newscaster, sportscaster, weatherman, weathergirl:  The
             announcer didn't get my name right.

   annoy     v.  1 irritate, bother, irk, vex, nettle, get on (someone's)
             nerves, exasperate, provoke, incense, rile, madden, Colloq get
             at:  The anonymous telephone calls were beginning to annoy us.
             2 pester, harass, harry, badger, nag, plague, molest, bedevil,
             Colloq bug, needle, hassle, Slang get up someone's nose:  Stop
             annoying me with your persistent requests for money.

   annoyance n.  1 irritation, bother, vexation, exasperation, pique,
             aggravation, Colloq botheration:  Must I put up with the
             annoyance of that constant bickering?  2 nuisance, pest,
             irritant, bore, Colloq pain, pain in the neck or arse or US ass:
             He's such an annoyance, I wish he'd leave.

   answer    n.  1 reply, response; rejoinder, retort, riposte, Colloq
             comeback:  The boy's answer is unprintable.  2 Law defence,
             counter-statement, plea, explanation; Technical declaration,
             plea, replication, rejoinder, surrejoinder, rebutter or
             rebuttal, surrebutter or surrebuttal:  Her answer to the charge
             was 'Not Guilty'.  3 solution, explanation:  Ten points were
             taken off because I had the wrong answer to question three.

             --v.  4 reply, respond; retort, rejoin, riposte:  When I ask you
             a question, I expect you to answer.  5 satisfy, fulfil, suffice
             for, meet, suit, serve, fit, fill, conform to, correlate with:
             The bequest answered my needs for the moment.  6 answer back.
             talk back (to):  How dare you answer your father back!  7 answer
             for.  a be accountable or responsible or answerable for, be to
             blame for; take or undertake responsibility for; sponsor,
             support, guarantee:  I answer alone to Allah for my motives. So
             shall my righteousness answer for me. b make amends for, atone
             for, suffer the consequences of:  Caesar was ambitious and he
             answered for it with his life.  c take or accept the blame for:
             Andy shouldn't have to answer for his brother's shortcomings.

   antagonism
             n.  1 opposition, animosity, enmity, rancour, hostility,
             antipathy:  It is difficult to understand your antagonism
             towards classical music. 2 conflict, rivalry, discord,
             dissension, friction, strife; contention:  Giving jobs only to
             personal friends has engendered antagonism.

   antagonist
             n.  adversary, opponent, enemy, foe; contender, competitor,
             competition, opposition:  The antagonists prepared to fight.

   anticipate
             v.  1 forestall, intercept, preclude, obviate, prevent; nullify:
             She anticipated her opponent's manoeuvre by moving the queen's
             bishop one square. 2 foretell, forecast, predict, prophesy,
             foretaste, foresee:  He anticipated that flying would be a
             future mode of locomotion.  3 expect, look forward to, prepare
             for; count or reckon on:  We eagerly anticipated the arrival of
             Uncle Robert.

   anticipation
             n.  1 expectation, expectancy; hope:  In anticipation of the
             arrival of Father Christmas, we hung up our stockings. 2
             foreknowledge, precognition; intuition, presentiment, feeling;
             foreboding, apprehension:  His anticipation of the solar eclipse
             by a week established him as the foremost scientist of his day.

   antidote  n.  antitoxin, antiserum, antivenin; counteractant,
             counterirritant; cure, remedy, specific; medication, medicine,
             drug, medicament, Technical alexipharmic:  The old prospector
             says that the best antidote against snakebite is whisky.

   antiquated
             adj.  old, old-fashioned, outmoded, pass‚, out of date, dated,
             archaic, obsolescent, antique, obsolete, quaint, ancient,
             antediluvian, medieval or mediaeval, primitive; extinct; Colloq
             old hat:  Antiquated laws list penalties for practising
             witchcraft.

   antique   adj.  1 old, old-fashioned; antiquated, outmoded, pass‚, out of
             date, obsolete:  She wore the antique clothing she had found in
             the trunk.

             --n.  2 collectable or collectible, collector's item, bibelot,
             objet d'art, objet de vertu, object or article of virtu,
             heirloom, curio, rarity:  His hobby is collecting antiques.

   anxiety   n.  1 solicitude, concern, uneasiness, disquiet, nervousness,
             worry, dread, angst, apprehension, foreboding:  Philip began to
             feel genuine anxiety over Tanya's safety.  2 appetite, hunger,
             thirst, desire, eagerness, longing, ache, concern:  It is every
             person's anxiety to obtain for himself the inestimable pearl of
             genuine knowledge.

   anxious   adj.  1 troubled, uneasy, disquieted, uncertain, apprehensive;
             solicitous, concerned, worried, distressed, disturbed, nervous,
             tense, fretful, on edge, restless, edgy, perturbed, upset; wary,
             cautious, careful, watchful:  She has been terribly anxious
             about the diagnosis. We were anxious for her safety. 2 desirous,
             eager, keen, enthusiastic, ardent, agog, avid, yearning,
             longing, aching, impatient:  I was anxious to visit the Pitti
             Palace once again.

1.13 apart...
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   apart     adv.  1 aside, to one side, by oneself, at a distance, separate,
             separately:  He stood apart when the awards were given out.  2
             separately, distinctly, individually, singly, alone,
             independently:  The provisions of the bill should be seen
             together as a whole, not viewed apart. 3 to or into pieces,
             asunder:  At the touch of the button, the building blew apart.
             4 apart from. except for, excepting, separately from, aside
             from, besides, but for, not including, excluding, not counting:
             Apart from the immediate family, no one knows of your
             indiscretions.

   aperture  n.  opening, space, gap, cleft, chink, crevice, crack, fissure,
             hole, chasm:  As much water ran through as the aperture could
             accommodate.

   apologetic
             adj.  regretful, sorry, contrite, remorseful, penitent, rueful,
             repentant, conscience-stricken:  The lad was most apologetic for
             having broken the window.

   apologize v.  1 beg or ask pardon, express regret(s), feel sorry or
             regretful or remorse(ful):  You needn't apologize for sneezing.
             2 make or give excuses or explanation(s), defend, justify,
             vindicate, espouse:  You don't have to apologize for her.

   appal     v.  dismay, shock, discomfit, unnerve, intimidate, terrify,
             frighten, scare, horrify, alarm, startle, daunt:  The council
             were appalled to discover that the police superintendent was
             accepting bribes.

   apparatus n.  equipment, requisites, tool, instrument, utensil, device,
             implement, machine, machinery, gear, paraphernalia, tackle,
             outfit; appliance, Colloq contraption, gadgetry, gadget:  The
             apparatus needed for the experiment is here.

   apparel   n.  clothing, attire, clothes, dress, raiment, garments, Colloq
             gear, rags, glad rags, duds, Slang US threads:  The police found
             various items of apparel strewn about the flat.

   apparent  adj.  1 evident, plain, clear, obvious, patent, unmistakable;
             conspicuous, marked, manifest, visible, discernible:  It was
             apparent to all of us that she would become a successful opera
             singer. 2 appearing, seeming, illusory, ostensible, superficial,
             outward:  In an apparent show of strength, he ordered his forces
             to attack the capital.

   apparently
             adv.  1 evidently, plainly, clearly, obviously, patently,
             manifestly:  There is apparently no cure in sight for the
             disease.  2 seemingly, ostensibly, superficially, outwardly:  In
             stop-action photography, the bullet apparently hangs in mid-air.

   appeal    v.  1 entreat, supplicate, solicit, plead, petition, apply, sue;
             beseech, beg, implore, pray:  She appealed to the king to
             release her son from the dungeon.  2 attract, be attractive to,
             allure, please; invite, tempt, beguile, fascinate, interest:  He
             seems to appeal to older women.

             --n.  3 application, suit; entreaty, call, request,
             supplication, solicitation, petition, plea; prayer:  Her appeal
             to the court has been dismissed. I don't know if God heard our
             appeal. 4 attraction, lure, allurement, charm, fascination:  It
             is not hard to see why his type would have some appeal.

   appear    v.  1 come forth, become visible or manifest, put in an
             appearance, materialize, surface, emerge, rise, arise, come up,
             enter (into) the picture, show oneself, turn up, arrive, come,
             Colloq crop or show up; Slang show:  Suddenly, a vision appeared
             before me. His wife appeared after an absence of ten years. 2
             perform, act, play, take the role or part of:  She has appeared
             as Roxanne in dozens of productions of Cyrano de Bergerac .  3
             occur, happen, come up, be included, figure, arrive:  That
             four-letter word does not appear in written form till the 20th
             century. 4 seem, be clear or evident or plain or manifest; look:
             It appears that the money was taken while the manager was at
             lunch.  5 be published, come out, become available:  The next
             issue will appear in March.

   appearance
             n.  1 arrival, advent; presence; publication:  I was awaiting
             the appearance of the book in the shops.  2 aspect, look(s),
             form; mien, air, demeanour; bearing, manner:  The doorman would
             not let him in because of his shabby appearance.  3 display,
             show:  Their fine horses with their rich trappings made a
             splendid appearance.  4 semblance, show, hint, suggestion;
             illusion:  She gave no appearance of wanting to go.

   appetite  n.  1 desire, inclination, proclivity, tendency, disposition,
             bent, preference, liking, predilection, zest, fondness, love,
             zeal; enthusiasm; taste, relish; Formal appetency, appetence:  I
             have never lost my appetite for chocolate. They tried to
             suppress their bodily appetites, such as hunger and lust. 2
             craving, hunger, thirst, desire, keenness, hankering, yearning,
             longing, passion, demand, Formal edacity:  She developed an
             insatiable appetite for reading.

   applaud   v.  1 approve, express approval, clap, cheer, give (someone) a
             hand, Colloq root (for):  The audience applauded when the
             villain was caught.  2 express approval of, praise, laud, hail,
             commend:  Susan's parents applauded her decision to apply for
             university.

   applause  n.  clapping, acclamation, acclaim, ‚clat; cheering, cheers;
             approval, commendation, approbation, praise, kudos, plaudit(s):
             At the curtain there was applause from the audience.

   applicable
             adj.  fit, suitable, suited, appropriate, proper, apropos,
             fitting, befitting, pertinent, apt, germane, right, seemly,
             relevant, apposite:  Are the laws of the mainland applicable to
             the islands?

   application
             n.  1 use, employment, utilization, practice, operation:  The
             committee wants to see a sterner application of the law with
             respect to mail-order offers. 2 relevancy, relevance, reference,
             pertinence, germaneness, appositeness; bearing:  The application
             of the regulation to present circumstances is somewhat vague. 3
             attention; diligence, industriousness, effort, perseverance,
             persistence, assiduity, devotion, dedication, commitment,
             attentiveness Colloq stick-to-it-iveness; industry:  Her
             application to her studies leaves little time for recreation.
             Without application, you will never develop much skill at the
             piano. 4 request, solicitation; appeal, petition, claim:  Gavin
             made six job applications. The board will consider your
             application.

   apply     v.  1 fasten, fix, affix, stick, cement, glue:  The signs were
             applied to the window with a special substance.  2 administer,
             rub in or on, embrocate:  The doctor said to apply this ointment
             before retiring.  3 appropriate, assign, allot, credit; use,
             utilize, employ, put to use:  He had many skills, but failed to
             apply them in his daily work.  The money raised for food was
             illegally applied to paying the administrators. 4 bear, have
             bearing; be relevant, refer, pertain, appertain, relate, suit:
             I am not sure that the law applies to this situation.  5 devote,
             dedicate, commit, focus, concentrate, pay attention, address;
             do, attend, tend, Colloq buckle down (to):  He stubbornly
             applies himself to the task at hand.  6 seek, go after;
             register, bid, try out, put in; audition, interview, make
             application:  Are you qualified to apply for a job as a nanny?
             7 petition, solicit; appeal, request:  Geraldine applied to the
             court for compensation.

   appoint   v.  1 fix, set, settle, determine, ordain, authorize, establish,
             destine, arrange, assign, allot, prescribe, decree:  The time
             appointed for the execution has been delayed.  2 name,
             designate, nominate, elect; assign, delegate, commission,
             deputize; select, choose:  I was delighted to have been
             appointed as chairman.  3 equip, fit out, furnish, decorate:
             They live comfortably in a well-appointed home in the suburbs.

   appointment
             n.  1 meeting, date, rendezvous, engagement; assignation, tryst:
             You are again late for your appointment.  2 nomination,
             election; assignment, designation; selection, choice:  We fully
             approve of his appointment as chairman.  3 job, position, post,
             situation, office, place, assignment, Colloq berth, slot:  He
             got the appointment as manager.

   appreciate
             v.  1 value, find worthwhile or valuable; esteem, cherish,
             enjoy, admire, rate or regard highly, prize, treasure, respect:
             I appreciate all you have done for me. Delia's contribution is
             not really appreciated. 2 increase or rise or gain in value or
             worth:  The property in this area has been appreciating at a
             rate of about ten per cent a year. 3 understand, comprehend,
             recognize, perceive, know, be aware or cognizant or conscious
             of:  Do you appreciate the implications of the new tax law?

   appreciation
             n.  1 gratitude, thankfulness, gratefulness, thanks;
             acknowledgement; obligation:  She is trying to think of an
             appropriate way to express her appreciation for all he has done.
             2 increase, rise, advance, growth, enhancement, gain;
             aggrandizement:  The appreciation in the value of the shares
             made me very wealthy on paper - till the stock-market crash. 3
             understanding, comprehension, perception, recognition,
             knowledge, awareness; realization, enjoyment; admiration:  It's
             fortunate that Richard's appreciation of the finer things in
             life is supported by his income.

   apprentice
             n.  1 novice, tiro or tyro, learner, starter, beginner,
             greenhorn, Colloq US rookie:  Lever served as an apprentice in
             the soap factory.

             --v.  2 indenture, contract, bind:  Cartwright was apprenticed
             to a carpenter before becoming a journeyman cabinet-maker.

   approach  v.  1 near, advance, draw or come near or nearer or close or
             closer, Formal come nigh:  Claude approached the table. As night
             approached, the sky darkened.  With approaching manhood, you
             must take on more responsibilities. 2 approximate, nearly equal,
             come close to, compare with:  The total is beginning to approach
             your estimate.  3 make advances or overtures to, proposition,
             propose to, sound out, make (a) proposal to, solicit, Colloq
             chat up:  Theo makes mincemeat of any man who tries to approach
             his daughter.

             --n.  4 approaches. advances, overtures, proposals,
             propositions:  Michelle had no intention of discouraging
             Pierre's approaches.  5 access, passage, way, path, course;
             entry:  The approach to the house was overgrown with brambles.
             6 advance, movement:  Our approach to the gates was being
             watched very carefully.  7 method, procedure, modus operandi,
             way, technique, style, manner, attitude, Slang US MO (= 'modus
             operandi'):  Our approach in dealing with the problem is
             different.

   appropriate
             adj.  1 suitable, apt, fitting, fit, proper, right, meet,
             becoming, befitting, seemly, suited, apropos, correct, germane,
             pertinent, happy, felicitous:  Will a dinner-jacket be
             appropriate attire? She has written a poem appropriate to the
             occasion.

             --v.  2 take, take over, seize, expropriate, arrogate, annex,
             impound; commandeer; steal, pilfer, filch, usurp, make away or
             off with, Colloq pinch, lift, Brit nick, US boost:  The police
             appropriated the paintings. Somebody has appropriated my chair.
             3 set aside or apart, devote, assign, earmark, allot, apportion:
             Most of the money has been appropriated for back taxes.

   appropriately
             adv.  fittingly, suitably, properly, correctly, aptly, rightly,
             becomingly, meetly:  She came down appropriately dressed for
             dinner.

   approval  n.  sanction, approbation, blessing, consent, agreement,
             concurrence; endorsement, acceptance, imprimatur, affirmation,
             ‚clat, confirmation, mandate, authorization; licence, leave,
             permission, rubber stamp, Colloq OK, okay, go-ahead, green
             light:  I don't think that the plan will meet with the
             committee's approval.  We gave our approval to proceed.

   approve   v.  1 Often, approve of. allow, countenance, condone, permit,
             sanction, authorize, endorse, put one's imprimatur on, agree
             (to), accept, assent (to), go along with, Colloq OK or okay,
             give the green light or go-ahead or one's blessing (to),
             rubber-stamp:  The headmistress would never approve your leaving
             the building during classes. 2 confirm, affirm, support, ratify,
             uphold, subscribe to, second, give the stamp of approval to;
             favour, commend, recommend:  Sheila Jones's appointment to the
             commission has been approved unanimously. 3 approve of.
             sanction, consider fair or good or right, accept, favour,
             respect, be partial to, like, have regard for, have a preference
             for, tolerate, reconcile oneself to:  I always had the feeling
             that her father didn't quite approve of me.

   approximate
             adj.  1 rough, inexact, loose, imprecise, estimated, Colloq
             guestimated, ballpark:  The figures are only approximate, not
             exact.

             --v.  2 near, approach, come close to, verge on:  Your estimates
             approximate those of the budget committee.  3 resemble,
             approach, look or seem like; simulate:  The laboratory tests on
             rats approximate the way the virus behaves in humans.

   approximately
             adv.  approaching; nearly, almost, close to, about, around, give
             or take, roughly, generally:  I haven't seen Sally for
             approximately three weeks. There are approximately fifty people
             in the audience.

   aptitude  n.  1 fitness, suitability, appropriateness, relevance,
             applicability, suitableness, aptness:  One need only look at an
             albatross in the air to appreciate its aptitude for flight. 2
             tendency, propensity, disposition, predilection, bent,
             proclivity; talent, gift, ability, capability, facility,
             faculty, flair:  Helen displays a natural aptitude for the
             violin.  3 intelligence, quick-wittedness, intellect; capacity,
             aptness:  The aptitude of that new student sets her apart from
             the others in the class.

1.14 arbitrary...
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   arbitrary adj.  1 capricious, varying, erratic, uncertain, inconsistent,
             doubtful, unpredictable, whimsical, irrational, chance, random,
             inconsistent, subjective, unreasoned, irrational, Colloq chancy,
             iffy:  The choices are entirely arbitrary, totally at the whim
             of the council and not based on research or knowledge. 2
             absolute, tyrannical, despotic, authoritarian, magisterial,
             summary, peremptory, autocratic, dogmatic, imperious,
             uncompromising, inconsiderate, high-handed, dictatorial, Rare
             thetic(al):  The conduct of the archbishop appears to have been
             arbitrary and harsh.

   arch      adj.  1 chief, principal, prime, primary, pre-eminent, foremost,
             first, greatest, consummate, major:  Moriarty was Holmes's
             arch-enemy.  2 clever, cunning, crafty, roguish, tricky, shrewd,
             artful, sly, designing:  Brendan loves to play his arch pranks
             on unsuspecting friends.  3 waggish, saucy, mischievous,
             prankish:  I could tell from the lad's arch expression that he
             had thrown the snowball.

   ardent    adj.  eager, intense, zealous, keen, fervent, fervid,
             passionate, avid, fierce, impassioned, hot, warm; enthusiastic:
             Diane was carrying on ardent love affairs with at least three
             men.

   ardour    n.  eagerness, desire, zeal, fervency, burning desire, keenness,
             fervour, passion, heat, warmth; enthusiasm:  Bernadette has
             supported the cause with great ardour.

   arduous   adj.  1 laborious, difficult, hard, tough, strenuous, onerous,
             burdensome, back-breaking, painful, Formal operose; tiring,
             exhausting, wearisome, fatiguing, taxing, gruelling, trying,
             formidable:  The Sherpas were well equipped for the arduous
             climb. What an arduous task it is to read the proofs of a
             dictionary! 2 energetic, strenuous, vigorous:  Montrose made
             arduous efforts to reconstruct his army.

   area      n.  1 space, room:  Is there enough floor area here for the
             carpet?  2 extent, limit, compass, size, square footage,
             acreage:  The area of my greenhouse is thirty by fifteen feet.
             3 space, field, region, tract, territory, district, zone,
             stretch; section, quarter, precinct, arrondissement,
             neighbourhood, locality, bailiwick, US block:  An area was set
             aside for a garden. There has been a lot of crime in that area
             lately. 4 scope, range, extent, breadth, compass, section:  His
             studies cover only one area of Scottish history.  5 court,
             courtyard, enclosure, close, yard; square, ground, arena, field,
             parade-ground, parade:  The soldiers drill in the area behind
             the barracks.

   argue     v.  1 dispute, debate, disagree, bicker, wrangle, quarrel,
             squabble, spar, fight, remonstrate, altercate, Colloq chiefly
             Brit row, scrap:  The couple next door are continually arguing
             with each other at the tops of their voices. 2 discuss, reason,
             debate, wrangle:  He would argue by the hour, but never for
             arguing's sake.  3 make a case, talk, plead, debate, contend:  I
             cannot tell whether she's arguing for or against the
             proposition.  4 prove, evince, indicate, denote, demonstrate,
             show, establish, suggest, signify, betoken:  The increase in
             street crime argues that the police are not visible enough. 5
             say, assert, hold, maintain, reason, claim, contend:  The
             defendant argued that he had never met the witness.  6 argue
             into or out of. persuade or dissuade, talk out of or into,
             prevail upon; convince:  I argued him out of sailing to Bermuda
             alone. She succeeded in arguing me into going to the tea dance.

   argument  n.  1 debate, dispute, disagreement, quarrel, controversy,
             polemic, wrangle, squabble, tiff, spat, altercation; conflict,
             fight, fracas, affray, fray, Donnybrook, feud, Colloq row,
             falling-out, scrap, barney:  The argument was about who had
             invented the wheel. The argument spilt out into the street. 2
             point, position, (line of) reasoning, logic, plea, claim,
             pleading, assertion, contention, case; defence:  His argument
             has merit. Arthur's argument falls apart when he brings in the
             phlogiston theory.

   argumentative
             adj.  quarrelsome, disputatious, belligerent, combative,
             contentious, litigious, disagreeable, testy:  Evelyn is
             irritable and argumentative.

   arise     v.  1 rise, get up, stand up, get to one's feet; wake up, get
             out of bed, awake:  We arose when Lady Spencer entered the room.
             I have arisen before dawn all my life. 2 rise, go up, come up,
             ascend, climb; mount:  The full moon arose in the eastern sky.
             3 come up, be brought up, be mentioned, Colloq crop up:  The
             subject never would have arisen if the waiter hadn't spilt the
             wine on me. 4 spring up, begin, start (up), originate, come up,
             Colloq crop up:  A very unpleasant situation has arisen
             regarding the missing funds.

   aroma     n.  1 smell, odour, fragrance, scent, perfume, savour, bouquet;
             redolence:  Don't you just love to be awakened by the aroma of
             fresh coffee?  2 smell, odour, character, aura, atmosphere,
             flavour, hint, suggestion:  There is an aroma of dishonesty
             about them that I can't quite identify.

   aromatic  adj.  fragrant, spicy, perfumed, savoury, pungent:  A most
             agreeable scent came from a bowl of aromatic herbs.

   around    adv.  1 about, approximately, nearly, almost, roughly; circa:
             There were around a dozen of us in the place.  2 about,
             everywhere, in every direction, on all sides, all over,
             throughout:  By this time the savages were all around and we
             couldn't move.  3 round, about, for everyone or all, US also
             'round:  I don't think we have enough food to go around.  4
             round, about, all about, everywhere, here and there, hither and
             thither, hither and yon, far and wide:  The tinker travelled
             around selling his wares and repairing pots.

             --prep.  5 round, about, surrounding, encompassing, enveloping,
             encircling, on all sides of, in all directions from, enclosing:
             The fields around the castle were cultivated by tenant farmers.
             6 about, approximately, roughly; circa:  He was born around the
             turn of the century.

   arouse    v.  1 awaken, raise (up), wake up, waken, rouse, revive, stir
             (up):  I was aroused by the noise and reached for my pistol.  2
             excite, stir up, stimulate, awaken, summon up, spark, Colloq
             turn on:  My suspicions were aroused because she was carrying my
             umbrella.  3 provoke, encourage, quicken, foster, call forth,
             stir up, kindle, foment:  The song aroused feelings of
             patriotism among the recruits.

   arrange   v.  1 order, dispose, array, organize, sort (out), systematize,
             group, set up, rank, line up, align, form, position:  The
             teachers arranged the children according to height. The flowers
             were arranged in a vase so as to conceal the listening device. 2
             settle, plan, set (up), organize, orchestrate, manipulate,
             choreograph; predetermine, decide, prepare, determine,
             prearrange, devise, bring about, contrive; fix it:  Everything
             has been arranged - you won't have to lift a finger.  For a
             small fee I can arrange for you to win the first prize. 3
             orchestrate, score, adapt:  Flemburgh has arranged music for
             some of the best-known modern composers.

   arrangement
             n.  1 order, disposition, grouping, organization, array,
             display, structure, structuring, ordering, alignment, line-up,
             Colloq set-up:  Don't you care for the arrangement of the
             furniture, Milady?  2 structure, combination, construction,
             contrivance, affair, set-up:  An arrangement of bricks served as
             a hearth.  3 settlement, agreement, terms, plan, contract,
             covenant, compact:  The arrangement called for Bosworth to get
             ten per cent of the gross profits. 4 orchestration, score,
             instrumentation, adaptation, interpretation, version:  I prefer
             Fats Waller's arrangement of 'Sugar Blues'.  5 arrangements.
             preparations, plans; groundwork, planning:  Arrangements have
             been made for the limousine to pick you up at five.

   arrest    v.  1 stop, halt, check, stall, forestall, detain, delay,
             hinder, restrain, obstruct, prevent, block, interrupt:  The
             progress of the train has been arrested.  2 catch, capture,
             seize, apprehend, take, take in, take into custody, detain,
             Colloq nab, pinch, collar, bust, run in, Brit nick:  Foxworthy
             was arrested crossing the border.  3 slow, retard, stop:  I'm
             afraid that we have here a case of arrested mental development.

             --n.  4 seizure, capture, apprehension, detention; restraint,
             Colloq bust, US collar:  The police have made six arrests.  5
             stop, stoppage, check, cessation:  The doctor said it was a case
             of cardiac arrest.  6 under arrest. in custody, under legal
             restraint, in the hands of the law, imprisoned, arrested:  You
             are under arrest for the murder of one Hugh Brown, and anything
             you say may be used in evidence against you.

   arresting adj.  striking, shocking, remarkable, impressive, electrifying,
             stunning, extraordinary, surprising, dazzling:  It is indeed an
             experience to be in the presence of such an arresting beauty.

   arrival   n.  1 coming, advent, appearance:  We have been awaiting your
             arrival for weeks.  2 newcomer; immigrant; traveller, passenger;
             tourist; Australian migrant, new chum:  The arrivals on flight
             422 were questioned about a bearded passenger on the plane.

   arrive    v.  1 come, make one's appearance, appear, turn up, Colloq show
             up; Slang hit (town), blow in:  She arrived only two minutes
             before the plane was to take off.  2 succeed, prosper, get ahead
             (in the world), reach the top, Colloq make it, make the grade,
             get somewhere, get there:  Yuppies believe that once they own a
             fur coat and a Mercedes, they've arrived. 3 arrive at. come or
             get to, reach; attain:  I think that Crumley has arrived at the
             stage in his career where he merits a promotion.

   arrogance n.  self-assertion, impertinence, insolence, presumption, nerve,
             effrontery, gall, presumptuousness, self-importance, conceit,
             egotism, hauteur, haughtiness, loftiness, pride, hubris,
             pompousness, pomposity, pretension, pretentiousness, bluster,
             snobbery, snobbishness, Colloq snottiness, Slang Brit side:  He
             has the arrogance to assume that I wish to see him again.

   arrogant  adj.  1 presumptuous, assuming, self-assertive, conceited,
             egotistical, pompous, superior, brazen, bumptious, cavalier:  It
             would be most arrogant of me to take for myself the glory that
             rightfully belongs to the whole team. 2 haughty, overbearing,
             imperious, high-handed, overweening, disdainful, contemptuous,
             scornful, snobbish, supercilious, lofty, swaggering , Brit
             toffee-nosed; Colloq uppity, on one's high horse, high and
             mighty, snotty:  Since her husband was made a company director,
             she's become unbearably arrogant.

   art       n.  1 skill, skilfulness, ingenuity, aptitude, talent, artistry,
             craftsmanship; knowledge, expertise; craft, technique,
             adroitness, dexterity, Colloq know-how:  Little art is required
             to plant turnips.  2 artistry, artisticness; taste,
             tastefulness:  High art differs from low art in possessing an
             excess of beauty in addition to its truth. 3 craft, technique,
             business, profession, skill:  The fishermen can't employ their
             art with much success in so troubled a sea. 4 knack, aptitude,
             faculty, technique, mastery; dexterity, adroitness:
             Conversation may be esteemed a gift, not an art. You have
             acquired the art of insulting people without their realizing it.
             5 trickery, craftiness, cunning, wiliness, slyness, guile,
             deceit, duplicity, artfulness, cleverness, astuteness:  You have
             to admire the art with which she wraps him round her little
             finger. 6 arts. wiles, schemes, stratagems, artifices,
             subterfuges, tricks; manoeuvres,:  She was expert in the arts
             which ladies sometimes condescend to employ for captivation.

   artful    adj.  1 scheming, wily, sly, cunning, foxy, tricky, crafty,
             deceitful, underhand or underhanded, double-dealing, guileful,
             disingenuous:  That artful fellow managed to sell me a
             completely useless gadget.  2 ingenious, clever, astute, shrewd,
             dexterous:  She has practised her artful deceptions so long that
             nobody believes anything she says.

   artifice  n.  1 skill, cunning, trickery, craft, craftiness, artfulness,
             guile, duplicity, deception, chicanery, underhandedness,
             shrewdness, slyness, wiliness, trickiness:  He used artifice to
             get control of the firm.  2 stratagem, device, manoeuvre, trick,
             contrivance, wile, ruse, subterfuge, expedient, contrivance,
             Colloq dodge:  They were deluded by artifices to cheat them out
             of their money.

   artificial
             adj.  1 unnatural, synthetic, man-made, manufactured, simulated,
             imitation, plastic:  The museum has a strange collection of
             artificial teeth on display.  2 made-up, concocted, bogus, fake,
             sham, false, counterfeit, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  The
             figures used in the sample survey are entirely artificial.  3
             affected, unnatural, forced, pretended, high-sounding, feigned,
             assumed, contrived, factitious; meretricious, insincere, sham,
             faked, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  I tell you that Alan's
             concern for you is entirely artificial.

   artless   adj.  1 innocent, sincere, guileless, ingenuous, true, natural,
             open, unartificial, genuine, simple, direct, candid, frank,
             honest, straightforward, above-board, uncomplicated, undevious,
             undeceptive , Colloq upfront, on the level, on the up and up:
             Imitation is a kind of artless flattery.  2 unpretentious,
             unassuming, unaffected, natural, simple, na‹ve, unsophisticated,
             plain, ordinary, humble:  The remarks were those of an artless
             young man who meant nothing sinister. 3 unskilled, untalented,
             unskilful, unpractised, inexperienced, inexpert, primitive,
             unproficient, incompetent, inept, clumsy, crude, awkward,
             bungling:  Clogs must be the most artless footwear ever made.

1.15 ashamed...
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   ashamed   adj.  embarrassed, abashed, humiliated, chagrined, mortified,
             blushing, shamefaced, sheepish, red-faced:  I was ashamed to
             have to admit that it was I who had written the nasty letter.

   ask       v.  1 question, interrogate, query, quiz; inquire or enquire
             (of):  Let's ask the policeman for information. Just ask
             directions of any passer-by. I merely asked if you were going my
             way. 2 demand, require, expect, request:  Doing his laundry is a
             lot to ask.  3 beg, apply (to), appeal (to), seek (from),
             solicit (from), petition, plead (to), beg, beseech, pray,
             entreat, implore:  In the streets, thousands of beggars ask
             passers-by for alms.  4 invite, bid, summon:  Nellie asked me to
             dinner.  5 ask after or about. inquire or enquire after or
             about:  My sister asked after you - wanted to know how you were
             getting along. 6 ask for.  a invite, attract, encourage,
             provoke:  You're asking for trouble if you walk alone through
             that neighbourhood after dark. b request, seek:  We asked for
             more time to finish the project.

   aspect    n.  1 viewpoint, point of view, position, standpoint, side:
             Looked at from a different aspect, the problem did not seem
             insurmountable after all. 2 complexion, light, angle,
             interpretation, mien, face:  His conviction for robbery put a
             different aspect on hiring him as a security guard. 3 exposure,
             prospect, outlook, orientation:  The western aspect of the room
             made it sunny in the afternoons.  4 side, feature, attribute,
             characteristic, quality, detail, angle, facet, manifestation,
             element, circumstance:  There are many aspects of Buddhism that
             you do not understand.

   aspersion n.  slander, libel, false insinuation, calumny, imputation,
             allegation, detraction, slur, obloquy, defamation,
             disparagement:  He resented my casting aspersions on the
             legitimacy of his birth.

   aspiration
             n.  desire, longing, yearning, craving, hankering, wish, dream,
             hope; ambition, aim, goal, objective, purpose, intention, plan,
             scheme, plot:  It was his lifelong aspiration to marry someone
             with money.

   aspire    v.  aspire to. desire, hope, long, wish, aim, yearn; dream of:
             I'd never aspire to anything higher. He still aspired to being a
             full professor.

   assailant n.  attacker, assaulter, mugger:  My assailant threatened me
             with a knife.

   assault   n.  1 attack, onslaught, onset, charge, offensive, blitzkrieg,
             blitz, strike, raid, incursion, sortie; aggression, invasion:
             At dawn we launched the assault on the fort.  2 beating,
             battering, hold-up, mugging; rape, violation, molestation; Law
             battery:  The defendant is accused of assault.

             --v.  3 attack, assail, set or fall upon, pounce upon, storm,
             beset, charge, rush, lay into:  The elderly couple were
             assaulted near their home.  4 rape, violate, molest:  Three
             women were assaulted in that neighbourhood last night.  5 beat
             (up), batter, bruise, harm, hit, strike, punch, smite:  She
             complained that her husband continually assaulted the children.

   assemble  v.  1 convene, gather, call or bring or get together, convoke,
             summon, muster, marshal, rally, levy, round up, collect,
             congregate, forgather or foregather; meet:  The forces were
             assembled along the waterfront. A small crowd assembled at the
             airport. 2 accumulate, gather, amass, collect, bring or group or
             lump together, compile, unite, join or draw together:  The
             paintings were assembled from many sources.  3 construct, put
             together, erect, set up, fit or join or piece together, connect,
             fabricate, manufacture, make:  The sculpture was assembled from
             so-called objets trouv‚s , or 'found' objects.

   assembly  n.  1 gathering, group, meeting, assemblage, body, circle,
             company, congregation, flock, crowd, throng, multitude, host;
             horde:  A huge assembly of well-wishers greeted the candidate.
             2 convocation, council, convention, congress, association,
             conclave; diet, synod:  The assembly voted to re-elect the
             incumbent officers.  3 construction, putting together, erection,
             connection, setting up, set-up, fitting or joining or piecing
             together, fabrication; manufacture, making:  Assembly of the
             bicycle can be completed in an hour.

   assertion n.  1 statement, declaration, affirmation, contention,
             asseveration, averment, avowal, pronouncement; Law affidavit,
             deposition:  He made the assertion that he had never seen the
             defendant before.  2 insistence, proclamation, representation,
             affirmation, confirmation:  The kings exercised their
             jurisdiction in the assertion of their regal power.

   assertive adj.  declaratory, affirmative, asseverative; definite, certain,
             sure, positive, firm, emphatic, bold, aggressive, confident,
             insistent; dogmatic, doctrinaire, domineering, opinionated,
             peremptory, Colloq bossy, pushy:  Harold won't obey unless his
             mother adopts an assertive tone with him.

   asset     n.  1 Also, assets. property, resources, possessions, holdings,
             effects, capital, means, valuables, money, wealth:  We have to
             pay a tax on the company's assets. Her only liquid asset was
             some shares in the Suez Canal Company. 2 talent, strength,
             advantage, resource, benefit:  His main asset is that he speaks
             fluent Japanese.

   assign    v.  1 allot, allocate, apportion, consign, appropriate,
             distribute, give (out), grant:  A water ration was assigned to
             each person.  2 fix, set (apart or aside), settle (on),
             determine, appoint, authorize, designate, ordain, prescribe,
             specify:  Have they really assigned Thursday as the day of
             worship? Please sit in the seats assigned to you. 3 appoint,
             designate, order; name, delegate, nominate, attach; choose,
             select; Brit second:  The men have been assigned to their posts.
             I assigned David to look after the champagne. 4 attribute,
             ascribe, accredit, put down; refer:  To which century did the
             curator assign this vase?

   assignment
             n.  1 allotment, allocation, apportionment, giving (out),
             distribution:  Assignment of posts in the Cabinet is the
             responsibility of the Prime Minister. 2 task, obligation,
             responsibility, chore, duty, position, post, charge, job,
             mission, commission; lesson, homework:  Every agent is expected
             to carry out his assignment. The school assignment for tomorrow
             is an essay on Alexander Pope. 3 appointment, designation,
             naming, nomination:  The assignment of Neil Mackay to the post
             was a stroke of genius.  4 designation, specification,
             ascription:  In ancient medicine, the assignment of the
             functions of the organs was often wrong.

   assist    v.  1 aid, help, second, support:  He could walk only if
             assisted by the nurse.  2 further, promote, abet, support,
             benefit, facilitate:  The rumours will not assist his election.
             3 help, succour, serve, work for or with; relieve:  She has
             always assisted the poor.

   assistance
             n.  help, aid, support, succour, backing, reinforcement, relief,
             benefit:  Can you get up without my assistance? The scholarship
             fund offered financial assistance.

   assistant n.  1 helper, helpmate or helpmeet, aid, aide; aide-de-camp,
             second:  These systems make use of rhymes as assistants to the
             memory.  2 deputy, subordinate, subsidiary, auxiliary;
             underling:  He is now the assistant to the sales manager.

   associate v.  1 associate (with).  a ally with, link, join or unite
             (with), combine or confederate (with), connect (with), conjoin
             (with):  In the 1930s Abe was associated with Dutch and Louis in
             Murder, Incorporated. I always associate him with fast cars and
             hard drinking. b see, be seen with, socialize or fraternize
             (with), mix or mingle (with), go (out) with, consort with, have
             to do with, Colloq hang out with, Brit pal with or about, pal up
             (with), US pal around (with):  Mother told me not to associate
             with boys who use that kind of language.

             --n.  2 colleague, partner; fellow, fellow-worker:  I'd like you
             to meet my associate, Ian Lindsay.  3 confederate, ally,
             collaborator; accomplice, accessory:  He and his associates have
             been sent to prison for conspiracy.  4 comrade, companion,
             friend, mate, buddy; confidant(e):  We have been close
             associates for many years.

             --adj.  5 subsidiary, secondary:  She is an associate professor
             at an American university.  6 allied, affiliate, affiliated,
             associated; accessory:  Publication is under the direction of an
             associate company.

   association
             n.  1 society, organization, confederation, confederacy,
             federation, league, union, alliance, guild, coalition, group;
             syndicate, combine, consortium, cooperative:  The society later
             became known as the British Association for the Advancement of
             Science. 2 connection, link, affiliation, relationship, bond,
             tie, linkage, linking, pairing, joining, conjunction, bonding:
             The association between princes and frogs is probably lost on
             anyone so literal-minded. 3 fellowship, intimacy, friendship,
             camaraderie, comradeship, relationship:  There has been a
             long-standing association between Peter and Wendy.

   assortment
             n.  1 group, class, category, batch, set, lot, classification,
             grouping:  Which assortment contains only plain chocolates?  2
             collection, pot-pourri, mixture, m‚lange, array, agglomeration,
             conglomeration, medley, farrago, variety, miscellany, jumble,
             salmagundi, gallimaufry, mishmash, Colloq mixed bag:  That hat
             looks like something from the assortment at a jumble sale. A
             bizarre assortment of people attended the meeting.

   assume    v.  1 accept, adopt, take, use, employ; arrogate, appropriate,
             take over or up, undertake:  Who will assume the leadership of
             the party?  2 take on (oneself), take upon (oneself), put or try
             on, don, adopt; acquire:  Whenever she delivered the
             information, she assumed the disguise of an old man. That
             trivial dispute has assumed gargantuan proportions. 3 presume,
             suppose, believe, fancy, expect, think, presuppose, take, take
             for granted, surmise, Chiefly US guess:  When I saw the knife in
             his hand, I assumed the chef was going to slice a lemon. The
             king assumed he had the cooperation of Parliament. 4 pretend to,
             feign, sham, counterfeit, simulate, sham, affect, fake:  Though
             she cared deeply, she assumed a devil-may-care attitude.

   assumed   adj.  1 appropriated, taken, usurped, expropriated, pre-empted,
             usurped, seized:  He functions in his assumed capacity as a
             judge.  2 pretended, put on, sham, false, feigned, affected,
             counterfeit, simulated, spurious, bogus, fake; pseudonymous,
             made-up, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  She morosely stared at
             the floor in assumed contrition. He wrote poetry under an
             assumed name. 3 taken, taken for granted, presumed, supposed,
             accepted, expected, presupposed; hypothetical, theoretical,
             suppositional:  The payment depends materially on the assumed
             rate of interest.

   assurance n.  1 promise, pledge, guarantee or guaranty, warranty,
             commitment, bond, surety; word, word of honour, oath, vow:  You
             have the bank's assurance that the money will be on deposit.  2
             insurance, indemnity:  His life assurance is barely enough to
             cover the costs of his funeral. 3 certainty, confidence, trust,
             faith, reassurance, surety, assuredness, certitude; security:
             There is no assurance that Herr Kleister will get the job done.
             4 audacity, impudence, presumption, boldness, brazenness, nerve,
             effrontery, insolence , Colloq brass, gall, cheek, chutzpah:
             With an air of assurance they quote authors they have never
             read.  5 self-confidence, self-reliance, confidence, steadiness,
             intrepidity, self-possession, poise, aplomb, coolness, control,
             self-control, resolve, Colloq gumption, guts, gutsiness:  He has
             the assurance of one born to command.

   assure    v.  1 secure, stabilize, settle, establish, confirm, certify,
             warrant, guarantee, ensure, be confident of, make or be sure or
             certain:  Force, fear, and the multitude of his guard do less to
             assure the estate of a prince than the good will of his
             subjects. 2 encourage, inspirit, reassure, hearten:  Your
             humanity assures us and gives us strength.  3 convince,
             persuade, reassure, make (someone) certain; ensure:  What can I
             do to assure you of my love?  4 assert, state, asseverate,
             promise:  I assure you that we shall do everything possible to
             find your dog.

   astonish  v.  amaze, surprise, shock, astound, stun, stagger, dumbfound or
             dumfound, bowl over, floor, stupefy, daze, Colloq flabbergast:
             She astonished the audience with her gymnastic skill. I was
             astonished when told my wife had given birth to quintuplets.

   astonishment
             n.  amazement, surprise, shock, stupefaction, wonder,
             wonderment:  I'll never forget that look of astonishment on his
             face when he learned he had won.

   astound   v.  surprise, shock, astonish, stun, stagger, dumbfound or
             dumfound, bowl over, floor, stupefy, bewilder, overwhelm, Colloq
             flabbergast:  We were astounded to learn that he had survived
             all those years on a desert island. The Great MacTavish performs
             astounding feats of magic and levitation!

   astute    adj.  1 shrewd, subtle, clever, ingenious, adroit, wily,
             cunning, calculating, canny, crafty, artful, arch, sly, foxy,
             guileful, underhand, underhanded; Rare astucious:  He had the
             reputation of being an astute businessman.  2 sharp, keen,
             perceptive, observant, alert, quick, quick-witted, sage,
             sagacious, wise, intelligent, insightful, perspicacious,
             discerning, knowledgeable:  That was a very astute comment,
             Smedley.

1.16 atmosphere...
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   atmosphere
             n.  1 air, heaven(s), sky, aerosphere:  It is gravity that
             prevents the earth's atmosphere from drifting off into outer
             space. 2 air, ambience or ambiance, environment, climate, mood,
             feeling, feel, spirit, tone:  There's such a friendly atmosphere
             in the bar of the Golden Cockerel.  The atmosphere became very
             chilly when she told him she was marrying someone else.

   atone     v.  expiate, make amends, pay, repay, answer, compensate;
             redress, remedy, propitiate, redeem:  Nothing can atone for her
             betrayal of him to the enemy. He has atoned for his sins many
             times over.

   atonement n.  amends, propitiation, reparation, repayment, compensation,
             payment, restitution, recompense, expiation, penance,
             satisfaction:  He sent her flowers in atonement, together with a
             note apologizing profusely for his actions.

   atrocious adj.  1 cruel, wicked, iniquitous, villainous, fiendish,
             execrable, appalling, abominable, monstrous, inhuman, savage,
             barbaric, brutal, barbarous, heinous, dreadful, flagrant,
             flagitious, gruesome, grisly, ruthless, ghastly, unspeakable,
             horrifying, horrible, awful, infamous, infernal, satanic,
             hellish:  They will never forget the atrocious crimes that took
             place during the war. 2 awful, terrible, bad, rotten, horrid,
             appalling, frightful, horrendous, Colloq lousy:  That's the most
             atrocious book it has ever been my misfortune to review.
             Priscilla has atrocious taste.

   atrocity  n.  1 enormity, wickedness, flagitiousness, iniquity, infamy,
             cruelty, heinousness, horror, evil, inhumanity, barbarity,
             savagery:  The atrocity of the 'Final Solution' was a well-kept
             secret during the war. 2 evil, outrage, crime, villainy,
             offence:  She could not listen when the prosecutor read a list
             of the atrocities perpetrated at the camp.

   attach    v.  1 fasten, join, connect, secure, fix, affix; tack or hook or
             tie or stick on, pin, rivet, cement, glue, bond, solder, weld,
             braze; unite; Nautical bend:  The tag is still attached to your
             dress. Attach this to the wall.  How do I attach the sail to the
             spar? 2 connect, associate, assign, affiliate, enlist, join,
             add, subjoin, Brit second:  Her brother-in-law has been attached
             to my regiment.  3 endear, attract:  I won't say that we were in
             love, but I was very closely attached to her. 4 fix, affix, pin,
             apply, ascribe, assign, attribute, put, place:  Why do you
             attach so much importance to what Dora says?  5 adhere, cleave,
             stick:  Many legends have attached themselves to Charlemagne.  6
             seize, lay hold of, confiscate, appropriate:  If he cannot meet
             the mortgage payments the bank will attach his house.

   attached  adj.  1 connected, joined, Brit seconded:  She has been attached
             to the Foreign Office for many years.  2 united, fastened,
             fixed:  The knob attached to the outside of the door might come
             off.  3 Often, attached to. devoted (to), partial (to), fond
             (of), devoted (to):  I feel closely attached to her. I became
             attached to the painting and did not wish to sell it. 4 spoken
             for, married, unavailable, engaged, betrothed:  I would have
             asked Suzanne out, but I gather she's attached.

   attachment
             n.  1 fastening; connection, tie, link, bond:  The attachment of
             this fitting is too flimsy. William cannot understand how an
             attachment could have been formed between his wife and his
             brother. 2 attaching, fastening, linking, joining, affixing,
             fixing, connection:  The mode of attachment to the wall is not
             immediately apparent.  3 affection, regard, fidelity,
             faithfulness, devotion, regard, liking, fondness, affinity,
             friendliness, loyalty, admiration, tenderness, partiality,
             friendship, love:  We still feel a deep attachment, despite the
             divorce.  4 adjunct, addition, accessory, device, appliance,
             extra, accoutrement or US also accouterment, appendage, part;
             ornament, decoration; Colloq gadget:  With this attachment, the
             film is advanced automatically. Attachments are available at
             extra cost.

   attack    v.  1 assail, assault, fall or set or pounce upon; charge, rush,
             raid, strike (at), storm; engage (in battle), fight; Colloq mug,
             jump:  They were attacked on their way home by a gang of boys.
             Helicopter gunships were sent out to attack the bunker. 2
             criticize, censure, berate; abuse, revile, inveigh against,
             denounce, condemn, malign, denigrate, decry, disparage,
             deprecate, vilify:  His article attacked the minister for his
             views on housing.  3 begin, start; approach, undertake:  We
             attacked the meal with gusto.  4 affect, seize; infect:
             Rheumatism attacks young and old alike.  5 waste, devour,
             destroy, eat; erode, corrode, decompose, dissolve:  Termites
             have attacked the beams of the house. Watch how the acid attacks
             the areas on the plate that have not been protected.

             --n.  6 assault, onset, offensive, onslaught, incursion, raid,
             strike, inroad, invasion:  The enemy responded to our attack
             with a smokescreen. After capturing the pawn, Karpov launched an
             attack on the queen. 7 criticism, censure; abuse, denunciation,
             revilement, denigration, decrial, disparagement, deprecation,
             vilification:  The quarterly's attack is totally uncalled for.
             8 seizure, spell, spasm, paroxysm; fit, bout:  Preston has had
             another attack of gout. How do you stop an attack of hiccups? 9
             destruction, wasting; erosion, corrosion:  Noting the attack on
             the planks by shipworm, the surveyor declared the vessel
             unseaworthy. Aluminium will not withstand the attack of the salt
             air in this area.

   attempt   v.  1 try, essay, undertake, take on, venture; endeavour,
             strive, Colloq have or take a crack at, try on, have a go or
             shot at:  It is too stormy to attempt the crossing tonight. Is
             she going to attempt to dive off the cliff tomorrow?

             --n.  2 endeavour, try, essay; effort, undertaking, bid, Colloq
             crack, go, shot:  The weather cleared sufficiently for another
             attempt at the summit.  He made a feeble attempt to wave. 3
             attack, assault:  An abortive attempt was made on the life of
             the vice-president tonight.

   attend    v.  1 be present (at), go to, be at, appear (at), put in an
             appearance (at), turn up (at), haunt, frequent; sit in (on), US
             and Canadian audit:  Are you attending the concert? She attends
             Miss Fiennes's elocution class. 2 turn to, pay attention to,
             serve, tend to, take care of, deal with, handle, heed, fulfil:
             I shall attend to your request as soon as possible, Madam.  3
             Also, attend to. watch over, wait on or upon, care for, take
             care of, minister to, occupy oneself with, look after, look out
             for, devote oneself to:  Mrs Atterbury attends the patients in
             the cancer ward on weekdays.  The clergyman has his own flock to
             attend to. 4 escort, accompany, conduct, convoy, squire, usher,
             wait upon, follow; chaperon or chaperone:  The actress arrived,
             attended by her entourage of toadies.  5 be associated with,
             accompany, result in or from, give rise to:  A departure in the
             midst of the battle would be attended by great peril, Milord.

   attendance
             n.  1 presence, appearance, being:  Your attendance at chapel is
             required.  2 audience, crowd, assembly, assemblage, gathering,
             turnout, gate, house:  The attendance at the f€te was greater
             than we expected.  3 in attendance. waiting upon, attending,
             serving:  The king always has at least four people in
             attendance.

   attendant adj.  1 waiting upon, accompanying, following; resultant,
             resulting, related, consequent, concomitant, depending,
             accessory:  The circumstances attendant on your acceptance of
             the post are immaterial.

             --n.  2 escort, servant, menial, helper, usher or usherette,
             chaperon or chaperone; aide, subordinate, underling, assistant;
             follower, Derogatory lackey, flunkey, slave; Colloq US cohort:
             He dismissed his attendants and entered the church alone.

   attention n.  1 heed, regard, notice; concentration:  Please give your
             attention to the teacher. Pay attention! Don't let your
             attention wander. 2 publicity, notice, distinction, acclaim,
             prominence, r‚clame, notoriety; limelight:  She seems to have
             been getting a lot of attention lately.

   attentive adj.  1 heedful, observant, awake, alert, intent, watchful,
             concentrating, assiduous; mindful, considerate:  James is very
             attentive in class. You really must be more attentive to the
             needs of others. 2 polite, courteous, courtly, gallant,
             gracious, accommodating, considerate, thoughtful, solicitous,
             civil, respectful, deferential:  He is always very attentive to
             the ladies.

   attest    v.  bear witness (to), bear out, swear (to), vow, testify,
             certify, vouchsafe, declare, assert, asseverate, aver, affirm,
             confirm, verify, substantiate, vouch for, Law depose, depose and
             say, depone:  I attest to the fact that they left the restaurant
             together. The merits of chѓteau-bottled Bordeaux are attested by
             most epicures.

   attitude  n.  1 posture, position, disposition, stance, bearing, carriage,
             aspect, demeanour:  The attitude of the figures in the sculpture
             was one of supplication.  2 posture, position, disposition,
             opinion, feeling, view, point of view, viewpoint, approach,
             leaning, thought, inclination, bent, tendency, orientation:
             What is your attitude towards the situation in South Africa?

   attract   v.  draw, invite; entice, lure, allure, appeal to, charm,
             captivate, fascinate, Colloq pull:  Our attention was attracted
             by a slight noise in the cupboard.  Melissa attracts men the way
             flowers attract bees.

   attraction
             n.  1 draw, appeal; magnetism; gravitation, Colloq pull:  David
             confided to Joan that he felt a strong attraction to her.  There
             is an attraction between the north and south poles of these
             magnets. 2 draw, lure, enticement, attractant, inducement; show,
             entertainment, presentation, performance , Colloq come-on,
             crowd-puller, crowd-pleaser:  The presence of the movie stars
             has been a powerful attraction.  The producer has planned to
             repeat the attraction every evening.

   attractive
             adj.  attracting, drawing, pulling, captivating, taking,
             fetching, appealing, luring, inviting, enticing, seductive,
             inviting, engaging, charming, interesting, pleasing, winning,
             alluring, good-looking, pretty, handsome:  The person I'd like
             to meet needn't be beautiful or stunning - attractive will do
             nicely.

   attribute n.  1 quality, character, characteristic, property, feature,
             trait, virtue:  It is surprising how soon historical personages
             become invested with romantic attributes.

             --v.  2 ascribe, impute, assign, put down to, trace to, charge,
             credit:  The shrivelled arm of Richard the Third was attributed
             to witchcraft.  To what do you attribute your interest in birds?

   attribution
             n.  assignment, ascription, credit:  The curator disagreed with
             the expert's attribution of the painting to Canaletto.

1.17 audacious...
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   audacious adj.  1 daring, bold, confident, intrepid, brave, courageous,
             adventurous, venturesome, reckless, rash, foolhardy, daredevil,
             devil-may-care, fearless, doughty, mettlesome:  The troop
             launched an audacious daylight attack. Cranshaw made an
             audacious bid for the chairmanship. 2 presumptuous, shameless,
             bold, impudent, pert, saucy, defiant, impertinent, insolent,
             brazen, unabashed, rude, disrespectful, cheeky, forward:
             Charlotte was so audacious as to assume that she could win.

   aura      n.  air, atmosphere, feeling, ambience or ambiance, spirit,
             character, quality, odour, aroma, emanation:  There is an aura
             of elegance about the woman that impresses everyone she meets.

   auspices  n.  aegis, sponsorship, authority, protection, support, backing,
             supervision, guidance, patronage, sanction, approval, control,
             influence:  The competition is under the auspices of the
             astronomical society.

   authentic adj.  genuine, real, actual, bona fide, factual, accurate, true,
             legitimate, authoritative, reliable, veritable, trustworthy,
             faithful, undisputed:  This is an authentic Chippendale chair.

   authenticate
             v.  verify, validate, certify, substantiate, endorse, vouch for,
             confirm, corroborate:  You will have to go to the consul to have
             your passport authenticated.

   author    n.  creator, originator, inventor, father, founder, framer,
             initiator, maker, prime mover, architect, designer; writer,
             novelist, litt‚rateur:  Adolfo was the author of the plot to
             kill the governor.

   authoritarian
             adj.  dictatorial, imperious, totalitarian, autocratic,
             arbitrary, absolute, dogmatic, domineering, strict, severe,
             unyielding, tyrannical, despotic, Colloq bossy:  Why do people
             ever elect an authoritarian government?

   authoritative
             adj.  1 official, valid, authentic, documented, certified,
             validated, legitimate, sanctioned; conclusive:  The second
             edition is usually considered the authoritative one.  2
             scholarly, learned, authentic, valid, sound, veritable,
             verifiable, accurate, factual, faithful, dependable, reliable,
             trustworthy, true, truthful:  There is no more authoritative
             source than Professor Fitzhugh on early Egyptian history.

   authority n.  1 power, jurisdiction, dominion, right, control,
             prerogative, authorization; hegemony:  Who gave you the
             authority to tell me what to do? By the authority vested in me,
             I now pronounce you man and wife. 2 word, testimony, evidence,
             Colloq say-so:  Do not accept anything solely on the authority
             of the Herald .  3 expert, specialist, scholar, sage, judge,
             arbiter:  Gardner is an authority on Scottish history.  4
             authorities. government, establishment, officials, officialdom,
             powers that be, police:  The authorities lowered the speed
             limit.

   authorize v.  empower, commission; sanction, approve, countenance, permit,
             give leave, allow, license, entitle, consent or subscribe to,
             endorse, Colloq OK or okay, give the green light or go-ahead to:
             Who authorized you to speak for all of us?

   automatic adj.  1 self-acting, self-governing, self-regulating,
             mechanical, robot, automated:  Many modern cars are equipped
             with an automatic choke.  2 mechanical, involuntary,
             unconscious, instinctive or instinctual, natural, spontaneous,
             impulsive, conditioned, reflex, robot-like, Slang knee-jerk:
             Flinching is an automatic reaction to a threatening gesture.  3
             unavoidable, inevitable, inescapable, ineluctable:  It is
             automatic for the tax inspector to suspect people of hiding
             something.

   auxiliary adj.  1 helping, assisting, supportive, aiding, abetting;
             helpful, accessory, supplementary:  In a well-balanced mind,
             imagination and understanding are auxiliary to each other. 2
             subordinate, additional, subsidiary, secondary, ancillary,
             extra, reserve; accessory:  Larger sailing vessels have an
             auxiliary motor in case the wind fails.

             --n.  3 help, assistance, aid, support, accessory:  Knowing
             another language is a useful auxiliary in the study of your own.
             4 helper, assistant, aide, alter ego, supporter, Colloq man
             Friday, girl Friday:  Let me introduce Pat, my auxiliary, who
             will help you if I am not available.

1.18 available...
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   available adj.  at or to hand, at one's disposal, accessible, handy,
             present, ready, (readily) obtainable, convenient, nearby, close
             by, within reach, on tap, at one's fingertips or elbow:  Running
             water is available. If you need me for anything, I am available.

   avant-garde
             adj.  innovative, advanced, progressive, experimental, original,
             new, ground-breaking, pioneering, precedent-setting;
             revolutionary, extreme, extremist, Colloq far-out, way-out:  We
             disapprove of your avant-garde notions of teaching. Some modern
             art, avant-garde not very long ago, seems quite conventional
             today.

   avarice   n.  greed, acquisitiveness, cupidity, craving, covetousness,
             desire, greediness, rapacity, selfishness; stinginess, meanness,
             miserliness, parsimony, tight-fistedness, close-fistedness,
             niggardliness, penuriousness:  The classic tale of avarice is
             that of King Midas, whose touch turned everything to gold.

   avaricious
             adj.  greedy, acquisitive, grasping, covetous, mercenary,
             selfish; penny-pinching, stingy, miserly, mean, parsimonious,
             tight-fisted, close-fisted, niggardly, penurious, tight:  She
             fell into the clutches of an avaricious lawyer.

   average   n.  1 mean, norm, usual, standard:  The Bell Inn is certainly
             far above average in accommodation, food quality, and service. 2
             on average. in the main, generally, normally, usually,
             ordinarily, typically, customarily, as a rule, for the most
             part:  On average, I go abroad twice a year on business.

             --adj.  3 normal, common, usual, customary, general, typical,
             ordinary, regular:  On an average day, the museum has about
             2,000 visitors.  4 mediocre, middling, run-of-the-mill,
             commonplace, common, ordinary, undistinguished, unexceptional,
             Colloq so so:  Boris is only an average violinist, but he's a
             virtuoso on the harmonica.

   averse    adj.  disinclined, unwilling, reluctant, resistant, loath,
             opposed, anti, antipathetic, ill-disposed, indisposed:  He does
             not appear to be averse to your suggestion: in fact, he seems
             quite keen on it.

   aversion  n.  1 dislike, abhorrence, repugnance, antipathy, antagonism,
             animosity, hostility, loathing, hatred, odium, horror;
             disinclination, unwillingness, reluctance, dislike, distaste:
             Does Anne have an aversion to people who smoke? Your aversion to
             the theatre might be explained as agoraphobia. 2 dislike,
             hatred, hate, loathing:  Turnips are a particular aversion of
             mine.

   avoid     v.  shun, keep (away) from, keep off, leave alone, keep or steer
             clear of, refrain from, dodge, circumvent, sidestep, elude,
             escape, evade:  The doctor suggested that I avoid chocolate. Why
             does Bennie avoid looking me straight in the eye?

1.19 awake...
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   awake     v.  1 wake (up), awaken, get up, rouse or bestir oneself:  When
             I awoke, she was standing over me with a pistol.  2 awaken,
             animate, arouse, rouse, stimulate, revive, incite, excite,
             activate, alert, stir up, fan, kindle, ignite, fire:  Marches
             awaken my sense of patriotism.  3 awake to. awaken to, wake up
             to, realize, understand, become aware or conscious of:  I
             finally awoke to the fact that my tax return was overdue.

             --adj.  4 up, aroused, roused, wide awake, up and about, alert,
             on the alert, on the qui vive, watchful, on guard, attentive,
             conscious; heedful, alive:  I'm always awake a few minutes
             before the alarm goes off.

   awaken    v.  See awake, 1, 2, above.

   award     v.  1 grant, give, confer, bestow, present, accord, furnish,
             endow with; assign, apportion:  Her dog was awarded the blue
             ribbon in the club show.

             --n.  2 prize, trophy, reward:  The award for the tidiest boats
             has been won by the Bristol Yacht Club. 3 grant, bestowal,
             presentation, endowment, awarding:  Before the award of the
             prizes, we listened to speeches. Profits were up last year
             despite a large pay award.

   aware     adj.  1 informed, apprised, knowledgeable, knowing, posted, in
             the know, enlightened, au fait, au courant, cognizant, Slang
             hip, hep, wise:  She is well aware of the consequences.  2
             sensitive, sensible, conscious:  I became aware that someone was
             watching us.

   awesome   adj.  awe-inspiring, awful, imposing, amazing, wonderful,
             breathtaking, marvellous, wondrous, moving, stirring, affecting,
             overwhelming, formidable, daunting, dreadful, fearsome, fearful,
             frightening, horrifying, terrifying, terrible; unbelievable,
             incredible; alarming, shocking, stunning, stupefying,
             astounding, astonishing,:  The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 67
             must have been a truly awesome spectacle.

   awful     adj.  1 bad, terrible, inferior, base, abominable, rotten,
             horrible, horrid; tasteless, unsightly, ugly, hideous,
             grotesque, Slang lousy, Brit naff, Chiefly US hellacious:  That
             is an awful piece of sculpture. I feel awful this morning.  2
             frightful, shocking, execrable, unpleasant, grotesque, nasty,
             ghastly, gruesome, horrendous, horrifying, horrific, horrible,
             unspeakable:  That was an awful thing to do.

   awfully   adv.  very (much), badly, terribly, extremely, greatly,
             remarkably, in the worst way, dreadfully, extraordinarily,
             exceedingly, excessively, really, fearfully, inordinately;
             incomparably:  I get awfully tired running in the marathon. I'm
             awfully sorry I'm late. Doreen is an awfully good horsewoman.

   awkward   adj.  1 clumsy, ungainly, left-handed, ham-handed, ham-fisted,
             blundering, bungling, maladroit, uncoordinated, undexterous,
             inexpert, gauche, unhandy, inept, oafish, unskilled, unskilful,
             Colloq all thumbs, butter-fingered, Brit cack-handed:  In his
             awkward attempt at putting the watch back together, Sam left out
             a few parts. 2 ungraceful, ungainly, inelegant, wooden, gawky:
             The ballerina made an awkward, flat-footed pirouette and
             stumbled off stage. 3 embarrassed, shamefaced, uncomfortable,
             ill at ease, uneasy, out of place, discomfited, confused:  He
             felt awkward being the only boy in the class. Terry made an
             awkward excuse and left the room. 4 dangerous, hazardous, risky,
             precarious, perilous:  Be careful, there's an awkward step here.
             5 difficult, touchy, sensitive, embarrassing, delicate,
             unpleasant, uncomfortable, ticklish, tricky, trying,
             troublesome, Colloq sticky:  He's got himself into a very
             awkward situation indeed.

2.0 B
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2.1 babble...
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   babble    v.  1 prattle, twaddle, jabber, gibber, chatter, blab, blabber,
             gurgle, burble, gabble, Colloq blab, blabber, gab, yack, natter,
             witter, Brit rabbit:  The silly fellow kept babbling away, but
             no one was listening.  Madelaine is still too young to talk and
             just babbles to herself. 2 divulge, tell, disclose, repeat,
             reveal, tattle, gossip, blurt (out), Colloq blab:  Don't tell
             Nigel about the affair - he'll babble it all over town.

             --n.  3 gibberish, nonsense, twaddle, prattle, chatter(ing),
             gibber, jabber, jibber-jabber, drivel, rubbish, bavardage;
             murmur, hubbub:  Ella's conversation about the financial market
             is just so much babble.

   baby      n.  1 infant, neonate, newborn, babe, babe in arms, child,
             toddler, tot:  The baby is just beginning to teethe.

             --v.  2 cosset, coddle, pamper, mollycoddle, indulge, spoil,
             pet:  He turned out that way because he was babied till he was
             ten.  I know you like to be babied when you're ill.

   back      v.  1 invest in, wager or bet on:  She backed a 35-to-2 long
             shot in the Derby, and she won.  2 Also, back up.  a support,
             uphold, stand behind, promote, encourage, help, uphold, second,
             side with, endorse, aid, abet, assist; sponsor, subsidize,
             underwrite, subvene, finance, Slang US and Canadian bankroll:
             Your mother and I will back you if you want to start a business.
             b reverse, go or move in reverse, go or move backwards:  He
             backed into the driveway.  3 back down (from) or off (from) or
             away (from) or out (of) or up. withdraw (from), retreat (from),
             abandon, retire (from), backtrack (from), shy away (from),
             recoil (from), turn tail (from):  When Percy stood up to him,
             the bully backed down. The investment sounded risky, so I backed
             off. Philippa backed out of singing the leading role. Back up
             and give me room!

             --n.  4 backside, rear, Technical dorsum:  She stood with her
             back towards me.  5 at the back of or at someone's back. behind,
             following, pursuing, chasing, US in back of:  Here come the
             hounds at the back of the fox. You were at my back in the queue
             a minute ago. 6 behind the back of or behind someone's back.
             surreptitiously, secretly, clandestinely, privately, furtively,
             sneakily, slyly; treacherously, traitorously, perfidiously,
             deceitfully, insidiously:  Graham is always telling tales about
             you behind your back.  7 break the back of.  a overcome, master:
             Now that he's broken the back of that problem he can get on with
             his work. b US crush, ruin, bankrupt, destroy, defeat, vanquish,
             Colloq break:  The government has tried on many occasions to
             break the back of the Mafia operation. 8 on (someone's) back.
             US weighing (down) on or upon (someone), burdening (someone),
             lodged with (someone), resting with (someone):  The
             responsibility for the decision is on your back.  9 turn one's
             back on or upon. abandon, forsake, ignore, disregard, repudiate,
             reject, cast off, disown, deny:  He turned his back on her when
             she needed him most.  10 with one's back to or against the wall.
             hard pressed, struggling (against odds), without hope, with
             little or no hope, helpless, in dire straits, in (serious)
             trouble:  After the stock-market crash, some brokers found
             themselves with their backs to the wall.

             --adj.  11 rear; service, servants':  Both back tyres are flat.
             Please use the back staircase from now on. 12 US and Australian
             and New Zealand outlying, remote, isolated, distant;
             undeveloped, primitive, raw, rough, uncivilized:  They raised
             three boys in the back country, and all of them became doctors.
             13 in arrears, overdue, past due, late; behindhand:  The tax
             inspector has advised me that I owe thousands in back taxes.

             --adv.  14 to or toward(s) the rear, rearward(s), backward(s);
             away:  We beat back the enemy in severe hand-to-hand fighting. I
             accepted his offer at once, lest he should draw back. Get back
             from the edge! 15 in return or repayment or requital or
             retaliation; again:  I'll pay you back when I have the money.
             She gave him back as good as he had given. 16 ago, in time(s)
             past:  Two generations back, his was the finest house in the
             town.  17 behind, behindhand, in arrears, overdue:  We are a
             week back in the rent.  18 go back on. renege, fail; deny,
             disavow, break, repudiate:  He has gone back on his promise to
             send the payment on the first of every month.

   backbone  n.  1 spine, spinal column:  He's much better since the surgery
             on his backbone.  2 mainstay, chief or main support, buttress,
             pillar:  Sheila has been the backbone of the society, but she
             has now moved away. 3 resoluteness, sturdiness, firmness,
             determination, strength (of character), mettle, purposefulness,
             resolution, courage, fortitude, resolve, will, will-power,
             strength, stability, stamina, staying power, grit:  Has she the
             backbone to run the company alone?

   backer    n.  1 supporter, advocate, promoter, sponsor, patron:  She has
             always been an enthusiastic backer of adult education.  2
             investor, benefactor or benefactress, supporter, underwriter,
             Colloq angel:  The play's backers have made huge profits.  3
             bettor, Brit punter:  His backers are offering odds of 10 to 1.

   background
             n.  1 history, experience, qualifications, credentials,
             grounding, training; breeding, upbringing, family; curriculum
             vitae, Colloq CV:  His background suits him admirably for the
             post of ambassador.  2 distance, offing, horizon, obscurity:  I
             like the way the coastline disappears into the background
             towards the edge of the painting. 3 in the background.
             inconspicuous, unnoticed, unobtrusive, behind the scenes, out of
             the limelight or spotlight, unseen, out of the public eye,
             backstage:  Edward prefers to remain in the background, letting
             his dealer bid at the auctions.

   backing   n.  1 support, help, aid, assistance, succour; approval,
             endorsement, patronage, approval, sponsorship:  He knows that he
             can rely on the backing of his local party.  2 investment,
             money, funds, funding, subsidy, grant; sponsorship:  How can you
             launch the company without backing?

   backlash  n.  reaction, repercussion, recoil, counteraction, rebound,
             kickback, backfire; boomerang:  There was a strong backlash in
             the USA against giving minorities preferred instead of equal job
             opportunities.

   backward  adj.  1 bashful, shy, reticent, diffident, retiring, coy, timid,
             unwilling, loath, chary, reluctant, averse:  She took him to be
             a bit backward when he didn't respond to her smile. 2 slow,
             dim-witted, dull, stupid, slow-witted, dumb, feeble-minded,
             Colloq Brit gormless, dim:  Some of the more backward students
             will need extra help.  3 slow, late, behindhand, retarded:
             Millie seemed a bit backward in learning to walk.  4 rearward;
             to the rear, behind; to the past:  She gave him a backward
             glance. He went on through life with never a backward look. 5
             retrograde, retrogressive, reverse, regressive:  The ancients
             were unable to account for the apparently backward motion of the
             planets.

             --adv.  6 backwards:  Walk backward to the door with your hands
             up.

   backwards adv.  1 rearwards or rearward, in reverse, regressively,
             retrogressively, backward; withershins or widdershins, Brit
             anticlockwise, US counter-clockwise:  The general, who refused
             to acknowledge defeat, explained that his troops were 'advancing
             backwards'. Do the clocks run backwards in Australia, Daddy? 2
             in reverse; back to front:  She can even ride sitting backwards
             on a galloping horse. I think you're wearing your pullover
             backwards.

   bad       adj.  1 poor, wretched, inferior, defective, awful, worthless,
             miserable, egregious, execrable, substandard, unsatisfactory,
             disappointing, inadequate, non-standard, Colloq lousy, rotten,
             crummy, Slang Brit grotty, naff:  Sometimes they would send him
             a letter, but he was a bad correspondent.  We went to see a
             rather bad play the other night. 2 corrupt, polluted, vitiated,
             debased, base, vile, foul, rotten, miasmic, noxious, mephitic,
             unhealthy, poisonous, injurious, dangerous, harmful, hurtful,
             pernicious, deleterious, ruinous:  It wasn't healthy to be so
             near the bad air of the sewer.  3 evil, ill, immoral, wicked,
             vicious, vile, sinful, depraved, awful, villainous, corrupt,
             amoral, criminal, wrong, unspeakable:  The man was thoroughly
             bad and deserved everything he got.  4 unpleasant, offensive,
             disagreeable, inclement, severe, awful, unfavourable, adverse,
             inclement, unpleasant, Colloq lousy, rotten:  Surely you're not
             going sailing in this bad weather?!  5 unfavourable, unlucky,
             unpropitious, unfortunate, inauspicious, troubled, grim,
             distressing, discouraging, unpleasant:  Agreeing to do that job
             might yet turn out to have been a bad decision. 6 off, tainted,
             spoilt or spoiled, mouldy, stale, rotten, decayed, putrefied,
             putrid, contaminated:  The fridge isn't working and all the food
             has gone bad. She ate a bad egg and felt ill the next day. 7
             irascible, ill-tempered, grouchy, irritable, nasty, peevish,
             cross, crotchety, crabby, cranky, curmudgeonly:  Don't go near
             the boss - he's been in a bad mood all day.  8 sorry, regretful,
             apologetic, contrite, rueful, sad, conscience-stricken,
             remorseful, upset:  She felt bad about having invited me.  9
             sad, depressed, unhappy, dejected, downhearted, disconsolate,
             melancholy; inconsolable:  I feel bad about you losing your
             purse.  10 naughty, ill-behaved, misbehaving, disobedient,
             unruly, wild; mischievous:  Ronnie isn't a bad boy, he's just
             bored.  11 distressing, severe, grave, serious, terrible, awful,
             painful:  He was laid up with a bad case of the mumps.

   badly     adv.  1 poorly, defectively, insufficiently, inadequately,
             unsatisfactorily, carelessly, ineptly, shoddily, inadequately,
             deficiently:  We lived in a badly furnished flat in the East
             End.  2 unfortunately, unluckily, unsuccessfully, unfavourably,
             poorly:  These are an improvement on the former rules, which
             worked badly.  3 incorrectly, faultily, defectively, poorly,
             improperly, inaccurately, erroneously, unacceptably; ineptly,
             inartistically, amateurishly, awfully:  He speaks English badly.
             He sings badly.  4 immorally, wickedly, viciously,
             mischievously, naughtily, shamefully, improperly, villainously:
             The school has had its share of badly behaved pupils.  5
             dangerously, severely, gravely, critically, grievously,
             seriously:  Her father was badly wounded in the war.  6
             unkindly, cruelly, harshly, severely, wretchedly, dreadfully,
             improperly, atrociously, horribly, unspeakably:  The prisoners
             were treated so badly that few survived.  7 unfavourably,
             damagingly, critically:  Even her friends spoke badly of her.  8
             very much, greatly, seriously:  Peter is badly in need of extra
             money.  9 distressfully, emotionally, hard:  He took the news
             badly.

   bag       n.  1 sack, shopping bag, reticule, string bag, Chiefly Brit
             carrier bag, Scots or dialect poke, pocket:  They have helpers
             at the supermarket who will carry your bags to your car for you.
             2 baggage, luggage, valise, satchel, grip, suitcase, overnight
             bag, carry-on luggage or bag, Gladstone bag, carpet-bag,
             portmanteau, toilet kit or case, sponge bag; briefcase, attach‚
             case, dispatch- or despatch-case:  Boarding in London I flew to
             Buenos Aires while my bag went to Seoul. 3 purse, handbag,
             evening bag, wallet, Highland dress sporran:  She reached into
             her bag and felt the gun that the Commander had given her. 4
             crone, hag, beast, ogress, gorgon, nightmare, witch, harridan,
             Archaic beldam, Slang old bat, dog, monster, US two-bagger:
             Derek has been romancing some old bag for her money.  5
             occupation, hobby, avocation, business, vocation, department,
             concern, affair, Colloq lookout, worry, Slang thing:  Peter's
             bag at the moment is learning to play the violin.

             --v.  6 catch, trap, ensnare, snare, entrap, capture, land;
             kill, shoot:  We bagged six pheasants and two partridges this
             morning.

   balance   v.  1 weigh, estimate, ponder, consider, deliberate, assess,
             compare, evaluate:  We need to balance the advantages and the
             disadvantages.  2 steady, poise; equalize, stabilize, level,
             match, even out or up:  The see-saw will balance better if both
             of you get on the other end. 3 compensate (for), make up for,
             counterbalance, offset, match, equal; counterpoise:  The column
             of mercury in the barometer balances the atmospheric pressure on
             the surface of the bowl. The total of expenses seems to balance
             the total of income.

             --n.  4 scale(s), steelyard:  According to the balance, the
             package weighs two pounds.  5 control, command, authority,
             weight, preponderance:  Britain held the balance of power during
             those decades.  6 equilibrium, stability, steadiness, footing;
             equiponderance; equality, harmony:  The acrobat almost lost his
             balance on the high wire. It is important to maintain a balance
             between presentation and content. 7 remainder, residue, rest;
             excess, surplus, difference:  You take these and I'll follow
             with the balance. My bank balance is down to zero.

   ban       v.  1 prohibit, forbid, outlaw, proscribe, interdict, bar,
             disallow, debar:  They have banned smoking in all public places.

             --n.  2 prohibition, taboo, proscription, interdiction,
             interdict; embargo, boycott:  They have put a ban on the sale of
             alcoholic beverages. The ban against importing firearms is
             strictly enforced.

   banal     adj.  trite, hackneyed, stereotyped, clich‚d, stereotypical,
             commonplace, old hat, stock, common, everyday, ordinary,
             pedestrian, humdrum, tired, unoriginal, unimaginative,
             platitudinous; trivial, petty, jejune, Slang corny:  The book
             was blasted as banal and boring. The plot of boy-meets-girl,
             though banal, still brings in the audiences.

   band°     n.  1 strip, ribbon, belt, bandeau, fillet, tie; stripe, line,
             border:  He wears a cloth band round his head to keep the sweat
             out of his eyes. There is a decorative band at the top of each
             page.

             --v.  2 line, stripe, border:  The column is banded at intervals
             with bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the emperor's life. 3
             tie, keep, bind:  Only those papers that are banded together
             should be sent off.

   bandэ     n.  1 company, troop, platoon, corps, group, body, gang, horde,
             party, pack, bunch:  They were set upon by a band of robbers in
             the forest.  2 group, ensemble, combination, orchestra, Colloq
             combo:  A jazz band plays at the Civic Centre every Tuesday
             evening.

             --v.  3 band together. unite, confederate, gather or join or
             league together, team up, affiliate, merge, federate:  We must
             band together if we expect to accomplish anything.

   banish    v.  1 exile, expatriate, deport, extradite, transport, eject,
             oust, expel, rusticate, drive out or away, dismiss,
             excommunicate, outlaw, ostracize:  After ten years in prison,
             the thief was released and banished from the kingdom. 2 drive or
             drive out or away, expel, cast out, dismiss, reject:  He tried
             to banish suspicion from his mind.

   banner    n.  1 standard, flag, pennant, ensign, burgee, gonfalon, pennon,
             streamer, banderole; symbol:  The flag of the United States is
             called the star-spangled banner.  He is seeking election under
             the banner of the Tories.

             --adj.  2 leading, foremost, momentous, memorable, notable,
             important, noteworthy:  The firm had a banner year, with profits
             up 25 per cent.

   banquet   n.  1 feast, sumptuous repast or meal, ceremonial dinner, lavish
             dinner:  At the end of the banquet, the guest of honour rose to
             make a few remarks.

             --v.  2 feast, indulge, wine and dine, regale, carouse:  The
             winners of the trophy banqueted night after night on champagne
             and caviare.

   banter    n.  raillery, badinage, persiflage, pleasantry, jesting, joking,
             repartee; chaffing, teasing, chaff; Colloq kidding, ribbing:
             Despite the good-natured banter between them, Ray knew that
             Stephen really detested him.

   bar       n.  1 rod, shaft, pole, stick, stake:  A heavy iron bar is used
             to tamp the dynamite into place in the hole. 2 strip, stripe,
             band, belt; streak, line:  The company trade mark is a narrow
             red bar around the barrel of every ball-point pen. 3 barrier,
             obstacle, obstruction, barricade, hindrance, block, deterrent,
             impediment; ban, embargo:  A steel bar was across the entrance.
             Her pride proved a bar to her success. There is a bar against
             importing spirits. 4 sandbar, shallow, shoal, bank, sandbank:
             Because the keel is too deep, the sloop will be unable to cross
             the bar till high tide. 5 tribunal, court, courtroom, lawcourt,
             bench:  The former mayor was found guilty of corruption at the
             bar of public opinion. 6 bar-room, saloon, public house, caf‚,
             lounge, cocktail lounge, tavern, taproom, canteen, Brit local,
             wine bar; Colloq pub; Slang boozer, gin-mill:  I was at the bar
             on my third beer when she walked in.  7 counter:  We had a quick
             lunch at the sandwich bar.

             --v.  8 fasten, close up, secure, shut up; lock, lock up,
             padlock:  We tried to get in through the window, but they had
             barred it.  9 block, obstruct, stop, stay, hinder, keep (out),
             shut out, exclude, prevent, forbid, prohibit, set aside;
             forestall, impede, hamper, retard, balk, barricade; ban,
             embargo:  After his behaviour, he was barred from the club for a
             year. A huge man in an ill-fitting dinner-jacket barred my way.
             The regulations bar the import of firearms.

             --prep.  10 except (for), excepting, excluding, barring, outside
             (of), save for, aside from, but:  It's all over now bar the
             shouting.

   barbarian n.  1 savage, brute:  The barbarians wore animal skins.  2 boor,
             lowbrow, lout, oaf, clod, churl, philistine, ignoramus, yahoo;
             hooligan, vandal, ruffian, tough, Slang Brit yob, yobbo,
             skinhead:  Those barbarians ought to be denied admittance to the
             games.

             --adj.  3 uncivilized, uncultivated, uncultured, philistine,
             savage; barbarous, barbaric, coarse, vulgar, uncouth, rude;
             boorish, loutish, oafish, crude, rough, insensitive, churlish,
             uncivil:  One sees a great deal of barbarian behaviour every
             day.

   barbarity n.  cruelty, inhumanity, ruthlessness, savagery, brutishness,
             barbarousness, heartlessness, viciousness, cold-bloodedness,
             bloodthirstiness:  The barbarity of this mass murderer cannot be
             overstated.

   bare      adj.  1 unclothed, naked, nude, stark naked, unclad, exposed,
             uncovered, hatless, unshod, undressed , Brit starkers; Colloq in
             the altogether, in one's birthday suit, in the buff; Slang US
             bare-ass:  He stood completely bare in the middle of the room.
             2 unconcealed, undisguised, open, revealed, literal, bald,
             manifest, out-and-out, overt, uncovered, straightforward,
             direct, unvarnished, unembellished, cold, hard, plain,
             unadorned, basic, simple:  The bare facts point to him as the
             culprit.  3 unfurnished, undecorated, vacant, stripped, empty:
             The landlord entered and found a bare flat - the tenants had
             done a moonlight flit. 4 denuded, stripped, leafless,
             defoliated, shorn, barren; bared:  After the storm the trees
             were entirely bare of foliage. The hurricane began blowing in
             earnest, and the little ketch was driving forward under bare
             poles. 5 plain, mere, simple, minimal, essential, absolute,
             basic; meagre, scant, scanty:  For years we scraped by with only
             the bare necessities of life.

             --v.  6 expose, lay bare, uncover, reveal, open; undress,
             unveil:  The torrential rain had washed away the soil, baring
             the clay and rock beneath. He tore off his shirt, baring his
             hairy chest. 7 disclose, reveal, lay bare, uncover, divulge,
             unfold, tell, expose, unmask, bring to light:  Because of the
             way he had treated her, she decided to bare his secrets to the
             police. Benson bares his soul in his book. 8 strip, divest,
             denude; defoliate:  The autumn winds bared all the trees in the
             arboretum.

   barefaced adj.  1 unconcealed, open, undisguised, blatant, manifest,
             unmitigated, outright, downright, out-and-out, sheer, unalloyed,
             undiluted:  His proposal is a barefaced attempt to gain control
             of the committee.  2 audacious, impudent, shameless, insolent,
             impertinent, immodest, bold, arrant, unabashed, forward, brazen,
             brassy, saucy, pert, unblushing, Colloq cheeky:  She said that
             he was a barefaced liar and that she would have nothing more to
             do with him.

   barely    adv.  scarcely, only, just, not quite, hardly, only just, no
             more than:  I barely had my coat off when she said she'd
             forgotten to shop for dinner.

   bargain   n.  1 agreement, contract, understanding, arrangement, covenant,
             pact, compact, settlement, transaction, deal:  We made a bargain
             - I would provide the materials and he would do the work. 2 good
             deal, Colloq give-away, US steal:  If you paid only њ100 for
             this painting, you got a real bargain.

             --v.  3 negotiate, trade, haggle, barter, dicker, chaffer:  We
             bargained far into the night, and finally came to an agreement
             after eight hours of discussion. 4 bargain for. expect, count
             on, anticipate, foresee, take into account, allow for, be
             prepared for:  Even though the storm had been predicted, it was
             windier than we had bargained for.

   barren    adj.  1 sterile, childless, infertile:  We won't have any calf
             from this barren cow.  2 unproductive, sterile, bare, infertile;
             fruitless, dry, unfruitful, unprofitable, poor:  The land was
             exceedingly stony and barren. The fifteenth century was the most
             barren period in the history of English literature.

   barrier   n.  1 bar, fence, railing, wall; ditch, ha-ha:  A barrier was
             erected at each end of the street. This barrier will keep the
             dingoes from killing the sheep. 2 obstacle, bar, obstruction,
             block, impediment, hindrance:  Neither race, nor creed, nor
             colour shall be a barrier to success.  3 boundary,
             boundary-line, limit, frontier:  No mountain barrier lay between
             France and Flanders.

   barring   prep.  excluding, exclusive of, bar, omitting, leaving out,
             excepting, except (for), save for, aside from, besides, but:
             Barring another stock market crash, your money is safe. Nobody
             else, barring the author, knew the truth of the matter.

   base°     n.  1 bottom, foot, support, stand, pedestal:  The base of the
             statue cracked and the whole thing fell down.  Have you been
             able to find a teak base for the new lamp? 2 groundwork,
             background, fundamental principle, principle, foundation,
             underpinning; infrastructure, basis:  Henry's charter was at
             once welcomed as a base for the needed reforms. 3 root, theme,
             radical, stem, core:  In the word interdigitation the base is
             -digit- .  4 home, station, camp, starting-point, point of
             departure, post, centre:  Using the Sherpa village as a base of
             operations, we set up smaller camps as we began to climb the
             mountain.

             --v.  5 establish, found, secure, build, ground, anchor, fix,
             hinge, form; derive, draw:  We are basing all our hopes on his
             ability to do a deal.  6 establish, headquarter, post, station,
             position, place:  The company is based in Guernsey.

   baseэ     adj.  1 low, undignified, cowardly, selfish, mean, despicable,
             contemptible, filthy, evil:  He must have had some base motive
             in revealing to her what Martha had said. 2 degraded, degrading,
             menial, inferior, mean, unworthy, lowly, low, grovelling,
             servile, slavish, subservient, downtrodden, abject, miserable,
             wretched, sordid, undignified, ignoble, dishonourable,
             disreputable, vile, scurrilous, wicked, Colloq infra dig:
             Foolish sinners will submit to the basest servitude, and be
             attendants of swine. 3 mean, cheap, sorry, common, poor, shabby,
             shoddy:  He cast off his base attire, revealing a splendid suit
             of armour like burnished gold. 4 sordid, offensive, lewd,
             lascivious, obscene, profane, rude, ribald, unseemly, vulgar,
             coarse, rude, dirty, indecent, evil-minded, filthy,
             pornographic:  The entertainment in that theatre caters to the
             basest appetites.  5 poor, shoddy, cheap, fake, pinchbeck,
             inferior, counterfeit, fraudulent, debased, forged, spurious,
             worthless, bad:  Her jewels look valuable but are, in fact, made
             of base materials.  6 wicked, evil, wretched, corrupt, shameful,
             currish, loathsome, scurvy, insufferable, villainous:  They were
             labelled as base infidels and treated with contempt and cruelty.

   bashful   adj.  1 shy, retiring, embarrassed, meek, abashed, shamefaced,
             sheepish, timid, diffident, self-effacing, unconfident; ill at
             ease, uneasy, uncomfortable, nervous, self-conscious, awkward,
             confused, Colloq in a tizzy, US and Canadian discombobulated:
             Henry is so bashful in the presence of women that he blushes
             merely talking to them. 2 modest, coy, unassuming,
             unostentatious, demure, reserved, restrained, Rare verecund:
             When we first met, she was a bashful young girl of fifteen who
             had no notion of her own beauty.

   basic     adj.  fundamental, essential, key, elementary, underlying,
             prime, primary, root; principal, central, focal, vital:  He
             enrolled for a basic course in Sanskrit. We must reconsider the
             basic facts.

   basis     n.  1 foundation, base, bottom, heart, footing, principle,
             underpinning; infrastructure:  The three R's form the basis of
             elementary education. Do you think our society still rests on
             the basis of the family? 2 essence, main ingredient or
             constituent, point of departure:  The basis of the discussion is
             that the hospitals are understaffed.

   batch     n.  1 quantity, lot; amount, volume:  Mother baked a huge batch
             of bread.  2 set, group, number, quantity, assortment, bunch,
             pack, collection:  Please sort this batch of cards into
             alphabetical order.

   batter    v.  1 beat, hit, strike, clout, belabour, pound, pummel or
             pommel, pelt, bash, smite, thrash, Colloq wallop, clobber:  He
             was battered till he was black and blue.  2 bombard, attack,
             assault:  Battering by the cannons finally breached the wall of
             the fort.  3 maltreat, mistreat, ill-treat, abuse; maul, bruise,
             harm, mangle, disfigure:  The police report an increase in
             complaints about battered wives and children.

   battle    n.  1 fight, conflict, combat, action, encounter, clash,
             engagement, struggle, Donnybrook, fray, Law affray; brawl,
             fracas, m€l‚e or melee; contest; duel, hand-to-hand encounter:
             You won the battle, but you lost the war. And now, the battle
             between the world champion and the challenger! 2 argument,
             dispute, altercation, quarrel, war; contest, competition;
             struggle, fight, crusade, campaign:  The battle spilt out of the
             restaurant and into the street. We are not yet winning the
             battle against AIDS.

             --v.  3 Usually, battle against. fight, contend or struggle or
             fight with or strive against, combat:  We must battle against
             ignorance at every opportunity.

   bauble    n.  gewgaw, trinket, ornament, trifle, toy, bagatelle,
             knick-knack, plaything, kickshaw:  Wear your diamonds to the
             ball, my dear, not those cheap baubles.

   bawdy     adj.  lewd, obscene, taboo, vulgar, dirty, smutty, filthy,
             coarse, earthy, gross, scatological, rude, lascivious,
             salacious, indelicate, indecent, indecorous, broad, crude,
             ribald, risqu‚, suggestive, Rabelaisian, uninhibited,
             unrestrained, lusty, Literary lubricious or lubricous:
             Afterwards, each of us had to recite a bawdy limerick.

   bawl      v.  1 shout, bellow, vociferate, roar, yell, trumpet, thunder ,
             Colloq holler:  Fishwives bawled out their wares continuously,
             creating a deafening din. 2 cry, wail, weep, keen, squall,
             blubber, whimper; yelp, Colloq yammer:  Stop that bawling or
             I'll really give you something to cry about!  3 bawl out. scold,
             reprimand, upbraid:  My father bawled me out because I stayed
             out past midnight.

2.2 beach...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   beach     n.  1 shore, lakeshore, bank, seashore, seaside, lido, strand,
             coast, margin, Formal littoral:  The children wanted to go to
             the beach and build sandcastles.

             --v.  2 ground, run aground, strand; careen:  Despite the heavy
             surf, we finally beached the boat safely.

   beacon    n.  signal, sign, fire, light, bonfire, flare, signal fire, Very
             light, rocket; lighthouse, pharos:  Beacons blazed at the tops
             of the hills to spread the news of the victory. The drunkard's
             nose shone like a beacon.

   beam      n.  1 timber, scantling, girder, rafter; bar, brace, plank,
             board, stud, trestle:  Are you sure that these beams will
             support the weight of the upper storeys? 2 ray, gleam; shaft;
             pencil:  I could just make out his face in the beam of the
             electric torch.

             --v.  3 radiate, shine; smile radiantly:  The door opened and
             the firelight beamed forth onto the snowdrifts.  'I'm so happy
             to meet you at last', she beamed.

   beamy     adj.  broad, wide, broad in the beam; big, heavy, chubby,
             chunky, fat, obese:  She's quite a beamy boat, with
             accommodation for eight below.  A beamy gentleman sat on my
             homburg, squashing it flat.

   bear      v.  1 carry, transport, convey, move, take, Colloq tote:  She
             was borne round the stadium on the shoulders of her team-mates.
             2 carry, support, sustain, shoulder, hold up, uphold; suffer,
             undergo, experience, endure:  Looking after her invalid mother
             while working is a heavy burden to bear. 3 merit, be worthy of,
             warrant; provoke, invite:  Gordon's suggestion bears looking
             into.  4 stand, abide, tolerate, brook, survive, endure, stand
             up to; reconcile oneself to, admit of, Colloq put up with:  How
             can you bear such boring people? His actions will not bear
             examination. I cannot bear to see you unhappy. 5 have, carry,
             show, exhibit, display, sustain:  The getaway car bore German
             licence plates. The knight bore the scars of many battles. She
             bears her grandmother's name. 6 produce, yield, develop, breed,
             generate, engender; give birth to, spawn, bring forth:  Our
             apple tree did not bear any fruit this year. She bore thirteen
             children and still had time to write books. 7 entertain,
             harbour, wish:  He bore her no ill will, despite her
             accusations.  8 bear on or upon. relate or have relevance or be
             relevant to or pertain to, touch on or upon, affect, concern,
             have a bearing on or upon, influence:  I don't quite see how
             your illness bears on which school James attends. 9 bear out.
             confirm, support, corroborate, substantiate, uphold, back up:
             The evidence bears out what I said.  10 bear up.  a survive,
             hold out, stand up, hold up, withstand:  Can Alex bear up under
             the strain of keeping two jobs?  b support, cheer, encourage:
             What hope have you to bear you up?  11 bear with. put up with,
             be patient with, make allowance(s) for:  Please bear with me,
             I'm sure you'll think it was worth waiting when you see the
             finished result.

   bearable  adj.  tolerable, supportable, endurable, acceptable, manageable:
             The heat last summer was made bearable only by frequent dips in
             the swimming-pool.

   bearing   n.  1 carriage, deportment, manner, behaviour, conduct, aspect,
             demeanour, posture, stance, air, attitude, mien, presence:
             Lewis's noble bearing makes him noticeable, even in a crowd.  2
             sustaining, supporting, endurance, enduring:  Thomas Jefferson
             considered the government of England totally without morality
             and insolent beyond bearing. 3 aspect; relation, reference,
             relationship, correlation, pertinence, relevance, connection,
             relevancy, applicability, application, germaneness,
             significance:  The legal bearing of the case will become obvious
             in court. It is unclear exactly what bearing your remarks have
             on the situation. 4 Often, bearings. direction, orientation,
             (relative) position:  The bearing of the lighthouse is now 180ш.
             Which way is north?  - I have lost my bearings entirely.

   beast     n.  1 animal, creature, being:  He loves all the beasts of the
             field, of the sea, and of the air.  2 brute, savage, animal,
             monster:  I've seen that beast hitting his wife in public.

   beastly   adj.  1 uncivilized, uncultivated, uncivil, rude, crude,
             boorish, unrefined, coarse; cruel, inhuman, savage, barbaric,
             barbarous, bestial, brutal:  Priscilla treats Cyril in a beastly
             way.  2 abominable, intolerable, offensive, unpleasant, awful,
             terrible, ghastly, horrid, disagreeable, horrible, hateful,
             execrable; foul, vile, nasty, rotten, dirty, filthy:  If this
             beastly weather keeps up, the plane may be delayed.

   beat      v.  1 strike, pound, bash, smite, batter, pummel or pommel,
             belabour, pelt, clout, thrash, give (someone) a thrashing or
             beating, drub, manhandle, thump, whack, cane, scourge, whip,
             bludgeon, club, cudgel, fustigate; whip, flog, lash , Colloq
             clobber, wallop, give (someone) a once-over:  At first he
             refused to tell them, but then they beat it out of him. 2
             defeat, best, worst, win (out) over, vanquish, trounce, rout,
             outdo, subdue, overcome, overwhelm, pre-empt; surpass, conquer,
             crush, master, US beat out:  Can they beat Manchester United for
             the cup? He first beat the Danes, then the Russians. 3 throb,
             pulsate, palpitate, pound, thump:  I could feel my heart beating
             against my ribs.  4 Nautical tack:  Close-hauled, the sloop was
             beating to windward against the howling gale. 5 hammer, forge,
             shape, form, fashion, make, mould:  They shall beat their swords
             into ploughshares.  6 mix, whip, stir, blend:  Beat two eggs,
             then add the flour and sugar.  7 tread, wear, trample:  The
             hunters beat a path through the forest.  8 beat it. depart,
             leave, abscond, run off or away, Slang US take it on the lam,
             lam out of here, US hit the road:  You'd better beat it before
             the cops come.  9 beat off. drive off or away, rout:  We beat
             off our attackers, who fled into the forest.

             --n.  10 stroke, blow:  The signal was to be three beats of a
             tin cup on the pipes.  11 rhythm, tempo, measure; pulse, throb,
             stress, pulsation:  In boogie-woogie the beat is eight to the
             bar.  12 course, round, tour, route, circuit, run, path; area,
             bailiwick:  In the old days, it was the bobby on the beat who
             prevented a lot of crime. As a reporter, my beat is the
             financial news.

             --adj.  13 dead beat, exhausted, spent, drained, worn out,
             weary, bone-tired, fatigued, fagged:  I was really beat after
             completing the marathon.

   beautiful adj.  1 attractive, charming, comely, lovely, good-looking,
             fair, pretty, alluring, appealing, handsome, radiant, gorgeous,
             Formal pulchritudinous, Scots bonny; Colloq smashing:  She's not
             only intelligent, she's beautiful. She entered on the arm of
             some beautiful youth. 2 excellent, first-rate, unequalled,
             skilful, admirable, magnificent, well done; superb, spectacular,
             splendid, marvellous, wonderful, incomparable, superior,
             elegant, exquisite, pleasant, pleasing, delightful, Colloq
             smashing:  The garage did a beautiful job in tuning the engine.
             Armand's arranged a beautiful wedding reception for us.

   beautifully
             adv.  1 attractively, chicly, fashionably, delightfully,
             charmingly, splendidly, magnificently, Colloq smashingly:  The
             princess was beautifully dressed in a rose satin ball-gown.  2
             admirably, superbly, excellently, wonderfully, marvellously,
             splendidly, spectacularly, magnificently, Colloq smashingly:
             Emily played her solo beautifully.

   beautify  v.  adorn, embellish, decorate, ornament, titivate, elaborate,
             garnish, deck (out), bedeck:  The old fa‡ade was removed and the
             building beautified by refacing it with white marble.

   beauty    n.  1 loveliness, attractiveness, handsomeness, pulchritude:
             The beauty of the actress took my breath away.  2 belle, Colloq
             looker, knockout, dream, dreamboat, stunner:  She was one of the
             great beauties of her day.  3 attraction, strength, advantage,
             asset:  The beauty of the plan lies in its simplicity.

   beckon    v.  signal, gesture, motion; summon, bid, call:  The manager
             beckoned to me and I went over to see what he wanted.

   become    v.  1 turn or change or transform into:  The princess kissed the
             prince, who immediately became a frog.  2 grow or develop or
             evolve into; mature or ripen into:  It's hard to believe that
             this dull caterpillar will eventually become a splendid
             butterfly. 3 enhance, suit, fit, befit, be proper or appropriate
             for, behove or US behoove:  Moonlight becomes you, It goes with
             your hair.  4 grace, adorn:  Walter was a man who became the
             dignity of his function as a commissionaire.  5 become of. come
             of, happen to:  What will become of you if you don't go to
             school?

   becoming  adj.  enhancing, beautifying, seemly; attractive, comely,
             fetching, chic, stylish, fashionable, tasteful; appropriate,
             fitting, fit, meet, befitting, proper, suitable:  Your new
             hairdo is most becoming, Frances.

   bedlam    n.  pandemonium, uproar, hubbub, commotion, confusion, tumult,
             turmoil, furore or US furor, chaos; madhouse:  The chancellor's
             announcement created instant bedlam in the Commons.

   bedraggled
             adj.  soiled, dirty, muddy, muddied, untidy, stained,
             dishevelled, scruffy, messy; wet, sloppy, soaking or sopping or
             wringing wet, soaked, drenched, Colloq gungy, US grungy:  We
             took the two bedraggled waifs in out of the pouring rain.

   befitting adj.  fitting, becoming, due, suitable or suited (to),
             appropriate (to), apropos, proper (to), seemly (for):  He really
             ought to behave in a manner befitting his position as chairman.
             This must be done with a befitting sense of awe.

   before    adv.  1 previously, earlier, already, beforehand; formerly, in
             the past; once:  I have told you before, don't count your
             chickens.  2 ahead, in advance, in front, in the forefront,
             first, in the vanguard, Colloq up front:  He let his wife walk
             before, as he knew the road was mined.  3 ahead, in the future,
             to come:  Before lie the prospects of surrendering or dying.

             --prep.  4 ahead of, in advance of, in front of, forward of:
             The king indicated that the page should go before him.  5 in
             front of; in the presence of:  The entire valley was spread out
             before me.  6 preceding, previous or anterior to, prior to; on
             the eve of:  Before my departure I have to kiss Annie goodbye.
             7 in preference to, rather than, sooner than, more willingly
             than:  They said they would die before yielding.

             --conj.  8 previous to or preceding the time when:  This was a
             nice place before the day-trippers arrived.

   beg       v.  1 entreat, beseech, plead (with), crave, implore, importune,
             wheedle, cajole, supplicate (with), pray; ask for, request:  She
             begged me to stay.  2 solicit, sponge, Colloq cadge, scrounge,
             US panhandle:  When he was an alcoholic, he used to beg drinks
             off everyone.

   beggar    n.  1 mendicant, supplicant, suppliant, alms-man, sponger,
             tramp, vagrant, pauper, Colloq cadger, scrounger, US panhandler:
             We were approached by beggars on every street corner.  2 fellow,
             man, person, Colloq chap, guy, bloke:  I feel sorry for the poor
             beggar who lost his wallet at the station.

             --v.  3 impoverish; want, challenge, defy, baffle:  The misery
             of those people beggars description.

   begin     v.  1 start (out or off or in or on), initiate, enter on or
             upon, set out or about, set out on or upon, Rather formal
             commence:  We began the journey full of enthusiasm.  2 start
             (off), inaugurate, originate, open, launch, create, establish,
             found, set up; go into:  We began the company five years ago.  3
             arise, start, originate, Rather formal commence:  The greatness
             of the Prussian monarchy begins with Frederick II.  The
             paragraph begins in the middle of the page.

   beginning n.  1 start, commencement, outset, onset, inception, dawn,
             dawning, birth, genesis, origin, creation, day one; origination,
             source, well-spring:  There are several competing theories about
             the beginning of life on earth. The beginning of the idea can be
             traced to Galileo. 2 opening, start, inception, commencement:  I
             have plenty of energy at the beginning of the day. The book is
             good at the beginning, but then it gets boring.

   begrudge  v.  1 resent, envy, grudge:  She doesn't begrudge him his
             success.  2 give (be)grudgingly or unwillingly or reluctantly,
             deny, refuse:  He begrudges her the slightest consideration.

   beguile   v.  1 delude, deceive, cheat, swindle, dupe, fool, mislead,
             hoodwink, bamboozle, take in:  She was easily beguiled by his
             solicitude.  2 defraud (of), deprive (of), cheat (out of or
             into), swindle (out of):  Let no man beguile you of your reward.
             3 charm, divert, amuse, distract, fascinate, engross, engage,
             allure:  I always meet the most beguiling people at Daphne's
             parties.

   behalf    n.  on or US in behalf of or on or US in one's behalf. for, as a
             representative of, in place of, instead of, in the name of, on
             the part of; in the interest of, for the benefit or advantage
             of:  The lawyer is acting on behalf of the heirs.

   behave    v.  act, react, function, operate, perform, work, conduct or
             deport or comport or bear (oneself); act obediently, act
             properly, be good:  The boy behaved with great insolence. I wish
             the children would behave themselves.

   behaviour n.  conduct, demeanour, deportment, bearing, manners,
             comportment; action(s):  His behaviour in the presence of the
             royal couple was abominable.

   behead    v.  decapitate, guillotine, Archaic decollate:  Criminals and
             enemies of the state were formerly beheaded.

   behold    v.  see, look at, regard, set or lay eyes on, descry, notice,
             note, espy, perceive, discern, remark, view:  As we emerged from
             the gorge, we beheld the mountain looming above us.

   beholden  adj.  obliged, obligated, indebted, grateful, in debt, under
             (an) obligation:  She said that she was beholden to him for
             everything he had done.

   behove    v.  US behoove; be required of, be incumbent on, be proper of,
             be fitting of or for, befit; be advisable for, be worthwhile
             for, be expeditious for or of, be advantageous to or for, be
             useful to or for, be beneficial to or for:  It behoves you to be
             respectful to the chairman of the board.

   belabour  v.  thrash, beat, pummel or pommel, buffet, pelt, lambaste:  We
             tried to stop the drover from belabouring the poor horse with a
             whip.

   belated   adj.  late; behind time, behindhand, out of date; delayed,
             detained:  I forgot your birthday, so here's a belated gift.

   belief    n.  1 trust, dependence, reliance, confidence, faith, security,
             assurance:  He retains his belief in the divine right of kings.
             2 acceptance, credence; assent:  His statements are unworthy of
             belief.  3 tenet, view, idea, sentiment, conviction, doctrine,
             dogma, principle(s), axiom, maxim, creed, opinion, persuasion:
             The belief that there is no God is as definite a creed as the
             belief in one God or in many gods. 4 intuition, judgement:  It
             is her belief that nuclear energy will eventually prove
             economical.

   believe   v.  1 accept, put faith or credence in or into, find credible,
             find creditable; allow, think, hold, maintain, feel; take it,
             suppose, assume:  He still believes that the moon is made of
             green cheese.  2 believe in. trust to or in, rely upon or on,
             have faith or confidence in, put one's trust in, be convinced
             of, swear by, credit; have the courage of one's convictions:  Do
             you believe everything you read in the papers? The chairman
             believes in your ability to carry out the plan. 3 make believe.
             pretend, suppose, imagine, fancy, conjecture, assume:  I used to
             make believe I was a great detective.

   belittle  v.  diminish, minimize, disparage, slight, decry, detract from,
             depreciate, trivialize, deprecate, degrade, denigrate,
             downgrade, de-emphasize, discredit, criticize, derogate; reduce,
             mitigate, lessen, undervalue, underestimate, underrate,
             minimize, Colloq play down, pooh-pooh:  He belittles the efforts
             of others but accomplishes nothing himself.

   belligerent
             adj.  1 warring; warlike, militant, warmongering, hawkish,
             jingoistic, bellicose, martial:  The belligerent nations have
             agreed to discuss an accord.  2 quarrelsome, pugnacious,
             contentious, disputatious, truculent, aggressive, hostile,
             combative, antagonistic, bellicose:  I cannot see why you have
             to take such a belligerent attitude towards the chairman.

             --n.  3 warring party, antagonist, contestant; warmonger, hawk,
             jingoist, militant:  Our country has refused to sell arms to the
             belligerents in the conflict.

   bellow    v.  1 roar; yell, shout, blare, trumpet, howl, Colloq holler:
             Father was bellowing that he couldn't find his pipe. The
             public-address system bellowed out my name.

             --n.  2 roar; yell, shout, Colloq holler:  The bull gave a
             bellow and charged.

   belong    v.  1 be a member (of), be affiliated or associated or connected
             (with), be attached or bound (to), be a part (of):  Does he
             belong to the Green party? He didn't want to belong while his
             wife was a member. 2 have a (proper) place (in), be proper (to):
             Do you ever get the feeling that you don't belong here?  3
             belong to. be owned by, be the property or possession of:  That
             coat belongs to me.

   belonging n.  association, connection, alliance, relationship, affinity,
             relation:  She says the Church gives her a strong sense of
             belonging.

   belongings
             n.  (personal) property, effects, possessions, goods, things,
             chattels:  He returned home to find all his belongings in the
             street.

   beloved   adj.  1 loved, cherished, adored, dear, dearest, darling,
             precious, treasured; admired, worshipped, revered, esteemed,
             idolized, respected, esteemed; valued, prized:  He denied
             nothing to his beloved children. She was their beloved queen.

             --n.  2 sweetheart, darling, dearest, love; lover, paramour,
             inamorata or inamorato, Colloq flame:  He wrote poems to his
             beloved.

   below     adv.  1 lower down, further down, farther down:  Please see the
             explanation given below. The department head could no longer
             resist the pressures from below. 2 beneath, underneath, under;
             downstairs, Nautical below-decks, Brit below-stairs:  Can you
             hear someone walking about below? They put the captain in irons
             below. 3 on earth, here, in this world, under the sun:  Man
             wants but little here below.

             --prep.  4 under, underneath, beneath:  Below the sea live
             creatures we have never even seen. Barely discernible below his
             nose was a tiny moustache. Sign your name below 'Yours truly'. 5
             less or lower or cheaper than:  The sale price is below cost.  6
             deeper or further or farther down than:  The current is
             strongest about six feet below the surface.  7 under, beneath,
             underneath:  Her bright eyes peered at him from below the wide
             hat.  8 lower or less than, under:  The temperature was 20
             degrees below zero.  9 inferior or subordinate to, lower than:
             He gives orders to the servants below him.  10 inferior or
             secondary to, under, beneath, lower than:  In exports, the USA
             and UK are below Japan.  11 beneath, unworthy of, unbefitting,
             not worth:  Mugging old ladies is below contempt.

   belt      n.  1 sash; Literary girdle, cestus, cincture, zone:  At her
             belt she wore a dagger in a golden scabbard.  2 zone, band,
             strip, circuit, perimeter; area, swath, tract, region, district:
             The planners ensured that each city would be surrounded by a
             green belt.

             --v.  3 strike, hit, punch; beat, thrash:  When he insulted her,
             I simply belted him.  4 belt out. sing or perform stridently or
             loudly; put over or across:  Sophie Tucker was there, belting
             out 'One of These Days'.

   bemoan    v.  lament, mourn or grieve or weep or moan for:  She bitterly
             bemoaned the loss of her sole companion, her canary.

   bemuse    v.  1 confuse, muddle, mix up, addle, befuddle, perplex,
             bewilder, puzzle, Colloq US and Canadian discombobulate:  The
             actors were thoroughly bemused by the sudden appearance of a
             horse on stage. 2 stupefy, benumb, numb, paralyse:  I found him,
             completely bemused, with the empty bottle beside him.

   bend      n.  1 curve, turn, turning, corner; bow, angle, crook, hook,
             curvature, flexure:  Go left at the bend in the road. If you put
             a bend in a wire hanger, you can fish out the obstruction.

             --v.  2 arch, bow, curve, crook:  Soak the branch in water and
             it will bend easily. Stop bending my arm - it hurts! 3 bow;
             curtsy or curtsey; kowtow, salaam; kneel, genuflect:  The
             cannibal bent down before a pile of skulls.  4 incline, channel,
             focus, direct, steer, set; fix:  He bent his attention on more
             important matters. She bent her steps towards the cemetery. 5
             submit, bow, yield, give way, be pliant or subservient or
             tractable:  The cabinet bends to the will of the prime minister.
             6 incline, turn, deflect:  As you can see, the ray is bent by
             the lens.

   bender    Colloq n.  drunk, spree, bout, revel, carousal, carouse,
             bacchanal; Slang binge, jag, US toot:  He goes off on a bender
             whenever his wife leaves him.

   beneath   adv.  1 low or lower down, below, under, underneath:  Please
             sign beneath if you agree the terms.  2 below, underneath,
             under; underground:  The flowers are above the ground, the roots
             beneath.

             --prep.  3 under, underneath, below:  Beneath that gruff
             exterior of his beats a heart of gold.  4 below, unworthy of,
             unbefitting, undeserving of, not (even) meriting, lower than:
             Your behaviour is beneath criticism.

   benefactor
             n.  patron, supporter, sponsor, donor, philanthropist; backer,
             investor, supporter, Colloq angel:  Our benefactor has made a
             donation that will enable the mission to carry on its work.

   beneficial
             adj.  1 advantageous, serviceable, useful, profitable, helpful,
             supportive, favourable, constructive, good:  No measures could
             have been more beneficial to the kingdom.  2 healthful, healthy,
             salutary, salubrious; efficacious, effective:  A certain amount
             of sunshine is quite beneficial.

   benefit   n.  1 advantage, profit, good, sake, gain, aid, help, service:
             It would be to their benefit to call off the strike.  2 Often,
             benefits. perquisite(s), emolument(s), allowance(s), extra(s),
             fringe benefit(s), Colloq perk(s):  We offer one of the best
             schemes in the industry for employee benefits.

             --v.  3 improve, aid, help, better, promote, further, advance,
             forward:  Enrolling on a management course could benefit your
             chances for advancement. 4 profit, gain:  No one has ever
             personally benefited a penny from these contributions.

   benevolence
             n.  1 charity, kindness, kindliness, humanity, humanitarianism,
             beneficence, charitableness, goodness, altruism, good will,
             unselfishness, philanthropy, generosity, magnanimity:  The poor
             people in the village used to rely on his benevolence.  2 gift,
             grant, contribution, donation, beneficence:  The victims of the
             famine were recipients of the benevolence of the British people.

   benevolent
             adj.  charitable, well-disposed, gracious, good, kind, kindly,
             humane, humanitarian, well-wishing, thoughtful, considerate,
             sympathetic, caring, kind-hearted, warm-hearted, compassionate,
             benign, benignant; liberal, generous, magnanimous, open-handed;
             beneficial, helpful, salutary:  That hypocrite has cast himself
             in the role of a benevolent despot.

   benighted adj.  unenlightened, na‹ve, uninformed, ignorant:  That poor,
             benighted fool believes that the doctors can cure him.

   benign    adj.  1 kindly, gracious, good, kind, kind-hearted, benevolent,
             benignant, warm, warm-hearted, cordial, genial, congenial,
             tender, tender-hearted, compassionate, sympathetic,
             soft-hearted:  It was Grandad's benign goodwill that kept us
             together in those hard times. 2 bland, gentle, mild, warm:  A
             benign smile lit the headmaster's face as he announced the
             awards for scholastic achievement. 3 kind, favourable,
             fortunate; salutary, salubrious, mild, congenial, propitious:
             She recovered rapidly in that most benign climate.  4 non-fatal,
             non-malignant, non-virulent, curable, harmless:  Fortunately,
             the biopsy showed that the tumour was benign.

   bent      adj.  1 curved, deflected, bowed, crooked, distorted:  He
             complained to the waiter just because the fork was bent.  2
             strange, weird, peculiar, twisted, deviant, warped, wry, awry,
             corrupt, corrupted; perverted, perverse, abnormal:  You'd be
             bent, too, if you'd been in prison for fifteen years.  3
             dishonest, crooked, illegal:  That share deal sounds a bit bent
             to me: I'll pass.  4 determined, intent, set, resolved,
             resolute, decided, set:  Garvey is bent on running in the
             marathon, despite his sprained ankle.

             --n.  5 turn, inclination, direction, disposition,
             predisposition, tendency, bias, leaning, proclivity, propensity,
             partiality, prejudice; ability, aptitude, talent, gift:  She
             wished to follow the bent of her own taste. He has a natural
             bent for music.

   bequeath  v.  leave, make over, will, pass on, hand down or on, transmit,
             Law devise:  Aunt Margaret has bequeathed her collection of
             music boxes to the museum.

   bequest   n.  legacy, inheritance:  A huge bequest was received by the
             hospital.

   berate    v.  scold, chide, rate, upbraid, revile, abuse, rail at,
             excoriate, castigate, objurgate; harangue:  In the square an
             ancient virago was berating a butcher.

   bereave   v.  deprive; strip, rob, dispossess:  The accident bereaved him
             of his child.

   berserk   adj.  amok, mad, violent, wild, crazed, frenzied, maniacal:  He
             went berserk, destroying tables and chairs.

   beseech   v.  supplicate, entreat, implore, plead (with), beg, importune,
             obsecrate:  The prisoners beseeched the king to have mercy on
             them.

   beset     v.  encompass, surround, besiege; assail, attack, harass, harry,
             hector, bother, afflict, trouble:  She was beset by all the
             problems involved in having a job and a family.

   beside    prep.  1 alongside, near, next to, with, close to, hard by,
             nearby, by:  A handsome young man walked up and sat down beside
             her.  2 away from, wide of, apart from, unconnected with, off:
             The fact that I owe you money is entirely beside the point.  3
             beside oneself. out of one's mind or wits, at the end of one's
             tether, overwrought, agitated, upset, crazy, mad:  She was
             beside herself with grief when she heard the news.

   besides   adv.  1 in addition, additionally, also; further, furthermore,
             moreover, as well, too; to boot, on top of everything else, into
             the bargain:  Maria is our choice for the post and, besides,
             she's the only qualified person available. On their anniversary
             he gave her a diamond ring and a sapphire brooch besides.

             --prep.  2 over and above, above and beyond, in addition to,
             additionally to, as well as; aside from, barring, excepting,
             except for, excluding, exclusive of, not counting or including,
             beyond, apart from, other than:  St Paul became acquainted with
             many Christians besides his converts.

   besiege   v.  1 lay siege to, beleaguer:  For ten years Troy was besieged
             by the Greeks.  2 blockade, block, block off or up, hem in, cut
             off; surround, crowd round:  The strikers have besieged the
             factory gates, not allowing anyone in or out. 3 importune, sue,
             petition, assail, pressurize or US pressure, press, overwhelm,
             inundate:  The Home Office has been besieged by requests for
             leniency in your case.

   best      adj.  1 superlative, unexcelled, finest, pre-eminent, first,
             superb, unsurpassed, superior, excellent, paramount, first-rate,
             Colloq A-1, A-one:  Henry VIII was the best rider, the best
             lance, and the best archer in England. 2 kindest, most
             beneficent, nicest:  Which of your brothers is the best to you?
             3 foremost, choicest, pre-eminent, most suitable, most
             appropriate, most qualified, most talented, most desirable, most
             outstanding:  We want the best person to fill the job.  4
             largest, most, greatest:  She had travelled the best part of the
             way by ship.  5 richest, wealthiest; first-class, upper crust,
             upper-class:  He associates only with those he considers to be
             the best people.

             --n.  6 finest; first:  The best is yet to come.  7 finery, best
             clothes, Colloq best bib and tucker:  He was all decked out in
             his Sunday best.  8 greatest or maximum effort:  He did his best
             but it wasn't enough to win.

             --adv.  9 most excellently, to the fullest extent, in the most
             suitable way, most adroitly, most skilfully, most superbly, most
             artistically:  All the children performed well, but Alice
             performed best.  10 with greatest satisfaction, most
             successfully:  He who laughs last laughs best.

             --v.  11 win (out) over, conquer, beat, surpass, overpower, get
             the better of, subdue, defeat, worst, vanquish, trounce, rout,
             crush, master, outdo, overwhelm, overcome, outwit:  He was
             bested in three falls out of four.

   bestow    v.  confer; give, award, present, donate, grant:  The country
             has bestowed its highest honours on her.

   bet       n.  1 wager, stake, risk, venture, Brit punt, Colloq Brit
             flutter:  He could not afford more than a small bet.

             --v.  2 wager, stake, gamble, risk, hazard, play, lay, put,
             chance, venture, Brit punt:  Every week he bet a small amount on
             the lottery.

   betray    v.  1 be or prove false or disloyal to, sell out, break faith
             with, let down, fail, inform on, Colloq sell down the river,
             Slang Brit shop:  He betrayed her to the enemy.  2 reveal,
             disclose, divulge, impart, tell; expose, lay bare:  She betrayed
             their hide-out to the police. He betrayed an unsuspected streak
             of cowardice. 3 lead astray, mislead, misguide, deceive, dupe,
             fool, hoodwink:  He has been betrayed by his own arrogance.

   betrayal  n.  1 treachery, treason, disloyalty, perfidy, traitorousness,
             faithlessness, bad faith, breach of faith:  His delivery of the
             country into the hands of an invader was an outright act of
             betrayal. 2 revelation, divulging, disclosure, divulgence:
             People should not be led into betrayals of their secret
             opinions.

   better°   adj.  1 superior:  You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din. Can
             you suggest a better investment than the Channel Tunnel? I know
             of no better invention than the wheel. 2 more; greater, larger,
             bigger:  I waited for her the better part of two hours.  3
             wiser, safer, well-advised, more intelligent:  It would be
             better to wait till tomorrow to tell her.  4 healthier, haler,
             heartier, less ill or US sick, improved; cured, recovered:  You
             will feel better after you have eaten something.

             --adv.  5 preferably, best; more wisely, more advisedly, more
             safely:  We had better go before the trouble starts.  6 better
             off.  a improved, happier, well-advised:  You'd be better off
             attending a technical college.  b wealthier, richer:  She is
             better off than any of us.  7 think better of. reconsider, think
             twice, change one's mind:  He was going to fight but thought
             better of it.

             --n.  8 advantage, mastery, superiority, control:  Don't let the
             obstacle course get the better of you.  9 betters. superiors:
             That young imp should learn how to address his elders and
             betters!

             --v.  10 improve, ameliorate, advance, raise, elevate:  It was
             impossible in those days for labourers to better their
             condition. 11 surpass, excel, outdo, outstrip, beat, improve:
             She bettered her record in the 100-metre hurdles by two-tenths
             of a second.

   betterэ   n.  gambler, speculator, wagerer, gamester, Brit punter, US
             bettor, Colloq crap-shooter, sport:  The betters were gathered
             round the craps table.

   bewail    v.  lament, mourn, bemoan, moan or mourn over, shed tears or
             whimper over, weep or cry or keen over, beat one's breast over:
             Instead of bewailing his condition, why doesn't he do something
             about it?

   beware    v.  take heed, be careful, be wary, be cautious, be on one's
             guard, exercise caution, mind, watch out, look out, take care:
             There are shoals nearby, so beware. Beware the ides of March!

   bewilder  v.  confuse, confound, perplex, puzzle, mystify, befuddle,
             baffle, bemuse:  I was bewildered by differential calculus.

   bewitch   v.  enchant, entrance, spellbind, charm, fascinate, beguile,
             cast a spell over, captivate, enrapture:  She easily bewitches
             men with her sultry good looks and her husky, low voice.

2.3 bias...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   bias      n.  1 prejudice, partiality; inclination, leaning, bent,
             disposition, propensity, tendency, predilection, predisposition,
             proclivity:  She shows a marked bias in favour of the Irish.  2
             angle, slant, diagonal:  Cut the fabric on the bias.  3
             influence, impulse, weight:  If he is under any bias, it is on
             the side of fairness.

             --v.  4 influence, affect unduly or unfairly, sway, incline,
             prejudice, colour, taint, predispose:  Artists are seldom good
             critics of art because they have been biased.

   biased    adj.  biased, prejudiced, partial; warped, distorted, jaundiced:
             I don't want to listen to your biased opinions about women's
             rights.

   bicker    v.  dispute, quarrel, wrangle, argue, squabble, tiff, Colloq
             spat:  The couple next door are always bickering about trifling
             matters.

   bid       v.  1 offer, make an offer (for), tender, proffer:  We bid њ500
             for the painting.  2 Archaic or literary ask, pray, press,
             entreat, beg, request, suggest, invite:  She bade me leave her
             to mourn alone.  3 Formal command, demand, order, tell, enjoin,
             dictate:  Please bid him enter. Custom bade him blow his horn.

   bidding   n.  1 invitation, summons:  We attended the ceremony at the
             bidding of the vice-chancellor.  2 command, order, dictate,
             direction, instruction, demand:  The letter was sent to all
             theatre directors at the bidding of the Arts Minister.

   big       adj.  1 large, great, grand; huge, enormous, immense, gigantic,
             giant, tremendous, colossal, Brobdingnagian, jumbo, Colloq Brit
             socking or whacking big or great, US humongous:  We live in a
             big house in the country.  2 ample, hefty, huge, bulky, fat,
             obese; large, hulking, beefy, burly, brawny, strapping,
             gargantuan, elephantine, enormous, gigantic, immense, monstrous:
             The sumo wrestler was one of the biggest men I'd ever seen.  3
             tall, grown, mature, grown-up, large:  Christopher is certainly
             big for his age.  4 important, significant, outstanding,
             weighty, consequential, major, grave, momentous, notable,
             noteworthy, telling:  Changing careers can be one of the biggest
             decisions of your life.  5 important, prominent, illustrious,
             noteworthy, notable, renowned, eminent, distinguished, esteemed:
             Mr Johnson is a big man in our town.  6 generous, magnanimous,
             charitable, unselfish, giving:  It was very big of her to take
             on the support of the orphanage.  7 popular, famous, well-known,
             successful:  That band is very big with the kids these days.  8
             capital, large, upper case, majuscule:  Always spell London with
             a big L.

             --adv.  9 pompously, boastfully, conceitedly, arrogantly,
             pretentiously:  Alfred talks big at home, but he's very modest
             when he's with his friends. 10 successfully, well,
             oustandingly,effectively:  I think your speech went over big
             with those opposed to the new budget.

   bigoted   adj.  prejudiced, intolerant, biased, jaundiced, one-sided,
             partial:  The judge was bigoted against Blacks, which accounts
             for the unfair decision.

   bigotry   n.  prejudice, intolerance, bias, partiality:  No government
             that practises bigotry can survive long.

   bigwig    n.  1 boss, kingpin, king, queen, nabob, VIP, Colloq big-shot,
             big gun, big cheese, big wheel, hotshot, chief, brass hat, US
             (chief) honcho, Mr Big:  The bigwig sits here, at the head of
             the table.  2 bigwigs. brass, brass hats:  Don't let the bigwigs
             find out what we've done.

   bilious   adj.  ill-tempered, bad-tempered, ill-natured, peevish, testy,
             cross, petulant, tetchy, choleric, dyspeptic, angry, wrathful:
             The director was absolutely bilious when he heard we had lost
             the account.

   bill°     n.  1 invoice, account; tally, reckoning, tabulation, US
             (restaurant) check, Colloq US tab:  Have you paid the telephone
             bill?  2 US and Canadian note, banknote, paper money, Colloq
             folding money:  The robbers took only small bills, which they
             could spend easily.

             --v.  3 invoice, charge:  I haven't got my cheque-book with me,
             please could you bill me.

   billэ     n.  beak, neb, nib, pecker; jaws:  One of the birds had a fish
             in its bill.

   bind      v.  1 tie, fasten, secure, make fast, tie up:  The thieves bound
             him hand and foot.  2 constrain; hold, oblige, obligate:  The
             contract we signed is equally binding on both parties. The union
             is bound by an agreement that expires in a month. 3 gird,
             encircle, wreathe, wrap, cover, swathe, bandage:  They were
             binding his wounded head.  4 cement, stick, cause to adhere;
             attach, connect:  Ordinary glue will bind these pieces together.

             --n.  5 Colloq US dilemma, predicament, tight spot, (difficult)
             situation, Colloq pickle, fix, jam:  I'm in a real bind because
             I've invited two girls to the party.  6 Colloq Brit annoyance,
             irritant, bother, bore, trial, ordeal, irritation, vexation,
             Colloq pain (in the neck or arse):  It was a bit of a bind
             having to wait three hours at the airport.

   birth     n.  1 childbirth, delivery, Technical parturition, Old-fashioned
             confinement:  Nicole is expecting the birth of her first baby in
             early April.  2 origin, creation, emergence, beginning, start,
             origination:  I believe we may be present at the birth of a
             powerful idea.  3 nativity, origin, extraction; parentage, line,
             lineage, ancestry, descent, family, blood:  She is Scottish by
             birth. Hortense is of noble birth.

   bisexual  adj.  1 hermaphrodite or hermaphroditic(al), androgynous:  Many
             of these microscopic animals are bisexual and self-fertilizing.
             2 Colloq AC/DC, swinging both ways, Facetious ambisextrous:  He
             was known to have had bisexual relationships.

             --n.  3 androgyne, hermaphrodite:  Statistics showed that more
             women than previously believed were bisexual.

   bit       n.  1 morsel, piece, scrap, fragment, shred, particle, grain,
             crumb:  We didn't have a bit of food in the house.  2 jot,
             tittle, whit, scintilla, trace, touch, hint, suggestion,
             suspicion, particle, iota, speck, atom:  There's not the
             slightest bit of evidence to link her with the crime. 3 moment,
             minute, second, flash, Colloq two shakes (of a lamb's tail):
             I'll be with you in a little bit.  4 piece, share, equity,
             segment, portion, part, fraction:  He owns a little bit of the
             business.

   bitch     n.  1 shrew, nag, termagant, virago, harpy, fury, spitfire,
             scold:  That greedy bitch has the house, and now she's suing me
             for half my income. 2 whore, prostitute, bawd, harlot,
             call-girl, trollop, strumpet, trull, drab, tart, floozie,
             streetwalker, Colloq bimbo, pro, US hooker, tramp, hustler,:  He
             roamed the street every night, ending up with some bitch he
             found in a bar.

             --v.  3 complain, object, protest, grumble, Colloq gripe:  Oh,
             stop your bitching and get on with it!  4 bungle, botch, ruin,
             spoil:  They bitched the job by using too little paint.

   bite      v.  1 nip; chew, gnaw:  That dog of yours bit a piece out of my
             ankle.  2 sting:  She was bitten by a mosquito.

             --n.  3 mouthful, morsel, scrap, bit, piece, taste; snack, Slang
             nosh:  The survivors hadn't had a bite of food for three days.
             Come round for a bite on Sunday evening before the concert. 4
             sting:  These mosquito bites itch horribly.

   biting    adj.  severe, harsh, cutting, piercing, penetrating, keen,
             sharp, bitter; cold, wintry, freezing:  The biting wind went
             right through his thin coat.

   bitter    adj.  1 harsh, acerbic, acrid, sharp, caustic, mordant:  I added
             some cream to the sauce to try and make it taste less bitter. 2
             unappetizing, distasteful, unsavoury, unpleasant, hard (to
             swallow or take), irritating, obnoxious, disagreeable, nasty,
             painful, unwelcome, unpalatable:  The demand for additional tax
             payments was a bitter pill.  3 miserable, grievous, dispiriting,
             distressing, cruel, distressful:  Dismissal after all those
             years in the firm was a bitter experience.  4 resentful,
             embittered, rancorous; hateful:  Andrew felt bitter at not being
             selected as chairman.  5 stinging, cutting, biting, harsh,
             reproachful, vicious, acrimonious, virulent; cruel, unkind,
             unpleasant, nasty:  His bitter denunciation of other candidates
             lost him the campaign.  6 sharp, keen, cutting, severe, biting,
             cold, wintry, freezing:  A bitter gale lashed at the rigging.

   bitterness
             n.  1 harshness, acerbity, acrimony, acrimoniousness,
             bitterness, spleen, Literary gall and wormwood:  The bitterness
             of his opponent's attack was totally uncalled for.  2 animosity,
             hatred, resentment; hostility, antagonism:  She felt bitterness
             in her heart over the way she had been treated.

   bizarre   adj.  1 eccentric, unusual, unconventional, extravagant,
             whimsical, strange, odd, curious, peculiar, queer, offbeat,
             fantastic, weird, incongruous, deviant, erratic, Slang kinky:
             The police thought his behaviour somewhat bizarre and invited
             him down to the station for questioning. 2 grotesque, irregular,
             nonconformist, nonconforming, outlandish, outr‚, quaint,
             fantastic, unconventional:  His house is a bizarre mixture of
             baroque and modern design.

2.4 blab...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   blab      Colloq v.  broadcast, tattle, babble, betray, reveal, disclose,
             divulge, expose:  Don't tell Frieda - she'll blab your secrets
             all over town.

   blabbermouth
             Colloq n.  tell-tale, babbler, chatterer, gossip, Colloq blab,
             tattle-tale, big-mouth:  Oscar is such a blabbermouth that you
             can't tell him anything you don't want everyone to know.

   black     adj.  1 jet, jet-black, coal-black, inky, sooty, swart, swarthy,
             raven, ebony, dusky, Literary ebon, hyacinthine:  Her hair was
             as black as coal.  2 Negro, Negroid, coloured, dark-skinned:
             Most of the Black races live near or south of the equator.  3
             dark, pitch-black, jet-black, coal-black, Stygian; starless,
             moonless:  He bundled his coat round himself and walked into the
             black night.  4 dark, sombre, dusky, gloomy, menacing,
             glowering, louring or lowering, threatening, funereal:  The sky
             became black with storm clouds.  5 malignant, baleful, baneful,
             deadly, deathly, sinister, dismal, hateful, disastrous:  It was
             a black day when he came into my life.  6 bad, foul, iniquitous,
             wicked, evil, diabolical, infernal, hellish, atrocious, awful,
             malicious, abominable, outrageous, vicious, villainous,
             flagitious, vile, disgraceful, unscrupulous, unconscionable,
             unprincipled, blackguardly, knavish, perfidious, insidious,
             nefarious, dastardly, treacherous, unspeakable, disgraceful,
             shameful, scurvy, criminal, felonious:  You have told the
             blackest lies about me.  7 angry, wrathful, furious, frowning,
             bad-tempered, sulky, resentful, clouded, threatening, glowering:
             She gave him a black look and he withered in abject fear.

             --v.  8 boycott, embargo, blacklist, ban, interdict:  Because of
             the dispute over plumbers' wages, the other building-trades
             unions have blacked every manufacturer in the business.

   blacken   v.  1 darken, smudge, begrime:  The chimney sweep's face was
             blackened with soot.  2 slander, libel, asperse, cast aspersions
             on, traduce, smear, sully, soil, besmirch, taint, tarnish,
             defame, revile, malign, vilify, discredit, denigrate:  His
             article has blackened my reputation.

   blackleg  n.  scab, strikebreaker:  Despite the strike, the plant is being
             operated by blackleg labour.

   blackmail n.  1 extortion, ransom, tribute, US graft:  Even if you pay the
             blackmail, that is no guarantee that he won't demand more later.

             --v.  2 extort money from; force, coerce, compel, make:  They
             had discovered his indiscretions and were blackmailing him.  He
             blackmailed her into signing the alimony settlement.

   blade     n.  1 knife, cutting edge:  Don't hold the knife by the blade.
             2 Literary sword, rapier, sabre, dagger, poniard, stiletto,
             cutlass, bayonet, knife, penknife, jackknife:  She plunged the
             blade in up to the hilt.  3 leaf, leaflet, frond, shoot:  The
             blades of grass were flattened where he had walked.  4 Rather
             old-fashioned playboy, ladies' man, man about town, fop, dandy:
             He was quite a gay blade in his youth.

   blame     v.  1 find fault with, censure, criticize, fault; accuse,
             charge, indict, condemn, point to, point (the finger) at,
             rebuke, reprimand, recriminate, reproach, scold, reprehend,
             reprove:  Don't blame me if you can't get to school on time.  2
             hold responsible, fix (the) responsibility upon or on, put or
             place or lay (the) blame on, lay at someone's door, denounce,
             incriminate:  Why blame Carol for the mess?

             --n.  3 censure, criticism, reproof, rebuke, recrimination,
             disapproval, disapprobation, reproach, objurgation,
             condemnation, reprehension:  The cyclist put the blame for the
             accident on me.  4 culpability, responsibility; guilt, Slang
             rap:  Why should you take the blame for something that Donald
             did?

   blameless adj.  faultless, guiltless, innocent, irreproachable,
             unimpeachable:  Hugh has led a blameless life.

   bland     adj.  1 gentle, soothing, smooth, mild, suave, urbane, cool,
             unruffled, calm, composed, unemotional, nonchalant, insouciant:
             His reaction to the news of the invasion was bland indifference.
             2 insipid, boring, dull, uninteresting, ennuyant, tasteless,
             Colloq US plain vanilla; Slang US blah:  The play is a bland
             mixture of clich‚s embedded in a tired plot.

   blank     adj.  1 empty, plain, bare:  I stared at the blank paper, unable
             to write even my name.  2 unornamented, unadorned, undecorated,
             void:  Whenever Irena sees a blank wall she feels compelled to
             hang a painting on it. 3 vacant, empty:  The actor's mind went
             completely blank

             --he had forgotten his lines. 4 passive, impassive,
             expressionless, emotionless, vacuous, mindless, unexpressive:
             He gave us a blank look when asked about the missing rare
             stamps.  5 disconcerted, discomfited, nonplussed, confused,
             helpless, resourceless, perplexed, dazed, bewildered:  The two
             old men looked at each other with blank and horror-stricken
             faces. 6 unrelieved, stark, sheer, utter, pure, unmixed,
             absolute, unqualified:  Jack faced the blank prospect of
             solitary confinement.

             --n.  7 space; line, box:  Please fill in the blanks on the
             form.  8 nothing, zero, nil; void, emptiness:  I asked her when
             the baby was coming, but I drew a blank.

   blare     v.  1 blast, bellow, trumpet, ring, boom, thunder, roar, bray;
             resound, echo, reverberate, resonate:  Everyone in the
             neighbourhood can hear your hi-fi blaring.

             --n.  2 blast, bellow, ring, roar, boom, noise, sound, clamour:
             The games began with a blare of trumpets.

   blas‚     adj.  1 bored, jaded, weary, unimpressed, ennuy‚:  Her blas‚
             attitude does little to endear her at job interviews.  2
             indifferent, cool, superior, supercilious, sophisticated,
             unmoved, nonchalant, emotionless, phlegmatic, apathetic,
             pococurante, carefree, light-hearted, insouciant:  His blas‚
             behaviour hides his basic feelings of insecurity.

   blaspheme v.  1 curse, swear, imprecate, execrate, profane, damn:  They
             were denounced for blaspheming against God.  2 abuse, malign,
             calumniate, defame, disparage, revile, put down, decry,
             deprecate, depreciate, belittle:  The ungrateful wretches
             blaspheme the charitable soul who would help them.

   blasphemous
             adj.  profane, impious, irreverent, disrespectful, sacrilegious,
             irreligious, sinful, wicked, evil, iniquitous:  He was
             excommunicated for his blasphemous writings.

   blast     n.  1 blow, gust, wind, gale:  The door opened and a blast of
             icy air made us shiver.  2 blare, sound, noise, racket, din,
             bellow, roar; boom:  At the trumpet-blast thousands of Goths
             descended screaming on the camp. 3 explosion, burst, eruption,
             discharge; detonation:  A blast of dynamite levelled all the
             houses in the vicinity.  4 (at or in) full blast. fully, at full
             tilt, at the maximum, completely, thoroughly, entirely,
             maximally, Slang with no holds barred, US to the max:  The
             factory was going full blast before the strike.

             --v.  5 blow up, explode, dynamite, demolish, destroy, ruin,
             waste, lay waste, shatter, devastate:  The pillbox was blasted
             out of existence by our guns.  6 defame, discredit, denounce,
             criticize, attack; ruin, destroy:  The candidate has been
             blasted by the press.  7 curse, damn:  The minister continued to
             blast the proposal till the legislature dropped it.

   blatant   adj.  1 obvious, flagrant, palpable, obtrusive, arrant,
             shameless, unashamed, brazen, overt, glaring:  Those hooligans
             have shown a blatant disregard for the law.  2 noisy, clamorous,
             loud, bellowing, strident, vociferous, rowdy, boisterous,
             obstreperous, uproarious:  The blatant radical faction insists
             on making itself heard.

   blaze     n.  1 flame, fire, holocaust, inferno, conflagration:  The fuel
             barrels exploded, feeding the blaze.  2 outburst, eruption,
             flare-up:  Her speech fanned the Lower House into a blaze of
             resentment.  3 light, brightness, brilliance, brilliancy, glow:
             The blaze of lamps lit up the whole square.

             --v.  4 burn, flare up, flame:  In a few minutes the logs were
             blazing merrily.  5 blaze away (at). fire, shoot, open fire,
             blast; bombard, shell:  The enemy appeared, and we just blazed
             away at them.

   bleach    v.  1 whiten, lighten, fade, blanch, blench, Technical etiolate:
             My jeans are all bleached by the sun.

             --n.  2 whitener, chlorine:  Add a little bleach to the laundry.

   bleak     adj.  1 cheerless, dreary, depressing, dismal, gloomy, sombre,
             melancholy, sad, unhappy, mournful:  1940 was one of the
             bleakest periods in British history.  2 cold, chilly, raw,
             bitter:  The days were getting shorter, and the bleak winter was
             setting in. 3 barren, bare, exposed, windswept, desolate:  How
             depressing the bleak landscape of the Russian steppes can be in
             winter!

   blemish   v.  1 deface, mar, scar, impair, disfigure:  They did nothing to
             blemish the beauty of the landscape.  2 tarnish, stain, sully,
             spoil, mar, flaw, harm, damage, scar, injure, bruise, besmirch:
             She has blemished my reputation by spreading those stories about
             me.

             --n.  3 disfigurement, scar, mark, impairment, stain, smear,
             blot; defect, flaw, error, fault, imperfection, error, erratum:
             Her complexion was entirely without blemish.

   blend     v.  1 mix, mingle, combine, meld, commingle, intermingle:  The
             Latakia is blended with the Virginia to produce a fine smoking
             tobacco. 2 shade, grade, gradate, graduate, merge, coalesce,
             fuse, unite:  Note how the pink sky and the tinted clouds blend
             in this Turner painting.

             --n.  3 mixture, mix, combination, mingling, meld, commingling,
             intermingling:  His humour is a fine blend of the sardonic with
             slapstick.

   bless     v.  1 consecrate, hallow, sanctify; extol, glorify, praise,
             revere, adore:  God bless this ship and all who sail in her.
             Bless the Lord.  2 give, make happy or fortunate, endow, favour,
             furnish, provide, supply, grace:  She is blessed with one of the
             most beautiful soprano voices that I have ever heard.

   blessing  n.  1 benediction, prayer, consecration:  Each spring the vicar
             officiated at the blessing of the fleet.  2 boon, favour,
             advantage, good fortune, godsend, luck, profit, gain, help,
             asset, gift, bounty:  Hot, sunny days are a blessing for wine
             growers.

   blight    n.  1 affliction, disease, plague, infestation, pestilence,
             scourge:  The crops were visited with a blight that lasted seven
             years.  2 misfortune, curse, trouble, woe, calamity:  Genius may
             suffer an untimely blight.

             --v.  3 afflict, infest, plague, scourge; wither, mar, taint,
             blast:  Central Africa has been blighted by famine after famine.

   blind     adj.  1 sightless, eyeless, unsighted, purblind, stone-blind:
             He has been blind from birth.  2 imperceptive, slow,
             insensitive, thick, dense, obtuse, stupid, weak-minded,
             dull-witted, slow-witted, dim-witted, Colloq Brit gormless:  How
             blind some parents are! There's another case of the blind
             leading the blind. 3 indiscriminate, undiscriminating, heedless,
             reckless, rash, impetuous, inconsiderate, unreasoning, mindless,
             senseless, thoughtless, unthinking, irrational, delusional:  He
             did her bidding with the blind obedience of a dog.  4 blind to.
             unaware or unconscious of, impervious or insensible to,
             unaffected or untouched or unmoved by:  The critics were blind
             to her merits as a novelist till many years had passed.

             --v.  5 deceive, blindfold, blinker; bamboozle, hoodwink, fool:
             Wolsey could not blind himself to the true condition of the
             church.  How jealousy blinds people! 6 conceal, hide, eclipse,
             overshadow; dazzle, blindfold:  The bright lights of the city
             blinded our view of the airport runway. Her beauty blinded him
             to her greed.

             --n.  7 shade, curtain, screen, cover, shutter(s), awning:  The
             sun is too bright - please draw the blind.  8 pretence, pretext,
             front, cover, smokescreen, stratagem, subterfuge, ruse, trick,
             deception, Colloq dodge; Slang scam:  The plumbing service is
             merely a blind for getting into houses to rob them.

   blindly   adv.  recklessly, heedlessly, deludedly, indiscriminately,
             rashly, impetuously, irrationally, thoughtlessly, mindlessly,
             senselessly, unthinkingly:  Despite his parents' warnings, he
             went blindly on, till one day he was arrested.

   blink     v.  1 wink, flicker, Technical nictitate:  She blinked in the
             strong light.  2 twinkle, flicker, gleam, glimmer, shimmer,
             flash, sparkle, scintillate, coruscate:  A billion stars blinked
             in the wintry sky.  3 flinch, wince, shrink, quail, blench,
             recoil, start, move:  She didn't even blink when she had the
             injection.  4 blink at. wink at, ignore, overlook, disregard:
             That inspector has been known to blink at health violations.

             --n.  5 wink, flicker:  He switched the cards in the blink of an
             eye.  6 on the blink.  Colloq out of order, broken, in
             disrepair, not working or operating, not operational, Slang US
             out of whack, on the fritz:  The fridge is on the blink again.

   bliss     n.  happiness, blitheness, gladness, joy, blessedness, delight,
             felicity, glee, enjoyment, pleasure, joyousness, cheer,
             exhilaration, gaiety, blissfulness, rapture, ecstasy:  The bliss
             of our honeymoon has remained with us throughout our marriage.

   blithe    adj.  1 blissful, happy, cheerful, joyous, merry, light-hearted,
             well-pleased, delighted, gay, joyful, elated, jubilant:  His
             spirit was blithe and his heart unquenchable.  2 happy-go-lucky,
             insouciant, heedless, carefree, unconcerned, blas‚, casual,
             detached, indifferent, uncaring, careless:  She goes through
             life with a blithe disregard for the feelings of others.

   bloated   adj.  swollen, distended, fully, puffy; puffed up, overgrown,
             inflated, pompous:  He felt bloated after the enormous banquet.
             That bloated, conceited, self-important petty official had the
             gall to refuse me a visa.

   blob      n.  gob, gobbet, globule, drop, droplet, bit, gout, lump, dab,
             Colloq glob, Chiefly US and Canadian smidgen or smidgin:
             There's a blob of jelly on your tie.

   block     n.  1 piece, chunk, hunk, lump, slab; stump; brick, cube:  The
             figure is carved out of a solid block of stone.  2 bar,
             obstacle, obstruction, hindrance, stumbling-block, deterrent,
             impediment, barrier:  Her arrival should be no block to your
             leaving.

             --v.  3 obstruct, close off, barricade; bar, shut off; hinder,
             hamper, balk, impede, prevent:  Entry to the playing field was
             blocked by the police.  4 block out.  a rough out, design,
             outline, sketch, lay out, plan:  The colonel blocked out a
             strategy for our escape.  b mask, screen, blank (out), erase,
             eliminate, exclude, blot out, deny:  She has blocked out that
             part of her life from her mind.  5 block (up). stuff (up),
             congest, clog, Colloq Brit bung up:  My nose is all blocked up
             because of this awful cold.

   bloodshed n.  slaughter, carnage, butchery, killing, murder,
             blood-letting; violence; genocide:  Let's settle this peaceably
             and avoid bloodshed.

   bloodsucker
             n.  leech, extortionist, extortioner, blackmailer; parasite,
             barnacle, Colloq sponge, freeloader, scrounge, scrounger; Slang
             US moocher:  He's nothing but a bloodsucker, always demanding
             more and more money.

   bloodthirsty
             adj.  murderous, homicidal, savage, feral, cruel, ruthless,
             pitiless, vicious, brutal, sadistic, ferocious, fierce, Formal
             sanguinary, Literary fell:  Bloodthirsty pirates had slaughtered
             the whole crew.

   blot      n.  1 stain, spot, mark, smudge, blotch, blemish, disfigurement,
             smear, smirch, scar, Colloq splodge or US also splotch:  An ink
             blot covered the date of the document. There are a few blots on
             his record from his time in the army.

             --v.  2 stain, spot, spatter, smudge, mark, blur:  You have
             blotted these pages where you wrote with a fountain-pen.  3 blot
             one's copybook. err, destroy or ruin or mar or spoil one's
             reputation, commit an indiscretion, transgress, sin:  She's
             certainly blotted her copybook by having an affair with that
             subaltern. 4 blot out.  a obscure, conceal, cover (up), hide,
             eclipse, dim:  The clouds blotted out the sun for a few minutes.
             b obliterate, destroy, erase, demolish, efface, annihilate,
             delete, rub or wipe out:  He subconsciously blotted out all
             memory of the accident.

   blow°     v.  1 breathe, puff, exhale; expel:  If the crystals turn green
             when you blow into the tube, it means that you've had too much
             to drink. Blow some air into the balloon. 2 waft, puff, whistle,
             whine, blast:  An icy wind blew through the cracks in the
             windows.  3 Colloq bungle, botch, make a mess of, muff,
             mismanage, Colloq screw up, mess up, fluff, bugger up, Taboo
             fuck up:  It was my last chance to win and I blew it.  4 Colloq
             spend, lavish, squander, waste, throw out or away:  She blew
             hundreds on that dress and now she won't wear it.  5
             short-circuit, burn out:  All the fuses blew when I turned on
             the electric heater.  6 blow hot and cold. vacillate, hesitate,
             dither, Colloq shilly-shally:  The sales manager has been
             blowing hot and cold over my proposal for a month now. 7 blow
             out.  a extinguish:  I blew out all the candles in one breath.
             The match blew out in the wind. b explode, burst:  One of my
             tyres blew out on the way over here.  c short-circuit, burn out:
             The lights blew out during the storm.  8 blow up.  a become
             furious or angry or enraged, flare up, lose one's temper, Slang
             blow one's top or US also stack, flip one's lid:  She really
             blew up when I said I was going to the pub.  b explode, burst,
             shatter, Colloq bust; detonate, dynamite, destroy, blast:  The
             bridge blew up with a roar. Demolition experts will blow up the
             dam. c enlarge, inflate, embroider, magnify, expand, exaggerate,
             overstate:  The tabloid press has blown up the story out of all
             proportion.  d enlarge, magnify, amplify, expand, increase:  Can
             you blow up just this corner of the photograph?  e inflate;
             distend, swell:  We were busy blowing up balloons for the party.

             --n.  9 gale, storm, tempest, whirlwind, tornado, cyclone,
             hurricane, typhoon, north-easter, nor'easter:  We can expect a
             big blow tonight - winds of gale force, they say.

   blowэ     n.  1 stroke, punch, clout, whack, hit, knock, thump, thwack,
             Colloq wallop:  He was felled by a blow to the chin in the
             fourth round.  2 shock, surprise, bombshell, jolt, bolt from the
             blue, revelation:  It came as a blow to learn that she was
             leaving in a month.

   blue      adj.  1 depressed, low-spirited, dispirited, sad, dismal, down,
             down in the mouth, gloomy, unhappy, glum, downcast, crestfallen,
             chap-fallen, dejected, melancholy, despondent, downhearted,
             morose:  I've been feeling blue since Kathleen left me.  2
             obscene, vulgar, indecent, titillating, pornographic, dirty,
             filthy, lewd, smutty, risqu‚, bawdy, sexy, X, X-rated, 18, US
             XXX; indelicate, suggestive, off colour, erotic, coarse,
             offensive, improper:  There's a place nearby that shows blue
             movies.

   bluff°    v.  1 deceive, hoodwink, dupe, mislead, delude, trick, cozen,
             fool, Colloq bamboozle:  I bluffed him into believing that I
             held four aces.  2 pretend, feign, bluster, fool, Colloq kid;
             Slang bullshit:  She became frightened, unaware that I was only
             bluffing.

             --n.  3 bombast, bravado, boasting, bragging, bluster, show,
             puffery; deception, blind; Literary rodomontade, gasconade;
             Colloq hot air:  Roger's ranting is all bluff - he's really very
             timid.

   bluffэ    adj.  1 blustering, gruff, rough, abrupt, blunt, curt, short,
             crude:  Fred's bluff manner puts many people off.  2 frank,
             open, hearty, straightforward, plain, plain-spoken, outspoken,
             affable, approachable, good-natured, friendly:  That comment is
             typical of his bluff honesty.

             --n.  3 cliff, escarpment, precipice, scarp, headland,
             promontory, palisades:  As you sail down the lower Hudson river,
             the tall bluffs form a natural wall along the western bank.

   blunder   v.  1 stumble, flounder:  I had somehow blundered into a meeting
             of the local crime syndicate.  She blundered upon the truth when
             she saw them together.

             --n.  2 mistake, error, gaffe, faux pas, slip, slip-up, howler,
             Colloq boo-boo, screw-up, fluff, boner, US goof, goof-up:  I
             made a stupid blunder in telling him about the plans.

   blunt     adj.  1 dull, worn:  This knife is too blunt to cut bread.  2
             abrupt, curt, rough-spoken, plain-spoken, short, direct, candid,
             frank, unceremonious, undiplomatic, inconsiderate, thoughtless,
             brusque, outspoken, bluff, brash, indelicate, rude, uncivil,
             ungracious, discourteous, impolite; straightforward, straight,
             uncomplicated, uncompromising:  Ralph may be blunt, but at least
             you know exactly where you stand with him.

             --v.  3 dull, take the edge off:  You've blunted the scissors
             cutting that cardboard.  4 soften, mitigate, mollify, soothe;
             efface, dim, obscure, blur, weaken:  Mother's love is an
             absorbing delight, blunting all other sensibilities.

   blur      n.  1 indistinctness, dimness, haziness, cloudiness, fogginess:
             We were unable to pick out the star from the blur of the Galaxy.
             2 fog, haze, Brit fuzz:  Without my spectacles, everything is a
             blur.

             --v.  3 dim, befog, obscure, bedim; efface:  My vision was
             momentarily blurred, and I didn't see the oncoming car. 4
             obscure, hide, conceal, veil, mask; weaken:  The Honourable
             Gentleman has blurred the distinction between the unemployed and
             the unemployable.

   blurt     v.  Usually, blurt out. burst out with, utter; reveal, disclose,
             give away, divulge, Colloq blab:  She blurted out the name of
             her accomplice.

   blush     v.  be or act ashamed, redden, flush, colour:  He blushed when
             asked if he still loved Belinda.

   bluster   v.  1 storm, rage, harangue:  It won't do any good to bluster on
             about the postal service.  2 swagger, strut, talk big, boast,
             brag, blow one's own horn or trumpet, show off, crow:  He's
             always blustering about his conquests.

             --n.  3 swaggering, storming, raging, raving, haranguing,
             tumult; hot air, puffery, bravado, grandiloquence, Literary
             rodomontade:  He's all bluster and will do nothing despite his
             threats.

2.5 board...
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   board     n.  1 plank, scantling, timber:  We nailed the last board in
             place and the house was finished.  2 table, gaming-table, game
             table or surface:  I have the chessmen, have you brought the
             board?  3 food, meals, provisions:  I am moving to the country,
             where room and board are cheaper.  4 council, committee,
             directors, directorship, management, cabinet, panel, trustees,
             advisers:  That issue will be discussed at the meeting of the
             board.  5 on board. aboard, on:  Young children are not allowed
             on board the boat.

             --v.  6 go aboard, ship aboard; enter, embark on:  We all
             boarded the ship but it didn't leave for an hour.  7 feed; eat,
             take meals; accommodate, lodge, house, billet, quarter; lodge,
             stay, live, room; Colloq put up:  Mrs O'Brien already boards
             three gentlemen at her house, but she has agreed to let me board
             there too.

   boast     n.  1 brag, bragging:  They did not make good their boasts of
             being the fastest in the competition.

             --v.  2 brag, vaunt, crow, show off, Colloq US blow or toot
             one's (own) horn or trumpet; Slang lay it on thick, talk big:
             He boasted that he was the best poker player in the casino.

   boastful  adj.  ostentatious, show-off, bragging, vainglorious,
             egotistical, vain, conceited:  She's boastful about her wealth,
             but it was all left to her by her mother.

   boat      n.  vessel, craft, skiff, small craft, motor boat, speedboat,
             knockabout, runabout, yacht, motor yacht, sailing-yacht, Brit
             rowing-boat, sailing-boat, US row-boat, sailboat, Colloq ship:
             I bought a 30-foot boat at this year's show. They went off on a
             slow boat to China.

   bode      v.  portend, promise, augur, betoken, forebode, presage;
             foreshadow:  The weather bodes well for the picnic.

   body      n.  1 corpse, cadaver, remains, carcass, Slang stiff:  A body
             has been dragged up from the lake.  2 trunk, torso:  They found
             the body, but the arms, legs, and head were missing.  3 main
             part or portion, hull, fuselage:  The body of the plane remained
             intact, though the wings and superstructure broke away. 4
             substance, essentials, main part, essence, heart, centre, core:
             The body of the book is all right, but the index needs work.  5
             majority, bulk, main part or portion, mass(es):  Under Henry
             VIII the main body of the people were prosperous.  6
             association, league, band, corps, confederation, fraternity,
             society; committee, council; group, assemblage, assembly,
             congress, company:  It is not within the power of this body to
             do more than vote on the proposal. 7 richness, substance,
             firmness, consistency, solidity, thickness, density, fullness,
             viscosity, fullness:  This wine has excellent body. Add a little
             cornflour to give the sauce more body.

   bog       n.  1 swamp, fen, marsh, quagmire:  The peat bogs have yielded
             interesting fossils.  2 bog down. impede, slow, hamper,
             encumber, stymie, stick, handicap, clog, check, set back, hold
             back:  Traffic is bogged down owing to roadworks.

   bogus     adj.  counterfeit, spurious, fake, false, fraudulent, sham,
             imitation, fictitious, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  The
             police reported that a gang was trying to pass bogus money to
             unsuspecting shopkeepers in the area.

   Bohemian  adj.  nonconformist, unconforming, unconventional, unorthodox,
             casual, free and easy:  In the '60s she became a flower person
             and adopted a Bohemian way of life.

   boil°     v.  1 bubble, seethe; simmer, stew, steam:  A pot of soup was
             boiling on the kitchen stove.  2 seethe, fume, sizzle, smoulder,
             chafe, fulminate, ferment, sputter, splutter, bluster:  When she
             learned what he had been saying about her, she boiled with
             furious indignation.

   boilэ     n.  abscess, carbuncle, pustule, Technical furuncle:  The doctor
             said the boil had to be lanced at once.

   boisterous
             adj.  rowdy, clamorous, rough, noisy, lively, exuberant, unruly,
             wild, undisciplined, tempestuous, stormy, turbulent, Colloq
             rambunctious:  The boys were sent outside because of their
             boisterous behaviour.

   bold      adj.  1 courageous, brave, plucky, confident, stout-hearted,
             lion-hearted, daring, enterprising, audacious, fearless,
             unafraid, intrepid, resolute, dauntless, undaunted, valiant,
             stout, valorous, stalwart, adventurous, venturesome; reckless,
             foolhardy, incautious, daredevil, rash:  It would take a bold
             man to enter the ring with the champion.  2 audacious,
             presumptuous, forward, immodest, brazen, impudent, temerarious,
             impertinent, shameless:  It was very bold of you to speak your
             mind to the boss.  3 pronounced, outstanding, striking,
             vigorous, clear, strong, vivid, distinct, conspicuous:  He wrote
             down their demands in a good, bold hand.

   bolster   v.  support, prop (up), brace, shore up, buttress, uphold, back
             (up), reinforce, aid, help, assist, further, advance:  The
             miners cited a lack of safety measures to bolster their
             arguments.

   bolt      n.  1 arrow, dart, projectile, missile, Historical quarrel:  He
             had only three bolts remaining for the crossbow.  2 pin, bar,
             rod, catch; latch:  We hoped that the bolt would prevent their
             opening the door.  3 machine screw:  Bolts can be tightened or
             removed, unlike rivets.  4 roll, length:  We sell only full
             bolts of fabric.  5 lightning flash, thunderbolt, Formal
             fulguration:  One bolt travelled down the television aerial and
             blew out the set. 6 bolt from or out of the blue. surprise,
             shock, bombshell, bomb, blow, revelation, eye-opener, Colloq
             shocker:  The news of her resignation came like a bolt from the
             blue.  7 shoot one's bolt. exhaust or use up one's resources,
             Slang burn out, US poop out:  He was fast early in the marathon,
             but he'd shot his bolt long before the finishing line.

             --v.  8 spring, dart, shoot off, take flight, run (away or off),
             rush (off or away), break away, flee, decamp, abscond, escape,
             fly, dash (off or away), Colloq skedaddle, scram, Brit scarper,
             do a bunk, do a moonlight flit, US take a (run-out) powder,:
             The youths bolted as soon as they saw the police. The couple in
             room 315 bolted without paying their bill. 9 gulp (down),
             swallow whole:  When the bell rang, she bolted her breakfast and
             ran out of the back door. 10 fasten, lock, latch, secure:  Make
             sure you bolt your door at night and don't let anyone in.  11
             fix, attach, fasten, connect, make fast to:  The motor must be
             securely bolted to the workbench.

             --adv.  12 bolt upright. erect, straight, rigidly, stiffly:
             When her name was called, Penny sat bolt upright in her chair.

   bomb      n.  1 bombshell, shell, explosive:  One of the bombs blew up the
             school.

             --v.  2 bombard, shell, batter, blow up:  Last night the railway
             station was bombed.

   bombard   v.  1 batter, bomb, shell:  The artillery continued to bombard
             the enemy with everything in their arsenal. 2 assail, attack,
             assault, set upon; besiege:  The Prime Minister was bombarded
             with requests to amend the law.

   bombast   n.  pretentious language, flatulence, bluster, show,
             grandiloquence, magniloquence, hot air, bravado, boast,
             boasting, Literary gasconade, rodomontade; Colloq puffery:  The
             speaker continued to bore the audience with his pompous bombast.

   bombastic adj.  high-flown, extravagant, pompous, grandiose,
             grandiloquent, magniloquent, inflated, fustian, flatulent,
             turgid, Literary euphuistic:  The Minister made a bombastic
             speech full of emotive appeals, but his actual arguments were
             unconvincing.

   bombshell n.  surprise, shock, eye-opener, bomb, blow, revelation, bolt
             from or out of the blue, Colloq shocker:  Then came the
             bombshell - she and Tony had been married the week before.

   bona fide adj.  genuine, authentic, attested, real, veritable, legitimate,
             true, valid; in good faith, sincere, honest:  The jeweller
             affirmed that it was a bona fide ruby. I don't believe her
             reasons are bona fide.

   bond      n.  1 tie(s), shackles, chains, fetters, manacles, handcuffs,
             trammels, thongs, cord(s), rope(s); restraint(s), constraint(s),
             check(s), control(s), rein(s):  The council is hampered by the
             bonds of the old regulations.  2 covenant, pact, contract,
             agreement, engagement, compact, treaty:  To unite the party a
             bond of confederacy was formed.  3 connection, link, linkage,
             union, tie, relationship:  The main bond between us was a shared
             love of the theatre. The bond between the veneer and the board
             should hold with a little more glue.

             --v.  4 cement, bind, hold together, stick, cohere:  They use
             mortar to bond the bricks together.

   bondage   n.  slavery, servitude, subjection, subjugation, enslavement,
             serfdom, thraldom; vassalage, villeinage:  The poor souls were
             kept in bondage for most of their lives, forced to row in the
             galleys till they died.

   bonny     adj.  beautiful, comely, attractive, pretty, lovely:  She's
             grown into quite a bonny lass.

   bonus     n.  reward, largesse, hand-out, perquisite, extra, honorarium,
             tip, gratuity, remuneration, compensation, Colloq perk:
             Employees often receive a Christmas bonus.

   book      n.  1 volume, tome, work, publication; hard-cover, soft-cover,
             paperback:  Our personal library contains more than 5000 books.
             2 libretto, words, lyrics:  Richard Rodgers wrote the music and
             Oscar Hammerstein the book for several hit shows. 3 rules, laws,
             regulations:  He always insists that we go by the book.

             --v.  4 engage, reserve; earmark, ticket; order, register,
             enrol, list, enlist, log, record, post:  Please phone the
             restaurant and book a table for four for seven-thirty.

   bookkeeper
             n.  clerk; accountant, Brit chartered accountant, CA, cashier;
             US CPA, certified public accountant:  The office was haunted by
             the melancholy ghosts of departed bookkeepers.

   bookworm  n.  bibliophile, book-lover, inveterate or ardent reader, Formal
             bibliophage:  Fiona is such a bookworm, she hardly does anything
             but read.

   boom      v.  1 sound, resound, resonate, blast, rumble, thunder, roar,
             bang, explode:  We heard the cannons booming in the distance.  2
             prosper, thrive, flourish, progress, grow, increase, burgeon or
             bourgeon:  Business is booming in every sector.

             --n.  3 blast, rumble, explosion:  There was a resounding boom
             and the car went up in flames.  4 prosperity, profitability;
             growth, increase, burgeoning or bourgeoning:  In this business
             it is either boom or bust.

   boomerang v.  rebound, recoil, backfire, miscarry, redound:  His plan
             boomeranged.

   boon      n.  gift, favour, award, reward, gratuity, present; blessing,
             benefit, advantage:  The mobile library service is a great boon
             to the elderly in the area.

   boor      n.  1 rustic, peasant, yokel, (country) bumpkin, provincial,
             backwoodsman, US hayseed, hill-billy, Juke, Kallikak, Slang
             hick:  The boor is blind to the beauties of nature.  2
             barbarian, yahoo, oaf, clod, clodhopper, philistine, clown,
             Grobian; hoyden, Colloq lummox, Slang galoot, slob, US goop,
             slobbovian:  The guests behaved like boors, throwing their food
             at each other.

   boorish   adj.  rustic, barbarian, rude, crude, ill-mannered, uncultured,
             coarse, clownish, uncouth, loutish, oafish, gawky, vulgar,
             ill-bred:  How can you even think of inviting such a boorish
             fellow?

   boost     n.  1 lift, shove or push up or upward(s), Colloq leg up; rise,
             raise:  If you give me a boost up, I can reach the window ledge.
             2 encouragement, help, aid, assistance, support:  With a boost
             from your constituency, Trevor should win the vote.  3 increase,
             rise, US raise, hike:  He was given a slight boost in salary as
             an incentive to stay.

             --v.  4 lift, shove or push up or upward(s), raise:  He boosted
             her over the fence. The second stage is intended to boost the
             rocket beyond the atmosphere. 5 encourage, promote, help, aid,
             support, assist, improve:  A talk from the manager before the
             game helped to boost the players' morale. 6 increase, raise:
             Her salary was boosted twice in one year.

   boot      n.  1 to boot. in addition, into the bargain, in addition,
             besides, moreover, as well, also, too, additionally:  He's
             stingy and cruel - and ugly to boot.  2 shoe, riding-boot,
             bootee:  I need a new pair of boots for my walking holiday.

             --v.  3 eject, expel, shove, propel, push, Colloq kick:  The
             landlord booted three rowdies out of the pub.  4 Literary
             profit, avail, help, be in aid of:  What boots it to complain?

   booth     n.  1 stall, stand:  Our company has taken three booths at the
             book fair.  2 compartment, cubicle, box, kiosk:  We walked
             across the road to a telephone booth and phoned a garage.

   bootless  adj.  pointless, unavailing, vain, purposeless, useless, futile,
             worthless, unproductive, ineffective, inefficacious, fruitless,
             unprofitable, profitless, unremunerative, unrewarding, wasteful,
             time-wasting, Sisyphean:  It's a bootless task trying to
             persuade him of the importance of a good education.

   booty     n.  plunder, gain, spoil(s), contraband, takings, loot, Slang
             swag, boodle, (hot) goods, take:  The pirates fought over the
             booty seized from the Spanish galleon.

   booze     n.  1 drink, (hard) liquor, spirit(s), whisk(e)y, alcohol, US
             demon rum, John Barleycorn, mountain dew, white lightning, white
             mule; Slang rot-gut, poison, fire-water, mother's ruin, US and
             Canadian sauce, juice, hooch, red-eye:  I ordered plenty of
             booze for the party.

             --v.  2 drink, tipple; Humorous bibulate; Slang hit the bottle,
             US hit the sauce:  He has a terrible hangover after boozing all
             night.

   border    n.  1 edge, margin, hem, binding, trimming, trim, edging,
             periphery, purfle, purfling:  The border of the tablecloth is
             beautifully embroidered with flowers.  2 Usually, borders.
             limit(s), bound(s), confines:  Sometimes Tony exceeds the
             borders of good taste.  3 boundary, frontier:  You won't be able
             to cross the border without a passport.  4 frame, frieze,
             moulding; dado, wainscot or wainscoting or wainscotting:  The
             border of the fresco is in Greek fretwork design.  5 borderline,
             edge, verge, brink:  She is just on the border of becoming a
             born-again Christian.  6 bed, flowerbed, herbaceous border:
             Hollyhocks are growing in the border.

             --v.  7 edge, trim, bind, fringe, purfle:  The hem of the skirt
             is bordered with lace.  8 resemble (closely), approach
             (closely), verge upon or on:  Isabel's attempts at playing the
             tuba border on the ludicrous.  9 lie alongside, adjoin, abut (on
             or upon), verge upon or on, touch, be adjacent to:  The
             territory of the Gauls bordered the western lands of the
             Germans.

   bore°     n.  1 hole, drill-hole, borehole:  A bore of six inches was
             carried to a depth of 2086 feet.

             --v.  2 pierce, perforate, drill, penetrate, puncture, tap,
             punch, stab, prick; sink, tunnel, dig (out), gouge (out); hollow
             out:  Bore a hole through this sheet metal. The oil rig is
             boring through solid rock.

   boreэ     n.  1 annoyance, nuisance:  Reggie is such a bore - always
             talking about himself.

             --v.  2 weary, wear out, tire, exhaust, jade:  The programme so
             bored me that I fell asleep.

   boredom   n.  dullness, dreariness, ennui, tedium, monotony:  I have to
             look forward to the boredom of an evening of chamber music.

   boring    adj.  dull, monotonous, tedious, humdrum, tiresome, dreary,
             flat, dead, uninteresting, unexciting, ennuyant, stale, tired,
             dry, dry-as-dust, arid; tiring, wearying, wearisome, exhausting,
             soporific; repetitious, wordy, prolix, unending, long-drawn-out:
             Felicity's boring old stories put me to sleep.

   borrow    v.  take, appropriate, draw, adopt, refer to, obtain, Colloq
             sponge, cadge, touch (someone) for, US bum; Slang mooch:  Has
             Fred borrowed my lawnmower again?

   Borstal   n.  youth custody centre, approved school, Now chiefly US reform
             school, reformatory:  He was too young to go to prison, so he
             was sent to a Borstal.

   bosom     n.  1 breast, chest, bust; Slang boobs, knockers, tits, titties,
             pair, jugs, Brit Bristols:  The sex goddess's lack of talent was
             more than compensated for by her ample bosom. 2 midst, interior,
             heart, core, centre:  She was welcomed into the bosom of the
             family as if she had been their own child. 3 soul, heart, heart
             of hearts, bowels, blood, Colloq gut:  I know he loves me, I can
             feel it in my bosom.

             --adj.  4 close, intimate, dear, beloved, cherished, boon,
             special, confidential:  We were once bosom companions.

   bosomy    adj.  big-busted, busty, well-endowed:  This tabloid always has
             a bosomy model on page 3.

   boss      n.  1 chief, supervisor, head, administrator, manager, foreman,
             superintendent, overseer; employer, director, proprietor, owner,
             Brit managing director , US president, Dialect himself, Colloq
             supremo, Brit governor, gov., gaffer, US super, leader, kingpin,
             big cheese, the man, Slang honcho, head or chief honcho, Mr Big,
             prex or prexy:  If you have to leave early, check with the boss.
             The company boss was interviewed on television last night.

             --v.  2 supervise, head, manage, run, oversee, overlook, direct,
             control, superintend, command, take charge, be in charge:  Clive
             has been here only a year and he's already bossing a department.
             3 domineer, push or shove around or about, dominate, order
             about, lord it over:  That slave-driver had better stop bossing
             me about or I'll quit!

   bossy     adj.  overbearing, domineering, dictatorial, tyrannical,
             despotic, imperious, lordly:  Her boyfriend is awfully bossy -
             and they're not even married yet.

   botch     v.  bungle, mismanage, spoil, Colloq screw or louse up, blow,
             mess up, muck up, make a mess or hash or muddle of; Slang
             bollocks or ballocks or US bollix up:  Give Gordon an assignment
             and he's sure to botch it.

   bother    v.  1 annoy, pester, worry, irritate, trouble, hector, harass,
             hound, dog, nag, plague, needle, Colloq hassle; Slang US nudge:
             I wish they'd stop bothering me about paying the telephone bill.
             2 trouble (about), fuss (at), make a fuss (about), concern
             oneself (with), burden:  Too few people are interested in
             bothering about the welfare of others. 3 confuse, bewilder,
             perplex, perturb, upset, disconcert, discomfit:  She was
             increasingly bothered by her inability to understand the local
             language.

             --n.  4 trouble, inconvenience:  Those pets must be a lot of
             bother.  5 worry, annoyance, vexation, nuisance, irritation,
             trouble, effort, disturbance, upset, Slang hassle:  Painting the
             lattice will be more bother than it's worth.  6 dither, flutter,
             Colloq tizzy, pet, stew, lather, sweat:  She seems to have
             worked herself into quite a bother about something quite
             insignificant. 7 pest, irritant, nag, nuisance, Colloq pain,
             pain in the neck or Brit taboo arse or US taboo ass; Slang US
             nudge:  Mother is such a bother, always asking if I wear my
             galoshes when it rains. 8 disturbance, to-do, ado, commotion,
             fuss, trouble, disorder, stir, hubbub:  We ran into a bit of
             bother at the pub last night.

   bottle    n.  1 flask, container; fiasco, decanter:  The milkman left two
             bottles of milk.  2 courage, nerve, manliness, manfulness, grit,
             backbone, gumption, mettle, pluck, Dutch courage, Slang guts;
             Colloq spunk, starch, US moxie:  He was going to tell her off
             but lost his bottle at the last minute.  3 the bottle. alcohol,
             alcoholic drink, spirit(s), liquor, booze, sauce:  He's back on
             the bottle after only two weeks of being on the wagon.

             --v.  4 bottle up.  a contain, restrain, hold back, control,
             suppress, repress, hold or keep in check, stifle:  All the
             emotions, bottled up for so long, burst upon him at once, and he
             wept pitiably. b trap, cut off, hem in, box in:  With the help
             of the posse, we can bottle up the gang in the canyon.

   bottom    n.  1 seat, buttocks, rear, behind, rear end, derriЉre, rump,
             posterior, hindquarters, breech, fundament, gluteus maximus,
             Colloq backside, butt, prat, Brit bum , US can, duff, keister or
             keester, hinie; Taboo Brit arse, US ass; Slang US tokus or
             tochis or tuchis, tushie or tushy or tush:  He just sits there
             on his bottom, never doing a bit of work.  2 base, foot,
             foundation, groundwork, substructure, footing, underpinning,
             fundament:  A ditch was dug along the bottom of the wall.  3
             basis, foundation, source, origin, cause, heart, nub:  We have
             to get to the bottom of the problem.  4 depths, Davy Jones's
             locker; bed:  The ship sank to the bottom of the sea.  5 at
             bottom. basically, fundamentally, in the final or last analysis,
             really, in reality, truly, in truth, essentially:  Despite her
             behaviour at the party, at bottom she is very reserved.  6
             Bottoms up! Prosit!, To your (very good) health!, Cheers!,
             Here's to -!, Skol!:  Here's to the whole team - Bottoms up!

   bottomless
             adj.  unfathomed, unfathomable, abyssal, abysmal, inexhaustible,
             unlimited, immeasurable, unplumbable:  The bottomless ignorance
             of the man is incredible.

   bounce    n.  1 bound, leap, hop, recoil, ricochet, rebound:  The ball
             took a bad bounce and the infielder missed it.  2 vitality,
             energy, verve, zest, vivacity, liveliness, animation, dynamism,
             life, Colloq pep, zip, go, get-up-and-go:  Betty has so much
             bounce, she is a bit tiring to have around.

             --v.  3 bound, rebound, hop; recoil, ricochet:  The ball bounced
             over the wall and into the river.

   bound°    n.  1 Usually, bounds. boundary, boundary-line, limit(s),
             extent, border(s), confines:  Please try to keep the dogs within
             the bounds of the estate. Carl's plan is beyond the bounds of
             common sense.

             --v.  2 limit, restrict, confine, delimit, define, circumscribe:
             The river bounds the property on the east.

   boundэ    n.  1 leap, jump, vault, spring; bounce, hop:  With a great
             bound, the dog was upon me.  2 by leaps and bounds. See leap, 7,
             below.

             --v.  3 leap, jump, hop, spring, vault, gambol, caper, romp,
             frolic, bounce, Colloq galumph:  The wolfhound came bounding
             towards me across the meadow.

   bound°    adj.  1 tied, fast, fixed, fastened, confined, secured:  We were
             bound hand and foot and left in the cave.  2 obliged, obligated,
             required, constrained, forced, compelled:  In the circumstances,
             Philippa was bound to do as she was told.  3 determined,
             resolved:  Otto is bound to go to the party if Antonia is going.
             4 likely, certain, sure, destined, predestined, fated, doomed:
             He is bound to get the sack if he goes on turning up late.  5
             destined, scheduled, booked; headed, directed:  We were bound
             for Cardiff.

   boundary  n.  border(s), limit(s), frontier(s); bound(s), confines,
             perimeter:  If you cross that boundary, you will be safely in
             Switzerland.

   boundless adj.  limitless, unbounded, unlimited; illimitable, vast,
             endless, unending, infinite, immense, enormous, immeasurable,
             incalculable, measureless, unrestricted, unchecked,
             inexhaustible, unstoppable, unbridled, uncontrolled, Literary
             vasty:  How can you keep up with a teenager's boundless energy?

   bountiful adj.  1 generous, beneficent, munificent, liberal, unsparing,
             unstinting, charitable, eleemosynary, magnanimous, Literary
             bounteous:  We are grateful to Sir Roger, our most bountiful
             patron, for endowing this library. 2 ample, abundant, plenteous,
             plentiful, copious, rich, Literary bounteous:  Until the Stock
             Exchange d‚bѓcle, these shares paid bountiful dividends.

   bounty    n.  1 generosity, liberality, munificence, charitableness,
             philanthropy, charity, unselfishness, beneficence, goodness:
             The poor used to be dependent on the bounty of the local gentry.
             2 gift, present, largesse, grant, subsidy, endowment,
             subvention:  People should be given work and not live off the
             bounty of the state. 3 reward, award, premium, bonus, gratuity:
             In America they paid a bounty of њ50 for every dead wolf.

   bouquet   n.  1 nosegay, posy, bunch, arrangement, spray:  I sent her a
             bouquet of spring flowers for her birthday.  2 aroma, scent,
             odour, fragrance, perfume:  This '83 burgundy certainly has a
             fine bouquet.  3 compliment(s), praise, commendation:  Mrs
             Campbell received many bouquets for her performances.

   bourgeois adj.  1 middle-class, conventional, philistine, capitalistic,
             propertied; materialistic, greedy, money-grubbing, money-hungry:
             The yuppies constitute the modern bourgeois element in society.
             2 working-class, proletarian, plebeian:  In his bourgeois mind,
             he had only his labour to offer.

   bout      n.  1 turn, round, time, occasion, spell, period, session:  He's
             just got over a bout of pneumonia.  2 chance, spree, stint,
             opportunity, innings:  We had long planned this bout of
             shopping.  3 contest, match, boxing-match, prizefight, meet,
             set-to, struggle, encounter, engagement; duel:  A bout has been
             arranged between the heavyweight champion of the world and a
             challenger from Puerto Rico.

   bow       n.  1 nod; curtsy or curtsey, salaam, kowtow, genuflection,
             prostration, obeisance:  We all bowed respectfully before the
             emperor.

             --v.  2 defer, yield, submit, give in, bend, bow down,
             capitulate:  I bow to your greater knowledge of the subject.  3
             bend, incline, lower:  The servants bowed their heads when the
             master entered.  4 weigh down, crush, overload, bend down,
             burden:  Michael was bowed down by the responsibilities of his
             new family.  5 nod, curtsy or curtsey, salaam, kowtow,
             genuflect, prostrate oneself, salaam, make obeisance:  The
             natives bowed as the king passed by.

   bowels    n.  interior, insides, depths; heart, centre, core, intestines,
             viscera, vitals, belly, gut, Colloq innards, guts:  We descended
             the shaft into the very bowels of the earth. She hates me, I can
             feel it in my bowels.

   bowl°     v.  move, trundle, wheel, roll, spin:  We saw him in his car,
             bowling along at about 40.

   bowlэ     n.  dish; basin, pan:  She brought me a bowl of cereal.

   box°      n.  1 case, receptacle, crate, carton, container, casket,
             coffer, caddy, chest:  She keeps her valuables in a small
             tortoise-shell box on the dressing-table.

             --v.  2 crate, encase, package:  The candles are boxed in
             dozens.  3 box in or up. trap, confine, bottle up, hem in,
             enclose, surround; pin down:  They have the horses boxed in and
             are now driving them into the corral.

   boxэ      v.  1 fight, engage in fisticuffs, spar, battle:  When he was in
             the army, he boxed for his regiment.  2 strike, buffet, punch,
             hit, Colloq slug, sock, whack, thwack, clout, belt, thump,
             lambaste, whomp:  Every time she heard him swear, she'd box his
             ears.

             --n.  3 blow, buffet, punch, hit, strike, Colloq slug, sock,
             whack, thwack, clout, belt, thump, whomp:  How would you like a
             box on the ear, you young rascal!

   boy       n.  1 lad, youth, young man, stripling, youngster, schoolboy,
             fellow, urchin, brat, Colloq kid, guy, small fry, little shaver:
             There were two girls and five boys in my family.  2 servant,
             house-servant, attendant; lackey, slave, Archaic knave, varlet,
             rogue, wretch, caitiff:  Here! Boy! Bring me another gin and
             tonic.  3 old boy.  Brit (public) schoolmate; friend, chum, pal,
             Archaic old bean, old egg, old crumpet, dear boy; crony:  I say,
             old boy, care for a rubber of bridge? Carruthers wouldn't be
             where he is now if it weren't for the old-boy network.

   boycott   v.  1 blacklist, embargo; avoid, refuse, shun, reject, eschew,
             pass over or by:  They are boycotting Fern's Dairy because it
             won't hire women.  The US government is still boycotting cigars
             from Havana.

             --n.  2 embargo, blacklist, blacklisting, ban:  A boycott of
             their products soon forced them to change their policies.

   boyish    adj.  1 young, youthful, juvenile, adolescent:  She liked his
             boyish good looks.  2 childish, puerile, juvenile, immature:
             Don't be too hard on them - it was just a boyish prank.

2.6 brace...
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   brace     n.  1 bracket, stiffener, reinforcement, reinforcer, support,
             buttress, prop, stay, strut, truss:  Two steel braces have been
             installed to steady the columns.  2 drill:  He bored three holes
             in the wood with his brace and auger.  3 clasp, clamp, buckle,
             fastener, clip, holdfast, catch, coupler, coupling:  Another
             brace will be needed here to strengthen the handle.  4 pair;
             couple, span, team (of two):  A brace of duelling pistols was
             sold at auction last week for њ20,000. Her carriage was drawn by
             a brace of palominos.

             --v.  5 steady, reinforce, support, strengthen, prop or shore
             up:  Iron bars are used to brace the arches.  6 brace oneself.
             steady or gird or prepare oneself; hold or hang on:  I braced
             myself against the likelihood that she would refuse.

   bracing   adj.  invigorating, tonic, stimulating, refreshing,
             exhilarating, fortifying, restorative:  I cannot live in the
             tropics and need the more bracing climate of the north.

   bracket   n.  1 support, corbel, console:  The mantelpiece rests on a pair
             of stone brackets.  2 shelf:  Her collection of glass
             paperweights was arrayed on a bracket in the sitting-room. 3
             category, class, set, group, grouping, classification, division,
             level; order, grade, rank:  He comes from an altogether
             different bracket of society.

             --v.  4 classify, rank, group; unite, combine, join, link:  I
             wish you wouldn't bracket her with me - our politics are as
             different as day and night.

   brag      v.  boast, crow, trumpet, vaunt, strut, swagger, show off,
             Colloq talk big, blow or toot one's own horn or trumpet, go on
             about:  He's always bragging about what he did in the war.

   braggart  n.  boaster, bragger, braggadocio, windbag, peacock, show-off,
             Scaramouch or Scaramouche, Slang big-mouth, loud-mouth, gasbag:
             That braggart William Smith talks about himself incessantly.

   braid     n.  1 plait:  Katrina wore her blond hair in a tightly coiled
             braid on top of her head. 2 trimming, embroidery, soutache,
             lace, fillet, band, ribbon:  The edges are decorated with narrow
             braid containing gold thread.

             --v.  3 plait, intertwine, interlace, weave, twist:  At school
             we learned how to braid leather laces into a belt.

   brain     n.  1 brains, intelligence, intellect, understanding, sense,
             thought, imagination, capacity, perspicacity, perceptiveness,
             perception, percipience; wisdom, sagacity, wit, discernment,
             acumen; knowledge, cognition:  Although she's not yet ten, she
             has the brain to become a great mathematician. 2 genius,
             mastermind, intellectual; leader, planner:  Many people regard
             Einstein as the greatest brain of the 20th century. Ivor was
             clearly the brains of the operation.

   brake     n.  1 curb, check, restraint, restriction, constraint, control,
             rein:  The central bank applied a brake to the upward trend of
             the dollar by buying Deutschmarks.

             --v.  2 slow, slow up or down, put on or apply the brakes,
             reduce speed, decelerate, slacken, hold up:  He braked before
             the bad curve. She braked the car going down the steep hill.

   branch    n.  1 offshoot, arm; limb, bough, stem, shoot, twig, sprig:  The
             branches of this tree need trimming.  2 department, section,
             subsection, division, subdivision, office, part, ramification;
             affiliate, subsidiary; spin-off:  What branch of medicine are
             you going to specialize in? The company maintains branches in
             New York and Melbourne.

             --v.  3 ramify, divide, subdivide, diverge; diversify:  This
             road branches off in three directions. The company will branch
             out into electronics this year.

   brand     n.  1 kind, make, type, sort, variety; brand name, manufacturer,
             maker, trade name, trade mark, label, mark, marque, Chiefly US
             and Canadian name brand:  Which brand of toothpaste do you
             prefer? Our advertising agency is conducting a survey of brand
             loyalty.

             --v.  2 mark, stamp, identify, tag, label, trade-mark:  We sell
             only branded merchandise in our shops.  3 label, characterize;
             stigmatize, discredit, disgrace:  Because his actions at the
             front were misinterpreted, Corporal Williams was branded as a
             coward.

   brand-new adj.  new, unused, fresh, firsthand, mint, virgin:  We bought a
             brand-new car last week.

   brash     adj.  1 hasty, rash, impetuous, precipitate, impulsive,
             headlong, reckless:  He may be a brash young man, but I think
             he's going places.  2 impudent, rude, impertinent,
             disrespectful, insolent, forward, audacious, brassy, brazen,
             bold, tactless, undiplomatic, presumptuous, Colloq cheeky,
             fresh:  Her brash behaviour has already landed her in trouble
             with the headmistress.

   brass     n.  effrontery, gall, nerve, temerity, impudence, insolence,
             rudeness, Colloq cheek, nerve:  He had the brass to turn down a
             knighthood.

   brassy    adj.  1 impudent, forward, insolent, saucy, brash, rude, brazen,
             shameless; coarse, flashy, florid, flamboyant; Colloq cheeky,
             fresh:  Our landlady was a big brassy blonde.  2 harsh,
             strident, tinny, grating, dissonant, shrill, loud:  She has just
             the right kind of brassy voice for belting out songs like,
             'There's No Business Like Show Business'.

   bravado   n.  boldness, bluster, boasting, braggadocio, swagger, front,
             self-assurance, Literary rodomontade, gasconade; arrogance,
             pretentiousness, Colloq machismo, Slang Brit side:  With an
             attempt at bravado, the union leader refused to meet the
             management representatives.

   brave     adj.  1 fearless, intrepid, bold, courageous, daring, gallant,
             stout, stout-hearted, valiant, valorous, stalwart, plucky,
             staunch, undaunted, dauntless, unafraid, unfearing, indomitable,
             heroic, Colloq macho; Slang gutsy:  Despite her misgivings about
             her proposal, she put on a brave face in the boardroom. He was
             brave to face the enemy alone. 2 fine, handsome, grand,
             splendid, showy, colourful, spectacular, smart:  The colonel
             made a brave appearance in full Highland regalia.

             --v.  3 challenge, defy, dare; brazen (out), face, confront,
             encounter, meet:  We had to brave the elements in the open boat.
             I had to brave my father at breakfast.

   bravery   n.  daring, courage, valour, heroism, fortitude, fearlessness,
             intrepidity, intrepidness, pluck, determination, staunchness,
             firmness, resoluteness, resolution, indomitability,
             stalwartness, Colloq machismo:  One has to admire the bravery of
             a woman who supported suffrage in the early 1900s.

   brawl     n.  1 fight, m€l‚e or melee, battle, battle royal, Donnybrook,
             fray, wrangle, dispute, disorder, brannigan, fracas, row,
             quarrel, squabble, Colloq punch-up, free-for-all, scrap, ruckus:
             The police had to be brought in to break up the brawl.

             --v.  2 fight, wrangle; row, quarrel, squabble, Colloq scrap:
             The two brothers always seem to be brawling.

   brawn     n.  muscle(s), strength, robustness, brawniness, might, power,
             Colloq huskiness:  It must take a lot of brawn to lift those
             weights.

   brawny    adj.  muscular, strong, tough, robust, mighty, powerful, burly,
             strapping, beefy, hefty, bulky, Colloq husky:  That brawny
             fellow tossing the caber is my brother.

   brazen    adj.  brassy, shameless, barefaced, brash, outspoken, forward,
             immodest, unashamed, audacious, candid, open, unabashed,
             brazen-faced; rude, impudent, impertinent, insolent, saucy,
             Colloq cheeky, fresh, US sassy:  That's the last time I'll let
             that brazen hussy near my husband!

   breach    n.  1 break, violation, infraction, disobedience,
             non-observance, infringement, contravention:  Their failure to
             comply with paragraph 3 is a clear breach of our contract. 2
             break, rift, gulf, split, break-up, separation, rupture,
             severance, schism, split, alienation, estrangement:  There seems
             to be no way to heal the breach between them.  3 gap, fissure,
             crack, split, hole, opening; chasm:  Their cannon opened a
             breach in the castle wall.

             --v.  4 rupture; break through, invade:  The sea has breached
             the dyke. Someone breached the security measures set up for the
             missile design.

   breadth   n.  1 width, wideness, broadness, beam, span, spread, thickness:
             The breadth of the cloth is 54in.  2 extent, magnitude, degree,
             amount, scope, expanse, range, area, depth, detail:  I like the
             breadth of coverage of the six o'clock news.  3 liberality,
             largeness, catholicity, latitude:  Great breadth of vision was
             exhibited in the conference papers.

   break     v.  1 break apart or up or asunder, fracture, rupture, break
             into bits, come apart, shatter, shiver, crack, crash, splinter,
             fragment, split, burst, explode, Colloq bust:  The ball flew
             over the fence and broke my neighbour's window.  She fell and
             broke her wrist. 2 reveal, announce, disclose, divulge, tell,
             make public:  Break the news to him gently.  3 relax, ease up,
             improve, ameliorate, change for the better:  When will this
             spell of wet weather break?  4 demolish, smash, destroy, crush,
             ruin, defeat, foil, frustrate:  The power of the dictator was
             finally broken.  5 ruin, bankrupt:  He's the man that broke the
             bank at Monte Carlo.  6 weary, exhaust, wear out, weaken,
             debilitate:  Twenty years in the chain-gang had broken him
             completely.  7 crush, overcome; cow, cripple, demoralize,
             weaken, undermine, discourage:  The divorce has broken her
             spirit.  8 break in, tame, discipline, train, condition:  I used
             to break horses for a living.  9 violate, transgress, disobey,
             contravene, defy, infringe, fail to observe, ignore, disregard,
             flout:  If you break the law, you'll regret it. They broke the
             contract.  10 break off, discontinue, interrupt, sever, cut off;
             give up, suspend, disrupt:  We broke relations with Spain after
             the incident. It is very difficult to break a habit of a
             lifetime. The narrative breaks at this point, to be taken up
             later. 11 break up, divide, disperse, scatter:  The rain is over
             and the clouds are breaking.  12 break loose or away or forth,
             separate from, break out (of), escape (from), depart (from):
             The ship broke from its moorings during the storm.  13 break
             forth, burst forth; emerge or come out suddenly:  The storm
             broke in all its fury. After a little while, the sun broke
             through. 14 demote, Colloq bust:  He was broken from sergeant to
             private.  15 break away. leave, depart, separate (oneself):  A
             small group broke away from the established church to worship as
             they saw fit. 16 break down.  a demolish, destroy:  All right,
             men, let's break down that wall.  b decompose, break up;
             analyse:  The carbon dioxide molecules and water are broken down
             by photosynthesis.  c collapse, give way, disintegrate, be
             crushed, be prostrated:  His health has broken down completely.
             17 break ground. initiate, begin, commence, found, set up,
             establish, inaugurate, be innovative, innovate, Colloq break the
             ice, take the plunge, start the ball rolling:  Laser printers
             have broken new ground in the area of computer printout. 18
             break in.  a interrupt, interpose, interject, burst in, intrude,
             intervene, interfere, disturb:  If the results of the election
             become known, we shall break in to keep you informed. b train,
             educate, prepare; accustom, condition, habituate, wear:  We'll
             break you in for a week or two on the new machine. Wear your new
             boots for an hour each day to break them in. c rob, burgle,
             burglarize, break and enter:  Someone broke in and stole my
             video recorder last night.  19 break off.  a discontinue, stop,
             cease, end:  Sally broke off in mid sentence. After the Fashoda
             Incident, Britain broke off relations with France. b disengage;
             sever, detach, break:  A large branch broke off from the tree
             and crashed down, narrowly missing me. 20 break out.  a escape;
             emerge, appear:  She broke out of prison in 1985 and hasn't been
             seen since.  b erupt, come out in, break out in or into:  He
             breaks out in a rash from eating strawberries. A war could break
             out any minute. 21 break the ice. See 17, above.  22 break
             through. penetrate, force or get through:  Wit, like beauty, can
             break through the most unpromising disguise.  23 break up. See
             also 11, 16 (b), above.  a disband, disperse; disintegrate:
             Heraclius succeeded in breaking up the Persian power.  b
             fracture, fragment, comminute:  In the spring, the ice on the
             river breaks up.  c See 24 (a), below.  24 break with.  a break
             up (with), separate from, leave, depart from:  The leader broke
             with the party and established a new organization.  Sally has
             broken up with Michael. b renounce, repudiate, disavow:  They
             have broken entirely with the traditions we valued so highly.

             --n.  25 fracture, split, separation, rupture, breach, rift,
             schism:  There was a break in a gas pipe. Disagreement over the
             fishing grounds has resulted in a break in relations. 26 gap,
             opening, hole; crack, slit:  You can escape through a break in
             the wall near the bridge.  27 interruption, discontinuity,
             discontinuation, hesitation, suspension, hiatus, gap, lacuna,
             unevenness, irregularity:  There was a five-minute break in
             transmission from the ship.  28 rest, respite, rest period,
             coffee-break, tea break, intermission, interlude, lull, pause,
             playtime, US recess, Colloq breather:  We take a break at ten
             o'clock.  29 chance, stroke of luck, opportunity, opening:  All
             he needs is a break to get started.

   breakdown n.  1 collapse, downfall, failure, foundering; destruction,
             ruin:  There was a breakdown of our computer system. The
             arbitrators blamed a breakdown of communication between union
             and management. 2 (mental) collapse, nervous breakdown, Colloq
             crack-up:  She had a bad breakdown after her daughter was
             killed.  3 analysis, run-down, detailing, review; decomposition,
             itemization, classification, dissection, distillation,
             fractionation:  I want a breakdown of these figures by noon. The
             chemical breakdown of the substance indicated the presence of
             arsenic.

   breakneck adj.  reckless, dangerous, daredevil; excessive, careless,
             headlong, rash, Colloq hell for leather:  The car came round the
             corner at breakneck speed on two wheels.

   breast    n.  1 chest, bosom, bust; teat, Technical mamma, Slang boob,
             knocker, tit, titty:  He clasped the child to his breast. On
             some beaches in Europe, women bare their breasts when
             sunbathing. 2 soul, core, heart, heart of hearts:  I feel in my
             breast it is the right thing to do.

   breath    n.  1 gust, zephyr, breeze, puff, whiff, stirring, stir:  There
             wasn't a breath of air in the tent.  2 hint, suggestion,
             indication, touch, murmur, whisper, soup‡on:  She never allowed
             the breath of scandal to affect her behaviour.  3 take one's
             breath away. astound, astonish, surprise, amaze, dazzle,
             startle, shock, stagger:  The sheer beauty of the waterfall
             takes your breath away.

   breathe   v.  1 live, exist:  She believes that there never breathed a
             wiser man than her father.  2 inhale and exhale, respire,
             suspire:  He was breathing regularly.  3 exhale, expel, puff,
             blow:  The banner depicts a dragon breathing fire.  4 whisper,
             murmur, hint (at), suggest, tell, speak, say:  She told me not
             to breathe a word of it to anybody.

   breathless
             adj.  1 panting, out of breath, winded, gasping, exhausted,
             spent, worn out, tired out, Colloq Brit puffed:  We were
             breathless after carrying the piano up two flights of stairs. 2
             surprised, amazed, astonished, astounded, awestruck, staggered:
             The news of Penny's having given birth to twins left me
             breathless.  3 eager, agog, feverish, in suspense:  We were all
             breathless with anticipation as the compЉre opened the envelope.

   breed     n.  1 kind, sort, type, variety, species; race, lineage, stock,
             family, strain:  What breed of dog won at Crufts this year?

             --v.  2 produce, generate, bring forth, create, engender, hatch,
             beget, give rise to, develop, cause:  The cheese is so old it's
             breeding maggots. Familiarity breeds contempt. 3 raise, rear,
             cultivate, propagate:  Charollais cattle are widely bred in
             Europe today.  4 arise, originate, appear; develop, grow,
             increase, multiply:  The sergeant allowed discontent and
             jealousy to breed within his platoon.

   breeding  n.  1 rearing, bringing-up, raising, cultivation, development,
             propagation:  The breeding of sheepdogs has been Tom's hobby for
             years.  2 (good) upbringing, (good) manners, civility,
             politeness, politesse, gentility, (good) behaviour:  You can
             tell from the way she treats people that she has breeding.

   breeze    n.  1 breath, puff, zephyr, wind, draught, gust, Nautical
             cat's-paw:  A breeze sprang up from the north, and the little
             boat moved forward.  2 easy or simple job or task, nothing,
             Colloq snap, Slang cinch, US lead-pipe cinch:  It ought to be a
             breeze to find someone at that salary.

   breezy    adj.  1 airy, fresh, windy, draughty, brisk, gusty:  The
             afternoon was breezy and warm, ideal for walking.  2 casual,
             carefree, light-hearted, cheerful, cheery, airy, lively,
             spirited, blithesome, buoyant:  The chairman's breezy opening of
             the annual meeting made everyone feel comfortable.

   brevity   n.  shortness, briefness, conciseness, concision, terseness,
             succinctness, pithiness, compactness, laconicism or laconism,
             economy:  Brevity is the soul of wit.

   brew      v.  1 ferment, cook, boil; infuse:  Our beer is brewed using the
             best hops.  2 concoct, devise, plan, Colloq cook up; contrive,
             prepare, bring about, cause, produce, hatch:  They are brewing
             up a plot to unseat the financial director.  3 start, go on,
             hatch, begin, form; stew, simmer, Colloq cook:  A storm is
             brewing.

             --n.  4 beer, ale, stout; tea; beverage, drink; concoction,
             mixture:  She served me some strange brew in which I could
             detect cinnamon and nutmeg.

   bribe     n.  1 graft, inducement, Colloq kickback, Chiefly US payola, US
             plugola:  Some judges were offered bribes for reducing the
             sentences of convicted felons.

             --v.  2 pay or buy off, buy; corrupt, suborn, Colloq fix; Slang
             oil, grease (someone's) palm, Brit nobble:  The guards were
             bribed to look the other way during the prison break.

   bric-…-brac
             n.  bric-a-brac, curiosities, knick-knacks, collectables or
             collectibles, trinkets, gewgaws, gimcracks; bibelots, curios,
             objets d'art, objets de vertu:  On Saturday she went to an
             antiques fair and bought still more bric-…-brac to clutter up
             the house.

   brick     n.  1 block, cube, chunk, hunk, slab; stone:  I bought a brick
             of ice-cream to serve for pudding. A university is not just
             bricks and mortar. 2 pal, comrade, friend, Colloq chum, US and
             Canadian buddy:  You're a real brick to watch the children for
             me till I get back.

   bridal    adj.  nuptial, wedding; conjugal, connubial, marriage:  The
             bridal gown was white, with lace appliqu‚s.

   bridge    n.  1 span:  We could build a bridge over the river here.  2
             link, connexion or connection, tie, bond:  She regarded teaching
             as a bridge between her studies and a post in school
             administration.

             --v.  3 span, cross (over), go or pass over, traverse:  The
             viaduct bridges the swamp.  4 connect, link, unite, join, tie:
             The gap between rich and poor is not easily bridged.

   bridle    n.  1 restraint, curb, check, control:  Man has need of a bridle
             on his passions.

             --v.  2 curb, check, restrain, hold in, control:  You must learn
             to bridle your temper.  3 bristle, draw oneself up, be or become
             indignant, take offence or umbrage or affront (at), be affronted
             or offended (by):  She bridled at the suggestion that she was
             responsible for Keith's departure.

   brief     adj.  1 short, momentary, little, fleeting; short-lived,
             transitory, transient, evanescent, passing, temporary,
             ephemeral, fugitive:  The lights went back on after a brief
             interval. His glory was brief. 2 short, concise, succinct, to
             the point; condensed, shortened, cut, curtailed, abbreviated,
             compressed, abridged, thumbnail, compendious:  The chairman made
             a few brief remarks. Here is a brief description of what
             happened. 3 curt, abrupt, terse, short, blunt, brusque:  You
             mustn't be so brief with little children.

             --n.  4 summary, outline, digest, pr‚cis, r‚sum‚, compendium,
             abstract, condensation, abridgement or US only abridgment,
             synopsis, extract:  This is merely a brief; the full document
             will follow.  5 in brief. briefly, concisely, in sum, in
             summary, to sum up, succinctly, in a word:  He is a cutthroat,
             too - in brief, the greatest scoundrel living.

             --v.  6 advise, inform, fill in, coach, instruct, enlighten;
             explain, run through or down:  Howard will brief you on the
             details.

   briefly   adv.  1 concisely, tersely, succinctly, in a word, in short;
             bluntly, curtly, in a nutshell, in a few words, to sum up:
             Briefly, the plan is a complete non-starter.  2 momentarily, for
             a few moments or seconds or minutes, fleetingly, hurriedly,
             hastily, quickly:  I stopped briefly at the post office on my
             way home.

   bright    adj.  1 light, shining, gleaming, radiant, brilliant,
             resplendent, glittering, flashing, Formal refulgent, effulgent,
             fulgent, fulgid, fulgorous; alight, aglow, beaming, dazzling,
             glowing, luminous, lambent, incandescent, ablaze with:  We
             arrived on a bright, sunny day. The water was bright with
             phosphorescence.  2 clear, cloudless, fair, unclouded:  It
             certainly is a bright night - you can see every star.  3 shiny,
             polished, lustrous, glossy, sparkling:  I want that brass so
             bright I can see my face in it.  4 hopeful, optimistic,
             favourable, propitious, auspicious, promising, rosy:  Glenys's
             job prospects are not very bright.  5 brilliant, vivid, intense,
             fluorescent, US trade mark Day-Glo:  But you said you wanted the
             room bright orange, Madam.  6 intelligent, clever, quick-witted,
             witty, brilliant, keen-minded, sharp-witted, gifted, astute,
             ingenious, alert, smart; precocious; Colloq brainy, on the ball:
             No one can deny that Alison is a bright young woman.  7
             illustrious, glorious, splendid, magnificent, distinguished,
             outstanding:  Today has been one of the brightest days in the
             history of Britain.  8 cheerful, gay, happy, exuberant, lively,
             animated, vivacious, spirited:  It is a pleasure to see so many
             bright faces in the audience.

   brighten  v.  1 illuminate, enliven, lighten, cheer up, liven up, Colloq
             perk up:  Replacing those heavy draperies with thinner curtains
             ought to brighten the room. 2 shine, polish, burnish:  The
             silver could use a bit of brightening up.

   brilliance
             n.  1 brightness, radiance, lustre, splendour, magnificence,
             sparkle, dazzle, glitter, effulgence, light:  The brilliance of
             the opening night rivalled that of Hollywood.  2 intelligence,
             wit, intellect, keenness, sharpness, acuteness, genius, talent,
             sagacity; precocity:  Her brilliance shows in her books.

   brilliant adj.  1 bright, shining, lustrous, radiant, resplendent,
             dazzling, luminous; incandescent, glittering, sparkling,
             scintillating, coruscating, twinkling, Formal effulgent:  At the
             show I saw the most brilliant display of diamonds.  2 splendid,
             magnificent, superb, beautiful, distinguished, striking,
             glorious, remarkable, exceptional, outstanding:  The audience
             rose for a standing ovation after the brilliant last movement of
             the concerto. 3 illustrious, famous, noted, celebrated, eminent,
             prominent, renowned, accomplished:  Paul is one of the country's
             most brilliant chemists.  4 intelligent, clever, gifted, bright,
             talented, smart, expert, masterful, accomplished, ingenious,
             imaginative, creative; quick-witted, sharp-witted, keen-witted,
             enlightened; resourceful, discerning, able, competent:
             Goddard's brilliant mind understood principles of practical
             rocket flight.

   brim      n.  1 edge, margin, lip, rim; brink:  I filled the cup to the
             brim.

             --v.  2 be full or filled, overflow:  His cup was brimming with
             steaming mulled wine. They are brimming over with confidence as
             they approach the race.

   bring     v.  1 carry, bear, fetch, get, take; deliver:  Don't forget to
             bring some wine home for dinner tonight.  2 lead, conduct,
             convey; escort, invite, accompany:  The road brought me to your
             house. You can bring anyone you like to the party. 3 draw,
             attract, lure, allure:  What brings you to London?  4 carry,
             bear, convey; report:  She brought word of the uprising.  5
             bring on, bring about, occasion, give rise to, be the source or
             cause of, create, cause, engender, produce; contribute to:  The
             thought of his mother brought tears to his eyes.  6 institute,
             advance; invoke:  She is bringing charges against him for
             slander.  7 bring about. occasion, cause, bring on, accomplish,
             effect, achieve, produce:  The government has brought about
             changes in the health service.  8 bring down.  a overthrow,
             depose, oust, unseat, dethrone, overturn, topple:  A military
             faction has brought down the government.  b reduce, lessen,
             diminish, cut (back or down):  The chancellor promised to bring
             down taxes in the next budget.  9 bring forth.  a bear, give
             birth to, produce; yield:  The kangaroo brings forth young less
             than an inch in size.  b set forth, bring out or in or up,
             introduce, present, produce, put out, submit, offer, advance:
             Mr Hanson has brought forth a new sales plan.  10 bring in.  a
             earn, yield, produce, realize, fetch, return, sell for:
             Advertising brings in more revenue than subscriptions.  b See
             def.  15, below.  11 bring off. succeed (in), carry out,
             achieve, accomplish, do, carry out or off, perform, succeed,
             pull off; Colloq put over:  Do you really think she'll be able
             to bring off her masquerade?  12 bring on.  a produce, put on,
             introduce, bring in:  When the children in the audience began to
             get restless, they brought on the clowns. b induce, produce,
             occasion, bring about:  Eating strawberries brought on a rash.
             13 bring out.  a display, feature, focus on, illuminate, set
             off, make noticeable or conspicuous, emphasize, develop:  The
             colour of the dress brings out the blue of your eyes.  b
             publish, issue, release, make known or public, produce; put on,
             stage:  They've brought out a new edition of Dickens's works.
             14 bring round or around.  a revive, resuscitate, bring to;
             restore:  The smelling salts brought her round when she fainted.
             b persuade, win over, convince, influence:  Can he be brought
             round to our way of thinking?  15 bring up.  a rear, raise, care
             for, look after, nurture, breed; educate, teach, train, tutor:
             She has brought up six children on her own.  b introduce,
             broach, bring in, raise, pen (up), set forth, mention, touch on,
             talk about, discuss; reintroduce, recall:  Why bring up
             irrelevant matters like his age?  c raise, elevate:  So far,
             they have brought up only three survivors from the mine.  d
             vomit, throw up, regurgitate, disgorge:  He woke up feeling sick
             and brought up most of the previous night's meal.

   brink     n.  1 edge, brim, rim, margin, lip, border:  He lost his footing
             and almost went over the brink into the gorge.  2 verge, point:
             He was on the brink of telling them everything, but suddenly
             remembered his promise.

   brisk     adj.  1 active, lively, busy, vigorous:  The poachers are doing
             a brisk trade in rhinoceros horn.  2 quick, animated, sprightly,
             spry, energetic, spirited:  Patrick was a brisk lad, fresh from
             Oxford.  3 strong, steady, fresh, refreshing, bracing,
             invigorating, stimulating, crisp, biting, bracing, keen, nippy,
             chill, chilly, cool, cold:  A brisk breeze had started up from
             the north, chilling us through.  4 energetic, vibrant,
             invigorating, stimulating:  After a brisk massage, Mariette felt
             completely revitalized.

   bristle   n.  1 hair, whisker, barb, prickle, thorn, quill, Technical
             seta:  Shaving brushes are often made from badger bristles.

             --v.  2 prickle, rise, stand up, Formal horripilate:  He could
             feel the hair on the back of his neck bristle.  3 seethe, become
             angry or infuriated or furious or maddened, boil, flare up, see
             red, bridle:  He bristled with enraged frustration.  4 teem,
             crawl, be thick, swarm, be alive:  The sea urchin was bristling
             with sharp spines.

   brittle   adj.  1 fragile, frangible, breakable; friable:  My fingernails
             become brittle in the cold and break easily.  2 frail, weak,
             delicate, sensitive, fragile, insecure:  She might seem strong,
             but she has a very brittle nature and is easily upset.

   broach    v.  introduce, raise, open (up), suggest, mention, hint at,
             touch on or upon, bring up or in, talk about, advance:  I didn't
             dare broach the subject of money.

   broad     adj.  1 wide, expansive, large, extensive; spread out, ample,
             spacious:  The broad highway stretched out for miles before
             them. Cattle graze in the broad pastures. 2 bright, plain, open,
             full; unshaded:  He had the nerve to kiss me in broad daylight,
             in front of everyone!  3 plain, clear, obvious, emphatic,
             explicit, pronounced, direct, unconcealed, undisguised,
             unsubtle, evident:  His wink gave a broad hint of what he really
             had in mind.  4 main, general, generalized, rough, unspecific,
             non-specific, approximate, sweeping:  Without the details, here
             is a broad outline of what happened.  5 plain-spoken, outspoken,
             forthright, direct, unreserved, frank, candid, unrestrained:
             When he reached the witness box, he repeated the accusation in
             broad terms. 6 inclusive, general, widely applicable, extensive,
             wide-ranging, comprehensive, wholesale; vague, imprecise,
             indefinite, unfocused, non-specific, unspecified:  We have broad
             support for these policies. She formulated a broad rule to fit
             all imaginable cases. 7 liberal, tolerant, catholic, ecumenical,
             latitudinarian:  The term 'Broad Church' is said to have been
             coined by A. H. Clough.  The judge feels that he must give the
             broadest possible interpretation of the law. 8 dirty, blue,
             coarse, rude, indecent, vulgar, improper, indelicate, off
             colour, loose, gross, obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy,
             pornographic; inelegant, unrefined, unladylike, ungentlemanly,
             titillating:  Peter was in the corner telling some of his broad
             jokes.

             --n.  9 woman, girl, Slang dame, cookie or cooky, skirt, bimbo,
             bird, chick, number, doll, piece (of baggage):  We picked up a
             couple of broads at the dancehall last night.

   broadcast v.  1 air, transmit, relay; radio; televise, telecast:  The
             programme will be broadcast tonight.  2 announce, advertise,
             publish, proclaim; disseminate:  It may be a bad idea to
             broadcast your plans in advance.  3 sow, scatter, seed:  The
             farmer broadcasts this seed instead of planting it.

             --n.  4 programme, show; transmission, telecast:  I heard the
             broadcast on my car radio.

   brochure  n.  pamphlet, booklet; catalogue; folder, leaflet; tract:  The
             brochure advertising the company's products will be ready
             tomorrow.

   broil     v.  grill, barbecue:  I think hamburgers taste better broiled
             than fried.

   broke     adj.  penniless, indigent, down-and-out, poverty-stricken,
             penurious, impoverished, insolvent, destitute, poor, needy,
             bankrupt, ruined, Colloq on one's beam-ends, on one's uppers,
             strapped, flat or dead or stony-broke, hard up, short, up
             against it, US flat, on the skids; Slang Brit skint:  I was
             broke after paying the rent - I didn't even have money for food.

   broken    adj.  1 fragmented, shattered, shivered, splintered, ruptured,
             cracked, split, smashed, pulverized, disintegrated, destroyed,
             demolished:  A broken Ming vase cannot be worth much.  2
             fractured:  With a broken leg, she certainly won't be competing
             in the slalom.  3 enfeebled, weakened, crushed, defeated,
             beaten, ruined; dispirited, dejected, discouraged, demoralized,
             defeated, subdued, debilitated, Colloq licked:  Rosa's running
             away with a sailor left Hugh a broken man.  4 tamed, trained,
             disciplined, obedient, docile, domesticated, subdued;
             conditioned:  What use is a horse that isn't broken?  5
             violated, transgressed, disobeyed, contravened, defied,
             flouted,disregarded, ignored, infringed:  The rules of this club
             are broken too often: we'll have to tighten things up. 6
             interrupted, disturbed, discontinuous, disjointed, disconnected,
             fragmented, fragmentary, intermittent, erratic, sporadic:  I
             couldn't stop worrying about the operation and had a terrible
             night of broken sleep. 7 Also, broken-down. out of order or
             commission, not working or functioning, in disrepair, Slang on
             the blink, out of kilter, kaput, US on the fritz, out of whack:
             My watch is broken. Why waste money repairing that broken-down
             car of yours?

   broken-hearted
             adj.  heart-broken, depressed, downhearted, dejected,
             devastated, crushed, overwhelmed, heartsick, downcast, upset;
             forlorn, sorrowful, disconsolate, inconsolable, grief-stricken,
             miserable, wretched, melancholy, heavy-hearted, sad, doleful,
             dolorous, woeful, woebegone, gloomy, morose, glum, cheerless,
             Colloq down:  She was broken-hearted when her puppy was lost.

   broker    n.  stockbroker; agent, dealer, middleman, intermediary,
             go-between, Brit stockjobber:  I have phoned my broker to tell
             him to sell all my shares.

   brooch    n.  clasp, pin; fastening:  She was wearing the cameo brooch I
             had given to her mother.

   brood     n.  1 young, offspring, progeny; children, family:  A mallard
             was tending her brood among the rushes.

             --v.  2 incubate, hatch, set, sit, cover:  The old hen was
             brooding three eggs.  3 Also, brood on or over. ponder (on or
             over), meditate (on or over), contemplate, ruminate (on or
             over), muse (on or over):  He just sits there brooding over the
             subject of his next novel.  4 mope, sulk, pout, pine, eat one's
             heart out, fret, worry, agonize, despair:  Don't just brood over
             the problem, do something about solving it!

   brook°    n.  stream, rivulet, run, runnel, rill, US and Canadian and
             Australian and New Zealand creek; No. Eng. dialect beck, gill or
             ghyll; Scots burn:  The river is fed by numerous brooks from
             every part of the country.

   brookэ    v.  endure, tolerate, stand, abide, put up with, suffer, allow:
             She runs the business in her own way and brooks no interference
             from anyone.

   broth     n.  stock, bouillon, consomm‚; soup; decoction:  We tossed food
             scraps into the large, simmering pot to make a broth.

   brothel   n.  bordello, whore-house, house of ill fame or ill repute,
             bawdy-house, bagnio; seraglio, harem, Obsolete stew, Colloq US
             sporting house, Slang Brit knocking-shop, US cat-house:  On
             their first night in Paris, they visited a brothel.

   brother   n.  sibling; relation, relative, kin, kinsman; fellow,
             fellow-man, fellow-clansman, fellow-citizen, fellow-countryman,
             fellow-creature; associate, colleague, confrЉre, companion,
             Colloq pal, chum, Brit and Australian mate, US buddy:  Some day,
             perhaps all men will regard each other as brothers.

   brotherhood
             n.  1 brotherliness, fellowship, companionship, alliance,
             friendship, comradeship, camaraderie, kinship:  We should all
             live together in harmony and brotherhood.  2 fraternity, guild,
             society, association, order, league, union, organization, club,
             community, circle, set, clique:  The tribes fused into a united
             and enthusiastic brotherhood.

   brotherly adj.  fraternal, kind, affectionate, cordial, friendly,
             amicable, amiable, neighbourly, loyal, devoted:  The boys grew
             up together and maintained a brotherly relationship throughout
             their lives.

   browbeat  v.  bully, intimidate, threaten, badger, dominate, cow,
             frighten, discourage, tyrannize, hector, harass, keep after,
             nag, Colloq hassle:  The foreman constantly browbeat anyone who
             wasn't one of his drinking cronies.

   browse    v.  look over or through, skim (through), scan, thumb or flip or
             flick through:  I was browsing through some recent acquisitions
             at the second-hand bookshop.

   bruise    n.  1 injury, hurt, contusion, bump, welt, scrape, abrasion,
             scratch, wound, black-and-blue mark, blotch, blemish, mark,
             spot, discoloration, damage, Technical ecchymosis:  I got this
             bruise from walking into the corner of the table. The price is
             lower if the fruit has a few bruises.

             --v.  2 injure, contuse, hurt, scrape, harm; wound, damage:  I
             bruised my knee when I fell down. Being arrested certainly
             bruised his self-esteem.

   bruiser   n.  prizefighter, boxer, fighter; tough, ruffian, bodyguard,
             thug, hoodlum, bouncer, Colloq hooligan, tough guy, toughie,
             Brit minder, US roughneck, hood, gorilla, plug-ugly, torpedo,
             enforcer:  The heavyweight contender is really a big bruiser. Mr
             Big strode in with two of his bruisers.

   brunt     n.  (full) force, burden, onus, weight, impact; shock, stress,
             violence, onslaught:  As the head of the department was on
             holiday, I had to take the full brunt of the customers'
             complaints.

   brush°    n.  1 brushwood, shrubs, undergrowth, branches, scrub, brush,
             bracken, brambles, underbrush, underwood:  It took us three days
             to clear the brush from around the house.  2 thicket, brake,
             copse, grove, boscage:  The fox disappeared into the brush,
             which was too dense for the dogs to follow.

   brushэ    n.  1 hairbrush, toothbrush, clothes-brush, shoe-brush,
             nail-brush, paintbrush; broom, dust-broom, besom, US whisk
             broom:  This brush is too harsh and may damage your teeth.  2
             See brush-off.  3 encounter, engagement, skirmish, Colloq Brit
             spot of bother:  Mark has had several brushes with the law.

             --v.  4 scrub, clean; groom, curry; sweep, whisk, gather:  Brush
             your teeth twice a day. I brushed down the mare before saddling
             her. Brush the crumbs off the table. 5 graze, touch:  He
             deliberately tried to brush against her in the corridor.  6
             brush aside or away. disregard, dismiss, put aside, shrug off:
             Brushing aside the members' objections, he tried to force the
             committee's acceptance of the new rules. 7 brush off. dismiss,
             ignore, rebuff, send off or away or packing:  He asked her out,
             but she brushed him off.  8 brush up (on). review, restudy, go
             over, refresh, study, Archaic con:  You should brush up on your
             geometry before taking trigonometry.

   brush-off n.  dismissal, rebuff, rejection, snub, Colloq cold shoulder,
             put-down, slap in the face, the (old) heave-ho; Chiefly US and
             Canadian walking papers:  Tanya has given Theo the brush-off -
             said she never wants to see him again.

   brusque   adj.  blunt, rude, overbearing, impolite, uncivil, discourteous,
             ungracious, ill-mannered, unmannerly; churlish, gruff, abrupt,
             short, curt, sharp, terse, brash, bluff:  I could tell that the
             interviewer had already decided against me by her brusque
             attitude.

   brutal    adj.  1 inhuman, savage, cruel, pitiless, harsh, severe,
             barbaric, barbarous, beastly, bestial, sadistic, murderous;
             inhumane, heartless, hard-hearted, unkind, fierce,
             stony-hearted, insensitive, unfeeling, cold-blooded,
             unsympathetic, remorseless, ruthless, ferocious, atrocious,
             Draconian or Draconic, Literary fell:  Few survived the brutal
             treatment in the concentration camps.  2 rude, ill-mannered,
             coarse, unrefined, boorish, ill-bred, rustic, crass, uncouth,
             uncultured, uncultivated, rough, crude:  His brutal behaviour
             made him unfit to represent the Crown.

   brute     adj.  1 brutish, dull, unfeeling, senseless, blind,
             unintelligent, unthinking, thoughtless, mindless, unreasoning,
             irrational, instinctive, physical, material; insensate,
             unconscious:  He was able to lift the safe without help, by
             sheer brute strength.

             --n.  2 animal, beast, savage:  He wrote that man was the middle
             link between angels and brutes.  George behaved like an absolute
             brute to her.

2.7 bubble
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   bubble    n.  1 blister, air pocket, globule, droplet:  This painted
             surface is full of air bubbles.  2 bubbles. froth, foam, suds,
             lather, spume; effervescence, carbonation, fizz:  The cider is
             full of bubbles.

             --v.  3 foam, froth, boil, seethe, fizz:  A pot of soup was
             bubbling on the stove.

   bubbly    adj.  1 effervescent, foamy, frothy, fizzy, sparkling:  I could
             see that the surface was all bubbly.  2 effervescent, merry,
             ebullient, bouncy, animated, vivacious, cheerful, cheery,
             lively, excited:  Janet is known for her bubbly personality.

             --n.  3 champagne, sparkling wine, sparkling burgundy, Asti
             spumante, Colloq Brit champers:  Let's open a bottle of bubbly
             and celebrate.

   bucket    n.  pail, scuttle:  Keep this bucket of coal near the hearth.

   buckle    n.  1 clasp, fastener, clip, fastening, hook, catch:  The buckle
             broke on my belt and my trousers fell down.

             --v.  2 collapse, cave in, crumple, bend, warp, distort, twist,
             bulge:  The support gave way and the entire wall buckled.

   bug       n.  1 insect, beetle, larva, grub, caterpillar, butterfly,
             mosquito, fly, spider, Colloq Brit creepy-crawly, US no-see-em:
             There's a bug on your collar.  2 microbe, germ, virus; disease,
             affliction, illness, sickness, ailment, disorder, malady,
             infection; condition, complaint, infirmity, indisposition:
             She's caught some kind of bug and won't be in for a few days.  3
             obsession, craze, fad, mania, rage:  Almost everyone in those
             days succumbed to the hula hoop bug.  4 enthusiast, faddist,
             fan, fanatic; hobbyist:  She's turned into a fruit machine bug.
             5 listening device; microphone, transmitter, electronic
             eavesdropper, tap:  They planted a bug in the ambassador's
             telephone.  6 fault, error, mistake, failing, shortcoming,
             Colloq hang-up, glitch:  There's a bug in the program that's
             preventing the list from being sorted. They can't market the
             device till they've ironed out all the bugs.

             --v.  7 annoy, irritate, pester, irk, harass, bother:  I wish
             Mum'd stop bugging me about my homework.  8 tap, spy on:  They
             bugged her phone and recorded all her conversations.

   bugger    n.  1 buggerer, sodomite.  2 chap, fellow, man; boy, lad, child,
             tot; Slang chiefly Brit geezer , US jerk; Colloq guy , Brit
             bloke, fool, idiot:  He's a cute little bugger, isn't he? Who's
             that silly-looking bugger with Christina?

             --v.  3 Also, bugger up. ruin, destroy, botch, bungle, wreck;
             make a mess of, Colloq mess or screw up, Brit bollocks or
             ballocks up, balls up, make a balls-up of, cock up, US ball up,
             bollix up; Taboo fuck up:  He's buggered the recording, so we'll
             have to start again at the beginning. Why does she bugger up
             everything I try to do? 4 bugger about or around.  a fool about,
             waste time, dawdle, Colloq US lallygag or lollygag; Taboo fuck
             about or around:  He buggers about the house all the time
             instead of looking for a job. Don't bugger about with my hi-fi.
             b cause complications for, create difficulties for:  She
             pretends to be helping me, but she's just buggering me about.  5
             bugger off. go away, depart, leave, clear off or out, Colloq
             make tracks, skedaddle, beat it, Slang piss off; Taboo fuck off:
             Oh, bugger off and leave me alone!

   build     v.  1 construct, erect, raise, set up, assemble:  I hope to
             build my own house in another year or so.  2 found, establish,
             base:  The theory is built on the principle that light travels
             at 186,000 miles per second. 3 develop:  She built the company
             in about five years.  4 Also, build up. intensify; increase,
             develop, enlarge, strengthen:  The distant hum of voices
             gradually built to a mighty roar.

             --n.  5 physique, figure, body, shape, Slang bod:  He has a good
             build from working out at the gym.

   building  n.  edifice, structure, construction, erection:  The building
             where I work is air-conditioned.

   bulge     n.  1 lump, hump, protuberance, bump, swelling, projection:
             This wallet is making a bulge in my jacket.

             --v.  2 protrude, stick out, swell (out):  His stomach bulges
             out over his belt.

   bulk      n.  1 volume, magnitude, mass, enlargement, largeness, size:
             The sausage-makers add bread just for bulk.  2 majority:  The
             bulk of the people voted for the proposal.

   bulky     adj.  large, voluminous, unwieldy, awkward, ungainly,
             cumbersome, Brit chunky:  The package, though quite bulky,
             didn't cost much to post.

   bulletin  n.  message, notice, communication, announcement, communiqu‚,
             dispatch or despatch, report, account, flash, news item,
             newsflash:  And now, here's a bulletin from the centre court at
             Wimbledon.

   bully     n.  1 persecutor, intimidator, tyrant:  That bully Roderick is
             always beating up the younger boys.

             --v.  2 persecute, intimidate, tyrannize, torment, browbeat,
             daunt, awe, cow, terrorize; hector, harass, push around:
             Roderick even bullied his best friend into parting with his
             allowance.

             --adj.  3 Old-fashioned jolly, worthy, admirable:  Ah, there you
             are, my bully boy!

             --interj.  4 Usually, Bully for (someone)! Bravo!, Great!,
             Fantastic!, Fabulous!, Marvellous!, Spectacular!; So what?, What
             of it?; US Peachy!, Dandy!, Neat-oh!; Old-fashioned
             Fantabulous!:  'David's won the snooker competition again.'
             'Bully for him!'

   bulwark   n.  1 defence or US defense, safeguard, redoubt, bastion,
             buffer, barrier, rampart, fortification:  A strong defence is
             the best bulwark against aggression from outside.

             --v.  2 defend, protect, shelter:  Marnie's indifference to
             others bulwarks her against any feelings of contrition.

   bum       n.  1 buttocks, posterior, hindquarters, fundament, behind,
             rump, bottom, behind, derriЉre, rear end, backside, seat, rear,
             Colloq Brit arse, US fanny, can, hinie, tush, tushy or tushie,
             tokus or tochis or tuchis, keister or keester, ass:  Why don't
             you get off your fat bum and go out and get a job?!  2 tramp,
             panhandler, beggar, vagrant, loafer, drifter, vagabond, hobo,
             derelict, gypsy; Brit caird, tinker, traveller; US
             (shopping-)bag lady:  Along the Bowery the doorways and
             pavements are strewn with bums.  3 improper, unjustified, false,
             trumped up, untrue, fabricated, made-up, bogus:  That auto theft
             charge was a bum rap, but he still served 18 months.

             --adj.  4 bad, awful, unfair, dishonest, poor, rotten, Slang
             lousy, crummy:  I still think you got a bum deal on that
             toaster.

             --v.  5 borrow, beg, sponge, Colloq scrounge, cadge, touch, put
             the touch on, US mooch, hit, hit up:  Can I bum a cigarette from
             you?

   bump      n.  1 blow, collision, thud, hit, knock, buffet, clunk, whack:
             That bump on the head seems to have affected him.  2 lump,
             protuberance, welt, swelling, tumescence, knob, bulge:  How did
             you get that bump on your forehead?

             --v.  3 knock (against), strike, hit, collide (with), run into,
             ram; smash, crash, Colloq wallop:  I bumped into the car in
             front as I was parking.  4 bump into. meet, encounter, run into
             or across, come across, stumble over:  I bumped into Philippa at
             the hairdresser's.  5 bump off. murder, kill, put away,
             assassinate, do away with, execute, liquidate, dispatch or
             despatch, Slang take for a ride, destroy, eliminate, rub out,
             wipe out, do in, US waste, ice:  They bumped off Wimpy, boss; he
             was pulled out of the river wearing concrete overshoes.

   bumpy     adj.  lumpy, rough, uneven, irregular, knobby, knobbly, pitted;
             potholed, bouncy, jarring, jerky, rutted:  The skin on his
             forehead is a bit bumpy. This is the bumpiest road in the town.

   bunch     n.  1 bundle, cluster, batch, clump; bouquet, nosegay, posy,
             spray:  That's a nice-looking bunch of grapes. Mr Herbert
             arrived with a bunch of flowers for me. 2 crowd, knot,
             collection, group, lot, gathering, cluster, clutch, batch,
             assortment, mass:  A bunch of people stood outside the
             courtroom, awaiting news of the verdict.

             --v.  3 sort, class, classify, categorize, assort, group
             together, bracket:  It would be a mistake to bunch all different
             kinds of liberals into the same category. 4 bunch up. gather;
             smock; collect, crowd, group, cluster:  The fabric is all
             bunched up at the bottom. Don't let the people bunch up in front
             of the exits.

   bundle    n.  1 bunch, collection, package, parcel, packet, pack; bale,
             sheaf; Archaic fardel:  I have to leave this bundle at the
             laundry today. Bring this bundle of hay for the horse.

             --v.  2 gather (together), tie up (together), collect, pack,
             package:  He bundled up all his belongings.  3 bundle off or
             out. dispatch or despatch, pack off, hustle or hurry off or
             away, send away or off; decamp, scurry off or away, Colloq Brit
             do a moonlight flit:  We bundled Aunt Mary off home as soon as
             the storm subsided. That couple have bundled out of room 429.

   bungle    v.  spoil, botch, mismanage, stumble, bumble, Golf foozle,
             Colloq foul or screw or louse up, blow, mess or muck up, make a
             mess or hash or muddle of, muff, Slang Brit bugger, US snafu,
             Taboo fuck up:  Smith has bungled the job again; we'll have to
             replace him.

   buoy      n.  1 (navigational or channel) mark or marker, float; nun
             (-buoy), can (-buoy), bell (buoy), gong (-buoy), siren, signal,
             mooring-buoy, spar-buoy, lollipop:  Returning to port, always
             leave the red buoys to starboard.

             --v.  2 Often, buoy up. lift, raise, elevate, support, hearten,
             sustain, keep up:  We sang songs to buoy up our spirits while
             the rescuers dug their way towards us.

   buoyant   adj.  1 afloat, floating, floatable:  The wood was water-logged
             and no longer buoyant.  2 light, resilient, lively, vivacious,
             bright, cheerful, carefree, blithe, animated, jaunty, bouncy,
             ebullient, light-hearted , Colloq peppy:  One had to admire his
             buoyant optimism, even under adverse conditions.

   burden    n.  1 load, weight, gravamen; strain, pressure, trouble, onus,
             millstone, cross, albatross:  The old man put down his burden.
             The burden of the evidence is against them. His feeling of guilt
             over her death in the crash was a terrible burden to bear.

             --v.  2 load, weigh down, saddle with, encumber; tax, oppress:
             The mules were heavily burdened with a month's supply of food.
             Don't burden me with your problems.

   burdensome
             adj.  onerous, cumbersome, oppressive, weighty, troublesome,
             wearisome, bothersome, distressing, worrying, worrisome,
             vexatious, irksome:  A tax on food is burdensome for those on a
             low income.

   bureau    n.  1 Brit (writing-)desk, US chest of drawers, chest, dresser,
             chifferobe, chiffonier:  Simon has a beautiful antique bureau in
             his office. One of my cuff-links rolled under the bureau. 2
             office, agency, department, division, section, subdivision,
             subsection, desk:  I sent the form to the bureau a month ago,
             but I still don't have my visa.

   bureaucracy
             n.  officialdom, officialism, government, red tape,
             administration, authorities:  The bureaucracy survives because
             the officials rely on graft for their income.

   burglar   n.  housebreaker, thief, robber; sneak-thief, cat burglar, US
             second-story or second-storey man:  The burglars, remarkably,
             didn't take the most valuable paintings.

   burial    n.  interment, funeral, entombment, obsequies, sepulture:  His
             six ex-wives attended the burial.

   burlesque n.  1 caricature, lampoon, spoof, parody, satire, mockery,
             travesty, Colloq take-off; (grotesque) imitation, vulgarization,
             exaggeration:  In the mid-19th century, burlesques drove
             pantomimes off the stage.  2 US striptease, strip show, nudie or
             girlie show:  The old comedians insist that burlesque acts were
             an art form, but the audience went just for the girls.

             --v.  3 satirize, take off, lampoon, spoof, parody, caricature,
             travesty:  Cervantes burlesqued the old romances in Don Quixote
             .

             --adj.  4 satirical, derisive, mock-heroic, mock-pathetic:  She
             sang a burlesque opera based on Hamlet, called 'Omelette'.

   burly     adj.  stout, sturdy, corpulent, large, big, hefty, stocky,
             thickset, brawny, chunky, heavy, beefy, muscular, strong,
             strapping, rugged, tough, Colloq husky:  Two rather burly
             gentlemen were called in to help me out of the place.

   burn      v.  1 blaze, flame, flare, smoulder:  A fire was burning on the
             hearth.  2 ignite, set on fire, fire, light, kindle, incinerate,
             Slang torch:  He burnt the incriminating papers in the
             fireplace.  3 desire, yearn, wish, long, itch:  He wrote
             'Darling, I am burning to be with you tonight'.  4 waste, throw
             or fritter away, squander:  Don't worry about Norman, he has
             money to burn.  5 overcook, blacken, char, singe:  If you're not
             careful, you'll burn the toast again.

   burning   adj.  1 flaming, blazing, fiery; ablaze, aflame, afire, on fire:
             When we arrived, the entire building was burning.  2 vehement,
             ardent, excited, passionate, fervent, fervid, intense, fiery,
             enthusiastic:  She had a burning desire to join that illustrious
             company.  3 raging, violent, parching:  His burning fever had
             finally subsided a little.  4 hot, blazing, scorching, seething,
             withering:  She was married on a burning hot day in July.

   burrow    n.  1 excavation, hole, warren, tunnel:  The rabbit retreated to
             its burrow under the hedge.

             --v.  2 dig, delve, tunnel, bore; excavate:  The larvae burrow
             into the wood where the birds can hear them moving about.

   burst     v.  break (asunder), rupture, shatter, explode, blow up;
             puncture; Slang bust:  If it keeps raining the dam will burst
             and the valley will be flooded.

   bury      n.  1 inter, inhume, lay to rest:  They buried her next to her
             husband as she had requested.  2 abandon, forget, consign to
             oblivion, eradicate, extirpate:  The residents buried their
             differences and united to repel the town planners. 3 submerge
             (oneself), exile (oneself), plunge, become engrossed or
             absorbed:  She buried herself in her book.  4 conceal, obscure,
             hide, cover up:  The real story was by now completely buried
             beneath the mass of legend. 5 overwhelm, overcome, inundate:
             I'm so buried in work I can't take a holiday.

   business  n.  1 duty, function, occupation, calling, vocation, trade,
             profession, work, province, area, subject, topic, concern,
             affair, responsibility, role, charge, obligation:  Her business
             is supplying models for fashion shows. Mind your own business
             and don't be such a Nosy Parker. 2 matter, job, task, subject,
             question, problem, issue, point, affair:  Gentlemen, let us call
             the meeting to order and attend to the business at hand. 3
             dealing, transaction; trade, commerce, traffic:  We've never
             done any business with that company.  4 concern, establishment,
             organization, company, firm, house, enterprise; corporation,
             partnership, proprietorship:  Rodney wants to sell the business
             and retire to Spain.

   busy      adj.  1 occupied, engaged, employed, involved:  I can't talk to
             you now, I'm busy.  2 working, industrious, active, diligent;
             bustling, hectic, lively, hustling, energetic:  Are you very
             busy at the office these days? The diamond district is certainly
             a busy place. 3 ornate, elaborate, detailed, complicated,
             complex, (over-)decorated, intricate, Baroque, Rococo:  Some of
             the late Victorian architecture is far too busy for my taste.

             --v.  4 occupy, involve, employ, divert, absorb, engross:  She
             has busied herself with charity work to get her mind off the
             tragedy.

   busybody  n.  pry, snoop(er), peep(er), gossip, meddler, Paul Pry, Colloq
             Nosy Parker, Slang US buttinsky:  If he so much as sees us
             talking together, that busybody will probably cook up some sex
             scandal.

   butcher   n.  1 murderer, slaughterer, killer, ripper, cutthroat,
             executioner, annihilator:  That cold-blooded butcher dismembered
             his victims after strangling them. 2 destroyer, bungler,
             muddler:  Look what that butcher of a tailor has done to my
             suit!

             --v.  3 slaughter, massacre, murder, cut or hack or hew to
             pieces, dismember, disembowel, exterminate, annihilate, kill,
             liquidate:  The entire crew was butchered by the islanders.  4
             botch, bungle, foul up, Colloq mess up, make a mess or hash of;
             Slang louse up, screw up, Brit bollocks or ballocks up, US
             bollix up; Taboo fuck up:  He butchered the restoration of my
             antique cabinet.

   butt°     n.  target, end, object, prey, victim, dupe; gull, Colloq
             pigeon, sucker; Brit Aunt Sally, Slang US and Canadian patsy:
             He was always the butt of their jokes.

   buttэ     v.  1 abut, join, meet:  This wall butts up against my garage.
             2 butt in or into. interfere, intrude, interrupt, Colloq US
             kibitz; meddle:  Please let me finish a sentence without butting
             in. Don't butt into my affairs.

   buttocks  n.  bottom, behind, derriЉre, seat, rear, rear end, backside,
             posterior, hindquarters, fundament, Colloq Brit bum, arse , US
             hinie, can, tush or tushy or tushie, tokus or tochis or tuchis,
             keister or keester, butt, tail, prat, ass; Slang cheeks, duff:
             A person with large buttocks should not wear tight shorts.

   buttonhole
             v.  1 corner, detain, accost, importune, waylay:  A reporter
             buttonholed one of the senators for details of the new tax bill.

             --n.  2 corsage, US boutonniere or boutonniЉre:  He wore a rose
             for a buttonhole.

   buttress  v.  sustain, support, strengthen, prop (up), brace, reinforce,
             shore up:  Huge beams were needed to buttress the walls after
             the bombing.

   buxom     adj.  1 hearty, healthy, vigorous, lusty, attractive, comely,
             plump, Colloq hefty:  Sylvia was a buxom serving-wench at the
             Bugle Horn.  2 busty, bosomy, chesty, well-endowed, big-busted:
             The centrefolds in this magazine usually show quite buxom women.

   buy       v.  1 purchase; acquire, obtain, get, procure, gain, come by,
             secure:  Where did you buy that hat?  2 accept, allow, take,
             believe, swallow, go for:  Did you buy his story about having
             his car stolen?  3 bribe, suborn, pay off, buy off, corrupt:
             That customs man must have been bought or he wouldn't have let
             the package through.

             --n.  4 purchase, acquisition:  We made a bad buy at the last
             auction.  5 Also, good buy. bargain, Colloq US and Canadian
             steal:  If you paid only њ2,000, that was a real buy.

   buyer     n.  customer, consumer, client, purchaser:  Is it likely that
             you will find many buyers of Basque dictionaries in this
             country?

   buzz      n.  1 hum, murmur, drone:  I lay and listened to the buzz of the
             bees.  2 stir, ferment, talk, undercurrent:  A ringing could be
             heard above the buzz of conversation.  3 phone call, ring:  I
             think I'll give him a buzz to see if our appointment is still
             on. 4 thrill, feeling of excitement, sensation, stimulation,
             kick, Colloq high:  I got quite a pleasant buzz from that drink.

             --v.  5 hum, murmur, drone:  The flies were buzzing around the
             dead squirrel.  6 fly down on, zoom on to:  The pilot was
             grounded for a month for buzzing the airfield.  7 telephone,
             ring (up), call (up), phone; summon, signal, buzz or ring for:
             She said she'd buzz me if she needed anything.

2.8 by...
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   by        prep.  1 near, beside, next to, close to, alongside:  I park my
             car by my house.  2 via, by way of, through; past:  I go home by
             High Wycombe.  3 by means of, on:  I often travel by train.  4
             before, not later than, sooner than:  I have to leave by Monday.
             5 during, at:  We travel only by night.

             --adv.  6 Often, close by. near, nearby, at hand, close, about,
             around, Literary nigh:  When she is close by I get a tingling
             sensation.  7 past, nearby:  When he walked by I nearly died.  8
             away, aside:  We put by a little for a rainy day.

   bygone    adj.  past, former, olden; of old, of yore:  In bygone times,
             the fashion was for high-button shoes.

   bypass    v.  1 avoid, evade, circumvent, sidestep, skirt, go or get
             round, detour; ignore, Slang give the go-by:  I shall bypass
             many problems if I take that route.

             --n.  2 detour, alternative (way, route, etc.), alternate way or
             route:  Take the bypass and avoid the town traffic.

   bystander n.  spectator, onlooker, observer, witness, non-participant,
             passer-by, eyewitness:  He has always claimed he was an innocent
             bystander, but I'm not so sure.

   byword    n.  proverb, proverbial saying, parable, maxim, adage, motto,
             slogan, apophthegm or apothegm, aphorism, catchword,
             catch-phrase:  My byword has always been, Honesty is the best
             policy.

3.0 C
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3.1 cab...
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   cab       n.  taxi, taxi-cub, Obsolete (horse-drawn) hackney, hansom
             (cab); Old-fashioned US hack:  A cab picked me up and dropped me
             at the hotel.

   cabal     n.  1 intrigue, plot, conspiracy, scheme:  The cabal against
             Washington found supporters exclusively in the north. 2 junta or
             junto, clique, set, coterie, faction, band, league; unit, party,
             caucus, club; ring, gang:  A cabal of artists was formed.

             --v.  3 intrigue, plot, conspire, connive, machinate:  The
             barons began to sow dissension and to cabal against his
             succession.

   cabaret   n.  1 nightclub, club, nightspot:  The ever-popular entertainer
             Mimi opened at the Golden Palm cabaret last night. 2 floor show,
             show, entertainment, amusement:  The dinner was poor, but the
             cabaret was marvellous.

   cabin     n.  1 hut, shack, cottage, cot, shanty; bungalow, lodge, chalet;
             Scots bothy:  The old trapper lives in a cabin in the forest.
             You are welcome to come skiing with us and stay in our cabin. 2
             stateroom, compartment, berth:  We had a cabin on the starboard
             side.

   cabinet   n.  1 cupboard, bureau, chifferobe, commode, chiffonier, chest
             (of drawers), chest-on-chest, tallboy, US highboy, lowboy:  The
             aspirin is in the medicine cabinet. Our china cabinet is,
             unfortunately, not a genuine Chippendale. 2 council, ministry,
             committee, advisors, senate:  At the age of thirty, he became
             the youngest member of the cabinet.

   cable     n.  1 wire, line, rope, hawser, chain, mooring, strand, guy:
             The cable broke and we were set adrift.  2 telegram, wire,
             cablegram, radiogram, US Mailgram:  Send a cable to Jones about
             the meeting.

             --v.  3 telegraph, wire; radio:  Cable Jones to come at once.

   cache     n.  1 hiding-place, hole, vault, repository:  There was a small
             cache concealed by the panelling in the library.  2 store,
             hoard, supply, reserve, nest egg, stockpile, Colloq US and
             Canadian stash:  The wise hunter keeps a cache of supplies
             buried along his route.

             --v.  3 hide, store, conceal, squirrel away, secrete, bury,
             Colloq stash (away):  I cached the money in a biscuit tin.

   cachet    n.  1 stamp, feature, distinguishing mark, identification:  The
             cachet of good taste is simplicity of design.  2 distinction,
             prominence, importance, prestige, dignity:  Her new job doesn't
             pay much, but it has a certain cachet.

   cadaver   n.  corpse, (dead) body, remains, Slang stiff:  The medical
             students and doctors once paid to have cadavers exhumed for
             anatomical study.

   cadence   n.  measure, beat, rhythm, tempo, accent, pulse, metre, lilt,
             swing:  The snare drum marked the cadence for the marching band.

   caf‚      n.  coffee-house, coffee bar, coffee-shop, bistro, snack bar,
             brasserie; tearoom, lunch-room, restaurant, eating-house,
             canteen; cafeteria, US diner, Colloq eatery; Slang Brit caff, US
             greasy spoon:  We stopped at a caf‚ for refreshment.

   cage      n.  1 crate, enclosure, pen, pound, coop, hutch:  He keeps rooks
             in a cage.

             --v.  2 Also, cage up or in. confine, enclose, pen, impound,
             shut up, or in, coop (up), imprison; restrict, restrain, hem in:
             They keep the kitten caged like a wild animal. I don't like to
             stay caged up in my office all day.

   cajole    v.  wheedle, coax, beguile, jolly (along), cosy along, seduce,
             inveigle, persuade, Colloq soft-soap, butter (up), stroke,
             sweet-talk:  Robert's wife always has to cajole him to go and
             visit her mother.

   cajolery  n.  wheedling, coaxing, blandishment, beguilement, jollying,
             persuasion, seduction, inveigling, inveiglement, Colloq soft
             soap, buttering-up, sweet talk:  She uses cajolery rather than
             threats to get what she wants.

   cake      n.  1 pastry, bun, Brit gateau:  Right now, I should like to
             have a glass of milk and a piece of chocolate cake. 2 piece,
             chunk, bar, block, cube, lump, loaf, slab:  Barbara gave me a
             cake of fancy perfumed soap for my birthday.

             --v.  3 harden, solidify, thicken, congeal, dry, coagulate,
             encrust, consolidate:  You can see where the paint has caked.

   calamitous
             adj.  distressful, dire, tragic, disastrous, destructive, awful,
             devastating, fatal, deadly, pernicious, cataclysmic,
             catastrophic, ruinous, dreadful, terrible:  They seemed unaware
             of the calamitous consequences of what they were doing to the
             environment.

   calamity  n.  1 disaster, destruction, ruin, catastrophe, cataclysm,
             devastation, tragedy, misadventure, mischance, mishap:  Calamity
             befell the town when it was engulfed in a landslide.  2
             distress, affliction, trouble, hardship, misery, tragedy,
             misfortune, adversity, reverse, ruin, ruination, desolation,
             wretchedness:  So full is the world of calamity that every
             source of pleasure is polluted.

   calculate v.  compute, reckon, add up, assess, evaluate, count, figure
             (out), estimate, gauge, determine, ascertain, work out:  Bradley
             was able to calculate the velocity of light. They calculated
             where the sun would come up at the equinox and built their
             temple accordingly.

   calculated
             adj.  1 arranged, designed, planned, prepared, adjusted,
             adapted, fit, fitted, intended, suited:  The coach was
             calculated to carry six regular passengers.  2 deliberate,
             purposeful, intentional, premeditated, planned:  The so-called
             accident was really a calculated attempt to kill me.

   calculating
             adj.  shrewd, conniving, crafty, sly, scheming, designing,
             Machiavellian, manipulative, canny, contriving:  She is a
             calculating woman, who knows what she wants and manoeuvres
             people to help her get it.

   calculation
             n.  1 computation, reckoning, counting, estimation, figuring,
             determining:  We needn't number them one by one, for the total
             can be arrived at by calculation. 2 answer, product, result,
             figure, count, estimate, amount:  This calculation is wrong, so
             please do it again.  3 estimate, forecast, expectation,
             prediction, deliberation; circumspection, cautiousness,
             wariness, caution, prudence, forethought, discretion:  His
             attack was not the inspiration of courage but the result of
             calculation.

   calculator
             n.  computer, adding machine; abacus:  According to my
             calculator, the answer should be 7.1592.

   calendar  n.  1 appointment book, schedule, slate, Brit diary, US
             date-book, US law docket:  I have next week's lunch date in my
             calendar.  2 almanac, chronology, chronicle, annal(s):  The
             ecclesiastical calendar lists today as St David's Day.

   calibrate v.  adjust, graduate; standardize:  This balance has been
             dropped on the floor, and you'll have to calibrate it again.

   calibre   n.  1 diameter, size, bore, gauge:  You need a .38 calibre
             bullet to fit a .38 calibre pistol.  2 merit, ability, talent,
             capability, competence, capacity, quality, strength, stature:
             They should be playing against a team of their own calibre.  3
             degree, measure, stamp, quality:  I doubt that you will find
             anyone of equal calibre to Julia in artistic sensibility.

   call      v.  1 shout, cry (out), hail, yell, roar, bellow, call out,
             Colloq holler:  I heard someone calling my name.  2 name,
             designate, denote, denominate, term, style, nickname, label,
             title, entitle, tag, identify, dub, christen, baptize:  My real
             name is Angus, but they call me Scotty. A person from Glasgow is
             called a Glaswegian. 3 call up, telephone, phone, ring (up),
             dial, Colloq buzz:  As it's her birthday, I must call my mother
             in Australia. Don't call us, we'll call you. 4 summon, invite,
             assemble, convoke, convene, bid, gather, collect, muster, rally:
             From the minaret, the muezzin was calling the faithful to
             prayer.  Many are called but few are chosen. 5 visit, attend;
             call in; call on:  My great aunt Frederica came to call last
             Sunday.  6 awake, awaken, wake up, rouse, Colloq Brit knock up:
             Please call me at six.  7 call down.  a appeal to, invoke,
             petition, request, entreat, supplicate:  He called down the
             wrath of God on the Philistines.  b reprimand, chastise,
             castigate, upbraid, scold, reprove, rebuke:  He was called down
             for having left the house after curfew.  8 call for.  a demand,
             request, ask for, order, require, claim:  The people in room 429
             have called for clean towels. The problem calls for your urgent
             attention. b pick up, fetch, come for, get, accompany, Colloq
             collect:  I'll call for you at seven o'clock.  9 call forth.
             summon, invoke, draw on or upon, evoke; elicit, inspire:  Susan
             called forth all her courage and faced her accusers. He failed
             to call forth much enthusiasm in his listeners. 10 call on or
             upon.  a request of, entreat, ask, address; apostrophize:  The
             teacher called on me today to recite Hamlet's soliloquy.  b
             supplicate, apostrophize, appeal to:  He called on ’olus, god of
             the winds, for a fair breeze to carry his ship home. c visit:
             The vicar called on us when we first moved in.  11 call off.
             cancel; discontinue; postpone:  The picnic has been called off
             because of rain.  12 call up.  a summon, enlist, recruit,
             conscript, US draft:  Father was called up as soon as war was
             declared.  b call, telephone, phone, ring (up):  Call me up
             sometime.

             --n.  13 shout, cry, yell, whoop, Colloq holler:  I'll be out in
             the garden, so give me a call if you want me.  14 summons,
             invitation, bidding, notice, notification, order, request,
             demand, command; telephone call, phone call, Brit ring; Colloq
             tinkle:  She received a call to report at once for duty.  15
             reason, justification, cause, need, occasion, right, excuse;
             requirement:  You have no call to be abusive, regardless of what
             you think about him. 16 on call. ready, on duty, standing by, on
             stand-by, awaiting orders:  They had to remain on call from
             midnight till eight o'clock.  17 within call. within earshot or
             hearing or (easy) reach:  Please stay within call in case I need
             you.

   calling   n.  vocation, occupation, profession, business, trade,
             employment, work, line, job, m‚tier, pursuit, career, area,
             province, (area of) expertise, Brit speciality or US specialty,
             Colloq racket:  He found his calling as a veterinary surgeon
             very satisfying.

   callous   adj.  hardened, thick-skinned, unfeeling, uncaring, insensible,
             insensitive, hard, hard-hearted, tough, hardbitten, cold,
             cold-hearted, heartless, indifferent, unsympathetic, apathetic,
             Colloq hard-boiled, hard-nosed:  It was callous of Gerry to go
             off to the snooker club right after the funeral.

   callow    adj.  inexperienced, immature, juvenile, na‹ve, green,
             guileless, unsophisticated, innocent, raw, unfledged, untried,
             Colloq (still) wet behind the ears:  It was a mistake to let a
             callow youth take out the boat alone.

   calm      n.  1 quiet, stillness, tranquillity, serenity, hush, peace,
             peacefulness:  A storm raged outside, but in the harbour was a
             breathless calm.  2 calmness, composure, placidity, placidness,
             peace, repose, sang-froid, coolness, self-control, equanimity,
             self-possession:  The calm exhibited by the passengers during
             the hijacking was admirable.

             --adj.  3 quiet, still, tranquil, serene, peaceful, balmy,
             halcyon, mild, undisturbed, unagitated, placid, pacific;
             motionless, smooth, even; windless:  The sea is never calm in
             the same sense as a mountain lake.  4 composed, cool,
             cool-headed, self-controlled, impassive, dispassionate, unmoved,
             unruffled, serene, tranquil, sedate, staid, stoical, Colloq
             together:  She remained calm while the others panicked.

             --v.  5 Also, calm down. quiet, quieten, still, soothe, hush,
             lull, pacify; mollify, appease, placate, become or make quiet or
             pacified or less agitated, Colloq cool off or down:  The
             arbitrator did his best to calm the two litigants by suggesting
             a compromise. After everyone had calmed down, the speaker
             continued.

   camouflage
             n.  1 disguise, concealment, cover-up, cover, guise, cloak,
             mask, screen, blind, (false) front, show, fa‡ade, pretence,
             trickery, deception; protective colouring or coloration,
             Technical apatetic or aposematic or cryptic colouring or
             coloration:  Camouflage prevented the enemy from seeing our
             tanks.

             --v.  2 disguise, cloak, mask, cover (up), hide, conceal,
             screen, veil; misrepresent, falsify:  We camouflaged our
             movements by fastening twigs and leaves to our helmets.

   camp°     n.  1 camping-ground, camp-ground, bivouac, encampment,
             camp-site; settlement; camping-site, Brit caravan site:  The
             name 'Chester' derives from Latin castrum, meaning 'camp', for
             the city was originally the site of a Roman camp. Is there a
             camp where we can stay overnight? 2 faction, set, coterie,
             clique, group, party, body:  On this issue, the politicians are
             divided into two camps.

             --v.  3 encamp, pitch camp, tent:  Our family likes to go
             camping in the mountains during the summer.  4 lodge, bivouac,
             settle:  The platoon camped by the river.  5 camp out.  Slang
             crash:  Mind if I camp out in your pad tonight?

   campэ     adj.  1 outr‚, outrageous, exaggerated, artless, affected,
             inartistic, extravagant, artificial, Dadaistic, theatrical,
             mannered, flamboyant, showy, ostentatious, effeminate, Colloq
             campy:  Some of the kitsch produced in the 1930s was the epitome
             of camp.  His manner is a bit too camp for my taste.

             --v.  2 exaggerate, show off, strut, flaunt, flounce, prance,
             posture, Colloq ham:  Clarence just loves to camp it up whenever
             there are women around.

   campaign  n.  1 operation(s), manoeuvre(s), crusade, action; drive,
             offensive, push, effort; struggle:  Napoleon's Russian campaign
             ended in disaster. Our next sales campaign will be aimed at
             teenagers. 2 competition, contest, rivalry, race:  Presidential
             campaigns last for more than a year.

             --v.  3 run, electioneer, compete, Brit stand; US and Canadian
             stump; Colloq throw or toss one's hat in the ring:  Next week
             the Labour candidate will campaign in Yorkshire.

   cancel    v.  1 void, annul, invalidate, nullify, quash; revoke, rescind,
             redeem, repeal, abolish, retract, withdraw, recall, repudiate,
             abrogate, countermand, deny:  The bonds have been cancelled and
             are worthless. She cancelled the incorrect cheque. 2 delete,
             obliterate, cross or strike or blot out, dele, rub out, erase,
             expunge, efface, eradicate, quash, deracinate; eliminate, do
             away with:  I was forced to cancel the chapter of my book that
             dealt with M.I.5 activities. 3 Sometimes, cancel out.
             neutralize, nullify, counterbalance, countervail, compensate
             (for), make up for, offset, counteract:  His later kindnesses
             cancel his previous injustices.

   cancellation
             n.  1 cancelling, annulment, nullification, rescinding, voiding,
             rescission, revocation, abolition, abandonment, withdrawal,
             abrogation; repeal:  We found a hotel room in the end because of
             a late cancellation.  2 invalidation, revocation, abolition,
             discontinuance, termination, suppression:  If you fail to pay
             the premium, the policy is subject to cancellation.  3
             elimination, abolition; stoppage, cessation:  Owing to the
             storm, some trains are subject to cancellation.

   candid    adj.  1 frank, open, plain, sincere, ingenuous, straight,
             straightforward, truthful, forthright, direct, unequivocal,
             plain-spoken, plain-speaking, outspoken, honest, artless, blunt,
             guileless, open-hearted, above-board, undeceitful, undeceiving,
             undeliberative, uncalculating, uncalculated, unpremeditated,
             uncontrived , Colloq upfront:  Henry offered a very candid
             account of his feelings. Let us be candid and speak our minds. 2
             just, impartial, objective, fair, equitable, unbiased,
             unprejudiced, even-handed; unbigoted:  The speaker expressed a
             candid view of all of the proposals.  3 unposed, informal,
             impromptu:  Here is a candid photo of the two of us in Rome.

   candidate n.  aspirant, seeker, office-seeker, runner, nominee; applicant,
             entrant; prospect, possibility:  There are quite a few
             candidates for the post.

   candour   n.  1 openness, frankness, ingenuousness, simplicity, na‹vety,
             outspokenness, unreservedness, forthrightness, honesty,
             sincerity, directness, straightforwardness, unequivocalness:  I
             admire her candour, but the truth sometimes hurts.  2
             impartiality, fairness, justice, objectivity, open-mindedness:
             In criticism candour is as rare as bigotry is frequent.

   candy     n.  sweet(s), bon-bon(s), sweetmeat(s), confectionery:  Eating
             candy can be bad for your teeth.

   cannibal  n.  anthropophagite, man-eater:  They were said to have been
             captured by cannibals living in remote regions.

   cant      n.  1 hypocrisy, insincerity, sham, pretence, humbug,
             sanctimony, sanctimoniousness, lip-service, affectedness,
             pretension:  He wasn't really enthusiastic - all that talk was
             just cant.  2 jargon, shop, shop-talk, argot, vernacular, slang,
             dialect, patois, Creole, pidgin, gobbledegook or gobbledygook,
             Colloq lingo:  The criminals use a cant not understood by those
             outside their fraternity.

   cantankerous
             adj.  ill-natured, quarrelsome, perverse, cross, choleric,
             cross-grained, crabby, curmudgeonly, crusty, grumpy, surly,
             irascible, snappish, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, bearish,
             bilious, peevish, testy, irritable, touchy, disagreeable,
             tetchy, contrary, Colloq crotchety, grouchy, US cranky:  Simon
             used to be so friendly, but he's become a cantankerous old
             codger.

   canvass   v.  1 solicit, electioneer, campaign, poll, US and Canadian
             stump:  The candidates will be canvassing in farming areas next
             week.  2 survey, poll, study, analyse, examine, investigate,
             interview, question:  The statisticians are not satisfied that
             enough women were canvassed to provide an accurate sample.

             --n.  3 solicitation, campaign:  The party's canvass of rural
             areas for new supporters was not very successful. 4 survey,
             study, investigation, poll, examination, tally:  A canvass of
             editors shows they have a conservative view of the language.

   canyon    n.  gorge, ravine, gully or gulley, pass, defile, Brit dialect
             gill or ghyll, US and Canadian coul‚e, gulch; US gap, arroyo:
             The canyon created by the river is more than a thousand feet
             deep.

   cap       n.  1 hat, head covering:  The plumber took off his cap and
             scratched his head.  2 lid, top, cover:  Screw the cap on tight.
             3 cap in hand. humbly, meekly, servilely, submissively,
             subserviently, docilely, respectfully:  He went cap in hand to
             ask for a pay rise.

             --v.  4 surpass, outdo, outstrip, better, beat, exceed, top,
             excel:  Betty capped her earlier triumphs by winning the
             semifinals.  5 cover, protect:  As it's begun to rain, you'd
             best cap the camera lens.

   capability
             n.  ability, power, potential, capacity, means, faculty,
             wherewithal; talent, proficiency, aptitude, adeptness, skill,
             competence:  Deirdre has the capability to be first in her form.

   capable   adj.  1 able, competent, efficient, proficient, qualified,
             talented, gifted, skilled, skilful, accomplished, apt, adept,
             clever, effective, effectual; expert, masterly, masterful:
             Halliwell is quite capable of speaking for himself. He is a
             capable violinist, but scarcely a virtuoso. 2 capable of.
             disposed to, inclined to, predisposed to:  Though violent, he is
             not capable of murder.

   capacity  n.  1 volume, content, size, dimensions; room, space:  What is
             the capacity of this bottle in litres? The car is of sufficient
             capacity to hold only four adults. 2 potential, ability,
             capability, competence, intelligence, wit, brain(s), talent,
             aptitude, acumen, understanding, sense, judgement, perspicacity,
             perceptiveness, perception, mother wit, intellect, genius,
             skill, gift, faculty, power, potential, Colloq chiefly US right
             stuff, the goods:  They don't yet have the capacity to absorb
             advanced theory.  3 position, condition, character, place, post,
             role, job, office, duty, responsibility, province, sphere,
             function; Law competency, qualification:  She has every right to
             sign cheques in her capacity as director.

   cape°     n.  headland, promontory, peninsula, neck, point, Archaic ness:
             We sailed round the cape and made for the harbour.

   capeэ     n.  mantle, shawl, stole, cloak:  His black cape reached to the
             floor.

   caper     n.  1 skip, leap, spring, frolic, hop, gambol, frisk, curvet,
             gambado:  He can dance, though he does not cut capers.  2
             escapade, stunt, mischief, prank, high jinks, US crime,
             burglary, robbery, Colloq shenanigan, dido, lark, Slang US and
             Canadian job:  The capers we used to get up to after lights-out
             in the dormitory!

             --v.  3 skip, hop, frolic, leap, jump, frisk, romp, gambol,
             prance, cavort, curvet:  She capered about like a lamb in a
             meadow.

   capital   n.  1 head, top, crown, cap:  The column was surmounted by a
             finely carved capital.  2 seat (of government):  Winnipeg is the
             capital of Manitoba.  3 money, assets, funds, finance(s), cash,
             wherewithal; wealth, means, property, resources, savings,
             principal:  My capital is invested in land at the moment.  4
             majuscule, upper case, large letter, initial, Colloq cap:  The
             chapter titles should be set in capitals.

             --adj.  5 chief, main, major, important, cardinal, central,
             principal, prime, primary, paramount, pre-eminent, foremost,
             leading:  Our capital responsibility is to ensure the
             passengers' safety.  6 first-class, first-rate, excellent,
             superior, matchless, peerless, choice, select, outstanding,
             fine, superb, splendid, marvellous, extraordinary, Colloq
             smashing, great, super, Brit brill, Old-fashioned topping,
             top-hole, ripping, ripsnorting:  Eating out tonight was a
             capital idea.

   capitulate
             v.  1 surrender, yield, give up, submit, succumb:  Want of
             provisions quickly obliged the fortress to capitulate.  2
             acquiesce, concede, relent, give in, yield:  He begged so
             piteously that the king finally capitulated and allowed him to
             live.

   capricious
             adj.  whimsical, erratic, flighty, fickle, mercurial, unsteady,
             variable, unstable, wayward, unpredictable, undependable,
             changeable, impulsive, crotchety, quirky, unreliable,
             inconstant, fanciful, wanton:  His decisions are capricious and
             not based on sound judgement.  The weather in March is
             capricious: as Mark Twain said, if you don't like it, just wait
             five minutes.

   capsize   v.  upset, overturn, turn turtle or upside down, tip (over),
             keel over, invert:  When the wind capsized the boat, we lost all
             our gear overboard.

   captivate v.  enthral or US enthrall, enslave, fascinate, hypnotize,
             entrance, beguile, charm, enamour, enchant, bewitch, enrapture,
             dazzle, infatuate, attract, allure, seduce, win:  Her beauty
             captivated film-goers everywhere.

   captive   n.  1 prisoner, convict, hostage, detainee, internee; slave,
             bondman or bondsman, bondservant:  The captives were kept in a
             wretched hole.

             --adj.  2 imprisoned, incarcerated, confined, caged, locked up,
             under lock and key:  Captive animals lose their free spirit.

   captivity n.  confinement, imprisonment, internment, detention, custody,
             incarceration, restraint; bondage, slavery, thraldom or US also
             thralldom, enslavement, servitude; Archaic durance:  Some wild
             creatures do not survive in captivity. Entire populations of
             conquered territories were taken into captivity in ancient
             times.

   capture   n.  1 seizure, taking, catching, arrest, apprehension, Slang
             pinch, collar:  They celebrated the capture of the Spanish
             galleon. The State has offered a reward for the capture of the
             bank robbers.

             --v.  2 seize, take, catch, lay or take hold of, grab,
             apprehend, arrest, Slang pinch, collar, nab, Brit nick:
             Eventually, they captured the thief on the roof.

   car       n.  1 (motor) vehicle, motor car, automobile, passenger car,
             Old-fashioned or slang motor; Chiefly US auto; Colloq jalopy,
             heap, pile, crate, machine, buggy, transport; Slang wheels:
             Borrow a car and drive down for the weekend.  2 (railway)
             carriage:  The body was found in a sleeping car of the Orient
             Express.

   card      n.  1 playing-card, Slang pasteboard:  The winning card was the
             ten of diamonds.  2 calling-card, visiting-card, carte de
             visite, business card:  Visitors used to leave their cards on
             the silver tray at the front door. 3 greetings card, Christmas
             card, birthday card, anniversary card, condolence card, Easter
             card, New Year card:  I sent Jacquelyn a card for her birthday
             last year.  4 postcard, US postal card:  Drop me a card when you
             get there, just so I'll know you're all right. 5 index card,
             file card:  The names and addresses of our members, formerly
             held on cards, are now stored in the computer. 6 membership
             card; press card; union card:  I showed my card at the door and
             they let me in without any problem.  7 dance-card:  She told me
             that her dance-card was full - and was likely to be for the next
             ten years. 8 US car-card, window-card, show-card:  At the cost
             of a card on the New York buses, we'd never get our money back.
             9 credit card; bank card:  You may pay by card or cheque. They
             won't accept your cheque without a card. 10 identity or
             identification card, I.D. (card):  The police asked to see my
             card.  11 joker, prankster, practical joker, wag, humorist,
             comedian, funny man:  That Oscar - he's quite a card, isn't he?
             12 on or esp. US in the cards. destined, fated, slated, in the
             offing; likely, probable, possible, liable:  I doubt that a
             change of government is on the cards for some time to come. 13
             play one's cards right, well, badly, etc. act, behave, take
             action; plan, use strategy:  If Francis plays his cards right,
             he may be made head of department when Mark leaves. 14 put or
             lay one's cards on the table or show one's cards. act openly,
             reveal all, be forthright, be direct, be open, be honest, be
             unsecretive, Colloq come clean:  I'm going to put my cards on
             the table, and let you know all my plans.

   cardinal  adj.  important, chief, key, special, main, central, principal,
             prime, primary, essential, necessary, fundamental; supreme,
             paramount, highest, first, foremost, leading, pre-eminent:  The
             cardinal virtues are justice, prudence, temperance, and
             fortitude, to which some writers add faith, hope, and charity.

   care      n.  1 anxiety, worry, trouble, anguish, disquiet, distress,
             grief, sorrow, dolour, sadness, suffering, misery, woe,
             tribulation:  His haggard look reflected a life of care.  2
             concern, regard, vigilance, mindfulness, heed, solicitude;
             heedfulness, attention, pains, carefulness, meticulousness,
             punctiliousness; caution, circumspection:  The essence of
             public-spiritedness is care for the common good.  He looks after
             his moustache and beard with great care. Open with care. 3
             responsibility, charge, protection, guardianship, custody,
             keeping, safe keeping; control, direction, supervision:  The
             child has been released into our care.  4 take care of. look
             after, attend to, be responsible for, take charge of, take
             responsibility for; tend, nurse:  You should take care of your
             money. Does she have enough experience to take care of someone
             who is ill?

             --v.  5 be concerned, trouble oneself, feel interest, worry,
             fret, trouble, Brit mind:  Do you care whether Arnold gets the
             job he wants? I don't care who you are, you can't come in here!
             6 care for.  a look after, tend, attend (to), watch over,
             protect, take care of, provide for; nurse:  He cared for his
             ailing parents for about twenty years.  b like, fancy, be
             attracted to, be fond of, love, be keen on, be enamoured of:
             Jennifer admitted last night how much she cares for David.

   careen    v.  heel over, keel over; US loosely career, sway, tip, pitch,
             veer, swerve, lurch:  We hauled out the boat, careened her, and
             proceeded to caulk her seams.

   career    n.  1 employment, occupation, calling, vocation, pursuit,
             (life's) work, job, business, livelihood; profession, trade,
             craft, m‚tier:  She has made a career out of helping others. He
             is undecided whether to pursue a career in accountancy.

             --v.  2 speed, race, rush, dash, fly, tear, hurtle, bolt, shoot,
             Colloq zoom:  A bicycle came careering around the corner and
             knocked him down.

   carefree  adj.  nonchalant, easy, easygoing, insouciant, light-hearted,
             blithe, happy-go-lucky, breezy, airy; blas‚, indifferent,
             unconcerned, unworried, trouble-free, worry-free, contented,
             happy:  Till he graduated from university, he had lived an
             entirely carefree life.

   careful   adj.  1 cautious, wary, circumspect, chary, prudent, watchful,
             aware, alert, vigilant:  These days one cannot be too careful
             about walking in the city at night. 2 meticulous, painstaking,
             attentive, punctilious, (well-)organized, systematic, precise,
             fastidious, thorough, scrupulous, conscientious, particular,
             finicky, finical, fussy:  The police conducted a careful search
             for weapons.

   careless  adj.  1 unconcerned, untroubled, unworried, casual, indifferent,
             heedless, thoughtless, inconsiderate, uncaring, devil-may-care,
             irresponsible, cursory, lackadaisical, perfunctory:  No one
             could approve of the careless way he treats his family.  2
             inattentive, negligent, thoughtless, absent-minded, neglectful,
             remiss; unobservant, unthinking, imprudent, unmindful,
             incautious, unwary, reckless, slapdash, rash:  Many of the
             errors come from being careless.  3 inaccurate, imprecise,
             inexact, incorrect, wrong, error-ridden, erroneous, Colloq
             sloppy:  You won't get a good mark for such a careless paper.  4
             unstudied, ingenuous, artless, casual, nonchalant:  I dislike
             his careless way of dressing, but it does show some style.

   caress    n.  1 pat, stroke, fondling, blandishment; cuddle, embrace, hug;
             nuzzle, kiss:  He submitted willingly to her caresses.

             --v.  2 touch, pat, pet, fondle, stroke; cuddle, embrace, hug;
             nuzzle, kiss:  The kitten approached warily and Isabella
             caressed it.

   cargo     n.  shipment, consignment, shipload, truckload, wagon-load,
             load, trainload, US carload; freight, goods, merchandise:  The
             cargo of rifles was delivered to the warehouse. The ship was
             lost with all its cargo.

   caricature
             n.  1 cartoon, parody, burlesque, lampoon, satire, pasquinade,
             Colloq take-off, spoof, Brit send-up:  The cartoon in the
             newspaper showed a caricature of the Prime Minister.

             --v.  2 parody, satirize, lampoon, burlesque, ridicule, mock,
             distort, Colloq take off, Brit send up:  Hogarth caricatured
             Churchill in the form of a bear.

   carnage   n.  slaughter, butchery, massacre, blood bath, holocaust,
             killing, Shoah, Churban or Hurban:  The battle was fought with
             much carnage on both sides.

   carnal    adj.  fleshly, sensual, animal, bodily, lustful, voluptuous,
             libidinous, lecherous, concupiscent, sexual, erotic, lascivious,
             licentious, lewd, prurient:  She is intent on satisfying her
             carnal desires.

   carouse   v.  1 make merry, revel, Colloq party, pub-crawl, make whoopee,
             go on a bender or tear or binge or toot, paint the town red,
             binge, booze:  After the cup final, we all caroused till the wee
             hours.

             --n.  2 revel, spree, fling, wassail, carousal, drunk,
             bacchanal, Colloq binge, bender, booze, boozer, Brit knees-up,
             US tear, toot:  They go on a carouse on Burns Night every year,
             then need a day to sleep it off.

   carp      v.  find fault, criticize, cavil, complain, nag, pick at, pick
             on, bully, bullyrag or ballyrag, Colloq knock, pick holes (in),
             gripe, Brit whinge:  She said that she would leave him if he
             kept on carping at her about her cooking.

   carriage  n.  1 (railway) coach, US car:  We moved our belongings into the
             next carriage.  2 bearing, mien, air, manner, deportment,
             conduct, demeanour, attitude, posture, stance, presence,
             behaviour, comportment:  His upright carriage immediately
             identified him as a military man. 3 freight, freightage,
             transportation, cartage, shipping; postage:  Carriage is free
             within mainland Britain.

   carrier   n.  1 bearer, porter; transporter, drayman, shipper, haulier or
             US hauler; carter:  The company we use as a carrier is
             expensive.  2 transmitter, Immunology vector, US Typhoid Mary:
             She couldn't have caught the disease directly, only through some
             carrier.

   carry     v.  1 transport, convey, bear, lug, drag, cart, move, Colloq
             tote, Slang US schlep:  He shouldn't carry such heavy packages
             at his age.  2 conduct, convey, lead, take, transport, transfer,
             transmit:  This cable carries the power to the town.  3 drive,
             impel, conduct, convey, take, move:  He travelled aimlessly,
             wherever the wind carried his ship.  4 support, maintain,
             finance:  I had a wife and four children and was unable to carry
             my brother's family as well. 5 bear, hold up, uphold, maintain:
             Despite her troubles, she carried her head high.  6 win, take,
             sweep, capture, gain, secure:  She carried the election easily.
             7 stock, sell, offer; display:  We don't carry purple shoes in
             this shop, Madam.  8 broadcast, disseminate, offer, release;
             communicate, present, read, report, announce; give:  The news is
             carried on this station every night at nine.  9 carry away.
             transport, excite, enrapture, delight:  He was quite carried
             away by her attentions.  10 carry off.  a win, gain, capture,
             secure:  She managed to carry off the first prize for the third
             year running.  b abscond with, kidnap, take, purloin, Colloq
             Brit pinch, nick:  I'm afraid that some of your chickens have
             been carried off by a fox. c accomplish, perform, effect, do,
             succeed, handle or manage successfully, bring off, carry out:
             We carried off the raid without loss of a single man.  d kill,
             be or cause the death of, cause to die:  He was carried off by
             yellow fever in his eightieth year.  11 carry on.  a continue,
             proceed, go on, persist, keep on or at, persevere:  Don't stop -
             just carry on with what you were doing.  b manage, conduct,
             operate:  Despite the fire, we are carrying on our business as
             usual.  c misbehave, Colloq act up, fool around, Brit play up:
             The children are carrying on so, I can't get any work done.  12
             carry out or through. perform, effect, implement, complete,
             execute, accomplish, continue, conclude:  Henry is carrying out
             his father's wishes according to the terms of his will.

   cart      n.  1 handcart, pushcart, trolley, barrow, wagon or Brit also
             waggon:  You'll need a cart to carry all these things to the
             car.

             --v.  2 carry, convey, move, lug, drag, tote, transport, bring,
             haul, Colloq US schlep:  Why do you cart that heavy bag
             everywhere you go?

   carte blanche
             n.  licence, permission, sanction, free rein, authority,
             discretion:  She was given carte blanche to spend the money any
             way she wished.

   carve     v.  1 hew, cut, sculpt, sculpture, shape, chisel, model,
             fashion, engrave, incise, grave, whittle, chip:  The bust is
             carved out of solid marble.  2 Often, carve up or out. divide
             (up), cut (up), subdivide, apportion, parcel out, allot,
             partition:  The gang-leaders carved up the territory, and the
             killings stopped for a while.

   case°     n.  1 instance, example, event, occurrence; happening, occasion,
             circumstance, state, situation:  In a recent case a farmer was
             attacked by a man-eating tiger.  Holmes is investigating a case
             of a missing necklace. 2 action, suit, lawsuit, dispute; cause:
             I lost my case.  3 patient, invalid, victim:  Four new cases
             were admitted to the hospital yesterday.  4 specimen, instance,
             example:  Howard is an odd case, isn't he?  5 in any case. in
             any event, come what may, at all events, anyhow, anyway:  In any
             case, your decision won't affect me.  6 in case.  a lest, for
             fear that:  He was worried in case his wife found out where he
             had been.  b if, in the event that, if it happens or proves or
             turns out that, if it should happen or prove or turn out that:
             In case you were thinking of leaving, remember that we have your
             car keys. 7 in case of. in the event of; for fear of:  In case
             of fire, you must use the staircase. We insured the house in
             case of fire. 8 the case. the fact, the actuality, the truth,
             the reality, what really happened or took place:  She said he
             was drunk, but that's not the case.

   caseэ     n.  1 box, container, carton, crate; chest, holder, receptacle;
             trunk, suitcase, casket:  Please order two cases of paper for
             the copying machine. The cosmetics came in a fitted case lined
             in velvet. 2 covering, cover, protection, casing, envelope,
             wrapper:  The engraving was on the inside of the watch-case. The
             book came in a case of fine calfskin.

             --v.  3 encase, box, crate, pack, package, containerize:  The
             computer arrived, completely cased in rigid foam.

   cash      n.  1 money, currency, bills, notes, banknotes, change, hard
             cash or money, specie, coin of the realm, legal tender, Slang
             moolah, dough, bread, loot, spondulicks or spondulix, Brit
             lolly, ready, readies, US scratch, gelt, mazuma:  The shop
             accepts only cash, no charge cards.

             --v.  2 Also, cash in. change, sell, liquidate, exchange;
             realize:  She cashed some bonds to pay off the overdraft.

   casket    n.  1 chest, box, container, case, coffer, receptacle:  She
             keeps her jewels in a leather casket on the dressing-table.  2
             coffin; sarcophagus:  After the funeral, the pallbearers carried
             the casket from the church.

   cast      n.  1 throw, toss, pitch, shy, lob, thrust, chuck:  In his next
             cast, the bowler lightly struck the jack.  2 dramatis personae,
             actors and actresses, players, performers, troupe, company:  We
             invited the cast to a party after the show.  3 form, shape,
             mould; formation, formulation, arrangement:  She can appreciate
             the turn of the phrase, the happy cast and flow of the sentence.
             4 model, casting, mould; stamp, type:  The Ming vase was copied
             from a cast. There are not many men of the cast of Crocker. 5
             twist, turn, irregularity, warp; squint:  The mare had a cast in
             her gallop. The pirate had a cast in his left eye. 6 turn,
             inclination, bent, hint, touch; tinge, tint, colouring:  He has
             a melancholy cast of mind.

             --v.  7 throw, toss, pitch, fling, sling, hurl, dash, send,
             Colloq chuck, shy:  She tore off the gold necklace and cast it
             into the lake.  8 assign, delegate, appoint, designate, name,
             nominate, choose, pick, select:  He has cast me as the villain
             in his little drama.  9 form, mould, found:  The king's
             death-mask, cast in plaster, was on the floor of the tomb. 10
             cast about for. search for, look for, seek:  He was casting
             about for an excuse to avoid going to the Fordyces' for dinner.
             11 cast aside. reject, discard, cast or throw away or out, get
             rid of:  The expensive toys had been cast aside and the children
             were playing with the boxes and wrappings. 12 cast away. maroon,
             shipwreck:  Jim O'Shea was cast away upon an Indian isle.  13
             cast off. throw off, shed, doff:  One's upbringing cannot be
             cast off like an old overcoat.  14 cast out. expel, drive out,
             throw out, evict, eject, oust, exile, remove, cast aside:  She
             was cast out of the house by her mother, who had married a
             biker.

   castaway  n.  reject, cast-off, outcast, pariah, exile:  She always looked
             after the moral well-being of the castaways of society.

   caste     n.  (social) class, rank, order, level, stratum, standing,
             position, station, status, estate:  The women of her caste
             practised suttee.

   castigate v.  chastise, punish, correct, penalize, discipline, rebuke,
             reprimand, read (someone) the riot act, keelhaul, chasten,
             criticize, Colloq tell off, dress down, Chiefly Brit tick off,
             Brit carpet, haul over the coals, US and Canadian chew out, rake
             over the coals, put or call on or on to the carpet:  They were
             castigated in the press for their extravagant lifestyle.

   castle    n.  1 fortress, stronghold, citadel:  The king moved to Windsor
             Castle during the winter.  2 mansion, palace, manor-house, hall,
             chѓteau:  Mr Mooney lives alone in his castle and has nothing to
             do with his neighbours.

   casual    adj.  1 accidental, chance, random, fortuitous, unexpected,
             unforeseen, unpremeditated, unplanned, unforeseeable,
             unpredictable, serendipitous:  It was only a casual remark, but
             it was taken very seriously.  We interviewed casual passers-by.
             2 uncertain, unsure, haphazard, occasional, random, irregular,
             unsystematic, sporadic, erratic:  The budget includes provision
             for both certain and casual revenues.  3 indifferent,
             nonchalant, offhand, insouciant, apathetic, cool, unconcerned,
             uninterested, pococurante, dispassionate, blas‚, relaxed,
             lackadaisical:  He may seem casual, but he is genuinely
             concerned about the patients.  4 informal; lounge:  Dinner dress
             is not required: you may come in casual clothes.  5 offhand,
             happy-go-lucky, natural, easy, easygoing, devil-may-care,
             unconcerned, relaxed, d‚gag‚, unconstrained:  Phil is quite
             casual about losing money at roulette.

   casualty  n.  1 disaster, catastrophe, calamity, accident, mischance,
             misadventure, mishap:  The company insures against casualties at
             sea.  2 a victim, fatality, Colloq statistic:  I'm afraid that
             Jeff was a casualty of last year's cut in personnel.  She was
             only one of thousands of casualties of the earthquake. b
             Usually, casualties.  Chiefly military wounded, injured,
             missing, missing in action, dead, fatalities, US MIA(s), body
             count:  The casualties were mounting.

   catastrophe
             n.  1 disaster, calamity, cataclysm:  The eruption of Vesuvius
             was one of the major catastrophes in recorded history. 2
             misfortune, bad luck, shock, blow, tragedy, disaster; mishap,
             mischance, misadventure, accident, fiasco, failure:  Cook
             reported a catastrophe with the layer cake.

   catch     v.  1 capture, seize, apprehend, take or get (hold of), grab,
             grip, grasp, take captive, hold, arrest, take prisoner, Colloq
             nab, pinch, collar, Brit nick:  The police caught him when he
             returned to the scene of the crime.  2 trap, ensnare, entrap,
             snare, net, bag, hook, round up, corral:  We caught three trout
             this morning. I caught all the horses that had broken through
             the fence. 3 take, get on or on to, board:  You can catch the
             London train at Aylesbury.  4 surprise, discover, find:  They
             fired him after catching him with his hand in the till.  5 be
             seized or taken hold of by or with, come down with, be afflicted
             by or with, contract, get, suffer from:  You'll catch a cold if
             you don't wear a hat.  6 strike, hit, deliver, fetch, box:  She
             caught him a great blow on the ear and he went down.  7 tangle,
             become entangled or stuck or trapped or hooked:  His foot caught
             in the stirrup when he fell, and he was dragged along. 8
             restrain, stop, check, curb:  She caught herself before telling
             the police where the thief was hiding. 9 intercept, grab, seize,
             snatch:  He caught the ball before it touched the ground.  10
             understand, see, comprehend, grasp, apprehend, fathom, perceive,
             discern, follow, take in, gather, Colloq figure out, get, catch
             on (to), get the drift (of), Brit twig:  I didn't quite catch
             what you said - please can you repeat it? 11 captivate, charm,
             bewitch, enchant, fascinate, seduce, attract, entice, allure:
             She knows how to use her charms to catch a man.  12 attract,
             draw:  A very slight movement caught my eye.  13 catch on.  a
             understand, grasp, see (through), comprehend, get (it), Brit
             twig:  I didn't catch on to what she planned to do it till it
             was too late. The joke's on you and you still don't catch on, do
             you? b take hold, succeed, become popular or fashionable:  Do
             you think the hula hoop will catch on again?  14 catch up.  a
             absorb, involve, enthrall, immerse:  He was completely caught up
             in the plot of the new novel.  b reach, overtake, overhaul:  I
             finally caught up with her as she neared the house.

             --n.  15 capture, take, bag, prize, trophy:  The catch of the
             day was a 20-pound pike.  16 acquisition; conquest:  She was
             considered quite a catch.  17 clasp, hook, pin, clip, fastening,
             fastener:  The catch on the necklace opened and pearls spilt all
             over the floor. 18 trick, disadvantage, hitch, snag, fly in the
             ointment, catch-22, trap, problem, drawback , Colloq US hooker:
             The first book is free, but the catch is that you have to buy
             four more at the regular price.

   catching  adj.  1 contagious, infectious, transmissible, transmittable,
             communicable:  The doctor said that what I have is not catching.
             2 attractive, captivating, fascinating, enchanting, bewitching,
             entrancing, winning, enticing, alluring, fetching:  The strange
             object in the shop window was most catching to the eye of a
             passer-by.

   categorical
             adj.  direct, explicit, express, unconditional, firm, positive,
             unreserved, unrestricted, absolute, outright, downright,
             unequivocal, unambiguous, specific; emphatic, unqualified,
             authoritative, dogmatic, Technical apodeictic or apodictic:  His
             denial was clear and categorical.

   categorize
             v.  classify, class, sort, organize, assort, rank, order,
             section, departmentalize, group, arrange:  Should plankton be
             categorized under zoology or botany?

   category  n.  class, classification, type, sort, kind, variety, group,
             grouping, listing, rank, ranking, list, grade, department,
             division, section, sector, area, sphere; head, heading:  Into
             which category would you put the partially disabled?

   cater     v.  1 provision, victual; purvey, provide:  We cater exclusively
             for housebound gourmets.  2 cater for or to. indulge, humour,
             serve, dance attendance on, pamper, baby, coddle, minister to,
             spoil, mollycoddle, cosset, pander to:  She caters for him night
             and day. Our music group caters for all levels of ability.

   catholic  adj.  universal, general, inclusive, all-inclusive, broad, wide,
             comprehensive, widespread, all-embracing, eclectic, liberal:
             Her musical tastes are catholic - they range from Bach to Berry
             (Chuck, that is).

   cattle    n.  livestock, stock, beef; cows, bulls, bullocks, steers,
             bovines, oxen:  He spent 20 years as a cowboy, herding cattle in
             Texas.

   cause     n.  1 origin, occasion, source, root, genesis, agent, prime
             mover, well-spring:  The cause of the train crash is not yet
             known.  2 originator, creator, producer, agent, agency:  His
             indecision was the cause of many of our problems.  3 ground or
             grounds, justification, reason, basis, call, motive:  You have
             no cause to be dissatisfied.  4 case, matter, issue, concern;
             movement, undertaking; ideal, belief:  We appealed the miners'
             cause to the high court.

             --v.  5 make, induce:  What causes hot air to rise?  6 effect,
             bring on or about, give rise to, result in, produce, create,
             precipitate, occasion, lead to, induce, generate, provoke,
             promote; engender; motivate, compel:  Overeating causes
             indigestion.

   caustic   adj.  1 burning, corrosive, destructive, mordant, astringent:
             Sulphuric acid is the caustic agent that eats away the metal.  2
             sarcastic, biting, acrimonious, sharp, bitter, biting, sardonic,
             cutting, trenchant, critical, scathing, acid, harsh, pungent,
             virulent:  His caustic remarks do not earn him many friends.

   caution   n.  1 warning, admonition, admonishment, caveat, monition,
             advice, counsel, injunction:  A word of caution is needed before
             you go ahead.  2 wariness, prudence, care, vigilance,
             forethought, heed, watchfulness, alertness, circumspection,
             discretion:  Drivers should exercise extra caution in bad
             weather.

             --v.  3 warn, admonish, forewarn, tip (off); advise, counsel:
             Some employees had to be cautioned about arriving on time.

   cautious  adj.  wary, heedful, careful, prudent, circumspect, watchful,
             vigilant, alert, circumspect, discreet, guarded:  They were very
             cautious about letting their children go out on their own.

   cave      n.  1 cavern, grotto, hollow, hole, cavity, den:  In the cave
             were prehistoric wall paintings.

             --v.  2 cave in.  a collapse, break down, give way, subside,
             fall in or inwards:  The earthquake caused the walls of the
             house to cave in.  b yield, submit, give way; surrender; Colloq
             buckle, knuckle under:  After eight hours of questioning, he
             caved in and told them everything.

   cavil     n.  1 quibble, complaint:  There is a minor cavil at the wording
             of the statutes.

             --v.  2 carp, quibble, split hairs, complain, find fault,
             censure, criticize, dispute, object, demur, Colloq nit-pick:
             They cavilled at a mere misspelling.

   cavity    n.  pit, hole, hollow, opening, crater, gap; space:  The
             limestone is marked with a pattern of cavities. Vowel sounds
             resonate in the oral cavity.

   cavort    v.  curvet, prance, caper, frisk, bound, gambol, romp, skip,
             leap, jump, dance:  Stop cavorting about and settle down.

3.2 cease...
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   cease     v.  1 stop, end, finish, leave off, terminate, halt,
             discontinue, desist (from), break off (from), refrain (from):
             Will that noise never cease?

             --n.  2 without cease. ceaselessly, endlessly, unendingly,
             incessantly, interminably, continuously, continually,
             constantly, ad infinitum, infinitely, perpetually, forever,
             eternally, everlastingly, non-stop, unremittingly:  Sisyphus was
             condemned to roll his burden uphill without cease.

   cede      v.  yield, give way, give up, grant, give, surrender, deliver
             up, turn or make or hand over, convey, transfer, relinquish,
             abandon, renounce, abdicate:  Let private concerns always cede
             to the common good. The territory was ceded to our government in
             1792.

   celebrant n.  officiant, official; priest:  The celebrant at High Mass was
             the archbishop.

   celebrate v.  1 hold, perform, solemnize, ritualize, observe, keep,
             honour, officiate at; sanctify, hallow, consecrate, dedicate:
             The archbishop himself celebrated holy communion.  2 rejoice (in
             or at), memorialize; have a party, revel, make merry, wassail,
             Colloq party, paint the town red, whoop it up:  The entire town
             celebrated the opening of the bridge with a huge party. 3 extol,
             praise, exalt, glorify, laud, eulogize, honour; lionize:  She
             was widely celebrated for her achievements.  4 publicize,
             advertise, broadcast:  The stones themselves would find a Voice,
             To celebrate his Praise.

   celebrated
             adj.  famous, renowned, well-known, famed, prominent, noted,
             eminent, noteworthy, distinguished, illustrious, acclaimed:
             Their son became a celebrated brain surgeon.

   celebration
             n.  1 observance, observation, performance, solemnization,
             hallowing, sanctification, memorialization, commemoration:  The
             celebration of the Eucharist was delayed because the vicar had
             been called to a sickbed. 2 praising, extolling, honouring:  The
             ceremony was a celebration of their achievements in space
             exploration. 3 party, f€te, gala, festivities, frolic, revelry,
             merrymaking:  The New Year's celebration is planned at Jill's
             house this year.

   celebrity n.  1 renown, fame, repute, reputation, prominence, eminence,
             distinction, prestige, famousness, popularity, notability,
             stardom; notoriety:  Dr Johnson was not enriched in proportion
             to his celebrity.  2 notable, dignitary, star, luminary, toast
             of the town, personage, name, personality, superstar:  The hotel
             lobby was packed with celebrities from show business.

   celestial adj.  1 heavenly, divine, spiritual, godly, paradisiac(al) or
             paradisaic, sublime, empyrean, Elysian, ethereal, immortal,
             supernatural:  They worshipped Jupiter and other celestial
             beings.  2 astronomical, astral:  We studied celestial
             navigation and how to use a sextant.

   celibacy  n.  1 bachelorhood, spinsterhood, singleness:  People who say
             they enjoy celibacy may simply have not met the right partner. 2
             chastity, virginity, continence, (self-)restraint, abstinence,
             purity:  They have to take a vow of celibacy before entering the
             priesthood.

   celibate  adj.  1 unmarried, single, unwed:  Both brother and sister
             remained celibate all their lives.  2 abstinent, abstemious,
             continent, ascetic; virgin(al), pure, chaste, unsullied,
             undefiled, virtuous, immaculate:  He led the celibate life of a
             monk for twenty years.

             --n.  3 bachelor, spinster:  She belonged to an order of female
             celibates.

   cell      n.  chamber, room, apartment, cubicle; stall:  As a friar, he
             lived in a small, plain cell for most of his life.

   cellar    n.  basement, vault:  She led me down to the cellar to show me
             her wine collection.

   cement    n.  1 mortar, bond, glue, gum, paste, solder; adhesive:  You'll
             need a special kind of cement to stick metal to glass.

             --v.  2 stick, glue, paste, solder, weld, braze, bond; join,
             bind, combine, unite; cohere, hold, cling, adhere:  First cement
             the tiles to the wall. The ashes and cinders cement readily into
             a compact mass.

   central   adj.  1 middle, medial, median; inner, inside:  The central
             reservation between the carriageways will be planted with
             bushes. 2 main, principal, important, chief, key, leading,
             dominant, prime, primary, pre-eminent, cardinal, significant,
             essential:  Odysseus is the central figure of the poem.

   centre    n.  1 middle, core, heart; nucleus, focal point, hub, pivot,
             nave; mid-point:  He stood in the centre of the road. We
             journeyed to the centre of the earth. The tower is at the centre
             of the market square. The amount to be paid was at the centre of
             the controversy. Mark the centre of the line.

             --v.  2 focus, converge, meet, concentrate, cluster:  The
             business of the meeting centred on the nomination of a
             chairperson.  All my hopes were centred on getting the job as
             supervisor.

   ceremonial
             adj.  1 ritual, celebratory, commemorative:  We followed the
             ceremonial procession.  2 formal, solemn, stately, dignified;
             ceremonious, august:  The ceremonial robes of his office were
             white. The ceremonial rites of passage involve many
             participants.

             --n.  3 rite, ritual, formality, ceremony, service, observance:
             These are the ceremonials prescribed in the Anglican service.

   ceremonious
             adj.  1 ceremonial, formal, dignified, solemn, Colloq stuffy,
             stiff, starchy:  There are many ceremonious procedures involved
             in a coronation.  2 courtly, courteous, polite, civil, correct,
             proper, conventional, punctilious, careful:  He entered the room
             and made a ceremonious bow.

   ceremony  n.  1 rite, observance, solemnity, service, ceremonial, ritual,
             formality, function; obsequies:  I had to attend my
             grandmother's funeral ceremony and was absent from school. 2
             motions, formalities or formality, conventions or convention,
             niceties, proprieties, form, protocol; lip-service, appearances,
             pro formas, etiquette, decorum:  Going through the ceremony is
             all they want - they don't care what you believe. Please sign
             even if only for ceremony's sake.

   certain   adj.  1 determined, set, fixed, predetermined, decided, settled,
             firm, stable, invariable, established, standard, constant,
             unchanging, steady, unfluctuating, non-fluctuating, traditional:
             He agreed to pay a certain yearly rent. She met him there every
             day at a certain time. 2 sure, unerring, definite, dependable,
             trustworthy, unfailing, infallible, reliable, assured,
             guaranteed:  How do you know that the dividend is certain?  3
             sure, inevitable, inescapable, destined, predestined,
             ineluctable, inexorable, unavoidable, definite, firm;
             unchanging, changeless, infallible, permanent, Colloq on the
             cards, a sure thing, US in the cards:  It is not always certain
             that justice will triumph. Nothing is certain but death and
             taxes. 4 indubitable, indisputable, undisputed, undoubted, sure,
             doubtless, unequivocal, incontestable, undeniable,
             incontrovertible, absolute, irrefutable, unquestionable,
             unquestioned, unarguable, valid:  It is certain only that we
             exist, according to Descartes.  5 confident; assured, sure,
             positive, definite:  I am certain that she did not steal the
             money.  6 specific, particular, definite; unnamed, unspecified,
             non-specified, non-specific:  He gave us certain information
             which we now have reason to doubt.

   certainty n.  1 fact, actuality, reality, truth, Colloq sure thing:  I
             would not advise you to neglect a certainty for something
             doubtful.  2 assurance, self-assurance, definiteness,
             confidence, conviction, faith, authoritativeness, positiveness,
             certitude:  The certainty with which he played the card showed
             he expected it to be a winner. 3 for a certainty. assuredly,
             definitely, certainly, surely, positively; undoubtedly,
             indubitably, without (a) doubt, undeniably, unquestionably,
             absolutely, Colloq for sure:  I know for a certainty that I
             cannot fly.

   certify   v.  1 confirm, attest (to), verify, testify (to), affirm, aver,
             asseverate, corroborate, substantiate, endorse, guarantee,
             warrant; swear (to), bear witness (to), vouchsafe, vouch (for):
             I will certify the accuracy of the report. She certified that
             she was the owner of the car. 2 declare, classify, establish,
             confirm:  The magistrate certified the man insane.

3.3 chafe...
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   chafe     v.  1 rub, warm (up), heat (up):  I took the chill off my hands
             by chafing them a bit.  2 rub, abrade, fret, gall, irritate,
             make sore:  The skin is very tender where it was chafed.  3
             fume, rage, seethe; ruffle, vex, fret, irritate:  I chafed in
             impotent rage and exasperation at the ridiculous regulations.
             To chafe and vex me is a part of her nature.

             --n.  4 sore, abrasion, bruise, soreness, irritation:  The
             saddle caused a chafe on the inside of my thigh.

   chaff     n.  1 banter, raillery, ridicule, badinage, joking, teasing,
             twitting, Colloq kidding, ragging, Chiefly US and Canadian
             joshing:  After the speech, he had to put up with a lot of
             good-natured chaff from the audience.

             --v.  2 banter, tease, twit, rail at, Colloq kid, rag, Chiefly
             US and Canadian josh:  When he was in the navy, his family
             chaffed him for having a girl in every port.

   chain     n.  1 string, series, combination; sequence, succession, train,
             course, set, concatenation:  He owns a chain of bookshops.
             Interruption of the food chain can cause serious ecological
             consequences. A curious chain of circumstances led me to a small
             hotel at Torquay in February. 2 restraint, check, trammel,
             control, confinement, fetter, bond, manacle, shackle, gyve:  The
             family finally threw off the chains of poverty.

             --v.  3 shackle, secure, fasten, bind, gyve; confine, fetter,
             restrain, confine, restrict, tie, limit:  Prometheus was chained
             to a rock as punishment for having brought fire to man.
             Marguerite felt chained after twenty years of marriage.

   chair     n.  1 seat, armchair, stool, bench, easy chair, rocking-chair:
             He offered me a chair so I sat down.  2 throne, bench, position,
             cathedra, authority; professorship, directorship:  Sue has been
             offered a chair on the board.  3 chairperson, chairman,
             chairwoman, presiding officer, leader, moderator:  The chair
             ruled on the matter after due consideration.

             --v.  4 preside, lead, govern, moderate, run, direct, manage,
             oversee:  Katherine will chair the meetings during the absence
             of the president.

   challenge v.  1 question, dispute, defy, object to, take exception to,
             contest, doubt, call into doubt, call into or to question,
             impugn:  I challenge the validity of your accusation.  2 invite,
             dare, summon, call out, provoke:  The duke was challenged to a
             duel.  3 brave, dare, confront, defy, contest:  We could
             challenge criticism with an easy confidence.

             --n.  4 question, dispute, doubt:  His opinions are open to
             challenge.  5 invitation, dare, summons, provocation,
             confrontation, defiance; ultimatum:  An older opponent might not
             have issued such a challenge.  6 problem, demand, stimulation,
             trial, test:  Are you sure that Mr Wilson will be able to meet
             the challenge of the new position?

   chamber   n.  1 assembly, body, legislature, judicature, house, congress,
             judiciary, senate, diet; consortium:  She is entitled to sit in
             the Upper Chamber.  2 meeting-hall, reception room, assembly
             room:  The council chamber was packed with people.  3
             compartment, niche, nook, cavity:  We hid the gold in a small
             chamber in the cave.  4 room, apartment; bedroom, bedchamber:
             On the first floor are the magnificent royal chambers.

   champion  n.  1 victor, winner, conqueror, title-holder, prizewinner,
             titleist:  She is the women's singles champion for the fourth
             year in a row.  2 defender, guardian, protector, hero,
             supporter, backer, protagonist, advocate:  He acquired a
             reputation as champion of the low-paid.  3 fighter, combatant,
             hero, warrior, campaigner, veteran:  A stouter champion never
             handled a sword. The boar is often regarded as the champion
             among beasts.

             --v.  4 defend, protect, guard; support, back, stand up for,
             fight for, maintain, sustain, uphold; espouse, forward, promote,
             advocate:  He has always championed the cause of the underdog.

   chance    n.  1 fortune, luck, fate:  We met, as chance would have it, at
             the supermarket. Life is but a game of chance for those who
             cannot control their destiny. 2 opportunity, time, turn;
             occasion:  You have had your chance to return the money, now it
             is too late.  3 Also, chances. likelihood, probability,
             prospect, odds, certainty, predictability; conceivability,
             possibility:  Chances are that he'll be late. The chance of
             winning the lottery is pretty remote. 4 Also, chances. risk,
             speculation, gamble:  You are taking a chance going out there
             without a weapon. I'll take my chances. 5 by chance.  a
             accidentally, unintentionally, inadvertently:  By chance the
             witness saw him talking to the suspect.  b perhaps, maybe,
             possibly, conceivably:  Have you by chance a match?

             --adj.  6 casual, incidental, accidental, unintentional,
             inadvertent; unplanned, unpremeditated, unexpected, unforeseen;
             unlooked-for:  The affair began with a chance meeting at a pub.

             --v.  7 happen; occur, come to pass, take place, come about;
             befall, betide:  We chanced to see him jogging in the park. It
             chanced that a passer-by called the police. 8 risk, hazard;
             imperil, endanger, jeopardize, stake, bet, wager:  Few would
             chance severe penalties or jail by lying on a tax return.  Don't
             chance everything you've worked for!

   change    n.  1 substitution, replacement, exchange, interchange, switch:
             You have five minutes for a change of costume. This sunny
             weather is certainly a change for the better. 2 variation,
             difference, switch, variety, novelty:  We prefer to live where
             there is a change of the seasons, not in the tropics. 3
             variation, alteration, change-over, mutation, shift, modulation,
             modification, transformation, metamorphosis, revolution:  I
             can't believe the change that has come over Betty since the
             divorce. 4 coin(s), coppers, silver; (hard) cash:  I need some
             change for the coffee machine.

             --v.  5 exchange, interchange, switch, trade; replace (with),
             substitute, Colloq swap or swop:  I won't be a minute, I just
             want to change my shoes. I'd like to change this shirt for a
             larger size. 6 modify, alter, modulate; mutate, transform,
             metamorphose:  Antoinette has changed since her marriage. I
             never thought anyone would be able to make her change her mind.
             7 fluctuate, shift, vary; vacillate:  The temperature often
             changes very rapidly here.  8 change to or into. turn into,
             become, transform, mutate, transmute, convert, metamorphose:
             The alchemists tried to change base metal into gold. Every
             winter changes into spring - sooner or later.

   changeable
             adj.  1 variable, mutable, protean, inconstant, unstable,
             unsettled, shifting, uncertain, irregular, uneven,
             unpredictable, labile, capricious, erratic, fickle, unreliable,
             undependable, mercurial, volatile:  The weather has been
             changeable for the past week.  2 alterable, modifiable,
             transformable, convertible:  Their meeting-places were
             changeable and known only to them.

   changeless
             adj.  1 unchanging, unvaried, eternal, permanent, fixed, stable;
             unchangeable, immutable, unalterable, inevitable, uniform:  We
             studied photographs of the changeless Martian landscape. The
             fundamental truths of the Gospel are changeless. 2 abiding,
             permanent, constant, perpetual, everlasting, steadfast,
             unvarying, unchanging:  Nothing could alter my changeless love
             for you.

   channel   n.  1 watercourse, canal, waterway, ditch, aqueduct, sluice,
             trench, trough, gutter, moat; river-bed, stream-bed:  The
             engineers dug a channel to drain the swamp.  2 strait, narrows,
             neck:  The English Channel connects the North Sea with the
             Atlantic Ocean.  3 furrow, groove, flute:  The channels cut into
             this column are not straight.  4 course, means, way, approach,
             avenue, medium, path, artery, conduit:  We have to open a new
             channel of communication with the terrorists.

             --v.  5 direct, convey, pass, guide, lead, conduct:  Their
             grievances are being channelled through the information officer.

   chant     n.  1 song, psalm, hymn, canticle, plainsong, plainchant,
             mantra, paean, dirge, monody, descant, carol; singsong:  The war
             chant of the natives, echoing over the water, struck fear into
             their enemies.

             --v.  2 sing, intone, descant, carol:  The choir chanted the
             verses of a lugubrious threnody.

   chaos     n.  formlessness, disorder, confusion; pandemonium, bedlam,
             turmoil, tumult; entropy:  The universe arose out of chaos. If
             you want to see chaos, look in any teenager's bedroom. There was
             chaos as the bank closed its doors and ceased trading.

   chaotic   adj.  1 formless, shapeless, incoherent, disordered, disorderly,
             disorganized, unorganized, unsystematic, unsystematized,
             unmethodical, haphazard, irregular, helter-skelter, confused,
             topsy-turvy, jumbled, higgledy-piggledy, Brit shambolic:  The
             present solar system is thought to have condensed from a chaotic
             mass of nebulous matter. The rules may seem chaotic at first
             sight. 2 tumultuous, noisy, clamorous, uproarious, wild,
             riotous, frenzied, hectic, turbulent, unstuck:  The press
             conference became chaotic when the president announced his
             resignation.

   chap      n.  fellow, lad, man, boy, Colloq guy, geezer, customer, gink,
             Brit bloke, Australian cove, US buddy, gazabo or gazebo;
             Old-fashioned Brit (old) egg, (old) bean, (old) crumpet, (old)
             boy; Slang US bozo:  I went with some of the chaps from the
             club.

   character n.  1 brand, stamp, mark, symbol, monogram, insigne, badge,
             emblem, sign, seal, label; letter, number, figure, type, sort,
             arbitrary, peculiar, rune, hieroglyphic or hieroglyph:  They
             used to brand the character of a horse on the forehead of their
             slaves. We shall need to obtain a set of Cyrillic characters if
             we are going to print Russian texts. 2 characteristic, quality,
             distinction, trait, feature, mark; sort, kind, type, nature,
             description, attribute; idiosyncrasy, peculiarity:  He now tried
             to give the war the character of a crusade. It is the character
             of some people to be curious. 3 morality, honesty, integrity,
             respectability, rectitude, honour, courage, goodness:  Everyone
             agrees that she is a person of outstanding character.  4 person,
             personage, personality, individual:  Cobbett had more sagacity
             and foresight than any other public character of his time. 5
             role, part, personality, characterization, dramatis persona:  He
             played the character of Caesar.  6 eccentric, card, Colloq
             oddball, nut, nutter, loony, bat, weirdo, nutcase, screwball,
             crackpot, fruit cake, Australian and old-fashioned Brit cove:
             She was regarded as quite a character because of her many
             strange habits. 7 role, position, status, capacity:  He assumes
             the character of a Dutch uncle when he speaks to me.  8 in
             character. fitting, proper, suitable, in keeping, typical,
             normal, expected, characteristic:  It is completely in character
             for Len to criticize everything he encounters. 9 out of
             character. untypical, atypical, uncharacteristic, abnormal,
             unexpected, unfitting:  It would be out of character for Janet
             to refuse help to someone in need.

   characteristic
             adj.  1 typical, representative; emblematic, symbolic,
             distinctive, idiosyncratic, symptomatic:  How characteristic it
             is of them to refuse to go to the dance!  These subjects are
             characteristic of the early Impressionists.

             --n.  2 mark, trait, attribute, feature, quality, property,
             peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, character, earmark:  It is a
             characteristic of bees to swarm.

   characterize
             v.  delineate, describe, portray, depict, represent, define,
             brand, label, mark, note, identify:  She has consistently
             characterized him as a buffoon. 'Virago' is the term that would
             best characterize Felicity.

   charade   n.  travesty, absurdity, mockery, farce, parody:  He has made a
             charade of what could have been a serious relationship.

   charge    n.  1 load, burden, weight, onus, impediment; care, concern,
             obligation:  She feared that she would become a charge on her
             children.  2 price, fee, cost:  What is the charge for
             admission?  3 debt, debit, expense, assessment, liability:  Any
             charge against the estate of the deceased will be paid in full.
             4 care, custody, protection, guardianship, wardship,
             supervision, jurisdiction, control, responsibility, safe
             keeping:  We left the children in the charge of Nanny and Nanny
             in charge of the children. 5 order, mandate, injunction,
             precept, command, dictate, direction, instruction, demand,
             exhortation:  The judge's charge to the jury was to ignore the
             evidence given by the caretaker. 6 accusation, imputation,
             indictment, allegation:  The charge is murder. The police
             decided to drop the charges against him. 7 attack, onset,
             action, assault, sally, raid, foray, sortie:  At the signal the
             cavalry began their charge.

             --v.  8 fill, imbue, load, instil, pervade, permeate, saturate,
             suffuse:  The air was highly charged with a stench from the
             kitchen.  9 burden, entrust, commission, assign; afflict, tax:
             He was charged with the supervision of all the military schools.
             10 command, order, bid, enjoin, exhort, urge, require, instruct,
             direct:  I charge you not to speak of this matter to anyone.  11
             blame, censure, accuse; indict, cite, name; allege, assert:  She
             charged him with being a hypocrite. He has been charged with
             assault. It is charged that she was present at the commission of
             the crime. 12 bill, invoice, assess, debit:  Please charge these
             items to my account. Do not charge me for merchandise not
             shipped. 13 ask, demand, claim, require, expect:  How much do
             they charge for asparagus at the supermarket?  14 attack,
             assault, storm, assail, do battle (with):  Four thousand
             horsemen stood ready to charge the enemy.

   charitable
             adj.  1 generous, liberal, bountiful, munificent, unselfish,
             open-handed, magnanimous, philanthropic, public-spirited,
             unsparing, eleemosynary:  Despite her income, Irena has always
             been most charitable when it comes to worthwhile causes. 2
             well-disposed, kindly, kind, beneficent, benevolent,
             well-wishing, lenient, tolerant, forgiving, indulgent,
             understanding, compassionate, humane, sympathetic, considerate,
             well-meaning, good:  They took a charitable view of the matter
             and decided not to press charges.

   charity   n.  1 generosity, alms-giving, munificence, liberality,
             open-handedness, magnanimity, beneficence, philanthropy,
             unselfishness, humanity, humanitarianism, good will:  Your
             charity towards this hospital has been unequalled by any other
             donor, Sir Keith. 2 leniency, big-heartedness,
             large-heartedness, benevolence, magnanimity, indulgence,
             considerateness, consideration, compassion, understanding,
             sympathy, kind-heartedness:  We are all urged to show charity
             towards those who wrong us.  3 alms, donation, contribution,
             largesse, Colloq Brit dole, US welfare, relief:  I want the
             opportunity to work, not the government's charity.

   charm     n.  1 amulet, talisman, fetish, rabbit's foot, good-luck piece:
             She wears a charm to ward off evil spirits.  2 attractiveness,
             appeal, fascination, allure, magnetism, desirability, elegance,
             urbanity, sophistication, sophisticatedness, suavity, grace,
             refinement, cultivatedness, cultivation, culture, polish; magic,
             enchantment, spell, sorcery:  To Diderot we go not for charm of
             style but for a store of fertile ideas. To get ahead Colin
             relies more on his charm than on his ability. 3 charms. beauty,
             attractiveness, pulchritude, prettiness, handsomeness, appeal,
             allure, magnetism, pull, draw:  For all her charm, I would not
             trust her one inch.  4 like a charm. successfully, perfectly,
             miraculously, marvellously, extraordinarily, especially well:
             His appeal to their egos worked like a charm.

             --v.  5 influence, control, subdue, bind, put a spell on,
             bewitch, enchant, seduce, hypnotize, mesmerize, enthral or US
             enthrall, captivate, delight, fascinate, Literary enrapture:  He
             charmed them with some tale and they gave him their money.  6
             overcome, subdue, calm, soothe, allay, assuage, hypnotize,
             mesmerize:  Music is said to have qualities capable of charming
             savages.

   charmed   adj.  1 bewitched, spellbound, enchanted, magical:  Apollonius
             considered the use of charmed rings essential to quackery.  2
             fortified, protected:  He must lead a charmed life to have
             survived all those battles.  3 pleased, delighted, enchanted,
             happy:  I am charmed to meet you at last, Madam President.

   charmer   n.  enchanter, enchantress, sorcerer, sorceress, magician; vamp,
             siren, Circe, Cleopatra, Lorelei, temptress, seductress;
             seducer, Romeo, Valentino, Don Juan, Lothario, Casanova,
             lady-killer, ladies' man; flatterer; smooth talker, Colloq
             (big-time) operator, con artist or man, Old-fashioned smoothie,
             wolf:  Charlotte has run off with some charmer she met at a
             party.

   chart     n.  1 sea-chart, map:  According to the chart, we are fifty
             miles west of the Lizard.  2 map, table, tabulation, graph,
             diagram; blueprint:  A weather chart appears on page 23. Here is
             a chart of the highest-yielding unit trusts. She drew up a
             genealogical chart of the descendants of Queen Victoria.

             --v.  3 plot, plan, map (out), design:  He charted a course of
             action for the company. Have you charted the shortest route
             between Gibraltar and Cyprus?

   charter   n.  1 document, contract, compact, agreement, covenant:  This
             year we again commemorate the signing of the United Nations
             charter. 2 permit, permission, licence or US license, authority,
             franchise, right, privilege, concession:  He was given an
             exclusive charter to export furs in 1679.  3 lease, contract:
             We have the yacht under charter for the summer.

             --v.  4 license, authorize, document, commission, approve,
             certify, franchise, qualify; recognize:  He is a chartered
             accountant, she a chartered surveyor.  5 let, lease, rent, hire,
             engage, contract:  I chartered the sloop for three weeks.

   chase     n.  1 hunting, hunt, pursuit:  Police dogs entered the chase and
             the prisoner was finally caught.  2 run after, follow, pursue,
             track, go (out) after; court, woo:  The police were chasing a
             man down the street. Stop chasing women and settle down. 3 chase
             away, off, out, etc. rout, put to flight, hound; drive away,
             off, out, etc.:  I chased the cat away from the birdcage.

   chaste    adj.  1 pure, virginal, virgin, celibate, abstinent, continent,
             virtuous, undefiled, stainless, unstained, unsullied,
             unblemished, decent, clean, good, wholesome, moral:  Only a
             knight who was wholly chaste would find the Grail.  2 subdued,
             severe, restrained, unadorned, austere, unembellished, simple,
             pure, undecorated, clean:  In some respects, modern architecture
             emulates the chaste style of the ancient Egyptians.

   chasten   v.  1 discipline, correct, chastise, punish, castigate:  He used
             every means to chasten the unruly and disobedient.  2 moderate,
             temper, subdue, curb, restrain, repress, tame, suppress:  I am
             not as sanguine as I was - time and experience have chastened
             me.

   chastise  v.  punish, beat, thrash, belabour or US belabor, spank, whip,
             flog, scourge, birch, cane; discipline, chasten, correct,
             censure, berate, scold:  Pupils are not being chastised as in
             the old days.

   chastity  n.  purity, continence, virginity, maidenhood, maidenhead,
             virtue, celibacy, abstinence, abstention, abstemiousness,
             restraint, self-restraint, forbearance:  She was a nun and had
             taken a vow of chastity.

   chat      n.  1 conversation, colloquy, talk, small talk, gossip, palaver,
             chit-chat, t€te-…-t€te, heart-to-heart, Colloq gab, Chiefly Brit
             chin-wag, confab, Brit witter, natter, US and Canadian rap,
             gabfest, bull session:  We'd get together for a chat every now
             and then.

             --v.  2 converse, gossip, talk, chit-chat, Colloq gab, chew the
             fat or the rag, jaw, Brit witter, natter; Slang US and Canadian
             rap, bullshit:  We were just chatting when I smelt something
             burning.  3 Brit chat up. flirt or dally with, persuade, induce,
             prevail upon, tempt, lure, entice, inveigle, seduce,
             proposition:  Rick chats up every girl he meets.

   chatter   v.  1 prattle, gabble, jabber, prate, patter, gibber, cackle,
             jibber-jabber, Brit chaffer, Colloq gab, jaw, Brit natter,
             witter, rabbit on or away, waffle:  He just kept chattering on
             about nothing.  2 clatter, rattle:  It was so cold my teeth were
             chattering.

             --n.  3 prattle, prate, patter, gossip, cackle, jabbering,
             chattering:  I don't want to hear any more chatter in the
             library.

   cheap     adj.  1 inexpensive, low-priced, bargain-priced, low-cost,
             sale-priced, cut-price, reasonable; economy, budget(-priced):
             He was chewing on a cheap cigar. Everything used to be a lot
             cheaper when I was younger. 2 economical; reduced:  Eggs are
             cheaper by the dozen.  3 shoddy, base, shabby, tawdry, sleazy,
             tatty, seedy; inferior, low-grade, poor, second-rate, trashy,
             worthless, Brit twopenny or tuppenny; Colloq tacky, Brit tinpot,
             Slang US two-bit, lousy, chintzy:  Those cheap pictures ruin the
             look of the place.  4 stingy, miserly, penurious, niggardly,
             penny-pinching, cheese-paring, frugal, tight, tight-fisted,
             Scrooge-like, skinflinty:  That cheap brother of yours wouldn't
             give even a penny to a beggar.

             --adv.  5 inexpensively, cheaply, for a song, Brit for twopence
             or tuppence:  You can buy those cheap from any street vendor.  6
             cheaply, easily, reasonably, for a song, Brit for twopence or
             tuppence:  She has sold cheap that which she holds most dear.

             --n.  7 on the cheap. inexpensively, reasonably, cheaply, at or
             below cost, for a song, Brit for twopence or tuppence; Slang for
             peanuts:  We buy these watches on the cheap and sell them to
             tourists.

   cheat     n.  1 swindler, deceiver, impostor, fraud, faker, fake,
             swindler, trickster, confidence man, con man, operator,
             charlatan, mountebank, rogue, shark, Colloq phoney or US also
             phony, US snake-oil artist:  It is amazing how many cheats are
             out there waiting to take advantage of you.

             --v.  2 swindle, deceive, bilk, trick, con, take, fleece,
             defraud, euchre, hoax, hoodwink, Colloq con, take in, rook,
             flimflam, finagle, diddle, fiddle, move the goalposts,
             bamboozle, take for a ride; Slang rip off:  His own solicitor
             cheated him out of his inheritance. If you paid ten pounds for
             that painting, you were cheated.

   check     v.  1 stop, arrest, stay, halt, obstruct, block, limit; retard,
             slow, brake, curb, hinder, hamper, impede, thwart:  They are
             trying to check the spread of the disease in West Africa.  2
             restrain, control, repress, stay, inhibit, contain, curb,
             restrict:  The animal population is checked only by availability
             of food.  3 authenticate, verify, confirm, substantiate,
             validate, corroborate, check into, check out, check up on:
             Please check his story to make sure he's not lying.  4 enquire
             about or after or into, check into, check (up) on, examine,
             investigate, inspect, make sure of, verify, monitor, test,
             study, scrutinize:  You'd best check the temperature in the
             kiln.  5 correspond, coincide, agree, jibe, tally, conform,
             check out, fit, mesh; compare:  His alibi doesn't check with the
             witness's statement.  6 check in. arrive, report:  We check in
             for work at 0800.  7 check in or into. register, sign in or on,
             enrol, log in:  We checked into the hotel.  8 check into.
             investigate, check out, check up on, verify, check:  The
             detective checked into the backgrounds of all applicants.  9
             check off. tick (off), mark, check:  Check off the names in red.
             10 check out.  a depart, leave; go:  He checked out of the hotel
             and took a taxi to the airport.  b investigate, research,
             explore, enquire into, look into or at or over, scrutinize,
             examine, inspect, probe, survey, check up on, check, check into,
             check over:  You had best check out her references before hiring
             her.  c pass, pass muster or scrutiny, meet approval, be
             verified, check:  According to our records, his story checks
             out.  d Slang cash in one's checks or chips, kick the bucket,
             croak:  Sam checked out last week - heart attack, I think.  11
             check over or out. review, verify, authenticate, check:  Please
             check over my figures before I submit them to the accountant.
             12 check up (on).  a investigate, do research, probe, explore,
             check:  I don't know her name, but I'll check up and let you
             know.  b determine, discover, find out, look into, check:  I
             want you to check up on where they eat lunch.

             --n.  13 stop, stopping, cease, surcease, hesitation, cessation,
             stoppage, interruption, break, pause, balk or baulk,
             discontinuity, discontinuation, discontinuance, suspension:  The
             visitors continued to arrive without check, far into the night.
             14 restraint, repression, inhibition, limitation, curb,
             restriction, control, constraint, hindrance, obstruction,
             impediment, damper:  He keeps a good check on the foreman. This
             tax will serve as a check against free trade. 15 control, test,
             inspection, examination, scrutiny, verification, substantiation,
             authentication, confirmation, validation, corroboration:  We do
             a thorough check on the quality of every product.  16 US tick,
             mark, dash, X:  Place a check in the box alongside your choice.
             17 token, receipt, counterfoil, stub; voucher, chit,
             certificate:  Don't lose your baggage check.  18 chip, counter:
             Let's cash in our checks and go home.  19 Chiefly US bill, tab,
             charge(s):  In the U.S.A., people generally add 15 per cent to
             the check for a tip.

   cheeky    adj.  impudent, impertinent, insolent, audacious, disrespectful,
             rude, uncivil, forward, brazen, pert, saucy:  That cheeky little
             brat told me to get lost!

   cheer     n.  1 disposition, frame of mind, spirit:  They were of good
             cheer, considering their predicament.  2 cheerfulness, gladness,
             mirth, joy, gaiety, blitheness, happiness, buoyancy,
             light-heartedness, merrymaking:  There wasn't much cheer at the
             pub when we learnt of what had befallen poor Grover. 3 comfort,
             solace, encouragement, consolation:  She brought in a little
             breath of cheer from the outside world.  4 shout, cry, hurrah,
             rah, huzzah, hurray or hooray:  Three cheers for Penelope!

             --v.  5 comfort, console, solace, encourage, inspirit, warm,
             Colloq buck up:  Your friendly note cheered me considerably.  6
             gladden, enliven, cheer up, hearten, buoy up, brighten, elate,
             brighten, uplift, lift up:  Let thy heart cheer thee in the days
             of thy youth.  7 applaud, shout, hurrah, clap, yell; Colloq Brit
             and Australian and New Zealand barrack for:  The crowd cheered
             for five minutes when Mr Flews stood to speak.

   cheerful  adj.  1 joyous, glad, gladsome, blithesome, blithe, happy,
             cheery, of good cheer, joyful, jolly, exuberant, jubilant,
             gleeful, gay, light-hearted, merry:  I am pleased to see that
             Agatha is so cheerful. Why do you cry at weddings, which are
             supposed to be such cheerful occasions? 2 cheering, gladdening,
             animating, bright, enlivening, cheery, gay, buoyant,
             invigorating:  She has redecorated the bedroom in more cheerful
             colours.

   chequered adj.  1 chequer-board, checked; patchwork; plaid, tartan:  You
             cannot use a chequered tablecloth for a formal dinner.  2
             variegated, diversified, alternating, variable, good and bad,
             varying, fluctuating, up and down; uncertain:  David Williams
             had a rather chequered career in the army.

   cherish   v.  1 treasure, hold or keep dear, prize:  I know that she
             cherishes every moment you were together.  2 foster, tend,
             cultivate, preserve, sustain, nurture, nourish, nurse, cosset:
             For their sweetness gillyflowers are cherished in gardens. We
             cherish little Edward and probably spoil him a bit too much.

   chest     n.  1 box, coffer, trunk, strongbox, caddy, casket, case:  It
             took four men to carry the chest outside, where we could open
             it. Martha kept her jewels in a small chest on the dresser. 2
             breast; thorax:  The wrestler was pounding his chest and
             shouting 'I am the greatest!'

   chew      v.  1 masticate, grind, munch; bite, gnaw:  Make sure to chew
             each mouthful thoroughly. The puppy chewed up my slipper. 2 chew
             the fat or rag. gossip, palaver, chat, converse, talk, Slang US
             and Canadian bullshit:  We sat round the fire and chewed the fat
             all evening.  3 chew out. scold, rebuke, reprimand:  The
             sergeant chewed out the recruit because his boots were dirty.  4
             chew over. think about or on or over, consider, review, ponder,
             ruminate on, meditate on or over:  I'll chew over your proposal
             and let you know.

   chic      adj.  1 stylish, fashionable, … la mode, modish, smart,
             tasteful, elegant; sophisticated; Colloq trendy:  Susanna was
             always a chic dresser.

             --n.  2 style, fashion, good taste, tastefulness, elegance,
             stylishness, modishness:  There is an air of chic about him that
             repels many men but attracts many women.

   chicanery n.  trickery, sophistry, deception, quibbling, sharp practice,
             cheating, deviousness, duplicity, pettifoggery, double-dealing,
             artifice, skulduggery:  They lost the case because of the
             chicanery of their lawyers.

   chief     n.  1 head, leader, principal, superior, supervisor,
             superintendent, manager, overseer, captain, master, ringleader,
             chieftain, Dialect himself, Colloq boss, bossman, Brit governor,
             gov., supremo, US man, kingpin, (head or chief) honcho, number
             one, numero uno, headman, big White Chief, big Chief, Great
             White Father, big Daddy, super; Slang big cheese, Brit gaffer,
             Chiefly US Mr Big:  You'd best ask the chief for permission to
             fly to Rome.

             --adj.  2 head, leading, ranking, superior, supreme, foremost,
             premier, first, greatest, outstanding:  Terry is your chief
             competition for the singles trophy.  3 principal, most
             important, essential, key, paramount, (first and) foremost,
             primary, prime, main:  The chief reason I came was to see you.
             Here is a list of the chief crimes committed in the area last
             year.

   chiefly   adv.  mainly, in particular, especially, particularly, above
             all, most of all, pre-eminently, principally, primarily, mostly,
             predominantly, largely, by and large, on the whole, in the main,
             generally, in general, usually, as a rule:  Inflation affected
             chiefly the price of food.  The Anatomy of Melancholy consists
             chiefly of quotations.

   child     n.  1 offspring, descendant, son or daughter, little one,
             youngster, Formal progeny, issue, Colloq kid, nipper, Slang Brit
             sprog:  How many children do you have?  2 foetus, newborn,
             neonate, infant, baby, babe, toddler, boy or girl, lad or lass,
             stripling, youngster, youth, juvenile, adolescent, teenager,
             young man or woman, young gentleman or lady, Chiefly Scots
             laddie or lassie:  No children were born in the village for five
             years. These miscreants are mere children, who should not be
             punished as adults.

   childhood n.  infancy, babyhood, boyhood or girlhood, youth, puberty,
             minority, adolescence, teens:  During her childhood the family
             moved to Kent. She spent most of her childhood dreaming about
             travelling to the moon.

   childish  adj.  childlike, juvenile, puerile, infantile, babyish;
             immature, inexperienced, na‹ve, undeveloped, underdeveloped,
             retarded; silly, US sophomoric:  They thought his reaction to
             their criticism was childish and petulant.

   childlike adj.  youthful, young, innocent, trustful, ingenuous,
             unsophisticated, na‹ve, trusting, credulous, open,
             undissembling, unassuming, guileless, artless:  There is a
             childlike simplicity to some primitive paintings.

   chill     n.  1 coldness, cold, coolness, sharpness, nip:  We put on our
             jackets to ward off the chill of the evening.  2 cold, flu,
             influenza, (la or the) grippe, ague, Technical coryza, Colloq
             (the) sniffles, sneezles and wheezles:  Take off those wet
             clothes before you catch a chill.  3 coolness, iciness,
             frigidity, aloofness; unfriendliness, hostility:  Mrs Marlow
             felt the chill in the stare of her husband's ex-wife.

             --adj.  4 cold, cool, numbing, chilling, chilly, raw,
             penetrating, icy, frigid, wintry, frosty, arctic, polar,
             glacial:  A chill easterly wind made me shiver.  5 shivering,
             chilled (through), numb, numbed, numbing, benumbed:  She kissed
             me with a lip more chill than stone.  6 cold, cold-blooded,
             aloof, indifferent, insensitive, unemotional, unsympathetic;
             chilly:  The prison commandant viewed the corpses with chill
             detachment.

             --v.  7 cool, freeze, refrigerate, ice:  The fruit tastes better
             if it has been chilled.  8 dampen, dispirit, depress, deject,
             dishearten, distress:  The news of mother's illness chilled us
             all.

   chilly    adj.  1 cool, coldish, cold, frigid, nippy, frosty, icy, crisp,
             chill:  The weather has been quite chilly for May.  2 chill,
             unenthusiastic, unresponsive, unreceptive, frosty, unwelcoming,
             crisp, cool, cold, unfriendly, hostile; distant, aloof:  The
             suggestion that the charity fair be held in her garden met with
             a chilly response from Lady Griffiths.

   chime     n.  1 bell, set of bells, carillon, ring, peal:  Our church has
             a full chime of eight bells.  2 ringing, peal, chiming, tolling,
             tintinnabulation, clanging, ding-dong, striking; tinkle, jingle,
             jangle:  We could hear the chimes of Big Ben from our hotel
             room.

             --v.  3 ring, peal, toll, sound, tintinnabulate, clang, strike:
             The clock chimed on the hour.  4 mark, denote, indicate,
             announce:  The carillon chimed the hour at noon.  5 chime in.  a
             join in, blend, harmonize:  When singing this round, chime in at
             the third bar.  b interrupt, intercede, intrude, interfere,
             break in, Colloq chip in; Slang butt in:  I was about to speak
             when he chimed in with some silly remark.

   chink     n.  fissure, rift, crack, crevice, gap, opening, cleft, slit,
             aperture, cranny:  We could see daylight through a chink in the
             fence.

   chip      n.  1 fragment, piece, shard or sherd, splinter, flake, sliver,
             scrap, morsel, bit:  A chip of slate rattled down off the roof.
             2 counter, marker, token; plaque, US check:  He put his chip on
             number 14.

             --v.  3 chisel, whittle, hew:  He chipped away at the stone till
             it fitted perfectly into the hole. 4 chip in.  a contribute;
             participate:  All the neighbours chipped in to pay for the
             street decorations.  b interrupt, break in, intrude, interfere,
             intercede, interpose, Colloq chime in:  Clive chipped in with
             his usual silly comment.

   chirp     v.  1 tweet, peep, twitter, chirrup, warble, trill, cheep,
             chitter, chirr, pipe:  I was awakened by the birds, chirping
             away in the forest.

             --n.  2 tweet, peep, twitter, chirrup, warble, trill, cheep,
             chitter, chirr:  The canary gave two chirps and jumped onto its
             perch.

   chisel    v.  1 carve, cut, pare, groove, shape, engrave, grave:  He was
             chiselling the figure of an eagle out of the board.  2 cheat,
             defraud, swindle, bilk, trick, fool, dupe, gull, Colloq
             bamboozle:  The gamblers chiselled him out of a week's wages.

   chivalrous
             adj.  courtly, gracious, courteous, polite, gallant, noble,
             knightly, gentlemanly, considerate, kind, charitable,
             magnanimous:  It was quite chivalrous of you to drive me home.

   chivalry  n.  knight-errantry; honour, bravery, courage, courtesy,
             politeness, courtliness, gallantry, nobility, virtuousness,
             righteousness, justness, fairness, impartiality, equitableness:
             All the noble sentiments blended together constitute chivalry.

   choice    n.  1 selection, election, preference, choosing, pick,
             acceptance:  I don't care for his choice of language.  2 option,
             realm of possibilities; alternative, voice, determination:  She
             was given no choice in selecting her husband.  3 pick, ‚lite,
             flower, best, select, cream, crЉme de la crЉme:  The king's
             guard is made up from the choice of the kingdom.

             --adj.  4 select, exquisite, special, superior, prime,
             high-quality, excellent, pre-eminent, best, prize, first-rate,
             exceptional, preferred, desirable, ideal, rare, Colloq Brit
             plummy:  She has the choicest wines in her cellar.  5 selected,
             select, hand-picked, well-chosen, fit, appropriate, fitting:
             The eulogy was disposed of in a few choice words.

   choke     v.  1 suffocate, asphyxiate, smother, stifle, strangle,
             throttle, garrotte or garrote or garotte, burke:  He choked his
             elderly victims, then stole their money.  2 stop, fill (up),
             block (up), obstruct, congest, clog, dam (up), constrict:  The
             channel is completely choked with weeds.  3 Also, choke off.
             smother, suppress, stifle, prohibit, frustrate, deny, obviate,
             cut off, stop, put a stop to; dissuade, discourage:  His
             policies choked off any chance for innovation.  4 choke back or
             down. suppress, repress, stifle, restrain:  He choked back the
             tears when he saw the gravestone.

   choose    v.  select, elect, pick (out), determine, judge; decide, prefer,
             opt, settle upon or on:  She had the right to choose the course
             that seemed the best to her. Given the options, I chose to stay.

   choosy    adj.  selective, discriminating, discerning, fastidious, finicky
             or finical, particular, fussy, demanding, exacting, difficult,
             hard to please , Colloq picky:  If you weren't so choosy, you
             wouldn't have to pay so much.

   chop      v.  1 Also, chop away or down or off. cut, hack, hew, lop, crop,
             cleave, sever:  Chop away that underbrush. I tried to chop off
             the end. Don't chop down that tree! 2 Also, chop up. mince;
             dice, cube; hash:  Chop up the parsley very fine before adding
             it to the sauce.

             --n.  3 cut, blow, stroke:  With a quick chop of the axe, the
             branch was severed.

   christen  v.  1 baptize, anoint:  They are going to christen the baby next
             week.  2 name, call, dub:  The child was christened Madelaine.
             The highest peak in Wales is christened Snowdon.

   chronic   adj.  1 long-lasting, long-standing, lingering, inveterate,
             persistent, continuing, lasting, long-lived:  The doctor said
             that the condition, for which there is no cure, is chronic. 2
             inveterate, persistent, dyed in the wool, confirmed, habitual,
             hardened:  Abby is a chronic liar.

   chronicle n.  1 record, history, diary, chronology, account, narrative,
             description, report, register, annal(s), archive:  She has
             written a chronicle of the events leading up to the War of
             Jenkins' Ear.

             --v.  2 record, register, list, enter, archive, document,
             describe; tell, recount, narrate, report, relate, retail:  In
             the Iliad Homer chronicled the legends of the Trojan War.

   chronology
             n.  account, record, calendar, almanac, journal, log; sequence:
             Describe the chronology of events preceding your discovery of
             the body.

   chubby    adj.  podgy or US pudgy; stumpy, stubby, chunky, tubby, plump,
             dumpy, thickset, heavy-set, heavy, ample, overweight:  She was a
             bit chubby when a teenager but became a professional model when
             she was 21.

   chuckle   v.  1 laugh, chortle, crow, snigger, giggle, titter:  Robin
             always chuckled when the subject of embezzlement came up.

             --n.  2 chuckling, laugh, chortle, crowing, giggle; laughter,
             snigger, sniggering:  It was hard to resist a chuckle when we
             saw the looks on their faces.

   chum      n.  1 friend, comrade, companion; confidant(e), familiar;
             fellow, colleague, Colloq pal, sidekick, Chiefly Brit and
             Australian and New Zealand mate, Chiefly US and Canadian buddy:
             I invited a chum of mine for the weekend.

             --v.  2 Often, chum around. associate, Colloq pal (around):
             Yes, we used to chum around together in the army.  3 chum up
             with. ally (oneself) with, be friendly with, go with, associate
             with, Colloq pal (up or about or around) with, US team up with:
             Lionel chummed up with Ashley to go swimming.

   chummy    adj.  friendly, sociable, intimate, close, thick, Colloq pally,
             US palsy-walsy, buddy-buddy:  You were very chummy with Peter
             once, weren't you?

   chute     n.  1 waterfall, rapid:  The canoe skimmed down the chute with
             lightning speed.  2 slide, shaft, channel, ramp, runway, trough,
             incline:  The parcels come down this chute and you have to sort
             them by postcode.

3.4 circle...
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   circle    n.  1 disc or chiefly US disk, ring, hoop, loop, band, wheel,
             annulus, ringlet; cordon:  Using a compass, he carefully drew a
             circle. We formed a circle around the speaker. 2 set, coterie,
             clique, class, division, group, crowd; society, fellowship,
             fraternity, company:  John and I don't move in the same circles.

             --v.  3 encircle, circumambulate, go round or around, tour;
             circumnavigate:  For exercise, I circle the lake in the park
             every morning.  4 encircle, surround, gird, enclose,
             circumscribe:  Twenty small diamonds circle each star sapphire.

   circuit   n.  1 compass, circumference, perimeter, periphery, girth,
             border, boundary, edge, limit, ambit, margin, outline,
             confine(s), bound, pale:  The circuit of the area amounts to 72
             miles.  2 round, tour, ambit, circle, orbit, course, lap:  The
             rider completed the circuit of the ranch, mending the fence as
             he went.

   circular  adj.  1 round, disc-shaped or chiefly US disk-shaped, disc-like
             or chiefly US disk-like, discoid; ring-shaped, ring-like,
             annular:  Notice the circular pattern of growth of this ivy.  2
             roundabout, indirect, circuitous, tortuous, twisting, twisted,
             anfractuous; periphrastic, circumlocutory; devious:  We had to
             take a circular route because the road was closed. Why can't she
             say what she means instead of being so circular? 3 illogical,
             inconsistent, redundant, fallacious, irrational, Formal
             sophistic or sophistical:  To say that you exist because you
             think and that you think because you exist is an example of
             circular reasoning.

   circulate v.  1 move or go about or round or around, orbit, flow, course,
             run, circle:  The blood circulates from the heart through the
             arteries and veins and back to the heart. 2 spread, distribute,
             disseminate, issue, publish, air, announce, proclaim, make
             known, noise abroad, bruit about, report, broadcast, reveal,
             divulge, advertise, publicize, promulgate, put about, bring or
             put out, pass out or round or around:  He has been circulating
             the story that his ex-wife cheated on her income tax. 3 spread,
             go round or around, be bruited about, come out:  A rumour has
             been circulating about your behaviour at the office party.

   circulation
             n.  1 circuit, course, orbit, flow, flowing, motion:  It was
             Harvey who discovered the circulation of the blood.  2 spread,
             spreading, dissemination, transmission, passage, distribution,
             diffusion, publication, advertisement, announcement, issuance,
             issuing, pronouncement, proclamation, promulgation, broadcast,
             broadcasting:  The state has again forbidden the free
             circulation of information.

   circumstance
             n.  1 Often, circumstances. situation, condition(s), state (of
             affairs); status, station, resources, income, finances:  In the
             circumstances, all leave is cancelled. Each person will be
             helped according to the individual circumstance. 2 event,
             incident, episode, occurrence, affair, happening, occasion:  Any
             unforeseen circumstance could set off a shooting war.

   circumstantial
             adj.  1 indirect, presumptive, evidential or evidentiary,
             interpretive, deduced, presumed, presumptive, presumable,
             implicative, implied, inferred, inferential:  Some
             circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a gun
             in the suspect's house. 2 accidental, incidental, hearsay,
             indirect, unimportant, adventitious, provisional, secondary,
             unessential, non-essential, fortuitous, chance, extraneous:
             Such circumstantial trivia have no bearing on the case.  3
             detailed, particular, precise, explicit, specific:  We cannot
             believe that he invented so circumstantial a narrative.

   citizen   n.  1 voter; native; householder, resident, inhabitant, denizen,
             dweller, freeman; Brit patrial, ratepayer; US taxpayer:  All
             citizens are entitled to certain rights.  2 city-dweller,
             town-dweller, townsman, townswoman, villager, burgess, oppidan:
             She considers herself a citizen of Oxford.

   city      n.  metropolis, municipality, borough, burgh; conurbation,
             megalopolis; Brit urban district; see, diocese, bishopric; New
             Zealand urban area; Colloq town, US burg, big apple:  We gave up
             our flat in the city and moved to the country.

   civil     adj.  1 civilian, non-military, lay, laic, laical, secular:
             There is a distinction between civil law and canon law.  2
             domestic, internal; public:  The economic conditions have led to
             civil strife.  3 polite, courteous, respectful, well-mannered,
             proper, civilized, cordial, formal, courtly, urbane, polished,
             refined:  They are civil enough, but I always have the feeling
             they really despise tourists.

   civility  n.  courtesy, politeness, respect, comity, urbanity, amiability,
             consideration, courteousness, cordiality, propriety, tact,
             diplomacy, politesse, protocol:  Despite his rude behaviour at
             her dinner-party, she treats him with great civility.

   civilization
             n.  1 culture, refinement, cultivation, enlightenment,
             edification, sophistication, polish:  The Romans brought
             civilization to many peoples who had been quite barbarous. 2
             culture, mores, custom(s):  He has studied Egyptian civilization
             all his life.

   civilize  v.  1 enlighten, refine, polish, edify, educate, acculturate:
             Civilized people do not behave in such a boorish way.  2 tame,
             domesticate; broaden, elevate, acculturate:  The claim that they
             civilized the Aborigines means only that they forced them to
             conform to the White man's notion of civilization.

3.5 claim...
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   claim     n.  1 demand, assertion, request, requisition, petition,
             application; requirement:  As far as the land is concerned, his
             claim has been denied.  2 right(s), call, title:  What possible
             claim could the Miss Dashwoods have on his generosity?

             --v.  3 demand, seek, ask or call (for), exact, insist (on or
             upon), require, command, be entitled to:  She has every right to
             claim a share in the estate.  4 declare, assert, allege, state,
             put or set forth, affirm, contend, maintain:  These measurements
             lack the degree of accuracy claimed for them.  She claims that
             she was the first person to ring the police.

   clammy    adj.  1 moist, sticky, gummy, pasty, viscous, slimy:  In the
             swamp the police found a clammy pistol that they believe to be
             the weapon. 2 moist, damp, humid, close, muggy, wet, misty,
             foggy:  It was the kind of clammy summer's day when your shirt
             sticks to your back.

   clamp     n.  1 clasp, vice, brace, clip, fastener:  Use a clamp to hold
             the pieces together till the glue dries.

             --v.  2 fasten (together), clip (together), bracket, make fast,
             clasp:  You should clamp the planks together and plane the edges
             of both.

   clan      n.  1 tribe, family, dynasty, line, house:  There had been a
             feud of long standing between the two clans, which culminated in
             the massacre of Glencoe. 2 fraternity, brotherhood, party, set,
             clique, coterie, circle, crowd, group, fellowship, society,
             faction, family, tribe; band, ring, gang:  He regards social
             scientists as a clan quite separate from other scientists.

   clap      v.  1 applaud; cheer, acclaim:  Everyone clapped when the boxer
             climbed into the ring.  2 slap, strike, pat:  He clapped me on
             the shoulder in the friendliest way.  3 put, place, slap, fling,
             toss, cast , Colloq stick:  He had no sooner set foot in the
             town when he was clapped in jail.  4 impose, lay, apply:  The
             magistrate clapped a severe fine on me for speeding.

             --n.  5 crack, slap, report, crash, bang, snap:  There was a
             loud clap of thunder, making the house shake.

   clapper   n.  tongue:  We attached a rope to the clapper of the bell.

   clarify   v.  1 elucidate, make clear, simplify, make plain, clear up,
             explain, shed or throw light on or upon, illuminate, explicate:
             She offered to clarify any points about which we had questions.
             2 clear, purify, clean:  The trout should be lightly basted with
             clarified butter.

   clarity   n.  1 clearness, transparency, limpidity, pellucidity:  The
             clarity of the sea in the tropics is owing to a lack of
             plankton.  2 lucidity, definition, definiteness, distinctness;
             comprehensibility, understandability, intelligibility,
             unambiguousness:  One cannot argue with the clarity of her
             explanation of Hegelianism.

   clash     n.  1 crash, clang, clank, clangour:  The concerto ends with a
             clash of cymbals.  2 collision, smash, (hostile) encounter,
             conflict, engagement, fight, battle, disagreement, difference,
             argument, dispute, altercation, quarrel, squabble:  He has
             witnessed many a clash between the prime minister and
             parliament.

             --v.  3 conflict, fight, battle, disagree, differ, argue,
             dispute, quarrel, squabble, feud, wrangle, cross swords:  My
             brother and I always clash on the question of who should pay our
             father's hospital bills. 4 conflict, disharmonize, jar, be at
             odds or out of keeping:  The pink of the blouse and the fuchsia
             of the skirt clash badly.

   clasp     n.  1 fastener, fastening, hook, catch, clip, pin, brooch:  The
             ends were fastened together with a diamond clasp.  2 embrace,
             hug, hold, grasp, grip:  He held her tight in his clasp.

             --v.  3 fasten, secure, close, hold, hook, clip, pin, clamp:
             The robe was clasped by an emerald pin.  4 hold, embrace, take
             hold of, hug, enclose, envelop:  The beggar clasped my hand, his
             eyes seeking mine in piteous supplication.  5 grab, grasp,
             seize, clutch, grip:  They clasped hands in friendship.

   class     n.  1 rank, grade, level, order, stratum; caste, lineage, birth,
             pedigree, stock, extraction, descent:  He was born in the l940s
             into a family of the middle class.  2 category, division,
             classification, group, genre, league, realm, domain; kind, sort,
             type:  As a dancer, she in a class by herself.  3 excellence,
             merit, refinement, elegance, prestige, importance, taste,
             discernment, distinction, bearing, presence, savoir faire,
             savoir vivre, breeding:  He may be a good drinking companion,
             but he has no class whatsoever.  4 year, form, US grade:  We
             were in the same class at school.

             --v.  5 classify, group, arrange, assort, type, categorize,
             rank, grade, rate, order:  They are classed as self-employed for
             these purposes.

   classic   adj.  1 standard, leading, outstanding, prototypical,
             definitive, model, ideal, archetypal, paradigmatic:  His
             military career is a classic example of what family connections
             can achieve. 2 legendary, immortal, enduring, deathless,
             ageless, timeless, undying, venerable, time-honoured;
             outstanding, first-rate, superior, excellent, noteworthy,
             notable, exemplary:  By the time she was ten, she had read most
             of the classic works of English literature. He collects classic
             cars.

             --n.  3 paragon, epitome, outstanding example, exemplar, model,
             paradigm, prototype:  When it comes to comedians, Ronnie is a
             classic.  4 masterpiece, master-work:  The Rolls-Royce Silver
             Ghost is regarded as a classic by collectors.

   classical adj.  1 standard, model, exemplary, traditional, established,
             influential, authoritative, serious, weighty:  Classical authors
             are those who are regarded as being of good credit and authority
             in the schools. Montaigne is the earliest classical writer in
             the French language. 2 Greek, Latin, Roman:  Architectural
             styles of the 18th century harked back to Classical designs.

   claw      n.  1 talon, nail:  The cat had scratched her badly with its
             claws.

             --v.  2 scratch, tear, scrape, rake, slash:  She clawed at his
             face to break his grip on her throat.  3 grapple, grab, catch,
             scrape, scrabble:  He tried to climb up the embankment, clawing
             at the steep wall.

   clean     adj.  1 pure, undefiled, unsullied, unmixed, unadulterated,
             uncontaminated, unpolluted, uninfected, unspoiled or unspoilt,
             sanitary, disinfected; antiseptic, decontaminated, purified,
             sterile:  The laboratory reports that our well water is
             absolutely clean.  You must use a clean bandage. 2 unsoiled,
             untainted, unstained; unsullied; cleansed, cleanly, (freshly)
             laundered or washed, scrubbed; spotless, immaculate:  She puts
             on clean underwear every day in case she's involved in an
             accident. 3 clean-cut, neat, simple, definite, uncomplicated,
             smooth, even, straight, trim, tidy:  The edges of the fracture
             are clean and will mend quickly.  4 innocent, blameless,
             inoffensive, respectable; decent, chaste, pure, honourable,
             good, undefiled, virtuous, moral:  The suspect was completely
             clean - he was out of town at the time of the robbery. 5
             non-radioactive:  They say they've produced a clean bomb, but I
             don't believe it.  6 unarmed, weaponless:  Frisk that suspect
             and make sure he's clean.

             --adv.  7 completely, entirely, thoroughly, fully, totally,
             wholly, altogether, quite, utterly, absolutely:  Geoff's clean
             out of his mind if he believes that. With one blow he cut the
             orange clean through. 8 come clean. confess, acknowledge, make a
             clean breast, admit, make a revelation, reveal, Colloq own up,
             spill the beans; US dialect fess up; Slang sing:  In the end he
             saw that he was trapped and decided to come clean.

             --v.  9 cleanse, wash, lave, (take a) shower, sponge, mop,
             scrub, scour, sweep, dust, vacuum, polish, launder, dry-clean,
             Brit hoover; tidy, neaten, do up, straighten up or out,
             unclutter; Brit bath; US and Canadian bathe:  When we cleaned
             the urn, we could read the inscription. I have told Richard a
             thousand times to clean his room. 10 clean out.  a exhaust,
             deplete:  The gambler cleaned her out of every penny she had in
             the world.  b empty, leave bare, clear out, evacuate:  We must
             clean out the larder before it can be painted.  11 clean up.  a
             clean, cleanse, wash, (take a) shower, Brit bath; US take a
             bath, bathe, wash up:  Clean up, please, dinner is almost ready.
             It took us a week to clean up the stables. b purge, purify,
             disinfect, depollute, decontaminate, clear, sanitize:  The
             council has led the way towards cleaning up the wetlands of
             chemical waste.

   cleanse   v.  1 clean, absterge, deterge, wash, scour, scrub:  You need a
             scrubbing brush to cleanse the tub.  2 purify, depurate; purge,
             wash away, expiate:  Each prayer repeated has a certain value in
             cleansing away sin.

   clear     adj.  1 unclouded, cloudless, sunny, fair, sunlit, fine:  On a
             clear day, you can see the lighthouse several miles away.  2
             transparent, limpid, crystalline; translucent, uncloudy,
             unclouded, pellucid:  The water was clear enough to see the
             bottom.  3 bright, lustrous, shining, shiny, sparkling, Formal
             nitid:  We painted the bathroom a lovely clear blue.  4 bright,
             fresh, unblemished, unscarred:  She has a lovely clear
             complexion.  5 distinct, sharp, well-defined, definite; legible,
             readable; acute, vivid:  The notes were written in a large clear
             hand.  6 understandable, intelligible, perspicuous, lucid,
             comprehensible, apprehensible, discernible, plain, obvious,
             unambiguous, unequivocal, explicit, definite, unmistakable,
             indisputable, undisputed, unquestionable, incontrovertible:  He
             has made himself very clear on that point.  7 distinct,
             unclouded, unconfused, explicit, plain, definite, clear-cut,
             palpable:  I have a clear recollection of her words.  8 evident,
             plain, obvious, patent, manifest, apparent:  It became clear
             that someone was trying to compromise her.  9 perceptive, acute,
             sensitive, perspicacious, discerning, keen:  It was only his
             clear vision of the situation that saved us all.  10 certain,
             sure, convinced, confident, positive, determined, definite,
             assured:  I am not clear that the subject was a good one.  11
             pure, unwavering, well-defined, distinct, clarion, bell-like:
             We heard father's clear voice calling from below.  12 pure,
             guileless, unsophisticated, innocent, blameless, faultless; not
             guilty:  I still cannot look her in the eye with a clear
             conscience.  13 unencumbered, free, net:  In our first year we
             made a clear profit of 25 per cent.  14 unlimited, unqualified,
             unquestioned, unquestionable, absolute, complete, entire; pure,
             sheer, perfect:  You must allow three clear days for the ascent.
             15 disengaged, disentangled, unentangled, free, freed, rid,
             quit, loose, unencumbered, released:  When the line is clear of
             any obstruction, hoist sail and let's be off. 16 open,
             unencumbered, free, unblocked, unobstructed, unimpeded, direct:
             There is a clear view of the park from here.

             --adv.  17 brightly, effulgently, radiantly, luminously,
             lambently:  The stars were shining clear in the night sky.  18
             distinctly, clearly, starkly, perceptibly, discernibly,
             understandably, prominently:  When you see the reef, sing out
             loud and clear.  19 completely, utterly, entirely, cleanly,
             clean, wholly, totally:  The thief got clear away in the
             confusion.

             --v.  20 clarify, cleanse, clean, purify:  The chemical soon
             cleared the water of all sediment.  21 exonerate, absolve,
             acquit; excuse, forgive:  He has been cleared of all charges and
             released.  22 Also, clear up. explain, elucidate, explicate,
             clarify, make plain or clear, disambiguate:  We should be able
             to clear up the mystery by this evening.  23 Also, clear up.
             become fair or cloudless or sunny:  I hope the weather clears in
             time for the game.  24 open (up), free; unblock, unclog, unstop;
             disencumber, dislodge:  We were able to clear a path through the
             jungle. He cleared his throat and began to speak. 25 empty:
             Clear the land of trees before farming it.  26 Also, clear away
             or out. remove, eliminate, take; cut away or down:  Clear those
             branches from the paths.  27 disburden, unburden, purge, free,
             rid:  He has cleared his conscience of any responsibility in the
             matter.  28 leap or jump over, vault:  She cleared the fence
             easily.  29 Also, clear up. settle, discharge, pay, square,
             defray, satisfy:  The company has cleared all its debts.  30
             clear off or out. leave, depart, decamp, go or run off, get out,
             withdraw, Slang beat it, scram, Taboo Brit sod off, Chiefly
             Australian shoot through, US and Canadian take a (run-out)
             powder:  I told them to clear off and stop bothering me.  31
             clear up.  a eliminate, remove, settle; clarify:  I hope we can
             clear up any misunderstanding between us.  b tidy (up), neaten
             (up), put or set in order, clear:  I'll clear up after dinner.

             --n.  32 in the clear. innocent, not guilty; exonerated,
             forgiven, absolved; unburdened, disburdened, unencumbered, free:
             The other chap confessed, leaving me in the clear.

   clearance n.  1 space, gap, hole, interval, separation, room, margin,
             leeway, allowance:  You must allow a clearance of 2 millimetres.
             2 approval, endorsement, authorization, consent; licence, leave,
             permission:  He cannot get security clearance with his prison
             record.

   clearly   adv.  1 distinctly; starkly, plainly:  With spectacles, I can
             see everything more clearly.  2 evidently, apparently,
             manifestly, obviously, certainly, definitely, positively,
             unequivocally, unquestionably, incontestably, without doubt,
             undoubtedly, indubitably, demonstrably, absolutely, utterly:
             His statement is clearly untrue.  3 audibly, distinctly,
             understandably:  I wish she would speak more clearly.

   cleave    v.  split, divide, cut, cut or chop or hew in two or asunder,
             bisect, halve, separate, slit, rive:  With a mighty blow the log
             was cleaved cleanly in two.

   clergyman n.  1 ecclesiastic, churchman, cleric, reverend, divine, man of
             the cloth, holy man, priest, minister, chaplain, father, rabbi,
             pastor, parson, rector, vicar, dean, canon, presbyter,
             prebendary or prebend, deacon, sexton, sacristan, guru,
             ayatollah, imam:  In his black frock coat he looked like a
             clergyman.  2 monk, friar, brother, monastic, religious:  A
             clergyman was responsible for his religious education.  3
             preacher, gospeller, evangelist, revivalist, missionary,
             sermonizer:  She was moved by the clergyman's sermon.

   clerical  adj.  1 ecclesiastical, churchly, pastoral, sacerdotal,
             priestly, hieratic, rabbinical, ministerial, monastic,
             apostolic, prelatic, papal, pontifical, episcopal, canonical:
             He was wearing his clerical vestments.  2 white-collar, office,
             professional, secretarial, stenographic, accounting,
             bookkeeping:  He runs the shop and his wife has the clerical
             responsibilities.

   clever    adj.  1 skilled, talented, skilful, adroit, dexterous, gifted,
             agile, quick-witted, intelligent, perceptive, discerning, sharp,
             sharp-witted, adept, able, Colloq brainy:  She was very clever
             at mathematics.  2 shrewd, cunning, guileful, canny, artful,
             crafty, sly, wily, foxy:  It was a clever move to sound out the
             chairman before the meeting.  3 intelligent, wise, sage,
             sagacious; ingenious, original, resourceful, Daedalian,
             inventive, creative, smart, imaginative:  It was very clever of
             her to memorize the record-book for the competition. 4 deft,
             adroit, nimble-fingered, dexterous, handy, skilful:  The old
             woman is clever with her hands.

   clich‚    n.  stereotype, bromide, trite saying, old saw or maxim, truism,
             platitude, commonplace, banality, Colloq chestnut:  The report
             was full of clich‚s and convinced no one.

   client    n.  customer, patron, shopper; patient:  She opened a law
             practice and already has a number of clients.

   clientele n.  clients, patrons, customers; custom, business, trade,
             patronage, following:  What sort of clientele do you expect to
             attract?

   cliff     n.  precipice, bluff, escarpment, scarp, crag, rock-face,
             cuesta, scar or Scots scaur:  The commandos are trained to scale
             a 100-foot cliff.

   climate   n.  1 weather, Literary clime:  We are retiring to the Maldives
             because we like a sunny climate.  2 atmosphere, ambience or
             ambiance, air; feeling, mood, aura, milieu, feel:  In the
             present climate of opinion, we'd best delay introducing the
             bill.

   climax    n.  1 culmination, height, acme, apex, summit, zenith, apogee,
             peak, high point, maximum, supreme moment:  The war reached its
             climax at the battle of Arbela.  2 turning-point, crisis,
             crossroads:  The climax of the play occurs in the third act.  3
             orgasm:  She told her psychiatrist that she had never reached a
             climax with her husband.

             --v.  4 culminate, peak, crest, come to a head:  The week's
             events climaxed with the presentation of the gold medal.

   climb     v.  1 Also, climb up. mount, ascend, go up, scale, shin (up),
             clamber up, US shinny (up):  In one of the games we had to climb
             a greased pole. Two Japanese teams have climbed Mount Everest. 2
             creep, trail, twine; grow:  The ivy has climbed all over the
             garden wall.  3 rise, arise, ascend, go up, mount; advance:
             Watch the smoke climb into the sky.  4 climb along. creep, edge,
             clamber, crawl, inch:  The cat burglar climbed along the ledge
             till he reached the window.  5 climb down.  a descend, go down:
             We shall need a rope to climb down from here.  b Usually, climb
             down from. retreat (from), withdraw (from), back away (from),
             give up, abandon, renounce:  He has climbed down from his
             earlier position regarding women in the priesthood.

             --n.  6 grade, incline, route, pitch; ascent; descent:  It was a
             steep climb to Camp Four.

   clinch    v.  1 secure, settle, confirm, determine, conclude, dispose of,
             complete, wind up, finalize Colloq sew up:  He clinched the
             argument by resigning.

             --n.  2 close quarters, hug, clasp, embrace; cuddle:  The boxers
             went into a clinch to regain their breath.

   clincher  n.  finishing touch, pay-off, punch-line, coup de grѓce, final
             or crowning blow:  The point about saving costs proved to be a
             clincher, and we were given the go-ahead.

   cling     v.  1 stick, adhere, attach, fasten, fix:  The detectives found
             that one of the victim's hairs had clung to the suspect's lapel.
             2 favour, be or remain devoted or attached to, embrace, hang on
             to, retain, keep, cherish:  He still clung to his old-fashioned
             notions of honour.  3 cling together or to one another. embrace,
             hug, cleave to one another, clasp one another, clutch one
             another, hold (fast) to one another, grasp one another:  The
             children clung together in the darkness.

   clip°     v.  1 clasp, fasten, fix, attach, hold, clinch; staple:  Please
             clip these papers together.

             --n.  2 clasp, fastener:  That clip isn't strong enough to hold
             all these papers.

   clipэ     v.  1 trim (off), lop (off), cut (off), crop, bob, snip:  The
             barber clipped my hair short. Roger has clipped two seconds off
             the record. 2 shorten, reduce, abbreviate, diminish, cut
             (short):  The film was clipped by fifteen minutes for
             television. In her rapid-fire way of speaking, she clipped each
             word. 3 strike, hit, punch, smack, box, cuff, whack, Colloq
             wallop, clout; Slang sock:  He was clipped on the jaw and
             knocked out.  4 cheat, swindle, bilk, overcharge, Slang rook:
             They clipped him out of a week's wages. She was clipped for a
             ten per cent 'service fee'.

             --n.  5 segment, interval, section, part, portion, extract,
             cutting, excerpt, cutting, bit, snippet, scrap, fragment:  We
             were shown a film clip of the cheese-making process.  6 blow,
             cuff, punch, hit, strike, smack, whack, box, Colloq wallop,
             clout; Slang sock:  She gave him a clip at the side of the head
             and he went down.  7 pace, rate, speed:  I was riding along at a
             good clip when my horse shied and I was thrown off.

   clique    n.  set, coterie, crowd, circle, group:  There was the usual
             clique from the Sales Department standing round the bar.

   cloak     n.  1 mantle, cape, robe, wrap, poncho; coat, overcoat:  She
             pulled her cloak around her in the chill night air.  2 mantle,
             concealment, cover, screen, shroud, veil:  He stole away under
             the cloak of darkness.

             --v.  3 conceal, hide, mask, screen, veil, shroud, cover up;
             disguise:  All of the spies' activities were cloaked in secrecy.

   clod      n.  1 lump, mass, gob, wad, hunk, chunk; piece of sod or turf;
             Colloq glob:  A clod of earth was stuck between the spikes of my
             golf shoes.  2 idiot, fool, dolt, blockhead, simpleton, dunce,
             dope, oaf, Neanderthal, lout, ass, boor, clown, ninny,
             ninny-hammer, bumpkin, clodhopper, Slang vegetable, US and
             Canadian jerk:  He felt a bit of a clod standing there with no
             idea which way to go.

   clog      v.  hamper, encumber, impede; obstruct, choke (up), block,
             congest, jam:  The road was clogged with returning
             holiday-makers. A piece of orange peel had clogged the sink
             drain.

   close     v.  1 shut, close up, seal; close off, lock, padlock, secure,
             fasten:  I closed my eyes. Please close the door behind you.  2
             make inaccessible, shut, Chiefly US place off limits:  The
             Bodleian Library will be closed for a week.  3 conclude, end,
             finish, complete, bring to a close or end, terminate, climax,
             Colloq wind up:  A brilliant flourish closes the first movement
             of the symphony.  4 conclude, sign, seal, make, settle, clinch,
             agree, arrange, work out, establish:  Union and management
             closed a deal, and the strike was called off. 5 Also, close
             down. discontinue, terminate, stop, suspend, shut down, go out
             of business, cease operations, close (up), Colloq wind up, shut
             up shop, put up the shutters:  Competition from the supermarket
             forced the greengrocer to close down. 6 Also, close off. seal,
             make inaccessible, shut (off), obstruct, obturate:  This wing of
             the museum has been closed off temporarily.  7 close one's eyes
             to. ignore, overlook, disregard:  You have always closed your
             eyes to his faults.  8 close up.  a close, shut (up), lock up,
             close (down):  It's time to close up for the night.  b close,
             come or draw or bring together, unite, join; connect:  We closed
             up ranks and stood at attention.

             --adj.  9 near; adjacent, proximate, proximal:  He claims to
             have had a close encounter with an extraterrestrial.  There
             certainly is a close resemblance between Kathy and her daughter.
             10 closed, shut (up), fixed, fast, secure, tight:  The hostages
             spent a month in close confinement.  11 dense, compact, tight,
             cramped, compressed, tiny, minuscule, minute:  I could hardly
             read the close writing on the matchbox.  12 stuffy, musty,
             stale, fusty, confining, oppressive, airless, unventilated,
             confined, stifling, suffocating:  They locked me in a room that
             was so close I could hardly breathe.  13 nearly equal or even,
             close-matched, neck and neck, tight:  It was a close race, but
             Flanagan won by a hair.  14 careful, assiduous, precise,
             detailed, concentrated, strict, rigorous, minute, searching,
             attentive, alert, intent, intense, thorough, painstaking:  Close
             analysis has revealed that the handwriting is that of a
             left-handed adult. 15 attached, intimate, devoted, familiar,
             inseparable, close-knit, solid, confidential; fast; Colloq
             thick, thick as thieves, pally, US and Canadian palsy-walsy,
             buddy-buddy:  They are a very close family. She and her father
             are very close.  16 private, privy, secret, guarded, closely
             guarded, confidential:  Although it should have been a close
             secret, the press managed to get hold of it. 17 secretive,
             reticent, taciturn, reserved, close-mouthed, tight-lipped,
             silent:  She is very close about the whereabouts of her husband.
             18 stingy, mean, miserly, niggardly, tight-fisted, close-fisted,
             parsimonious, penurious, penny-pinching, cheese-paring,
             Scrooge-like, skinflinty, Colloq near, Brit mingy:  He's so
             close he charges his own mother rent.  19 secluded, concealed,
             shut up or away, hidden:  The fugitives decided to lie close
             till nightfall.

             --adv.  20 near, in the neighbourhood (of), not far (from),
             adjacent (to); alongside; at hand, nearby, close by:  The murder
             took place close to my house. I'm frightened, so please stay
             close by. 21 close to or on or onto. nearly, almost, about,
             practically, approximately, nigh unto, approaching:  For close
             to two thousand years the site lay untouched.

             --n.  22 end, termination, conclusion, finish, completion,
             cessation; culmination:  By the close of trading, share prices
             had risen again.

   cloth     n.  1 fabric, material, textile, Chiefly Brit stuff:  The
             curtains are made of cloth, not plastic.  2 the cloth. the
             clergy, the (religious) ministry, the priesthood:  He is a man
             of the cloth.

   clothe    v.  1 dress, attire, garb, apparel, outfit, fit out or up,
             accoutre or US also accouter, Brit kit out or up, Colloq tog up
             or out:  He earns barely enough to clothe and feed his family.
             2 endow, invest, caparison, endue:  They tried to clothe their
             transactions with the raiment of honesty.

   clothes   n.pl.  clothing, apparel, attire, wear, dress, garments,
             raiment, wardrobe, outfit, ensemble, vestment(s), Old-fashioned
             duds, Colloq togs, gear, get-up Slang glad rags, Brit clobber;
             Slang US (set of) threads:  Put on some old clothes and make
             yourself comfortable.

   clown     n.  1 jester, fool, zany, comic, comedian, funny man:  Of all
             the performers at the circus, I like the clowns best.  2
             buffoon, boor, rustic, yahoo, oaf, lout, clod, dolt, bumpkin,
             clodhopper, provincial, peasant, yokel, Colloq lummox; Slang
             chiefly US jerk; Old-fashioned galoot or galloot; Slang chiefly
             US and Canadian hick:  That's the kind of language we expect to
             hear only from the most ignorant clowns.

             --v.  3 Often, clown around or about. fool (around), play the
             fool, horse around or about, caper, cut a caper or capers,
             engage in high jinks or hijinks, US cut up, cut didos:  Stop
             clowning around with that hose and help water the garden.

   club      n.  1 cudgel, bat, bludgeon, mace, billy, truncheon, baton,
             staff, stick; cosh, Chiefly US and Canadian blackjack:  The blow
             from the club required six stitches.  2 association, society,
             organization, fraternity, sorority, fellowship, brotherhood,
             sisterhood, federation, union, guild, lodge, alliance, league,
             order, consortium, company:  Our sailing club holds an annual
             race.  3 clubhouse:  The society's club is near Pall Mall.  4
             nightclub, cabaret, Colloq nightspot:  After the theatre, we
             stopped at Oscar's club for a nightcap.

             --v.  5 beat, cudgel, bludgeon, bat, belabour or US belabor;
             lambaste, baste, thrash, trounce:  The guerrillas caught the
             traitor and clubbed him to death.  6 Often, club together. band
             or join or league (together), team (up), join forces, combine,
             ally, associate, confederate, cooperate:  We clubbed together to
             purchase the antique clock.

   clue      n.  1 hint, suspicion, trace, intimation, suggestion, inkling,
             indication, pointer, lead, tip, tip-off, evidence, information,
             advice; key, answer, indicator:  There is no clue pointing to
             anyone in particular. Any clue to the solution of the mystery
             disappeared in the fire.

             --v.  2 clue someone in or Brit also up. hint, suggest, imply,
             intimate, inform, advise, indicate:  She clued us in as to who
             might have sent the letter.

   clump     n.  1 lump, mass, clod, chunk, hunk, wad, gob, Colloq glob:  As
             the soup cooled, clumps of fat formed on its surface.  2 bunch,
             cluster; thicket, copse; wood, Chiefly Brit spinney:  The deer
             disappeared into a clump of trees. That clump will provide good
             cover for us.

             --v.  3 lump, mass, heap, collect, gather, bunch, pile:  She
             wore her hair clumped on top her head.

   clumsy    adj.  awkward, ungainly, unwieldy, ungraceful, gawky, maladroit,
             unhandy, unskilful, inept, bungling, bumbling, cloddish,
             ox-like, bovine, uncoordinated, lubberly, oafish; gauche, Colloq
             butter-fingered, ham-fisted, ham-handed, cack-handed:  He made a
             clumsy attempt to put the key in the lock. She gave a clumsy
             excuse for being in the bank after hours.

   cluster   n.  1 collection, bunch, clutch, tuft, bundle:  Notice that
             cluster of flowers near the top of the plant.  2 collection,
             bunch, group, knot, body, band, company, gathering, crowd,
             assembly, congregation, throng, flock, assemblage, swarm:  A
             cluster of well-wishers stood talking with the minister.

             --v.  3 collect, bunch, group, band, gather, crowd, congregate,
             throng, assemble, accumulate, mass, aggregate:  A number of
             people clustered round the new sculpture. Why do these flowers
             cluster at this tree?

   clutch    v.  1 seize, snatch, grab, grasp, take or lay hold of; hold; US
             snag:  She clutched feebly to the rope before losing her grip
             and plunging into the abyss below. He clutched the child to his
             bosom.

             --n.  2 clutches.  a grasp at, hold; embrace:  We watched as the
             gazelle deftly eluded the cheetah's clutches.  b influence,
             control, power, domination, dominance, possession:  He fell into
             the clutches of the Triads.

   clutter   n.  1 mess, litter, jumble; mishmash, olla podrida, confusion,
             hash, gallimaufry, hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge, muddle,
             farrago, medley:  I must insist that you clear up the clutter in
             your room at once.  That philosophy is a clutter of competing
             ideas. 2 confusion, tangle, chaos, disarray:  The town was a
             clutter of narrow, crooked, dark, and dirty lanes.

             --v.  3 Often, clutter up. mess up, litter, strew, make a
             shambles of:  Please don't clutter up my desk with newspaper
             cuttings.

3.6 coach...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   coach     n.  1 carriage, bus, omnibus, motor coach:  The sightseeing
             coach broke down near Exeter.  2 tutor, trainer, instructor,
             teacher, mentor, Brit crammer:  Her voice coach says she's not
             yet ready for grand opera.

             --v.  3 tutor, train, instruct, guide, direct, drill, prepare,
             prompt, school, exercise, Brit cram:  Her lawyers have coached
             her in what to say in court.

   coagulate v.  congeal, gel, jell, clot, curdle, set:  The white of the egg
             had coagulated, but the yolk was still runny.

   coarse    adj.  1 rough, uneven, scratchy, prickly, bristly; crude,
             rough-hewn, unfinished, unrefined:  He has a three-day coarse
             growth of beard. The surface on the furniture is still too
             coarse. 2 rude, boorish, loutish, crude, ill-mannered,
             unpolished, rough, uncouth, impolite, uncivil, unrefined:
             Nigel's behaviour is coarse, and he spits when he talks.  3
             rude, indecent, improper, indelicate, obscene, lewd, vulgar,
             gross, smutty, dirty, filthy, foul, offensive, lascivious,
             ribald, bawdy; foul-mouthed:  Don't use that kind of coarse
             language with me.  4 inferior, low-quality, second-rate, shoddy,
             tawdry, trashy; kitschy:  That shop stocks only the coarsest
             merchandise.

   coast     n.  1 seaside, seashore, shore, sea-coast, strand, beach,
             littoral, coastline, seaboard:  Be careful of rocks if you sail
             near the coast.

             --v.  2 glide, skim, slide, sail:  The children coasted down the
             hill on the toboggan.

   coat      n.  1 overcoat, greatcoat; jacket, anorak, parka, Brit cagoule,
             Colloq Brit cag:  Put on your coat, it's cold out.  2 coating,
             layer, covering, overlay; film:  Two coats of paint ought to be
             enough. There was a coat of dust on everything.

             --v.  3 cover, paint, spread:  We coated the floor with three
             layers of varnish.

   coax      v.  persuade, urge, wheedle, cajole, beguile, charm, inveigle,
             jolly, manipulate:  She coaxed me into spending a weekend with
             her at Blackpool.

   cocky     adj.  overconfident, arrogant, haughty, conceited,
             self-important, egotistical, proud, vain, prideful, cocksure,
             saucy, cheeky, brash:  Since she won the beauty contest, Claire
             has been entirely too cocky.

   coddle    v.  pamper, baby, cosset, mollycoddle, indulge, humour, spoil,
             Brit cocker:  Give him a cold bath and don't coddle him so much.

   code      n.  1 law(s), regulation(s), rule(s), jurisprudence, jus
             canonicum 'canon law', jus civile 'civil law', jus divinum
             'divine law', jus gentium 'universal law', jus naturale 'natural
             law', corpus juris, pandect, lex non scripta 'common law,
             unwritten law', lex scripta 'statute law':  In the present code
             there is no statute that forbids keeping a pet gnu. 2 cipher or
             cypher, cryptogram:  Our agents send all their messages in code.
             3 system, practice(s), convention(s), standard(s), criterion
             (criteria), principle(s), rule(s), maxim(s), custom(s),
             pattern(s), structure, tradition(s), organization, protocol,
             orthodoxy:  Our code of behaviour is completely foreign to the
             islanders.

             --v.  4 encode, encipher or encypher, encrypt:  It took an hour
             to code the information.

   coffin    n.  casket, pall, (pine) box; sarcophagus:  The coffin was
             slowly lowered into the grave.

   cog       n.  1 tooth, gear-tooth, sprocket, ratchet:  Stripping the gears
             means breaking the cogs off them.  2 underling, pawn,
             subordinate, nonentity, zero, cipher or cypher, nothing, nobody,
             small fry:  He's only a small cog in the organization - we're
             after the big wheel himself.

   cognizance
             n.  knowledge, awareness, knowledge, perception, notice,
             consciousness, mindfulness:  They ran the gambling den with the
             full cognizance of the police.

   coherent  adj.  1 consistent, orderly, organized, well-organized, logical,
             rational, reasonable, well-ordered:  The MP set forth a coherent
             argument against an excise tax.  2 understandable, sensible,
             comprehensible, intelligible, articulate, lucid, clear:  He was
             so frightened and hysterical that he was unable to tell a
             coherent story.

   cohort    n.  1 troop, squad, squadron, platoon, brigade, unit, cadre,
             wing, legion, detachment, contingent:  Ten select Roman cohorts
             were sent against the Mitanni.  2 company, band, group, faction,
             set, body, corps:  She was a member of a small cohort of
             suffragettes.  3 companion, confederate, accomplice, associate,
             fellow, comrade, friend, confrЉre:  Gerald then arrived with a
             few of his cohorts.

   coil      v.  1 wind, twist, coil, snake, wrap, enwrap, spiral, Nautical
             fake or flake (down):  The rope is coiled round a capstan.

             --n.  2 winding(s), circle(s), loop, whorl, spiral, helix,
             twist:  His foot caught in the coil of rope and he was carried
             overboard.

   coin      n.  1 specie, money, currency; change, cash, silver:  I have
             only a few coins in my pocket. As he had no notes he had to pay
             in coin.

             --v.  2 mint, stamp:  The US government has stopped coining
             silver dollars.  3 invent, create, conceive, originate, start,
             make up, fabricate, frame, concoct, think or dream up:  James
             Joyce coined the word 'quark'.  4 coin it in or US only coin
             money. earn or make money, become wealthy, enrich oneself,
             Colloq rake it in:  Those rock stars really coin it in from
             their record sales.

   coincide  v.  fall or come or go together, line up, co-occur, correspond,
             synchronize, match, tally, agree, (be in) accord, equal, jibe:
             This year, Easter and Passover coincide. The southern boundary
             coincides with the Thames.

   coincidence
             n.  1 co-occurrence, simultaneity, correspondence, concurrence,
             consistency, contemporaneity, synchronism, synchrony,
             coextension, coevality, coinstantaneity:  The coincidence of
             twelve by the clock with noon by the sundial is exact only four
             times in the year. 2 congruence, matching, jibing, agreement,
             concord, accord, harmony, accordance, conformity, congruity,
             consonance, concomitance:  Fortunately there was a coincidence
             of views on the main issues.  3 chance occurrence, fluke,
             chance, accident, luck, fortuity, fortuitousness, US and
             Canadian happenstance:  By sheer coincidence, I met my next-door
             neighbour on the train from Glasgow.

   coincidental
             adj.  chance, lucky or unlucky, fortuitous, accidental,
             unexpected, unpredicted, unpredictable, unforeseen:  It was
             entirely coincidental that we were on the same train.

   cold      adj.  1 chill, chilly, frosty, icy, keen, nippy, freezing,
             frigid, ice-cold, stone-cold, bitter, bitter-cold, raw, biting,
             biting-cold, numbing, gelid; wintry, hibernal, brumal; arctic,
             glacial, polar, hyperborean or hyperboreal, Siberian:  It was so
             cold that the canal had completely frozen over.  2 chilly,
             chilled; unheated, heatless:  The room is cold; we'd better put
             the heating on.  3 indifferent, apathetic, chilly, chilling,
             cool, icy, dispassionate, unsympathetic, aloof, unresponsive,
             spiritless, frigid, unfriendly, uncordial, lukewarm, frigid;
             cold-blooded, insensitive, uncaring, unemotional,
             undemonstrative, reserved, unmoved, spiritless, callous, remote,
             distant, standoffish, unapproachable, stony-hearted,
             emotionless, unfeeling, cold-hearted:  My ideas received rather
             a cold reception. Because she had offended him, he was quite
             cold to her. 4 depressing, cheerless, chilling, gloomy,
             dispiriting, deadening, disheartening, bleak, dismal,
             discouraging:  The sweat stood out on his brow in cold
             apprehension.  5 unmoving, stale, trite, stereotyped; dead:  The
             coldest word was once a glowing new metaphor.  6 weak, faint,
             stale, old, dead:  The trail of the tiger had grown cold.  7
             unprepared, unready:  She hadn't studied and went into the exam
             cold.  8 Often, getting cold. far, distant, remote, off the
             track:  As I searched for the weapon, I felt I was getting cold
             the further I went from the kitchen.

             --n.  9 coldness, frigidity, iciness:  Last winter, the cold
             killed off many of our shrubs.  10 head or chest or common cold,
             influenza, ague, (la or the) grippe, Technical coryza, gravedo,
             Colloq sniffles, the flu, bug, sneezles and wheezles:  I caught
             a cold waiting for you in the rain.

             --adv.  11 completely, thoroughly, entirely, absolutely,
             unhesitatingly, promptly, immediately, unreservedly, abruptly:
             His application to join the police was turned down cold.

   cold-blooded
             adj.  1 Technical poikilothermic or poikilothermal:  Reptiles
             are cold-blooded.  2 unexcited, unemotional, cool,
             unimpassioned, unfeeling, callous, thick-skinned, insensitive,
             heartless, uncaring, stony, steely, stony-hearted, cold-hearted,
             imperturbable, unmoved, indifferent, unresponsive,
             unsympathetic, apathetic, dispassionate:  The murder appeared to
             be the act of a cold-blooded killer.  3 cruel, brutal, savage,
             inhuman, barbarous, vicious, barbaric, merciless, pitiless,
             ruthless:  They were victims of a cold-blooded policy of
             repatriation.

   cold-hearted
             adj.  insensitive, unsympathetic, apathetic, indifferent,
             unfeeling, uncaring, callous, thick-skinned, cold, cool, frigid,
             hard-hearted, heartless, unkind, thoughtless, unthoughtful,
             uncharitable, ruthless, pitiless, unmerciful, cruel, merciless,
             mean:  Putting that kitten out on a snowy night is the most
             cold-hearted thing you ever did.

   collaborate
             v.  cooperate, join (forces), work together, team up:  We
             collaborated in writing both the lyrics and music.

   collapse  v.  1 fall (down or in or apart), crumple, cave in, deflate,
             crumble, tumble down, break down, go:  When he opened the valve,
             the balloon collapsed. Hundreds of buildings collapsed in the
             earthquake. 2 fail, (come to an) end, fall through, peter out,
             disintegrate, dissolve, fall flat, founder, come to naught or
             nought, break up or down; decline, diminish; disappear,
             evaporate, go up in smoke, go bankrupt, go under, Brit go to the
             wall, Colloq fizzle out:  After the imprisonment of their
             leader, the entire movement collapsed.  Owing to the recession,
             many businesses collapsed. 3 pass out, faint, drop, Colloq keel
             over; Old-fashioned or literary swoon:  He collapsed on-stage
             and they took him to his dressing-room.  4 break down
             (mentally), have a (nervous) breakdown, go to pieces, come or
             fall apart , Colloq crack up, US also crack:  She finally
             collapsed from overwork and is now in a sanatorium.

             --n.  5 cave-in, breakdown:  The collapse of the house was
             attributed to termites.  6 failure, downfall, ruin;
             disappearance, disintegration, dissolution, bankruptcy:  Will he
             be able to survive the collapse of his financial empire?  7
             (mental) breakdown, prostration, Colloq crack-up:  He suffered a
             mental collapse when his family was killed in a car crash.

   colleague n.  team-mate, fellow-worker, co-worker; associate, comrade,
             ally, confrЉre, mate, consociate, Chiefly Brit and Australian
             mate, US buddy:  I have asked some of my colleagues from the
             office to join us for dinner.

   collect   v.  1 gather (together), get or bring or come or together,
             amass, accumulate, assemble, compile, pile up, heap up, rack up;
             convene, congregate, converge, rally, meet:  A crowd had
             collected outside the mayor's home. They were collecting
             evidence for their case. 2 summon (up), draw (up), muster,
             gather (up), concentrate:  She collected all her courage to ask
             for an increase in salary.

   collected adj.  calm, serene, controlled, cool, sedate, composed,
             nonchalant, poised, unruffled, unperturbed, at ease,
             comfortable, tranquil, unexcited; imperturbable; confident:
             Considering what she's just gone through, Tanya seems quite
             collected.

   collection
             n.  1 collecting, gathering, solicitation, garnering, gleaning,
             accumulation, amassment, aggregation, Colloq Brit whip-round:
             The collection of donations in this neighbourhood is going well.
             2 accumulation, hoard, store, assemblage, omnium gatherum;
             anthology, chrestomathy:  Would you like to come up to see my
             collection of etchings? They have published some very
             interesting collections.

   collector n.  gatherer, accumulator; connoisseur, art-lover:  The rent
             collector is coming tomorrow. We are collectors of paintings by
             unknown artists.

   collide   v.  1 crash, strike or dash together:  The cars collided at the
             bridge.  2 collide with. crash into, smash into, run into, bump
             into, smack into:  The car collided with the bus at the
             crossing.

   collision n.  smash-up, smash, crash, wreck, pile-up, Colloq Brit prang;
             US crack-up:  There has been a major collision on the Tring
             road.

   colossal  adj.  1 huge, vast, enormous, gigantic, giant, mammoth, massive,
             gargantuan, Cyclopean, Brobdingnagian, immense, monumental,
             titanic, Herculean, elephantine, jumbo:  Mystery surrounds the
             exact methods used in moving the colossal stones used in the
             pyramids. 2 spectacular, stupendous, wonderful, awe-inspiring,
             staggering, extraordinary, incredible, overwhelming,
             unbelievable:  The old Hollywood extravaganzas were described by
             press agents as 'colossal'. I think you have made a colossal
             mistake in failing to hire Cynthia.

   colour    n.  1 hue, tint, tincture, shade, tone, cast, tinge,
             pigmentation; pigment, dye:  The colours of the curtains don't
             match the wall.  2 colours.  a flag, ensign, standard, pennant,
             banner, burgee:  The sloop hoisted the British colours.  b
             device, badge, emblem, insigne or pl insignia, symbol(s),
             identification; identity, appearance, face; loyalties:  The
             investigators found he'd been operating under false colours.
             She has shown her true colours at last.

             --v.  3 tint, dye, stain, paint, crayon, tincture, tinge;
             pigment:  These sections will stand out better if you colour
             them red.  4 influence, affect, distort, falsify, taint, warp,
             twist, slant, pervert, bias:  Jealousy colours his opinion of
             his supervisor.  5 blush, redden, flush:  After their affair,
             she visibly coloured whenever they met.  6 falsify, distort,
             misrepresent, disguise, mask, conceal:  He feigns confusion when
             he wishes to colour his true feelings.

   colourless
             adj.  1 pale, pallid, blanched, white; wan, ashen, sallow,
             waxen, sickly, washed out:  You could see from his colourless
             complexion that he had not been outside for months. 2 dull,
             drab, uninteresting, vacuous, vapid, lifeless, boring, tedious,
             spiritless, dry, dry-as-dust, dreary, characterless, insipid,
             bland, namby-pamby, lacklustre, uninspiring, uninspired:  She
             has led a colourless life. Few people have so colourless a
             personality as he.

   combat    n.  1 fight, encounter, engagement, duel, battle, conflict, war,
             warfare; skirmish:  The two men were locked in single combat.  2
             struggle, contest, strife, controversy, dispute, quarrel,
             disagreement, altercation, vendetta, feud:  There was endless
             combat between father and son.  3 opposition, difference,
             confrontation:  The combat between good and evil can never end.
             4 action, fighting, battle, war:  He was in combat on three
             occasions. Have you seen any combat?

             --v.  5 fight, (do) battle, war, clash, contend, duel, joust,
             wrestle, come to blows, spar, grapple (with):  The soldiers are
             combating hand to hand in the trenches.  6 fight, struggle or
             strive against, contest, oppose, defy, enter the lists against,
             withstand:  There was broad support for measures to combat crime
             and pollution.

   combination
             n.  1 union, conjunction, mixture, mix, grouping, set, array:
             They always serve the same combination of foods.  2 association,
             alliance, coalition, union, federation, confederation, combine,
             syndication, syndicate, consortium, trust, bloc, cartel, party,
             society, organization, league, cabal, conspiracy, clique;
             claque:  When they get together they form an unbeatable
             combination.  3 mixture, amalgam, compound, compounding, mix,
             alloy, conglomerate, conglomeration, aggregate, aggregation,
             amalgamation, blend, emulsion, suspension, colloid, solution,
             composition, Technical parasynthesis, parathesis; mosaic,
             patchwork:  From a combination of ingredients the witch made a
             slimy love potion. A combination of every colour of the rainbow
             covered the walls.

   combine   v.  1 unite, unify, join, connect, relate, link, conjoin, band,
             ally, associate, integrate, merge, pool:  Combine forces, and
             we'll win.  2 blend, mix, amalgamate, mingle, consolidate,
             compound, incorporate, put together:  Combine the water, butter,
             and salt in a saucepan.  3 blend, fuse, synthesize, bind, bond,
             compound, unite, coalesce, come together, commingle, mingle:
             When heated, the silver combines with the chlorine.

   come      v.  1 approach, advance, (draw) near, move, Archaic or literary
             draw nigh:  The car came towards us. She has come to me for
             comforting words.  Winter is coming. 2 arrive, appear, make or
             put in an appearance, Colloq blow in, report (in), turn or show
             up, check in, sign in, clock on or in, roll in:  Winter has
             come. When Cora comes, we'll ask her.  3 enter:  Come into the
             light, where I can see you.  4 come about.  a occur, happen,
             take place, come up; befall, Loosely transpire:  I cannot
             imagine how this state of affairs came about.  b Nautical tack,
             go about:  After the marker, come about and hoist the spinnaker.
             5 come across.  a find, discover, encounter, meet (up or up
             with), run across or into, happen or chance upon or on, hit or
             light on or upon, stumble upon or on, Colloq bump into:  I came
             across some information about Charles.  b pay (up), settle;
             yield, give up, submit:  Frank owes me money but refuses to come
             across.  c be communicated or understandable, penetrate, sink
             in:  I am not sure that my points came across.  6 come along.
             fare, do, progress, move along:  How is William coming along at
             his new school?  7 come apart. disintegrate, crumble, fall or
             fly to pieces, separate, break (apart or up or down):  The
             carburettor came apart in my hands.  8 come at. attack, assault,
             charge, rush (at), fly at, descend upon or on, Colloq go or make
             for:  She came at me waving her umbrella.  9 come by.  a
             acquire, obtain, get, procure, secure, find, take or get
             possession of, get or lay hold of, get or lay or put (one's)
             hands or US also fingers on; be given:  The tax inspector
             wondered how she came by such valuable property.  b win, earn,
             attain; be awarded:  I came by that trophy fair and square.  10
             come clean. See clean, 8, above.  11 come down on or upon.
             pounce on or upon, rebuke, criticize, revile, reprimand, bear
             down on, blame:  Mother really came down on us when she
             discovered who had taken the pie. 12 come down with. succumb to,
             contract, catch, be stricken or afflicted with, acquire:  He's
             come down with pneumonia.  13 come in.  a win, succeed; Colloq
             finish (in the money):  My horse came in.  b be, prove, turn out
             or prove to be:  Knowing someone on the council can come in
             handy.  c finish, end up, arrive:  Donald came in first in the
             backstroke.  d enter:  Don't come in, I'm dressing.  14 come
             off.  a occur, happen, come to pass, take place , Loosely
             transpire:  I doubt that the performance will ever come off.  b
             emerge, result as:  We came off the winners in Saturday's game.
             15 come out.  a be revealed, become public or known or common
             knowledge, get about or around, get or leak out, emerge:  The
             story has come out that he tried to bribe the inspector.  b be
             published or issued or produced or distributed, be shown, be in
             print, premiЉre:  The new edition of the dictionary has just
             come out.  c end, conclude, turn out, terminate, finish:  How
             did the chess match come out?  16 come over.  a go over,
             communicate, come across, be communicated, succeed, be received:
             How did my speech come over?  b affect, influence, possess:  I
             can't imagine what's come over Louis.  c visit, drop or stop by
             or in:  Quentin and his wife came over for dinner last night.
             17 come through.  a recover (from), recuperate (from), get well
             or better:  He came through his operation with flying colours.
             b conclude or end (up) or finish or wind up successfully or
             satisfactorily, succeed, arrive, not fail or disappoint:  I knew
             he'd come through.  18 come to.  a amount to, add up to, total,
             aggregate:  My bill came to more than I had with me.  b regain
             or recover consciousness, awake(n), revive, wake up, come
             (a)round:  When I came to, I was on the floor with a terrific
             headache.  c regard, concern, relate to, be a question of,
             involve, be relevant to, be involved:  When it comes to real
             ale, Mario is the expert.  19 come up.  a arise, surface,
             present itself, be brought up, be broached, come about, turn up,
             rise, Colloq crop up:  The question of religion never came up.
             b grow, thrive, appear:  None of my tulips came up this year.  c
             rise, arise:  The moon came up just as the sun was setting.

   comedian  n.  humorist, comic, wit, wag, jokesmith; clown, buffoon, funny
             man, funster, jester, fool, zany, merry andrew:  The new
             comedian at the variety show is very funny.

   comely    adj.  good-looking, pretty, bonny, lovely, fair, beautiful,
             handsome, attractive, appealing, wholesome, winsome, buxom:  She
             is a comely woman who has had no shortage of suitors.

   come-on   n.  lure, attraction, enticement, inducement, temptation, bait;
             loss-leader:  The free glassware is a come-on to buy a tankful
             of petrol.

   comfort   v.  1 console, solace, soothe, assuage, reassure, relieve,
             hearten, cheer, gladden:  It might comfort you to know that
             Roderick has recovered completely.  He comforted her when the
             pain became unbearable.

             --n.  2 consolation, solace, relief, cheer:  I derived some
             comfort from knowing that my attacker had been caught. 3 ease,
             luxury, security, abundance, plenty, opulence:  Cordelia lived
             out her days in comfort after inheriting a fortune from her
             aunt.

   comfortable
             adj.  1 at ease, easy, tranquil, serene, relaxed, contented,
             untroubled, undisturbed:  After the operation, the nurses did
             everything they could to make me comfortable. 2 well off,
             carefree, insouciant, contented, satisfied; self-satisfied,
             complacent, smug:  They don't have a lot of money, but they're
             comfortable enough.  3 likeable, easy, congenial, amiable,
             cordial, warm, pleasant, agreeable, enjoyable, relaxing:  Daphne
             is a very comfortable sort of person to be with.  4 suitable,
             acceptable, adequate, satisfactory, reasonable:  The radio was
             on very loud, so I turned down the volume to a more comfortable
             level.

   comic     adj.  1 funny, droll, comical, humorous, hilarious,
             side-splitting, mirthful, jocose, jocular, witty, waggish,
             clever, facetious, amusing:  Barry's comic routines have made
             him a popular performer for years.

             --n.  2 See comedian.

   command   v.  1 order, direct, bid, enjoin, charge, request, require,
             demand, instruct; say, prescribe, decree:  What the Queen
             commands must be done.  2 control, dominate, have or maintain or
             wield authority or control or sway or influence over, hold sway
             over; lead, rule, govern, have under one's thumb, call the tune;
             head (up):  Whoever commands the sea commands the town. He
             commanded a battalion during the war. 3 master, draw upon or on,
             control, summon:  The work required all the skill the sculptor
             could command.  4 attract, earn; exact, compel, demand:  Gunga
             Din's bravery commanded the respect of the entire regiment.  5
             dominate, control, overlook, look down on; have, enjoy, possess:
             The tower commands a view of the entire valley.

             --n.  6 order, direction, behest, mandate, charge, bidding,
             instruction:  Your wish is my command.  7 control, authority,
             power, sovereignty, dominion, regulation, direction, management,
             government, oversight, leadership, charge, sway, stewardship,
             jurisdiction:  The unit is under the command of the colonel.  8
             mastery, control, (thorough) grasp or knowledge:  He has a good
             command of three languages.

   commemorate
             v.  memorialize, remember, celebrate, observe, dedicate,
             consecrate, solemnize, sanctify, hallow, reverence, revere,
             honour, venerate, pay tribute or homage to, salute; immortalize:
             We are here to commemorate deeds of valour and the men who
             performed them.

   commence  v.  1 begin, enter upon, start, initiate, launch, embark on or
             upon:  Tomorrow morning, we commence the ascent of Mont Blanc.
             2 begin, start, open:  The ceremonies are about to commence.  3
             begin, start, initiate, launch, inaugurate, establish:  We
             commenced operations at this plant last year.

   comment   n.  1 remark, reference, animadversion, note, annotation,
             criticism, exposition, explanation, expansion, elucidation,
             clarification, footnote:  The author's comments on his sources
             appear in the appendix.  2 commentary, opinion, remark, view,
             observation, reaction:  The judge's comments are not for
             publication.

             --v.  3 remark, observe, opine, say:  He commented that he knew
             nothing about the minister's private life. 4 comment on or
             about. discuss, talk about, remark on; reveal, expose:  She
             declined to comment on what had happened the previous night.

   commerce  n.  trade, business, mercantilism, marketing, merchandising,
             traffic, trafficking:  All commerce consists in the exchange of
             commodities of equal value. My husband is in commerce.

   commit    v.  1 entrust, consign, transfer, assign, delegate, hand over,
             deliver, give; allot, pledge, allocate:  They committed the
             goods to traders with strong distribution facilities.  2
             sentence, send (away), confine, shut up, intern, put away,
             imprison, incarcerate:  The judge committed her to prison. You
             can be committed for such behaviour. 3 perpetrate, do, perform,
             carry out:  They committed murder for money.  4 commit oneself.
             pledge, promise, covenant, agree, assure, swear, give one's
             word, vow, vouchsafe, engage, undertake, guarantee, bind
             oneself:  He committed himself to buying the company after
             seeing the books.

   committee n.  council, board, cabinet, panel, body, commission:  They have
             set up a committee to oversee park planning.

   common    adj.  1 ordinary, everyday, commonplace, prosaic, usual,
             familiar, customary, prevalent, frequent, run-of-the-mill,
             general, normal, standard, conventional, regular, routine,
             stock, average, proverbial; plain, simple, garden-variety,
             common or garden, workaday, undistinguished, unexceptional:
             Intermarriage is a common occurrence among the members of the
             sect. We planted a common variety of carrot. 2 mutual,
             reciprocal, joint, shared:  Our common heritage must be
             protected.  3 low-class, ordinary, plain, simple, plebeian,
             bourgeois, proletarian, run-of-the-mill, vulgar, unrefined:
             Kings avoid dealing with the common people.  4 inferior,
             low-grade, mean, cheap, base:  He was smoking a cigar of the
             commonest type.  5 public, general, community, communal,
             collective, non-private, universal; well-known:  The contents of
             the library are the common property of everyone.  Their romance
             is common knowledge in the village. 6 trite, stale, hackneyed,
             worn out, banal, tired, overused, stereotyped, clich‚d,
             stereotypical:  The term 'yuppie' has become too common to have
             much impact any longer.

   communicate
             v.  1 make known, impart, confer, transmit, transfer, hand on or
             down, share, pass on or along, send on, spread; tell, divulge,
             disclose, reveal, announce, transmit, promulgate, proffer,
             tender, offer, convey, deliver, present, give, yield, supply:
             Moral qualities are sometimes thought to be communicated by
             descent.  I communicated to them the information that I had
             about the missiles. 2 Also, communicate with. be in
             communication (with), converse (with), talk (with), chat (with);
             correspond (with); associate (with), be in contact or touch
             (with), reach:  Donald and I haven't communicated in years.
             Instead of communicating with him by telephone, she did so via
             personal notices in the newspaper. 3 get or put across, make
             understandable; get through to, reach, be of one mind, be in
             tune, relate, be in or en rapport, make oneself understood ,
             Slang be or vibrate on the same frequency or wavelength:  He has
             difficulty in communicating his ideas to his students.  We might
             talk, but are we communicating?

   compact   adj.  1 packed, compacted, closely-knit, condensed,
             concentrated, consolidated, compressed; dense, solid, firm,
             thick:  The sesame seeds are mixed with honey and pressed into a
             compact block. 2 tight, small, snug, little:  The table folds up
             into a compact unit for storage.  3 condensed, terse, laconic,
             close, pithy, succinct, concise, brief, compendious, laconic,
             epigrammatic, aphoristic:  The information is given in a compact
             form with many abbreviations and symbols.

   companion n.  1 fellow, associate, comrade, colleague, confrЉre, Colloq
             chiefly Brit and Australian mate, US and Canadian buddy:  For
             ten years they had been constant companions.  2 vade-mecum,
             manual, handbook, guide, reference book, enchiridion:  They
             publish a pocket companion listing the month's events.  3
             escort, chaperon(e), attendant, (in Spain, Portugal) duenna:
             Aunt Dinah is too old to be alone, so we have engaged a
             companion for her.

   companionship
             n.  fellowship, camaraderie, comradeship, company, society,
             amity, friendship, fraternity:  I often enjoy the companionship
             of an older person.

   company   n.  1 companionship, society, fellowship; attendance, presence;
             associates, friends, companions, comrades:  It was a stormy
             night, and I was only too glad to have his company.  A man is
             known by the company he keeps. 2 assemblage, party, band, group,
             retinue, entourage, suite, train, coterie, ensemble, troop,
             followers, following, flock; circle, assembly, gathering,
             convention, body, crowd, throng, Theatre troupe, cast, players,
             actors, performers:  The king arrived with his company at the
             gate of the city. The speaker addressed the assembled company.
             The company leaves today for a month on the road. 3 guest(s);
             visitor(s), caller(s):  Are you having company for dinner
             tonight?  4 firm, business, house, concern, institution,
             establishment, enterprise; proprietorship, partnership,
             corporation, Brit public limited company, plc, Australian and
             New Zealand and South African private limited company, Pty:  The
             company was founded in 1867.

   compare   v.  1 liken, associate, make (an) analogy (with), refer,
             analogize:  How can you compare your collection to mine?  2
             compare with. resemble, be or look like, be on a par with, be in
             a class or the same class with, correspond, match, parallel,
             approach, approximate, bear or merit comparison (with); rival,
             compete with or against, be a match for:  Your paintings compare
             well with Picasso's. The new recordings don't begin to compare
             with the old ones. 3 contrast, measure against, weigh,
             juxtapose, set side by side, relate, correlate:  We need to
             compare the results of the two surveys.

   comparison
             n.  1 contrasting, contrast, juxtaposing, juxtaposition,
             balancing, balance, weighing:  His comparison of the candidates
             is prejudiced.  2 match, similarity, resemblance, likeness,
             comparability, relation, relationship, commensurability,
             kinship, point of agreement or correspondence:  There is no
             comparison between a racing car and a family car.

   compartment
             n.  division, section, partition, part, space, chamber, bay,
             alcove, cell, pigeon-hole, locker, cubby-hole, niche, cubicle,
             slot:  Each specimen is in its own separate compartment.

   compensate
             v.  1 recompense, make up (for), make restitution or reparation,
             offset, make good, indemnify, repay, reimburse, redress,
             requite; expiate, atone, make amends (for):  The company
             compensated us for the loss of the car. Arriving at school early
             today, Gerard, does not compensate for having been late
             yesterday. 2 balance, counterpoise, counterbalance, equalize,
             neutralize, even (up), square, offset:  Deduct six ounces to
             compensate for the weight of the container.  3 pay, remunerate,
             reward, repay, recompense:  Two pounds does not compensate me
             adequately for an hour's work.

   compensatory
             adj.  compensative, remunerative, restitutive or restitutory,
             expiatory, reparative or reparatory, piacular:  His huge
             donation to the church was a compensatory offering for his past
             sins.

   compete   v.  contend, vie, struggle, strive, conflict, joust, fence;
             fight, battle, clash, collide:  They are competing to see who
             will become chairman of the company.  These two designs compete
             with one another for the viewer's attention.

   competent adj.  1 adequate, suitable, sufficient, satisfactory,
             acceptable, all right, Colloq OK or okay:  Colquhon will make a
             competent bureau chief.  2 qualified, fit, capable, proficient,
             able, prepared:  Do you really think that fellow Johnson
             competent to write a dictionary?

   competition
             n.  1 rivalry, contention, striving, struggle:  The competition
             for newspaper circulation becomes keener every day. 2 contest,
             match, meet, game, tournament, event; championship:  We entered
             the competition as underdogs.  3 See competitor.

   competitor
             n.  rival, opponent, competition, opposition, adversary;
             antagonist, contestant, contender:  Our main competitor has just
             announced a new product.

   compile   v.  collect, put together, gather, accumulate, assemble, amass,
             collate, organize, order, systematize; anthologize, compose:  He
             has compiled a large butterfly collection. Every year she
             compiles a volume of the best stories.

   complain  v.  grumble, moan, groan, wail, grouse, carp (at), whimper, cry,
             lament, bemoan, Colloq gripe, squawk, grouch, Brit whinge, Slang
             bitch, beef, US kick:  What are you complaining about now?

   complaint n.  grumble, grievance, grouse, Colloq gripe, squawk , Slang
             beef, US kick:  I have no complaints about my treatment while I
             was in hospital.

   complement
             v.  1 completion, perfection, confirmation, finishing touch,
             consummation:  The grand tour was considered the necessary
             complement of an English education in the 18th century. 2 crew,
             team, company, band, outfit; quota, allowance, quorum:  The
             regiment's full complement was attained by selecting from among
             the recruits.

             --v.  3 complete, perfect, round out or off, set off, top off;
             flesh out:  The setting was complemented by a huge floral
             arrangement. His argument was complemented by evidence from rare
             documents. 4 supplement, enhance, add to:  These are facts that
             complement but do not contradict her story.

   complete  adj.  1 entire, whole, intact, uncut, unbroken, undivided,
             unabridged, full, undiminished, unabated, unreduced:  The
             complete works of Dickens are available in paperback. They
             performed the complete opera, a six-hour marathon. 2 finished,
             ended, concluded, over, done, accomplished, terminated; settled,
             executed, performed:  The company's figures are not yet
             complete. When will your building plan be complete? 3 entire,
             total, thorough, absolute, utter, unqualified, unmixed,
             unalloyed, pure, unmitigated, rank:  I attribute the disaster to
             a complete breakdown of communication, together with the
             complete incompetence of the site manager. 4 perfect,
             consummate, exemplary, ideal, model, superior, superlative,
             superb, faultless, flawless:  Her dissertation is a work of
             complete scholarship.

             --v.  5 conclude, finish, end, bring to an end, accomplish,
             achieve, do, Colloq wrap up; finalize:  He stopped after
             completing ten ciruits of the track. Have you completed the
             prospectus? 6 round out, round off, perfect; crown, culminate:
             The unit was completed by the addition of five platoons. A
             golden cupola completed the top of the dome.

   completely
             adv.  1 entirely, fully, quite, wholly, totally, altogether, in
             toto, thoroughly, perfectly, exactly, precisely, down to the
             ground, from start to finish, from beginning to end, from A to
             Z, from the word go, in full; lock, stock, and barrel; hook,
             line, and sinker; heart and soul; root and branch; en masse:
             The currency does not completely represent the wealth of the
             country.  2 unqualifiedly, unconditionally, thoroughly, utterly,
             totally, absolutely, quite, altogether, unreservedly:  He's
             completely mad if he thinks that thing will fly.  3 clearly,
             expressly, explicitly, unambiguously, entirely, fully, totally,
             wholly, altogether, unequivocally, truly, categorically, flatly:
             I am completely in agreement with your policy.

   completion
             n.  1 conclusion, end, close, termination, fulfilment,
             culmination, realization, accomplishment, finish:  The
             completion of the building phase is scheduled for next July.  2
             finishing, finalization, wind-up, finishing-off, completing:
             The completion of the house is scheduled for next October.

   complexity
             n.  1 complication, convolution:  We are finding it difficult to
             understand the complexities of the agreement. 2 intricacy,
             involvement, complicatedness; inscrutability:  The complexity of
             her theory makes it difficult to interpret.

   complicate
             v.  1 mix up, entangle, snarl, tangle, confound, muddle,
             confuse:  You only complicate matters by bringing up the
             question of religion in a discussion of money. 2 make
             complicated or complex, make involved or intricate, make a
             shambles or mess or muddle of, mess up, Colloq screw up:  The
             phenomena of tides and currents greatly complicate coastwise
             navigation.

   complicated
             adj.  involved, intricate, complex, compound, elaborate; ornate,
             Byzantine, Daedalian, tangled, knotty, confused, labyrinthine:
             In birds the eye is a more complicated organ than in our own
             species.  His plan is too complicated to understand.

   complication
             n.  1 complexity, involvement, intricacy, convolution:  The
             complications of the diagram make it almost impossible to
             understand. 2 difficulty, problem, predicament, dilemma,
             obstacle, obstruction, snag, drawback:  Asking for more money
             might create complications.

   compliment
             n.  1 praise, homage, commendation, honour, tribute, flattery,
             bouquet, favour:  The greatest compliment given to my work has
             been its success.  2 Usually, compliments. respects, regards,
             good or best wishes, felicitations, salutations, greetings:  I
             stopped by to pay my compliments to your mother.

             --v.  3 honour, praise, pay homage or tribute to, commend, laud,
             congratulate, felicitate; flatter:  She came backstage to
             compliment me on my performance.

   complimentary
             adj.  1 laudatory, commendatory, encomiastic, panegyrical,
             eulogistic, congratulatory, flattering:  The duke was most
             complimentary about my sculpture.  2 free, gratis, on the house:
             The shoehorn is complimentary when you buy a pair of shoes.

   comply    v.  agree, obey, conform, consent, acquiesce, concur, submit,
             yield, accede; accord:  They require your signature and I hope
             you'll comply.

   compose   v.  1 constitute, form, make (up), be a constituent or
             ingredient or component or element of, be a part of:  Clouds are
             composed of countless particles of water.  2 write, create,
             imagine, think up, originate, frame, formulate, make (up),
             author, devise; contrive; set to music, arrange:  He composed
             the poem while travelling on the Flying Scotsman.  That symphony
             was composed in 1873. 3 be composed of. consist of or in,
             comprise, be formed or made (up) of, be constituted of:  The new
             government is composed of a coalition of three parties.  4
             compose oneself. calm (down), quiet or quieten (down), pacify,
             control oneself, get control of or over oneself:  They stopped
             crying and composed themselves.

   composition
             n.  1 theme, essay, article, paper, story:  The teacher required
             each of us to write a thousand-word composition every week. 2
             combination, make-up, structure, form, assembly, set-up,
             organization, layout, arrangement, configuration, shaping;
             balance, harmony, proportion, placement, placing, construction:
             Notice the composition of the various elements in this painting.
             3 combination, aggregate, mixture, compound, compounding, mix,
             formulation, formula, composite, amalgam, alloy, m‚lange,
             medley:  The medication was a composition of several odd
             ingredients.  4 creation, origination, formulation, fashioning:
             The composition of the opera was begun in 1837.  5 make-up,
             constitution:  What goes into the composition of brass?

   compound  v.  1 put together, combine, mix, concoct, compose, make (up),
             formulate, blend:  They compound curry powder from different
             spices.  2 blend, merge, coalesce, combine, unite, fuse or US
             also fuze, come or go together:  Sometimes two words compound to
             form one, as in 'ingrown', 'outgrow', and 'uptake'. 3 aggravate,
             intensify, exacerbate, heighten, augment, add to, worsen,
             increase; enhance, multiply:  Demanding your money back now will
             only compound the problem.

             --adj.  4 intricate, complex, involved, complicated; composite,
             multiple, multiform, multifaceted, Technical parasynthetic,
             parathetic:  The compound eye of the fly / Lets it see far
             better than I. A compound sentence is composed of two or more
             clauses joined by one or more coordinating conjunctions, express
             or understood.

             --n.  5 composite, blend, synthesis, combination, consolidation,
             Technical parasynthesis, parathesis; mixture, amalgam, alloy,
             merging, merger, mix:  Table salt is a compound of the metallic
             element sodium and the gaseous element chlorine. 'Slithy' is a
             compound of 'slimy' and 'writhe'.

   comprehend
             v.  understand, see, grasp, conceive, take in, apprehend,
             realize, fathom, perceive, discern, absorb, assimilate,
             appreciate:  Do you comprehend how serious the matter has
             become?

   comprehensive
             adj.  inclusive, encompassing, thorough, extensive, full,
             exhaustive, complete, sweeping, wide, broad, encyclopedic or
             encyclopaedic:  We hope to give comprehensive coverage to all
             aspects of the subject in our new book.

   compulsive
             adj.  compelling, obsessive, coercive, urgent, forceful,
             overwhelming, constrained:  She is such a compulsive workaholic
             that she double-checks everything done by her staff.

   compunction
             n.  1 remorse, contrition, regret, uneasiness of mind, pang or
             pricking of conscience, self-reproach:  He has no compunction
             about hurting your feelings.  2 hesitation, reluctance, reserve,
             disinclination, qualm, misgiving, unwillingness, fear:  She has
             no compunction about speaking her mind.

   compute   v.  calculate, reckon, figure (out), work out, determine,
             ascertain, estimate:  My accountant computed my income tax for
             this year and told me that I was entitled to a refund.

   comrade   n.  colleague, associate, friend, companion, chum, crony,
             confrЉre, Colloq pal, chum, Chiefly Brit and Australian mate,
             Australian cobber, US buddy:  None of my comrades from the old
             regiment attended the reunion this year.

   conceal   v.  1 hide, secrete, bury, cover, disguise, camouflage:  Packets
             of a white powdery substance were concealed inside each doll. 2
             keep secret or hidden, keep quiet about, disguise, not reveal;
             dissemble:  He concealed his true identity even from his wife.

   concede   v.  1 admit, allow, grant, acknowledge, confess, own (up or to
             or up to), accept:  I conceded that I had no business in the
             bank after closing.  2 grant, yield, surrender, cede, give up,
             submit, resign, relinquish, abandon, waive:  In chess, upon the
             loss of a queen, many players will concede.  She has conceded
             any right to the estate of her uncle.

   conceit   n.  1 vanity, pride, egotism, self-esteem, self-admiration,
             self-love, narcissism, vainglory, amour propre; arrogance:  His
             conceit is matched only by his incompetence.  2 fancy, whim,
             caprice:  Some have a conceit their drink tastes better / In an
             outlandish cup than their own. 3 elaborate figure (of speech),
             affectation, strained or far-fetched metaphor:  A conceit would
             be calling the waves 'nodding hearse-plumes'.

   conceited adj.  vain, egotistical, self-centred, egocentric,
             self-admiring, narcissistic, prideful, proud, arrogant,
             self-involved, self-important, self-satisfied, smug, complacent,
             vainglorious, snobbish, Colloq stuck-up; Slang snotty:  That
             conceited ass really thinks the world of himself.

   conceive  v.  1 have, bear, beget, sire, father, give birth to; become
             pregnant (with):  After the twins, they conceived three boys.  2
             formulate, devise, plan, contrive, create, plot, hatch, develop,
             evolve, fabricate, think or make up, form, frame, design:  He
             conceived a scheme for swindling that poor woman out of her life
             savings. 3 think (up), imagine, speculate (on), perceive, see,
             understand, realize, comprehend, envision, envisage, conjure up,
             dream up, hypothesize, postulate, posit, suggest, suppose:  I
             cannot conceive of any reason why she shouldn't be allowed to
             take part.

   concentrate
             v.  1 focus, direct, centre, centralize, converge, consolidate:
             The council concentrated its efforts on refurbishing the
             schools.  2 condense, reduce, distil, intensify, refine,
             strengthen:  The sap of the sugar maple is concentrated by
             boiling.  3 gather, collect, congregate, draw or bring together,
             crowd, cluster, group:  Much of the population is concentrated
             around the large cities.  4 think, focus one's thoughts or
             attention, apply oneself:  I cannot concentrate with the radio
             on.

   conception
             n.  1 birth, beginning, genesis, inception, commencement,
             emergence, start, inauguration, initiation, launch, launching,
             origin, origination, formation, formulation, introduction:  We
             were excited to be in at the conception of the scheme.  2 idea,
             notion, inkling, clue, concept; id‚e re‡u; understanding,
             knowledge, appreciation, comprehension:  He has no conception of
             what is involved in maintaining a yacht.  3 design, plan,
             scheme, proposal, outline:  Transporting a building from another
             site instead of constructing one was a bold conception.

   concern   v.  1 refer or relate to, have relation or reference to, be
             about, pertain or appertain to, be pertinent or relevant to,
             regard, apply to, be connected or involved with, bear on, be
             germane to, be connected with, involve, apply to, touch (on):
             The matter concerns your inheritance, Cosgrove.  2 affect, have
             (a) bearing or (an) influence on, involve, touch; interest, be
             of importance or interest to:  This war concerns us all.  3
             worry, trouble, disturb, bother, perturb, unsettle, upset,
             distress:  He doesn't let anything concern him.

             --n.  4 business, affair, problem; responsibility, duty, charge,
             task, involvement, Colloq thing; Slang bag, shtick:  What she
             does is no concern of yours. The safety of the passengers is his
             concern. 5 interest, regard, consideration, care, thought,
             awareness, attention:  You should show more concern for those
             less fortunate than you.  6 anxiety, worry, solicitude,
             apprehension, distress, apprehensiveness, uneasiness, malaise,
             disquiet, disquietude:  It's only a cold, and no cause for
             concern.  7 business, firm, company, house, establishment,
             enterprise, organization:  The business is being sold as a going
             concern.  8 matter, affair, issue:  The preservation of wildlife
             is an international concern.

   concerned adj.  1 involved, responsible, interested, active; caring,
             solicitous:  The best governments are run by a concerned
             citizenry.  2 troubled, vexed, anxious, worried, distressed,
             uneasy, perturbed, bothered, upset, disturbed:  They were not at
             all concerned about the state of my health.

   concerning
             prep.  about, regarding, relative or relating to, referring to,
             with or in reference to, as regards, in or with regard to, with
             an eye to, with respect to, respecting, apropos (of), as to or
             for, in the matter of, on the subject of, re, Formal anent:
             Concerning your recent application, please phone this office.

   concise   adj.  brief, terse, laconic, compact, direct, succinct,
             epigrammatic, cogent, pithy, compendious, summary, epigrammatic,
             trenchant, compressed, condensed, short; shortened, abridged,
             curtailed, abbreviated:  He gave a concise summary of the
             findings. This is a concise edition of the dictionary.

   concrete  adj.  real, actual, literal, realistic, authentic, valid,
             genuine, bona fide, reliable; specific, particular, definite,
             definitive, clear-cut, material, physical, tangible,
             substantial:  Have you any concrete evidence for the existence
             of UFOs?

   condemn   v.  1 censure, blame, criticize, remonstrate with or against,
             denounce, disparage, reproach, rebuke, reprove, scold,
             reprimand, upbraid:  The council was condemned for failing to
             provide adequate health care. 2 convict, find guilty; sentence,
             doom:  The judge condemned them to twenty years imprisonment.  3
             Usually, condemned. doomed, damned, destined, fated, ordained,
             foreordained; consigned:  He has been condemned to wander
             forever.

   condescend
             v.  stoop, deign, lower or humble or demean oneself, come down
             off one's high horse:  She wouldn't condescend to talk to the
             stable-boy directly.

   condescending
             adj.  patronizing, belittling, disdainful, contemptuous,
             pompous, overbearing, high-handed, imperious, snobbish, haughty,
             Colloq snooty, Brit toffee-nosed; Slang snotty:  He thinks he's
             better than everyone, and I can't stand his condescending
             manner.

   condition n.  1 state; circumstance(s), shape:  What condition is the
             house in? My bank account is in a poor condition.  2
             stipulation, proviso, demand, requirement, term, qualification,
             contingency, requisite, prerequisite:  The terrorists have
             announced their conditions for releasing the hostages. 3 working
             order, fitness, shape, form, fettle; health:  He's in good
             condition, but his car isn't.  4 conditions. circumstances;
             quarters; environment:  The ship's crew live in very crowded
             conditions.

             --v.  5 ready, get or make ready, prepare, equip, outfit, fit
             (out or up), adapt, modify:  The mechanics are conditioning the
             plane for high-altitude flights.  6 train, educate, teach;
             brainwash; influence, mould, persuade:  The children were
             conditioned to avoid talking to strangers.  7 accustom, inure,
             adapt, acclimate, acclimatize:  At this training base, we
             condition the commandos to all kinds of hardships.

   conduct   n.  1 behaviour, actions, demeanour, manners, deportment,
             comportment, attitude:  Such conduct will not be tolerated in
             this school.  2 guidance, direction, management, supervision,
             leadership, administration, government, running, handling,
             control, command, regulation, operation:  Had the conduct of the
             war been left up to him, we should have lost.

             --v.  3 guide, direct, supervise, manage, carry on, run,
             control, administer, regulate, operate:  They conduct a
             remarkably successful business.  4 lead, guide, escort, show (in
             or out), usher:  We were conducted through the gallery by the
             curator herself.  5 channel, carry, transmit, convey; direct:
             Electrical power is conducted by the cable.  6 conduct oneself.
             behave, act, demean, deport, comport, acquit:  For a
             six-year-old, he conducted himself very well.

   confer    v.  1 converse, consult, deliberate, talk (over), discuss, take
             counsel:  I shall have to confer with my colleagues on that
             matter.  2 When transitive, confer on. give, grant, present,
             award; bestow (on):  The prizes will be conferred after the
             dinner. He was bewildered by the honours conferred on him.

   conference
             n.  meeting, convention, symposium, congress, seminar, forum,
             colloquium; discussion, talk, colloquy, US bull session:  In
             1988, the conference was held in Budapest.

   confess   v.  disclose, acknowledge, admit, own (up or to or up to),
             declare, avow, make a clean breast (of); reveal, divulge,
             confirm, concede, affirm, aver, testify; disbosom oneself,
             Colloq come clean:  She confessed her part in the swindle.
             Confronted with the evidence, he confessed.

   confidence
             n.  1 trust, reliance, faith; belief:  Your parents have a great
             deal of confidence in you.  2 assurance, self-confidence,
             self-assurance, self-reliance, poise, aplomb, coolness;
             conviction, certitude, boldness, courage, nerve:  We admire the
             confidence she shows in her daring plan.  3 in confidence. in
             secrecy, in privacy, privately, confidentially, intimately,
             Colloq on the q.t.  or Q.T.:  I am telling you this in
             confidence.

   confident adj.  1 secure, sure, certain, assured, positive, convinced:  I
             feel confident that we shall get the contract.  2
             self-confident, self-assured, self-possessed, reliant,
             self-reliant, dauntless, bold, cool, cocksure, fearless,
             courageous, Colloq cocky:  He strode into the room with a
             confident air.

   confidential
             adj.  private, secret, intimate; classified; Colloq hush-hush:
             These confidential papers must never be out of your possession.

   confirm   v.  1 ratify, sanction, authorize, endorse, support, sustain,
             approve, uphold, back up, validate, verify, recognize;
             authenticate, accredit:  By-laws shall not take effect unless
             confirmed by the local authority.  2 establish, settle, affirm,
             ensure, clinch, substantiate, guarantee, bind, seal:  The king
             thereby confirmed his control over the islands.  3 strengthen,
             encourage, fortify, reinforce, corroborate, substantiate,
             buttress, prove:  Later events confirmed his opinion.

   confiscate
             v.  appropriate, seize, impound, sequester, sequestrate,
             expropriate, take (away), commandeer:  The police confiscated my
             car to use as evidence.

   conflict  n.  1 fight, battle, combat, engagement, struggle, war, fray,
             fracas, affray, brawl, Donnybrook:  Gurkha troops entered the
             conflict.  2 dispute, argument, controversy, wrangle,
             contention, disagreement, altercation, feud, quarrel, row;
             squabble, tiff, Colloq spat:  The counsellor was unable to
             resolve the conflict between the sisters regarding the will. 3
             clash, antagonism, difference, opposition, disagreement,
             variance, discord:  There is a basic conflict between the
             interests of labour and of management.

             --v.  4 clash, disagree, differ, be incompatible or at odds or
             at variance, be in opposition (to):  The plans conflict on only
             one point.

   conform   v.  1 comply (with), follow, observe, obey, respect, abide by,
             adapt or adjust (to):  We agree to conform to the rules of the
             club.  2 accord (with), agree (with), concur (with), coincide
             (with), correspond (with), harmonize (with), square (with),
             match, tally (with), fit (in with), be consistent (with), be in
             accord or in accordance (with):  Their behaviour did not conform
             with what is expected in such circles. The two plans do not
             conform.

   confuse   v.  1 disconcert, perplex, puzzle, bewilder, mystify, baffle,
             bemuse, befuddle, discomfit, confound, fluster, flummox, upset,
             disorient, embarrass, abash, shame, dismay, Colloq rattle,
             throw, Chiefly US discombobulate , US and Canadian buffalo:  She
             was completely confused by his offer to help.  2 disorder,
             confound, disorganize, throw into disarray, muddle, mix up,
             snarl (up), ensnarl, tangle (up), entangle, botch, Colloq mess
             up, make a mess of, screw up, Brit make a balls-up of, US ball
             up:  He has done more to confuse the situation than to clear it
             up.  3 mix up, confound, muddle, jumble, snarl (up), ensnarl;
             blur:  The identities of the children were confused at birth.

   confused  adj.  1 mixed up, jumbled, disordered, disorganized, disorderly,
             muddled, muddle-headed, snarled (up), messy, baffling,
             confusing, mystifying, puzzling, perplexing; contradictory,
             ambiguous, misleading, inconsistent, mixed up, botched (up) ,
             Colloq higgledy-piggledy:  The accountants have provided a
             confused set of figures.  2 bewildered, perplexed, puzzled,
             baffled, (be)fuddled, mystified, disoriented, discomposed, at
             sea, flummoxed, dazed, muddled, bemused, mixed up, nonplussed,
             disconcerted, abashed, put off, put out, disturbed, flustered,
             ill at ease, upset, at sixes and sevens, at a loss, Rare
             metagrobolized, Colloq screwed-up, muzzy, out of it, not with
             it, Chiefly US discombobulated, fouled up; Slang (all) balled
             up, Brit (all) bollocksed or ballocksed (up), US (all) bollixed
             (up), US and Canadian snafu:  I have never seen anyone so
             confused about a simple question of astrophysics. 3 jumbled,
             mixed up, muddled, disorderly, confusing, messy, disorganized,
             topsy-turvy; miscellaneous, motley, Brit shambolic:  The books
             lay in a confused heap on the floor.

   confusion n.  1 disorder, mix-up, mess, jumble, muddle, disarray,
             disarrangement, chaos, shambles:  The files are in complete
             confusion.  2 tumult, commotion, disorder, turmoil, pandemonium,
             bedlam, chaos:  Untold confusion resulted from sounding the
             alarm.  3 mix-up, confounding; ambiguity, ambiguousness,
             misunderstanding, contradiction, inconsistency:  There is often
             some confusion between the name of a thing and the thing itself.
             4 mixing, combining, mixing up, intermingling:  The removal firm
             is responsible for the confusion of your books with mine. 5
             assortment, mixture, pot-pourri, gallimaufry, hotchpotch or US
             and Canadian also hodgepodge:  A confusion of products lines the
             shelves.  6 embarrassment, discomfiture, mortification,
             abashment, shamefacedness, chagrin:  He felt terrible confusion
             when confronted with the evidence.

   congested adj.  (over)crowded, blocked (up), jammed, crammed, plugged,
             stopped or stuffed (up), choked:  The police are trying to deal
             with traffic at congested intersections.

   congratulate
             v.  felicitate, compliment:  Her friends congratulated her on
             winning the award.

   congratulations
             interjection.  Felicitations!, Best wishes!, Well done!, Many
             happy returns!, Colloq Nice going!, Good show!:  Heartiest
             congratulations! You've come in first!

   connect   v.  1 join or link or tie (together), unite:  An old road
             connects the two towns.  2 associate, affiliate, link, relate,
             league, tie (in):  The police connected him with the break-in.
             The institute is connected with a pharmaceuticals company. 3
             fasten, bind, unite, tie, link, join, attach, couple, put
             together, secure, fit, fix, affix, stick, anchor, lock; rivet,
             weld, braze, solder, screw, nail, stitch, sew, pin, hook,
             staple, tack, glue, cement, fuse, seal, buckle, strap, bolt,
             lash, chain, moor:  Connect the parts to the frame.

   connection
             n.  1 uniting, joining, linking, connecting, coupling; union,
             bond, joint, link:  The US constitution forbids a formal
             connection between Church and State. The connection between the
             fittings has broken. 2 link, tie, (inter)relation(ship),
             interplay, bearing, reference, relevance, appropriateness,
             correlation, tie-in; coherence, consistency, association:  Your
             answer had no connection with the question.  3 Often,
             connections. contact, ally, acquaintance, friend (at court);
             influence, Colloq pull; Slang US drag:  With their connections,
             they can get away with anything.  4 connections. relatives,
             relations, family, kin, kith and kin:  They have connections in
             Australia.

   conquer   v.  1 overcome, vanquish, beat, defeat, subdue, crush,
             subjugate:  The Moors conquered most of Spain.  2 capture,
             seize, win, gain, acquire, obtain; occupy, annex, overrun:  They
             conquered the territory by force of arms.  3 overcome, triumph
             or prevail over, beat, surmount, master, win out (over):  He has
             finally conquered the habit of biting his fingernails.

   conquest  n.  1 vanquishment, subjugation, defeat, domination, subjection:
             Hernando Cort‚s is famous for his conquest of Mexico.  2
             victory, triumph, mastery, win:  He is credited with the
             conquest of a number of diseases by means of this drug.

   conscience
             n.  morality, morals, judgement, fairness, sense of right and
             wrong, ethics, honour, standards, principles, scruples:  In such
             matters, your conscience must be your guide.

   conscientious
             adj.  1 scrupulous, principled, fair, moral, ethical, strict,
             righteous, right-minded, upstanding, upright, honourable, just,
             responsible, high-minded; incorruptible:  Fetherby is a
             conscientious arbitrator.  2 cautious, careful, scrupulous,
             exacting, meticulous, punctilious, painstaking, diligent,
             particular, rigorous, thorough:  A conscientious effort was made
             to restore the painting to its original condition. 3 prudent,
             discreet, politic, careful, circumspect, heedful, attentive,
             serious:  Fred is conscientious about keeping secrets.

   conscious adj.  1 aware, awake, alert:  I was conscious of an eerie
             presence. The victim of the attack is now conscious. 2
             deliberate, intentional, purposive, purposeful, wilful, studied:
             Lydia has been making a conscious effort to be friendlier to me.

   consent   v.  1 agree, comply, concur, accede, acquiesce, concede, yield,
             submit, cede, conform, give in:  He asked for payment in advance
             and I consented.  2 consent to. permit, allow, agree to, give in
             to, approve, authorize:  Richard's parents consented to his
             going on the outing.

             --n.  3 approval, assent, permission, sanction, authorization,
             imprimatur, seal of approval, Colloq OK, okay, go-ahead:  Have
             Richard's parents given their consent?  4 agreement, acceptance,
             acquiescence, compliance, approval, concurrence:  Taxes cannot
             be raised without the consent of Parliament.

   consequently
             adv.  so, therefore, as a result or consequence, accordingly,
             ergo, hence, thus:  He was found guilty and, consequently,
             sentenced to death.

   conservation
             n.  preservation, protection, safe keeping, maintenance, upkeep,
             management, safeguarding; husbandry, economy:  The conservation
             of natural resources must be a priority.

   conservative
             adj.  1 reactionary, right, right-wing, rightist, Tory:  In his
             conservative view, no change is ever for the better.  2
             cautious, careful, prudent, moderate, temperate,
             middle-of-the-road, sober, stable; unprogressive, orthodox,
             traditional, conformist, hidebound, conventional, standard,
             fundamentalist, true-blue, dyed in the wool:  The conservative
             approach would be to study the problem before making a change.
             The conservative members voted against electing certain members
             to the club.

             --n.  3 reactionary, rightist, right-winger, Tory,
             fundamentalist; moderate, middle-of-the-roader:  He's a
             conservative and favours a classical education.

   conserve  v.  1 keep, preserve, hold on to, save, spare, reserve:
             Conserve your energy for later, when we get near the top.  2
             preserve, maintain, keep up, take care of:  These buildings
             should be conserved for later generations.

   consider  v.  1 think about or over, take into or under consideration,
             deliberate (over or about), contemplate (on or over), weigh,
             ponder, mull over, cogitate on, meditate (on or upon or over),
             reflect (on or upon), ruminate (on or over), chew over, study,
             examine:  The council will consider your proposal.  2 heed,
             mark, take into account or consideration, reckon with, bear in
             mind, note, observe, make allowance for; esteem, respect, have
             regard for:  Consider your mother's feelings in the matter.  3
             regard, look upon; judge, deem, take to be, think, believe,
             gauge, rate, estimate, reckon:  Consider yourself under arrest.
             I don't consider Simon the best person for the job.

   considerable
             adj.  1 sizeable, substantial, large, big, great; appreciable,
             respectable, noticeable, largish, biggish, goodly, decent, fair,
             Colloq tidy:  A considerable crowd were gathered outside.  2
             important, worthy, of consequence, of distinction,
             distinguished, illustrious, noteworthy, notable, remarkable,
             estimable, influential, respectable:  Some of the most
             considerable citizens were banished.

   considerate
             adj.  thoughtful, kind, kindly, kind-hearted, good-hearted,
             helpful, friendly, neighbourly, gracious, obliging,
             accommodating, charitable, generous, unselfish; sympathetic,
             compassionate, sensitive; attentive; solicitous:  It was very
             considerate of you to offer your car.

   consideration
             n.  1 regard, concern, attentiveness, solicitude,
             thoughtfulness, compassion, kindness, kindliness,
             kind-heartedness, considerateness, respect, caring, care:  Out
             of consideration for your father, you should complete your
             studies. 2 reward, compensation, remuneration, fee, payment,
             recompense, emolument, tip, gratuity, pourboire, baksheesh or
             backsheesh; honorarium:  The boy will look after your luggage
             for a small consideration, madam. 3 thought, deliberation,
             reflection, contemplation, rumination, cogitation, study,
             examination:  After some consideration, we have decided that we
             will finance the project.

   considering
             prep.  in view of, in (the) light of, bearing in mind, making
             allowance for, taking into consideration or account, looking at,
             all in all, all things or everything considered, inasmuch as,
             insomuch as:  Considering your background, I doubt that you are
             qualified.

   consistent
             adj.  1 agreeing, in agreement, in harmony, in keeping,
             harmonious, in concordance, conforming, in conformance,
             accordant, compatible, in accord or accordance, consonant:  Her
             story is not consistent with the facts.  2 dependable, regular,
             predictable, undeviating, steady, steadfast, unchanging,
             uniform, unswerving, constant:  His behaviour, even under
             pressure, has been quite consistent.

   consistently
             adv.  1 steadily, constantly, regularly, uniformly, daily, day
             by day:  Her piano technique is improving consistently.  2
             dependably, unswervingly, staunchly, devotedly, firmly,
             resolutely, faithfully, uniformly, unfailingly:  The courts have
             consistently upheld her claim to custody of the children.

   console   v.  comfort, soothe, calm, assuage, solace, cheer (up):  Ivan
             made an effort to console the grieving widow.

   conspicuous
             adj.  1 obvious, clear, evident, plain, palpable, perceptible,
             patent, prominent, apparent, clear-cut, unquestionable,
             incontestable, incontrovertible:  The sultan played a
             conspicuous role in the kidnapping of the envoy. 2 obvious,
             unmistakable, prominent, outstanding, noticeable, impressive,
             vivid, obtrusive; striking, showy, garish, gaudy, loud, tawdry,
             blatant, lurid, vulgar, flashy, ostentatious:  The silhouette of
             the castle was conspicuous against the sky.  Fingal was again
             conspicuous, this time in a green wig and bowler. 3 notable,
             noteworthy, exceptional, outstanding, eminent, unusual, marked,
             extraordinary, remarkable, distinguished, impressive, awesome,
             awe-inspiring, glorious:  The medal is awarded for conspicuous
             bravery.

   conspiracy
             n.  plot, scheme, stratagem, intrigue, collusion, cabal,
             connivance, foul play, dirty work:  He suspected them of a
             conspiracy to defraud their clients.

   constable n.  policeman, policewoman, (police) officer, US patrolman,
             Colloq cop, copper , Brit bobby; Slang flatfoot, fuzz:  A
             constable was standing on the corner, and we asked him the way.

   constant  adj.  1 resolute, immovable, steadfast, firm, dependable,
             unshakeable or unshakable, determined, unswerving, undeviating,
             persevering, unwearying, unwearied, untiring, indefatigable,
             tireless, unflagging, unwavering, unfailing, unfaltering,
             persistent; loyal, true, tried and true, devoted, staunch,
             trusty, faithful:  He was her constant companion during her
             troubles.  2 incessant, unceasing, ceaseless, perpetual,
             persistent, uninterrupted, steady, regular, invariable,
             unremitting, unvarying, relentless, unrelenting, continuous,
             continual; unending, endless, never-ending, non-stop, perennial,
             eternal, everlasting, Literary sempiternal:  The constant pain
             almost made me cry out. Their constant bickering is getting on
             my nerves. 3 unchanging, unchanged, invariable, unvarying,
             fixed, uniform, unalterable, immutable, changeless, persistent:
             The numbers might change, but the ratio is constant.

   construct v.  1 build, erect, make, put together, frame, set up, put up,
             assemble:  We constructed a summer-house in the garden.  2
             fabricate, devise, create, forge, invent, formulate, compose,
             shape, set up, fashion:  He has constructed a complex argument
             to support his theory.

   constructive
             adj.  1 helpful, useful, practicable, advantageous, practical,
             productive, beneficial, positive:  She provided much
             constructive advice on how to design the factory.  2 virtual,
             inferential, implicit, inferred, derived, deduced:  As it turned
             out, the shareholders were the constructive victims of the
             fraud.

   consult   v.  1 Often, consult with. confer (with), discuss (with),
             deliberate (with), talk over (with), inquire or enquire of, seek
             advice from, ask (of), question, interrogate, take counsel (with
             or of):  I shall have to consult a doctor about my headaches.
             You should consult with your lawyer. 2 refer to, look up, seek
             information from:  If in doubt, consult the dictionary.

   consultant
             n.  1 physician, doctor, specialist, expert:  You ought to get
             the opinion of another consultant.  2 adviser or advisor,
             expert, counsellor or US counselor:  Our financial consultant
             tells us how to handle the company funds.

   consume   v.  1 devour, eat (up), gulp (down), swallow, drink (up), put
             away, gobble (up); digest:  When those teenagers come home, they
             consume everything in sight.  2 use up, exhaust, deplete, drain,
             expend, diminish, reduce:  The new car has consumed all our
             savings.  3 waste, occupy, squander, fritter away, dissipate,
             absorb, lose, throw away, lavish, Slang blow:  Too much of your
             time has already been consumed by that problem.  4 destroy,
             ruin, (lay) waste, demolish, wreck, gut, raze, Slang US and
             Canadian total:  Fire consumed the entire house.  5 overcome,
             overwhelm, devastate, destroy, annihilate, ravage, (lay) waste,
             wear out, ruin, eat up, devour, do in; preoccupy, obsess:  He is
             consumed by jealousy.

   consummation
             n.  1 completion, accomplishment, fulfilment, finish, end,
             realization, attainment, achievement, success; completing,
             accomplishing, fulfilling, finishing, ending, realizing,
             attaining, achieving:  Owning a Rolls Royce was the consummation
             of her dreams.  2 acme, perfection, peak, culmination, finishing
             touch, conclusion, grand finale, climax:  The Nobel prize was
             the consummation of an arduous life of research.

   contact   n.  1 junction, conjunction, connection:  If the wires make
             contact, the fuse will blow.  2 acquaintance, friend,
             connection, Colloq US in:  I have a contact on the board of
             directors.  3 touch, communication, association:  Are you still
             in contact with Georgina?

             --v.  4 get in touch with, communicate with, reach, get hold of;
             phone, ring (up), telephone, speak to or with, write to,
             correspond with:  Try to contact the manager at his home.

   contain   v.  1 hold, have in it; bear, carry:  The capsule contained a
             deadly poison.  2 hold, have the capacity for, accommodate,
             admit, carry; seat:  This bottle contains no more than a quart.
             The theatre can contain 200. 3 restrain, restrict, confine,
             repress, control, hold back or in, curb, bridle, keep under
             control, suppress, check, stifle:  He could hardly contain
             himself when he learnt he had passed the examination.

   contaminate
             v.  defile, sully, pollute, corrupt, rot, stain, soil, taint,
             infect, poison, foul, spoil, befoul; debase, adulterate,
             vitiate:  The river has been contaminated by effluent from a
             nearby factory.

   contemplate
             v.  1 look or gaze at or on or upon, behold, view, survey,
             observe, regard, eye; scan, scrutinize, inspect:  I contemplated
             the scene of the Grand Canal from my hotel room.  2 ruminate
             (over), ponder (on or over), deliberate (over), muse (on or
             over), meditate or reflect (on), think (about or over), mull
             over, cogitate (over), turn over in one's mind, brood on or
             over, chew on or over, consider, study, examine:  She was
             contemplating the events of the past night. Give me a moment to
             contemplate. 3 plan, intend, think of or about, consider,
             entertain the idea or notion of:  After we broke up, I
             contemplated emigrating to Australia.

   contemporary
             adj.  1 of the time, contemporaneous, coeval, coexistent,
             concurrent, concomitant, parallel, synchronous, synchronic,
             coincidental, coetaneous:  We examined some of the documents
             contemporary with his reign.  2 modern, current, present-day,
             new, up to date, stylish, fashionable, modish, … la mode,
             latest, in; novel, newfangled, Colloq trendy:  She always keeps
             up with contemporary fads in dress and make-up.  I find much of
             the contemporary metal-and-glass architecture rather boring.

   contempt  n.  loathing, abhorrence, hatred, odium, hate; scorn, disdain,
             contumely, disgust:  She has nothing but contempt for cowards.

   contemptible
             adj.  despicable, loathsome, detestable, scurvy, low, mean,
             base, inferior, currish, wretched, vile, abject, ignominious,
             unworthy, shabby, shameful:  It was contemptible of you to give
             away my secret.

   contemptuous
             adj.  scornful, disdainful, sneering, derisive, insulting,
             contumelious, insolent:  The maestro was contemptuous of my
             piano-playing.

   content°  n.  1 capacity, volume, size, measure:  The content of the
             barrel is exactly 55 gallons.  2 Usually, contents. ingredients,
             components, constituents; load:  The bottle broke and its
             contents spilt on the floor.  3 substance, subject-matter;
             significance, purport, import, essence, text, theme, topic,
             thesis:  The book is amusing but its content is quite trivial.

   contentэ  n.  1 pleasure, satisfaction, gratification, happiness,
             contentment, contentedness, felicity, delight:  He kept on
             singing to his heart's content.  2 ease, comfort, tranquillity,
             serenity, peace, peacefulness, contentedness:  I have a feeling
             of such content merely being with you.

             --adj.  3 pleased, satisfied, happy, delighted, contented,
             gratified, glad, cheerful; comfortable, fulfilled:  I was quite
             content to be home once more.

             --v.  4 satisfy, please, gratify, soothe, cheer, gladden,
             delight:  It contented him to be near her.

   contest   n.  1 competition, match, tournament, championship, tourney,
             meet, game, rivalry, trial:  The contest was won by a woman from
             Shropshire.  2 strife, controversy, dispute, contention, debate,
             altercation, argument, velitation; conflict, struggle, fight,
             battle, combat, war:  The contest is between those for and those
             against capital punishment.

             --v.  3 contend, argue, dispute, debate; challenge, (call into)
             question, oppose, counter, confute, object to, refute:  David
             has decided to contest his father's will.

   contestant
             n.  contender, competitor, opponent, rival, adversary, entrant,
             player, participant:  The winner is the contestant from
             Chearsley.

   context   n.  structure, framework, environment, situation,
             circumstance(s); ambience or ambiance, surround, surroundings,
             frame (of reference), setting, background:  It is often hard to
             understand something taken out of its context.

   continual adj.  constant, incessant, perpetual, non-stop, persistent,
             uninterrupted, regular, steady, unbroken, unceasing, ceaseless,
             constant, eternal, unremitting, interminable, endless, unending;
             Loosely continuous:  She has this continual ringing in her ears.

   continue  v.  1 carry on, proceed (with), keep up or on or at, go on
             (with), pursue, persist (in), persevere (in):  Please continue
             whatever it was you were doing.  2 endure, last, go on, persist,
             be prolonged, remain:  How long will the curfew continue?  3
             maintain, keep (on), prolong, perpetuate, carry on (with),
             persist in or with, sustain, extend:  My mother continued her
             career throughout my childhood.  4 resume, pick up, take up,
             carry on (with):  Allow me to continue my story and don't
             interrupt again.  5 proceed, go (on), extend:  The road
             continues for about a mile, ending at the sea.

   continuous
             adj.  1 connected, unbroken, uninterrupted:  The wall is
             continuous except for one gate.  2 incessant, persistent,
             perpetual, non-stop, unceasing, ceaseless, constant,
             unremitting, interminable, endless, unending; Loosely continual:
             A continuous stream of refugees passed through the camp.

   contract  n.  1 agreement, understanding, deal, bargain, arrangement,
             pact, commitment, obligation, compact:  We have just signed a
             contract to supply office equipment to a new electronics
             company.

             --v.  2 engage, agree, promise, covenant, undertake:  Our
             company contracted to maintain the roads in this area.  3 catch,
             acquire, get, come down with, develop, become infected with,
             Brit go down with:  Eunice contracted diphtheria.  4 diminish,
             shrink, draw together, roll (oneself), narrow, squeeze,
             constrict, compress, condense, decrease, reduce:  When
             disturbed, the animal contracts itself into a ball.  5 wrinkle,
             knit, crease, corrugate, pucker:  His brow contracted into a
             frown.

   contradict
             v.  1 deny, gainsay, dispute, controvert, argue against; oppose:
             He is very opinionated, and doesn't like to be contradicted.  2
             contravene, belie, refute, disallow, forbid, disaffirm, counter,
             abrogate, nullify, annul, reverse, counteract:  The evidence
             yields nothing that contradicts my argument.

   contradictory
             adj.  inconsistent, paradoxical, incongruous, conflicting,
             incompatible, discrepant; ambiguous, ambivalent:  The witnesses'
             descriptions of the robbers are contradictory.

   contraption
             n.  contrivance, device, gadget, mechanism, apparatus, Colloq
             widget, thingumabob or thingamabob, thingumajig or thingamajig,
             thingummy, whatsit, doodah, thingy, US gizmo or gismo, Rube
             Goldberg (invention), whatchamacallit, Colloq Brit gubbins:
             People began to build all sorts of contraptions that they hoped
             might fly.

   contrary  adj.  1 opposite, opposing, opposed, different, contradictory,
             conflicting, antagonistic:  Set aside enough time to hear the
             contrary side of the argument.  2 antagonistic, perverse,
             contrarious, hostile, unfriendly, inimical, cross-grained,
             refractory, contumacious, self-willed, argumentative,
             unaccommodating, antipathetic, Literary froward:  He can
             disagree, but why must he be so contrary?  3 adverse,
             unfavourable, inauspicious, unlucky, unfortunate, unpropitious,
             untoward, inopportune, bad, foul:  We ran into contrary winds
             and were delayed.

             --n.  4 opposite, reverse:  Her present position is the direct
             contrary of the one she took yesterday.

             --adv.  5 perversely, oppositely, contrariwise, contrarily, in
             opposition to:  The rat in the maze acted contrary to the
             expected pattern.

   contrast  v.  1 juxtapose, oppose, compare, distinguish, differentiate,
             discriminate, set or place against; set off:  Contrast life in
             the 18th century with life today.  2 conflict, differ or diverge
             or deviate (from):  The two styles contrast sharply. Australian
             speech contrasts with that of Canada in many respects.

             --n.  3 comparison; difference, distinction, disparity,
             dissimilarity:  The author emphasizes the contrasts between the
             two economic policies.

   contribute
             v.  1 give, furnish, donate, bestow, grant, present, provide,
             supply:  He contributed three paintings by Longchamp to the
             museum. They contributed generously to the restoration fund. 2
             contribute to. add to, promote, advance, help, aid, support,
             forward, have a hand in, play a part or role in:  They believe
             that poor parental supervision contributes to juvenile
             delinquency.

   control   v.  1 command, dominate, direct, steer, pilot, hold sway over,
             rule, exercise power or authority over, govern, manage, lead,
             conduct, be in control (of), call the tune, guide, oversee,
             supervise:  Does she really control the future of the company?
             2 check, hold back or in check, curb, repress, contain:  Try to
             control yourself.  3 suppress, put down, master, subdue,
             restrain, curb, manage:  They were totally unable to control the
             unruly teenagers.

             --n.  4 command, direction, power, authority, leadership,
             management, guidance, supervision, oversight, charge; sway,
             rule, jurisdiction:  Turn control of the mission over to Mrs
             Beale. The court is under the control of the State. 5 restraint,
             check, curb, mastery, command, dominance, domination:  You must
             get better control over your emotions.  6 knob, button, dial,
             handle, lever, switch; device, mechanism:  This control opens
             the door to the safe.

   controversial
             adj.  1 debatable, disputable, questionable, moot, doubtful,
             unsettled:  Who will run the department is a controversial
             matter.  2 polemical, dialectic, litigious, factious:  She has
             studied the controversial writings of the 19th-century
             feminists. 3 disputatious, argumentative, contentious;
             provocative:  Race relations have remained a controversial issue
             for centuries.

   controversy
             n.  1 dispute, debate, contention, argument, argumentation,
             disputation, wrangling, confrontation, questioning,
             disagreement:  The inquest went ahead without controversy.  2
             argument, dispute, disagreement, quarrel; squabble, tiff, Colloq
             spat:  Controversy still rages over the theory of natural
             selection.

   convalesce
             v.  recover, improve, get better, recuperate:  The doctor said I
             needed only a week to convalesce after the operation.

   convenient
             n.  1 suitable, commodious, useful, helpful, handy, serviceable,
             expedient, opportune, advantageous:  The bus is quite convenient
             for getting to and from the airport.  2 handy, nearby, within
             (easy) reach, at one's fingertips, close at hand, available,
             accessible; (at the) ready:  There's a convenient post office
             round the corner.

   convention
             n.  1 assembly, meeting, gathering, congregation, congress,
             conference, symposium, council, conclave, diet, synod, seminar:
             The annual convention of cat fanciers will take place in June.
             2 rule, practice, custom, tradition, usage, formality,
             conventionalism:  According to convention, this year's
             vice-president becomes president next year.

   conventional
             adj.  customary, habitual, usual, normal, regular, standard,
             orthodox, traditional, established, ordinary, everyday, common,
             commonplace, accustomed, received, agreed; reactionary,
             old-fashioned, stodgy, stuffy, old hat:  Conventional methods of
             teaching mathematics are being criticized.

   converge  v.  come or go together, meet, join, unite, merge, coincide;
             blend:  The roads converge in the valley.

   conversation
             n.  discussion, talk, chat, dialogue, colloquy, parley;
             chit-chat, gossip, discourse, palaver, Colloq chiefly Brit
             chin-wag:  The conversation about the situation in the Middle
             East ended abruptly. I want action, not conversation.

   conversationalist
             n.  deipnosophist:  It was a pleasure to have dinner with an
             intelligent conversationalist for a change.

   converse  v.  discuss, talk, speak, chat, parley, discourse, gossip,
             chatter:  The men were conversing about her over dinner.

   convert   v.  1 change, modify, alter, transform, transmute, mutate,
             transfigure, transmogrify, remodel, remake, metamorphose:  We
             converted our rowing-boat into a sailing dinghy.  2 proselytize,
             switch, change (over):  To avoid the horrors of the Inquisition,
             many Spanish Jews converted to Catholicism.

             --n.  3 proselyte; neophyte, catechumen, disciple:  Converts are
             often the most passionate believers.

   convict   v.  1 find or prove guilty:  She was convicted of theft.

             --n.  2 prisoner, captive, Slang con, jailbird orBrit also
             gaolbird, Brit lag:  The rioting convicts burnt down two prison
             buildings.

   conviction
             n.  1 proof of guilt:  After his conviction, he was sentenced to
             life imprisonment.  2 belief, opinion, view, persuasion,
             position:  It is her conviction that the painting is by Titian.
             3 certainty, sureness, positiveness, confidence, assurance,
             certitude:  He doesn't have the courage to back up his
             convictions.

   convince  v.  win over, talk into, persuade, bring (a)round, sway:  I have
             at last convinced them of the need for more resources.

   cool      adj.  1 chilly, chill, chilling, cooling, unheated; chilled,
             cold, refreshing, fresh:  It's rather cool outside today. I'd
             prefer some cool lemonade.  2 calm, serene, collected,
             level-headed, quiet, unexcited, unemotional, undisturbed,
             unexcitable, unruffled, unflappable, cool-headed, relaxed,
             controlled, under control, self-possessed, self-controlled,
             unperturbed, phlegmatic, composed, imperturbable:  He remains
             cool even in a crisis.  3 dispassionate, cold, cold-blooded,
             emotionless, deliberate, cold-hearted, calculated, wilful,
             premeditated, purposeful, purposive:  It was clearly the cool
             act of a professional criminal.  4 uninvolved, distant, remote,
             aloof, detached, removed, uninterested, unconcerned,
             unsympathetic, apathetic, cold, cold-hearted, cold-blooded:  How
             can you be so cool where human lives are concerned?  5 lukewarm,
             distant, uncordial, unfriendly, unsociable, unapproachable,
             standoffish, forbidding, unwelcoming, cold, frigid:  After the
             affair, she was distinctly cool towards him.  6 bold, audacious,
             brazen, overconfident, presumptuous, shameless, unabashed,
             impertinent, impudent, insolent:  I cannot account for the cool
             way he insulted his host.

             --n.  7 coolness, chill, chilliness, Colloq coolth:  I shall
             have a sherry to ward off the cool of the evening.  8 aplomb,
             poise, sedateness, control, self-control, composure, sang-froid:
             He really lost his cool when she told him he was a lousy driver.

             --v.  9 chill, refrigerate, ice:  Cool the pudding before
             serving.  10 diminish, reduce, lessen, abate, moderate:  Her
             interest quickly cooled when she discovered he was married.

   cooperate v.  1 collaborate, work together, join, unite, interact, team
             up, join forces, act jointly or in concert:  If we cooperate,
             the work will be done in half the time.  2 participate,
             contribute, lend a hand, help, assist:  You must learn to
             cooperate and not just sit there.

   cooperation
             n.  1 collaboration, teamwork, interaction, synergism or
             synergy:  Only through cooperation will we be able to achieve
             success.  2 support, help, aid, assistance, patronage, backing,
             advocacy, favour, helping hand, friendship, blessing,
             sponsorship, auspices, backup:  We needed the cooperation of
             people like you to mount the exhibition.

   coordinate
             v.  1 organize, classify, order, arrange, systemize,
             systematize, codify, categorize, group, match (up), dispose,
             rate, rank, grade:  Coordinate the information before preparing
             the report.  2 harmonize, correlate, unify, mesh, synchronize,
             integrate, Colloq pull together:  We must coordinate our efforts
             for the best results.

             --adj.  3 equivalent, parallel, correspondent, complementary,
             correlative, equal, reciprocal, coordinating, coordinative,
             Technical paratactic:  The two systems are coordinate and
             operate in parallel.

   cope      v.  1 manage, get along or by, make do, survive, subsist, come
             through:  Even with seven children to care for, she copes very
             well.  2 cope with. be a match for, withstand, contend with or
             against, handle, deal with, dispose of:  I cannot cope with all
             the work I have been given to do.

   copy      n.  1 reproduction, replica, facsimile, likeness, imitation,
             double, twin, duplication, duplicate, transcript, replication,
             carbon (copy), photocopy, print:  She found a copy of the lost
             manuscript.  2 example, sample, specimen:  How many copies of
             the book have been sold?  3 text, writing:  The copy is ready;
             we are waiting for the illustrations.

             --v.  4 reproduce, duplicate, replicate, transcribe:  Don't copy
             others' work - they might be wrong.  5 imitate, mimic,
             impersonate, emulate, ape, parrot, echo:  Ted copies the rock
             stars in every possible detail of their dress and behaviour.

   cord      n.  string, line, twine; rope:  Tie the cord around the parcel
             twice.

   cordial   adj.  friendly, warm, affable, amiable, kindly, genial,
             gracious, welcoming, pleasant, good-natured, nice; courteous,
             polite:  After a cordial greeting at the door, the guests were
             served champagne.

   core      n.  1 centre, heart, middle, nucleus, inside(s):  Remove the
             core of the apple first.  2 essence, marrow, heart, pith, gist,
             quintessence, sum and substance:  The core of the problem is her
             refusal to consider any alternative.

             --v.  3 pit, seed:  The pie might have tasted better if you'd
             cored the apples first.

   corps     n.  body of men or women, troop, cadre, unit, detachment,
             cohort, division, battalion, brigade, platoon, squad, column,
             squadron:  We delivered supplies to the medical corps.

   corpse    n.  body, remains, cadaver, Slang stiff; (of an animal) carcass:
             The corpses were buried in a mass grave.

   correct   v.  1 right, set or put right, amend, redress, rectify, remedy,
             repair, fix; cure:  A good mechanic will be able to correct the
             faults in the engine.  2 scold, admonish, rebuke, reprimand,
             berate, chide, reprove; censure, blame:  You mustn't correct
             people for their bad manners.  3 punish, chastise, chasten,
             discipline, castigate:  The boys were corrected for swearing at
             the teacher.  4 reverse, offset, counteract, counterbalance,
             neutralize, nullify, make up for, annul, cancel; adjust, change,
             modify:  Adding this fertilizer should correct the acid content
             of the soil. 5 mark, grade:  The exam papers haven't yet been
             corrected.

             --adj.  6 proper, decorous, decent, appropriate, suitable, fit,
             right, meet, fitting, befitting, apt, de rigueur, comme il faut,
             Old-fashioned Brit tickety-boo:  I have found her behaviour
             correct at all times.  7 conventional, established, set,
             standard, normal, orthodox, approved, in order, de rigueur,
             comme il faut, usual, natural, customary, traditional, done,
             right, Old-fashioned Brit tickety-boo:  Sending flowers to the
             funeral parlour would be the correct thing to do. 8 accurate,
             right, precise, exact, factual, valid, true, proper, fitting,
             apt, suitable, appropriate; faultless, perfect, unimpeachable:
             Joanna gave the correct answer.

   correction
             n.  1 improvement, emendation, rectification, redress, remedy,
             reparation, amendment; corrigendum:  With these corrections, the
             work will be vastly better.  2 punishment, castigation,
             chastisement:  He resented her continual correction of him for
             trivial things.

   correspond
             v.  1 agree, conform, tally, comply, accord, harmonize, be
             congruous, match, coincide:  The results of the surveys
             correspond.  2 write, communicate, be in touch or contact:  We
             have been corresponding for years.

   correspondent
             n.  newspaperman, newspaperwoman, pressman, presswoman,
             journalist, reporter, stringer, newsman, newsperson:  Here is a
             report from our correspondent in Sydney.

   corridor  n.  hall, hallway, passage, passageway:  We met in the corridor
             outside my room.

   corrupt   adj.  1 dishonest, untrustworthy, dishonourable, underhand(ed),
             venal, Colloq crooked:  He got off by bribing a corrupt judge.
             2 debased, depraved, perverted, subverted, evil, wicked,
             degenerate, degraded:  The inhabitants practised a corrupt form
             of Christianity.

             --v.  3 debase, pervert, subvert, degrade, deprave, warp:  A
             funds manager could easily be corrupted by all that money.  4
             adulterate, contaminate, pollute, taint, defile, infect, spoil,
             poison:  Drainage from the site has corrupted the purity of the
             water.  5 bribe, suborn, buy (off):  He thought he knew a juror
             who might be corrupted.

   cost      n.  1 price, outlay, payment, charge, expense, expenditure,
             rate, tariff:  The gold strap will double the cost of the watch.
             If the cost increases, the selling price must go up.

             --v.  2 sell for, get, fetch, bring in, Colloq set (someone)
             back:  This would cost twice as much in London.

   costume   n.  dress, clothing, attire, clothes, garb, apparel, raiment,
             garments, outfit, vestment, livery, uniform, kit, Colloq gear,
             togs, get-up; Slang rags, US threads:  What kind of costume is
             Celia wearing to the fancy-dress ball?

   cosy      adj.  1 comfortable, snug, warm, restful, secure, relaxing,
             easy, US cozy, Colloq comfy:  They bought a cosy little
             rose-covered cottage in the Cotswolds.  2 convenient, expedient,
             self-serving, underhand(ed):  He has a cosy arrangement with the
             planning board.

   cot       n.  bed, crib; cradle, bunk:  The baby is asleep in his cot.

   cottage   n.  hut, shack, cabin, bungalow, shanty, Literary cot; US and
             Canadian lodge, chalet:  She's going to stay at our cottage for
             a week.

   couch     n.  1 sofa, settee, settle, divan, love-seat, chaise (longue);
             day-bed; t€te-…-t€te, vis-…-vis, siamoise; US Davenport:  Come
             and sit by me on the couch.

             --v.  2 embed, frame, style, express, phrase:  Her warning was
             couched in friendly words.

   council   n.  1 assembly, meeting, conclave, conference, synod,
             consistory, convention, congress, congregation, gathering,
             convocation, US caucus:  The council voted to ban nuclear arms.
             2 board, ministry, directors, cabinet, panel, committee, body,
             directorate, directory, caucus:  She was elected to the council
             last year.

   counsel   n.  1 advice, judgement, direction, opinion, guidance,
             instruction, recommendation, exhortation, Technical par‘nesis:
             Your counsel has always been wise in the past.  2 consultation,
             discussion, deliberation, consideration:  We took counsel with
             the cabinet on the matter.  3 adviser or advisor, guide,
             counsellor; lawyer, Brit barrister; US attorney:  My counsel
             suggests we settle out of court.

             --v.  4 advise, recommend to, suggest to, instruct; guide:  I
             have counselled her to pursue the matter.

   counsellor
             n.  adviser or advisor, counsel, lawyer, Brit counsellor-at-law,
             barrister, US counselor, counselor-at-law, attorney:  We have
             retained Vestley and Stock as our counsellors.

   count     v.  1 count up or off, enumerate, number, calculate, add up,
             total, reckon, compute, tally, figure up, quantify, Colloq
             figure out:  Maddie counted the number of pencils in the box.  2
             include, consider, regard, deem, judge, look on or upon:  You
             can count me among those who favour the idea.  3 count on or
             upon. rely on or upon, depend on or upon, be sure of, trust,
             bank on, be confident of, Chiefly Brit or US dialect reckon on
             or upon, Chiefly US figure on or upon:  I knew I could count on
             Moira to do the right thing.

   counter   n.  1 token, disc, chip, piece, marker:  She placed three
             counters on the number 14.  2 table, bar:  We do not serve beer
             at this counter.

   counteract
             v.  counterbalance, neutralize, correct, annul, nullify, cancel,
             oppose, mitigate:  The coffee counteracted the effect of the
             sleeping-pill.

   counterfeit
             adj.  1 forged, fake, fraudulent, imitation, bogus, spurious,
             Colloq phoney or US also phony:  The bank reported the
             counterfeit money to the police.  2 make-believe, sham,
             pretended, pretend, feigned, insincere, fake, faked, false,
             artificial, meretricious, pseudo, factitious, synthetic, unreal,
             simulated:  You were warned about his counterfeit sincerity.

             --n.  3 fake, imitation, forgery, reproduction, Colloq phoney or
             US also phony:  This is the original deed, that one is a
             counterfeit.

             --v.  4 forge, copy, reproduce, falsify, imitate; Slang hang
             paper:  He made a living counterfeiting passports.  5 feign,
             pretend, simulate, put on, fake:  The suspects have shown signs
             of wealth that are difficult to counterfeit.

   counterfeiter
             n.  Slang paper-hanger:  The counterfeiter, who forged only
             five-pound notes, was arrested today.

   country   n.  1 nation, state, power; territory, realm:  How many
             countries belong to the British Commonwealth?  2 (native) land,
             homeland, fatherland, motherland, mother country:  I would
             gladly fight for my country.  3 countryside, rural area or
             surroundings, provinces, hinterlands; mountains, woods,
             wilderness, outback, Colloq sticks, US boondocks, boonies:  We
             are spending our holiday in the country.

   couple    n.  1 pair, duo, twosome; brace, span, yoke, team:  They
             certainly make a nice couple.  2 a couple of. a few, several, a
             handful (of), one or two, three or four:  I'll be with you in a
             couple of minutes.

             --v.  3 join, link, yoke, combine, unite, match up, connect:
             The two carriages are easily coupled together.

   courage   n.  bravery, valour, boldness, intrepidity, gallantry,
             dauntlessness, daring, fearlessness, heroism, nerve, Colloq
             grit, guts, pluck, spunk, US moxie, sand, Slang Brit bottle:
             She had the courage to face the two of them alone.

   courageous
             adj.  brave, valiant, valorous, bold, intrepid, gallant,
             dauntless, daring, fearless, heroic, Colloq plucky:  The
             soldiers were very courageous and fought against tremendous
             odds.

   course    n.  1 path, way, orbit, route, run, track, ambit, line, circuit,
             passage:  We continued on our course. The sun pursued its fiery
             course across the heavens. 2 movement, progress, headway,
             advance, progression; speed:  The driver slackens his course at
             the curves.  3 procedure, process, performance, routine,
             conduct, order, practice, dispatch or despatch, execution:  In
             the course of her duties, she handles a great deal of money.  4
             direction, tack:  If we stay on this course we'll run aground.
             5 class, lecture, seminar, programme:  You should sign up for a
             course in English grammar.  6 of course. naturally, surely,
             certainly, positively, obviously, definitely, assuredly, by all
             means; undoubtedly, indubitably, without (a) doubt, no doubt,
             Colloq US sure:  Of course I'll go to the theatre with you!

   courteous adj.  polite, well-mannered, well-behaved, gentlemanly,
             ladylike, well-bred, polished, urbane, civilized, respectful,
             civil, courtly, proper, decorous, tactful, considerate,
             diplomatic:  He might have been rude to you, but he was always
             quite courteous to me.

   courtesy  n.  politeness, elegance, courtliness, politesse, courteousness,
             respect, respectfulness, good manners, formality, civility,
             ceremony:  I much appreciated the courtesy with which they
             treated me.

   cover     v.  1 protect, shelter, shield, screen; guard, defend, command:
             The guns covered the approaches to the town.  2 Also, cover up
             or over. conceal, hide, bury, mask, shroud, obscure; dissemble;
             enclose, envelop:  I was unable to cover my embarrassment. Her
             face was covered by the hood of the cloak. 3 overlie, spread
             over, overspread, lie on, layer, coat, blanket:  Oil covers the
             surface of the lake.  4 wrap, swaddle:  Mother covered us with
             warm blankets.  5 dress, clothe, garb, attire, robe, sheathe:
             She was covered in silk from neck to ankle.  6 extend or stretch
             over, occupy, engulf, inundate, submerge:  A lake has covered
             the original site of Abu Simbel.  7 include, comprehend, provide
             for, comprise, extend over, contain, embody, incorporate,
             account for, take into account, take in, deal with:  This report
             covers our activities over the past year.  8 act, take
             responsibility or charge, stand or sit in, substitute, take
             over, run things, double:  Go and get some coffee - I'll cover
             for you.  9 traverse, complete, pass or travel over, travel,
             cross:  With frequent stops, we could not cover more than 50
             miles a day.  10 compensate for, defray, be enough or sufficient
             for, counter, offset, counterbalance, make up for, insure or
             protect against:  The policy covers losses of up to a million.

             --n.  11 lid, top, cap, covering:  I can't find the cover for
             this pot.  12 binding, boards, wrapper, dust-jacket, jacket:
             You can't tell a book by its cover.  13 Often, covers. blanket,
             quilt, eiderdown, duvet, bedclothes, bedding, (bed) linen;
             coverlet, counterpane; US comforter:  I crept into bed and
             pulled the covers over my head.  14 shelter, protection,
             concealment, hiding-place, hide-out, retreat, refuge; hide, US
             and Canadian blind; Colloq Brit hidey-hole:  We tried to find
             some sort of cover till the sun went down.  15 cloak, screen,
             disguise, concealment, pretence, front, camouflage, smokescreen,
             cover-up, mask, covering:  His bluster and bullying were only a
             cover for his cowardice.

   coward    n.  poltroon, craven, dastard, sissy or cissy, baby, mouse,
             milksop; Scaramouch or Scaramouche; Colloq chicken, Slang
             yellow-belly; US and Canadian milquetoast:  He's such a coward
             that he's afraid of his own shadow.

   cowardice n.  cowardliness, chicken-heartedness, faint-heartedness,
             timidity, timorousness, pusillanimity:  Owing to the cowardice
             of the lieutenant, the troop surrendered without a shot being
             fired.

   cowardly  adj.  timid, fearful, frightened, afraid, scared, faint-hearted,
             timorous, chicken-hearted, chicken-livered, lily-livered,
             white-livered, craven, namby-pamby, dastardly, pusillanimous,
             vitelline, Slang yellow, yellow-bellied:  The cowardly rascals
             ran from the battle.

   coy       adj.  shy, modest, diffident, demure, timid, bashful,
             self-conscious, sheepish, timorous, unassuming, unpretentious;
             reserved, self-effacing, retiring, evasive, reluctant,
             recalcitrant:  She was so coy she would disappear whenever we
             had guests.

3.7 crack...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   crack     n.  1 break, fracture, chink, crevice, rift, gap, flaw, split,
             fissure, slit, cleft, split, check, rupture, breach:  The crack
             in the dam was caused by an earthquake.  2 snap, report, bang,
             clap, shot:  I ducked when I heard the crack of the rifle.  3
             moment, instant, time, second:  She gets up at the crack of
             dawn.

             --v.  4 snap:  He cracks the whip and the horses start up.  5
             break, fracture, rupture; shiver, shatter, smash:  He fell
             backwards on the pavement and cracked his skull.  6 fissure,
             craze, crackle, US alligator:  The heat of the sun caused the
             paint to crack.

   craft     n.  1 skill, ability, artisanship, handiwork, ingenuity,
             skilfulness, art, talent, dexterity, cleverness, mastery,
             expertness, expertise, flair, genius , Colloq know-how:
             Considerable craft is required to make that kind of jewellery.
             2 deceit, guile, cunning, fraud, trickery, wiliness, foxiness,
             artfulness, craftiness, duplicity:  He exhibits that crooked
             wisdom called craft.  3 trade, occupation, calling, vocation,
             m‚tier; profession:  He was a member of one of the medieval
             craft guilds.  4 vessel, ship, boat; hovercraft; aircraft,
             aeroplane, plane; spaceship, spacecraft, rocket:  One day there
             will be at least as many craft in space as there now are in the
             air.

             --v.  5 make, fashion, fabricate:  She crafted the figures out
             of solid wood.

   crafty    adj.  artful, cunning, clever, shrewd, foxy, canny, wily, sly,
             scheming, calculating, designing, plotting, tricky, sneaky,
             deceitful, shifty, dodgy, guileful, insidious, double-dealing,
             two-faced, duplicitous, treacherous:  That crafty beggar has
             made off with my life's savings.

   crag      n.  cliff, bluff, tor, peak, rock, escarpment, scarp, precipice,
             US palisade:  Soaring above us was a huge crag that we still had
             to climb.

   cram      v.  1 pack, stuff, overstuff, overcrowd, jam, fill:  The car was
             crammed to the top with suitcases.  2 study, burn the midnight
             oil, Literary lucubrate, Colloq grind, Brit swot:  Bob can't go
             out because he's cramming for an exam.

   cramped   adj.  tight, crowded, incommodious, uncomfortable, close:  The
             tiny cabin was too cramped to hold all of us at once.

   crank     n.  1 eccentric, character, oddity, Colloq nut; Slang Brit
             nutter, nutcase:  Pay no attention to Jason, he's just a crank.
             2 monomaniac, zealot, fanatic:  The restaurant is patronized
             mainly by health-food cranks.

   cranky    adj.  1 eccentric, odd, weird, strange, queer, peculiar, quirky,
             capricious, whimsical:  He's a cranky old bird who hardly goes
             out at all.  2 testy, grouchy, crabby, short-tempered, surly,
             irascible, waspish, churlish, gruff, curmudgeonly, cantankerous,
             choleric, snappish, petulant, peevish, contentious, querulous,
             irritable, splenetic, Colloq crotchety:  He's always cranky
             before breakfast.

   cranny    n.  chink, crevice, crack, fissure, check, fracture, break,
             furrow, split, cleft:  Flowers grew from the crannies in the
             ancient wall.

   crash     v.  1 fall, topple:  The vase crashed onto the stone floor.  2
             force, drive, run, smash:  He crashed the car into a wall.  3
             bang, boom, explode:  The thunder crashed all around us.

             --n.  4 boom, bang, smash, explosion, blast:  We heard a great
             crash as the building collapsed.  5 disaster, collapse, failure:
             The stock-market crash has had a devastating effect.

   crawl     v.  1 creep, worm, wriggle, wiggle, squirm; edge:  A spider is
             crawling on your collar.  2 inch, creep, drag:  For a solid hour
             the cars just crawled along at a snail's pace.  3 cower, cringe,
             grovel, toady, fawn:  Don't worry, he'll soon come crawling,
             begging you to take him back. 4 teem, abound, swarm, be overrun
             or swamped:  The scene of the crime crawled with police.

   craze     n.  fad, fashion, trend, enthusiasm, rage, mania, thing,
             obsession; last word, dernier cri:  The craze for printed
             T-shirts goes on and on.

   crazy     adj.  1 mad, insane, demented, deranged, unbalanced, unhinged,
             lunatic, non compos mentis, daft, certifiable, mental, touched
             (in the head), out of one's mind or head, mad as a March hare or
             hatter, maddened, crazed, Colloq barmy or balmy, cuckoo,
             cracked, crackers, crack-brained, dotty, daffy, dippy, gaga,
             goofy, crackpot, loony, off one's rocker, have a screw loose,
             screwy, batty, bats, bats in the belfry, Brit barmy (in the
             crumpet), potty, bonkers, round the bend or twist, off one's
             chump, doolally, US off one's trolley, out of one's gourd,
             screwball, nuts, nutty (as a fruit cake); Slang bananas, US out
             to lunch, meshuga, flaky, flaked-out, (plumb) loco:  His wife
             thinks he's crazy to want to walk around the world.  2 silly,
             absurd, foolish, nonsensical, inane, ridiculous, preposterous,
             laughable, risible, ludicrous, asinine, stupid, moronic,
             imbecile or imbecilic, idiotic, feeble-minded, hare-brained,
             Colloq crackpot:  Someone came up with a crazy idea of a square
             tennis ball to slow down the game. 3 impractical, impracticable,
             unworkable, unsound, pointless, imprudent, rash, reckless,
             ill-considered:  Columbus' plan to sail round the world was
             thought to be crazy at the time. 4 enthusiastic, eager, avid,
             zealous, keen, excited:  I'm really crazy about windsurfing.  5
             infatuated, keen on or about, wild, mad, Colloq dotty, US nuts,
             nutty; Slang US ape:  Marjorie, I'm absolutely crazy about you.

   create    v.  1 make, produce, form, bring into being, originate,
             conceive; sire, father:  The question remains whether God
             created Man or vice versa.  2 engender, beget, spawn, generate,
             invent, imagine, think up, frame, forge, fashion, fabricate,
             manufacture, develop, design, contrive, devise, produce, dream
             up, initiate:  Here is where they create many of the most
             successful television advertisements.

   creation  n.  1 beginning, origin, birth, start, inception, genesis,
             making, formation:  The creation of the lake began with the
             damming of the stream.  2 the world, the universe, the cosmos:
             He was the most wicked man in the history of all creation.

   creative  adj.  imaginative, inventive, originative, artistic, original,
             ingenious, resourceful:  A truly creative artist seldom lacks
             for inspiration.

   creator   n.  1 originator, author, initiator, founder, father, inventor,
             architect, designer, framer, maker, prime mover:  The creator of
             this painting must have been a genius.  2 God, Supreme Being,
             the Deity:  Some day you will have to answer to your Creator for
             your sins.

   creature  n.  1 being, organism, entity, living thing:  The hound had the
             saddest face I have ever seen on any creature.  2 creature
             comforts. (physical or bodily or material or mundane or
             superficial or non-spiritual) luxuries:  He has the money to
             enjoy all the creature comforts.

   credit    n.  1 belief, faith, trust, credence:  I don't give much credit
             to what they say.  2 creditation, acknowledgement or
             acknowledgment, attribution, ascription:  Credit for inventing
             the telegraph goes to Guglielmo Marconi.  3 trust, confidence,
             faithfulness, reliability, trustworthiness, honesty, probity,
             dependability; solvency:  Her credit rating at the bank is
             excellent.  4 honour, commendation, praise, tribute, acclaim,
             esteem, recognition, merit:  The team's victory in the finals
             has brought credit to the school.

             --v.  5 believe, trust, hold accountable, put or place one's
             faith or confidence in, have faith or confidence in, rely on,
             accept, depend on or upon:  If you credit the Bible, the world
             was created in six days.  6 ascribe, acknowledge, attribute,
             assign; impute:  The goal was credited to Barnes.

   creed     n.  tenet, dogma, doctrine, credo, teaching, principles, belief,
             set of beliefs:  She adheres to the creed of the Golden Rule.

   creek     n.  1 Brit inlet, bay, cove, harbour:  Overnight we moored in a
             little creek, sheltered from the sea.  2 US and Canadian stream,
             streamlet, brook, rivulet, rill, runnel, run, burn:  We used to
             fish in the creek behind the house.

   creep     v.  1 crawl, slither, inch, squirm, wriggle, wiggle:  A tiny
             lizard was creeping up the wall.  2 crawl, drag:  The hours
             creep by slowly when you have nothing to do.  3 steal, sneak;
             slink, skulk, tiptoe, Colloq pussyfoot:  The thief must have
             crept in through the kitchen window. Someone is creeping about
             out there in the dark.

   crescent  n.  1 demi-lune, semi-lune, lune, lunette:  The moon's crescent
             hung low in the western sky.

             --adj.  2 crescent-shaped, demi-lune, semi-lune, biconcave,
             concavo-concave:  For chopping, the chef uses a crescent blade
             that just fits into a curved wooden bowl.

   crest     n.  1 top, summit, pinnacle, peak, head, ridge:  The surfers
             rode in on the crest of a wave.  2 seal, device, figure, badge,
             emblem, insigne, symbol, design:  The school crest shows an
             inkpot and a scroll.

             --v.  3 top, crown, surmount, cap:  The ancient walls were
             crested with ivy.  4 culminate, reach, top, US top out:  The
             flood-waters crested at nine feet.

   crevasse  n.  gorge, chasm, abyss, ravine, fissure, crack, furrow:  One of
             the climbers fell into a crevasse in the glacier.

   crevice   n.  crack, fissure, chink, cleft, cranny, groove, furrow, break,
             split, rift:  Water ran down the crevices in the rocks.

   crew      n.  group, company, band, troupe, party, gang, team, corps,
             body:  We shall need a crew of twenty for tomorrow's job.

   crime     n.  offence, violation, misdeed, wrong; felony, misdemeanour;
             lawlessness:  The number of crimes of violence is increasing.

   criminal  adj.  1 illegal, unlawful, illicit, lawless, dishonest, Colloq
             crooked:  Arson is a criminal act. We have to weed out the
             criminal element.  2 wicked, evil, bad, wrong, corrupt, vile,
             black, immoral, amoral, sinful, villainous, iniquitous,
             flagitious, depraved; disgraceful, reprehensible:  The way they
             treat their children is absolutely criminal.

             --n.  3 felon, convict, lawbreaker, outlaw, culprit, offender,
             miscreant, malefactor, wrongdoer, villain, scoundrel, knave,
             blackguard; gangster, Mafioso, desperado, racketeer; hoodlum,
             thug, hooligan, tough, ruffian, terrorist, Colloq roughneck, bad
             guy, black hat, bad hat, baddie or baddy, crook; Slang hood, US
             mobster:  He was arrested for consorting with known criminals.

   cringe    v.  1 cower, wince, flinch, quail, recoil, blench, tremble,
             quiver, quake or shake in one's boots or shoes, shrink:  That
             dirty little coward cringed even when they called his name.  2
             defer, kowtow, grovel, crawl, fawn, boot-lick, US apple-polish;
             Slang kiss someone's arse or US and Canadian ass, Taboo slang
             brown-nose:  The man cringed before the magistrate, his eyes
             downcast, tugging his forelock.

   cripple   n.  1 amputee, paralytic:  He has been a cripple since the
             accident.

             --v.  2 disable, lame, incapacitate, handicap, maim; impair,
             damage, weaken, debilitate, emasculate, enervate:  She was
             crippled when a child. The dictator's power was crippled by the
             revolt.

   crippled  adj.  1 disabled, lame, handicapped, incapacitated; weakened,
             weak, debilitated:  He takes care of his crippled mother. The
             crippled party platform succumbed to attack from the far left. 2
             damaged, immobilized, inoperative:  The crew stayed with the
             crippled vessel.

   crisis    n.  1 turning-point, critical time or moment:  She has passed
             the crisis and will be better tomorrow.  2 disaster, emergency,
             calamity, catastrophe, danger:  The storm has created a crisis
             and the residents are being evacuated.

   crisp     adj.  1 brittle, crunchy, friable, breakable, crumbly,
             frangible:  Keep the biscuits crisp in this special jar.  2
             curly, crispy, crinkly, frizzy, frizzled:  His hair is brown and
             crisp, just like his father's.  3 US chip:  I'll bet you can't
             eat just one potato crisp.

   critical  adj.  1 carping, fault-finding, censorious, disparaging,
             depreciatory or depreciative, depreciating, deprecatory or
             deprecative, deprecating, judgemental:  The article was highly
             critical of the council.  2 crucial, important, essential,
             basic, key, decisive, pivotal, vital, momentous:  The meeting at
             the bank will be critical for us.  3 grave, serious, dangerous,
             uncertain, perilous, severe, touch-and-go, ticklish, sensitive,
             touchy, Colloq parlous:  His illness has reached the critical
             stage.

   criticism n.  1 judgement, evaluation, appraisal, analysis, assessment,
             estimation, valuation:  Their criticism was generally
             favourable.  2 censure, disapproval, condemnation,
             disparagement:  I was very upset by her criticism of my
             behaviour.  3 critique, review, commentary:  My sister writes
             the theatre criticisms for the local paper.

   criticize v.  1 judge, evaluate, value, assess, appraise, estimate;
             discuss, analyse:  He criticizes books for the quarterly.  2
             censure, find fault (with), carp (at), cavil (at), condemn,
             attack, denounce, disapprove (of), put down, impugn, blast,
             lambaste, Colloq pan, knock, Brit slate:  His book was
             criticized because of its poor scholarship. Why must he
             constantly criticize, even when there's nothing wrong?

   crooked   adj.  1 criminal, dishonest, illegal, unlawful, illicit, wrong,
             perverse, Slang Brit bent:  Selling a stolen painting is
             crooked.  2 bent, bowed, askew, awry, deformed, distorted,
             contorted, lopsided, twisted, misshapen, disfigured, warped,
             gnarled:  Because of the constant west wind, the trees are all
             crooked.

   cross     n.  1 crucifix, rood:  In ancient times, it was common to
             execute certain criminals by nailing them to a cross. 2 hybrid,
             cross-breed, mongrel; blend, combination:  This fruit is a cross
             between a plum and a pear.

             --v.  3 cross off or out. strike out, erase, cancel, rub out,
             delete, wipe out:  After that remark, I'm crossing you off my
             list.  4 meet, intersect, join:  The roads cross further on.  5
             cross over, go across, pass over, span, traverse:  The bridge
             crosses the river here.

             --adj.  6 peevish, irritated, annoyed, piqued, irritable, testy,
             snappish, irascible, surly, choleric, splenetic, grouchy,
             huffish or huffy, pettish, cranky, grumpy, touchy, moody,
             fractious, vexed, curmudgeonly, petulant, waspish, querulous,
             cantankerous, crusty, short-tempered, on a short fuse, Colloq
             crotchety, Slang Brit shirty:  He's cross because he has a
             headache.  7 annoyed, irritated, angry, irate, furious:  I was
             very cross that you took the car without permission.

   crouch    v.  bend (down), squat (down), hunker down, stoop (down):  If
             you crouch down, no one will see you in the bushes.

   crowd     n.  1 throng, multitude, horde, swarm, mass, press, flood, mob,
             flock, pack:  A huge crowd descended on the village square.  2
             company, set, circle, lot, bunch, group, coterie, clique,
             claque, faction:  She doesn't associate with our crowd any
             longer.

             --v.  3 throng, swarm, herd, pour, pile, press, cluster, gather,
             get together, flood, flock, assemble, congregate:  People
             crowded into the stadium.  4 push, press, drive, shove, thrust,
             force, load, pack, cram, jam, corral:  The police crowded the
             hooligans into vans.  5 compress, squeeze, pack, jam, cram,
             collect; stuff:  We were so crowded in the cabin we could hardly
             breathe.

   crown     n.  1 coronet, diadem, wreath, fillet, circlet, tiara:  The
             princess wore a golden crown set with jewels.  2 sovereignty,
             rule, dominion, authority, government, realm, rulership,
             jurisdiction:  They discovered many lands and annexed them to
             the Crown.  3 monarch, ruler, sovereign, potentate; king, queen,
             emperor, empress, His or Her Majesty, His or Her Highness:  The
             Crown has very little real power these days.

             --v.  4 enthrone, Colloq US coronate:  He was crowned on the
             death of his father.  5 cap, top, surmount, culminate, climax,
             consummate, fulfil, reward:  All her years of practising the
             violin were finally crowned with success.

   crucial   adj.  critical, decisive, pivotal, vital, momentous, major,
             important, essential:  It is crucial that you press the right
             button.

   crude     adj.  1 unrefined, raw, natural, original, unprocessed:  Those
             are the prices of crude oil, not the petrol used in cars.  2
             rough, unpolished, rudimentary, immature, undeveloped,
             primitive, unrefined, unfinished:  At this stage, she has only a
             crude idea of the design.  3 rough, coarse, rude, unrefined,
             uncouth, crass, gross, rustic, uncivil:  Don't you despise his
             crude manners?  4 blunt, brusque, unsophisticated,
             inconsiderate, tasteless, indelicate, offensive, improper,
             vulgar:  How crude of him to ask her how long since her husband
             had 'croaked'!

   cruel     adj.  1 merciless, pitiless, hard-hearted, harsh, stony-hearted,
             heartless, unsparing, callous, beastly, cold-blooded, ruthless,
             unkind, hard:  It was cruel of you to refuse to help.  2
             ferocious, inhuman, barbaric, barbarous, brutal, savage,
             bloodthirsty, vicious, sadistic, fiendish, diabolical, hellish,
             atrocious, Neronian or Neronic or Neroic:  His captors subjected
             him to the cruellest tortures.

   cruise    v.  1 sail, coast, travel, journey, voyage; yacht:  We cruise in
             the Caribbean during the winter.

             --n.  2 sail, voyage, journey, boat or yachting trip:  I took a
             three-day cruise around the Isle of Wight.

   crumb     n.  fragment, morsel, bite, scrap, particle, shred, snippet,
             sliver, bit, speck, scintilla, mote, molecule, atom:  There
             isn't a crumb of food in the house.

   crumble   v.  disintegrate, fragment, break apart, break up, shiver, come
             to pieces:  Acid rain has caused the stone fa‡ade to crumble. In
             the face of the attack, his resolve crumbled.

   crumple   v.  wrinkle, crush, crease, rumple, mangle, crinkle:  Your
             jacket is all crumpled.

   crunch    v.  1 chew, bite, crush, grind, munch:  He crunched the nuts
             between his teeth.

             --n.  2 moment of truth, decision time, crisis, critical moment,
             showdown, crux, juncture:  You can count on me when it comes to
             the crunch.

   crusade   n.  1 campaign, expedition, holy war; jihad or jehad:  He joined
             the crusade against the Saracens.

             --v.  2 campaign, war, battle; take up a cause, lobby, fight:
             She is crusading for equal rights for women.

   crush     n.  1 break, smash, crunch, pulverize, shiver, splinter, pound,
             grind:  The vandals crushed the statue to bits with hammers.  2
             crumple, wrinkle, crease, crinkle, rumple, mangle:  The shirts
             came back crushed from the laundry.  3 squash, pulp, mash,
             squeeze, compress, press:  The machine crushes the oranges and
             extracts the juice.  4 overcome, defeat, conquer, vanquish,
             beat, thrash; subdue, put down, quash, quell, overwhelm,
             squelch, suppress, repress:  The title-holder crushed the
             challenger. The junta crushed the uprising without bloodshed. 5
             abash, embarrass, shame, mortify, depress, devastate, humiliate,
             disgrace:  She was really crushed when he refused to see her.

             --n.  6 press, pressure, crowd:  When the fire alarm sounded, I
             was almost caught in the crush of the people trying to escape.

   cry       v.  1 weep, sob, wail, keen, bawl, shed tears:  Paul cried when
             they took his mother away.  2 whimper, snivel, pule, mewl,
             whine, moan, groan, fret, Colloq turn on the waterworks, Brit
             grizzle:  Don't cry over spilt milk.  3 cry out for. demand,
             need, call for, beg for, plead for:  Her hair is so untidy it
             cries out for trimming. Wanton murder cries out for vengeance.

             --n.  4 scream, shriek, wail, howl, yowl:  I heard the mournful
             cries of those being tortured.  5 shout, whoop, yell, howl:
             Uttering blood-curdling cries, the rebels attacked.  6 call,
             sound, note:  The noise was the cry of the lesser grebe to its
             mate.  7 war cry, battle-cry, slogan, watchword:  'Down with the
             king!' was the cry used to rally the rabble.  8 a far cry. a
             long way, quite a distance, remote, distant, not, not quite,
             very different (from):  This report is a far cry from what I had
             expected.

   crypt     n.  tomb, vault, mausoleum, sepulchre, grave, catacomb; cellar,
             basement:  He is buried in the crypt of St Paul's.

   cryptic   adj.  1 secret, occult, mystical, hidden, esoteric, mystic,
             cabbalistic:  The sarcophagus was covered with cryptic symbols.
             2 obscure, mysterious, unclear, nebulous, vague, inscrutable,
             recondite, arcane, enigmatic, puzzling:  I cannot make head or
             tail of her cryptic remarks.

3.8 cuddle...
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   cuddle    v.  1 snuggle up (to), nestle or huddle (against):  She cuddled
             the baby closer to her.  2 caress, embrace, fondle, hug, pet,
             bill and coo, make love (to), Colloq neck, smooch, Australian
             and New Zealand smoodge or smooge, Slang US make out (with),
             watch the submarine races:  The couple were cuddling in the back
             seat.

             --n.  3 hug, embrace, snuggle:  Give us a cuddle, Janie.

   cue       n.  1 prompt, hint, reminder, signal, sign:  Give her the cue to
             start singing.

             --v.  2 signal, prompt, remind:  She was cueing me to begin, but
             I'd lost my voice.

   culprit   n.  1 accused, prisoner:  How does the culprit plead?  2
             offender, criminal, malefactor, wrongdoer:  They caught the
             culprit red-handed.

   cultivate v.  1 till, plough, farm, work:  These lands have been
             cultivated since time immemorial.  2 grow, raise, tend, produce:
             What crops can be cultivated in this climate?  3 develop,
             promote, further, encourage, foster, advance:  She's been
             cultivating a friendship with her boss.  4 woo, make advances
             to, ingratiate oneself with, court, pay court to, curry favour
             with, Colloq work on, Slang suck up to, butter up, US shine up
             to; Taboo slang brown-nose:  He is cultivating Trevor only
             because he wants something from him.

   cultivated
             adj.  sophisticated, cultured, educated, refined, elegant,
             soign‚(e), civilized, polished, aristocratic, urbane, suave,
             cosmopolitan:  She prefers to go out with cultivated older men.

   culture   n.  1 cultivation, refinement, sophistication, urbanity,
             suavity, elegance, (good) breeding, background, erudition,
             education, enlightenment, learning, taste, discrimination,
             savoir faire, savoir vivre, discernment:  She is a lady of
             considerable culture as well as beauty.  2 civilization, mores,
             customs, lifestyle, way of life, (sense of) values:  In their
             culture, biting someone is a sign of love and respect.

   curb      n.  1 check, restraint, control:  You should put a curb on your
             tongue.

             --v.  2 check, restrain, bridle, control, contain, repress,
             subdue, suppress:  Try to curb your exuberance.

   cure      n.  1 course of treatment, therapy, remedy, medication,
             medicament, medicine, drug, prescription; cure-all, nostrum,
             panacea:  The doctor said there was no cure for her illness.

             --v.  2 heal, mend, restore to health or working order, remedy,
             rectify, correct, repair, fix:  What can't be cured must be
             endured.  3 smoke, pickle, dry, salt, preserve, corn, marinate:
             That cured ox tongue is simply delicious!

   curiosity n.  1 inquisitiveness, interest:  His insatiable curiosity next
             led him to study astronomy.  2 snooping, prying, peeping,
             intrusiveness, meddlesomeness, interference, Colloq nosiness,
             Nosy Parkerism:  Curiosity killed the cat.  3 curio, oddity,
             rarity, conversation piece, objet de virtu or vertu, objet
             d'art, found object; bric-…-brac or bric-a-brac, knick-knack,
             bauble, trinket, gewgaw:  The shop sells curiosities, like
             goblets made from ostrich eggs.  In those days, every house had
             a curiosity cabinet.

   curious   adj.  1 inquisitive, inquiring, interested:  I am curious to
             know what you were doing in there all night.  2 snooping,
             prying, intrusive, meddlesome, interfering, Colloq nosy:  Our
             neighbours are entirely too curious about our activities.  3
             odd, peculiar, eccentric, strange, outr‚, queer, unusual,
             outrageous, offbeat, weird, bizarre, unconventional, freakish,
             exotic, singular, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, erratic,
             pixilated, quaint, outlandish, grotesque, aberrant, abnormal,
             singular, irregular, deviant, deviate, Colloq kinky, nuts,
             nutty; Slang Brit barmy:  How do you explain Frieda's curious
             behaviour?

   current   adj.  1 contemporary, ongoing, present, contemporaneous,
             simultaneous, coeval:  The current issue of the magazine came
             out last week.  2 prevalent, prevailing, common, popular,
             accepted, known, widespread, reported, in circulation, going
             round or around, bruited about, widely known, in the air,
             present-day:  The current theories reject those of a decade ago.
             3 fashionable, stylish, … la mode, modish, in vogue, latest, up
             to date, Colloq trendy:  The current trend is towards shorter
             skirts.  4 US up to date, in the know, informed, advised, in
             touch, aware, posted, au courant, au fait, on the qui vive:  The
             Financial Journal keeps me current on stock prices.

             --n.  5 stream, flow, undercurrent:  The canoe was caught in the
             current and carried away.  6 course, progress, tendency, tenor,
             drift, trend, inclination, mainstream:  The current of public
             opinion is turning in favour of policies that are more
             environmentally responsible.

   curse     n.  1 malediction, imprecation, denunciation, damnation,
             execration, oath:  He heaped curses on all those who opposed
             him.  2 evil, bane, misfortune, affliction, torment, harm,
             scourge, cross to bear:  The curse of our generation is that so
             few of us deeply believe anything. 3 profanity, oath, blasphemy,
             obscenity, bad language, dirty word, swear-word, curse-word:  A
             stream of curses issued from the bathroom when Joe cut himself
             shaving.

             --v.  4 damn, execrate, blast, denounce, anathematize,
             excommunicate:  He was cursed by the priests and forbidden ever
             to enter a temple again. 5 swear at, blaspheme at:  The muleteer
             was cursing his team.  6 burden, saddle, weigh down, handicap:
             She was cursed with bad eyesight and had to wear thick glasses.

   cursory   adj.  superficial, hasty, hurried, passing, quick, slapdash,
             perfunctory, rapid, summary:  She gave the note a cursory glance
             and threw it away.

   curt      adj.  abrupt, short, terse, brief, laconic, concise; blunt,
             gruff, harsh, brusque, unceremonious, snappish, crusty, rude:
             His answer was a curt 'No', without any explanation.

   curtail   v.  shorten, abbreviate, cut short, abridge, diminish, reduce,
             cut, cut back, cut down:  Both our working week and our salaries
             were curtailed.

   cushion   n.  1 pillow, bolster, pad:  The women of the harem sat on
             cushions on the floor.

             --v.  2 soften, absorb, mitigate, reduce, buffer, insulate,
             mollify, lessen:  They offered me a month's paid holiday to help
             cushion the blow of being transferred.

   custody   n.  1 care, custodianship, safe keeping, protection, charge,
             guardianship, keeping:  She was granted custody of the children.
             2 imprisonment, detention, incarceration, confinement:  The
             police took three troublemakers into custody.

   custom    n.  1 practice, habit, usage, fashion, way, wont, tradition,
             routine, convention, form:  According to custom, the warriors of
             the tribe paint their bodies.  2 customs. toll, duty, impost,
             tax, excise, levy, dues, tariff:  He was assigned to collect
             customs and port duties.  3 patronage, support, business, trade:
             The new butcher needs as much custom as possible.

             --adv.  4 specially, especially, expressly, exclusively,
             particularly; to order:  All her clothes are custom-made.

   customary adj.  1 usual, normal, conventional, routine, everyday, common,
             commonplace, ordinary:  Is it customary for them to eat lunch on
             the premises?  2 accustomed, habitual, regular, traditional,
             wonted:  I took the customary way home.

   customer  n.  1 client, patron, buyer, purchaser; consumer:  Mrs Morris is
             one of our regular customers.  2 chap, fellow, character,
             person, guy, Colloq Brit bloke:  She would never go out with an
             ugly customer like that.

   cut       v.  1 gash, slash, slit; open:  I cut my finger on the glass.  2
             slice, cut off, carve:  Please cut me a thick piece of steak.  3
             Often, cut up. hurt, wound, pain, upset, grieve, distress,
             aggrieve, slight, insult, offend, affront:  I was really all cut
             up by her nasty remarks.  4 trim, snip, lop, clip, crop,
             shorten, shear, chop off; mow; dock:  The barber has cut too
             much off the sides.  5 abbreviate, shorten, crop, condense,
             abridge, edit, cut back, reduce, cut down; epitomize, abstract,
             digest, summarize, curtail:  Cut this script to make it fit into
             the allotted time.  6 dilute, thin, water (down), weaken;
             degrade, adulterate:  They cut the rum with water to make grog.
             7 avoid, fail to attend, eschew:  Cynthia cut classes three days
             this week.  8 lower, reduce, lessen, cut back (on), cut down
             (on), slash, diminish, decrease, retrench (on), curtail:  We
             shall have to cut expenses if the company is to survive.  9
             conclude, settle, agree:  Once the deal was cut, there was no
             going back on it.  10 prepare, draw, write, sign:  We'll have
             accounting cut your cheque and send it at once.  11 cut back.  a
             See 5, above.  b See 8, above.  12 Often, cut dead. snub,
             slight, spurn, shun, ignore, give the cold shoulder (to):
             Cornelia had the gall to cut Jason dead at his own party.  13
             cut down.  a fell, chop or hew down:  Don't cut down that tree!
             b kill, cut off, murder, assassinate:  He was cut down in his
             prime.  14 cut in. interrupt, intrude, interfere, Colloq butt
             in:  Please don't cut in on our conversation.  15 cut off.  a
             cleave, sever, chop or lop or hack off:  Cut the branch off near
             the trunk.  b intercept, interrupt, discontinue, end, stop,
             terminate, break off:  There was a click and our phone
             conversation was cut off.  c separate, sever, split, estrange:
             He's been cut off from the family for years.  d disinherit,
             disown, reject:  She was cut off with a shilling.  16 cut out.
             a delete, remove, excise, strike or cross out, edit out, omit,
             cut, kill, Technical dele:  The publishers made me cut out parts
             of the book that they were advised might be libellous. b
             extract, excise, remove, resect:  My appendix was cut out years
             ago.  c stop, cease, desist (from), quit:  Whenever it rains the
             engine cuts out. Cut out the clowning around.  d suit, equip,
             fit:  I don't think Cyril's cut out to be a lumberjack.  e plan,
             prepare, ready, organize, destine:  He certainly has his work
             cut out for him!  17 cut up.  a chop (up), dice, cube, mince,
             cut, divide (up), carve (up):  Cut the celery up very small.  b
             misbehave:  The football supporters began to cut up rough.  18
             cut up rough. get angry, lose one's temper, show resentment:
             The driver began to cut up rough when I refused to pay.

             --n.  19 gash, slash, incision, nick, wound:  I got a nasty cut
             from that razor.  20 share, portion, percentage, piece,
             dividend, commission:  Blatchley gets a cut on every car we
             sell.  21 reduction, cut-back, curtailment, decrease:  The
             government's cuts in spending affect us all.  22 deletion,
             excision, omission:  The author refuses to approve the cuts in
             the script.  23 affront, insult, offence, slight, snub, dig,
             jibe, slap in the face, cold shoulder:  The unkindest cut was
             the accusation of cheating.  24 engraving, plate:  This cut is
             too badly worn for use now.  25 artwork, picture, illustration,
             plate, drawing, line cut, line engraving, half-tone:  The book
             has 300 cuts and only 20 pages of text.

             --adj.  26 separated, detached, severed:  I prefer cut flowers
             to a plant.  27 abridged, abbreviated, cut-down, shortened,
             edited, curtailed:  The magazine published a cut version of the
             novel.  28 reduced, diminished, lowered, discounted:  This shop
             sells everything at cut prices.  29 cut and dried.  a clear-cut,
             settled, arranged, decided, predetermined, prearranged:
             Unfortunately, the solution to this problem is not cut and
             dried.  b stale, unoriginal, trite, hackneyed, old; dull,
             boring:  His suggestions for improvement are always cut and
             dried.  c manufactured, automatic, unchanging, unchanged:  Mr
             Mackay will again present his old cut and dried plan.

   cute      adj.  1 pretty, attractive, adorable, dainty, lovely, beautiful,
             Colloq US cunning:  There were a lot of cute children at the
             beauty competition.  2 clever, shrewd, ingenious, adroit,
             crafty, cunning:  It was very cute of him to suggest his brother
             for the job.

   cutthroat n.  1 murderer, pirate, killer, thug, hatchet man, gunman,
             assassin, Slang US gunsel, torpedo, hit man:  Those streets are
             frequented by thieves and cutthroats.

             --adj.  2 merciless, ruthless, unmerciful, unprincipled,
             relentless, pitiless, brutal, cold-blooded, cold-hearted:  Her
             cutthroat tactics call for dismissing all executives.  3
             murderous, homicidal, lethal, deadly, barbaric, fierce, cruel,
             barbarous, savage, inhuman, brutal, brutish, violent, ferocious,
             bloodthirsty, sanguinary, bloody, feral, vicious, truculent:  He
             was once a member of a gang of cutthroat hoodlums.

   cutting   adj.  1 severe, biting, chill, cold, icy, frigid, freezing, raw,
             piercing, penetrating:  A cutting wind seemed to go right
             through me.  2 sarcastic, sardonic, bitter, scornful, sneering,
             acid, scathing, acerb(ic), wounding, stern, harsh, caustic,
             mordant, acrimonious, contemptuous; malevolent, malicious,
             invidious, vicious, venomous:  Her cutting remarks completely
             devastated me.

             --n.  3 scion, slip, clipping:  Mrs Galloway allowed me to take
             a cutting from her rose bush.

3.9 cycle
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   cycle     n.  1 round, rotation, circle, course; series, sequence, run,
             succession, pattern:  We must learn to break the continuous
             cycles of war and peace.

             --v.  2 recur, return, rotate, recycle, circle:  The water from
             the fountain is cycled back to the reservoir.

4.0 D
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4.1 dab...
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   dab       v.  1 daub, pat, tap, tamp, touch:  Dab a little more paint into
             the crevices.

             --n.  2 touch, drop, trace, bit, mite, hint, suggestion, pinch,
             dash, spot, tinge, Colloq dollop, smidgen or smidgin:  Add just
             a dab of mustard to the sauce.  3 daub, poke, pat, tap, touch:
             Wipe it away with a dab of a damp cloth.

   dabble    v.  1 dip, splash, spatter, sprinkle, bespatter, besprinkle,
             bedabble:  I sat on the rock, dabbling my toes in the pool.  2
             dabble in or with or at. tinker, trifle (with), potter or US
             putter, dally, Colloq fool (around or about or with or about
             with):  She's not seriously interested in music - she just
             dabbles in it.

   dab hand  n.phr.  past master, expert, master, adept, authority, wizard,
             Colloq ace:  Oscar is a dab hand at wood-carving.

   daft      adj.  1 foolish, silly, giddy, senseless, absurd, ridiculous,
             stupid, nonsensical, fatuous, fatuitous, imbecile or imbecilic,
             idiotic, moronic, obtuse, cretinous, boneheaded, fat-headed,
             dim-witted, witless, asinine, attocerebral, weak-minded,
             simple-minded, brainless, feeble-minded, feather-brained,
             rattle-brained, hare-brained, slow-witted, halfwitted,
             fat-witted, addle-pated, addle-brained, Brit gormless; Colloq
             dumb, dopey or dopy, daffy; Slang cock-eyed, US cockamamie or
             cockamamy, running on 'Empty':  He has the daft idea that he
             will be appointed managing director.  2 See crazy, 1, above.  3
             daft about. mad about, infatuated with, besotted by or with,
             sweet on, Colloq nuts about, crazy about:  Those two are daft
             about each other.

   dagger    n.  knife, poniard, skean, short sword, stiletto, dirk, blade,
             kris, bowie knife, bayonet:  It was his dagger that was sticking
             out of the man's back.

   daily     adj.  1 diurnal, circadian, everyday, quotidian:  The daily
             papers reported nothing about the fire.  2 ordinary, common,
             commonplace, everyday, routine, regular:  Her trip to the market
             has become a daily occurrence.

             --adv.  3 constantly, always, habitually, day after day,
             regularly, every day, continually, continuously:  The trains run
             daily between here and London.

   dainty    adj.  1 delicate, graceful, fine, elegant, exquisite, neat:  The
             value lies in this dainty border painted round the edge of the
             cup. 2 fastidious, sensitive, squeamish, finicky or finical,
             over-nice, overrefined, genteel, mincing:  He seems somewhat
             dainty in his choice of words.  3 choice, delicious, delectable,
             tasty, appetizing, palatable, toothsome:  They were given a few
             dainty morsels to nibble while waiting.

             --n.  4 delicacy, sweetmeat, treat, comfit, titbit or US tidbit,
             morsel:  A plate of dainties was placed beside the bed each
             night.

   damage    n.  1 harm, injury, hurt, impairment, mutilation, destruction,
             devastation:  Fortunately, there was little damage from the
             storm.  2 expense, price, cost; bill, invoice, US check:  At the
             restaurant, the damage came to њ50.  3 damages. compensation,
             reparation, indemnity:  We won the suit and were awarded damages
             of њ10,000 for defamation of character.

             --v.  4 harm, hurt, injure; wound; mutilate, disfigure, mar,
             deface; wreck, ruin, spoil, impair:  Although the car was badly
             damaged, the passengers escaped unharmed.  Will this news damage
             your chances of a promotion?

   damn      v.  1 condemn, criticize, find fault with, berate, castigate,
             upbraid, attack, blast, reprimand, reprove, remonstrate,
             denounce; blame:  Some would damn him for saving the murderer
             from drowning, others would damn him if he didn't. 2 doom,
             condemn, sentence:  Sisyphus was damned for all eternity to roll
             a heavy stone up a hill. 3 curse (at), swear (at), execrate:  I
             damned the day I first set foot in that house.

             --n.  4 jot or tittle, brass farthing, Slang hoot, two hoots (in
             hell), Slang tinker's damn or cuss:  His opinion isn't worth a
             damn.  5 give a damn. care, mind, be concerned, worry, Slang
             give a hoot:  Why should he give a damn if the critics panned
             his play?

   damnable  adj.  awful, terrible, horrible, horrid, atrocious, abominable,
             dreadful, hideous, execrable, accursed, cursed, detestable,
             hateful, abhorrent, despicable, loathsome, wicked, sinful,
             offensive, heinous, pernicious, infernal, malicious, malevolent,
             outrageous, foul, rotten, base, vile, odious:  He has been
             telling the most damnable lies about her since they broke up.

   damp      adj.  1 clammy, moist, wettish; humid, dank, misty, dewy,
             steamy, muggy:  Wipe off the table with a damp cloth. Nothing
             dries out in this damp weather.

             --n.  2 moistness, moisture, dampness, clamminess, humidity:
             The mould on the walls is the result of the damp.

   dampen    v.  1 damp, moisten, sprinkle, bedew:  Dampen the clothes before
             ironing them.  2 stifle, deaden, damp, check, chill, cool,
             restrain, retard, lessen, diminish, reduce, suppress, abate,
             moderate, allay, subdue, temper, dull, discourage:  His constant
             chattering on about himself dampened her ardour.

   dance     v.  1 cavort, gambol, caper, skip, leap, romp, trip the light
             fantastic (toe), US cut a rug, sashay, Colloq bop, hoof it:  We
             danced for joy when we heard the news. Would you care to dance?

             --n.  2 ball, social, dancing party, th‚ dansant, US tea dance,
             promenade, Colloq shindig or shindy, hop, bop, US and Canadian
             prom:  I have invited her to the dance on Saturday evening.

   dandy     n.  1 fop, coxcomb, (gay) blade, beau, gallant, lady-killer,
             ladies' or lady's man, rake, Colloq swell, clothes-horse, Brit
             toff, blood, US dude:  He was a great dandy, and spent hours
             dressing every day.

             --adj.  2 fine, splendid, first-rate, great, marvellous, neat,
             spectacular:  Penny's father bought her a dandy new car.

   danger    n.  1 peril, risk, threat, hazard, jeopardy:  The danger of an
             avalanche is too great to go skiing.  2 in danger of. likely (to
             be), liable (to be):  If you drink and drive, you are in danger
             of causing a road accident.

   dangerous adj.  1 risky, perilous, hazardous, unsafe, precarious, rickety,
             Colloq chancy, iffy:  Rock-climbing is very dangerous.  2
             threatening, menacing, harmful, treacherous:  He is a dangerous
             criminal, wanted for murder.

   dangerously
             adv.  1 perilously, hazardously, unsafely, precariously,
             recklessly:  He's a mountain-climber who likes to live
             dangerously.  2 ominously, alarmingly:  She is standing
             dangerously close to the edge.

   dangle    v.  1 hang (down), droop, depend, swing, sway:  The rope dangled
             from the top of the flag-pole.  2 flaunt, brandish, wave,
             flourish:  Competitors often dangle big salary increases in
             front of those who agree to leave our company. 3 wait, Slang
             cool one's heels:  They have kept me dangling for weeks for
             their decision.

   dapper    adj.  neat, spruce, smart, trim, well-dressed, well turned out,
             stylish, fashionable, elegant, chic, dressy; Colloq got up or
             dressed to the nines, dressed to kill, swanky or swank, ritzy;
             Slang snazzy, nifty, spiffy, sharp, swell, classy:  Tony looks
             very dapper in his new Savile Row suit.

   dapple    adj.  1 spotted, dotted, mottled, speckled, flecked, dappled;
             brindled; pied, piebald, skewbald, paint, flea-bitten, US pinto:
             Take the chestnut mare - I'll ride the dapple grey.

             --v.  2 spot, dot, mottle, speckle, bespeckle, stipple:  Dapple
             paint on the wall with a sponge to get a mottled effect.

   dare      v.  1 challenge, defy, provoke; throw down the gauntlet:  She
             dared me to jump, so I jumped.  2 risk, hazard, gamble, venture,
             face, make bold, be so bold as:  I would never dare to talk to
             my father that way.

             --n.  3 challenge, provocation, taunt; ultimatum:  She took the
             dare and swam across the lake.

   daredevil n.  1 exhibitionist, showman, stunt man, stunt woman;
             adventurer, soldier of fortune, Colloq show-off:  William
             finally got a job as a daredevil in the circus.

             --adj.  2 reckless, rash, death-defying, impulsive, daring,
             dashing, impetuous, incautious, imprudent, wild, foolhardy,
             madcap, devil-may-care; audacious, bold, brave, fearless,
             gallant, courageous, intrepid:  Do you consider ski-jumping a
             sport or an example of daredevil madness?

   daring    n.  1 courage, boldness, bravery, valour, intrepidity,
             fearlessness, grit, pluck, spirit, mettle, adventurousness,
             derring-do, Colloq guts, spunk, nerve; Slang Brit bottle:
             Diving from a cliff into the sea takes a lot of daring.

             --adj.  2 bold, audacious, courageous, brave, valorous,
             intrepid, fearless, unafraid, plucky, mettlesome, adventurous,
             venturesome, hardy; rash, reckless, Colloq gutsy, US nervy:  In
             the 19th century, a few daring explorers penetrated the jungles
             of Africa.

   dark      adj.  1 unlit, unlighted, unilluminated, ill-lighted, ill-lit,
             sunless; black, Stygian, pitch-dark, inky, jet-black:  We
             cowered in a recess in the dark cave.  2 dim, murky, tenebrous,
             shady, shadowy:  I could scarcely see ahead of me in the dark
             forest.  3 gloomy, dismal, dreary, dull, drab, subfuscous,
             subfusc, bleak, cheerless, mournful, dour, pessimistic, sombre,
             doleful, joyless, grim, sad, melancholy, sorrowful:  Why do you
             always look at the dark side of things?  4 evil, wicked, vile,
             base, foul, iniquitous, nefarious, black-hearted, villainous,
             sinister, satanic, devilish, hellish:  Nostradamus predicted
             that dark forces would overrun the world.  5 murky, overcast,
             cloudy, threatening, black, dusky, louring or lowering; foggy,
             misty; US glowering:  Another dark day on the moor and I thought
             I'd go mad.  6 mysterious, deep, profound, incomprehensible,
             enigmatic, puzzling, impenetrable, unfathomable, abstruse,
             recondite, arcane, obscure:  She took her dark secret to the
             grave.  7 hidden, concealed, secret, occult, mystic(al),
             cryptic:  The true reason for his leaving was always kept dark
             in the family.  8 brunette; black, swarthy, brown; (sun)tanned,
             Old-fashioned swart:  One is fair with dark hair, the other has
             dark skin.  9 ignorant, unenlightened, benighted:  Our culture
             passed through a dark phase before the Renaissance.

             --n.  10 night, night-time, nightfall:  We waited till dark to
             make good our escape.  11 darkness, blackness, gloom,
             gloominess, murk, murkiness:  At fifty, isn't he a bit old to be
             afraid of the dark?  12 obscurity, ignorance:  She was always
             kept in the dark about his true identity.

   darling   n.  1 sweetheart, beloved, love, dear, dearest, true-love:  She
             insists on buying all her darling's clothes.  2 pet, favourite,
             apple of one's eye, Brit blue-eyed boy; US fair-haired boy:
             Frank might have been the black sheep of the family, but he was
             always his mother's darling.

             --adj.  3 beloved, loved, cherished, adored, dear, precious,
             treasured:  He travelled everywhere with his darling niece.  4
             pleasing, fetching, attractive, adorable, enchanting, lovely,
             alluring, engaging, bewitching, charming:  Josephine was wearing
             a darling frock she'd just bought at the Corner Boutique.

   dash      v.  1 crash, smash, shatter, break, shiver, fragment, split;
             destroy, ruin, spoil, frustrate, obliterate:  The mirror was
             dashed to smithereens when it fell. The ship didn't see our
             raft, and our hopes of rescue were dashed. 2 hurl, toss, throw,
             fling, cast, pitch, Colloq chuck:  We drank a toast, then dashed
             our glasses into the fireplace.  3 rush, run, dart, spring,
             bolt, bound, race, sprint; hasten, fly, hurry, speed:  I'll have
             to dash to catch my train.  4 dash off. scribble:  I've just
             dashed off a note to mother.

             --n.  5 dart, bolt, rush, run, spurt, spring, bound, sprint:  He
             made a dash for the door but it was too late.  6 flourish, ‚lan,
             flair, liveliness, style, panache, spirit, brio, verve, zest,
             spice; ardour, fervour, vigour, energy:  She is known for her
             beauty as well as her dash and courage.  7 bit, pinch, soup‡on,
             hint, suggestion, touch, trace, tinge, taste, drop, piece,
             Colloq smidgen or smidgin, US tad:  Add a dash of nutmeg at the
             end.

   dashing   adj.  1 spirited, lively, impetuous, energetic, vigorous,
             dynamic, animated, Colloq peppy:  She is now going out with a
             dashing young fellow from the City.  2 fashionable, stylish,
             chic, … la mode, modish, smart, elegant, dapper, Colloq Brit
             swish:  That's a dashing coat, Felicia.  3 flamboyant, showy,
             ostentatious, pretentious:  George Hutton was a bit too dashing
             for her taste.

   data      n.  facts, information, statistics, figures, details, matter,
             observations, material(s); text; evidence:  We shall process the
             data on the computer and print out the results.

   date      n.  1 time, year, season, period, day; age, era, epoch, stage,
             phase:  These artefacts are from an earlier date than was first
             supposed.  2 appointment, meeting, engagement, rendezvous,
             assignation, tryst; fixture:  She already has a date for
             Saturday night.  3 escort, companion, friend, boyfriend,
             girlfriend, girl, woman, boy, man, swain, beau, lover, Colloq
             steady:  Bob is Sally's date for the dance.  4 out of date.
             old-fashioned, old, ancient, archaic, antiquated, dated, pass‚,
             outmoded, obsolete, obsolescent, Colloq old hat:  This timetable
             is out of date. Why do you wear those out of date clothes? 5 up
             to date. modern, latest, current, contemporary, … la mode,
             fashionable, Colloq trendy:  Her taste in music is quite up to
             date. Use this up-to-date edition of the encyclopedia.

             --v.  6 show one's age, make obsolete or obsolescent or
             old-fashioned:  That pompadour hair-do really dates her.  7
             entertain, escort, go out (with), go steady (with):  Does
             Michael still date Patsy? Those two are still dating.

   daunt     v.  intimidate, cow, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, unnerve,
             shake, upset, disconcert, discomfit, put off, awe, overawe,
             appal, alarm, threaten, frighten, terrify, scare, terrorize:  He
             was daunted by the prospect of facing the entire council.

   dauntless adj.  fearless, undaunted, unafraid, unflinching, stalwart,
             brave, courageous, bold, audacious, intrepid, valorous, daring,
             gallant, heroic, venturesome, plucky, stout-hearted, valiant:
             Dauntless, the knight rode into the thick of the fray.

   dawdle    v.  linger, loiter, straggle, delay, procrastinate, dally,
             lounge, laze, idle, lag, lie about, waste time, Colloq
             dilly-dally, shilly-shally:  We have to catch the next train, so
             stop dawdling.

   dawn      n.  1 daybreak, sunrise, break of day, crack of dawn, first
             light, dawning, cock crow, Literary aurora, day-spring, US
             sun-up:  We shall attack the castle at dawn.  2 dawning,
             beginning, commencement, start, birth, awakening, inception,
             genesis, outset, onset, origin, appearance, arrival, advent,
             emergence, inauguration, rise, first occurrence:  The dawn of
             western civilization has been placed in Anatolia.

             --v.  3 gleam, break, brighten, lighten:  The day dawned on the
             deserted beach.  4 begin, originate, commence, arise, appear,
             emerge, start, arrive, develop, unfold:  The day of the computer
             had not yet dawned when I was a child.  5 dawn on or upon. occur
             to, come to mind, become apparent or evident to:  It slowly
             dawned on me that he had been lying all along.

   day       n.  1 daytime, daylight, broad daylight, light of day:  Sunrise
             quickly turned night into day.  2 time, hour, age, period, era,
             epoch, date, prime, heyday; lifetime:  Her day will come. In his
             day, there was no telephone.

   day-dream n.  1 reverie, wool-gathering, fantasy, fancy, dream, musing,
             castle in the air or in Spain, pipedream:  The realities of life
             have cured me of many day-dreams.

             --v.  2 fantasize, imagine, fancy, envision, dream:  She still
             day-dreams that a knight in shining armour will come and carry
             her away.

   daylight  n.  1 sunlight, sun, sunshine, light:  Coming from the cave, we
             were blinded by the daylight.  2 open, broad daylight, light of
             day, full view, full knowledge, clarity:  We must bring his
             treachery out into the daylight.

   daze      v.  1 stun, stupefy, blind, dazzle, bedazzle, shock, stagger,
             startle, astonish, astound, amaze, surprise, overcome,
             overpower, dumbfound, benumb, paralyse, Colloq bowl over, floor,
             flabbergast; Slang blow one's mind:  She was dazed to learn her
             husband was still alive.  2 befuddle, confuse, bemuse, bewilder,
             puzzle, mystify, baffle, perplex, nonplus, blind:  He was dazed
             by the difficulty of the examination.

             --n.  3 confusion, flurry, spin, whirl:  The entire week was a
             continuous daze of cocktail parties and dinner parties. 4 in a
             daze. stupefied, in a trance, bewildered, confused, perplexed,
             disoriented, dizzy, dazzled, bedazzled, overcome, overpowered,
             nonplussed, befuddled, flustered; startled, surprised, shocked,
             stunned, astonished, astounded, amazed, staggered; bemused,
             baffled, puzzled, mystified, Colloq flabbergasted, bowled over,
             floored:  Arthur was in a daze to find himself the centre of
             attention.

   dazzle    v.  1 impress, bewitch, enchant, charm, beguile, intrigue,
             captivate, fascinate, spellbind, entrance, hypnotize, mesmerize:
             Every man in the room was dazzled by Mrs d'Arcy's brilliant wit
             and good looks. 2 See daze, def. 1.

             --n.  3 brilliance, splendour, magnificence, sparkle, glitter,
             Slang razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz:  Many actors are lured to New
             York by the dazzle of Broadway.

   dazzling  adj.  bright, brilliant, resplendent, blinding, bedazzling,
             radiant, splendid, magnificent, glorious, sparkling,
             scintillating; stunning, overwhelming, overpowering, stupefying,
             dizzying; gorgeous; Colloq splendiferous, mind-boggling:  In the
             chest was a dazzling collection of the finest jewels.

4.2 dead...
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   dead      adj.  1 deceased, defunct, extinct, gone, departed, late,
             lifeless, no more, Colloq done for, Slang Brit gone for a
             burton:  Both his parents are dead, and his only brother lives
             in Australia.  Lycidas is dead, dead ere his prime. 2 insensate,
             insensible, numb, paralysed, benumbed, unfeeling:  After the
             accident, my left thumb was completely dead.  3 insensible,
             unconscious, out, dead to the world, deathlike, deathly:  At the
             news of her son, she fell in a dead faint.  4 insensitive,
             unemotional, unfeeling, emotionless, apathetic, lukewarm, cool,
             cold, frigid, unresponsive, unsympathetic, indifferent,
             unconcerned, uninterested; numb, wooden, callous, hardened,
             impervious, inured, inert:  He has always been dead to others'
             problems.  5 out, smothered, extinguished:  The fire is dead.  6
             inanimate, lifeless, inert, inorganic:  Dead stones speak
             volumes to the geologist.  7 extinct, obsolete, perished, past,
             outmoded, disused, expired, pass‚:  Latin is a dead language.  8
             barren, unfruitful, infertile, unproductive:  That area off the
             coast is dead as far as fishing goes.  9 tired (out), exhausted,
             worn out, fatigued, tired out, spent, collapsing, in a state of
             collapse, Slang bushed, beat, Brit knackered, US and Canadian
             pooped:  We were completely dead after the hike into town.  10
             dull, lustreless, flat, neutral, vapid, empty, bland,
             colourless, grey, beige, dun:  The walls of the prison were
             painted a dead white.  11 stagnant, motionless, still, standing,
             static, inert, unmoving, inactive, quiet, calm:  There were
             small pools of dead water covered with a green slime.  Without a
             breath of air stirring, the boat was dead in the water. 12
             boring, dull, tedious, tiresome, monotonous, prosaic,
             uninteresting, run-of-the-mill, ordinary, commonplace, dry,
             insipid, bland, flat, two-dimensional, lifeless, stiff, rigid,
             stony:  The play was bad, the performance dead.  13 dull,
             muffled, deadened, anechoic, unresounding, non-resonant:  One
             room in the laboratory was built to be dead to all sound.  14
             complete, entire, total, absolute, downright, thorough, through
             and through, utter, all-out, out-and-out, unqualified,
             unrelieved, unbroken, categorical, outright:  My investment in
             the anti-gravity pill has so far been a dead loss. 15 profound,
             deep:  I fell into a dead sleep.  16 sudden, abrupt, complete,
             full:  The train came to a dead stop.  17 certain, sure,
             unerring, exact, precise, accurate, crack:  According to the
             records, Calamity Jane was a dead shot.

             --adv.  18 completely, entirely, absolutely, totally, utterly,
             categorically, thoroughly, unconditionally, unqualifiedly:  You
             are dead right about Pontefract.  19 completely, entirely,
             absolutely, totally; abruptly, suddenly:  He stopped dead in his
             tracks and stared at me.  20 directly, exactly, precisely:  An
             enormous maelstrom lay dead ahead of the fragile craft.

             --n.  21 depth(s), extreme, midst, middle:  She used to visit
             his room in the dead of night.

   deaden    v.  1 numb, benumb, paralyse, anaesthetize, desensitize, dull;
             damp:  This injection will deaden your hand and you'll feel no
             pain.  2 weaken, moderate, soothe, mitigate, assuage, reduce,
             lessen, diminish, alleviate, cushion, soften, mollify, blunt,
             dull:  He took to drink to deaden the shock of losing his only
             son.

   deadlock  n.  1 standstill, impasse, stalemate, stand-off, draw, stoppage,
             Colloq US Mexican stand-off:  Union and management negotiators
             have reached a deadlock on the pension issue.

             --v.  2 bring or come to a standstill or impasse, stall, stop,
             halt:  The Congress is likely to deadlock on the question of
             expanding national health benefits.

   deadly    adj.  1 lethal, fatal; dangerous, pernicious, poisonous,
             noxious, toxic; baleful, harmful, nocuous:  This drug is deadly
             if taken in large doses.  2 mortal, implacable, ruthless,
             savage:  They were deadly enemies long after the war was over.
             3 murderous, homicidal, bloodthirsty, brutal, vicious,
             ferocious, barbarous, barbaric, savage, inhuman, cold-blooded,
             heartless, ruthless, pitiless, merciless:  Two deadly killers
             have escaped from Dartmoor prison.  4 deathly, deathlike, pale,
             pallid, ghostly, cadaverous, ghastly, wan, white, livid, ashen:
             He turned a deadly hue, as if he had seen a ghost.  5 boring,
             excruciating, dull, tiresome, tedious, dreary, humdrum,
             lacklustre, wearying, wearisome:  It was a deadly play put on by
             deadly actors.  6 exact, precise, accurate, true, unerring,
             unfailing:  Each arrow hit the bull's-eye with deadly accuracy.

   deaf      adj.  1 hard of hearing, stone-deaf:  Sean is slightly deaf in
             his left ear.  2 unhearing, unheedful, heedless, insensible,
             insensitive, impervious, indifferent, oblivious, unresponsive,
             unmoved, unconcerned, unyielding:  The judge was deaf to all
             appeals for clemency.

   deal      v.  1 distribute, dole out, give out, parcel out, mete out,
             allot, apportion, administer, dispense:  Deal thirteen cards to
             each of the four players. She dealt out her own brand of justice
             to criminals. 2 buy and sell, handle, stock, do business, trade,
             traffic:  This shop deals only in the most expensive linens.  3
             behave, act, conduct oneself:  Simon has never dealt openly, so
             you mustn't trust him.  4 deal with. treat, handle, take care
             of, have to do with, attend to, see to, reckon with, grapple
             with, act on; practise, administer, engage in:  I shall deal
             with the matter tomorrow.

             --n.  5 transaction, arrangement, negotiation, agreement,
             contract, bargain, understanding:  The deal to sell the textbook
             division is off.  6 Often, great deal. (large or great) amount,
             lot, (large or huge) quantity; extent:  There's been a great
             deal of crime in that neighbourhood.

   dealer    n.  trader, businessman, businesswoman, merchant, tradesman,
             retailer, shopkeeper, vendor, merchandiser; wholesaler, jobber,
             distributor, stockist, supplier; broker, agent, salesman, US
             storekeeper:  He has been a dealer in precious gems for years.

   dealings  n.pl.  business, commerce, exchange, trade, traffic,
             transactions, negotiations; relations, relationships, affairs:
             All his business dealings are reviewed by his solicitor.

   dear      adj.  1 beloved, loved, adored, darling, precious, cherished,
             prized, valued, treasured, favoured, favourite, pet, esteemed,
             admired, venerated, honoured:  He was my nearest and dearest
             friend.  2 expensive, costly, high-priced, highly priced, Colloq
             pricey:  Tomatoes are much too dear at this time of the year.

             --n.  3 darling, sweetheart, beloved, love, true-love, sweet,
             honey, precious, pet, favourite, treasure, precious, Colloq
             sweetie, sweetie-pie, Slang baby:  My dear, I hope we'll be
             together always.

             --adv.  4 dearly; at great cost or expense, at a high or
             excessive price:  That little error will cost you dear, my
             friend.

   dearly    adv.  1 greatly, very much, indeed, sincerely:  I should dearly
             like to go, but I cannot.  2 affectionately, fondly, lovingly,
             tenderly:  He loves his mother very dearly.  3 expensively,
             dear, at great cost or expense, at a high or excessive price,
             punitively:  The victory at Thalamos was dearly bought.

   dearth    n.  scarcity, want, need, lack, deficiency, sparseness or
             sparsity, scantiness, insufficiency, inadequacy, shortage,
             paucity, exiguity, poverty, exiguousness; absence:  There is a
             dearth of major roles for black actors.

   death     n.  1 demise, decease, passing, dying, end:  She was overcome
             with grief at the news of his death.  2 end, termination,
             cessation, expiration, expiry:  Nobody mourned the death of the
             bill in the lower house.  3 end, finish, termination;
             extinction, destruction, extermination, annihilation,
             eradication, obliteration, eradication, extirpation,
             liquidation, ruin, downfall, undoing:  The invasion marked the
             death of the Roman Empire.

   deathless adj.  eternal, everlasting, immortal, undying, imperishable,
             permanent, unending, timeless, never-ending:  In his opinion,
             his novel was another example of his deathless prose.

   debase    v.  1 lower, degrade, devalue, depreciate, depress, demote,
             deprecate, belittle, diminish, reduce, disparage:  Words which
             denote fine qualities are in time debased.  2 adulterate,
             contaminate, taint, pollute, corrupt, mar, spoil, impair,
             vitiate, abase, defile, bastardize; poison:  To increase
             profits, the manufacturer has debased the traditional formula.

   debatable adj.  controversial, arguable, questionable, doubtful, dubious,
             problematic or problematical, disputable, open or subject to
             dispute or doubt or question, in dispute or doubt or question,
             moot, polemic or polemical, unsure, uncertain, unsettled,
             undecided:  Whether he is the best person for the job is
             debatable.

   debate    n.  1 discussion, argument, dispute, altercation, controversy,
             wrangle, contention, polemic; argumentation:  I refuse to take
             sides in the debate over social services.  2 deliberation,
             consideration, (careful) thought, reflection, cogitation,
             meditation, contemplation:  Payment of reparations to the
             victims of the disaster is a matter for debate.

             --v.  3 argue, wrangle, dispute, contest, contend; discuss,
             moot, question:  We debated only the most important issues.  4
             deliberate, consider, reflect (on), mull over, ponder (over),
             weigh, ruminate (over), meditate (on or over), think (over or
             on), think through:  I have often debated in my own mind the
             question of capital punishment.

   debonair  adj.  1 suave, soign‚(e), elegant, urbane, refined, dapper,
             genteel, well-bred, courteous, civil, mannerly, gracious,
             polite, affable, obliging, pleasant, Colloq smooth:  Despite his
             vicious temper, he was most debonair in company.  2 carefree,
             insouciant, gay, nonchalant, light-hearted, dashing, charming,
             cheerful, buoyant, jaunty, sprightly:  Being handsome and
             debonair, he was much sought after by hostesses.

   debt      n.  1 obligation; due, indebtedness, liability, responsibility,
             accountability, encumbrance:  He owes a debt of gratitude to his
             wife for her moral support.  The company takes care of all debts
             promptly. 2 in debt. under obligation, owing, accountable,
             beholden, indebted, responsible, answerable for, liable,
             encumbered, in arrears, straitened, in dire straits, in
             (financial) difficulty or difficulties, in the red, Colloq US
             and Canadian in hock:  I shall always be in debt to you for your
             help. The London branch is in debt for ten million pounds.

   d‚but     n.  1 premiЉre, introduction, initiation, inauguration, launch
             or launching, coming out:  The young soprano's d‚but at La Scala
             was a triumph.

             --v.  2 launch, come out, enter, appear:  His plan is to d‚but
             with a zither accompaniment.

   decadent  adj.  1 declining, decaying, deteriorating, debased,
             degenerating, falling off, on the wane, withering, degenerative:
             The decadent literature of the period was a reflection of the
             decline in moral standards. 2 corrupt, dissolute, immoral,
             debauched, dissipated, self-indulgent, degenerate:  His decadent
             behaviour brought him to the attention of the police.

   decay     v.  1 a decline, wane, ebb, dwindle, diminish, decrease:  The
             magnetic field rapidly decays when the power is removed.  b
             decline, waste away, atrophy, weaken, wither, degenerate,
             deteriorate, disintegrate; crumble:  Her great beauty decayed
             quickly.  2 rot, decompose, moulder, putrefy, spoil; turn, go
             bad, go off:  The flesh has decayed and only a skeleton remains.

             --n.  3 decline, weakening, failing, fading, deterioration,
             decadence, degeneration, wasting, atrophy, dilapidation,
             disintegration, collapse; downfall:  The buildings were in an
             advanced state of decay.  4 rot, rotting, decomposition, mould,
             putrefaction, mortification:  The decay has weakened the timbers
             supporting the bridge.

   deceit    n.  1 deception, deceitfulness, fraud, fraudulence, cheating,
             trickery, chicanery or chicane, dissimulation, dishonesty,
             misrepresentation, double-dealing, duplicity, hypocrisy,
             treachery, underhandedness, guile, craft, slyness, craftiness,
             cunning, knavery, funny business, Colloq hanky-panky, monkey
             business:  Inside traders on the Stock Exchange profit
             enormously from deceit.  2 trick, subterfuge, stratagem, ploy,
             ruse, manoeuvre, artifice, wile, hoax, swindle, double-cross,
             misrepresentation, pretence, sham, contrivance, shift,
             confidence trick, subreption, gloze, Brit dialect or colloq US
             flam; Colloq flimflam; Slang scam, con, con trick, con game:
             She was sick of all his lies and deceits.

   deceitful adj.  dishonest, underhand(ed), untrustworthy, misleading,
             crooked, insincere, false, fraudulent, counterfeit,
             disingenuous, lying, mendacious, untruthful; wily, crafty, sly,
             cunning, scheming, guileful, artful, sneaky, double-dealing,
             two-faced, hypocritical, duplicitous, Colloq phoney or US also
             phony:  It was deceitful of you to pretend you loved her when
             all you wanted was her money.

   deceive   v.  mislead, delude, impose on or upon, fool, hoax, trick,
             cheat, swindle, betray, double-cross, lead on, lead up or down
             the garden path, lead astray, pull the wool over (someone's)
             eyes, inveigle, cajole, Archaic cozen; Colloq con, bamboozle,
             take in, take for a ride, two-time, move the goalposts; Slang US
             take:  He deceived even his friends and family into believing he
             had been a war hero.

   decent    adj.  1 becoming, suitable, appropriate, proper, seemly,
             fitting:  Despite the life she led, the woman should have a
             decent burial.  2 seemly, decorous, tasteful, dignified,
             mannerly, nice, clean, respectable, polite, modest, presentable,
             acceptable:  Hereafter, you will use only decent language when
             speaking to me! 3 adequate, acceptable, passable, fair,
             competent, mediocre, middling, fair to middling, moderate,
             respectable, not bad, ordinary, so so, not outstanding,
             unimpressive, average, neither here nor there, all right,
             reasonable, tolerable, satisfactory, good enough, Colloq OK or
             okay:  Sales in the first quarter were decent but hardly
             outstanding.  4 courteous, proper, right, fair, honest,
             honourable, friendly, considerate, gracious, nice, thoughtful,
             obliging, kind, generous, accommodating:  You can count on David
             to do the decent thing.  5 chaste, pure, virtuous, modest,
             well-bred, decorous, well brought up, nice, respectable:
             Caroline is a decent girl, but no great brain or beauty.

   deception n.  1 duplicity, deceit, intrigue, hypocrisy, fraud, cheating,
             trickery, chicanery or chicane, dissimulation, double-dealing,
             subterfuge, sophistry, treachery, knavery, tergiversation; see
             also deceit 1, above:  He practised deception even in his family
             relationships.  2 trick, ruse, artifice, stratagem, subterfuge,
             manoeuvre, wile, imposture, hoax, sham, pretence; see also
             deceit 2, above:  He tried every deception in the book to
             separate her from her money.

   deceptive adj.  1 misleading, false, illusory, deceiving, unreliable:  He
             has the look of an athlete, but appearances can be deceptive.  2
             fraudulent, deceitful, dishonest, untruthful, fake, false,
             shifty, fallacious, specious, spurious, bogus, counterfeit,
             pseudo, sophistical; tricky, dodgy, evasive, elusive, slippery,
             Colloq phoney or US also phony:  The bank is being deceptive
             about his credit rating.

   decide    v.  1 determine, settle, resolve, conclude, take or reach or
             come to a decision or conclusion, make up one's mind, arbitrate,
             judge, adjudicate, referee, umpire:  She decided that you were
             right. They decided the case in my favour.  2 decide on or upon.
             fix or fasten or settle on or upon, choose, select, pick (out),
             elect, opt (for), commit oneself (to):  I have decided on a
             British-made car.

   decided   adj.  1 definite, pronounced, marked, unmistakable, unambiguous,
             unequivocal, certain, sure, absolute, obvious, clear, evident,
             unquestionable, unquestioned, indisputable, undisputed,
             undeniable, irrefutable, incontestable, unqualified,
             unconditional, incontrovertible, solid:  The party was a decided
             success.  2 fixed, firm, resolute, determined, adamant, stony,
             unhesitating, decisive, definite, unfaltering, assertive,
             asseverative, unswerving, unwavering:  They are decided in their
             approval of her plan.

   decipher  v.  1 decode, decrypt; unravel, unscramble, disentangle,
             translate, work out, explain, solve, Colloq figure out:  It was
             Champollion who deciphered the Rosetta Stone.  2 read,
             interpret, make out, Colloq figure out:  I can't decipher
             Theresa's handwriting or what she's trying to say.

   decision  n.  1 settlement, determination, resolution, settling,
             resolving, arbitration:  The decision is the umpire's
             responsibility.  2 judgement, conclusion, resolution, verdict,
             sentence, ruling, finding, decree, settlement, outcome:
             According to the decision, the victims will receive compensatory
             damages. 3 determination, firmness, decidedness, resolve,
             decisiveness, conclusiveness, steadfastness, purpose,
             purposefulness:  She asserted her position with decision.

   declaration
             n.  1 statement, assertion, attestation, deposition,
             asseveration, affirmation, avowal, announcement, proclamation,
             pronouncement, profession:  Henrietta desperately wanted to
             believe Henry's declaration of love. 2 proclamation,
             announcement, pronouncement, promulgation, pronunciamento,
             edict, ukase, manifesto, notice:  The colonists issued a
             declaration of independence.

   declare   v.  1 assert, say, offer, submit, affirm, state, aver,
             asseverate, avow, avouch, profess, protest, swear, claim,
             proclaim; confirm, certify, ratify:  I solemnly declare that the
             testimony I am to give is true, so help me God. 2 announce, make
             known, pronounce, decree, rule, proclaim, herald, promulgate,
             publish, broadcast, trumpet (forth):  Robert has declared his
             intention to make Marianne his wife.

   decline   v.  1 refuse, turn down, deny, reject, demur, forgo, veto,
             avoid, abstain from:  She declined help with the packages. Roger
             was offered a professorship at the university but he declined. 2
             diminish, lessen, decrease, wane, flag, go down, fall or taper
             off, subside, ebb, abate, dwindle, shrink, fade, Colloq peter
             out, run out of steam, US run out of gas:  Demand for hula hoops
             declined.  3 slope or slant (downwards), descend, drop or fall
             off, dip, sink:  The meadow declines towards the river.  4
             deteriorate, degenerate, worsen, fail:  My health has declined
             over the last year.  5 go or drop down, settle, dip, sink, set:
             The sun was declining as I went home.

             --n.  6 diminution, decrease, lessening, ebb, downturn,
             fall-off, reduction, abatement, slump, descent:  There has been
             a steady decline in the value of the pound.  7 degeneration,
             deterioration, loss, diminution, weakening, debility, weakness,
             worsening, decay, failing:  We noted a decline in the physical
             condition of those living nearby.  8 declivity, (downward) slope
             or slant, descent, downgrade, incline:  The path led down a
             steep decline towards the pond.

   decompose v.  1 disintegrate, separate, fall or come apart, break up or
             down, take apart, dissect, anatomize, atomize, resolve,
             decompound, analyse:  By absorption the scientists decomposed
             the green light into yellow and blue. 2 rot, disintegrate,
             decay, moulder, putrefy; spoil, go off or bad, turn sour:  The
             meat will decompose if it is left outside the fridge.

   decorate  v.  1 embellish, adorn, ornament, garnish, embroider, elaborate,
             bedeck, deck (out), trim, dress (up), spruce or smarten up,
             beautify, Literary caparison, Colloq Brit tart up:  We decorated
             the pub for the Christmas holidays.  2 Brit paint, wallpaper,
             redecorate, furbish, refurbish, renovate, fix up, restore:  All
             the bedrooms have been decorated.

   decoration
             n.  1 garnish, trim, trimming, adornment, embellishment,
             ornament, ornamentation, garnishment:  There's a bit too much
             decoration on the cake.  2 medal, laurel, award, badge, colours,
             order, ribbon, star, garter:  Captain Harder won many
             decorations in the war.

   decorous  adj.  becoming, dignified, decent, correct, mannerly, seemly,
             refined, elegant, polite, well-behaved, genteel, demure,
             polished, gentlemanly, ladylike, seemly:  Your behaviour was
             less than decorous at last night's party.

   decorum   n.  1 etiquette, proper behaviour, propriety, good form,
             mannerliness, politeness, dignity, gentility, good manners,
             respectability, courtliness, deportment:  The decorum of the
             meeting was disturbed by rabble-rousers.  2 correctness,
             propriety, protocol, punctilio, conformity:  Please observe
             proper decorum when visiting the embassy.

   decoy     n.  1 bait, lure, trap, attraction, enticement, inducement,
             stool-pigeon:  The hunters set out their decoys and waited for
             the ducks.

             --v.  2 lure, entrap, entice, attract, induce, seduce, bait,
             trick, tempt, ensnare, inveigle, allure:  He was decoyed into a
             dark alley and robbed.

   decrease  v.  1 diminish, reduce, decline, lessen, lower, abate, fall off,
             shrink, shrivel (up), contract, dwindle, ebb, subside, wane,
             taper off, de-escalate, slacken, let up, ease (off or up),
             curtail, cut (down or back), Colloq run out of steam, US run out
             of gas:  Demand for tickets to rock concerts has decreased over
             the years.  The number of applicants for work is decreasing.

             --n.  2 diminution, reduction, decline, lessening, lowering,
             abatement, falling off, shrinking, shrivelling, contraction,
             decrement, dwindling, ebb, subsidence, tapering off, wane,
             de-escalation, slackening, easing (off or up), curtailment, cut,
             cut-back:  There has been no noticeable decrease in the price of
             houses in the south-east. Have you noticed the decrease in
             arrests for dangerous driving?

   decree    n.  1 order, mandate, directive, ordinance, edict, law, statute,
             regulation, enactment, act, ruling, dictum, dictate, injunction,
             sanction, manifesto, proclamation, promulgation, determination,
             decision, judgement, rescript, prescription, pronunciamento,
             firman, ukase, Rom Cath Ch decretal:  The star chamber issued a
             decree restricting the freedom of the press.

             --v.  2 order, command, direct, rule, mandate, ordain, dictate,
             charge, enjoin, proclaim, pronounce, prescribe, decide,
             determine, adjudge, Scots law decern:  The council has decreed
             that no spirits can be sold on Sundays.

   decrepit  adj.  1 feeble, enfeebled, weak, weakened, frail, infirm,
             wasted, worn out, unfit, debilitated, enervated, disabled,
             incapacitated, crippled, doddering; out of shape, in bad shape;
             aged, old, elderly, ancient, superannuated, senescent, senile,
             Colloq gaga:  The old man was so decrepit he was unable to lift
             the cup to his lips. 2 dilapidated, deteriorated, crumbling,
             decayed, decaying, withered, wasted, antiquated, tumbledown,
             broken-down, rickety, unstable, shaky, ramshackle, derelict,
             creaking, creaky, run-down:  The barn was so decrepit we had to
             tear it down.

   decrepitude
             n.  1 feebleness, weakness, infirmity, debilitation, enervation,
             incapacity, old age, superannuation, senescence, senility,
             caducity, dotage:  Her decrepitude was so extreme that she could
             neither walk nor understand what was said to her. 2
             dilapidation, deterioration, decay, ruin:  The house is in an
             advanced state of decrepitude.

   dedicate  v.  1 devote, consecrate, give (up or over), yield, offer,
             surrender, commit, pledge, assign:  She dedicated her life to
             helping the poor.  2 consecrate, bless, sanctify, hallow:  There
             stands the temple dedicated to Apollo.  3 inscribe; address,
             assign:  This book has been dedicated to you.

   dedication
             n.  1 devotion, assignment, pledge, commitment, allegiance,
             adherence, faithfulness, fidelity, loyalty, devotedness,
             wholeheartedness, single-mindedness, fixedness, fealty:  I
             admire Rudolph's dedication to duty.  2 inscription, address;
             message:  The dedication reads, 'To my mother and father'.  3
             consecration, sanctification, hallowing:  The ceremony for the
             dedication of the youth centre will be held tomorrow.

   deduce    v.  conclude, infer, understand, gather, assume, presume,
             derive, draw, work out, divine, glean, take it, suppose,
             surmise, suspect, Slang Brit suss out:  From the tone of his
             letter she deduced that he was going to change his mind.

   deduct    v.  subtract, take away or out or off, take from, remove,
             withdraw, Colloq knock off:  Deduct six from ten and you're left
             with four.

   deduction n.  1 subtraction, diminution, decrease, reduction, withdrawal,
             removal, abstraction:  After deductions for expenses, you'll be
             left with nothing.  2 conclusion, inference, finding, reasoning,
             result:  After considering the evidence, my deduction is that
             the butler didn't do it.

   deed      n.  1 act, action; performance:  Their deeds did not match their
             promises.  2 exploit, feat, achievement, accomplishment:  We are
             here to honour her for her many deeds, both on and off the
             tennis court. 3 title(-deed), document, instrument, indenture,
             contract, agreement:  The bank holds the title-deed until the
             mortgage is paid off.

   deep      adj.  1 extensive, bottomless, abyssal, unfathomable, profound;
             wide, broad, yawning, chasmal or chasmic:  All our supplies were
             lost in a deep crevasse in the glacier.  2 profound, arcane,
             recondite, difficult, abstruse, obscure, esoteric,
             incomprehensible, beyond or past comprehension, impenetrable,
             unfathomable, inscrutable, mysterious, mystic(al), occult,
             weighty, serious, Colloq heavy:  Religious philosophy is too
             deep a subject to discuss at breakfast.  3 wise, learned, sage,
             sagacious, astute, perspicacious, profound, discerning, acute,
             intense, penetrating, knowledgeable, knowing:  Margaret is one
             of the deepest thinkers on the subject.  4 rapt, absorbed,
             engrossed, occupied, preoccupied, intent, intense, involved,
             engaged, immersed, lost, Colloq into:  Don't disturb him when
             he's deep in thought.  5 devious, cunning, shrewd, crafty,
             canny, clever, knowing, scheming, artful, designing:  He thinks
             there is a deep plot against him.  6 profound, intense, sincere,
             serious, heartfelt, earnest, ardent, fervent, poignant,
             deep-rooted:  I know of your deep concern for her.  7 low,
             resonant, booming, resounding, sonorous, rumbling:  The deep
             sound of thunder rolled across the valley.  8 rich, dark,
             intense, strong:  The sky was a deep blue.

             --n.  9 the deep. the ocean, the main, the sea, the waters, the
             high seas, the briny (deep), the wave(s), Davy Jones's locker,
             Neptune's or Poseidon's kingdom or domain:  It was midnight on
             the waters and a storm was on the deep.

             --adv.  10 deeply, far down, profoundly, intensely, earnestly,
             heavily:  We drank deep of the cooling liquid.

   deepen    v.  1 dig out, burrow, sink, dredge, excavate, scoop (out):
             We'll have to deepen the hole to support the flag-pole.  2
             intensify, increase, concentrate, strengthen, expand, magnify:
             The programme reflects a deepening interest in education.

   deeply    adv.  1 deep, (far) downwards or inwards, way down, deep down:
             The glacier was deeply fissured. She swam to the surface and
             inhaled deeply. 2 profoundly, intensely, strongly, powerfully,
             very much, acutely, keenly, gravely, greatly, to a great extent,
             extremely, thoroughly, completely, entirely, seriously,
             severely, irrevocably, unreservedly; passionately, heavily,
             emotionally:  She is deeply involved with a man from Kent. They
             were deeply committed to the labour movement.

   deface    v.  mar, disfigure, spoil, ruin, deform, blemish, damage,
             mutilate, harm, impair, injure, destroy:  Nothing should be
             allowed to deface the beauty of these buildings.

   default   n.  1 failure, fault, defect, neglect, negligence, dereliction,
             lapse, oversight, non-performance, non-fulfilment, inaction:  We
             won the case because of their default on the contract. The other
             contestant failed to appear, so Gordon won the match by default.
             2 non-payment, delinquency:  Default in the rent may result in
             eviction.

             --v.  3 fail, neglect, dishonour, lapse, fall short, come (up)
             short:  He has defaulted on a car payment.

   defeat    v.  1 overcome, conquer, vanquish, be victorious over, get the
             better of, beat, subdue, overwhelm, overpower, prevail over,
             triumph over, bring down, worst, thrash, rout, repulse,
             overthrow, trounce, whip, crush, destroy, do in, best:  The
             champion defeated the contender in a ten-round match.  2 thwart,
             frustrate, disappoint, check, balk, stop, terminate, end,
             finish, foil:  He never let his handicap defeat his hopes of
             winning.

             --n.  3 conquest, overthrow, beating, repulse, trouncing, rout,
             vanquishment:  The defeat of our team must be charged to lack of
             training.  4 frustration, undoing, failure, miscarriage,
             set-back; Waterloo:  The stock market crash spelled the defeat
             of the company's plan for a share issue.

   defecate  v.  void (excrement), move the bowels, excrete, eliminate,
             evacuate (the bowels), have a (bowel) movement or bm, open the
             bowels, relieve oneself, Babytalk do number two , Euphemistic go
             to the men's or ladies' (room), go to the toilet or bathroom or
             lavatory, excuse (oneself), wash (one's) hands, go to the
             bathroom, go to the powder-room; Mincing go to the little boys'
             or girls' room; Colloq Brit spend a penny, Colloq Brit go to the
             loo, pass a motion, Taboo slang (take a) crap or shit:  The
             first symptoms of bowel disease are problems when defecating.

   defect    n.  1 shortcoming, deficiency, lack, want, inadequacy,
             insufficiency, shortfall, failure, weakness, frailty, weak
             point, imperfection, irregularity, liability:  See the doctor
             about that hearing defect.  2 blemish, imperfection, failing,
             weakness, flaw, fault, mark, stain, irregularity, mistake,
             error:  The products should be inspected for defects before
             shipping.

             --v.  3 desert, change sides or loyalties, turn traitor, go
             over; escape:  Ropovich tried to defect, but the Albanians sent
             him back.

   defective adj.  1 imperfect, faulty, flawed, deficient, broken, out of
             order, impaired, marred, Colloq on the blink, US on the fritz:
             The brakes on his car were defective.  2 retarded, simple,
             feeble-minded, (mentally) deficient or incompetent, backward,
             subnormal, Brit education ESN ('educationally subnormal'), US
             education exceptional:  Found to be defective, he could not
             stand trial.

   defector  n.  deserter, apostate, turncoat, traitor, renegade, Colloq rat:
             Some political defectors were suspected of being spies.

   defence   n.  1 shelter, protection, cover, guard, safeguard, shield:
             There is no defence against certain illnesses.  2 fortification,
             armour, barricade, screen, bulwark, rampart:  Shore defences
             were set up, including barbed wire entanglements and concrete
             pillboxes. 3 excuse, apology, reason, apologia, explanation;
             justification, vindication, argument, plea, advocacy, support:
             His defence for decreasing welfare payments was inadequate. She
             spoke in defence of nationalizing industry.

   defenceless
             adj.  unprotected, exposed, vulnerable, unguarded; helpless,
             weak, powerless, impotent:  Would you take advantage of a poor,
             defenceless creature?

   defend    v.  1 protect, watch over, guard, safeguard, keep (safe),
             shelter, shield, screen, preserve; fight for:  We must defend
             our civil rights.  2 fortify, arm, secure; fend or ward off,
             parry:  Can you defend your position from attack?  3 plead for,
             speak or stand up for, stick up for, go to bat for, support,
             uphold, stand by, champion, stand with or behind or beside,
             argue for or in behalf of, hold a brief for, espouse:  The
             lawyers defended her right to free speech.

   defer°    v.  put off, postpone, delay, shelve, lay or put aside, adjourn,
             US table; Colloq Brit kick into touch:  The judge has deferred
             his decision.

   deferэ    v.  Often, defer to. give in (to), give ground or way (to),
             yield (to), submit (to), bow (to), capitulate (to), cede (to),
             accede (to), acquiesce (to); comply (with), agree (to):  I'll
             defer to your decision in the matter.

   deference n.  1 respect, regard, politeness, civility, courtesy,
             consideration, esteem:  They treated him with deference owing to
             his age.  2 obeisance, submission, acquiescence, obedience,
             compliance:  Considering her accomplishments, she is paid little
             deference.

   defiant   adj.  challenging, bold, brazen, audacious, daring; rebellious,
             disobedient, stubborn, recalcitrant, obstinate, refractory,
             unyielding, insubordinate, mutinous, unruly, self-willed,
             aggressive, headstrong, contumacious, pugnacious, hostile,
             belligerent, antagonistic, Slang gutsy, spunky:  His defiant
             attitude towards authority often gets him into trouble.

   deficient adj.  1 wanting, lacking, defective, incomplete, unfinished,
             short, insufficient, inadequate, sketchy, skimpy, scarce:  Some
             foods are deficient in vitamins.  2 faulty, impaired, flawed,
             imperfect, incomplete, defective, inferior, unsatisfactory:
             Many have a deficient knowledge of their legal rights.

   deficit   n.  loss, deficiency, shortfall, shortage, default:  At the end
             of the year there was a considerable deficit.

   define    v.  1 determine, establish, fix, demarcate, mark off or out,
             delimit, limit, lay or set down, circumscribe, specify,,
             identify, delineate, describe:  You must first define the
             subjects to be covered.  2 describe, explain, interpret, spell
             out, detail, clarify, delineate, expand on, expatiate on or
             upon, delineate; characterize, state, name:  No one dictionary
             defines all the words of a language. Please define exactly what
             you want me to do.

   definite  adj.  1 specific, particular, exact, pronounced, explicit,
             express, precise:  She came here with a definite purpose.  2
             sure, positive, certain, assured, fixed, settled, confirmed:
             Then we have a definite appointment for two o'clock?  3 clear,
             plain, well-defined, unambiguous, unequivocal, distinct,
             clear-cut, obvious:  The plans for revision are definite.

   definitely
             adv.  positively, absolutely, surely, to be sure, assuredly,
             certainly, indubitably, undoubtedly, categorically,
             unequivocally, unquestionably, decidedly, finally, once and for
             all; plainly, clearly, obviously, patently:  Then you're
             definitely not going to the dance with Waldo? That was
             definitely the worst movie of the year.

   definition
             n.  1 delineation, delimitation, demarcation, outlining;
             acutance, resolution, distinctness, clarity, sharpness, focus,
             precision:  The definition at the edge of the photograph is
             fuzzy.  2 description, explanation, explication, clarification,
             statement (of meaning), sense, meaning:  How many definitions
             are there for the word 'good'?

   definitive
             adj.  1 decisive, final, conclusive, ultimate:  My definitive
             answer will be given tomorrow.  2 thorough, through and through,
             exhaustive, ultimate, consummate, complete, authoritative,
             reliable:  She has written the definitive work on the axolotl.
             3 clarifying, unambiguous, categorical, absolute, unqualified,
             accurate, exact, precise:  We expect a definitive statement from
             the union regarding their claims.

   deflect   v.  avert, turn away or aside, deviate, change, swerve, switch,
             divert, shy, veer, sidetrack; fend off:  The trajectory of a
             bullet is deflected by gravity. By deflecting a bit to their
             left, they managed to regain their original course.

   deformed  adj.  1 misshapen, malformed, distorted, twisted, grotesque,
             gnarled, crooked, contorted, awry, warped, bent:  This tree is
             deformed because of the constant wind.  2 disfigured, crippled,
             lame, misshapen; abnormal:  He was born with a deformed foot.  3
             distorted, warped, bent, perverted, twisted, grotesque;
             abnormal:  The deformed personalities of his patients are the
             subject of my book.

   defraud   v.  cheat, swindle, trick, beguile, cozen, dupe, delude, fool,
             bilk, fleece, victimize, take in, deceive, humbug, hoodwink,
             flimflam, Colloq do, diddle, con, slip one over on, put
             (something) over on, pull a fast one on, fast-talk, rope in,, US
             take; Slang take for a ride, gyp, rob, rip off, rook; Dialect
             flam:  Shareholders are defrauded by insider trading schemes.

   defray    v.  pay, settle, meet, discharge, liquidate, clear, cover,
             reimburse, Colloq pick up the bill or tab or US check (for),
             foot the bill (for):  The company defrays the cost of all
             travelling expenses.

   defunct   adj.  1 dead, deceased, extinct:  The dinosaurs have been
             defunct for millions of years.  2 inoperative, inapplicable,
             unused, unusable, invalid, expired, obsolete, pass‚, dead,
             expired, non-existent, outmoded, out:  Although still on the
             books, that law is defunct.

   defy      v.  1 challenge, dare, face, confront, brave, stand up to,
             flout, brazen out, thumb one's nose at, Colloq Brit cock a snook
             at:  The defendant defied the prosecutor to prove the
             allegations.  2 frustrate, thwart, baffle, resist, withstand,
             repel, disobey, repulse:  Her feats of legerdemain defy the
             imagination. Copeley has invented a device that defies the law
             of gravity.

   degenerate
             adj.  1 debased, degraded, corrupt, corrupted, vitiated,
             decadent, depraved, reprobate, dissolute, ignoble, base, low,
             inferior, vile:  He was a degenerate descendant of a once noble
             lineage. Ben sank into the depths of a degenerate existence
             after Penelope left him.

             --v.  2 decline, deteriorate, decay, sink, worsen; backslide,
             regress, retrogress, weaken, go to the dogs, go to rack and
             ruin, Colloq go to pot:  He felt that art had degenerated since
             the days of Rembrandt.

             --n.  3 reprobate, debauchee, wastrel, profligate, rake,
             rakehell, rou‚; pervert, deviate:  The detective said that only
             a degenerate could have committed such a crime.

   degradation
             n.  1 degeneracy, degeneration, deterioration, corruptness,
             corruption, vitiation, baseness, depravity, turpitude:  History
             records the moral degradation of a whole society.  2 disrepute,
             discredit, shame, humiliation, ignominy, dishonour, disgrace,
             abasement, debasement:  He had to face the degradation of an
             accusation of child molestation.

   degrade   v.  1 downgrade, demote, break, Military cashier, Ecclesiastical
             unfrock, Law disbar; depose, unseat; disfranchise or
             disenfranchise; Military drum out (of the corps), Chiefly naval
             disrate; US military bust:  They degraded him from captain to
             lieutenant.  2 disgrace, dishonour, humble, shame, discredit,
             debase, demean, abase; humiliate, mortify, belittle, deprecate,
             depreciate, cheapen, reduce, lower:  He has been degraded to
             mopping the floor.  3 dilute, adulterate, weaken, thin, water
             (down), alloy:  Cologne is, essentially, degraded perfume.

   degrading adj.  demeaning, humiliating, shameful, shaming, debasing,
             lowering, discreditable:  Why should you deem selling a
             degrading occupation?

   degree    n.  1 grade, level, stage, class, caste, rank, order, scale,
             standing, status, station, position, situation, estate,
             condition:  He is entertaining a lady of high degree.  2
             measure, magnitude, extent, limit, point; lengths, step:  All
             our needs, desires, and goals are biologically determined to
             some degree. 3 by degrees. little by little, bit by bit, step by
             step, inch by inch, inchmeal, gradually, slowly, (almost)
             imperceptibly:  By degrees, her health has improved.  4 to a
             degree.  a rather, somewhat, quite:  She is to a degree a better
             dancer than he.  b substantially, considerably, highly,
             decidedly, exceedingly, to a considerable extent:  She must be
             stupid to a degree if she believes in levitation.

   deign     v.  condescend, stoop, vouchsafe, concede; yield, agree:  Lord
             Worthington deigned to say good morning to us.

   deity     n.  god, goddess, Supreme Being, creator, demiurge:  Deities in
             various religions are represented as men, women, or animals.

   dejected  adj.  downcast, downhearted, depressed, dispirited, discouraged,
             despondent, down, low, chap-fallen, crestfallen, melancholy,
             sad, unhappy, gloomy, glum, miserable, blue, low-spirited, in
             low spirits, forlorn, woebegone, disconsolate, sorrowful,
             morose, heartbroken, heavy-hearted, in the doldrums, Colloq down
             in the dumps, down in the mouth:  She was bound to feel dejected
             when she couldn't find a job.

   delay     v.  1 postpone, put off or aside, defer, temporize, suspend,
             shelve, hold off or up (on), put on hold, hold in abeyance, put
             or keep in a holding pattern, pigeon-hole, put on ice, put in or
             into the deep-freeze, Colloq put on the back burner, Brit kick
             into touch, US hold off or up (on), table:  We shall delay our
             decision till next month.  2 hold up or back, detain, impede,
             hinder, retard, keep, bog down, set back, slow (up or down);
             stop, arrest, halt, check; obstruct:  Delivery of the mail has
             been delayed by the strike. We were delayed by traffic. 3
             loiter, procrastinate, hesitate, poke or drag (along), tarry,
             wait, lag (behind), dawdle, hang back, stall, linger, dally,
             mark time, potter or US putter; vacillate; Colloq dilly-dally,
             shilly-shally, drag one's feet:  Stop delaying and get to work.

             --n.  4 postponement, deferral, deferment, wait, hold-up;
             set-back:  There will be a ten-day delay in paying the rent.  5
             lull, interlude, hiatus, interruption, gap, interval, lacuna,
             stop, stoppage, wait, waiting, hold-up, suspension:  After an
             hour's delay, service was resumed.  6 tarrying, loitering,
             dawdling, Colloq dilly-dallying, shilly-shallying:  There should
             be no further delay in shipping the order.

   delectation
             n.  delight, enjoyment, amusement, entertainment, diversion,
             pleasure, satisfaction:  For your delectation, Le Moulin Rouge
             presents La Goulue!

   delegate  n.  1 envoy, agent, legate, representative, ambassador,
             plenipotentiary, minister, emissary, commissioner, (papal)
             nuncio, (papal) internuncio, spokesperson, spokesman,
             spokeswoman, go-between:  They kowtowed to the delegate from His
             Imperial Highness.

             --v.  2 depute, commission, appoint, designate, assign, name,
             nominate, accredit, authorize, empower, mandate:  The president
             delegated Ambassador Foxley to represent him at the meeting. 3
             assign, give, hand over or on, pass over or on, depute,
             transfer, entrust, relegate, Colloq pass the buck for, US buck:
             She has delegated the responsibility to one of the directors.

   delete    v.  erase, cancel, rub or cross out or off, remove, blot out,
             expunge, efface, eliminate, obliterate, wipe out, eradicate,
             strike out, cut or edit (out), Publishing blue-pencil; Printing
             dele:  Delete the old address and insert the new one.

   deliberate
             adj.  1 intentional, planned, studied, wilful, intended,
             premeditated, calculated, conscious, prearranged, purposeful,
             preconceived, considered; cold-blooded:  The insult was
             deliberate, not a slip.  2 slow, methodical, careful, unhurried,
             paced, measured, regular, even, steady, sure, unhesitating,
             unfaltering, confident:  He moved across the room with a
             deliberate step and tore the medals from the general's tunic. 3
             careful, prudent, cautious, painstaking, discreet, considered,
             considerate, thoughtful, well thought out, thorough, methodical,
             systematic, fastidious, orderly, punctilious, dispassionate,
             cool, composed, collected, calm, serene, unruffled:  A
             deliberate speaker, he chose his words with care.

             --v.  4 consider, ponder, think (about or over), weigh, debate,
             meditate (on or over), reflect (on or over), cogitate (on or
             over), study:  I shall need a few days to deliberate on that
             question.

   deliberately
             adv.  intentionally, on purpose, purposely, wilfully or US
             willfully, consciously, wittingly, calculatedly, calculatingly,
             knowingly, pointedly, resolutely, of one's (own) free will, on
             one's own, with one's eyes (wide) open:  She did that
             deliberately, not by accident.

   delicacy  n.  1 fineness, exquisiteness, gracefulness, beauty, lightness,
             daintiness:  Notice the delicacy of the tracery in the rose
             window.  2 fragility, fragileness, frailty, frailness, weakness,
             infirmity, feebleness, tenderness; susceptibility:  Because of
             the delicacy of his constitution, even a cold might be fatal. 3
             sensitivity, difficulty, ticklishness, finesse, nicety,
             sensibility:  The delicacy of the situation demands the utmost
             diplomacy.  4 luxury, sweetmeat, dainty, titbit or US tidbit,
             savoury:  The table was laden with delicacies from all over the
             world.

   delicate  adj.  1 fragile, breakable, frail, tender, frangible, dainty;
             perishable, flimsy:  This filament is extremely delicate, so be
             careful.  2 fine, exquisite, dainty, graceful, elegant, subtle:
             A delicate border of lace sets off the collar.  3 feeble, weak,
             sickly, frail, debilitated, weakened, enfeebled, unhealthy:  Her
             condition is too delicate for her to be moved.  4 critical,
             ticklish, sensitive, dangerous, tricky, precarious, touchy,
             Slang hairy; Colloq sticky:  Rescuing the survivors of the
             avalanche was a delicate operation.  5 dainty, squeamish,
             queasy, fastidious, prudish, Victorian, finicky, finical,
             refined, discriminating, discerning, sensitive, puristic,
             proper, coy, modest, demure:  In those days ladies were thought
             to be too delicate to mention such matters. 6 gradual, subtle,
             nice, precise, muted, soft, faint, subdued:  The delicate
             shading at the horizon is characteristic of this artist.

   delicious adj.  1 delectable, luscious, ambrosial, savoury,
             mouth-watering, toothsome; choice, flavourful, tasty,
             appetizing, palatable, Colloq scrumptious; Slang yummy:  Larry's
             fried chicken is quite delicious.  2 enjoyable, delightful,
             pleasurable, pleasing, pleasant, choice, enchanting,
             fascinating; agreeable, charming, engaging; amusing,
             entertaining:  I heard the most delicious bit of gossip about
             the Browns.

   delight   v.  1 please, gratify, satisfy, gladden, cheer, tickle, amuse,
             entertain, divert, excite, thrill, captivate, entrance,
             fascinate:  We were delighted to hear the Mighty Allen Art
             Players once again.  2 delight in. enjoy, appreciate, like,
             relish (in), savour, revel in, glory in; love, adore; Colloq get
             a kick from or out of; Slang get off on:  She delights in any
             kind of jazz.

             --n.  3 pleasure, gratification, joy, satisfaction, enjoyment,
             delectation; bliss, ecstasy, rapture:  She takes great delight
             in playing practical jokes on her guests.  In his dreams he
             visited the garden of earthly delights.

   delighted adj.  pleased, happy, charmed, thrilled, enchanted, enchant‚(e):
             I am delighted to meet you. 'Miss Smith, meet Mr Brown.'
             'Delighted!'

   delightful
             adj.  1 pleasing, agreeable, pleasurable, enjoyable, joyful,
             pleasant, lovely, amusing, entertaining, diverting, exciting,
             thrilling:  We spent a delightful evening together.  2
             attractive, congenial, winning, winsome, charming, engaging,
             exciting; captivating, ravishing, fascinating, enchanting:
             Georgina is one of the most delightful people I have met in a
             long time.

   delinquent
             n.  1 malefactor, (young or youthful) offender, wrongdoer,
             lawbreaker, culprit, criminal, miscreant; hooligan, ruffian,
             roughneck:  The police rounded up six juvenile delinquents and
             charged them with rowdyism.

             --adj.  2 neglectful, negligent, derelict, remiss, failing,
             defaulting:  I have been delinquent in my obligations to my
             mother.  3 overdue, past due, in arrears, late, unpaid:  All
             these delinquent accounts should be collected as soon as
             possible.

   delirious adj.  1 wild, hysterical, distracted, incoherent, rambling,
             irrational, raving, ranting, frenzied, frantic, disturbed,
             demented, deranged, unhinged, mad, insane, crazy, lunatic:  He
             is still delirious and doesn't know what he's saying.  2 wild,
             excited, crazed, thrilled, ecstatic:  She was delirious with joy
             that Ken was coming home.

   deliver   v.  1 carry, bring, convey, distribute, give or hand out;
             purvey, take round; cart, transport:  Only in a few places in
             the world do they still deliver milk to the door. 2 hand over,
             give, surrender, cede, yield, make over, relinquish, give up or
             over, commit, transfer, turn over, resign:  We were forced to
             deliver our children to the enemy as hostages.  3 set free,
             liberate, enfranchise, extricate, release, save, rescue;
             emancipate, manumit, redeem; disencumber, disburden, ransom:
             They were delivered from certain death by the arrival of the
             helicopter.  Modern appliances have delivered millions of women
             from the drudgery of housework. 4 give, present, utter, read,
             broadcast; proclaim, announce, declare, set forth, communicate,
             make known, express, publish, hand over, hand out, promulgate,
             pronounce, enunciate:  He has to deliver a speech tonight. The
             police delivered an ultimatum to the terrorists. 5 give,
             administer, inflict, deal, direct, send, launch, impart, throw;
             cast, hurl, shoot, discharge, fire:  He delivered a blow on the
             chin that knocked me out. The ball was delivered with enormous
             speed. 6 bring forth, bear, give birth to, bring into the world:
             In the next three years, she delivered three more girls.  7
             produce, perform, put one's money where one's mouth is:  Roger
             had better deliver, or we shall have to take drastic measures.

   delivery  n.  1 distribution, delivering, deliverance, conveyance,
             transportation, transport:  The strikers have caused delivery of
             newspapers to stop.  2 liberation, release, deliverance,
             emancipation:  His delivery from poverty was still a few years
             away.  3 childbirth, parturition; confinement:  Many women find
             that their second child is an easier delivery.  4 presentation,
             performance; utterance, enunciation, articulation,
             pronunciation, expression, execution:  He is an accomplished
             orator, with a spellbinding delivery.

   delusion  n.  1 deception, trick, stratagem, artifice, ruse, pretence:  It
             was a snare and a delusion to represent the painting as genuine.
             2 false or mistaken impression, fallacy, illusion, mistake,
             error, misconception, misbelief, hallucination:  He suffers
             under the delusion that he is a great pianist.

   demand    v.  1 require, order, bid, call (for); insist, command:  I
             demand that you retract that remark! She demanded to know where
             he was going. 2 claim, ask (for), require, insist on; exact:
             They had paid for tickets and demanded entrance.  3 require,
             call for, need, want, necessitate, cry out for:  This superb
             dish demands an excellent claret.  4 ask (for), inquire or
             enquire, request; requisition:  We demanded help from the
             police.

             --n.  5 request, bid, behest, requisition, order, insistence;
             outcry:  Our demand for service went unheeded.  6 want, need,
             requirement, desire; market (demand), marketability; consumer or
             customer acceptance:  The demand for our products is low at the
             moment.  7 in demand. wanted, needed, requested, coveted,
             popular, sought after, desired, desirable, Brit in request, US
             on request:  Bright graduates are always in demand.  8 on
             demand. on call, on request, on presentation, when requested or
             required; at once, immediately, without delay:  These notes are
             payable on demand.

   demanding adj.  1 difficult, hard, exigent, tough, exacting, trying,
             taxing:  Edwards is a demanding boss. Diamond cutting is
             demanding work.  2 insistent, clamorous, urgent, nagging,
             persistent:  Your demanding fans want another encore.

   democratic
             adj.  egalitarian, classless; republican, representative,
             popular, self-governing, autonomous:  The colonists voted for a
             democratic form of government.

   demolish  v.  1 tear or pull down, dismantle, reduce to ruin(s), smash,
             pull to pieces, knock down, raze, topple, destroy, level:  This
             building will have to be demolished to make room for the new
             shopping mall. 2 destroy, end, bring to an end, make an end of,
             put an end to, devastate, terminate, annihilate, overturn,
             overthrow, crush, defeat, refute, disprove, dispose of,
             suppress, squelch, quash:  With just one phrase he demolished
             their entire argument.

   demon     n.  1 devil, evil spirit, fiend, cacodemon or cacodaemon;
             monster, ghoul, ogre, harpy, vampire:  Medieval demons are
             generally depicted as having horns, hoofs, and tails. 2 fanatic,
             fiend, enthusiast, addict, Colloq freak:  He's a real speed
             demon when he gets onto the motorway.

   demonstrable
             adj.  provable, confirmable, attestable, verifiable; evident,
             self-evident, obvious, undeniable, apparent, manifest,
             indisputable, unquestionable, positive, certain, conclusive:
             The judge showed a demonstrable bias against my client.

   demonstrate
             v.  1 show, prove, make evident, establish, evince, evidence,
             exhibit, manifest:  The increase in arrests demonstrates the
             efficiency of the police.  2 display, explain, expose, describe,
             present; illustrate:  The salesman demonstrated the new camera
             for us.  3 picket, march, parade, rally, protest:  More than
             5000 people demonstrated against the fraudulent election.

   demonstration
             n.  1 proof, evidence, testimony, confirmation, verification,
             substantiation; manifestation, exhibition, display,
             illustration, indication:  I have seen sufficient demonstration
             of her ineptitude.  2 presentation, display, show, explanation,
             description, clarification, elucidation, exposition, Colloq
             demo:  The student gave an excellent demonstration of how a
             computer works. 3 picketing, march, parade, protest, rally,
             sit-in, Colloq Brit demo:  There have been numerous
             demonstrations against the government's policies.

   demonstrative
             adj.  1 open, unrestrained, unconstrained, unreserved,
             expansive, effusive, emotional, warm, tender, affectionate,
             loving:  Pat is quite demonstrative, often causing me to blush.
             2 illustrative, indicative, representative, probative,
             evidential; provable, evident:  Her point was proved by several
             demonstrative arguments. The hostility of these few is
             demonstrative of what to expect of the entire group.

   demoralize
             v.  1 dispirit, daunt, dishearten, discourage, defeat; weaken,
             cripple, enervate, devitalize, depress, subdue, crush:  The
             party's crushing defeat in the election thoroughly demoralized
             its supporters. 2 corrupt, pervert, deprave, vitiate, debase,
             debauch:  The committee consider him a demoralizing influence
             and insist he should resign. 3 bewilder, discomfit, unnerve,
             shake (up), confuse, fluster, disconcert, unnerve, perturb,
             disturb, upset, Colloq rattle:  The demonstrators were
             completely demoralized when arrested for loitering.

   denial    n.  1 contradiction, negation, repudiation, refutation,
             disavowal, disclaimer, disaffirmation:  Her denials
             notwithstanding, she was found guilty.  2 retraction,
             recantation, renunciation, withdrawal:  The arbitrary denial of
             civil rights to some is unconscionable.  3 refusal, rejection,
             negation; veto:  The boy's persistent denial of authority went
             into his record.

   denizen   n.  inhabitant, dweller, occupant, frequenter, resident;
             citizen:  The depths of the seas harbour some strange denizens.
             Carl is a denizen of The Bottle and Glass.

   denomination
             n.  1 sect, persuasion, school, church, order:  He is a member
             of the Mormon denomination.  2 sort, kind, type, nature,
             variety, unit, size, value; grade, class, genus, species, order,
             classification:  The kidnappers demanded the ransom money in
             used notes of small denomination. 3 designation, appellation,
             name, identification, style, title, tag, term; designating,
             naming, identifying, styling, classifying, titling, entitling,
             tagging, terming, denominating:  The denomination of people by
             race, creed, colour, or sex is discriminatory.

   denote    v.  1 indicate, specify, designate, distinguish, signify, mark,
             note:  Hypothetical linguistic forms are denoted by an asterisk.
             2 mean, name, symbolize, represent, betoken:  The word mother
             denotes 'female parent', but its connotations are far more
             extensive.

   denounce  v.  1 accuse, brand, stigmatize, charge, blame, incriminate,
             implicate, complain about:  He has been denounced for the
             blackguard he is.  2 betray, inform against, report, reveal:  He
             denounced his own son to the authorities.  3 criticize, condemn,
             decry, denunciate, attack, assail, censure, impugn, declaim or
             rail (against), vituperate, revile, vilify, inveigh against;
             ridicule, (hold up to) shame, pillory, (heap) scorn (upon), cast
             a slur on:  The playwright was denounced as a neo-Nazi.

   dense     adj.  1 compact, thick, compressed, condensed, close, solid,
             heavy, impenetrable:  The fox escaped into a dense thicket.  2
             crowded, packed, tight, impenetrable, impassable:  There was a
             dense crowd blocking the exit.  3 stupid, slow, slow-witted,
             thickheaded, dull, thick-witted, obtuse, stolid, dim,
             dim-witted, foolish, Colloq thick, dumb:  He may be a gifted
             artist but he is dense when it comes to money matters.

   deny      v.  1 contradict, gainsay, refute, controvert, disaffirm,
             disclaim, confute, negate, dispute:  She denies ever having met
             the defendant.  2 reject, refuse, withhold, forbid, turn down,
             decline, disallow; recall, revoke, recant:  He asserts that his
             right to counsel was denied.  3 disavow, repudiate, renounce,
             disown, forswear, disclaim:  The witch-doctor demanded
             sacrifices, saying that the angry gods would not be denied.

   depart    v.  1 go, go away or out or from or off, leave, quit, retire
             (from), retreat (from), withdraw (from), exit (from), set out or
             forth or off, decamp, abscond, fly, cut and run, skip (out), run
             off or away or out, take to the road, take one's leave, check
             out, disappear, vanish, evaporate, Jocular toddle off,
             Imperative Begone!, Colloq beat it, scram, shove off, make
             oneself scarce, Brit scarper, US hit the road, be out of
             (someplace), Slang split, Imperative get lost, US cut (on) out,
             vamoose, take a (run-out) powder, lam (on) out, take it on the
             lam, Brit do a moonlight flit, Usually imperative bugger off,
             buzz off , Taboo, imperative fuck off:  Our bags are packed and
             we depart at noon.  2 Often, depart from. deviate (from),
             change, diverge (from), turn (aside or away) (from), differ
             (from), vary (from), break away (from), leave, abandon, stray
             (from), veer (from):  She refused to depart from established
             practices.

   department
             n.  1 division, subdivision, branch, office, bureau, section,
             segment, unit, part:  Some departments are in another building.
             2 responsibility, concern, worry, sphere, bailiwick,
             jurisdiction, domain, control, area or sphere of influence or
             activity:  He was only responsible for the launch of the
             missiles - where they came down was not his department.

   depend    v.  1 depend (on or upon). be contingent or dependent or
             conditional on, turn on, hinge on, pivot on, hang on, be subject
             to, rest on, be influenced or determined or conditioned by:  The
             plans for our picnic depend on the weather.  2 depend on or
             upon. trust (in), rely on, count on, reckon on, bank on, be sure
             of, put one's faith or trust in:  I knew we could depend on you,
             Giles, to do the right thing.

   deplorable
             adj.  1 lamentable, regrettable, sad, woeful, grievous,
             wretched, miserable, unfortunate, awful, distressing,
             disturbing, troubling, upsetting, grave, serious, oppressive,
             difficult, desperate, hopeless, tragic, disastrous:  Orphaned at
             six, he had a deplorable childhood.  2 shameful, disgraceful,
             scandalous, disreputable, awful, bad, appalling, dreadful,
             abominable, execrable, terrible, reprehensible:  What did you
             think of Annie's deplorable behaviour at last week's dance?
             That's a deplorable painting.

   deposit   v.  1 place, leave, set or put or lay (down), drop, Colloq US
             plunk down:  You are requested to deposit litter in the bin.  2
             entrust, leave, lodge, consign, keep, place, put; store, save,
             set aside, bank, lay or put away, Brit pay in, Colloq stash
             away:  Each morning she deposits the children at the day nursery
             and goes to work. He deposits money every week in a pension
             fund.

             --n.  3 down payment, part or partial payment, advance payment:
             A small deposit will hold your purchase until you are ready to
             pay for it in full. 4 precipitate, sediment, silt, alluvium,
             dregs, lees, accumulation, deposition:  There is a dark deposit
             at the bottom of the coffee-pot.

   depreciate
             v.  1 devalue, devaluate, decrease, diminish, lessen, reduce,
             lower, depress, cheapen, mark down:  The abundant harvest has
             depreciated the price of commodities.  2 disparage, diminish,
             deride, decry, underrate, undervalue, underestimate, minimize,
             belittle, slight, derogate, deprecate, discredit, denigrate, run
             down, vilipend, Colloq play down, US talk down:  When he
             depreciates another's work he adds nothing to the value of his
             own.

   depredation
             n.  plunder, plundering, pillage, pillaging, despoliation,
             despoiling, ravaging, sacking, laying waste, devastation,
             destruction; ransacking, robbery, looting; ravages:  The
             depredation caused by ten years of war is unimaginable.

   depress   v.  1 deject, dispirit, oppress, sadden, grieve, cast down,
             dishearten, discourage, dampen, cast a gloom or pall over,
             burden, weigh down:  He's very depressed right now because he
             failed to get a promotion.  2 weaken, dull, debilitate,
             enervate, sap; depreciate, cheapen, devalue, devaluate;
             diminish, lower, bring down, reduce:  The news about a new oil
             field depressed the market today.  3 press (down), push (down)
             (on), lower:  If the pressure gets too high, just depress this
             lever.

   depression
             n.  1 indentation, dent, dimple, impression, pit, hollow,
             recess, cavity, concavity, dip:  When the box fell, its corner
             left a small depression in the top of the metal cabinet. 2
             dejection, despair, gloom, downheartedness, sadness, melancholy,
             discouragement, despondency, gloominess, glumness, the blues,
             unhappiness; Colloq the dumps:  A general feeling of depression
             came over us at the doctor's words.  3 recession, slump,
             (economic) decline, downturn, US and Canadian bust:  The
             analysts are unable to predict accurately either booms or
             depressions.

   deprive   v.  withhold, deny, refuse; withdraw, remove, strip, dispossess,
             take away, expropriate, divest; mulct:  They deprived him of the
             right to have visitors.

   deprived  adj.  needy, in want, in need, impoverished, badly off,
             destitute, poor, poverty-stricken, Euphemistic underprivileged,
             disadvantaged:  As a deprived family, they are entitled to a
             number of benefits.

   depth     n.  1 deepness, extent, measure, profundity, profoundness:  The
             depth of the cavern was at least three miles.  2 profundity,
             profoundness, abstruseness, obscurity, reconditeness,
             complexity, intricacy:  There is great depth of meaning in many
             proverbs.  3 profundity, wisdom, sagacity, sageness,
             understanding, perception, astuteness, perspicacity,
             perspicaciousness, insight, intuition, acumen, penetration:  One
             would scarcely characterize Mickey Mouse as possessed of great
             depth. 4 intensity, profundity, strength; vividness, brilliance,
             brilliancy, brightness, richness:  It is hard for me to express
             the depth of my feeling for you.  The depth of colour is much
             better in this picture. 5 depths. deep(s), abyss, abysm, chasm,
             bowels of the earth, (bottomless) pit, nethermost reaches or
             regions, nadir:  As we descended into the depths the temperature
             increased. She is in the depths of despair and needs your moral
             support. 6 in depth. thoroughly, comprehensively, in detail,
             profoundly, deeply, extensively, intensively, concentratedly,
             probingly:  The specialists have looked into the problem in
             depth and have no answer yet.

   deputy    n.  substitute, replacement, surrogate, stand-in, reserve,
             proxy; agent, operative, representative, go-between,
             intermediary, spokesperson, spokesman, spokeswoman, delegate,
             ambassador, minister, emissary, envoy, legate, (papal) nuncio;
             Chiefly US alternate:  She excused herself from the meeting,
             leaving her deputy in charge.

   deranged  adj.  mad, insane, demented, lunatic, unhinged, unbalanced,
             berserk, crazy, crazed, psychotic, irrational, non compos
             mentis, out of one's mind or senses or head, not all there, of
             unsound mind, crack-brained, mad as a hatter or March hare, off
             the rails, Colloq touched, dotty, daft, cracked, bats, cuckoo,
             Brit potty, US have nobody home (upstairs), out to lunch,
             off-the-wall; Slang bonkers, dippy, barmy or balmy, batty,
             screwy, loony, nuts, nutty, wacky, bananas, off one's rocker,
             off one's trolley, mental, missing a few marbles, not having all
             one's marbles, kooky, with a screw loose, Chiefly Brit off one's
             chump, Chiefly US (plumb) loco, meshuga:  Police said that the
             killer was completely deranged and should be approached with
             caution.

   derelict  adj.  1 deserted, abandoned, forsaken, neglected; ruined,
             dilapidated, run-down, tumbledown:  The council has a scheme for
             the renovation of derelict buildings in the inner city. 2
             negligent, remiss, neglectful, delinquent, dilatory, careless,
             heedless, lax, slack, irresponsible, slipshod, slovenly, Colloq
             sloppy:  He was accused of having been derelict in his duty.

             --n.  3 vagrant, tramp, outcast, pariah, loafer, wastrel,
             good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, malingerer, vagabond, slacker,
             down-and-out, US and Canadian hobo, Colloq US bum:  Because of
             alcohol, he ended up as a derelict.

   deride    v.  mock, ridicule, scoff (at), jeer (at), laugh (at), make fun
             or sport (of), tease, taunt, twit, poke fun (at), make a
             laughing-stock (of), sneer (at), scorn, flout, disdain,
             pooh-pooh, belittle, diminish, disparage, laugh off, Brit rally,
             Colloq knock, Brit take the mickey or micky out of:  His
             classmates had always derided his attempts at getting anywhere
             with the girls.

   derision  n.  ridicule, mockery, raillery, laughter, sarcasm, scoffing,
             contempt, scorn, contumely, disrespect; satire, lampoon,
             pasquinade, burlesque, caricature, travesty:  Her suggestion was
             greeted with derision.

   derisory  adj.  mocking, ridiculing, scornful, derisive, disdainful,
             contemptuous, taunting, insulting, contumelious, jeering;
             sardonic, sarcastic, ironic(al), satirical:  He felt crushed by
             their derisory laughter.

   derivation
             n.  origin, descent, extraction, source, beginning, foundation,
             ancestry, genealogy, etymology, root:  The derivations of many
             words are unknown.

   derivative
             adj.  1 derived, borrowed, procured, obtained, acquired;
             unoriginal, second-hand, copied, imitative, plagiarized,
             plagiaristic:  He created nothing of his own - all his
             compositions were highly derivative.

             --n.  2 derivation, offshoot, development, spin-off, by-product:
             French, Italian, and other Romance languages are derivatives
             from Latin.

   derive    v.  1 draw, extract, get, obtain, acquire, procure, receive,
             secure, gain, elicit, deduce, educe, infer, gather, collect,
             harvest, glean, cull, winnow:  I derive no pleasure from
             punishing you. I derived from her remark that she didn't like
             the play. 2 derive from. arise from or out of, originate in or
             with or from, emerge from or out of, come (forth) from or out
             of, arrive from, issue from, proceed from, develop from, spring
             from, flow from, emanate from, stem from, be traceable or traced
             to:  The word delicate derives from Latin. All our knowledge is
             derived from experience.

   derogatory
             adj.  depreciatory, depreciating, depreciative, disparaging,
             abasing, debasing, lowering, denigrating, belittling,
             diminishing, demeaning, detracting, deflating, minimizing,
             mitigating; uncomplimentary, offensive, insulting:  The family
             took a somewhat derogatory attitude towards commerce.  He said
             something derogatory about my wife, so I punched him.

   descend   v.  1 come or go down, move down, climb down, get down:  The sun
             was setting as he descended from the mountain.  2 decline,
             incline (downwards), slope, slant, dip, drop, fall, plunge,
             plummet:  Beyond the curve, the road descends suddenly for a
             mile.  3 stoop, condescend, sink, lower oneself:  If you start
             shouting, you're just descending to Basil's level.  4 descend
             on. attack, assault, invade, pounce on or upon, swoop down on or
             upon:  Fighter planes descended in droves and destroyed the base
             entirely.

   descendant
             n.  offspring, progeny, issue, heir, posterity, family; child,
             son, daughter, grandchild, scion; offshoot:  They claim to be
             descendants of Tsar Nicholas.

   describe  v.  1 tell (of), recount, relate, give an account (of), narrate,
             recite, report, chronicle; retail:  He described his adventures
             in Rio.  2 detail, define, explain, specify, delineate:  Please
             describe exactly where you found the body.  3 characterize,
             portray, paint, depict, identify, label, style; represent:  I
             would describe her as careless rather than uncaring.  4 trace,
             mark out, outline, traverse, draw:  The trail of the comet
             described a perfect arc in the black sky.

   description
             n.  1 portrayal, characterization, depiction, (thumbnail)
             sketch, portrait:  Her description of her boss was far from
             flattering.  2 account, narrative, story, report,
             representation, statement, definition; explanation, commentary;
             chronicle, history, record, narration; memoir:  I want your
             detailed description of what led up to the argument.  3 sort,
             kind, nature, character, type, variety, brand, breed, species,
             category, genus, ilk, genre, class; stripe, kidney, feather:
             Carstairs is a rou‚ of the worst description.

   desecrate v.  profane, defile, blaspheme (against), dishonour, degrade,
             debase, befoul, contaminate, pollute, corrupt, violate, pervert,
             vitiate:  Vandals desecrated the temple of Minerva.

   desert°   n.  1 waste, wilderness, wasteland, dust bowl:  The nearest
             oasis was fifty miles away across the desert.

             --adj.  2 barren, desolate, uninhabited, unpeopled, lonely,
             deserted; arid, bare, vacant, empty, wild, uncultivated:  I was
             marooned on a desert island.

             --v.  3 forsake, leave, abandon; jilt, throw over; maroon,
             strand, leave to twist (slowly) in the wind; Colloq run or walk
             out on, leave flat or in the lurch, leave high and dry:  His
             courage deserted him when he saw the child's eyes. He has
             deserted his wife for some floozie. 4 abscond, quit, run away
             (from), defect, abandon; Military slang go over the hill:  He
             deserted and will be court-martialled.

   desertэ   n.  Often, deserts. payment, recompense, requital, compensation,
             due, right; retribution, justice, Slang comeuppance, what's
             coming to one:  She'll get her just deserts one of these days.

   deserted  adj.  abandoned, desolate, forsaken, neglected, uninhabited,
             unpeopled, vacant, vacated, unfrequented, unvisited, unoccupied,
             empty; stranded, rejected, God-forsaken, isolated, solitary,
             lonely, friendless:  At that hour the streets are completely
             deserted.

   deserter  n.  runaway, fugitive, escapee, absconder, defector, renegade,
             outlaw; traitor, turncoat, Colloq rat:  Deserters are shot when
             caught.

   deserve   v.  merit, earn, be entitled to, be worthy of, rate, warrant,
             justify:  You ought to be nicer to him - he really doesn't
             deserve such unkind treatment.

   deserved  adj.  merited, earned, just, rightful, suitable, fitting, fit,
             appropriate, proper, right, fair, equitable, meet, warranted,
             condign:  Carla was never given her deserved credit for catching
             the thief.

   deserving adj.  meritorious, worthy, merited, commendable, laudable,
             praiseworthy, creditable, estimable:  Perhaps you should leave
             your money to a deserving charity.

   design    v.  1 plan, draw up, think of, conceive of, contemplate, devise,
             lay out, visualize, envisage, envision, sketch (out), pattern,
             set up:  The building was originally designed as the
             centre-piece for a whole new development. 2 plan, sketch (out),
             delineate, outline, draft, work or map or block out, lay out,
             devise, invent, contrive, create, conceive, originate, think up,
             develop, organize, frame, shape, mould, forge, make, construct,
             form, fashion:  John Smithers has designed a new sales strategy
             for the company.  3 sketch, draft, lay out, draw; form, devise:
             Who designed the company's new logo?  4 intend, mean, plan;
             purpose, destine; scheme, plot:  The building was originally
             designed to be a school. The book was designed for children.

             --n.  5 plan, scheme, conception, study, project, proposal,
             undertaking, enterprise; blueprint, pattern, chart, diagram,
             layout, map, drawing, draft, sketch, model, prototype:  The
             grand design for rebuilding the city was not approved.  6 form,
             shape, configuration, pattern, style, motif, format, layout,
             make-up, delineation, arrangement, organization, composition,
             structure, construction:  I don't much care for her new design
             of my monogram.  7 aim, purpose, intention, objective, object,
             goal, point, target, intent:  My design had been to go at once
             to London.  8 designs. plot, intrigue, stratagem, cabal,
             conspiracy, conniving, manipulation, connivance, evil intent or
             intentions:  His designs against me have borne bitter fruit.

   designate v.  1 indicate, specify, pinpoint, particularize, delineate,
             point out, identify, state, set forth, write or put down, name:
             You should designate your heirs in your will.  2 appoint,
             nominate, name, identify, denominate, select, pick, choose,
             elect, assign, appropriate, delegate, depute:  She has not yet
             designated her successor.  3 mean, stand for, symbolize, denote,
             represent:  The Greek letter pi designates the ratio of the
             circumference of a circle to its diameter. 4 call, name, style,
             term, label, christen, dub, nickname, entitle:  Elvis was
             publicly designated 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll'.

   designer  n.  1 creator, originator, architect, artificer, author,
             deviser, inventor; (interior) decorator, artist; draughtsman:
             Raymond Loewy was a designer of locomotives and fountain pens.
             Lady Mendl was the best-known interior designer of the 1920s. 2
             intriguer, schemer, conniver, plotter, conspirator:  He is a
             cunning designer who has wormed his way into favour with the
             management.

   designing adj.  scheming, plotting, conniving, conspiring, intriguing,
             calculating, wily, tricky, cunning, sly, underhand(ed), crafty,
             artful, shrewd, Machiavellian, guileful, deceitful,
             double-dealing, devious, treacherous, Colloq crooked:  The
             prince has fallen prey to designing courtiers.

   desirable adj.  1 sought-after, wanted, coveted, longed-for, looked-for,
             desired:  Few things are more desirable than security in old
             age.  2 attractive, pleasant, pleasing, agreeable, winning,
             winsome, captivating, seductive, alluring, fetching:  Their
             daughter had grown up into a most desirable young lady.  3 good,
             goodly, excellent, choice, fine, superior, superb, Colloq Brit
             plummy:  The company has produced some very desirable motor
             cars.  4 profitable, worthwhile, beneficial, advantageous,
             valuable, worthy, estimable, commendable, admirable:  Lady
             Chelm's plan possesses many desirable attributes.

   desire    v.  1 crave, want, fancy, covet, wish for, hope for, long or
             yearn for, pine or sigh for, hanker after, have an eye or taste
             for, hunger or thirst for or after, die for, have one's heart
             set on, give one's eye-teeth for, Colloq have a yen for, Slang
             US have the hots for:  I desire nothing but your happiness. He
             desired her more than anything else in the world. 2 ask for,
             request, order, demand, solicit, importune, summon, require:  Do
             you desire anything further, sir?

             --n.  3 longing, craving, yearning, hankering, hunger, thirst,
             appetite; passion, lust, libido, lustfulness, concupiscence,
             lecherousness, lechery, lasciviousness, salaciousness,
             prurience, Slang hot pants, US the hots; Colloq yen:  He felt
             desire rising in him like a fever.  4 wish, request, urge,
             requirement, order, requisition, demand, desideratum; appeal,
             entreaty, petition:  He fulfils her every desire.

   desirous  adj.  wishful, desiring, longing, yearning, hopeful, hoping:  I
             was desirous to learn more about his whereabouts.

   desolate  adj.  1 solitary, lonely, isolated, deserted, forlorn, forsaken,
             friendless, alone, abandoned, neglected; desert, uninhabited,
             empty, unfrequented, bare, barren, bleak, remote:  He felt
             desolate after his wife's death. Tristan da Cunha is a group of
             four desolate islands in the Atlantic. 2 laid waste, ruined,
             devastated, ravaged, destroyed:  The explosion left the
             surrounding countryside desolate.  3 dreary, dismal, wretched,
             joyless, cheerless, comfortless, miserable, unhappy, down,
             disconsolate, sad, melancholy, sorrowful, forlorn, mournful,
             woebegone, gloomy, broken-hearted, heavy-hearted, inconsolable,
             dejected, downcast, downhearted, dispirited, low-spirited,
             depressed, melancholy, spiritless, despondent, dismal,
             distressed, discouraged, hopeless:  He has brought some
             happiness into her desolate existence.

             --v.  4 depopulate:  The country was desolated by famine.  5
             destroy, devastate, ruin, lay waste, despoil, ravage, demolish,
             obliterate, annihilate, raze, gut:  Invaders desolated the
             countryside.  6 dismay, dishearten, depress, daunt, dispirit,
             sadden, deject, dispirit, discourage:  He was either buoyed up
             by renewed hope or desolated by despair.

   desolation
             n.  1 destruction, ruin, devastation, waste, spoliation,
             despoliation, sack, depredation, extirpation, obliteration,
             ravagement, barrenness, havoc, chaos:  We had to shape a new
             life from the desolation left by the war.  2 grief, sorrow,
             dreariness, despair, gloom, distress, melancholy, sadness,
             misery, woe, anguish, wretchedness, dolour, dolefulness,
             unhappiness:  She felt the desolation of loneliness after her
             husband's death.

   despair   n.  1 hopelessness, desperation, discouragement, disheartenment,
             despondency, dejection, depression, gloom, gloominess, misery,
             melancholy, wretchedness, distress, miserableness, anguish;
             resignation:  The despair of the prisoners was evident in their
             ravaged faces.

             --v.  2 give up or lose hope; surrender, quit:  We despaired of
             ever seeing our children again.

   desperate adj.  1 reckless, foolhardy, rash, impetuous, frantic, frenzied,
             panic-stricken:  Desperate measures are required in such a
             desperate situation.  2 careless, hasty, devil-may-care, wild,
             mad, frenetic, furious:  They made a last desperate attack on
             the fort.  3 anxious (for), craving, hungry (for), thirsty
             (for), needful (of), desirous (of), covetous (of), eager (for),
             longing or yearning (for), wishing (for), hoping (for), aching
             (for), pining (for):  She is desperate for attention.  4 urgent,
             pressing, compelling, serious, grave, acute, critical, crucial,
             great:  There is a desperate need for medicines at the disaster
             site.  5 precarious, perilous, life-threatening, hazardous,
             dangerous, tenuous, hopeless, beyond hope or help:  Avalanches
             are making the climbers' situation even more desperate.  6 at
             one's wits' end, forlorn, despairing, despondent, wretched, at
             the end of one's tether, frantic:  With no one to turn to for
             help, he was truly desperate.

   desperation
             n.  1 recklessness, impetuosity, rashness, foolhardiness,
             imprudence, heedlessness:  Penniless and half-starved, he was
             driven to desperation and stole a loaf of bread. 2 despair,
             anxiety, anguish, anxiousness, despondency, depression,
             dejection, discouragement, defeatism, pessimism, hopelessness,
             distress, misery, melancholy, wretchedness, gloom, sorrow:  In a
             final act of desperation, he attempted suicide.

   despicable
             adj.  contemptible, below or beneath or beyond contempt or scorn
             or disdain, mean, detestable, base, low, scurvy, vile, sordid,
             wretched, miserable, ignoble, ignominious, shabby; shameful,
             shameless, reprehensible:  He is a thoroughly despicable person
             and you should have nothing more to do with him.

   despise   v.  disdain, scorn, look down on or upon, be contemptuous of,
             sneer at, spurn, contemn; hate, loathe, detest, abhor:  She
             despised her servants and treated them badly. He despised anyone
             who had not been to university.

   despite   prep.  in spite of, notwithstanding, undeterred by, regardless
             of, in the face or teeth of, in defiance of, without
             considering, without thought or consideration or regard for,
             ignoring:  We went sailing despite the fact that gales had been
             forecast.

   despondent
             adj.  dejected, sad, sorrowful, unhappy, melancholy, blue,
             depressed, down, downcast, downhearted, low, morose, miserable,
             disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, low-spirited, down in the
             mouth, Colloq down in the dumps:  He's been despondent since she
             went away.

   despot    n.  absolute ruler, dictator, tyrant, oppressor, autocrat:
             History has painted Ivan the Terrible as one of the cruellest
             despots of all time.

   despotic  adj.  dictatorial, tyrannical, oppressive, authoritarian,
             imperious, domineering, totalitarian, absolute, autocratic,
             arbitrary:  The country was under the despotic rule of a callous
             tyrant.

   despotism n.  autocracy, monocracy, autarchy, totalitarianism, absolutism,
             dictatorship, tyranny, oppression, suppression, repression:  She
             denounced the new laws as another instance of the brutal
             despotism of the regime.

   dessert   n.  sweet, Brit pudding, Colloq Brit pud, afters:  For dessert,
             I had ice-cream and she had a fruit tart.

   destination
             n.  journey's end, terminus, stop, stopping-place; goal, end,
             objective, target:  Our destination is Bristol.

   destine   v.  1 fate, predetermine, predestine, ordain, foreordain,
             preordain; doom:  His only ambition was to be a successful
             farmer, but the gods destined him for greater things. 2 design,
             intend, mean, devote, assign, appoint, designate, purpose, mark,
             earmark, set aside:  He beheld the chariot destined to carry him
             heavenwards.

   destined  adj.  1 meant, intended, designed, predetermined, foreordained,
             predestined, fated; doomed, written; US in the cards:  His
             destined end was to be shot while escaping. Oliver was destined
             to fail at everything he tried. It was destined that the boy
             would become king. 2 certain, sure, bound, ineluctable,
             unavoidable, inevitable, inescapable:  Being devoured by
             monsters is the destined demise of all who dare to enter there.

   destiny   n.  fate, doom, fortune, lot, kismet, karma:  It is my destiny
             to be ignored when living and forgotten when dead.

   destitute adj.  1 in want, impoverished, poverty-stricken, poor, indigent,
             down and out, needy, on one's uppers, badly off, penniless,
             penurious, impecunious, insolvent, bankrupt, Colloq hard up,
             broke, US on skid row:  Why distribute food to destitute
             families only at Christmas?  2 Usually, destitute of. bereft of,
             deficient in, deprived of, devoid of, lacking (in), wanting
             (in), in need, needful (of), without:  The landscape was
             entirely destitute of trees.

   destroy   v.  1 demolish, tear or pull down, raze, wipe out, ravage,
             wreck, smash, ruin, break up or down, annihilate, crush,
             eradicate, extirpate, exterminate, devastate, commit mayhem, lay
             waste, vandalize, Slang US trash:  The invading hordes destroyed
             everything, leaving desolation in their wake. The storm
             destroyed fifty houses. 2 ruin, do away with, end, make an end
             of, bring to an end, bring or put an end to, terminate, finish,
             kill:  Realizing what he had done, he destroyed himself. The
             trial destroyed his career. 3 counteract, neutralize, nullify,
             annul, cancel (out), reverse; stop, interfere with:  Caught
             embezzling, Martin destroyed everything he had worked for.
             Sunspot activity destroyed radio transmission this week. 4
             disprove, refute, confute, deny, contradict, negate, overturn,
             overthrow, ruin, spoil, undermine, weaken, enfeeble, devitalize,
             exhaust, disable, cripple:  By pointing out just one flaw, she
             destroyed his entire argument.

   destruction
             n.  1 demolition, razing, wrecking, ruin, ruining, ruination,
             breaking up or down, mayhem, havoc, annihilation, devastation,
             tearing or knocking down, laying waste, ravagement; rack and
             ruin, Colloq wiping out:  The destruction of the city took place
             in 1942.  2 slaughter, annihilation, killing, eradication,
             murder, extermination, holocaust, liquidation, massacre,
             extinction, genocide, assassination, slaying, putting to death,
             putting an end to, making an end of, doing away with, putting
             away, Colloq doing in, wiping out; Slang US rubbing out,
             rub-out:  They were bent on the destruction of an entire people.
             3 undoing, end, ruin, ruination, downfall, termination, breakup,
             breakdown, collapse:  The imprisonment of the bosses spelt the
             destruction of the entire crime network.

   destructive
             adj.  1 harmful, injurious, baneful, pernicious, dangerous,
             hurtful, toxic, poisonous, virulent, noxious, bad, malignant,
             baleful, unwholesome, damaging, detrimental, deleterious,
             devastating; deadly, fatal, lethal, fell, killing, internecine:
             The spray keeps away insects but is destructive of the plant
             life.  2 negative, adverse, opposing, opposed, contrary,
             contradictory, antithetical, conflicting, unfavourable,
             condemnatory, derogatory, disparaging, disapproving, critical:
             The playwrights feared and disliked him because of his
             destructive criticism.

   desultory adj.  shifting, devious, unsteady, irregular, wavering,
             inconstant, fitful, spasmodic, unmethodical, disconnected,
             unsystematic, disorderly, disordered, unorganized, disorganized,
             inconsistent, random, haphazard, chaotic, erratic, shifty:  He
             made no more than a desultory effort to stop smoking. The
             countries engaged in intermittent, desultory warfare for
             decades.

   detach    v.  separate, uncouple, part, disjoin, disengage, disunite,
             disconnect, disentangle, free, unfasten, undo, cut off, remove:
             She carefully detached the printer lead from the back of the
             computer.

   detached  adj.  1 disconnected, unattached, separate(d), free, isolated,
             disentangled, unfastened, removed, cut off, divided, disjoined:
             He suffered from a detached retina. Their new house is detached.
             2 disinterested, aloof, uninvolved, unemotional, dispassionate,
             d‚gag‚(e), reserved, impersonal, impartial, neutral, objective,
             unbiased, unprejudiced:  She seemed rather detached and did not
             get involved in the discussion.

   detachment
             n.  1 separating, unfastening, disconnecting, detaching,
             disengaging; separation, disconnection, disengagement:  Most
             young birds cannot survive a prolonged period of detachment from
             their parents. 2 aloofness, unconcern, indifference, coolness,
             inattention, insouciance:  He viewed the carnage of the battle
             with regal detachment.  3 See detail, 3, below.

   detail    n.  1 particular, element, factor, point, fact, specific,
             technicality, component, item, feature; aspect, respect, count:
             He gave us a general idea of the plan but not a single detail.
             2 details. particulars, minutiae, niceties, fine points,
             specifics, technicalities:  Must we go into all the details of
             his dismissal?  3 detachment, squad, party, cadre, duty,
             fatigue, group:  The sergeant appointed a detail to police the
             area.  4 in detail. specifically, particularly, thoroughly, in
             depth, item by item, point by point, exhaustively,
             comprehensively, inside out, perfectly:  We examined the report
             in detail.

             --v.  5 specify, spell out, itemize, delineate, catalogue, list,
             tabulate, enumerate, particularize, recount, cite (chapter and
             verse):  She detailed every little move I was to make.  6
             assign, appoint, charge, delegate, name, specify, send:  We have
             been detailed to act as your bodyguard during your visit.

   detailed  adj.  1 itemized, exhaustive, comprehensive, thorough, full,
             complete, inclusive, particularized, precise, exact, minute,
             blow-by-blow, circumstantial:  He kept a detailed report of
             everything that happened on D-Day.  2 intricate, complex,
             complicated, elaborate, ornate:  Note the detailed scrollwork on
             this screen.

   detect    v.  1 uncover, find (out), discover, locate, learn of,
             ascertain, determine, dig up, unearth:  The pathologist detected
             the presence of prussic acid in the victim's bloodstream. 2
             perceive, note, notice, identify, spot, observe, sense, read,
             scent, smell, discern, feel, catch, find:  Did I detect a tone
             of sarcasm in your reply, young man?

   detective n.  investigator, private investigator, CID man, policeman,
             constable, Colloq private eye, sleuth, Sherlock, snoop, snooper,
             Brit tec, US P.I., dick, Hawkshaw; Slang cop, copper, US and
             Canadian gumshoe, peeper:  Detectives have at last solved the
             case of the missing weapon.

   detention n.  custody, confinement, imprisonment, captivity, internment,
             incarceration, restraint, Archaic or literary durance:  The
             culprit was kept in detention for a week.

   deter     v.  dissuade, discourage, inhibit, intimidate, daunt, frighten
             off or from or away, scare off or from; prevent, stop, obstruct,
             check, hinder, impede:  I was deterred from entering by three
             large dogs. Regular spraying of plants helps to deter aphid
             infestation.

   detergent n.  1 cleaner, cleanser, soap (powder or flakes or liquid);
             surfactant, surface-active agent, detersive:  You put too much
             detergent into the washing machine and it overflowed.

             --adj.  2 cleaning, cleansing, washing, purifying, detersive:
             The detergent effect is reduced if too much soap is used.

   deteriorate
             v.  1 worsen, decline, degenerate, degrade, spoil, worsen, get
             worse, depreciate, slip, slide, Colloq go to pot, go to the
             dogs, go downhill:  We have watched their relationship
             deteriorate over the years.  2 decay, decline, disintegrate,
             fall apart, decompose, crumble, erode:  The building slowly
             deteriorated and is now uninhabitable.

   determination
             n.  1 resoluteness, resolution, firmness, resolve,
             steadfastness, tenacity, perseverance, fortitude, doggedness,
             persistence, constancy, single-mindedness, will (power), Colloq
             grit, guts:  The idea is a good one, if only she has the
             determination to see it through. 2 settlement, resolution,
             resolving, decision, solution, judgement, verdict, outcome,
             result, upshot, conclusion, end, termination:  None of us could
             live in peace till the determination of the border dispute. 3
             fixing, settling, ascertainment, ascertaining, delimitation,
             definition:  The determination of our position is critical in
             setting our course.

   determine v.  1 settle, decide, clinch, arbitrate, judge, adjudge,
             conclude, terminate, end:  The ambiguity must be determined one
             way or the other.  2 ascertain, find out, discover, conclude,
             infer, draw, learn, detect; verify:  From the evidence, they
             determined the identity of the intruder.  3 decide, choose,
             select, resolve, make up one's mind, settle on or upon, fix on
             or upon:  You alone can determine which candidate you want to
             vote for.  4 affect, influence, act on, shape, condition,
             govern, regulate, dictate:  There were many factors determining
             my choice.

   determined
             adj.  1 decided, resolute, resolved, purposeful, dogged,
             strong-willed, strong-minded, single-minded, tenacious, intent,
             firm, unflinching, unwavering, fixed, constant, persistent,
             persevering, steady, unfaltering, unhesitating, unyielding,
             stubborn, obstinate, adamant:  He was determined not to go. We
             made a determined effort to locate the wreck. 2 fixed,
             determinate, definite, exact, precise, distinct, predetermined,
             ascertained, identified:  They worked to a previously determined
             plan. They agreed to pay a percentage of the determined price.

   deterrent n.  hindrance, impediment, discouragement, disincentive,
             dissuasion, check, hitch, obstacle, obstruction,
             stumbling-block; catch, snag, rub, fly in the ointment, bar,
             drawback:  Some experts hold that the death penalty is no
             deterrent to murder.  The only deterrent to your plan is that we
             are likely to be caught.

   detest    v.  despise, loathe, hate, abhor, execrate, abominate:  They
             served turnips, which I detest, and sat me next to Ida, whom I
             also detest.

   detour    n.  1 diversion, deviation, circuitous route or way, roundabout
             way, bypass:  The detour took us five miles out of our way.

             --v.  2 deviate, turn (away) from, divert, bypass:  I detoured
             from the main road and took a short cut.

   detract   v.  detract from. diminish, reduce, take away from, subtract
             from, lessen, depreciate, disparage:  Once you are in the public
             eye, your slightest fault detracts from your reputation.

   detriment n.  disadvantage, drawback, liability; damage, harm, ill,
             impairment, injury, hurt, loss:  He has a tendency to support
             lost causes, to his own detriment.  Seeds survive without
             detriment where their plants would perish.

   detrimental
             adj.  disadvantageous, harmful, injurious, hurtful, damaging,
             deleterious, destructive, prejudicial, adverse, unfavourable,
             inimical, pernicious:  I know nothing detrimental about either
             one of them.

   devastate v.  1 lay waste, ravage, destroy, waste, sack, raze, ruin,
             desolate, spoil, wreck, demolish, level, flatten, gut,
             obliterate:  The island was completely devastated by the tidal
             wave that followed the typhoon. 2 disconcert, confound,
             discomfit, take aback, nonplus, shatter, overwhelm, abash,
             shock; humiliate, mortify, embarrass, chagrin, Colloq floor, US
             discombobulate:  She was devastated by the news of Bertie's
             expulsion from college.

   devastating
             adj.  1 keen, incisive, mordant, penetrating, trenchant,
             telling; sardonic, sarcastic, bitter, acid, caustic, savage,
             satirical, virulent, vitriolic:  Because of his bland manner,
             his devastating wit often caught people by surprise. 2
             ravishing, captivating, enthralling, stunning, overpowering,
             bewitching, spellbinding; spectacular:  Kathy was wearing a
             devastating black silk dress.

   develop   v.  1 bring out or forth, advance, expand (on or upon), broaden,
             enlarge (on or upon), amplify, evolve, expatiate (on or upon),
             elaborate (on or upon), reveal, lay open, expose, unfold,
             disclose, bare, (cause to) grow, realize the potential (of);
             cultivate, improve, promote, exploit, strengthen:  The plot is
             fine, but the characters need to be developed more fully. It is
             the aim of the school to develop the students' natural
             abilities. 2 (make) grow, mature, ripen, age, expand; flower,
             blossom, bloom, increase:  You can't develop that idea without
             financial backing. These shrubs will be fully developed next
             year. 3 exhibit, display, show, demonstrate, manifest:  She has
             recently developed an interest in cooking.  4 emerge, arise,
             appear, come out, come to light, evolve, originate, begin,
             commence, happen, occur, come about; come forth, result:  A
             serious fault has developed in the rocket's fuel line. His
             natural talent for music developed when he joined the school
             band.

   development
             n.  1 occurrence, happening, event, incident, circumstance,
             situation, condition, phenomenon:  William Nye will report new
             developments from the scene.  2 evolution, growth, evolvement,
             maturation, unfolding, maturing, maturity, increase, expansion,
             enlargement, increment; advance, advancement, progress;
             improvement:  She has studied the region's economic development.

   deviant   adj.  1 deviating, divergent, different, abnormal, strange,
             uncommon, unusual, odd, peculiar, curious, aberrant, eccentric,
             idiosyncratic, deviate, queer, quirky, weird, bizarre, offbeat,
             singular, Slang kinky, freaky, Chiefly Brit bent:  They have
             been observing his deviant behaviour for some time.  2 See
             homosexual, 2, below.

             --n.  3 See homosexual, 1, below.

   deviate   v.  1 turn aside or away, swerve, veer, wander, stray, drift,
             digress, diverge; divert:  He has chosen a path that deviates
             from the straight and narrow.

             --adj., n.  2 See deviant, 1, 3, above.

   device    n.  1 contrivance, mechanism, machine, machinery, implement,
             utensil, apparatus, instrument, appliance, tool, gadget,
             gimmick, Colloq contraption, widget, thingumajig or thingamajig,
             Brit gubbins:  She has patented a device for peeling hard-boiled
             eggs.  2 stratagem, scheme, trick, artifice, ruse, plot, ploy,
             gambit, strategy, manoeuvre, machination; machinery, apparatus,
             mechanism, contrivance, gimmick, tool, weapon:  They resorted to
             a variety of devices in order to achieve their ends. That lawyer
             used every device he could think of to separate Cornelia from
             her inheritance. 3 design, emblem, figure, (heraldic) bearing,
             insigne, cadency mark, mark of cadency, hallmark, trade mark,
             symbol, badge, coat of arms, seal, crest, colophon, logotype,
             logo, monogram, charge, cognizance, signet; motto, slogan,
             legend:  The device - a closed eye - is that of Lord Boring.  4
             devices. pleasure, disposition, will, inclination, fancy,
             desire, whim:  Left to his own devices, he'll survive very well
             indeed.

   devil     n.  1 Satan, Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Beelzebub, Asmodeus,
             Abaddon, Apollyon, Belial, Lord of the Flies, prince of
             darkness, spirit of evil, evil spirit, cacodemon or cacodaemon,
             evil one, wicked one, archfiend, Fiend, deuce, Scots Clootie;
             Colloq Old Harry, (Old) Nick, US (Old) Scratch:  In medieval
             times the devil was given horns, a tail, and cloven hooves. 2
             brute, fiend, demon, beast, ogre, monster, rogue, scoundrel,
             rake, knave, rakehell, villain, ghoul, hell-hound, vampire,
             barbarian; witch, hell-cat, shrew, termagant, vixen, virago,
             ogress, harpy, hag, Xanthippe or Xantippe, crone:  If you hit me
             again I'll phone the police, you devil!  3 fellow, person, chap,
             wretch, bloke, guy, beggar, unfortunate, Colloq bugger, Brit
             sod:  The poor devil lost an arm at Gallipoli.  4 imp, scamp,
             rascal, fox, slyboots, sly dog, rapscallion, confidence man,
             trickster, Colloq operator, smoothie, smooth or slick operator,
             con man, con artist:  The little devil has stolen our hearts.
             The devil wormed his way into our confidence and then made off
             with our money. 5 like the devil. exceedingly, extremely,
             excessively, violently, speedily, confoundedly, deucedly:  The
             car was going like the devil when it hit the tree. She fought
             like the devil to protect the house. 6 - the devil. in heaven's
             name, the dickens, in the world, on God's green earth, in hell:
             What the devil do you think you are doing? Who the devil is she?
             Where the devil have you put my trousers?

   devilish  adj.  diabolic(al), satanic, Mephistophelian, fiendish, demonic,
             cacodemonic, demoniac(al), infernal, hellish, villainous,
             sinister, wicked, evil, iniquitous, sinful, flagitious, heinous,
             malign, malevolent, malignant, cruel, maleficent; impish,
             mischievous, prankish, naughty, crazy, madcap:  He has come up
             with a devilish plan for stealing the secret formula.

   devilry   n.  1 deviltry, mischief, mischievousness, roguery, naughtiness,
             rascality, roguishness, diablerie, archness, knavery,
             knavishness:  His latest bit of devilry is hiding father's
             bedroom slippers.  2 deviltry, devilishness, wickedness, evil,
             fiendishness, diablerie, cruelty, malice, malevolence,
             viciousness, perversity, iniquity, hellishness, villainy:  That
             traitor is up to some devilry.

   devious   adj.  1 deceitful, underhand(ed), insincere, deceptive,
             misleading, subreptitious, sneaky, furtive, surreptitious,
             secretive, double-dealing, treacherous, dishonest, shifty,
             smooth, slick, slippery, scheming, plotting, designing, foxy,
             vulpine, wily, sly, crafty, tricky Colloq crooked:  The plot to
             poison the queen was the product of a devious mind.  2 indirect,
             roundabout, zigzag, evasive, circuitous, crooked, rambling,
             serpentine, tortuous, sinuous, anfractuous:  That is about the
             most devious bit of reasoning I have ever heard!

   devise    v.  1 concoct, make up, conceive, scheme, contrive, dream up,
             design, draft, frame, form, formulate, plan, arrange, work out,
             think up, originate, invent, create, Colloq cook up:  He devised
             a method for making sandals out of leather scraps.  2 bequeath,
             will, convey, hand down, give, assign, dispose of, transfer,
             bestow:  I devise to my nephew, Ian Ferguson, my property in
             Yorkshire.

   devote    v.  1 apply, appropriate, assign, allot, commit, allocate, set
             aside or apart, put away or aside, dedicate, consecrate:  Each
             of the chapels was devoted to a separate sect.  2 apply, pledge,
             dedicate, commit, give up:  She has devoted her life to helping
             others.

   devoted   adj.  faithful, true, dedicated, committed, devout, loyal,
             loving, doting, staunch, tender, staunch, steadfast, constant;
             ardent, loving, caring, fond, earnest, zealous, enthusiastic:
             Your brother was my most devoted friend throughout his life.

   devotee   n.  fan, aficionado, adherent, votary, enthusiast, addict,
             Colloq buff, fiend, US hound; Slang bug, nut, freak, US head,
             junkie, groupie:  The band was followed about on tour by scores
             of screaming devotees of rock music.

   devotion  n.  1 devotedness, devoutness, reverence; earnestness,
             religiousness, piety, religiosity, pietism, godliness, holiness,
             spirituality, sanctity; worship, prayer, observance, ritual:
             The sect was noted for its devotion to martyrs and their relics.
             It is gratifying to see such devotion amongst the younger
             members of the congregation. They interrupted the holy man at
             his devotions. 2 dedication, consecration, attachment, loyalty,
             devotedness:  His devotion to duty will be remembered by his
             fellow soldiers.  3 zeal, ardour, fervour, ardency, intensity,
             fanaticism, eagerness, enthusiasm, earnestness, readiness,
             willingness; love, passion, infatuation, fondness, affection,
             attachment, adherence, loyalty, allegiance:  They would dedicate
             themselves with slavish devotion to some brutal master.

   devour    v.  1 wolf (down), gulp (down), bolt, swallow (up), gorge,
             gobble (up), gormandize, cram, stuff, eat (up) greedily, Archaic
             gluttonize; Colloq Brit pig, US and Canadian pig out (on):  He
             was so hungry when he came in that he devoured two whole pies
             and a plate of chips. 2 consume, waste, destroy, wipe out,
             ravage, annihilate, demolish, ruin, wreak havoc (up)on,
             devastate, obliterate, eradicate:  A quarter of Europe was
             already devoured by the plague.  3 relish, revel in, absorb, be
             absorbed by; engulf, consume, drink in, eat up, swallow up, take
             in; swamp, overcome, overwhelm:  He eagerly devoured all of
             Dickens's novels. The sea devoured its victims silently.

   devout    adj.  1 devoted, pious, religious, reverent, worshipful,
             faithful, dedicated, staunch, churchgoing; holy, godly, saintly,
             pure:  When I last saw him, he had become a devout Christian.  2
             devotional, reverential, religious, solemn:  Through devout
             prayer one might see the kingdom of heaven.  3 earnest, sincere,
             genuine, hearty, heartfelt, devoted, ardent, zealous:  You have
             my devout best wishes for your happiness.

   dexterity n.  1 touch, nimbleness, adroitness, deftness, facility, knack,
             skill, proficiency; sleight of hand:  Much fine rug-weaving is
             done by little children because of the dexterity of their small
             fingers. 2 cleverness, ingenuity, ingeniousness, tact,
             astuteness, keenness, sharpness, shrewdness, cunning, guile,
             canniness, artfulness:  I admire his dexterity in arguing the
             case in court. He exercised great dexterity in eluding capture.

   dexterous adj.  1 dextrous, deft, lithe, nimble, supple, agile, quick,
             skilful:  He was a dexterous archer.  2 clever, ingenious,
             astute, keen, sharp, shrewd, cunning, guileful, canny, artful,
             crafty, slick:  She was devout in religion, decorous in conduct,
             and dexterous in business. He was the most dexterous of our
             political leaders.

4.3 diabolic...
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   diabolic  adj.  1 diabolical, devilish, satanic, Mephistophelian, demonic,
             demoniac(al), fiendish, hellish, infernal:  His interest in the
             supernatural included participation in diabolic rituals of the
             most repulsive kind. 2 diabolical, cruel, wicked, iniquitous,
             evil, fiendish, appalling, dreadful, inhuman, atrocious,
             execrable, abominable, awful, terrible, damnable, accursed,
             horrid, horrible, hideous, monstrous, odious, vile, base,
             corrupt, foul, depraved, flagitious, heinous, malicious,
             malevolent, malign, maleficent, sinister, sinful, impious, bad:
             The prisoners suffered the most diabolic treatment.

   diagnose  v.  identify, name, determine, recognize, distinguish, pinpoint,
             interpret; analyse:  The doctor diagnosed the symptoms as those
             of rheumatoid arthritis.

   dialect   n.  speech (pattern), phraseology, idiom, accent, pronunciation,
             patois, vernacular; jargon, cant, slang, argot, language,
             tongue, Creole, pidgin; brogue, burr, Colloq lingo:  Some of the
             regional dialects are hard to understand.

   dialogue  n.  1 duologue, conversation, discussion, conference, talk,
             chat, colloquy, communication:  I wrote down that dialogue - it
             was hilarious!  2 parley, conference, meeting, huddle,
             t€te-…-t€te, colloquy, Colloq US and Canadian rap session:  A
             meaningful dialogue between labour and management could easily
             settle the question.

   diary     n.  appointment book, date-book, calendar, engagement book;
             journal, chronicle, log, record, annal(s):  According to my
             diary, the date we dined was the lst.

   dicey     n.  risky, tricky, dangerous, difficult, ticklish,
             unpredictable, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, Colloq iffy, chancy
             or chancey, hairy:  Asking for another pay rise could be pretty
             dicey, Daniel.

   dicker    v.  1 bargain, trade, barter, deal, haggle, negotiate:  If I
             dicker with him, he may drop his price.

             --n.  2 bargain, deal, haggle, negotiation:  We had a bit of a
             dicker but finally settled on a figure.

   dicky     adj.  dickey, shaky, unreliable, unsteady, unsound, faulty,
             Colloq dodgy:  The engine sounds a bit dicky to me - you'd
             better have it seen to.

   dictate   v.  1 say, prescribe, ordain, decree, demand, command, lay down
             (the law), order, direct, pronounce, impose:  It is our leader
             who dictates what we may say and do.

             --n.  2 decree, demand, command, order, direction, instruction,
             charge, pronouncement, edict, fiat, ukase, mandate, caveat,
             injunction, requirement, bidding, behest:  Each must act in
             accord with the dictates of his conscience.

   dictator  n.  autocrat, absolute ruler or monarch, despot, overlord,
             oppressor, tsar or czar, tyrant, Fuehrer or FЃhrer:  Among
             monarchs, Henry VIII certainly could have been characterized as
             a dictator.

   dictatorial
             adj.  1 absolute, arbitrary, totalitarian, authoritarian,
             autocratic, all-powerful, omnipotent, unlimited:  The peoples of
             some countries often confer dictatorial powers on their leaders.
             2 despotic, tyrannical, authoritarian, iron-handed, domineering,
             imperious, overbearing, Colloq bossy:  The dictatorial way she
             runs the department makes those who work there miserable.

   diction   n.  1 language, wording, (verbal or writing) style, expression,
             usage, expressiveness, terminology, word choice, vocabulary,
             phraseology, phrasing, rhetoric:  Please go over my paper and
             correct the diction.  2 articulation, pronunciation,
             enunciation, delivery, elocution, oratory, presentation, speech,
             intonation, inflection:  That course in public speaking,
             improved Brian's diction enormously.

   dictionary
             n.  lexicon, glossary, wordbook; thesaurus:  My dictionary gives
             the pronunciation, etymology, and meanings of hundreds of
             thousands of words.

   die       v.  1 lose one's life, lay down one's life, perish, expire,
             decease, suffer death, Euphemistic depart, give up the ghost, be
             no more, (go to) meet one's Maker, breathe one's last, go to the
             happy hunting-grounds, go to one's reward, go to one's final or
             last resting-place, go west, pay the debt of nature, pay one's
             debt to nature, pass through the pearly gates, pass away or on,
             join the majority, go the way of all flesh; Slang pop off, bite
             the dust, kick the bucket, croak, Brit snuff it, go for a
             burton, pop one's clogs, US turn up one's toes, cash in one's
             chips or checks:  He died of tuberculosis, a rare affliction
             these days.  2 Often, die down or out or away. dwindle, lessen,
             diminish, decrease, ebb, decline, wane, subside, wither (away),
             wilt, melt (away), dissolve, peter out, fail, weaken,
             deteriorate, disintegrate, degenerate, fade (away), droop,
             moulder, sink, vanish, disappear:  We lost the race because the
             breeze died down. After the third try, her enthusiasm died. The
             sound of the flute died away among its echoes. 3 expire, end,
             stop, cease:  Your secret will die with me.  4 Usually, die off
             or out. become extinct, perish:  By about 200 million years ago,
             all the dinosaurs had died out.  5 long, pine, yearn, crave,
             hanker, want, desire, hunger, ache:  He said he was dying to
             meet a real movie star.

   diet°     n.  1 fare, food, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance,
             subsistence, victuals, intake, aliment:  A well-balanced diet is
             very important.  2 regimen, regime:  She is on a diet of bread
             and water.

             --v.  3 fast, abstain; slim; reduce:  I am dieting to lose
             weight.

   dietэ     n.  council, congress, parliament, senate, legislature, house,
             chamber, assembly:  In Japan, the legislature is called a diet .

   differ    v.  1 diverge, deviate, be separate or distinct, be dissimilar
             or different, contrast; depart:  Even the leaves of the same
             tree differ from one another. These substances differ in their
             magnetic properties. 2 disagree, conflict, contradict, be
             contradictory, vary, be at variance, take issue, part company,
             fall out, quarrel, argue:  Opinions differ as to the best way to
             bring up children. She differed with me on many subjects.

   difference
             n.  1 distinction, dissimilarity, discrepancy, unlikeness,
             disagreement, inconsistency, diversity, variation, imbalance;
             inequality, dissimilitude, incongruity, contrast,
             contradistinction, contrariety:  Difference of opinion can be
             constructive in a business partnership.  Being colour-blind, he
             cannot tell the difference between red and green. 2 Often,
             differences. dispute, quarrel, argument, disagreement,
             dissension, conflict:  We were able to settle our differences
             amicably.  3 change, alteration, metamorphosis, reformation,
             transformation, conversion, adjustment, modification:  Since her
             operation, the difference in Philippa is surprising.  4
             idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, characteristic, character, nature:
             There are important differences between socialism and communism.
             5 rest, remainder, leftovers, balance:  After each had taken his
             share, the difference was 12, which we divided equally among the
             four of us.

   different adj.  1 unlike, unalike, dissimilar, conflicting; contrary,
             discrete, contrastive, contrasting, disparate, divergent,
             diverse, distinct, opposite, separate, distinguishable; another
             or other:  We both enjoy boating but in different ways. When
             modelling, she assumes a different pose every few seconds. 2
             unique, unusual, peculiar, odd, singular, particular,
             distinctive, personal, extraordinary, special, remarkable,
             bizarre, rare, weird, strange, unconventional, original, out of
             the ordinary; new, novel, exceptional, unheard-of:  And now, for
             something completely different, we present a juggling trick
             cyclist. 3 assorted, manifold, multifarious, numerous, abundant,
             sundry, various, varied, divers, many, several:  Different kinds
             of breakfast cereal are now available.

   differentiate
             v.  1 distinguish, discriminate, contradistinguish, separate,
             contrast, oppose, set off or apart, tell apart:  They must learn
             how to differentiate one species from another.  2 modify,
             specialize, change, alter, transform, transmute, convert, adapt,
             adjust:  All organisms possess the power to differentiate
             special organs to meet special needs.

   difficult adj.  1 hard, arduous, toilsome, strenuous, tough, laborious,
             burdensome, onerous, demanding:  He found it difficult to work
             the longer hours. The first birth is sometimes difficult. 2
             puzzling, perplexing, baffling, enigmatic(al), profound,
             abstruse, obscure, recondite, complex; thorny, intricate,
             sensitive, knotty, problematic(al), ticklish, scabrous:  Some of
             the questions in the exam were very difficult. The analyst
             raised a lot of difficult issues which I had to confront. 3
             intractable, recalcitrant, obstructive, stubborn, unmanageable,
             obstinate, contrary, unaccommodating, refractory, unyielding,
             uncompromising; naughty, ill-behaved; Colloq Brit bloody-minded:
             Tessa has three difficult teenagers in the house these days.  4
             troubled, troubling, tough, burdensome, onerous, demanding,
             trying, hard, grim, dark, unfavourable, straitening:  We have
             been through some difficult times together.  5 fussy,
             particular, demanding, finicky, finical, fastidious, critical,
             troublesome, difficile, awkward, Colloq nit-picking:  I'll go
             wherever you like; I don't want to be difficult about it. Sharon
             can be a very difficult person to be with.

   difficulty
             n.  1 strain, hardship, arduousness, laboriousness,
             formidableness, tribulation, painfulness:  Despite much
             difficulty she succeeded.  2 hardship, obstacle, problem,
             distress, pitfall, dilemma, predicament, problem, snag,
             hindrance; Gordian knot:  He has encountered difficulties during
             his career.  3 Often, difficulties. embarrassment, plight,
             predicament, mess, strait(s), trouble, scrape, Colloq hot water,
             jam, pickle, fix; hot potato:  She always seems to be in
             financial difficulties.

   diffuse   adj.  1 spread (out or about or around), scattered, dispersed,
             widespread; sparse, meagre, thin (on the ground):  A few diffuse
             clouds could be seen on the horizon.  2 wordy, verbose, prolix,
             long-winded, loquacious, discursive, digressive, rambling,
             circumlocutory, meandering, roundabout, circuitous,
             periphrastic, ambagious, diffusive, pleonastic:  The style of
             the book is very diffuse, being extravagantly uneconomic of
             expression.

             --v.  3 spread, circulate, distribute, dispense, disperse;
             dispel, scatter, broadcast, sow, disseminate; dissipate:  The
             colour rapidly diffused, turning the liquid crimson. She has
             successfully diffused her ideas of female equality throughout
             the community.

   dig       v.  1 excavate, burrow, gouge, scoop, hollow out; tunnel:  He
             dug a hole in which to set the post.  2 nudge, thrust, stab,
             jab, plunge, force, prod, poke:  I dug my spurs into my horse
             and rode off. He kept digging me in the ribs with his finger. 3
             appreciate, enjoy, like, understand:  They really dig the jazz
             of the big-band era.  4 notice, note, look at, regard:  Hey,
             man, dig that crazy gear!  5 dig into. probe (into), delve into,
             go deeply into, explore, look into, research, study:  We dug
             into many books of forgotten lore to find the words of the magic
             spell. 6 dig out or up. unearth, disinter, exhume, bring up,
             find, obtain, extract, ferret out, winkle out, discover, bring
             to light, expose, dredge up, extricate, come up with, Australian
             fossick:  I dug out an old book on witchcraft. She has dug up
             some interesting information about your friend Glover.

             --n.  7 thrust, poke, jab, stab, nudge:  She playfully gave him
             a dig in the ribs.  8 insult, insinuation, gibe, slur; taunt,
             jeer; Colloq slap (in the face), wisecrack, crack, US low blow:
             Referring to him as a Dartmoor graduate was a nasty dig.

   digest    v.  1 assimilate:  She has trouble digesting milk.  2 bear,
             stand, endure, survive, assimilate, accept, tolerate, brook,
             swallow, stomach:  The attack was too much for even him to
             digest.  3 comprehend, assimilate, understand, take in,
             consider, grasp, study, ponder, meditate (on or over), reflect
             on, think over, weigh:  I need a little time to digest the new
             regulations.  4 abbreviate, cut, condense, abridge, compress,
             epitomize, summarize, reduce, shorten:  Her assistant had
             digested the report into four pages by noon.

             --n.  5 condensation, abridgment or abridgement, abstract,
             pr‚cis, r‚sum‚, synopsis, summary, conspectus, abbreviation:  I
             never did read the original novel, only a digest.

   dignified adj.  stately, noble, majestic, formal, solemn, serious, sober,
             grave, distinguished, honourable, distingu‚, elegant, august,
             sedate, reserved; regal, courtly, lordly, lofty, exalted, grand:
             Despite the abuse, he maintained a dignified demeanour.

   dignify   v.  distinguish, ennoble, elevate, raise, exalt, glorify,
             upraise, lift, uplift, enhance, improve, better, upgrade:  The
             critic wrote that he wouldn't deign to dignify the book by
             calling it a novel.

   dignitary n.  personage, official, notable, worthy, magnate, power,
             higher-up; celebrity, lion, luminary, star, superstar, Colloq
             VIP, bigwig, big shot, big wheel, big name, big gun, hotshot,
             hot stuff, big noise, big White Chief, big Chief, big Daddy,
             Brit Lord or Lady Muck, high-muck-a-muck, Slang big cheese,
             Chiefly US Mr Big, biggie, fat cat:  Anyone with a lot of money
             is treated today as a dignitary.

   dignity   n.  1 nobility, majesty, gravity, gravitas, solemnity,
             courtliness, distinction, stateliness, formality, grandeur,
             eminence; hauteur, loftiness:  She entered and walked with
             dignity to the throne.  2 worth, worthiness, nobility,
             nobleness, excellence, honour, honourableness, respectability,
             respectableness, standing, importance, greatness, glory,
             station, status, rank, level, position:  The real dignity of a
             man lies not in what he has but in what he is. 3 self-respect,
             self-regard, amour propre, self-confidence, self-esteem, pride,
             self-importance:  It was beneath her dignity to speak directly
             to a footman.

   digression
             n.  1 aside, departure, deviation, detour, obiter dictum,
             parenthesis, apostrophe, excursus:  His numerous digressions
             made it difficult to focus on the main points of the speech. 2
             digressing, deviating, divergence, going off at a tangent,
             rambling, meandering, straying, wandering, deviation:
             Digression from the main theme of his speech only diluted his
             argument.

   dilapidated
             adj.  ruined, broken-down, in ruins, gone to rack and ruin,
             wrecked, destroyed, falling apart, decrepit, derelict, battered,
             tumbledown, run-down, ramshackle, crumbling, decayed, decaying,
             rickety, shaky, shabby, Brit raddled:  We shall have to fix up
             that dilapidated barn if we expect to use it.

   dilemma   n.  predicament, quandary, double bind, catch-22, impasse,
             deadlock, stalemate; plight, difficulty, trouble; stymie,
             snooker; Colloq bind, box, fix, jam, spot, pickle, squeeze:  He
             was faced with the dilemma of killing the injured animal or
             allowing it to die in agony.

   dilettante
             n.  dabbler, trifler, aesthete, amateur:  You know art like a
             curator; I am a mere dilettante.

   diligent  adj.  persevering, persistent, industrious, assiduous, sedulous,
             intent, steady, steadfast, focused, concentrated, earnest,
             attentive, conscientious, hard-working, indefatigable, tireless,
             constant, painstaking, careful, thorough, scrupulous,
             meticulous, punctilious:  Only through diligent application was
             she able to get through law school.

   dilute    v.  water (down), thin (down or out), cut, weaken, doctor,
             adulterate; mitigate, lessen, diminish, decrease:  For the
             table, wine was often diluted with water. He dilutes his
             argument by citing irrelevancies.

   dim       adj.  1 obscure, obscured, vague, faint, weak, weakened, pale,
             imperceptible, fuzzy, indistinct, ill-defined, indiscernible,
             undefined, indistinguishable, foggy, clouded, cloudy, nebulous,
             blurred, blurry, unclear, dull, hazy, misty, dark, shadowy,
             murky, tenebrous, gloomy, sombre, dusky, crepuscular:  Her
             beauty made The bright world dim. We could barely see in the dim
             light of the cave. 2 stupid, obtuse, doltish, dull, dull-witted,
             foolish, slow-witted, dim-witted, dense, Colloq thick, dumb:
             Anyone who can't understand that is really quite dim.

             --v.  3 obscure, dull, becloud:  His natural feelings of
             compassion had been dimmed by neglect.  4 darken, bedim, shroud,
             shade:  Twilight dims the sky above. The stage-lights dimmed and
             the curtain fell.

   diminish  v.  1 decrease, decline, abate, lessen, reduce, lower, shrink,
             curtail, contract, lop, crop, dock, clip, prune, cut, truncate,
             cut down, abbreviate, shorten, abridge, compress, condense, pare
             (down), scale down, boil down:  As the height increases, the
             pressure diminishes. The need for police patrols was diminished
             when we hired security guards. 2 belittle, disparage, degrade,
             downgrade, discredit, detract (from), vitiate, debase,
             deprecate, demean, derogate, depreciate, vilipend, devalue,
             cheapen, put down, dismiss, humiliate, demean, reject:  His
             abuse by the authorities did not diminish him in her eyes.  3
             wane, fade, dwindle, ebb, die out or away, peter out, recede,
             subside; slacken, let up, wind down, slow (down), ease (off),
             Colloq run out of steam:  Soaking in the hot water, I felt the
             tensions of mind and body gradually diminishing. The campaign
             finally diminished to a negligible effort.

   diminutive
             adj.  small, tiny, little, miniature, petite, minute, minuscule,
             mini, compact, undersized, pocket, pocket-sized, pygmy, elfin,
             Lilliputian, midget, wee, microscopic; micro, infinitesimal; US
             vest-pocket, vest-pocket-sized, Colloq teeny, teeny-weeny or
             teensy-weensy:  The bride and groom appeared with their
             diminutive page-boys and bridesmaids behind them.

   din       n.  1 noise, clamour, uproar, shouting, screaming, yelling,
             babel, clangour, clatter, commotion, racket, row, hullabaloo,
             hubbub, hurly-burly, rumpus, hollering, blare, blaring, bray,
             braying, bellow, bellowing, roar, blast, roaring, pandemonium,
             tumult:  We couldn't hear the speech above the din of the crowd.

             --v.  2 instil, drum, hammer:  The names and dates of the
             British monarchs were dinned into me in childhood.

   dine      v.  eat, banquet, feast, sup, break bread, breakfast, lunch,
             have a bite or snack, nibble, Colloq feed, Slang nosh:  We'll
             dine at 8.00, so don't be late.

   dingy     adj.  dark, dull, gloomy, dim, lacklustre, faded, discoloured,
             dusky, drab, dreary, dismal, cheerless, depressing, gloomy,
             shadowy, tenebrous, smoky, sooty, grey-brown, smudgy, grimy,
             dirty, soiled:  He was a dingy man, in dingy clothes, who lived
             in a dingy house.

   dip       v.  1 immerse, plunge, duck, dunk, douse, bathe, submerge:  He
             dipped each dish into the soapy water.  2 decline, go down,
             fall, descend, sag, sink, subside, slump:  The road dips after
             the next curve. The price of shares has dipped again. 3 dip in
             or into. dabble in, play at; skim, scan:  I haven't had time to
             read it, but I dipped into it here and there.

             --n.  4 swim, plunge; immersion; Brit bathe:  We are going for a
             dip in the pool before dinner.  5 lowering, sinking, depression,
             drop, slump, decline:  This dip in the price of oil means
             nothing.

   diplomacy n.  1 tact, tactfulness, adroitness, discretion:  She was able
             to get rid of that rude boor with her customary diplomacy.  2
             statecraft, statesmanship, negotiation; intrigue,
             Machiavellianism, machination, manoeuvring or maneuvering:
             Cardinal Richelieu is considered the founder of modern
             diplomacy.

   diplomatic
             adj.  tactful, discreet, prudent, wise, sensitive, politic,
             courteous, polite, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious,
             thoughtful:  How diplomatic it was of you to have invited
             Frances's husband!

   direct    v.  1 manage, handle, run, administer, govern, regulate,
             control, operate, superintend, supervise, command, head up,
             rule; Colloq call the shots:  She directs the company with an
             iron hand.  2 guide, lead, conduct, pilot, steer, show or point
             (the way), be at the helm; advise, counsel, instruct,
             mastermind; usher, escort:  He has directed the company for 40
             years, through good times and bad. Can you direct me to the post
             office? 3 rule, command, order, require, bid, tell, instruct,
             charge, dictate, enjoin; appoint, ordain:  He directed that the
             attack be launched at dawn.  4 aim, focus, level, point, train;
             turn:  That bullet was directed at my heart. Direct your
             attention to the front of the room. 5 send, address, post, mail:
             Please direct the letter to my home.

             --adj.  6 straight, unswerving, shortest, undeviating, through:
             We turned off the direct road to take in the view.  7
             uninterrupted, unreflected, unrefracted, without interference,
             unobstructed:  She cannot remain in direct sunlight for very
             long.  8 unbroken, lineal:  He claims to be a direct descendant
             of Oliver Cromwell's.  9 straightforward, unmitigated, outright,
             matter-of-fact, categorical, plain, clear, unambiguous,
             unmistakable, to the point, without or with no beating about the
             bush, unqualified, unequivocal, point-blank, explicit, express:
             I expect a direct answer to my direct question. Have you direct
             evidence of his guilt? That was a gross insult and a direct lie!
             10 straightforward, frank, candid, outspoken, plain-spoken,
             honest, blunt, open, uninhibited, unreserved, forthright,
             honest, sincere, unequivocal; undiplomatic, tactless:  She is
             very direct in commenting about people she dislikes.

   direction n.  1 directing, aiming, pointing, guiding, guidance,
             conducting, conduct, instructing, instruction, managing,
             management, administering, administration, governing,
             government, supervising, supervision, operating, operation,
             running, leadership, directorship, directorate, control,
             captaincy, handling, manipulation, regulation, rule, charge:
             The Freedom Party's direction of the country has led to many
             reforms.  2 Often, directions. instruction(s), information;
             bearing, road, way, route, avenue, course:  To assemble the
             appliance, follow the directions printed in the leaflet. Can you
             give me directions to the nearest filling-station?

   directly  adv.  1 straight, in a beeline, unswervingly, undeviatingly, as
             the crow flies:  This road should take me directly to the beach.
             2 immediately, at once, straight away, right away, quickly,
             promptly, without delay, speedily, instantly, Colloq US and
             Canadian momentarily:  She called and I went directly.  3 soon,
             later (on), anon, presently, in a (little) while, shortly:  The
             doctor will be here directly.  4 exactly, precisely, just;
             completely, entirely:  My garage is directly opposite. The
             cricket pitch is directly at the centre of the park.

             --conj.  5 as soon as, when:  The police arrested him directly
             he entered the building.

   director  n.  1 executive, administrator, official, principal; chairman,
             president, vice-president; governor; head, chief, boss, manager,
             superintendent, supervisor, overseer, foreman, headman, Colloq
             kingpin, number one, numero uno, Mr Big, the man; Slang top dog,
             top banana, Brit gaffer, US big cheese, head or chief honcho:
             The sale of the company was announced at the meeting of the
             board of directors. 2 guide, leader; steersman, helmsman, pilot,
             skipper, commander, commandant, captain; cicerone; maestro,
             concert-master, conductor; impresario:  We were lucky to have a
             director who really knew what he was doing.

   dirt      n.  1 soil, mud, muck, mire, grime, slime, sludge, ooze, slop;
             dust, soot; excrement, ordure; filth, waste, refuse, trash,
             garbage, rubbish, offal, junk, dross, sweepings; leavings,
             scrap, orts; Slang Brit gunge, US grunge:  This vacuum cleaner
             is guaranteed to pick up any kind of dirt.  2 soil, earth, loam,
             ground, clay:  Hydroponics is the technique of farming without
             dirt, using only liquid nutrients. 3 indecency, obscenity, smut,
             pornography, foulness, corruption, filth, vileness:  Customs
             confiscated much of the dirt before it could enter the country.
             4 gossip, scandal, talk, rumour, inside information , Colloq
             low-down, dope, Slang US scuttlebutt:  I got the dirt from David
             about what really happened at the party.

   dirty     adj.  1 foul, unclean, befouled, soiled, begrimed, sooty, grimy,
             filthy, mucky, besmeared, besmirched, befouled, polluted,
             squalid, sullied, stained, spotted, smudged, slovenly, unwashed,
             bedraggled, slatternly, untidy, Slang Brit gungy, US grungy:  If
             you think his shirt was dirty, you should have seen his body!  2
             smutty, indecent, obscene, ribald, off colour, prurient, risqu‚,
             salacious, lewd, lascivious, salacious, pornographic, coarse,
             licentious, rude, blue, scabrous:  His parents were shocked to
             hear him telling dirty jokes.  3 unfair, unscrupulous,
             unsporting, dishonest, mean, underhand(ed), unsportsmanlike,
             dishonourable, deceitful, corrupt, treacherous, perfidious,
             villainous, disloyal; malicious, malevolent, rotten, filthy:  It
             was a dirty trick of Sue's to tell the teacher.  4 bad, foul,
             nasty, stormy, rainy, windy, blowy, blowing, squally, sloppy:
             We're in for some dirty weather, Mr Christian, so you'd best
             reduce sail. 5 bitter, resentful, angry, furious, wrathful,
             smouldering:  She gave me a dirty look when I said anything
             about her sister.  6 sordid, base, mean, despicable,
             contemptible, ignoble, scurvy, low, low-down, ignominious, vile,
             nasty, infamous:  That villain has done his dirty work and now
             we must all suffer.  He's nothing but a dirty coward!

             --v.  7 stain, sully, befoul, soil, begrime, besmirch, pollute,
             muddy, smear, defile; blacken, tarnish:  She refused to so much
             as dirty her hands to help us. Are you afraid it will dirty your
             reputation to be seen with me?

   disability
             n.  1 handicap, impairment, defect, infirmity, disablement:
             James is unable to play tennis owing to his disability.  2
             inability, incapacity, unfitness, impotence, powerlessness,
             helplessness:  The teacher helped her to overcome her
             disability.

   disabled  adj.  incapacitated, crippled, lame; damaged, ruined, impaired,
             harmed, non-functioning, inoperative, Slang Brit scuppered:
             Disabled ex-servicemen ought to receive compensation. No parts
             could be found for the disabled machines.

   disadvantage
             n.  1 deprivation, set-back, drawback, liability, handicap,
             defect, flaw, shortcoming, weakness, weak spot, fault:  Being
             colour-blind has not been a disadvantage in his kind of work. 2
             detriment, harm, loss, injury, damage; prejudice, disservice:
             Failure to send in a tax return will be to your distinct
             disadvantage.

   disagree  v.  1 differ, dissent, diverge:  She disagrees with most of my
             ideas. I said the painting was by Hockney, but he disagreed. 2
             conflict, dispute, quarrel, argue, contend, contest, bicker,
             fight, fall out, squabble, wrangle, debate:  Those who agree on
             major principles often disagree about trifles, and vice versa.

   disagreeable
             adj.  1 unpleasant, unpleasing, offensive, distasteful,
             repugnant, obnoxious, repellent, repulsive, objectionable,
             revolting, odious:  He found the heat and humidity in the
             tropics most disagreeable.  2 offensive, noxious, unsavoury,
             unpalatable, nauseating, nauseous, nasty, sickening, disgusting,
             revolting, repellent, abominable, objectionable:  A disagreeable
             odour arose from the beggar on the doorstep.  3 bad-tempered,
             ill-tempered, disobliging, uncooperative, unfriendly, uncivil,
             abrupt, blunt, curt, brusque, short, uncourtly, impolite,
             bad-mannered, ill-mannered, discourteous, rude, ill-tempered,
             bad-tempered, testy, grouchy, splenetic, cross, ill-humoured,
             peevish, morose, sulky, sullen:  Brian became quite
             disagreeable, and I did not see him again.

   disagreement
             n.  1 difference, discrepancy, discord, discordance,
             discordancy, dissimilarity, disaccord, diversity, incongruity,
             nonconformity, incompatibility:  Can you resolve the
             disagreement between the results of these experiments? 2
             dissent, opposition, conflict, contradiction, difference,
             disparity:  The problem arises from a basic disagreement in
             their principles.  3 quarrel, strife, argument, dispute,
             velitation, altercation, controversy, contention, dissension,
             debate, clash, Colloq US rhubarb:  Their mother had to settle
             the disagreement between the brothers.

   disappear v.  1 vanish, evaporate, vaporize, fade (away or out), evanesce,
             Poetic evanish:  After granting my wish, the genie disappeared,
             laughing diabolically.  2 die (out or off), become extinct,
             cease (to exist), perish (without a trace):  The dinosaurs,
             though enormously successful as a species, suddenly disappeared
             from the earth.

   disappoint
             v.  1 let down, fail, dissatisfy:  Miss Sheila disappointed her
             public by refusing to sing.  2 mislead, deceive, disenchant,
             Colloq stand up:  She disappointed me by saying she would be
             there and then not arriving. 3 undo, frustrate, foil, thwart,
             balk, defeat:  How can I answer you truthfully without
             disappointing your expectations?

   disappointed
             adj.  1 frustrated, unsatisfied, dissatisfied, disillusioned,
             disenchanted, discouraged, downhearted, disheartened, downcast,
             saddened, unhappy, dejected, discontented, let down:  There will
             be a lot of disappointed children at Christmas this year. 2
             foiled, thwarted, balked, defeated, undone, failed, let down:
             Though she campaigned energetically, Theodora was among the
             disappointed candidates.

   disappointing
             adj.  discouraging, dissatisfying, unsatisfactory, unsatisfying,
             disconcerting; poor, second-rate, sorry, inadequate,
             insufficient, inferior, pathetic, sad:  The former champion
             turned in a disappointing performance yesterday evening.

   disappointment
             n.  1 frustration, non-fulfilment,unfulfilment, unsatisfaction,
             dissatisfaction, set-back, failure, let-down, defeat, blow,
             fiasco, calamity, disaster, fizzle, Brit damp squib, Colloq
             wash-out:  Recently he has had one disappointment after another.
             2 dejection, depression, discouragement, disenchantment,
             distress, regret, mortification, chagrin:  I cannot tell you the
             disappointment your father and I felt when you failed to get
             into university.

   disapproval
             n.  disapprobation, condemnation, censure, criticism, reproof,
             reproach, objection, exception, disfavour, displeasure,
             dissatisfaction:  The council voiced their disapproval of
             holding a carnival in the village square.

   disapprove
             v.  condemn, criticize, censure, object to, decry, denounce, put
             or run down, deplore, deprecate, belittle, look down on, frown
             on or upon, Colloq knock, look down one's nose at, tut-tut:  I
             don't care if you disapprove of my marrying Eustace. The
             monopolies commission has disapproved the merger.

   disarm    v.  1 unarm; demilitarize, demobilize, disband, deactivate:
             After the war, most - but not all - European countries disarmed.
             2 win over, put or set at ease, mollify, appease, placate,
             pacify, reconcile, conciliate, propitiate, charm:  I was
             completely disarmed by her friendly disposition. Many people
             found his na‹vety disarming.

   disaster  n.  catastrophe, calamity, cataclysm, tragedy, misfortune,
             d‚bѓcle, accident, mishap, blow, act of God, adversity, trouble,
             reverse:  The flooding of the river was as much of a disaster as
             the earlier drought.

   disastrous
             adj.  1 calamitous, catastrophic, cataclysmic, tragic,
             destructive, ruinous, devastating, appalling, harrowing, awful,
             terrible, dire, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, dreadful,
             fatal:  There has been a disastrous earthquake which killed
             thousands.  2 awful, terrible, unlucky, unfortunate,
             detrimental, grievous, harmful:  The postal strike has had
             disastrous effects on the mail-order business.

   disband   v.  disperse, disorganize, scatter, break up, dissolve,
             demobilize, deactivate, retire:  After the war, the special spy
             force was disbanded.

   discard   v.  1 get rid of, dispense with, dispose of, throw away or out,
             toss out or away, abandon, jettison, scrap, Colloq trash, dump,
             Slang ditch:  We discarded boxes of old photographs when we
             moved house.

             --n.  2 reject, cast-off:  I felt like a discard from the lonely
             hearts club.

   discernible
             adj.  1 perceptible, visible, seeable, perceivable, apparent,
             clear, observable, plain, detectable; conspicuous, noticeable:
             A small sailing-boat was discernible on the horizon.  2
             distinguishable, recognizable, identifiable, distinct:  To me
             there is a discernible difference between puce and burgundy.

   discharge v.  1 release, let out, dismiss, let go, send away; pardon,
             exonerate, liberate, (set) free, acquit, let off, absolve:  She
             was discharged from hospital yesterday. He was discharged from
             police custody last week. 2 expel, oust, dismiss, cashier,
             eject, give notice, Colloq sack, give (someone) the sack, fire,
             kick out:  He was discharged from his job yesterday.  3 shoot,
             fire (off); set or let off, detonate, explode:  It is illegal to
             discharge a firearm or other explosive device in this area. 4
             emit, send out or forth, pour out or forth, gush; disembogue;
             ooze, leak, exude; excrete, void:  The sore in his leg continued
             to discharge pus. We can ill afford to discharge those effluents
             into the sea. 5 carry out, perform, fulfil, accomplish, do,
             execute:  He faithfully discharges the duties of his office.  6
             pay, settle, liquidate, clear, honour, meet, square (up):
             Before going off on holiday, we discharged all our financial
             obligations.  7 unload, offload, disburden, empty:  After
             discharging its cargo, the vessel rode high in the water.

             --n.  8 release, dismissal:  What is the date of his discharge
             from the clinic?  9 expulsion, ouster, dismissal, ejection,
             notice, Colloq the axe or US ax, the sack, the boot, Chiefly US
             and Canadian walking papers, Slang US and Canadian the bounce,
             the gate:  Her discharge from the firm was rather ignominious.
             10 shooting, firing (off), report, shot; salvo, fusillade,
             volley; detonation, explosion, burst:  The discharge of a pistol
             could not be heard at that distance.  I heard the discharge from
             the guns of the firing squad in the courtyard below. The
             discharge of the bomb maimed three children. 11 emission,
             release, void, voiding, excretion, excreting, emptying, flow;
             ooze, oozing, pus, suppuration, secretion, seepage:  The
             discharge of blood from the wound continued.  12 performance,
             fulfilment, accomplishment, execution, observance, achievement:
             The discharge of my family responsibilities will have to await
             my return from the front. 13 payment, settlement, liquidation,
             squaring (up), clearance:  The bank expects full discharge of
             all debts before they lend any money. 14 unloading,
             disburdening, offloading, emptying:  The customer will pay in
             full after the discharge of his cargo.

   disciple  n.  1 apprentice, pupil, student, proselyte, learner, scholar:
             Pietro Zampollini was a disciple of the great artist Ravelli.  2
             follower, adherent, devotee, admirer, votary; partisan, fan,
             aficionado:  She is a disciple of Louis Armstrong's.

   disciplinarian
             n.  taskmaster, martinet, drill-sergeant; tyrant, despot,
             dictator:  The headmaster at Briarcliffe was a stern
             disciplinarian who regularly used to beat us.

   discipline
             n.  1 training, drilling, regimen, exercise, practice, drill,
             inculcation, indoctrination, instruction, schooling:  Strict
             discipline is good for young people, according to my father.  2
             punishment, penalty, chastisement, castigation, correction:  The
             discipline meted out to senior students was very harsh.  3
             order, routine, (proper) behaviour, decorum:  The sergeant is
             there to maintain discipline among the recruits.  4 direction,
             rule, regulation, government, control, subjection, restriction,
             check, curb, restraint:  There was far too much discipline
             during my childhood, both at school and at home. 5 subject,
             course, branch of knowledge, area, field, speciality or chiefly
             US and Canadian specialty:  Latin is a discipline which is fast
             disappearing from our schools.

             --v.  6 train, break in, condition, drill, exercise, instruct,
             coach, teach, school, indoctrinate, inculcate; edify, enlighten,
             inform:  The aim of his education is to discipline him to
             respond to orders.  7 check, curb, restrain, bridle, control,
             govern, direct, run, supervise, manage, regulate, hold or keep
             in check, US ride herd on:  You have to discipline those
             children or they will always misbehave.  8 punish, chastise,
             castigate, correct, penalize, reprove, criticize, reprimand,
             rebuke:  Discipline that boy or he will just do it again.

   disclose  v.  1 reveal, impart, divulge, betray, release, tell, blurt out,
             blab, leak, let slip, report, inform, Colloq spill the beans,
             blow the gaff, Slang squeal, snitch, squeak, rat, peach, US
             fink:  To get a shorter sentence, he disclosed all to the
             police.  2 bare, reveal, expose, uncover, show, unveil:  When
             the pie was opened, twenty-four blackbirds were disclosed.

   discomfit v.  1 embarrass, abash, disconcert, disturb, confuse, make
             uneasy or uncomfortable, discompose, fluster, ruffle, confound,
             perturb, upset, worry, unsettle, unnerve, Colloq rattle, US
             faze, discombobulate:  Being short, she was discomfited by
             references to her height.  2 frustrate, foil, thwart, baffle,
             check, defeat, trump, outdo, outwit, overcome:  Discomfited by
             her violent reaction, her attacker fled.

   discomfort
             n.  1 uneasiness, hardship, difficulty, trouble, care, worry,
             distress, vexation:  She hasn't known the discomfort of being
             the wife of a miner.  2 ache, pain, twinge, soreness,
             irritation; bother, inconvenience, nuisance:  Some discomfort
             persisted in my legs long after the accident.

   disconcerted
             adj.  discomposed, discomfited, ruffled, uneasy, put out or off,
             uncomfortable, queasy, flustered, agitated, upset, shaken,
             unsettled, perturbed, confused, bewildered, perplexed, baffled,
             puzzled, US thrown off, Colloq rattled, US fazed,
             discombobulated; Slang (all) shook (up):  They were really
             disconcerted by the arrival of the police.

   disconcerting
             adj.  awkward, discomfiting, off-putting, upsetting, unnerving,
             unsettling, disturbing, confusing, confounding, bewildering,
             perplexing, baffling, puzzling:  I found his persistence quite
             disconcerting.

   disconnect
             v.  separate, disjoin, disunite, uncouple, detach, unhook, undo,
             disengage, unhitch; cut or break off; cut or pull apart, part,
             divide, sever:  They disconnected the engine after pushing the
             carriages onto a siding. Disconnect the power before changing
             the light-bulb.

   disconnected
             adj.  1 unconnected, separate, apart, unattached; split,
             separated:  A totally disconnected thought suddenly occurred to
             me.  2 incoherent, irrational, confused, illogical, garbled,
             disjointed, rambling, mixed-up, unintelligible, uncoordinated,
             random:  He lost the debate because his argument was
             disconnected and lacked cogency.

   discontent
             n.  displeasure, unhappiness, dissatisfaction, discontentment,
             distaste, uneasiness; malaise:  He felt discontent at being
             barred from the club.

   discontented
             adj.  displeased, dissatisfied, discontent, annoyed, vexed,
             fretful, irritated, testy, piqued, petulant, disgruntled,
             exasperated, Colloq fed up, Slang browned off, pissed off, Brit
             cheesed or brassed off:  The umpire's decision made many fans
             quite discontented.

   discontinue
             v.  cease, break off, give up, stop, terminate, put an end to,
             quit, leave off, drop; interrupt, suspend:  Please discontinue
             newspaper delivery until further notice.

   discord   n.  strife, dissension, disagreement, conflict, disharmony,
             contention, disunity, discordance, division, incompatibility:
             The seeds of discord between the families were sown generations
             before.

   discordant
             adj.  1 contrary, disagreeing, divergent, opposite, opposed,
             adverse, contradictory, incompatible, differing, different,
             conflicting, at odds, incongruous, in conflict, in disagreement,
             at variance, dissimilar:  The testimony of the fossils is
             discordant with the evidence in the legend. 2 inharmonious,
             dissonant, jarring, cacophonous, unmelodious, unmusical, harsh,
             strident, jangling, grating:  He struck some discordant notes on
             his zither.

   discount  v.  1 reduce, mark down, deduct, lower, take or knock off:  As I
             was buying a dozen, he discounted the price by ten per cent.  2
             diminish, lessen, minimize, detract from:  One must discount
             what she says when she's angry.  3 disregard, omit, ignore, pass
             or gloss over, overlook, brush off, dismiss:  Those statistics
             are old and can be discounted.

             --n.  4 reduction, mark-down, deduction, rebate, allowance:  The
             shop overstocked the item and is offering it at a big discount.

   discourage
             v.  1 dispirit, dishearten, daunt, unman, dismay, cow,
             intimidate, awe, overawe, unnerve:  We were discouraged by the
             arrival of more enemy troops.  2 deter, put off, dissuade,
             advise or hint against, talk out of, divert from; oppose,
             disapprove (of), Colloq throw cold water on:  They discouraged
             me from applying again.  3 prevent, inhibit, hinder, stop, slow,
             suppress, obviate:  This paint is supposed to discourage
             corrosion.

   discourteous
             adj.  uncivil, impolite, rude, unmannerly, ill-mannered,
             bad-mannered, disrespectful, misbehaved, boorish, abrupt, curt,
             brusque, short, ungentlemanly, unladylike, insolent,
             impertinent, ungracious:  He had been discourteous and would not
             be invited again.

   discover  v.  1 find (out), learn, perceive, unearth, uncover, bring to
             light, turn or dig up, smoke or search out, root or ferret out;
             determine, ascertain, track down, identify; locate:  He
             discovered the ninth moon of Saturn. We discovered why the tyre
             had gone flat. 2 see, spot, catch sight or a glimpse of, lay
             eyes on, behold, view, encounter, meet (with); notice, espy,
             descry, detect, discern:  He discovered Madagascar lying right
             on their course.  3 originate, conceive (of), devise, contrive,
             invent, make up, design, pioneer; come or chance or stumble
             upon:  She discovered a method for tin-plating gold.

   discovery n.  1 finding, recognition, uncovering, determining,
             ascertaining, unearthing; origination, invention, conception,
             idea; development:  Who is credited with the discovery of
             Christmas Island? That year marks the discovery of a vaccine
             against smallpox. 2 exploration, disclosure, detection,
             revelation:  He's off on a voyage of discovery.

   discredit v.  1 detract, disparage, defame, dishonour, disgrace, degrade,
             bring into disfavour or disrepute, deprecate, demean, lower,
             devalue, depreciate, devaluate, belittle, diminish, reduce;
             slur, slander, vilify, calumniate, sully, smear, blacken, taint,
             tarnish, besmirch, smirch, stigmatize, asperse, malign, libel:
             Both of them were thoroughly discredited by the scandal.  2
             disbelieve, deny, dispute, doubt, question, raise doubts about,
             distrust, mistrust, give no credit or credence to:  As he's a
             known liar, you can discredit whatever he tells you.  3
             disprove, reject, refute, invalidate; mock, ridicule:  The
             phlogiston theory is generally discredited by most modern
             chemists.

             --n.  4 dishonour, degradation, disfavour, disrepute, ill
             repute, disgrace, ignominy, infamy, odium, stigma, shame, smear,
             slur, scandal, obloquy, opprobrium, humiliation:  Her
             performance has brought discredit to all female saxophonists.  5
             damage, harm, reflection, slur, aspersion, slander, defamation,
             blot, brand, tarnish, blemish, taint:  The discredit to her
             reputation is irreparable.  6 doubt, scepticism, dubiousness,
             doubtfulness, qualm, scruple, question, incredulity, suspicion,
             distrust, mistrust:  The new evidence throws discredit on the
             validity of the previous testimony.

   discreet  adj.  careful, cautious, prudent, judicious, considerate,
             guarded, tactful, diplomatic, circumspect, wary, chary, heedful,
             watchful, circumspect:  She has always been very discreet in her
             business dealings with me.

   discrepancy
             n.  gap, disparity, lacuna, difference, dissimilarity,
             deviation, divergence, disagreement, incongruity,
             incompatibility, inconsistency, variance; conflict, discordance,
             contrariety:  There is a great discrepancy between what he says
             and what he means.

   discrete  adj.  separate, distinct, individual, disconnected, unattached,
             discontinuous:  These items must be treated as discrete entities
             and not taken together.

   discretion
             n.  1 tact, diplomacy, prudence, care, discernment, sound
             judgement, circumspection, sagacity, common sense, good sense,
             wisdom, discrimination:  You can rely on my discretion not to
             reveal the club's secrets.  2 choice, option, judgement,
             preference, pleasure, disposition, volition; wish, will, liking,
             inclination:  Buyers may subscribe to insurance cover at their
             own discretion.

   discriminate
             v.  1 distinguish, separate, differentiate, discern, draw a
             distinction, tell the difference:  He cannot discriminate
             between good art and bad.  2 favour, disfavour, segregate, show
             favour or prejudice or bias for or against, be intolerant:  It
             is illegal here to discriminate against people on the basis of
             race, creed, or colour.

   discriminating
             adj.  discerning, perceptive, critical, keen, fastidious,
             selective, particular, selective, fussy, refined, cultivated:
             From the wine you chose, I see you are a lady of discriminating
             tastes.

   discrimination
             n.  1 bigotry, prejudice, bias, intolerance, favouritism,
             one-sidedness, unfairness, inequity:  In Nazi Germany
             discrimination was practised against everyone except the Nazis.
             2 taste, perception, perceptiveness, discernment, refinement,
             acumen, insight, penetration, keenness, judgement, sensitivity;
             connoisseurship, aestheticism:  He exercises excellent
             discrimination in his choice of paintings.

   discursive
             adj.  wandering, meandering, digressing, digressive, rambling,
             circuitous, roundabout, diffuse, long-winded, verbose, wordy,
             prolix, windy:  Frobisher was again boring everyone with his
             discursive description of life in an igloo.

   discuss   v.  converse about, talk over or about, chat about, deliberate
             (over), review, examine, consult on; debate, argue, thrash out:
             We discussed the problem but came to no conclusion.

   discussion
             n.  conversation, talk, chat, dialogue, colloquy, exchange,
             deliberation, examination, scrutiny, analysis, review;
             confabulation, conference, powwow; debate, argument; Colloq
             chiefly Brit chin-wag, US and Canadian bull session:  The
             subject of your dismissal came up for discussion yesterday.

   disdainful
             adj.  contemptuous, scornful, contumelious, derisive, sneering,
             superior, supercilious, pompous, proud, prideful, arrogant,
             haughty, snobbish, lordly, regal; jeering, mocking, insolent,
             insulting, Colloq hoity-toity, high and mighty, stuck-up,
             highfalutin or hifalutin; Slang snotty:  She was most disdainful
             of our efforts to enter the cosmetics market.

   disease   n.  1 sickness, affliction, ailment, malady, illness, infection,
             complaint, disorder, condition, infirmity, disability, Archaic
             murrain, Colloq bug:  The colonel contracted the disease while
             in Malaysia.  2 blight, cancer, virus, plague; contagion:  Panic
             spread through the Exchange like an infectious disease.

   diseased  adj.  unhealthy, unwell, ill, sick, ailing, unsound, infirm, out
             of sorts, abed, infected, contaminated; afflicted, abnormal:  We
             must care for the diseased patients before those with broken
             bones.

   disembark v.  land, alight, go or put ashore, get or step off or out,
             leave; debark, detrain, deplane:  Tomorrow we disembark at
             Tunis.

   disembodied
             adj.  incorporeal, bodiless; intangible, immaterial,
             insubstantial or unsubstantial, impalpable, unreal; spiritual,
             ghostly, spectral, phantom, wraithlike:  She wafted before his
             eyes, a disembodied spirit.

   disenchanted
             adj.  disillusioned, disabused, undeceived, disappointed; blas‚,
             indifferent, jaundiced, sour(ed), cynical:  I'm afraid she's now
             thoroughly disenchanted with her job.

   disengage v.  loose, loosen, unloose, detach, unfasten, release,
             disconnect, disjoin, undo, disunite, divide, cleave (from),
             separate, uncouple, part, disinvolve, extricate, get out (of),
             get away (from), cut loose, throw off, shake (off), get rid of,
             break (with or from), break (up) (with); unbuckle, unhitch,
             unclasp, unlatch, unbolt, unlock, unleash, unfetter, unchain,
             unlace, unhook, unbind, untie; (set) free, liberate,
             disentangle:  She was holding on to me so tenaciously that I
             could hardly disengage myself.

   disfavour n.  1 disapproval, dislike, displeasure, disapprobation,
             unhappiness:  Katerina regards your decision with disfavour.  2
             disesteem, discredit, dishonour, disgrace, disrepute:  After
             last night's events, we are really in disfavour with the
             management.

             --v.  3 disapprove (of), dislike, discountenance, frown on or
             upon:  We strongly disfavour the merger.

   disfigured
             adj.  marred, damaged, scarred, defaced, mutilated, injured,
             impaired, blemished, disfeatured, deformed, distorted, spoilt or
             spoiled, ruined:  Plastic surgery has repaired her disfigured
             face.

   disgrace  n.  1 ignominy, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, degradation,
             debasement, dishonour, discredit, disfavour, disrepute,
             vitiation, infamy; disesteem, contempt, odium, obloquy,
             opprobrium:  His conduct has brought disgrace on his family.  2
             blemish, harm, aspersion, blot, scandal, slur, stigma,
             vilification, smirch, smear, stain, taint, black mark:  The way
             she has been treated by the company is a disgrace.

             --v.  3 shame, humiliate, embarrass, mortify:  He has been
             disgraced by his son's cowardice.  4 degrade, debase, dishonour,
             discredit, disfavour, vitiate, defame, disparage, scandalize,
             slur, stain, taint, stigmatize, sully, besmirch, smirch,
             tarnish, smear, asperse, vilify, blacken, drag through the mud,
             reflect (adversely) on:  Once again his actions have disgraced
             the family name.

   disgraceful
             adj.  1 shameful, humiliating, embarrassing, dishonourable,
             disreputable, infamous, ignominious, degrading, debasing,
             degraded, debased, base, low, vile, corrupt, bad, wrong, sinful,
             evil, low, mean, despicable, contemptible, opprobrious:  He was
             forced to submit to the most disgraceful punishment.  2
             shameless, outrageous, notorious, shocking, scandalous,
             improper, unseemly, unworthy; indecent, rude, flagrant, lewd,
             lascivious, delinquent, objectionable:  Your drunken behaviour
             at the party last night was a disgraceful performance.

   disgruntled
             adj.  displeased, dissatisfied, irritated, peeved, vexed, cross,
             exasperated, annoyed, unhappy, disappointed, discontented, put
             out; malcontent, discontent, testy, cranky, peevish, grouchy,
             grumpy, moody, sullen, sulky, ill-humoured, bad-tempered,
             ill-tempered, Colloq fed up, Slang browned off, Brit cheesed
             off:  He was disgruntled at the thought of having to go shopping
             in the pouring rain.

   disguise  v.  1 camouflage, cover up, conceal, hide, mask:  The van was
             disguised as a hay wagon.  2 misrepresent, falsify, counterfeit,
             fake, deceive:  They have disguised the true profits to avoid
             paying taxes.

             --n.  3 guise, identity, cover-up, camouflage, appearance,
             semblance, form, outfit, costume:  She appeared in the disguise
             of a policewoman.  4 pretence, deception, dissimulation, fa‡ade,
             semblance, Colloq front:  Disguise is seldom resorted to by
             spies these days.

   disgust   v.  1 sicken, offend, nauseate, repel, revolt, put off, outrage,
             appal, Slang gross out:  His patronizing attitude disgusts those
             who work for him.

             --n.  2 revulsion, nausea, sickness, repugnance, fulsomeness,
             outrage, distaste, aversion:  One look at the food filled me
             with disgust.  3 loathing, contempt, hatred, abhorrence, odium,
             animus, animosity, enmity, antagonism, antipathy, dislike:  Some
             feel disgust at the thought of eating insects.

   disgusted adj.  nauseated, sickened, nauseous, queasy; offended, outraged,
             Colloq fed up (with), sick (of), sick and tired (of); Slang US
             grossed out:  Disgusted customers complain about delays in
             service.

   disgusting
             adj.  nauseating, sickening, offensive, outrageous, sick-making,
             fulsome, repulsive, revolting, repugnant, off-putting,
             repellent, obnoxious, loathsome, gross, vile, foul, nasty;
             unappetizing, unsavoury, objectionable, distasteful:  Spitting
             in public is now considered a disgusting way to behave.

   dishonest adj.  untrustworthy, underhand(ed), dishonourable, fraudulent,
             fake, counterfeit, deceiving, deceptive, unfair, double-dealing,
             thieving, thievish, knavish, cheating, deceitful, lying,
             untruthful, mendacious, treacherous, perfidious, corrupt,
             unscrupulous, unprincipled; two-faced, hypocritical; Colloq
             crooked, shady; Chiefly Brit slang bent:  He was so dishonest he
             stole from his mother's purse.

   dishonour v.  1 insult, abuse, affront, outrage, slight, offend, injure:
             His slaughter of the prisoners has dishonoured our flag.  2
             disgrace, degrade, shame, debase, humiliate, mortify, abase,
             vitiate, humble:  We were all dishonoured by our colleague's
             defection.  3 defile, violate, ravish, rape, seduce, deflower,
             debauch:  The general learned that his wife had been dishonoured
             by one of his adjutants.

             --n.  4 disesteem, disrespect, irreverence, slight, indignity,
             ignominy, disgrace, shame, disrepute, discredit, insult,
             offence, affront, loss of face, depreciation, belittlement,
             disparagement, detraction, derogation, obloquy:  You cannot
             retreat without dishonour.  5 aspersion, defamation, libel,
             slander, blot, slur, smear, smirch, black mark, blemish,
             denigration:  His actions have brought us dishonour.

   dishonourable
             adj.  1 disgraceful, degrading, inglorious, ignominious,
             shameful, shaming, base, debased:  After the court martial, he
             received a dishonourable discharge.  2 unprincipled, shameless,
             corrupt, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, treacherous, traitorous,
             perfidious, dishonest, hypocritical, two-faced, duplicitous,
             disreputable, discreditable, base, despicable; disloyal,
             unfaithful, faithless:  A double agent is considered
             dishonourable by both governments.  3 improper, unseemly,
             unbecoming, unworthy, outrageous, objectionable, reprehensible,
             flagrant, bad, evil, vile, low, mean, contemptible, below or
             beneath criticism, foul, heinous, dirty, filthy:  Informing on
             your classmates is the most dishonourable thing you can do.

   disillusion
             v.  disabuse, disappoint, disenchant, disenchant, break the
             spell, enlighten, set straight, disentrance, disenthral,
             undeceive:  When I saw her without make-up, I was thoroughly
             disillusioned.

   disinclined
             adj.  averse, indisposed, reluctant, unwilling, loath, opposed,
             unwilling; hesitant:  I was disinclined to try skydiving.

   disinfect v.  clean, cleanse, purify, purge, sanitize, fumigate,
             decontaminate, sterilize:  The bedding will have to be
             disinfected before it can be used.

   disinfectant
             n.  germicide, antiseptic, sterilizer, bactericide, sanitizer,
             fumigant, decontaminant, decontaminator, purifier, cleaner,
             cleanser:  Most disinfectants are poisonous.

   disingenuous
             adj.  clever, artful, crafty, sly, on the qui vive, cunning,
             insidious, foxy, wily, slick, smooth; insincere, false,
             dishonest, tricky, devious, deceitful, underhand(ed), guileful,
             shifty; double-dealing, two-faced, duplicitous, hypocritical,
             scheming, plotting, calculating, designing, contriving:  It is
             disingenuous to ask for advice when what you want is assistance.

   disintegrate
             v.  break up or apart, shatter, come or fall apart, come or go
             or fall to pieces, crumble; decompose, rot, decay, moulder:  The
             fossil disintegrated in my hands.

   disinterested
             n.  unbiased, impartial, unprejudiced, altruistic, objective,
             fair, neutral, open-minded, equitable, just, dispassionate,
             detached, even-handed, impersonal, uninvolved:  The judge is
             supposed to be a disinterested party.

   disjointed
             adj.  1 disjoined, separate(d), disconnected, unconnected,
             dismembered, disunited, divided, split (up):  The disjointed
             parts of the building were kept in a warehouse.  2 ununified,
             loose, incoherent, confused, aimless, directionless, rambling,
             muddled, jumbled, mixed up, fitful, discontinuous, disorganized,
             unorganized, disorderly:  His speech was disjointed - total
             gibberish.

   dislike   v.  1 be averse to, mind, turn from, disfavour, disesteem, be
             put or turned off by; hate, loathe, scorn, despise, contemn,
             detest, abominate, execrate:  I no longer dislike spinach.

             --n.  2 aversion, displeasure, distaste, disfavour, disesteem,
             disrelish, disaffection, disinclination; loathing, hatred,
             animus, animosity, antipathy, detestation, contempt, execration,
             ill will; disgust, repugnance; hostility, antagonism:  I took an
             instant dislike to the fellow. She feels an intense dislike for
             her father.

   disloyal  adj.  unfaithful, faithless, untrue, false, untrustworthy,
             recreant; treasonable or treasonous, treacherous, traitorous,
             unpatriotic, subversive, perfidious, deceitful; renegade,
             apostate, heretical:  It would be disloyal of you not to vote
             along party lines.

   dismal    adj.  depressing, gloomy, cheerless, melancholy, sombre, dreary,
             sad, bleak, funereal, lugubrious, forlorn, morose, solemn, dark,
             grim, wretched, woebegone, woeful, black, blue, joyless,
             doleful, dolorous, unhappy, miserable, lowering; pessimistic:
             She was alone, alone on the dismal moor. The prospects for the
             company looked very dismal.

   dismay    v.  1 alarm, frighten, scare, terrify, appal, panic, horrify,
             petrify, intimidate, cow, disconcert, unnerve:  We were dismayed
             when the motor-cycle gang came to the house.  2 unsettle,
             discompose, upset, discourage, take aback, startle, shock, put
             off, dishearten:  I was dismayed to hear she was still married
             to Grimsby.

             --n.  3 consternation, alarm, anxiety, agitation, terror, panic,
             horror, shock, fright, fear, trepidation, apprehension, dread,
             awe:  The thought of the children alone in the boat filled me
             with dismay.

   dismiss   v.  1 discharge, oust, release, give notice (to), let go, lay
             off, throw out, toss out, remove, Chiefly military cashier,
             Old-fashioned military drum out, Brit politics deselect, Colloq
             fire, send packing, kick out, Brit sack, give (someone) the
             sack, boot (out), turn off, US give (someone) his or her walking
             papers, give (someone) a pink slip, can; Slang give (someone)
             the (old) heave-ho:  Gabney has been dismissed without notice.
             2 reject, set aside, repudiate, spurn, discount, disregard, lay
             aside, put out of one's mind, think no more of, write off,
             banish, have or be done with, scorn, discard, ignore, shrug off;
             belittle, diminish, pooh-pooh:  She dismissed the story as just
             so much gossip.  3 disperse, release, disband, send away:  After
             returning from the mission, the commando unit was dismissed.

   dismissal n.  1 discharge, expulsion, notice, Colloq firing, bounce,
             marching orders, Chiefly US and Canadian walking papers, Brit
             sack, sacking, one's cards, US pink slip; Slang the (old)
             heave-ho , Brit the boot:  Cholmondley got his dismissal
             yesterday.  2 cancellation, adjournment, discharge, end,
             release; cong‚:  The judge ordered dismissal of the charge of
             murder.

   disobedient
             adj.  1 insubordinate, unruly, naughty, mischievous, bad,
             ill-behaved, badly behaved, obstreperous, unmanageable,
             refractory, fractious, ungovernable, uncomplying, unsubmissive,
             wayward, non-compliant, incompliant, intractable, defiant;
             delinquent, derelict, disregardful, remiss, undutiful:
             Disobedient children will be kept in after school.  2 contrary,
             perverse, wilful, headstrong, stubborn, recalcitrant, obdurate,
             obstinate, contumacious, wayward, cross-grained, opposed,
             mutinous, rebellious, revolting, anarchic, Colloq pigheaded:  We
             cannot tolerate disobedient recruits.

   disobey   v.  defy, break, contravene, flout, disregard, ignore, resist,
             oppose, violate, transgress, overstep, go counter to, fly in the
             face of, infringe, thumb one's nose at, snap one's fingers at,
             Brit cock a snook at; mutiny, rebel, revolt, strike:  You cannot
             play because you disobeyed the rules. If anyone disobeys, throw
             him in irons.

   disorder  n.  1 disarray, confusion, chaos, disorderliness,
             disorganization, untidiness, mess, muddle, jumble, hash,
             mishmash, tangle, hotchpotch or US and Canadian also hodgepodge,
             derangement, shambles, clutter:  After the party, the place was
             in terrible disorder.  2 tumult, riot, disturbance, pandemonium,
             upheaval, ferment, fuss, unrest, uproar, hubbub, hullabaloo,
             commotion, clamour, turbulence, turmoil, turbulence, violence,
             bedlam, free-for-all, rumpus, brouhaha, fracas, affray, fray,
             brawl, Donnybrook, scuffle, fight, m€l‚e or melee, battle royal,
             battle, civil disorder, breach of the peace, Colloq Brit
             kerfuffle or carfuffle or kurfuffle, Slang Brit bovver:  The
             army had to be called out to quell the disorder.  3 ailment,
             illness, sickness, affliction, malady, affection, complaint,
             disease:  The doctors diagnosed it as a liver disorder.

             --v.  4 upset, disarrange, muddle, confuse, confound, unsettle,
             disorganize, discompose, shake up, disturb, mix (up), befuddle,
             jumble, scramble, tangle, snarl:  You obscure the sense when you
             disorder the words.

   disorderly
             adj.  1 confused, chaotic, scrambled, muddled, disordered,
             irregular, untidy, messy, messed-up, disarranged, disorganized,
             unorganized, jumbled, cluttered, haphazard, in disarray,
             pell-mell, helter-skelter, Colloq topsy-turvy,
             higgledy-piggledy:  The books lay about in disorderly array.  2
             unruly, uncontrolled, undisciplined, ungoverned, disobedient,
             mutinous, rebellious, lawless, obstreperous, refractory,
             turbulent, violent, tumultuous, unrestrained, boisterous, noisy,
             rowdy, wild; unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrollable,
             intractable:  He was charged with being drunk and disorderly.

   disorientated
             n.  confused, bewildered, lost, adrift, (all) at sea, mixed up,
             uncertain, unsure, insecure, disoriented, Colloq out of it, in a
             fog, Brit off (the) beam, US off the beam:  I left by another
             door and was completely disorientated for a moment.

   disparage v.  1 belittle, diminish, depreciate, devalue or devaluate,
             cheapen, talk down, discredit, dishonour, decry, demean,
             criticize, denigrate, deprecate, derogate, underrate,
             undervalue, downgrade, reduce, minimize:  She keeps making
             remarks that disparage her husband.  2 run down, slander, libel,
             defame, traduce, malign, backbite, vilify, insult, stab in the
             back, US back-stab; Colloq poor mouth; Slang US and Canadian
             bad-mouth:  A loving person never disparages others.

   disparity n.  difference, discrepancy, gap, inequality, unevenness,
             imbalance, dissimilarity, contrast, imparity, inconsistency,
             incongruity:  Our interests differ owing to the disparity in our
             ages.

   dispassionate
             adj.  1 cool, calm, composed, self-possessed, unemotional,
             unexcited, unexcitable, unflappable, level-headed, sober,
             self-controlled, even-tempered, unruffled, unmoved, tranquil,
             equable, placid, peaceful, serene:  You can count on Henry for a
             dispassionate treatment of the subject.  2 fair, impartial,
             neutral, disinterested, detached, equitable, even-handed,
             unbiased, just, objective, unprejudiced, open-minded, candid,
             frank, open:  The judge is known to be completely dispassionate
             in his decisions.

   dispatch  v.  1 send off or away or out, send on one's way:  We dispatched
             a messenger with the parcel.  2 send, mail, post, transmit,
             forward, ship, express, remit, convey , Chiefly US and Canadian
             freight:  Please dispatch this letter as quickly as possible.  3
             kill, murder, slay, dispose of, put to death, execute, do away
             with, do in, assassinate,- liquidate, finish (off), put an end
             to, put away (for good), Slang polish off, bump off, eliminate,
             gun down, silence, get, erase, rub out, knock off, bury, US ice,
             hit, take for a ride, waste, zap:  The gang soon dispatched all
             their rivals.  4 hasten, hurry, speed up, accelerate, get done,
             accomplish, get through, conclude, finish off, complete,
             execute, do:  The task was dispatched in just two days.

             --n.  5 haste, speed, promptness, quickness, expedition,
             expeditiousness, celerity, alacrity, swiftness, hurry, rapidity:
             She concluded the interview with dispatch and sent me away.  6
             communiqu‚, report, bulletin, story, news (item), communication,
             message, piece: document, instruction, missive:  Here is a
             dispatch from our correspondent on Pitcairn Island.  7
             execution, killing, murder, disposal, assassination,
             dispatching, slaying:  The dispatch of the consul left us
             without a representative.

   dispensable
             adj.  disposable, non-essential, unessential, inessential,
             unnecessary, unneeded, expendable, superfluous, needless,
             useless:  He said that a dishwasher was a luxury and entirely
             dispensable.

   dispense  v.  1 distribute, give out, hand or pass out, furnish, supply,
             provide, give away, deal (out), dole out, parcel out, disburse,
             mete out, share (out), issue, apportion, allocate, allot,
             assign, Colloq dish out:  The Red Cross dispensed medicines to
             the stricken villagers.  2 administer, conduct, direct, operate,
             superintend, supervise, carry out, execute, discharge, apply,
             implement, enforce:  It is the governor who dispenses justice in
             these islands.  3 dispense with.  a do without, forgo, give up,
             eschew, relinquish, refuse, waive, forswear, abstain (from),
             renounce, reject:  Can we dispense with the jokes and get to
             work?  b do away with, get rid of, eliminate, do without,
             dispose of, abolish, manage or do without, remove, cancel,
             ignore, render unnecessary or superfluous:  Building on solid
             rock will dispense with the need for a foundation.

   disperse  v.  1 spread (out), scatter, broadcast, distribute, circulate,
             diffuse, disseminate:  The practice is now widely dispersed
             throughout Asia.  2 disband, spread out, scatter, dissipate,
             break up; disappear, vanish; dispel, dismiss, rout, send off or
             away:  The crowd dispersed quietly.

   displace  v.  1 move, transfer, shift, relocate, dislocate, misplace,
             disturb, disarrange, disorder, unsettle:  The entire population
             of the village was displaced when the dam was built. 2 expel,
             unseat, eject, evict, exile, banish, depose, remove, oust,
             dismiss, discharge, cashier, Colloq fire, kick or throw out,
             Brit sack:  The voters displaced the corrupt council.  3 take
             the place of, supplant, replace, supersede, succeed:  Watching
             television has displaced reading in many modern homes.

   display   v.  1 show, exhibit, air, put or set forth, make visible,
             expose, evince, manifest, demonstrate, betray, reveal, unveil,
             disclose; advertise, publicize:  Her paintings are being
             displayed at the gallery today.  2 unfurl, unfold, spread or
             stretch or open out, present:  The ship suddenly displayed the
             Jolly Roger.  3 show off, flaunt, parade, flourish, vaunt,
             Colloq flash:  He goes on those quiz programmes only to display
             his knowledge.

             --n.  4 show, exhibition, exhibit, presentation, array;
             demonstration; exposition, manifestation, revelation:  We
             visited a display of weapons at the armoury. I have seldom seen
             such a display of ignorance. 5 ostentation, spectacle, flourish,
             show, parade, ceremony, pageantry, pageant, splendour, array,
             panoply, magnificence, grandeur, pomp, splash, ‚clat, ‚lan,
             dash:  The display put on for Queen Victoria's jubilee was truly
             lavish.

   displease v.  offend, put out, dissatisfy, upset, provoke, exasperate,
             worry, trouble, vex, annoy, irritate, pique, irk, nettle, peeve,
             chafe, rile, ruffle, anger, infuriate, frustrate, get
             (someone's) goat, Colloq miff; Slang US bug:  Having to listen
             to rock 'n' roll on your damned hi-fi is what displeases me
             most.

   displeasure
             n.  1 dissatisfaction, disapproval, disfavour, discontentment,
             distaste, dislike, discountenance:  Your parents view your
             giving up college with displeasure and disappointment. 2
             annoyance, irritation, vexation, chagrin, indignation, dudgeon,
             ire, anger, exasperation:  He incurred the king's displeasure
             and was banished from the land.

   disposable
             adj.  1 discardable, throw-away, non-returnable, paper, plastic,
             biodegradable:  The new product is packaged in a disposable
             container.  2 available, liquid, spendable, usable, expendable,
             obtainable:  Her disposable assets include valuable government
             bonds.

   dispose   v.  1 place, arrange, move, adjust, order, array, organize, set
             up, situate, group, distribute, put:  She is planning how to
             dispose the furniture in the room.  2 incline, influence,
             persuade, induce, bend, tempt, move, motivate, lead, prompt,
             urge:  Her actions disposed me to cut her out of my will.  3
             dispose of.  a deal with, settle, decide, determine, conclude,
             finish (with):  I hope we can dispose of these matters quickly.
             b throw away or out, discard, get rid of, jettison, scrap,
             Colloq dump, junk, US trash:  Dispose of the remains of the
             broken chair.  c distribute, give out, deal out, give (away),
             dispense, apportion, parcel out, allot, part with, transfer,
             make over, bestow, sell:  My grandfather disposed of his wealth
             before he died.  d do away with, finish off, put away, demolish,
             destroy, consume, devour, eat, Slang kill (off), knock off,
             polish off:  She could dispose of four hamburgers at one
             sitting. The boys disposed of Louie because he knew too much.

   disposed  adj.  likely, inclined, apt, liable, given, tending or leaning
             towards, prone, subject, of a mind to, minded, willing, ready,
             predisposed:  She was still awake when he got home and seemed
             disposed to talk.

   disposition
             n.  1 character, temper, attitude, temperament, nature,
             personality, bent, frame of mind, humour, make-up, spirit:
             Alan's son David has a cheerful disposition.  2 arrangement,
             organization, placement, disposal, ordering, grouping, set,
             placing:  I don't care much for the disposition of the
             furniture.  3 transfer, transference, dispensation, disposal,
             assignment, settlement, determination, bestowal, parcelling out,
             distribution:  The disposition of father's assets is not your
             affair.  4 determination, choice, disposal, power, command,
             control, management, discretion, decision, regulation:
             Distribution of favours is at the disposition of the crown.

   dispossess
             v.  evict, expel, oust, eject, turn or drive out, dislodge,
             Colloq kick or throw out, Brit boot out, US bounce:  The
             landlord dispossessed them for non-payment of rent.

   disproportion
             n.  inequality, unevenness, disparity, imbalance, asymmetry,
             irregularity, lopsidedness, dissimilarity, inconsistency,
             incongruity:  Now that we're older, there isn't such a
             disproportion in our ages.

   disproportionate
             adj.  unbalanced, out of proportion, asymmetrical, irregular,
             lopsided, dissimilar, inconsistent, incommensurate, incongruous;
             unfair, unequal, uneven, disparate:  The windows are
             disproportionate to the size of the house. The contractor was
             paid a disproportionate amount for his work.

   disprove  v.  refute, confute, invalidate, contradict, negate, rebut,
             discredit, controvert, puncture, demolish, destroy, Colloq shoot
             or poke full of holes:  Modern science has disproved the
             phlogiston theory.

   disputable
             n.  debatable, moot, doubtful, uncertain, dubious, questionable,
             uncertain, undecided, unsettled, controversial; arguable:  His
             claim to ownership of the property is disputable.

   dispute   v.  1 argue with or against, question, debate, challenge,
             impugn, gainsay, deny, oppose, fight (against), object to, take
             exception to, disagree with, contest, confute, quarrel with,
             doubt, raise doubts about, dissent (from):  The council dispute
             his right to build a hotel on that land.  2 argue (about),
             debate, discuss, quarrel about, wrangle over, differ (on or
             about):  A bill of rights has occasionally been disputed in
             Parliament.

             --n.  3 argument, debate, disagreement, difference (of opinion),
             controversy, polemic, conflict, quarrel, wrangle, velitation;
             discussion; Colloq Brit argy-bargy or argie-bargie or
             argle-bargle:  There is a dispute about the runner's eligibility
             for the race.  4 conflict, disturbance, fight, altercation, row,
             disagreement, brawl, Donnybrook, feud, rumpus, fracas; strife,
             discord; tiff, velitation, US spat:  Four people have been
             injured in the dispute.

   disqualify
             v.  declare ineligible or unqualified, turn down or away,
             reject, exclude, bar, debar, rule out:  He was disqualified from
             voting because of his age.

   disregard v.  1 ignore, overlook, pay little or no heed or attention to,
             take little or no notice or account of, dismiss from one's mind
             or thoughts, turn a blind eye or deaf ear to, brush aside, pass
             up, wink or blink at, make light of, let go by, gloss over, Rare
             pretermit:  I shall disregard those insulting remarks.  2 snub,
             slight, turn up one's nose at, disparage, despise, contemn,
             disdain, scorn, (give the) cold shoulder (to), cut; underrate,
             underestimate, take little or no account of, undervalue,
             minimize, dismiss, sneeze at, Slang brush off, give the go-by:
             Visitors often disregard the cultural attractions of Las Vegas.

             --n.  3 disrespect, contempt, indifference, inattention,
             non-observance, neglect, heedlessness, Rare pretermission;
             disdain, low regard, disesteem:  Some drive with a profound
             disregard for the law.

   disrepair n.  decay, ruin, collapse, dilapidation, deterioration,
             ruination:  The house is in a terrible state of disrepair.

   disreputable
             adj.  1 low, base, abject, contemptuous, unrespectable,
             disrespectable, untrustworthy, discreditable, dishonourable,
             disgraceful, reprehensible, shameful, despicable, ignominious,
             bad, wicked, heinous, vicious, iniquitous, vile, opprobrious,
             scandalous, louche, questionable, dubious, Colloq shady:  She
             keeps disreputable company.  2 dishevelled, unkempt, slovenly,
             untidy, shabby, disordered, messy, dirty, bedraggled, scruffy,
             seedy, threadbare, tattered, Brit down at heel, raddled, US down
             at the heel(s), Colloq sloppy, Slang Brit grotty:  That
             disreputable beggar is your brother?

   disrespect
             n.  rudeness, impoliteness, discourtesy, incivility,
             unmannerliness, irreverence, impudence, impertinence, insolence,
             indecorum, Colloq cheek:  I meant no disrespect by keeping my
             hat on, ma'am.

   disrespectful
             adj.  impolite, rude, discourteous, uncivil, unmannerly,
             ill-mannered, bad-mannered, irreverent, impudent, insolent,
             indecorous, pert, saucy, forward, Colloq fresh, cheeky:  Sara is
             sometimes disrespectful to her elders.

   disrobe   v.  undress, strip, bare oneself:  She disrobed and put on a
             swimsuit.

   disrupt   v.  1 disorder, upset, disorganize, disturb, unsettle, shake up,
             disconcert, agitate:  You've disrupted my plan completely.  2
             interrupt, break in or into, interfere (with):  They disrupted
             the meeting with their loud outbursts.

   dissatisfaction
             n.  1 discontent, discontentment, unhappiness, displeasure,
             non-fulfilment, disappointment, frustration, discomfort,
             uneasiness, disquiet, malaise:  I was left with a feeling of
             dissatisfaction at the end of the play. 2 annoyance, irritation,
             dismay, displeasure:  Complaints concerning dissatisfaction with
             the food plagued the hospital administrators.

   dissatisfied
             adj.  discontented, displeased, disappointed, unsatisfied,
             discontent, disgruntled, unhappy, unfulfilled, ungratified,
             frustrated:  We return the full purchase price to any
             dissatisfied customer.

   dissension
             n.  disagreement, dissent, discord, contention, strife,
             conflict, discordance, friction:  The issue has sown dissension
             among the members.

   disservice
             n.  harm, damage, injury, wrong, unkindness, bad turn,
             disfavour, injustice:  It was a disservice to tell my boss about
             my expense account.

   dissident n.  1 dissenter, nonconformist, protester or protestor, heretic,
             rebel, apostate, recusant; revolutionary:  Many dissidents were
             released and allowed to leave the country.

             --adj.  2 disagreeing, nonconformist, nonconforming, dissenting,
             dissentient, apostate, non-compliant, heterodox, discordant,
             conflicting, contentious:  The couple spent ten years in Siberia
             for promoting their dissident philosophy.

   dissimilar
             adj.  different, unlike, unalike, distinct, separate,
             contrasting, diverse, unrelated, heterogeneous:  The styles are
             entirely dissimilar.

   dissimilarity
             n.  difference, dissimilitude, unlikeness, disparity;
             discrepancy:  The dissimilarities between art deco and art
             nouveau are too numerous to mention.

   dissimulate
             v.  pretend, dissemble, feign, disguise, camouflage, cover up,
             conceal, deceive, misrepresent, fake, counterfeit:  She's
             dissimulating her real attitude towards the wealthy.

   dissimulation
             n.  deception, misrepresentation, dissembling, deceit,
             deception, hypocrisy, sham, pretence, duplicity, double-dealing:
             There can be no dissimulation between honest people.

   dissipate v.  1 scatter, spread (out), disperse, be dispelled, diffuse;
             disseminate, sow, distribute; break up:  The crowd had
             dissipated by noon.  2 spread thin, evaporate, vanish,
             disappear, vaporize, peter out, diminish:  By the time we were
             ready to go, the clouds had dissipated.  3 squander, waste,
             fritter away, throw away, burn up, use up, exhaust, run through:
             By the time he was twenty, he had dissipated a huge fortune.  4
             revel, carouse, party, sow one's wild oats, burn the candle at
             both ends, roister, make merry, debauch, go on a spree:  Before
             their marriage, he was seen dissipating in the fleshpots of
             Europe.

   dissipation
             n.  1 squandering, waste, wastefulness, profligacy, abandon,
             abandonment, self-indulgence, self-gratification,
             overindulgence, intemperance, hedonism, fast or high living,
             dolce vita, voluptuousness, sensualism, sybaritism,
             dissoluteness, dissolution, excess(es), wantonness, debauchery,
             carousing, prodigality, recklessness, extravagance, rakishness:
             Owing to my dissipation, I had become an alcoholic vagrant.  2
             disappearance, dispersion, dispersal, diffusion, scattering,
             vanishing:  The dissipation of the tear-gas was rapid in the
             strong breeze.  3 distraction, amusement, diversion,
             entertainment:  Reading, once a dissipation, had become an
             obsession.

   dissociate
             v.  separate, cut off, sever, disassociate, disjoin, disconnect,
             abstract, disengage, detach, isolate, distance, break off
             (from), break up (with), divorce, set apart, segregate:  I have
             carefully dissociated myself from any political party.

   dissolute adj.  dissipated, debauched, abandoned, corrupt, degenerate,
             rakish, profligate, wanton, rakehell, intemperate, incontinent,
             loose, licentious, overindulgent, carousing, self-indulgent,
             hedonistic, pleasure-bound, immoral, amoral, libidinous,
             unrestrained, depraved:  He has paid dearly for his dissolute
             life.

   dissolution
             n.  1 disintegration, separation, breakup, breakdown,
             separation, breaking up, breaking down, collapse, undoing:  Much
             ill will attended the dissolution of our marriage.  2
             destruction, decomposition, decay, ruin, overthrow, dissolving,
             disbandment, dismissal, dispersal, disorganization,
             discontinuation; adjournment, ending, end, termination,
             conclusion, finish:  A vote of no confidence led to the
             dissolution of Parliament.

   dissolve  v.  1 melt (away), liquefy, disperse, disintegrate, diffuse,
             decompose, thaw (out), fuse, deliquesce; sublime; vanish,
             disappear, fade (away), diminish, decline, peter out:  Dissolve
             one tablet in water. The sugar dissolved in the tea.  2
             collapse, break into, melt into:  She dissolved into tears
             whenever he shouted at her.  3 break up, disperse, dismiss,
             terminate, finish, conclude, adjourn, recess, disband, wind up;
             liquidate:  We took a vote and dissolved the meeting.

   distance  n.  1 remoteness, space, gap, interval, mileage, footage,
             stretch:  What is the distance from here to your house?  2
             aloofness, detachment, reserve, coolness, haughtiness, hauteur,
             stiffness, rigidity:  He maintains a distance between himself
             and the servants.

             --v.  3 separate, detach, dissociate, disassociate:  She
             distanced herself from her students.

   distant   adj.  1 far, far-off, remote, far-away, long-way-off; removed:
             The creature said he had come from a distant star.  2 away, off:
             The ship is ten miles distant.  3 aloof, detached, reserved,
             cool, cold, haughty, standoffish, unapproachable, inaccessible,
             withdrawn, reticent, ceremonious, formal, stiff, rigid, frigid,
             unfriendly:  You find him warm, but I think him very distant.

   distaste  n.  1 dislike, disfavour, antipathy, disrelish, disinclination;
             dissatisfaction, displeasure, discontentment:  You know of my
             distaste for cocktail parties.  2 aversion, revulsion, disgust,
             nausea, abhorrence, loathing, repugnance, horror:  She has a
             distinct distaste for avocado pears.

   distasteful
             adj.  disgusting, revolting, sick-making, nauseating, nauseous,
             repugnant, repulsive, loathsome, fulsome, nasty, disagreeable,
             foul, off-putting, unpalatable, obnoxious, objectionable,
             offensive, unpleasing, unpleasant, displeasing:  I found their
             children's table manners quite distasteful.

   distinct  adj.  1 clear, perceptible, plain, understandable, vivid,
             definite, well-defined, precise, exact, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable, noticeable, recognizable, obvious, patent,
             marked, manifest, evident, apparent, explicit, unambiguous,
             clear-cut, palpable, unequivocal, lucid, sharp, pellucid,
             limpid, transparent:  There is a distinct outline of a figure on
             the Turin shroud.  2 separate, detached, discrete, different,
             dissimilar, distinguishable, distinguished; individual, sui
             generis, unique, special, singular; peculiar, unusual, uncommon,
             contrasting:  The government of Puerto Rico is distinct from
             that of the US.  He has been charged with three distinct
             offences.

   distinction
             n.  1 differentiation, discrimination, difference, contrast,
             separation, division, dividing line; distinctiveness:  Any
             distinction between them is difficult to discern.  2 honour,
             credit, prominence, eminence, pre-eminence, superiority,
             uniqueness, greatness, excellence, quality, merit, worth, value,
             prestige, note, importance, significance, consequence, renown,
             fame, repute, reputation, celebrity, glory, account:  We all
             know her as a scholar of distinction.

   distinctive
             adj.  distinguishing, characteristic, unique, singular,
             distinct, individual, typical, idiosyncratic, peculiar:  She has
             developed a distinctive style of her own.

   distinguish
             v.  1 differentiate, discriminate, tell the difference, tell
             apart, determine, judge, decide, tell who's who or what's what:
             He is still unable to distinguish between his own twin
             daughters.  2 classify, categorize, characterize, individualize,
             mark, identify, define, designate, denote, indicate, separate,
             single out, set apart; grade, group:  The male is distinguished
             by his brighter colouring.  3 sense, make out, perceive,
             discern, pick out, recognize, identify, detect, notice; see,
             espy, descry; hear; smell; taste; feel:  I could distinguish two
             people in the dark.  4 call attention to, identify, mark, set
             apart, separate, segregate, indicate, particularize:  She
             distinguished herself by her great beauty and her awful voice.

   distinguished
             adj.  1 celebrated, famous, illustrious, noted, renowned,
             notable, noteworthy, pre-eminent, eminent, prominent, honoured,
             respected, honourable:  Churchill was one of the most
             distinguished men of his day.  2 dignified, noble, grand,
             stately, distingu‚, royal, regal, aristocratic:  What is he
             doing in this distinguished gathering?

   distort   v.  1 twist, warp, deform, misshape, contort, gnarl, bend,
             disfigure, wrench:  The car was completely distorted in the
             crash.  2 twist, warp, slant, tamper with, colour, varnish,
             torture, pervert, misrepresent, fabricate, falsify, misstate,
             alter, change, bend, garble, violate:  She distorted the facts
             if she said it was Bill who had a gun.

   distract  v.  1 divert, deflect, sidetrack, turn aside, draw away:  Sorry,
             I was distracted for a moment - where were we?  2 divert, amuse,
             entertain, gratify, delight, occupy, interest, absorb, engross:
             We found the belly-dancers quite distracting.  3 bewilder,
             confuse, confound, perplex, puzzle, discompose, befuddle,
             mystify, disconcert, fluster, rattle, bemuse, daze, disturb,
             agitate, trouble, bother:  I am distracted with doubts about
             whether to phone the police.

   distraction
             n.  1 bewilderment, befuddlement, disorder, disturbance, upset,
             confusion, agitation:  The princess loves you to distraction.  2
             diversion, entertainment, amusement:  I was never really
             interested in him, he was merely a temporary distraction.

   distraught
             adj.  distracted, agitated, troubled, disturbed, upset,
             perturbed, wrought or worked up, excited, frantic, at (one's)
             wits' end, overwrought, frenetic, nervous, frenzied, feverish,
             wild, hysterical, delirious, irrational, crazy, mad, insane,
             berserk, run(ning) amok:  He is distraught with grief.

   distress  n.  1 anguish, anxiety, affliction, angst, grief, misery,
             torment, ache, pain, suffering, agony, torture, woe, woefulness,
             wretchedness; unhappiness, sorrow, sadness, depression,
             heartache, desolation:  It is impossible to imagine the distress
             of a bereaved parent.  2 calamity, trouble, adversity,
             catastrophe, tragedy, misfortune, difficulty, hardship, straits,
             trial, disaster:  Has he no sympathy for the distresses that
             have beset his people?

             --v.  3 bother, disturb, perturb, upset, trouble, worry, harrow,
             harry, vex, harass, plague, oppress, grieve, torment, torture,
             afflict:  The thought of Miss Camberley as a hostage distressed
             us all.

   distribute
             v.  1 deal or dole out, parcel out, give (out), mete out,
             dispense, apportion, allot, share (out), partition, divide up,
             assign, issue, circulate, pass out, pass round or around, hand
             out, deliver, convey, Colloq dish or spoon out:  Emergency
             rations were distributed to the flood victims.  2 disperse,
             scatter, strew, spread (round or around or about), diffuse,
             disseminate:  Mammals are uniformly distributed over the globe.
             3 sort, classify, class, categorize, assort, arrange, group,
             file, order:  Distribute the packages according to their size.

   distribution
             n.  1 apportionment, allotment, allocation, assignment,
             parcelling or US also parceling out, sharing; deployment:  She
             supervised the distribution of the prizes.  2 issuance,
             circulation, dissemination, giving (out), dispersal,
             dispensation; deployment:  The distribution of food parcels is
             being handled by charities.  3 arrangement, disposition,
             grouping, classification, order, ordering, division,
             cataloguing, codification; deployment:  What is the distribution
             of scientists among the population?

   district  n.  territory, region, section, sector, division, partition,
             part, precinct, locality, area, locale, department, province,
             community, quarter, neighbourhood, ward:  We need a new hospital
             in our district.

   distrust  v.  1 mistrust, doubt, question, be sceptical of, be circumspect
             or cautious about, suspect, be suspicious or wary of, discredit,
             disbelieve, Colloq smell a rat; Colloq be leery of:  I
             distrusted her motives from the very beginning.

             --n.  2 mistrust, doubt, doubtfulness, uncertainty,
             misgiving(s), scepticism, suspicion, disbelief, incredulity,
             incredulousness, hesitation, caution, wariness, qualm,
             hesitancy:  His claims were greeted with distrust.

   distrustful
             adj.  distrusting, untrusting, mistrustful, doubting, chary,
             wary, cautious, suspicious, sceptical, doubtful, dubious,
             cynical, disbelieving, unbelieving, uneasy, nervous, hesitant,
             hesitating, unsure, uncertain, Colloq leery:  She is distrustful
             of men who bring her flowers.

   disturb   v.  1 interrupt, disrupt, intrude (on), inconvenience, put out,
             interfere (with); bother, pester, annoy, irritate, irk, upset,
             plague, hector, harry, harass, worry, vex, provoke, pique,
             peeve, get on (someone's) nerves, Colloq bug, miff, get under
             (someone's) skin, get in (someone's) hair, drive nuts or crazy
             or bats or batty or bananas or up the wall, hassle:  The sound
             of dripping water disturbed me. Please do not disturb the
             animals. 2 agitate, stir or churn (up), shake (up), unsettle,
             roil, disorder:  The lake's surface was violently disturbed by
             an enormous creature.  3 unsettle, affect, upset, damage, harm,
             destroy:  We put the delicate mechanism where it wouldn't be
             disturbed by curious visitors. 4 trouble, disconcert, discomfit,
             perturb, ruffle, fluster, upset, agitate, put off, bother,
             discommode, put out, unsettle, distress; alarm, Colloq shake
             (up):  He was greatly disturbed by the death of his father.  5
             affect, upset, confound, confuse, change, put off, ruin,
             destroy, cancel, make ineffectual or ineffective, negate:  Any
             change in temperature will disturb the results of the
             experiment.

   disturbance
             n.  1 disruption, disorder, disorganization, disarrangement,
             disarray; upheaval, interruption, upset, intrusion,
             interference:  She won't tolerate any disturbance to her
             schedule.  2 commotion, disorder, upset, outburst, tumult,
             turmoil, turbulence, violence, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly-burly,
             uproar, brouhaha, rumpus, brawl, m€l‚e or melee, breach of the
             peace, Donnybrook, fray, affray, fracas, trouble, Colloq ruckus,
             Brit spot of bother, Slang Brit spot of bovver:  There was a
             disturbance at the pub yesterday.

   disturbed adj.  1 upset, uneasy, uncomfortable, discomfited, troubled,
             worried, bothered, agitated, anxious, concerned, apprehensive,
             nervous:  He's disturbed that Marie didn't come home last night.
             2 psychoneurotic, neurotic, unbalanced, psychopathic, psychotic,
             maladjusted, mad, insane, out of one's mind, depressed, Colloq
             crazy, unable to cope, Brit bonkers, Slang nuts, screwy, batty,
             off one's rocker, off the deep end, messed-up, screwed-up:  She
             looks after her sister, who is disturbed.

   disturbing
             adj.  upsetting, off-putting, perturbing, troubling, unsettling,
             worrying, disconcerting, disquieting, alarming, distressing:
             There is disturbing news from the front.

   disused   adj.  abandoned, neglected, unused; discontinued, obsolete,
             archaic:  We had to sleep in a disused railway carriage.

   diurnal   adj.  daily, circadian; day-to-day, regular, everyday,
             quotidian; daytime:  Jet lag is a disturbance of the body's
             diurnal rhythms. Are these animals nocturnal or diurnal?

   dive      v.  1 plunge, nosedive, sound, descend, dip, submerge, go under,
             sink; jump, leap, duck; swoop, plummet:  The submarine dived at
             once.

             --n.  2 plunge, nosedive:  The plane went into a dive.  3 bar,
             saloon, nightclub, bistro, club, Colloq nightspot, Slang joint,
             US dump, honky-tonk, juke-joint:  He met the woman in a dive in
             Limehouse.

   diverge   v.  1 separate, radiate, spread (apart), divide, subdivide,
             fork, branch (off or out), ramify, split:  The roads diverge
             further on.  2 deviate, turn aside or away, wander, digress,
             stray, depart, drift, divagate:  Our policy diverges from that
             set up by the committee.

   divergent adj.  differing, different, dissimilar, disparate, variant,
             separate, diverging, disagreeing, conflicting, discrepant:
             There are divergent theories about the origin of the universe.

   divers    adj.  various, several, sundry; miscellaneous, multifarious,
             manifold, varied, assorted, variegated, differing, different;
             some, numerous, many:  We have the divers statements of the
             witnesses.

   diverse   adj.  different, varied, diversified, multiform, various,
             assorted, mixed, miscellaneous; distinctive, distinct, separate,
             varying, discrete, dissimilar, differing, divergent,
             heterogeneous:  Diverse subjects are available for study.

   diversify v.  vary, variegate, change, mix, change; spread, distribute,
             divide, break up, separate; branch out:  We must diversify our
             investments to hedge against losses. Perhaps this is not a good
             time to diversify into other areas.

   diversion n.  1 digression, deviation, departure, distraction:  George
             created a diversion, while we robbed the safe.  2 detour,
             sidetrack, deviation, bypass, deviation:  Owing to roadworks, we
             had to take a diversion off the main road.  3 amusement,
             distraction, entertainment, pastime, recreation, divertissement,
             game, play, relaxation:  She prefers chess for diversion.

   diversity n.  1 difference, dissimilarity, dissimilitude, unlikeness,
             disparity, deviation, divergence, departure, distinctiveness,
             diverseness, variation, variety, individuality, inconsistency,
             contrariety, discrepancy, contrast:  Flowers are impressive in
             their diversity.  2 variety, range, extent, heterogeneity,
             multiplicity, multifariousness, variegation, multiformity:
             Democracy encourages diversity of opinion.

   divert    v.  1 switch, rechannel, redirect; change, alter, deflect:
             Funds for the new civic centre have been diverted to housing.
             We must divert the course of the river. 2 turn away, turn aside,
             avert, re-route, deflect; change course, swerve (off or away),
             shift, sidetrack, depart, deviate:  Cars were diverted to avoid
             flooded areas. We diverted from our route because of the
             roadworks. 3 entertain, amuse, distract, interest, beguile,
             engage, occupy, absorb:  We found the stand-up comedian mildly
             diverting but not really funny.

   divest    v.  1 strip, denude, rid, get rid, relieve, disencumber,
             deprive, dispossess; despoil, mulct:  The company has been
             divested of all its assets.  2 divest oneself of. take or put
             off, doff, remove; disrobe,unclothe, undress:  She divested
             herself of her fur coat.

   divide    v.  1 separate, split (up), break up, cleave, cut up or asunder,
             partition, segregate, subdivide; disconnect, disjoin, detach,
             sever, sunder, part:  Argyle divided his mountaineers into three
             regiments. A divided nation cannot stand. Some would like to see
             Britain divided from continental Europe. 2 Sometimes, divide up.
             distribute, share (out), measure out, parcel out, partition,
             dole (out), deal (out), mete out, allocate, allot, apportion,
             dispense, give (out):  The remaining food was divided among us.
             3 separate, split, cause to disagree, alienate, disunite, set at
             odds, sow dissension (among), pit or set against one another,
             disaffect:  Racial issues still divide the people.  4 branch
             (out), ramify, split, separate:  The road divides there and
             passes on each side of that huge rock.  5 categorize, classify,
             sort, assort, grade, group, (put in) order, rank, organize,
             arrange:  You have to divide the books into several piles
             according to size.

   divine    adj.  1 godlike, godly, holy, deiform, deific, angelic,
             seraphic, saintly; heavenly, celestial; sacred, sanctified,
             hallowed, consecrated, religious, spiritual:  They believe in
             the divine right of kings. He receives divine inspiration at
             divine services. 2 superhuman, supernatural, gifted,
             pre-eminent, superior, excellent, supreme, exalted,
             transcendent, extraordinary:  Even the divine Homer nods.  3
             great, marvellous, splendid, superlative, glorious, superb,
             admirable, wonderful, awesome, perfect, excellent, beautiful,
             Colloq super, great, terrific, smashing, fantastic,
             splendiferous, Colloq Brit ace, magic:  They say that the new
             musical is simply divine.

             --v.  4 intuit, imagine, conjecture, guess, assume, presume,
             infer, suppose, hypothesize, surmise, suspect, understand,
             perceive, speculate, theorize, predict, foretell, have
             foreknowledge of; determine, discover:  He had divined that she
             might be there.

             --n.  5 holy man, priest, clergyman, cleric, ecclesiastic,
             minister, pastor, reverend, churchman, prelate:  At his club, he
             enjoys the company of bishops, archbishops, and other divines.

   division  n.  1 dividing, split, splitting (up), breaking up, partition,
             partitioning, partitionment, separation, separating, diremption,
             segmentation, segmenting, compartmentation, sectioning,
             apportioning, apportionment, allotment:  In England a division
             between Church and State is not recognized.  2 section,
             compartment, segment; partition, separation:  Egg crates have
             144 divisions.  3 branch, department, sector, section, unit,
             group, arm; part, set, category, class, classification:  The
             textile division of the company lost money last year.  4
             boundary (line), border, borderline, frontier, margin, line,
             dividing line:  Where is the division between good and evil?  5
             discord, disagreement, upset, conflict, strife, disunity,
             disunion:  The issue of equal rights has led to much division
             within the movement.

   divorce   n.  1 separation, split, split-up, dissolution, severance,
             disunion, break-up:  Their divorce after twenty years surprised
             everyone.

             --v.  2 separate, divide, split (up), part, sever, detach,
             dissociate, disassociate; dissolve:  A splinter group has
             divorced itself from the main party. We were divorced last year.

   dizzy     adj.  1 giddy, vertiginous, light-headed, faint, dazed,
             tottering, unsteady, reeling, tipsy, Colloq woozy:  I felt dizzy
             after going down the helter-skelter.  2 confused, silly, giddy,
             empty-headed, scatterbrained, muddled, befuddled, flighty,
             feather-headed, feather-brained, rattle-brained, hare-brained,
             frivolous:  He is dizzy with power.

4.4 dock...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   dock      n.  1 wharf, pier, berth, jetty, quay:  We went to the dock to
             see them off.

             --v.  2 (drop) anchor, berth, tie up, moor, land, put in:  The
             ship docks at noon.

   doctor    n.  1 physician, medical practitioner, M.D., general
             practitioner, G.P., Colloq medic, medico, doc, sawbones, bones:
             You ought to see a doctor about that cough.

             --v.  2 treat, attend, medicate; cure, heal; practise medicine:
             She knows very little about doctoring children, in spite of
             having worked as a general practitioner. 3 mend, repair, patch
             (up), fix:  We doctored the tyre as best we could.  4 falsify,
             tamper with, adulterate, disguise, change, modify, alter; cut,
             dilute, water (down); spike; drug, poison:  This sauce has been
             doctored.

   doctrine  n.  teaching, body of instruction, precept; principle, tenet,
             dogma, article of faith, canon, conviction, creed, belief,
             credo, opinion, idea, concept, theory, proposition, thesis,
             postulate:  Few believe the doctrine that all men are created
             equal.

   document  n.  1 paper, certificate, instrument, report, chronicle, record:
             All the legal documents are at my lawyer's office.

             --v.  2 record, chronicle, particularize, detail, describe;
             verify, validate, certify, authenticate, corroborate,
             substantiate:  Detectives have documented every move you made
             since the murder.

   doddering adj.  shaking, quaking, palsied, trembling, trembly, quivering,
             quavering, reeling, unsteady, shaky, staggering, shambling,
             decrepit, faltering; feeble, weak, frail, infirm; aged, old,
             superannuated, senile, anile:  Once a vigorous sportsman, his
             illness has reduced him to a doddering octogenarian.

   dodge     v.  1 dart, shift, move aside, sidestep, duck, bob, weave,
             swerve, veer:  He dodged here and there across the traffic.  2
             avoid, elude, evade, escape from:  He neatly dodged the punches
             of his opponent.  3 escape from answering, sidestep, duck,
             evade, hedge; quibble, tergiversate, double-talk, Colloq waffle:
             She dodged the questions put to her by the interviewer.

             --n.  4 trick, subterfuge, ploy, scheme, ruse, device,
             stratagem, plan, plot, machination, chicane, deception,
             prevarication, contrivance, evasion, Slang wheeze, racket:
             Crenshaw worked out a new dodge to avoid paying tax.

   dodgy     adj.  tricky, dangerous, perilous, risky, difficult, ticklish,
             sensitive, delicate, touchy; uncertain, unreliable; rickety,
             Colloq chancy, hairy, Brit dicky, dicey:  Climbing up the sheer
             face of that rock could be a bit dodgy.  You shouldn't be
             exerting yourself with your dodgy ticker.

   dogmatic  adj.  arbitrary, categorical, dictatorial, imperious,
             peremptory, overbearing, doctrinaire, authoritarian, emphatic,
             insistent, assertive, arrogant, domineering; obdurate, stubborn;
             opinionated, positive, certain, Rare thetic(al), Colloq pushy:
             Patrick tends to be quite dogmatic when he is sure of his
             ground.

   dole      n.  1 portion, allotment, share, quota, lot, allowance, parcel;
             compensation, benefit, grant, award, donation, gift, largesse,
             alms, gratuity; Slang hand-out:  The prisoners received a daily
             dole of bread. If you've lost your job, are you eligible for the
             dole? 2 distribution, apportionment, allocation, dispensation:
             The money was given to the disaster victims by dole.

             --v.  3 give (out), deal (out), distribute, hand out, mete out,
             share (out), dispense, allot, allocate, apportion, Colloq dish
             out:  They dole out the reparations on the basis of need.

   doleful   adj.  sad, sorrowful, melancholy, gloomy, mournful, cheerless,
             joyless, sombre, depressed, disconsolate, blue, down,
             distressed, dejected, downhearted, forlorn, unhappy, lugubrious,
             dolorous, wretched, miserable, woebegone, dreary, woeful, Colloq
             down in the mouth, down in the dumps; distressing, funereal,
             depressing, grievous, harrowing:  From his doleful expression I
             thought he would cry any minute.  She lives in the most doleful
             surroundings.

   dolt      n.  fool, ass, blockhead, dunce, dullard, idiot, nitwit,
             ignoramus, numskull or numbskull, donkey, nincompoop, ninny,
             ninny-hammer, simpleton, dunderpate, dunderhead, bonehead,
             simpleton, twit, fat-head, goon, moron, imbecile, Colloq dope,
             dumb-bell, dim-wit, chump, dummy, halfwit, birdbrain, pinhead,
             clot, clod, chucklehead, Brit muggins, US thimble-wit, jerk,
             knuckle-head, lunkhead, meat-head, lame-brain, dingbat,
             ding-a-ling, flake:  The dolt actually tried to buy striped
             paint!

   domain    n.  1 realm, dominion, territory, property, land(s), province,
             kingdom, empire:  At one time his domain included most of
             Europe.  2 province, realm, territory, field, bailiwick, area,
             department, sphere, discipline, speciality, specialization,
             concern:  As a dentist, he considered diseases of the throat
             outside his domain.

   domestic  adj.  1 home, private, family, familial; residential, household:
             Her domestic life is a shambles. This toaster is for domestic
             use. 2 tame, domesticated, house-trained, house-broken:  Tenants
             are forbidden to keep domestic animals.  3 home, native,
             indigenous, internal, autochthonous:  The domestic market
             accounts for most of the company's income.

             --n.  4 servant, (hired) help, housekeeper, major-domo, steward:
             Her domestics left and she now does the cleaning herself.

   domicile  n.  1 dwelling (place), residence, abode, home, habitation,
             (living) quarters, housing, accommodation(s), lodging(s), Colloq
             Brit digs, diggings, Slang pad:  Domiciles in south-east England
             have increased enormously in value.

             --v.  2 locate, quarter, lodge, settle, establish, situate,
             domiciliate:  She is domiciled abroad, hence pays no income tax
             here.

   dominant  adj.  1 commanding, authoritative, controlling, governing,
             ruling, leading, reigning, influential, assertive, supreme,
             superior, ascendant:  He has taken a dominant role in promoting
             foreign language teaching.  2 predominant, chief, main,
             principal, primary, prevailing, outstanding, pre-eminent,
             paramount:  A large nose is a dominant characteristic in their
             family.

   dominate  v.  1 command, control, govern, rule, direct, lead, reign
             (over), exercise command or authority or control or rule over,
             have the whip or upper hand (over), run (things), be in or have
             under control, rule the roost or roast, Colloq call the shots or
             the tune, wear the trousers or US the pants, be in the driver's
             seat, rule with an iron hand, have under one's thumb:  She
             clearly dominates the board of directors.  2 overlook, look
             (out) over, tower over or above, rise above, overshadow;
             predominate:  The Eiffel Tower dominates the Parisian skyline.

   domination
             n.  1 authority, control, rule, power, command, influence, sway,
             supremacy, ascendancy, hegemony, the whip or upper hand,
             pre-eminence, mastery:  The tsar's domination lasted for more
             than thirty years.  2 oppression, subjection, repression,
             suppression, subordination, enslavement, enthralment;
             dictatorship, despotism, tyranny:  The Allies finally brought to
             an end the Fascist domination of Europe.

   domineering
             adj.  overbearing, imperious, officious, arrogant, autocratic,
             authoritarian, high-handed, high and mighty, masterful,
             arbitrary, peremptory, dictatorial, despotic, tyrannical,
             oppressive, strict, hard, harsh, tough, Colloq bossy, pushy:  A
             classic character in humorous writing is the domineering spouse.

   dominion  n.  1 rule, authority, control, dominance, domination, grasp,
             mastery, grip, command, jurisdiction, power, sovereignty, sway,
             ascendancy, pre-eminence, primacy, supremacy, hegemony:  The
             magician claimed dominion over the entire universe.  2 domain,
             realm, territory, region, area, country, kingdom:  For six
             generations the dynasty ruled over its dominions on five
             continents.

   donate    v.  give, provide, supply, present, contribute, subscribe (to or
             for), pledge, award, bestow, confer, grant, vouchsafe, will,
             bequeath:  Lady Crayford donated two silver candlesticks to our
             charity drive.

   donation  n.  1 gift, contribution, largesse, present, grant, award, alms,
             offering, bequest:  Donations have exceeded our expectations.  2
             giving, contribution, bestowal, allotment, provision, offer:  We
             are seeking the donation of a piano for our theatre group.

   donor     n.  giver, provider, supplier, benefactor or benefactress,
             contributor, supporter, backer:  Blood donors receive a suitably
             inscribed certificate.

   doom      n.  fate, karma, destiny, fortune, lot, kismet; downfall,
             destruction, death, ruin, extinction, annihilation, death, end,
             termination, terminus:  The young warrior had defied the Snake
             God, and his doom was sealed.

   doomed    adj.  1 fated, cursed, condemned, damned, destined, ordained,
             foreordained, predestined:  She was doomed to live for ever.  2
             accursed, bedevilled, ill-fated, luckless, star-crossed,
             bewitched, condemned:  The doomed ship sank to the bottom of the
             sea.

   dope      n.  1 See dolt.  2 narcotic, drug, opiate, hallucinogen,
             psychedelic, Slang upper, downer:  He was caught trying to
             smuggle dope past customs.  3 information, data, facts, news,
             details, story, scoop, Slang info, low-down, score, Brit gen, US
             and Canadian poop:  The real dope on the minister is
             sensational!

   dormant   adj.  1 asleep, sleeping, slumbering, resting, at rest, quiet,
             inactive, still, inert, unmoving, motionless, stationary,
             immobile, quiescent, comatose, torpid, hibernating, slumberous,
             somnolent, sleepy, lethargic, dull, sluggish:  The bears are
             dormant during much of the winter.  2 latent, potential, hidden,
             concealed, undisclosed, unrevealed, unexpressed:  The theory lay
             dormant for centuries and has only recently been revived.

   dose      n.  1 portion, quantity, amount, measure, dosage:  How big a
             dose of the medication did the doctor prescribe?

             --v.  2 dispense, administer, prescribe:  I was dosed with
             medicine and slept all day.

   dot       n.  1 spot, speck, point, jot, mark, iota, fleck, dab; decimal
             point, Brit full stop, US period:  Use three dots to denote text
             omissions.  2 on the dot. exactly, precisely, punctually, to the
             minute or second, on time, Colloq on the button:  She arrived at
             noon on the dot.

             --v.  3 spot, fleck, speckle, stipple, bespeckle:  The wallpaper
             is dotted with tiny squares of colour.

   dote      v.  Often, dote on or upon. be fond of, be infatuated with,
             love, idolize, hold dear, adore, make much of; coddle, pamper,
             spoil, indulge:  I think she dotes on her husband at the expense
             of the children.  What we need is a doting grandmother to
             babysit when we want to go out.

   double    adj.  1 twofold, paired, coupled, duplicate(d), doubled:  The
             forms banned and banning are spelt with a double n .  2 folded
             or doubled or bent over, overlapped, two-ply:  This wound needs
             a double bandage.  3 dual, twofold, ambiguous, double-barrelled:
             He pronounced it 'de-seat', giving deceit a double meaning.  4
             twice:  The plant had grown to double its size.  5 deceitful,
             dishonest, treacherous, traitorous, insincere, hypocritical,
             double-dealing, false:  It was Maria who exposed Fernando as a
             double agent.

             --v.  6 duplicate, replicate; copy; increase, enlarge; magnify:
             We'll have to double our milk order.

             --n.  7 twin, duplicate, copy, replica, facsimile, clone, copy,
             counterpart, doppelg„nger, look-alike, stand-in, understudy,
             Slang (dead) ringer, spitting image or spit and image:  He could
             be Clint Eastwood's double.  8 at or on the double. quickly, on
             the run, at full speed or tilt, briskly, immediately, at once,
             without delay, Slang p.d.q. (= 'prety damned quick'):  Put down
             that book and come over here on the double!

   double-cross
             v.  cheat, defraud, swindle, hoodwink, trick, betray, deceive,
             mislead, play false with, Colloq two-time:  He swore he'd give
             me the money but he double-crossed me and kept it himself.

   doubt     v.  1 disbelieve, discredit, mistrust, distrust, have misgivings
             (about), question, suspect:  I doubted his ability to beat the
             record.  2 hesitate, waver, vacillate, fluctuate, scruple, be
             uncertain, entertain doubts, have reservations:  Who ever
             doubted about her honesty?

             --n.  3 uncertainty, hesitation, misgiving, reservation(s),
             qualm, anxiety, worry, apprehension, disquiet, fear:  He has
             harboured doubts about the success of the enterprise.  4
             distrust, mistrust, suspicion, incredulity, scepticism,
             dubiousness, dubiety or dubiosity, lack of faith or conviction,
             irresolution:  Her doubts about his intentions have evaporated.
             5 in doubt. See doubtful, below.

   doubtful  adj.  1 in doubt, dubious, questionable, open to question,
             problematic, debatable, disputable, uncertain, unpredictable,
             indeterminate, unsettled, unresolved, conjectural, indefinite,
             unclear, obscure, vague, anybody's guess , Colloq up in the air:
             The result is very doubtful.  2 sceptical, unconvinced,
             distrustful, mistrustful, suspicious, uncertain, unsure,
             hesitant, hesitating, vacillating, indecisive:  I am doubtful
             whether an investigation will yield anything.  3 dubious,
             questionable, shady, louche, disreputable, controversial:  Those
             are people of doubtful reputation.

   doubtless adv.  1 doubtlessly, undoubtedly, no doubt, indubitably,
             indisputably, unquestionably, surely, for sure, certainly, for
             certain, naturally, without (a) doubt, beyond or without (a
             shadow of) a doubt, truly, positively, absolutely, Colloq
             absotively, posolutely, US make no mistake:  You doubtless
             remember my aunt?  2 probably, most or very likely, in all
             probability, supposedly, presumably:  He will doubtless be
             refused entry into the country.

   dour      adj.  1 sullen, sour, unfriendly, cold, gloomy, morose, dreary,
             grim, cheerless, dismal, forbidding:  We went to Spain, away
             from the dour northern climate.  2 hard, tough, austere, severe,
             hardy, inflexible, obstinate, stubborn, unyielding,
             uncompromising, strict, rigid, obdurate, stern, harsh, adamant,
             Colloq hard-nosed:  Her father was a dour Scot who wouldn't let
             me in the house.

   dowdy     adj.  frowzy, frumpy, drab, dull, seedy, shabby, unseemly,
             unbecoming; slovenly, sloppy, messy, unkempt; old-fashioned,
             unfashionable, Colloq US tacky:  Aunt Patience looked
             particularly dowdy in her dressing-gown and slippers.

   down and out
             adj.  1 indigent, poverty-stricken, poor, penniless, destitute,
             impoverished, Colloq broke, US on the skids, on skid row, on the
             bum, Slang Brit skint:  Those vagrants are down and out and need
             help, not pity.

             --n.  2 down-and-out. derelict, beggar, outcast, tramp, vagrant,
             vagabond, US bum:  He took to drink and ended up a complete
             down-and-out.

   downfall  n.  ruin, undoing, d‚bѓcle, collapse, degradation, defeat,
             overthrow, breakdown:  Selling the company to the conglomerate
             spelt its downfall.

   downgrade v.  1 demote, dethrone, humble, lower, reduce, displace, depose,
             dispossess, disfranchise or disenfranchise, US military bust;
             Colloq bring or take down a peg:  He was downgraded from
             supervisor to foreman.  2 belittle, minimize, play down,
             disparage, decry, denigrate, run down, US and Canadian downplay:
             How could she downgrade her own sister?

             --n.  3 descent, decline, declension, (downward) slope,
             gradient, grade, inclination:  Apply the brake as you approach
             the downgrade.  4 on the downgrade. on the wane, waning,
             declining, falling, slipping, falling off, losing ground, going
             downhill, US and Canadian on the skids:  After the drug scandal,
             her popularity was on the downgrade.

   downhearted
             adj.  discouraged, depressed, low-spirited, miserable, blue,
             sad, downcast, dejected:  Don't be so downhearted, we know you
             can win the gold medal.

   downpour  n.  rainstorm, deluge, inundation, cloudburst, thunder-shower,
             thunderstorm, torrential rain, torrent; monsoon:  We got caught
             in that downpour without an umbrella.

   downright adj.  1 direct, straightforward, plain, frank, open, candid,
             plain-spoken, explicit, blunt, brash, bluff, not roundabout or
             circuitous, unambiguous, out-and-out, outright, categorical,
             flat, unequivocal, outspoken, unreserved, unabashed,
             unrestrained, unconstrained, bold:  She speaks with a downright
             honesty you have to admire.

             --adv.  2 completely, entirely, totally, thoroughly, certainly,
             surely, (most) assuredly, definitely, absolutely,
             unconditionally, unequivocally; very, extremely, unqualifiedly,
             perfectly, uncompromisingly, unmitigatedly, utterly,
             unquestionably, profoundly, undoubtedly, indubitably:  It's
             downright stupid of you to leave in this weather.

   downtrodden
             adj.  subjugated, oppressed, burdened, plagued, afflicted,
             exploited, overwhelmed, cowed, overcome, beaten, abused,
             mistreated, maltreated, tyrannized, Colloq beat:  This poor,
             downtrodden wreck of a man had once been on top.

   downward  adj.  declining, sliding, slipping, spiralling, descending,
             going or heading or moving down:  This downward trend in the
             market will soon be reversed.

   downwards adv.  down, downward, below, lower:  We moved downwards, towards
             the centre of the earth.

   doze      v.  1 Often, doze off. (take or have a) nap, catnap, drowse,
             sleep, slumber, Colloq snooze, have forty winks, drop or nod
             off, grab some shut-eye, Chiefly Brit (have or take a) zizz,
             Brit kip, US catch or log a few zees (Z's):  I was dozing in the
             sun when the phone rang.

             --n.  2 nap, catnap, siesta, sleep; rest; Colloq snooze, forty
             winks, shut-eye, Brit zizz, kip, lie-down:  I'll have a short
             doze before dinner.

4.5 drab...
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   drab      adj.  dull, colourless, dreary, dingy, lacklustre, lustreless,
             dismal, cheerless, grey, sombre:  She wore drab clothes and no
             make-up.

   draft     n.  1 plan, sketch, drawing, outline, rough (sketch), blueprint,
             diagram, prospectus:  We must have the draft of the new design
             by morning.  2 bill of exchange, cheque, money order, postal
             order; letter of credit:  Our customer issued a draft in full
             payment.

             --v.  3 sketch, delineate, outline, design, plan, frame, block
             out, compose, diagram, draw (up):  The art department has
             drafted the layout for the new encyclopedia.

   drag      v.  1 pull, draw, haul, tow, tug, trail, lug:  It took the two
             of us to drag the desk into the other office.  2 pull, distract,
             draw; induce, persuade, coax, wheedle:  She's been unable to
             drag him away from the TV.  3 trudge, slog, crawl, creep, inch,
             shuffle, shamble:  He's looking for a job and just drags along
             from one employment agency to another. 4 trail (behind), linger,
             dawdle, lag (behind), straggle, draggle, potter, loiter, poke
             (along), dilly-dally, US lallygag:  She just drags along after
             us wherever we go.  5 (be) prolong(ed), (be) extend(ed),
             (be)draw(n) out, (be) protract(ed), (be) stretch(ed) out, spin
             out or be spun out:  Why drag out the agony of uncertainty any
             longer? His speech dragged on for another hour. 6 drag one's
             feet or heels. delay, procrastinate, hang back; obstruct, block,
             stall:  The committee is dragging its feet on the housing issue.

             --n.  7 bore, nuisance, annoyance; pest; Colloq drip, pain (in
             the neck), headache:  That course in botany is a real drag.

   drain     n.  1 ditch, channel, trench, culvert, conduit, pipe, gutter,
             outlet, watercourse, sewer, cloaca:  The storm drains have
             overflowed.  2 depletion, reduction, sapping, sap, exhaustion,
             strain, drag; outgo, outflow, withdrawal, disbursement,
             expenditure:  The cost of the new roof was a drain on our
             resources.  3 down the drain. wasted, gone, thrown away, lost,
             Slang up the spout:  All that money spent on his education went
             down the drain.

             --v.  4 draw off, tap, extract, remove, take away, withdraw,
             pump off or out; empty, evacuate, drink up or down, quaff,
             swallow, finish:  After washing the lettuce, drain off the
             water. He drained the glass in one gulp. 5 consume, use up,
             exhaust, sap, deplete, bleed, strain, tax, spend; weaken,
             debilitate, impair, cripple:  The car repairs drained my bank
             account. After climbing to the top of the mountain, we were
             completely drained. 6 seep, trickle, ooze, drip, leave, go or
             flow from or out of, disappear (from), ebb:  Let the pus drain
             from the boil. The blood drained from his face when he saw her.

   drama     n.  1 play, stage play, photoplay, screenplay, (stage) show,
             (theatrical) piece, (stage) production; scenario:  He plays only
             in dramas, never in musicals.  2 dramaturgy, stagecraft, theatre
             art(s), Thespian or histrionic art(s), acting, theatre, dramatic
             art:  She has studied drama at RADA.  3 histrionics, dramatics,
             theatrics, theatricalism, play-acting:  There's always a drama
             over who's going to wash up.

   dramatic  adj.  1 theatric(al), dramaturgic(al), Thespian, histrionic,
             stage:  She was studying the dramatic works of Shakespeare.
             There will be a festival of dramatic arts at the centre next
             week. 2 vivid, sensational, startling, breathtaking, sudden,
             striking, noticeable, extraordinary, impressive, marked,
             shocking, expressive, graphic, effective; complete,
             considerable, radical, major:  A dramatic change has come over
             him since meeting her.  3 flamboyant, melodramatic, colourful,
             showy, stirring, spectacular; theatrical, histrionic,
             exaggerated, overdone:  His presentation was quite dramatic,
             well staged and with much arm-waving.

   dramatist n.  playwright, dramaturge, screenwriter, scriptwriter,
             scenarist, tragedian, melodramatist:  The actors failed to carry
             out the dramatist's intentions.

   dramatize v.  exaggerate, overplay, overstate, overdo, make a production
             or show (out) of, Colloq lay it on (thick), pile it on, ham
             (something or it) up:  He always dramatizes everything way out
             of proportion.

   drape     v.  1 hang, festoon, swathe, deck, array, bedeck, adorn,
             ornament, decorate:  The coffin was draped with the national
             flag.

             --n.  2 drapery, curtain; hanging, tapestry:  The drapes match
             neither the carpet nor the wallpaper.

   drapery   n.  drape, curtain; hanging, valance, pelmet, tapestry, arras,
             portiЉre, lambrequin, drop:  Which colour will you choose for
             the drapery?

   drastic   adj.  violent, severe, extreme, strong, powerful, potent,
             puissant, fierce, forceful, vigorous, rigorous, harsh, radical,
             Draconian, desperate, dire:  I shall have to take drastic
             measures if this misbehaviour continues.

   draught   n.  1 breeze, breath (of air), (light) wind, current (of air),
             puff (of air or wind):  You'll get a cold sitting in the
             draught.  2 dose, portion, measure, quantity, drink, swallow,
             sip, nip, tot, potation, dram, gulp, Colloq swig, tipple:  The
             doctor recommended a draught of this tonic before meals.

   draw      v.  1 pull, tug, tow, drag, haul, lug:  The gypsy caravan was
             drawn by two horses.  2 pull or take out, extract; unsheathe,
             unholster:  The cowboy drew his gun and began firing.  3 draw
             off; pour; drain off or out:  She drew two pails of water for
             the horses.  4 attract, gather, allure, lure, bring out or
             forth, elicit, Colloq pull:  Anything will draw a crowd in New
             York.  5 depict, sketch, portray, outline, delineate, design,
             limn, paint:  The artist was drawing pictures in chalk on the
             pavement.  6 devise, draw up, draft, create, contrive, frame,
             compose, prepare:  The plans for the new civic centre have not
             yet been drawn.  7 inhale, breathe (in), inspire; suck in:
             She's very ill and may draw her last breath any minute.  8 draw
             out, withdraw, take, receive, get, acquire, obtain, secure,
             procure, extract, remove:  I have to draw some money from my
             bank account for groceries.  9 choose, pick, select, take:  It
             is your turn to draw a card.  10 draw back. retreat, recoil,
             shrink (from), withdraw:  He drew back quickly when he saw the
             snake.  11 draw in. arrive, pull in:  The train drew in to the
             station.  12 draw off.  a tap, pour:  The barmaid drew off two
             large beers from the keg.  b withdraw, draw or go away, depart,
             leave:  The Indians drew off and waited to see what we would do.
             13 draw on.  a employ, use, make use of, exploit, have resort or
             recourse to, resort to, fall back on, rely or depend on:  She
             drew on her years of experience as a doctor.  b come close or
             near, near, draw nigh, approach, advance:  With the cold season
             drawing on, we had to get in the crops.  14 draw out.  a extend,
             drag out, prolong, protract, lengthen, stretch, spin out:  Her
             visit has been drawn out to a week.  b elicit, evoke, induce to
             talk:  I drew him out on his feelings about social security.  c
             See 8, above.  15 draw up.  a halt, stop, pull up or over:  A
             taxi drew up and I got in.  b draft, compose, prepare, put down
             (in writing), frame, compile, put together, formulate:  We drew
             up the agreement only yesterday.  c arrange, deploy, position,
             order, rank, marshal:  The troops were drawn up in full battle
             array.

             --n.  16 magnetism, attraction, lure, enticement, Colloq pull,
             drawing power:  The draw of the rock concert was extraordinary.
             17 tie, stalemate, dead heat, deadlock:  The race ended in a
             draw for second place.

   drawback  n.  disadvantage, hindrance, stumbling-block, obstacle,
             impediment, hurdle, obstruction, snag, problem, difficulty,
             hitch, catch, handicap, liability, flaw, defect, detriment,
             Colloq fly in the ointment; Taboo nigger in the woodpile:  Lack
             of education is a serious drawback to getting a good job.

   drawing   n.  picture, depiction, representation, sketch, plan, outline,
             design, composition, black-and-white, monochrome:  The book is
             illustrated by some delightful pen-and-ink drawings.

   drawn     adj.  haggard, worn out, tired, fatigued, strained, pinched,
             tense, exhausted:  Sidonia looks a bit drawn after her ordeal.

   dread     v.  1 fear, be afraid of, apprehend, anticipate, flinch, shrink
             or recoil from, cringe or quail or blench or wince at, view with
             horror or alarm:  She dreads any kind of surgery.

             --n.  2 fear, fright, fearfulness, trepidation, apprehension,
             apprehensiveness, uneasiness, anticipation, alarm, nervousness,
             qualm, queasiness, misgiving, dismay, worry, anxiety,
             consternation, concern, distress, perturbation, disquiet,
             aversion, horror, terror, panic, Colloq cold feet, butterflies
             (in the stomach), the jitters; Slang the heebie-jeebies, the
             willies, the collywobbles:  I regarded the history exam with
             dread.

             --adj.  3 feared, dreaded, dreadful, terrifying, terrible:
             Before us, breathing fire, was the dread dragon of the Druids.

   dreadful  adj.  1 bad, awful, terrible, Colloq rotten, Slang lousy:  That
             TV soap opera is simply dreadful.  2 grievous, dire, horrible,
             horrendous, horrifying, horrid, monstrous, fearful, feared,
             frightful, dread, frightening, shocking, alarming, appalling,
             fearsome, hideous, ghastly, atrocious, heinous, wicked, evil,
             iniquitous, villainous, flagitious, fiendish, diabolical,
             devilish, demonic, malevolent, maleficent, malefic, Colloq
             scary:  They did the most dreadful things to political
             prisoners.

   dream     n.  1 reverie, day-dream, delusion, fantasy, hallucination,
             illusion, vision, mirage, pipedream, (flight of) fancy,
             speculation:  When I awoke I realized that my winning the
             lottery had just been a dream.

             --v.  2 imagine, fancy, conjure up, hallucinate:  I dreamt I
             dwelt in marble halls.

   dreamer   n.  fantasizer, visionary, idealist, romantic, romanticist,
             idealizer, Utopian; day-dreamer, escapist, fantasizer,
             star-gazer:  If you think people change, you're a dreamer.

   dreamlike adj.  unreal, fantastic, unbelievable, phantasmagoric(al),
             hallucinatory or hallucinative or hallucinational, surreal,
             delusionary or delusional, illusionary or illusional, delusive
             or delusory, illusory or illusive, insubstantial or
             unsubstantial, imaginary, chimeric(al), fanciful, fancied,
             visionary:  His plans have a dreamlike quality about them that
             make them impractical.

   dreamy    adj.  1 dreamlike, vague, indefinite, indistinct, undefined,
             intangible, misty, shadowy, faint:  He has a dreamy recollection
             of being awakened in the middle of the night. 2 absent-minded,
             absent, far-away, abstracted, pensive, thoughtful; day-dreaming,
             musing, occupied, in a reverie, in a brown study, in the clouds;
             Colloq off somewhere:  I was in a dreamy mood, my mind wandering
             through old memories.  3 relaxing, soothing, calming, lulling,
             gentle, tranquil, peaceful, peaceable, quiet; lazy, sleepy,
             drowsy:  It was one of those dreamy, hot midsummer days.

   dreary    adj.  1 dismal, joyless, cheerless, gloomy, bleak, drear,
             sombre, doleful, depressing, wretched; sad, melancholy,
             downcast, depressed, funereal, glum, unhappy, forlorn, mournful,
             morose, blue, miserable:  One more day on these dreary moors and
             I shall go mad. Caroline was again in a dreary mood. 2 boring,
             lifeless, colourless, ennuyant, drab, dull, arid, dry,
             uninteresting, dead, monotonous, prosaic, tedious, tiresome,
             tiring, wearisome, wearying, humdrum, ordinary, vapid,
             run-of-the-mill, unstimulating, unexciting:  Do you mean to tell
             me that that dreary book is a best seller!

   dregs     n.pl.  1 sediment, grounds, lees, deposit, residue, solids,
             remains; precipitate:  Filter the coffee to remove the dregs.  2
             outcasts, pariahs, rabble, riff-raff, scum, tramps,
             down-and-outs, losers:  That park is frequented by the dregs of
             society.

   drench    v.  soak, saturate, wet, flood, inundate, immerse, drown:  She
             had no coat or umbrella and got completely drenched in the
             storm.

   dress     v.  1 clothe, put on (clothing or clothes), attire, apparel,
             outfit, fit out, garb, accoutre or US also accouter; array,
             bedeck, deck out, rig out, smarten up:  They dressed him to look
             like a prince.  2 array, equip, adorn, decorate, deck out,
             arrange:  He has a job dressing shop windows.  3 bandage, treat,
             medicate, doctor:  After dressing my wound they gave me a
             sedative.  4 dress down. reprimand, scold, berate, castigate,
             rebuke, reprove, upbraid, Colloq tell off, haul (someone) over
             the coals, Brit tear (someone) off a strip, US and Canadian chew
             out, US rake (someone) over the coals, tee off on (someone):
             The colonel dressed us down and cancelled all leave.  5 dress
             up.  a  put on dinner or formal clothes, put on one's (Sunday)
             best (clothes), Colloq put on one's best bib and tucker or one's
             glad rags:  On the cruise, we dressed up in our dinner-jackets
             every night.  b (put on a) costume, disguise, masquerade,
             camouflage, put on fancy dress:  The children dressed up as
             goblins for Hallowe'en.

             --n.  6 frock, gown, outfit, costume, Colloq get-up:  Why not
             wear your new dress to the dance tonight?

   dressmaker
             n.  seamstress, tailor, couturier or couturiЉre, modiste:  She's
             at the dressmaker's having a ball gown fitted.

   dressy    adj.  1 formal, dressed-up, elegant, fancy, chic:  A black suit
             is too dressy to wear tonight - it's not a dressy party. 2
             elegant, smart, stylish, Colloq classy, ritzy, Brit swish:
             That's a very dressy outfit, I must say!

   drift     v.  1 coast, float, waft:  A log drifted by on the tide.  2
             wander, roam, meander, stray, rove, ramble, Colloq mosey:  He
             seems just to drift through life, without a purpose.

             --n.  3 trend, tendency, direction, course, current, bias,
             inclination, flow, sweep, bent:  The drift of the conversation
             seemed to be towards politics.  4 intention, meaning, purport,
             purpose, aim, object, tenor, tone, spirit, colour, essence,
             gist, significance, import:  Offended by the drift of her
             remarks, I excused myself.  5 accumulation, pile, heap, mass,
             bank, mound, dune:  After the snowstorm, a huge drift blocked
             the door.

   drifter   n.  vagrant, tramp, vagabond, beachcomber, rambler, wanderer,
             Colloq knight of the road, US bum, hobo:  A drifter, he had no
             place to call home.

   drill     v.  1 bore, penetrate, pierce, cut a hole:  The thieves drilled
             into the safe.  2 rehearse, train, practise, exercise, teach,
             instruct, school, tutor, coach, indoctrinate; discipline:  We
             were thoroughly drilled in the Latin conjugations and
             declensions.

             --n.  3 auger, (brace and) bit, gimlet:  The bit for this drill
             is no longer sharp.  4 practice, training, repetition, exercise,
             rehearsal; discipline:  Tomorrow there will be a complete drill
             of the parts of speech.

   drink     v.  1 quaff, imbibe, sip, gulp, swallow, swill, guzzle, toss
             off, lap (up), Colloq wet one's whistle, swig, knock back, US
             belt:  She prefers not to drink beer.  2 tipple, nip, indulge,
             tope, chug-a-lug, carouse, Colloq booze, bend the elbow, hit the
             bottle, go on a binge or bender, drown one's sorrows, US and
             Canadian go on a toot, Chiefly Brit pub-crawl:  He threatened to
             leave her if she continued to drink.  3 drink to. toast, salute,
             celebrate, pledge:  Let's drink to friendship!

             --n.  4 beverage, potation, liquid refreshment, liquid, potable,
             draught:  After the match I was dying for a drink.  5 alcohol,
             spirits, liquor, the cup that cheers; stirrup-cup; Colloq booze,
             the bottle, hard stuff, mother's ruin, eye-opener, nightcap, US
             hooch; Slang rot-gut, US the sauce, red-eye:  After the
             accident, he took to drink.  6 tot, nip, draught or US also
             draft, schooner, pint, bumper, jigger, snifter, sip, taste,
             glass, gulp, swallow, Scots (wee) deoch an doris or doch an
             dorris, (wee) dram, Brit sundowner; Colloq snort, slug, swig:
             Granny likes a drink before retiring.  7 the drink. the sea, the
             ocean, the main, the deep, Nautical Davy Jones's locker, Colloq
             the briny:  The canoe tipped and our picnic went right into the
             drink!

   drip      v.  1 dribble, trickle, drop; drizzle, sprinkle:  The tap began
             to drip and kept me awake all night.

             --n.  2 dribble, trickle, drop, dripping:  Yes, it was the drip
             from the tap that kept me awake.  3 milksop, bore, wet blanket,
             killjoy, damper, Colloq Brit wet, weed, Colloq wimp, Slang pill,
             drag, US and Canadian milquetoast:  Must you invite that drip
             George?

   drive     v.  1 push, propel, impel, urge, press, thrust, move, motivate,
             actuate, prod, spur, goad, urge, force, make, compel, coerce,
             constrain, oblige, pressure or Brit pressurize, high-pressure,
             induce, require; demand:  What drove you to become a traitor?  2
             operate, conduct, manoeuvre, manipulate, handle, steer, control;
             pilot:  Have you a valid licence to drive this car?  3 ride,
             travel, motor, go, move, proceed, journey, tour, Colloq tool
             along:  Luckily, when the tyre blew out, we were driving at only
             20 m.p.h.  4 stab, plunge, thrust, sink, push, send, dig, ram:
             He has driven the dagger deep into the monster's heart.  5 herd,
             drove, shepherd, ride herd (on):  We used to drive the cattle up
             the old Chisholm Trail to market in Abilene. 6 drive at. hint
             (at), suggest, imply, intimate, allude or refer to, intend,
             mean, have in mind, indicate, Colloq get at:  He was so na‹ve he
             had no idea what she was driving at.

             --n.  7 ride, trip, outing, journey, run, tour, excursion,
             Colloq spin, whirl:  On Sundays we would go for a drive in the
             country.  8 energy, effort, impetus, vigour, vim, spunk,
             enterprise, industry, initiative, ambition, ambitiousness,
             determination, persistence, urgency, zeal, enthusiasm, keenness,
             aggressiveness, Colloq get-up-and-go, pep, zip, push, hustle:
             She owes her success to her drive as well as her talent.  9
             driveway, approach, (private) road or street, lane, byway,
             (scenic) route:  The drive up to the house is lined with trees.
             10 campaign, effort, appeal, crusade:  The club has had a
             successful membership drive this year.

   drivel    v.  1 dribble, drool, slobber, slaver:  You're drivelling all
             over the front of your shirt!  2 babble, prate, prattle, gibber,
             jabber, burble, gabble, chatter, blether or US blather, Colloq
             jibber-jabber, gab, Brit rabbit or witter or natter on, US run
             off at the mouth:  She keeps drivelling on about her family.

             --n.  3 gibberish, rubbish, (stuff and) nonsense, twaddle,
             balderdash, hogwash, Colloq eyewash, tripe, garbage, malarkey,
             hooey, hot air, bosh, boloney or baloney, Slang crap, bull,
             bilge (water), codswallop, US horse feathers, Taboo bullshit,
             balls, Brit (load of old) cobblers:  I've never heard so much
             drivel from a candidate in my entire life!

   droop     v.  1 sag, hang (down), wilt, dangle:  Flags drooped in the
             windless heat.  2 languish, weaken, flag, wilt, wither, be limp,
             slump, sag:  Halfway through the marathon she began to droop a
             bit.

   drop      n.  1 globule, bead, drip, droplet, tear:  A drop of sweat hung
             from his nose.  2 bit, spot, particle, taste, dram, sip, nip,
             pinch, dash, dab, Colloq smidgen or smidgin:  Add a drop of milk
             before kneading the dough.  3 descent, fall:  There was a sheer
             drop of a thousand feet from the ledge into the chasm below. 4
             decline, slope, fall-off, drop-off, declivity, incline:  The
             drop is about 15 feet in 100.

             --v.  5 drip, trickle, dribble:  As the water drops, filling the
             tube, the float rises.  6 fall, descend, sink, drop away or down
             or off, dive, plunge, plummet, decline, collapse:  The barometer
             dropped 10 millibars in 10 minutes. Near that rock, the road
             drops to the beach. At the first shot, we dropped to the ground.
             7 desert, forsake, give up, abandon, leave, quit, throw over,
             jilt, discard, reject, repudiate, renounce, Colloq chuck, ditch,
             dump; relinquish, let go, discontinue, stop, cease, end:  After
             what he said, she dropped him like a hot potato. I wish you'd
             drop the subject of my disability. 8 release, let go of, shed,
             cast off, discard, doff:  Deciduous trees drop their leaves in
             winter.  9 omit, leave out, exclude, eliminate:  To avoid
             confusion with his father, he dropped his middle initial.  10
             dismiss, let go, fire, discharge, oust, Colloq chiefly Brit
             sack, give (someone) the sack:  They dropped her after a week's
             trial.  11 decline, decrease, drop or fall off, diminish,
             slacken, slack or taper off, subside, lessen:  Demand for
             swimsuits drops during the winter.  12 drop in (on). visit, call
             (on), pop in (on), come by, stop in:  Viola dropped in for tea
             yesterday.  13 drop out. withdraw (from), leave; rusticate,
             depart, decamp, go away or off, take off, turn off:  She dropped
             out of school. After winning the award, Crater dropped out and
             hasn't been seen since.

   drown     v.  1 flood, inundate, swamp, deluge, drench, immerse, submerge,
             engulf:  The village was completely drowned in the tidal wave.
             2 overwhelm, overcome, overpower, engulf, swamp, deluge,
             inundate:  We were almost drowned by the responses to our
             advertisement.

   drowsy    adj.  sleepy, heavy-lidded, groggy, somnolent, dozy, oscitant;
             nodding, yawning; torpid, sluggish, tired, weary, listless,
             lethargic, lazy:  We all felt a bit drowsy after that big
             dinner.

   drudgery  n.  toil, labour, moil, travail, (hack) work, donkey-work,
             chore, slog, slogging, slavery, Colloq grind, sweat, Brit
             skivvying, fag:  She wanted some relief from the sheer drudgery
             of housework.

   drug      n.  1 medication, medicine, medicament, pharmaceutical, remedy,
             cure, treatment; cure-all, panacea:  My doctor prescribes too
             many drugs.  2 opiate, narcotic, stimulant, tranquillizer,
             antidepressant, hallucinogen(ic), psychedelic, hypnotic,
             soporific, sedative, analgesic, painkiller, Slang dope, downer,
             upper:  Can they control the traffic in drugs?

             --v.  3 dose, medicate, treat:  I was drugged with
             antihistamines and unable to drive.  4 anaesthetize, dope,
             deaden, knock out, sedate, stupefy, numb, benumb, dull,
             narcotize; poison, Slang slip (someone) a Mickey (Finn):  The
             victim had been drugged and kidnapped.

   druggist  n.  pharmacist, apothecary, Brit chemist:  Only a druggist is
             qualified to dispense this medication.

   drunk     adj.  1 drunken, intoxicated, inebriated, besotted, tipsy,
             groggy, sotted, crapulent or crapulous, in one's cups, under the
             weather, under the influence, maudlin, ebriate, ebriose,
             ebrious, Colloq soused, pickled, high (as a kite), tight,
             boozed, boozy, lit (up), half-seas-over, three or four sheets to
             the wind, out (cold), under the table, Brit squiffy; Slang
             pie-eyed, loaded, stoned, stewed (to the gills), (well-)oiled,
             bombed (out of one's mind), crocked, plastered, tanked, sloshed,
             polluted, stinko, smashed, blotto, pissed:  He was so drunk he
             tried to fly.  2 exhilarated, excited, exuberant, invigorated,
             inspirited, animated, ecstatic; flushed, feverish, inflamed,
             aflame, fervent, fervid, delirious:  Since he became a director,
             he's been drunk with power.

             --n.  3 drunkard, drinker, toper, tippler, sot, soak, bibber,
             winebibber; dipsomaniac, alcoholic, problem drinker; Colloq
             guzzler, swiller, sponge, Slang wino, boozer, dipso, lush,
             souse, alky, US juicer, juice-head, rummy:  The drunks who
             volunteered were registered for treatment.  4 carouse,
             bacchanal, carousal, bacchanalia, revel, Slang bender, tear,
             jag, bat, US and Canadian toot, Chiefly Brit pub-crawl:  I went
             off on a wild drunk the night before my wedding.

   drunkenness
             n.  intoxication, insobriety, intemperance, sottishness,
             bibulousness, inebriety, crapulence, crapulousness, tipsiness,
             ebriety; dipsomania, alcoholism, ebriosity; Colloq boozing,
             Slang hitting the bottle or US the sauce:  Only a psychiatrist
             could help cure his drunkenness.

   dry       adj.  1 dehydrated, desiccated, arid, sear, parched, waterless,
             moistureless; barren, bare, fruitless:  With no rain for a
             month, the dry earth yielded no crops.  2 dreary, boring,
             tedious, tiresome, wearisome, wearying, tiring, dull,
             uninteresting, monotonous, prosaic, commonplace, stale,
             uninspired; plain, unadorned, unembellished:  The minister's
             speech was as dry as could be, a litany of dry statistics. 3
             witty, droll, wry, cynical, biting, sarcastic, cutting, keen,
             sly, ironic:  Oscar Wilde was known for his dry witticisms.

             --v.  4 dehydrate, desiccate, parch:  As the rainfall subsided,
             the land dried and changed into a desert.  5 dry up or out,
             wither, shrivel, shrink, wilt:  The plants dried because they
             weren't watered.

4.6 duck...
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   duck      v.  1 bob, dodge, dip, dive, stoop, bow, bend, crouch:  I ducked
             to avoid hitting my head on the beam.  2 plunge, submerge,
             immerse, dunk:  In the pool, she ducked me when I least expected
             it.  3 avoid, sidestep, evade, dodge, elude, shun, steer clear
             of, shy away from; shirk:  He is known for ducking his
             responsibilities.

   dud       n.  1 failure, Colloq flop, lead balloon, lemon, washout, Colloq
             US and Canadian dog, clinker:  Her second novel certainly proved
             a dud - it sold only ten copies.

             --adj.  2 worthless, valueless, broken, unusable, useless,
             inoperative, non-functioning, inoperative, malfunctioning,
             Colloq kaput, bust(ed), Brit duff:  They deliberately supplied
             us with dud ammunition.

   dude      n.  1 dandy, fop, fancy dresser, Beau Brummell, popinjay,
             boulevardier, man about town, Archaic coxcomb, macaroni; Slang
             swell, Brit toff:  He dressed like a real dude - zoot suit and
             all.  2 man, fellow, chap, Colloq guy:  Hey, man, who's that
             dude in the tartan suit?

   due       adj.  1 payable, owed, owing, unpaid, outstanding, in arrears:
             The rent is due tomorrow.  2 fitting, right, rightful, correct,
             proper, appropriate, apropos, apposite, suitable, apt, meet;
             deserved, (well-)earned, merited, just, justified:  Was she
             treated with due respect?  3 necessary, needed, adequate,
             sufficient, enough, satisfactory; ample, plenty of:  I do not
             think my case was given due consideration.  4 expected,
             scheduled, anticipated:  He was due on the two o'clock plane.

             --adv.  5 directly, exactly, precisely, straight:  Go due east
             to the river, then turn north.

   dues      n.pl.  (membership) fee, charge(s):  If you have not paid your
             dues, you may not use the club's facilities.

   duff      adj.  bad, useless, worthless, unworkable, inoperable,
             inoperative, broken; fake, false, counterfeit, Colloq dud,
             phoney or US also phony:  We couldn't get that duff radio to
             work. We were provided with duff papers for crossing the border.

   duffer    n.  incompetent, blunderer, bungler, oaf, Colloq ox, lummox:  He
             may be an expert at computers but he's a duffer at golf.

   dull      adj.  1 stupid, slow-witted, dense, stolid, bovine, cloddish,
             clod-like, backward, obtuse, doltish, crass, dumb, Colloq thick,
             dim, dim-witted, Brit dim as a Toc H lamp:  He might be a dull
             student but he's a brilliant artist.  2 insensitive, numb,
             insensible, imperceptive or impercipient, unresponsive,
             indifferent, unfeeling, unsympathetic, callous, hardened, hard,
             inured, obtundent:  He knew that he could expect only a dull
             response to his pleading.  3 lifeless, indifferent,
             unresponsive, sluggish, slow, listless, inactive, torpid:  The
             market for luxury cars is a little dull now.  4 boring,
             tiresome, tedious, monotonous, uninspired, uninspiring,
             unoriginal, uninteresting, humdrum:  All work and no play make
             Jack a dull boy.  5 dismal, dreary, depressing, sombre, grey,
             dark, murky, gloomy, cloudy, clouded, overcast, sunless:  If the
             day is dull, the photographs will show it.  6 blunted, blunt;
             obtuse:  I nicked myself with that dull razor.  7 hazy, blurry,
             opaque, drab:  Rub the dull film off that silver goblet.  8
             muffled, numbing, deadened, muted, indistinct:  I've had a dull
             pain in my arm all day.

             --v.  9 allay, assuage, relieve, mitigate, lessen, reduce:
             Weeping dulls the inner pain.  10 dim, tarnish, obscure, bedim,
             blur, cloud, becloud:  A mist dulled the rich colours of the
             glen.  11 stupefy, narcotize, numb, benumb, desensitize, deaden,
             blunt, obtund:  His war experiences had dulled his feelings
             towards others.

   duly      adv.  1 properly, fittingly, deservedly, appropriately,
             suitably, befittingly, rightly, correctly, accordingly:  Those
             elected were duly installed in office.  2 punctually, on time:
             The train duly arrived.

   dumb      adj.  1 mute, speechless, voiceless; silent, quiet, taciturn,
             mum, wordless; inarticulate:  She was struck dumb with
             astonishment.  2 dull, stupid, Colloq thick:  He's too dumb to
             understand what you are saying.

   dumbfound v.  dumfound, amaze, shock, surprise, startle, astonish,
             astound, bewilder, stagger, stun, floor, nonplus, confuse,
             confound, Colloq flabbergast, bowl over:  Their offer for the
             house dumbfounded us.

   dumbfounded
             adj.  dumfounded, amazed, shocked, surprised, startled,
             astonished, astounded, bewildered, staggered, floored,
             nonplussed, overwhelmed, speechless, stunned, thunderstruck,
             dazzled, dazed, dumbstruck, taken aback, confused, confounded,
             bemused, perplexed, baffled, disconcerted, Colloq bowled over,
             flabbergasted, knocked out, thrown (off), US thrown for a loss,
             Brit knocked for six, knocked sideways:  She is dumbfounded that
             he proposed marriage.

   dummy     n.  1 mannequin, manikin or mannikin, model, figure:  I saw the
             coat on a dummy in the shop window.  2 sample, copy, reprint,
             reproduction, likeness, substitution, imitation, sham, mock-up,
             simulation, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  Those aren't the
             real crown jewels, they're just dummies.  3 fool, idiot, dunce,
             blockhead, ninny, ass, dolt, numskull or numbskull, simpleton,
             Colloq dim-wit, US thimble-wit:  They're such dummies they don't
             know that you're joking.  4 US pacifier:  Give the baby the
             dummy to suck.

   dump      v.  1 unload, offload, empty, drop, deposit, throw or fling
             down, tip:  They dumped the topsoil all over the path.  2 get
             rid of, throw away, scrap, discard, ditch, jettison, dispose of,
             reject, tip, toss out or away, Colloq junk, chuck out or away:
             We dumped all the food when the fridge broke down.

             --n.  3 junk-yard, rubbish heap or Brit tip, US garbage dump:
             You'll have to take this garden refuse to the dump.

   dumpy     adj.  stocky, pudgy, squat, chunky, chubby, tubby, stout, plump,
             portly, fat:  No one with a dumpy figure looks good in shorts.

   dun       v.  press, importune, solicit, plague, nag, pester, Slang US
             bug:  The gas company has been dunning me to pay the bill.

   dung      n.  manure, muck, droppings, cow-pats, fertilizer, guano,
             excrement, faeces or US feces, US cow or buffalo-chips,
             horse-apples, Taboo shit:  The dung is spread on the fields.

   dungeon   n.  donjon, keep, cell, prison, lock-up, oubliette, black hole,
             stronghold:  Throw the infidels into the dungeon and give them
             twenty lashes!

   dupe      n.  1 fool, gull, victim, fair game, Colloq chump, Chiefly US
             and Canadian fall guy; Slang sucker, sap, boob, pushover,
             pigeon, mark, Brit mug, Chiefly US and Canadian patsy:
             Swindlers often choose tourists as likely dupes.  2 cat's-paw,
             pawn, tool, puppet, Slang stooge:  I'm not going to be the dupe
             in your little game!

             --v.  3 deceive, fool, outwit, cheat, trick, take in, defraud,
             humbug, hoax, swindle, hoodwink, bilk, gull, cozen, delude,
             mislead, snooker, victimize, Colloq bamboozle, flimflam, put one
             over on, pull a fast one on; Slang con, rip off, rook, take, US
             and Canadian snow, do a snow job on:  She was duped into
             believing she had won the lottery.

   duplicate adj.  1 identical; twin, matching:  They sent me duplicate
             tickets by mistake.

             --n.  2 (exact or carbon) copy, photocopy, machine copy, double,
             clone, (perfect) match, facsimile, twin, reproduction, replica,
             replication, look-alike, Trade Mark Xerox (copy), Slang (dead)
             ringer:  This painting looks like a duplicate of the one you
             bought.

             --v.  3 copy, photocopy, clone, match, replicate, imitate,
             reproduce, double, Trade Mark Xerox; repeat, equal:  Would you
             please duplicate this letter for me? Can he duplicate his
             performance in the Commonwealth Games?

   durable   adj.  enduring, long-lasting, stable, wear-resistant,
             heavy-duty, hard-wearing, long-wearing, lasting, persistent,
             indestructible, substantial, sturdy, tough, stout, strong, firm,
             sound, fixed, fast, permanent, dependable, reliable:  The
             product is durable, guaranteed to last a lifetime.

   duress    n.  1 coercion, threat, pressure, constraint, compulsion; force,
             power:  The boys wash the dishes only under duress.  2
             confinement, imprisonment, incarceration, captivity, restraint,
             Literary durance:  There were workhouses, prisons, and other
             forms of duress.

   dusk      n.  twilight, sundown, nightfall, evening, sunset, dark,
             eventide:  The workers came in from the fields at dusk.

   dusky     adj.  1 dark, black, ebony, sable, jet-black; swarthy, swart,
             dark-complected, dark-complexioned:  'Dusky diamonds' is another
             name for coal. A dusky gentleman offered to see her home safely.
             2 shadowy, shady, dim, dark, unilluminated, unlit, murky,
             subfusc, subfuscous, gloomy, obscure:  An ominous figure was
             lurking in the dusky area under the stairs.

   dutiful   adj.  obedient, compliant, willing, obliging, filial, faithful,
             conscientious, reliable, responsible, diligent, attentive,
             punctilious, respectful, polite, considerate, deferential,
             submissive, yielding, acquiescent, malleable, flexible, pliant,
             accommodating, Formal or archaic duteous:  A dutiful son, he
             visits his parents weekly.

   duty      n.  1 responsibility, obligation, burden, onus, devoir, office,
             work, task, assignment, job, stint, chore, occupation, calling,
             function, role, part, bit, charge:  Every man is expected to do
             his duty.  2 respect, deference, loyalty, fealty, fidelity,
             faithfulness, allegiance:  I think she did it out of a sense of
             duty to her family.  3 tax, excise, tariff, impost, levy,
             customs:  You will have to pay duty on that whisky.

4.7 dwarf...
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   dwarf     v.  overshadow, dominate, diminish, minimize:  The new tower
             dwarfs the older buildings.

   dwell     v.  1 reside, abide, live, lodge, stay, remain, rest, Formal
             domicile:  After the father's death, the mother dwelt with her
             daughter.  2 dwell on or upon. harp on, persist in, emphasize,
             stress, focus on, linger or tarry over, elaborate (on); labour:
             Why must you always dwell on a person's shortcomings?

   dwelling  n.  abode, habitation, dwelling-place, house, domicile, lodging,
             quarters, home, residence, homestead:  His dwelling is a shanty
             in old shanty town.

   dwindle   v.  diminish, decrease, shrink, lessen, wane, fade, contract,
             condense, reduce, peter out, waste away, die out or down or
             away, ebb, decline, subside, taper off, shrivel (up or away):
             The last days of summer dwindled away. His funds have dwindled
             until today he has nothing.

4.8 dying...
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   dying     adj.  expiring; sinking, slipping away, going, failing, fading
             (fast), at death's door, on one's deathbed, with one foot in the
             grave, in extremis; moribund:  The doctor said the dying man was
             in no pain.

   dynamic   adj.  dynamical, vigorous, active, forceful, energetic, potent,
             powerful, high-powered, lively, spry, vital, electric, spirited,
             zealous, eager, emphatic:  We are seeking a dynamic salesman for
             our Reading office.

   dynamism  n.  energy, vigour, pep, vitality, liveliness, spirit,
             spiritedness, forcefulness, power, drive, initiative,
             enterprise, Colloq get-up-and-go, zip, push:  That woman has the
             dynamism needed to get ahead in this organization.

   dynasty   n.  line, family, heritage, house:  The Ming dynasty ruled China
             for more than 300 years.

5.0 E
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5.1 eager...
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   eager     adj.  avid, zealous, ardent, earnest, keen, enthusiastic, hot,
             hungry, fervent, fervid, passionate, spirited, inspirited,
             energetic, energized, vehement, animated, excited, vitalized,
             stimulated; desirous, yearning, desiring, craving, wanting,
             longing, itchy, impatient; anxious; Colloq dying, Slang US hot
             to trot:  We were particularly eager to spend our holiday in
             Spain.

   eagerness n.  1 avidity, zeal, earnestness, keenness, enthusiasm, fervour,
             hunger, vehemence, animation, vitality, appetite, zest, relish,
             spirit, spiritedness, gusto, verve, dash, ‚lan, vim, vigour,
             energy, Colloq get-up-and-go, zip, go:  Such eagerness for
             learning is rare. In his eagerness to please everyone he
             satisfies no one. 2 desire, longing, wishing, yearning:  He
             observed the eagerness, the open hunger, with which she now
             waited for Mr Browning.

   eagle-eyed
             adj.  sharp-eyed, sharp-sighted, keen-eyed, keen-sighted,
             lynx-eyed, hawk-eyed; perceptive, perspicacious, discerning,
             sharp, watchful, alert:  It would be impossible to deceive our
             eagle-eyed supervisor.

   ear       n.  1 attention, heed, notice, regard, consideration:  See if
             you can get his ear for a moment between meetings.  2
             sensitivity, appreciation, taste, discrimination:  She has an
             excellent ear for the right expression.

   early     adv.  1 beforehand, ahead (of time), prematurely:  I arrived too
             early and had to wait.  2 anciently, initially, originally, at
             or near the start or beginning:  Plants appeared early in the
             development of life forms on earth.  3 betimes, at cock crow or
             cock's-crow, at (the crack or break of) dawn, at daybreak:
             You're up early this morning!

             --adj.  4 untimely, premature; inopportune, inappropriate:  The
             early fruit isn't as sweet.  5 initial, beginning, original,
             first, pioneer, advanced:  He was one of the earliest writers on
             the subject.  6 primeval, primitive, primordial, ancient, old,
             prehistoric, antediluvian, original; antique, antiquated:  The
             Olduvai Gorge has yielded up many early humanoid fossils.

   earn      v.  1 merit, deserve, be worthy of, be entitled to, win,
             warrant, rate, qualify for, have a claim or right to:  Peter has
             earned everyone's respect.  2 make, pocket, gross, net, clear,
             realize, receive, get, procure, collect, reap, bring in, take
             home; draw, Colloq US pull down:  It is still the case that most
             men earn more than their wives.

   earnest   adj.  1 serious, solemn, grave, sober, intense, steady,
             resolute, resolved, firm, determined, assiduous, sincere,
             dedicated, committed, devoted, thoughtful:  He made an earnest
             promise to do his best.  2 zealous, ardent, diligent, assiduous,
             industrious, hard-working, devoted, eager, conscientious, keen,
             fervent, fervid, enthusiastic, passionate:  Burbridge is an
             earnest pupil.  3 earnest-money. deposit, down payment, binder,
             handsel, guarantee, security, pledge:  The company paid њ10,000
             earnest-money to secure the bid.

             --n.  4 in earnest. serious, sincere:  She said she would come,
             but I doubt whether she was in earnest.

   earnings  n.pl.  wages, salary, income, compensation, pay, stipend,
             emolument, proceeds, return, revenue, yield, takings, Slang
             take:  The interest from tax-free bonds was not included in my
             earnings.

   earth     n.  1 globe, mother earth, planet, world, blue planet, Terra:
             Ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere may be threatening life
             on earth. 2 soil, dirt, loam, sod, clay, turf, ground, mould:
             Pack the earth firmly around the roots.

   earthly   adj.  1 terrestrial, terrene, telluric:  Extraterrestrial beings
             might be unable to survive in our earthly atmosphere. 2 worldly,
             mundane, material, materialistic, physical, non-spiritual,
             sensual, carnal, fleshly, corporeal, base, natural:  He has
             forsaken earthly pleasures in favour of spiritual pursuits.  3
             human, temporal, secular, profane, mortal, physical,
             non-spiritual, material:  His earthly remains were committed to
             the sea.  4 conceivable, imaginable, feasible, possible:  What
             earthly reason could she have had for kissing me?

   earthy    adj.  ribald, bawdy, unrefined, coarse, crude, shameless,
             wanton, uninhibited, abandoned, vulgar, lusty, rough, dirty,
             indecent, obscene:  She found Henry Miller's books a bit too
             earthy for her tastes.

   ease      n.  1 comfort, repose, well-being, relaxation, leisure, rest,
             contentment, calmness, tranquillity, serenity, peacefulness,
             peace, peace and quiet:  After 50 years of hard work, she felt
             entitled to a few years of ease. 2 easiness, simplicity,
             facility, effortlessness, adeptness:  He passed the other
             runners with ease.  3 affluence, wealth, prosperity, luxury,
             opulence, abundance, plenty:  He has always led a life of ease,
             never having had to work.  4 naturalness, informality,
             unaffectedness, ingenuousness, casualness, artlessness,
             insouciance, nonchalance, aplomb; unconcern:  I admire the ease
             with which she converses with complete strangers.

             --v.  5 comfort, relax, calm, tranquillize, quieten, still,
             pacify, soothe, disburden:  It eased his mind to learn that
             there was a reserve budget for emergencies. 6 lessen, diminish,
             abate, mitigate, reduce, decrease, allay, alleviate, assuage,
             mollify, appease, palliate, quiet, relieve:  Her anxiety was
             considerably eased by the news that John would not need an
             operation after all. 7 manoeuvre, manipulate, inch, guide,
             steer, slip:  The helmsman eased the ship into dock.  8
             facilitate, expedite, simplify, smooth, further, clear, assist,
             aid, advance, forward, help:  Having a wealthy father eased her
             way in life.

   easily    adv.  1 smoothly, effortlessly, readily, simply, handily,
             without a hitch, hands down, without even trying, comfortably,
             with no or without difficulty, Colloq easy as pie:  You can
             easily tackle the job yourself.  2 by far, beyond or without
             doubt or question, indisputably, indubitably, undoubtedly,
             doubtless(ly), unquestionably, clearly, far and away,
             definitely, definitively, conclusively, certainly, surely,
             undeniably, obviously, patently:  He is easily the best lawyer
             in the firm.  3 probably, most or very likely, well, almost
             certainly:  We may easily be the first in Hampton to have
             plaster flamingos on the lawn.

   easy      adj.  1 simple, effortless, plain, clear, straightforward, hands
             down, uncomplicated, elementary, foolproof; easy as pie, easy as
             can be:  Feeding goldfish is an easy job that children can
             undertake for themselves. 2 carefree, easygoing, casual,
             lenient, undemanding, relaxed, quiet, serene, restful, tranquil,
             peaceful, untroubled, undisturbed, unoppressive, gentle, mild,
             calm, comfortable, cosy, unhurried, leisurely:  He has a pretty
             easy life now that he's retired.  3 light, lenient, undemanding,
             mild, flexible, indulgent, tolerant:  You really should be easy
             on him after what he's been through.  4 tractable, pliant,
             docile, compliant, submissive, acquiescent, amenable,
             accommodating, soft, suggestible, credulous, trusting, weak,
             easygoing:  He was an easy victim for confidence tricksters. She
             has the reputation of being a woman of easy virtue. 5
             unstrained, gentle, moderate, unhurried, leisurely, even,
             steady, undemanding, comfortable, unexacting:  They kept up an
             easy pace of about five miles a hour.  6 affable, friendly,
             amiable, amicable, agreeable, outgoing, informal, unceremonious,
             down-to-earth, unreserved, relaxing, natural, relaxed,
             easygoing:  We found them easy to be with.

             --adv.  7 effortlessly; calmly, unexcitedly, temperately,
             peacefully, tranquilly, serenely, nonchalantly, casually:  Take
             it easy and don't get so worked up about things.

   easygoing adj.  relaxed, casual, mellow, carefree, undemanding, easy,
             even-tempered, forbearing, lenient, tolerant, permissive,
             over-tolerant, over-permissive, lax, weak, Colloq wishy-washy,
             laid-back:  He's an easygoing sort of person.

   eat       v.  dine, lunch, breakfast, sup, break bread, snack, have a
             bite; consume, devour, take (in) nourishment, Colloq put or pack
             away, Slang nosh, put or tie on the nosebag or US and Canadian
             feed-bag:  I'm not hungry, thank you: I've already eaten.

   eavesdrop v.  listen in, tap, overhear, snoop; spy, pry:  They were
             eavesdropping on our conversation, that's how they knew about
             Martha.

5.2 ebb...
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   ebb       v.  1 recede, flow back, subside, go out, go down; fall back or
             away, retreat, retrocede, retire:  The tide ebbed, leaving the
             boat stranded.  2 decline, flag, decay, wane, diminish,
             decrease, drop, slacken, fade (away), drain (away), dwindle,
             peter out, waste (away), deteriorate:  His enthusiasm for
             exercise is beginning to ebb.

             --n.  3 low tide, low water, ebb tide, low point:  The rocks
             appear when the sea is at its ebb.  4 decline, decay, decrease,
             diminution, wane, drop, slackening (off), dwindling, lessening,
             deterioration, degeneration:  She was no longer willing to
             contend with the ebb and flow of his temper.

   ebullient adj.  bubbling, overflowing, effervescent, excited, effusive,
             exhilarated, elated, buoyant, exuberant, enthusiastic, zestful:
             The crowd was ebullient at the news from Mafeking.

5.3 eccentric...
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   eccentric adj.  1 unconventional, unusual, uncommon, idiosyncratic,
             anomalous, unorthodox, out of the ordinary, irregular, atypical,
             incongruous, errant, aberrant, exceptional, individual,
             singular, unique; abnormal, odd, peculiar, strange, curious,
             bizarre, outlandish, queer, quaint, quirky, weird, offbeat,
             Colloq far-out, kinky, cranky:  Yes, I would agree that walking
             a canary is a bit eccentric.

             --n.  2 original, individualist, nonconformist, queer fellow,
             odd fish, Colloq character, card, freak, (nut) case, crank,
             oddball, weirdo or weirdie, US oner:  In today's conformist
             society, anyone who isn't a carbon copy of his neighbour is
             regarded as an eccentric.

   eccentricity
             n.  1 unconventionality, unusualness, uncommonness,
             irregularity, nonconformity, individuality, individualism,
             singularity, uniqueness, strangeness, oddness, bizarreness,
             distinctiveness, capriciousness, weirdness:  Why should someone
             be criticized for eccentricity?  2 idiosyncrasy, quirk,
             peculiarity, mannerism, crotchet, aberration, anomaly, oddity,
             curiosity, caprice:  Eating crackers in bed is only one of her
             eccentricities.

   echo      n.  1 reverberation, repercussion, repetition, iteration,
             reiteration:  The echo of the church bells could be heard
             throughout the valley.  2 imitation, copy, replica or
             replication, duplication, reproduction, simulation, facsimile;
             reflection, mirror image, repetition:  Modern Rome is but a
             feeble echo of its glorious past.

             --v.  3 resound, reverberate, ring:  The hall echoed with
             children's laughter.  4 imitate, ape, parrot, mimic, copy,
             duplicate, reproduce, simulate, repeat, emulate, mirror,
             reflect:  The poems are unoriginal and merely echo the works of
             others.

   eclipse   v.  1 conceal, hide, blot out, obscure, block, veil, shroud,
             cover, darken:  A black cloud eclipsed the moon.  2 overshadow,
             obscure, surpass, top, outshine:  His career was eclipsed by his
             wife's brilliant successes.

             --n.  3 concealment, covering, hiding, blocking, blockage,
             occultation, obscuring, obscuration, darkening, shading,
             dimming:  Though good may suffer an eclipse, it can never be
             extinguished.  4 decline, downturn, slump; recession:  After the
             scandal, her career went into eclipse.

   economic  adj.  1 financial, fiscal, pecuniary, monetary, budgetary;
             commercial, mercantile, trade:  The economic indicators for July
             affected the markets.  2 profitable, cost-effective,
             money-making, remunerative, productive; solvent:  Increased
             demand for our products has made the company economic.

   economical
             adj.  1 cost-effective, money-saving, thrifty, unwasteful;
             cheap, inexpensive, reasonable; economic:  This car is very
             economical to run.  2 provident, thrifty, sparing, economizing,
             prudent, conservative, frugal; parsimonious, penurious, stingy,
             cheap, miserly, niggardly, tight, close-fisted, tight-fisted,
             mean, penny-pinching, scrimping:  Aunt Gertrude was always a
             very economical housekeeper.

   economize v.  save, cut back, husband, retrench; tighten one's belt, cut
             corners or costs, scrimp, skimp, pinch pennies:  Without the
             extra income, we'll have to economize on something.

   economy   n.  1 thrift, husbandry, thriftiness, conservation,
             conservatism, saving, restraint, control, frugality:  We'll have
             to exercise economy to get through the winter.  2 brevity,
             briefness, succinctness, terseness, conciseness, concision,
             compactness, restraint, curtness:  He manages to get his ideas
             across with an admirable economy of language.

   ecstasy   n.  1 delight, joy, rapture, bliss, transport, nympholepsy or
             nympholepsia, happiness, gladness, elation, pleasure, enjoyment,
             gratification; heaven on earth:  The prospect of being with her
             again filled me with ecstasy.  2 exaltation, frenzy, thrill,
             elation, paroxysm, excitement:  The ecstasy of space flight is
             impossible to describe.

   ecstatic  adj.  exhilarated, thrilled, exultant, blissful, euphoric,
             rapturous, enraptured, nympholeptic, enchanted, transported,
             rhapsodic, excited, elated, delighted, joyful, gleeful,
             overjoyed, happy, glad, beside oneself, delirious, orgasmic,
             Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon, in the seventh heaven,
             cock-a-hoop, US in seventh heaven, flying:  Our team had won an
             Olympic gold medal, and we were truly ecstatic.

5.4 eddy...
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   eddy      n.  1 swirl, whirl, vortex, gurgitation; whirlpool, maelstrom,
             Charybdis; dust devil, whirlwind, twister, tornado, cyclone,
             typhoon, hurricane; waterspout:  These treacherous eddies are
             caused by tidal changes.

             --v.  2 swirl, whirl, turn, spin:  The wind eddied round us,
             driving the dinghy this way and that.

   edge      n.  1 brink, verge, border, side, rim, lip, brim; fringe,
             margin, boundary, bound, limit, bourn, perimeter, periphery:  I
             was hanging on to the very edge of the cliff. The edge of the
             handkerchief was trimmed with lace. 2 acuteness, sharpness,
             keenness:  That hunting knife has quite an edge.  3 harshness,
             sharpness, acrimony, pungency, force, urgency, effectiveness,
             incisiveness, causticity, virulence, vehemence:  There was an
             edge to her voice when she told me not to bother her. 4
             advantage, head start, superiority, lead, upper hand:  You're
             holding the gun, so I guess you have the edge on me.  5 on edge.
             on tenterhooks, nervous, touchy, sensitive, prickly, itchy,
             tense, irascible, crabbed, irritable, peevish, apprehensive,
             with one's heart in one's mouth, edgy, anxious, ill at ease,
             restive, restless, fidgety, Colloq uptight, like a cat on a hot
             tin roof:  She was on edge waiting for the exam results.

             --v.  6 inch, move, sidle, crawl, creep, steal, worm, work
             (one's way):  The burglar was edging along the wall, 30 storeys
             above the street.

   edible    adj.  eatable, esculent, palatable, good or fit (to eat),
             wholesome, Rare comestible:  After the sell-by date, fresh food
             is no longer considered edible.

   edification
             n.  enlightenment, improvement, uplifting, enlightening,
             guidance, education, information, tuition, teaching, schooling,
             instruction:  The exhibition is designed for both edification
             and enjoyment.

   edit      v.  1 redact, copy-edit, rewrite, rephrase, modify, alter,
             adapt, change, revise, correct, emend, style, restyle, polish,
             touch up:  His job is to edit the stories into idiomatic
             English.  2 Often, edit out. blue-pencil, cut (out), delete,
             censor, erase, bleep, blip; bowdlerize, expurgate, clean up:
             They edited out all his slanderous asides before broadcasting
             the interview. 3 cut, condense, compress, shorten, crop, reduce:
             The story has to be edited so that it fits on one page.  4
             prepare, compile, assemble, select, arrange, organize, order,
             reorganize, reorder:  Margoliouth edited the collected letters
             of Andrew Marvell.

   edition   n.  number, issue, printing, print run; copy; version:  The
             first Monday edition carried the news of the break-in, and a
             later edition reported the detention of a suspect.

   editor    n.  rewrite man or woman, rewriter, copy editor, redactor,
             reviser; writer, columnist, journalist, editorial writer, Brit
             leader-writer; editor-in-chief, managing editor, senior editor;
             compiler, collector:  The editor sent the reporter out to check
             the facts of the story.

   editorial n.  Brit leader, leading article; op-ed article, think-piece,
             opinion piece, position statement; essay, article, column:  Did
             you see the editorial about the Middle East situation in today's
             paper?

   educate   v.  teach, train, instruct, edify, tutor, school, inform,
             enlighten, indoctrinate, inculcate, coach, drill, prepare,
             ready, rear, bring up, cultivate, develop, civilize:  It is the
             responsibility of the state to educate the people.

   educated  adj.  1 cultivated, cultured, erudite, well-read, lettered,
             literary, scholarly, learned; (well-)informed, knowledgeable,
             enlightened:  There is no real evidence that educated people
             enjoy greater job satisfaction than those who leave school at
             16. I haven't got the answer, but I could make an educated
             guess. 2 refined, polished, cultivated, civilized; discerning,
             critical, sensitive:  She has an educated palate and really
             knows her wines.

   education n.  1 teaching, schooling, training, instruction, tuition,
             tutelage, edification, tutoring, cultivation, upbringing,
             indoctrination, drilling:  His education was in the hands of
             monks until he was twelve.  2 learning, lore, knowledge,
             information, erudition:  Education is gained from the experience
             of others.  3 lesson, course (of study):  The inhabitants gave
             her an education in how to survive in the wilderness.

   educational
             adj.  1 academic, scholastic, pedagogical, instructional:  This
             is one of the best educational centres in the world.  2
             informative, instructive, enlightening, edifying, eye-opening,
             revelatory, educative:  A year spent abroad is always
             educational.

5.5 eerie
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   eerie     adj.  frightening, weird, strange, uncanny, ghostly, spectral,
             dreadful, unearthly, frightful Poetic or Scots eldritch, Scots
             mysterious, Colloq scary, creepy, spooky:  I had the eeriest
             feeling I was being watched.

5.6 effect...
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   effect    n.  1 result, consequence, outcome, conclusion, upshot,
             aftermath, impact:  The effects of the storm could be seen
             everywhere.  2 effectiveness, efficacy, force, power, capacity,
             potency, influence, impression, impact, Colloq clout, punch:
             His threats had no effect.  3 significance, meaning,
             signification, purport, sense, essence, drift, implication,
             import, tenor, purpose, intent, intention, object, objective:
             She said 'Get lost', or words to that effect.  4 impact,
             impression, form, sensation:  He didn't mean that, he just said
             it for effect.  5 in effect. effectively, virtually, for (all)
             practical purposes, so to speak, more or less; actually, in
             (point of) fact, really, essentially, basically, at bottom, in
             truth, truly, to all intents and purposes, at the end of the
             day, any way you look at it:  She always spoke of him as her
             adopted son and this, in effect, was what he was. 6 take effect.
             become operative or operational, come into force, begin or start
             to work or function or operate:  The regulation doesn't take
             effect till next week.

             --v.  7 bring about, cause, make happen or take place,
             effectuate, achieve, accomplish, secure, obtain, make, execute,
             carry out, produce, create:  The opposition was unable to effect
             any change in the law.

   effective adj.  1 effectual, efficacious, productive; capable, useful,
             serviceable, competent, operative, able, functional, efficient:
             The effective life of the battery is six months.  2 impressive,
             remarkable, noticeable, conspicuous, outstanding, striking,
             powerful, compelling, moving, telling, effectual:  The stage
             setting was very effective.  3 operative, operational, in
             operation, functioning, real, actual, essential, basic, true:
             The monthly interest may seem low, but the effective annual rate
             is much higher.

   effects   n.pl.  belongings, (personal) property, gear, possessions,
             stuff, things, paraphernalia, chattels, goods, Colloq junk,
             crap, Brit clobber, Taboo slang US shit:  His personal effects
             were left scattered around the house.

   effectual adj.  1 effective, efficacious, efficient, functional,
             productive, useful, telling, influential, powerful, forcible,
             forceful; capable, adequate:  What is the most effectual way of
             stopping a take-over of the company? 2 effective, in force,
             legal, lawful, binding, sound, valid:  You must register the
             agreement for it to be effectual.

   effectuate
             v.  bring about, effect, carry out, implement, accomplish, do,
             execute, realize, achieve; cause, make happen:  It is unclear
             just how she will effectuate her escape.

   effeminate
             adj.  unmanly, womanish, womanly, sissy, weak, campy; gay,
             homosexual; Slang Brit bent, poncey, US limp-wristed, faggy,
             faggoty:  He's too effeminate to play the part of Othello.

   effervescent
             n.  1 bubbling, fizzy, carbonated, sparkling, fizzing, gassy;
             foaming, foamy, frothing, frothy, bubbly:  I prefer effervescent
             mineral water to still.  2 bubbling, bubbly, high-spirited,
             vivacious, ebullient, lively, exuberant, buoyant, animated,
             lively, exhilarated, excited, enthusiastic, irrepressible:
             Jeanette's effervescent personality endeared her to everyone who
             met her.

   efficacious
             adj.  effective, effectual, productive, competent, successful,
             efficient, useful, serviceable; capable:  He was not very
             efficacious in getting the council to change their policy.

   efficiency
             n.  1 effectiveness, efficacy, competence, capability,
             adeptness, proficiency, expertness, expertise, know-how,
             experience, skill, skilfulness, dexterity, adroitness:  The
             efficiency of the staff has been greatly improved.  2
             productivity, effectiveness, efficaciousness:  How does the
             efficiency of a diesel compare with that of other engines?

   efficient adj.  unwasteful, economic, thrifty; effective, efficacious,
             effectual, competent, productive, proficient, operative:  The
             technique for producing electrical power from tidal action has
             not yet proved efficient.

   effort    n.  1 exertion, striving, struggle, strain, labour, pains,
             energy, toil, application, trouble, travail, work, Colloq
             elbow-grease:  He's gone to a lot of effort to please her.
             Getting the place cleaned up took a great deal of effort. 2
             attempt, endeavour, essay, try, venture, Colloq stab, crack:
             Her efforts to be pleasant met with a stony response.  3
             achievement, accomplishment, creation, feat, deed, attainment,
             exploit:  Last year's fund-raising fair was a superb effort.

   effortless
             adj.  easy (as pie or as A, B, C, or as 1, 2, 3), simple,
             painless, smooth, trouble-free, uncomplicated:  She admired the
             apparently effortless grace of the dancer.

   effrontery
             n.  impertinence, impudence, audacity, nerve, presumption,
             presumptuousness, brazenness, boldness, insolence, temerity,
             brashness, rashness, arrogance, front, indiscretion, Archaic
             frowardness, Colloq gall, brass, nerve, cheek, lip, mouth, Slang
             Brit side:  He had the effrontery to call her 'Queenie'!

   effusive  adj.  demonstrative, gushing, (over)enthusiastic, unrestrained,
             unchecked, unreserved, expansive, emotional, exuberant,
             rhapsodic, ebullient, lavish, voluble, profuse; fulsome:  Her
             aunt greeted her with an effusive outpouring of affection.

5.7 egoistic...
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   egoistic  adj.  egoistical, self-centred, egocentric, narcissistic,
             self-seeking, self-absorbed, selfish, self-serving,
             self-indulgent, self-important:  She is too egoistic to consider
             anyone but herself.

   egotistical
             adj.  egotistic, conceited, proud, overweening, bragging,
             boastful, boasting, swelled-headed or swell-headed or
             swollen-headed, vain, vainglorious, self-worshipping,
             self-admiring, vaunting, crowing:  Considering his poor track
             record, he has nothing to be so egotistical about.

5.8 eject...
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   eject     v.  1 force or drive out, expel, oust, remove, get rid of,
             evict, Colloq throw or kick or boot out:  They were ejected for
             causing a disturbance.  2 expel, emit, throw up or out, spew
             (forth), discharge, spout, disgorge, vomit (up or forth), send
             out or forth; ooze, exude, extravasate:  The volcano ejected
             boulders the size of houses.  3 discharge, dismiss, cashier,
             drum out, lay off, declare or make redundant, Colloq fire, sack,
             boot out, axe, give the sack or boot or axe, give (someone) his
             or her marching orders or US also walking papers, send packing:
             He was ejected for stealing paper clips.

   ejection  n.  1 expulsion, casting out or up, disgorgement, vomiting
             forth, throwing out or up, discharge, emission, disgorging:  The
             ejection of lava was preceded by loud rumblings.  2 exile,
             expulsion, banishment, deportation, ouster, removal; eviction,
             dispossession:  His ejection from the meeting angered his
             supporters. My ejection by the landlord was illegal. 3
             dismissal, discharge, cong‚, cashiering, lay-off, Colloq firing,
             sacking, Slang the sack, the boot, the axe, the (old) heave-ho,
             US the bounce:  Business was bad, and the entire staff was faced
             with ejection.

5.9 elaborate...
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   elaborate adj.  1 detailed, painstaking, meticulous, punctilious,
             comprehensive, thorough, complete, exhaustive, intricate,
             involved, minute, precise, exact:  The escape had been worked
             out in elaborate detail.  2 complicated, complex, convoluted,
             ornate, fancy, Byzantine, laborious, laboured, extravagant,
             showy; ornamented, decorated, baroque, rococo, busy, fussy,
             gingerbread:  We marvelled at the elaborate mosaics. His plan is
             too elaborate and should be simplified.

             --v.  3 ornament, decorate, complicate, embellish, garnish,
             adorn:  Later craftsmen elaborated the earlier Greek motifs.  4
             enlarge, expand (upon or on), expatiate, develop, cultivate,
             flesh out, enhance, refine, enrich, improve, better, ameliorate,
             emend, polish:  Later on, I shall elaborate on the recruitment
             methods we used.

   elaboration
             n.  1 enhancement, refinement, enrichment, improvement,
             amelioration, melioration, betterment; embellishment, adornment,
             garnish, garnishment, decoration, over-decoration, gingerbread,
             Slang bells and whistles:  The customers always welcome
             elaboration of the equipment.  2 enlargement, development,
             amplification, expansion:  The argument requires further
             elaboration.

   elapse    v.  pass (by), go (by), slip by or away, pass away, slide by,
             glide by, transpire:  Three weeks have elapsed since I last saw
             her.

   elastic   adj.  1 flexible, stretchable, stretchy, stretch, bendable,
             pliable, springy, plastic, extensile, extensible, expansible,
             expandable, contractile, resilient, bouncy, compressible:  Is it
             elastic enough to stretch round that box?  2 adjustable,
             adaptable, accommodating, flexible:  The schedule for our main
             project is elastic, so we can fit in additional tasks at very
             short notice.

   elasticity
             n.  1 flexibility, resilience, rubberiness, plasticity,
             ductility, springiness, stretchability, stretchiness, stretch,
             suppleness, pliancy, Colloq give:  Dry hair has no elasticity:
             it's brittle and breaks easily when brushed or combed. 2
             flexibility, adjustability, adaptability, tolerance, suppleness:
             Their plan lacks the elasticity needed to accommodate changes.

   elated    adj.  exhilarated, uplifted, elevated, gleeful, joyful,
             jubilant, joyous, exultant, ecstatic, blissful, happy,
             delighted, euphoric, overjoyed, excited, thrilled, transported,
             pleased (as Punch), on top of the world, on cloud nine, Colloq
             tickled, tickled pink, Brit chuffed, over the moon, in the
             seventh heaven, US in seventh heaven:  We were elated to learn
             that our daughter had won first prize.

   elder     adj.  1 older, senior:  My elder brother was born in 1930.  2
             venerable, respected, (pre-)eminent; experienced, veteran:
             Clemenceau was an elder statesman at the Geneva Convention.

             --n.  3 senior, superior; patriarch, elder statesman, dean,
             doyen or doyenne:  Everyone paid great respect to the elders of
             the tribe.

   elderly   adj.  1 old, past middle age, oldish, advanced in years, of
             advanced age, along in years, grey, ageing, aged, venerable;
             hoary, ancient, senescent, decrepit, superannuated; senile,
             anile; Colloq over the hill, past it, long in the tooth, having
             one foot in the grave, old-fogyish or old-fogeyish:  Today, a
             person isn't considered elderly till he's past 65.

             --n.  2 the elderly. the retired, the old, senior citizens,
             pensioners, O.A.P.'s, old-age pensioners, golden-agers, Colloq
             old-timers, (old) geezers, (old) fogies or fogeys, Brit
             wrinklies:  The elderly constitute an increasingly large body of
             voters.

   elect     v.  1 choose, select, pick, vote (for), determine, designate:
             We must elect a new chairperson at the next meeting.

             --adj.  2 chosen, elected, selected, picked out:  The
             president-elect takes office next month.  3 select, choice,
             first-rate, first-class:  An elect few make up the executive
             committee.

   election  n.  poll, vote, referendum, plebiscite; selection, choice,
             choosing, nomination, designation, appointment; voting,
             electing:  They held an election and Michael lost. The election
             of a new social secretary is required.

   electioneer
             v.  campaign, canvass, support, back, promote:  They are busy
             electioneering for their candidate.

   electric  adj.  charged, tense, energized, stimulating, exciting,
             thrilling, galvanizing, electrifying, moving, stirring:  As the
             jury filed in, the atmosphere in the courtroom was electric.

   electricity
             n.  excitement, verve, energy, tension, tenseness, fervency,
             intensity, ardour; vibrations:  I could feel the electricity
             between us.

   electrify v.  1 startle, shock, stun, jolt, stagger, astound, jar,
             astonish, amaze:  We were electrified by the news of the
             disaster.  2 excite, galvanize, animate, move, rouse, stir,
             stimulate, vitalize, fire, thrill, arouse:  His fiery oratory
             electrified the audience.

   elegance  n.  1 refinement, grace, tastefulness, good taste, gentility,
             polish, courtliness, culture, politeness, politesse, propriety,
             dignity:  Where but in 18th-century France could one find such
             elegance?  2 luxury, grandeur, luxuriousness, sumptuousness,
             exquisiteness, splendour, beauty:  The overwhelming elegance of
             the palace took our breath away.

   elegant   adj.  1 tasteful, exquisite, handsome, beautiful, comely,
             dapper, smart, well turned out; graceful, choice, superior,
             fine, select, refined, delicate, discerning, artistic;
             dignified, genteel, sophisticated, cultivated, polished, urbane,
             Chesterfieldian, suave, soign‚(e), debonair, courtly, to the
             manner born, well-bred, well-born, high-born:  Desmond and
             Elizabeth are such an elegant couple!  2 artistic, stylish,
             modish, … la mode, chic, fashionable, Colloq in, with it:  The
             newly refurbished rooms are very elegant.  3 luxurious,
             sumptuous, grand, opulent, plush, Colloq posh, swank, swanky,
             ritzy, fancy:  We stayed in a very elegant West End hotel.  4
             apt, clever, ingenious, neat:  What is needed is a more elegant
             solution to the problem.

   element   n.  1 component, constituent, ingredient, essential,
             fundamental, part, unit, piece, segment, feature, factor,
             detail, particular:  Each element was carefully designed with a
             view to its place in the whole. 2 environment, atmosphere,
             situation, locale, territory, sphere, habitat, medium, domain:
             Ordway is really in his element at a party.  3 elements.  a
             (adverse or unfavourable) weather, climatic conditions:  Stay
             here tonight - there's no need to brave the elements.  b
             rudiments, basics, fundamentals, foundations, essentials,
             principles:  It was she who taught me the elements of flying a
             helicopter.

   elemental adj.  basic, fundamental, primal, original, primordial,
             primitive:  Elemental religion focused on worship of the sun and
             fertility.

   elementary
             adj.  1 simple, rudimentary, easy, straightforward,
             uncomplicated, clear, understandable, plain:  This is an
             elementary mistake which most beginners make.  2 basic,
             fundamental, primary, introductory, initial, beginning;
             elemental:  She received her elementary education in France.

   elevated  adj.  1 raised, upraised, uplifted, lifted (up):  Only three
             hands were elevated in opposition and the motion was carried. 2
             uplifted, noble, lofty, high, grand, exalted, dignified,
             eminent, pre-eminent, ennobled, prominent, notable, illustrious,
             distinguished, imposing, impressive, sublime:  He has rather
             elevated notions of morality.  3 elated, cheerful, happy,
             exhilarated, animated, joyful, glad:  Her elevated spirits and
             pleasant countenance make her a welcome guest.

   elevation n.  1 altitude, height:  The elevation of Denver, Colorado, is
             one mile above sea level.  2 swelling, lump, wen, eminence,
             prominence; hill, height, rise:  From this elevation, you can
             see seven counties. The doctor noticed a slight elevation in the
             skin near the eye. 3 advancement, promotion, uplifting,
             enhancement, advance:  Since her elevation to the peerage, she
             has had less time for local community work. 4 grandeur,
             nobleness, loftiness, exaltation, sublimity, distinction,
             dignity, refinement, cultivation:  The elevation of his style
             means that his work is not accessible to a mass readership.

   elfin     adj.  1 elvish, elfish, elf-like, impish, puckish, frolicsome,
             sprightly, arch, playful, mischievous, tricky:  I suppose she
             has a certain elfin charm, but I don't like her.  2 small, wee,
             diminutive, tiny, little, dainty, Lilliputian:  This is a
             delightful tale of elfin folk and magic birds.

   elicit    v.  draw out, call forth, evoke, bring out or forth, bring to
             light, extract, wring, wrest, wrench:  They finally elicited the
             fact that she had been lying about his whereabouts.

   eligible  adj.  1 fit, worthy, qualified, proper, suitable, appropriate,
             fitting:  Is he an eligible candidate for the post?  2 single,
             unmarried, unwed, available:  He is one of the few eligible
             bachelors in the town.

   eliminate v.  1 remove, exclude, rule out, reject, drop, leave out, omit:
             Police have eliminated him from their enquiries.  2 take out or
             away, omit, get rid of, dispose of, expel, knock out:  He was
             eliminated in the first heat of the 100-metre run.  3 erase,
             eradicate, expunge, obliterate, strike (out), cross out or off,
             cut (out), excise, delete, throw out, edit (out), blue-pencil,
             cancel:  The censors have eliminated all references to sex.  4
             kill, murder, assassinate, slay, terminate, exterminate, dispose
             of, liquidate, finish off, annihilate, stamp out, destroy, Slang
             bump off, polish off, US rub out, take for a ride, bury, ice,
             waste:  They used a sub-machine gun to eliminate the
             competition.

   ‚lite     n.  1 elite, gentry, aristocracy, aristocrats, elect, upper
             class, nobility, privileged class, blue bloods, crЉme de la
             crЉme, haut monde, jet set, jet-setters, US Four Hundred,
             F.F.V., First Families of Virginia, Colloq upper crust,
             beautiful people, Brit nobs:  The economic collapse had barely
             touched the wealthy ‚lite.

             --adj.  2 elite, aristocratic, elect, upper-class, privileged,
             blue-blooded, noble, exclusive, choice, best, top:  She
             socializes with rather an ‚lite group of people.

   elixir    n.  1 panacea, cure-all, nostrum, wonder drug, miracle drug,
             sovereign remedy:  In the Middle Ages alchemists sought a
             universal cure, an elixir.  2 essence, potion, extract,
             tincture, compound, mixture:  Ophidia's Elixir was the name of a
             patent snake-oil medicine.  3 pith, core, kernel, heart,
             essence, quintessence, principle, extract, base, basis, soul:
             The elixir of life is wisdom and its mystic ingredient is not
             knowledge but understanding.

   eloquent  adj.  1 expressive, articulate, silver-tongued, fluent,
             well-spoken, effective, persuasive, convincing, cogent,
             trenchant, incisive, graphic, vivid, striking, facile, smooth,
             glib, oratorical, rhetorical:  He was an eloquent speaker. He
             rose and gave an eloquent speech.  2 suggestive, meaningful,
             pregnant:  His eyebrow was raised in eloquent scepticism.

   elsewhere adv.  somewhere else, to another place; in another place,
             abroad, absent, away:  She's not in the office so I assume she's
             gone elsewhere. Elsewhere, winds have died down and temperatures
             are slowly rising.

   elude     v.  1 evade, escape, avoid, dodge, slip away from, Colloq duck,
             give the slip, shake off:  The suspect has eluded the police for
             a year.  2 evade, escape; baffle, puzzle, confuse, bewilder,
             confound; frustrate, stump, thwart:  The point of your argument
             eludes me.

   elusive   adj.  1 evasive, slippery, tricky, shifty:  One of the world's
             most elusive guerrilla leaders was spotted in public yesterday.
             2 evasive, evanescent, fleeting, fugitive, transitory,
             indefinable, elusory, intangible, impalpable:  The notion of
             truth has always been elusive.

5.10 emaciated...
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   emaciated adj.  emaciate, atrophied, shrivelled, wizened, shrunken,
             haggard, gaunt, drawn, pinched, bony, skeletal, cadaverous,
             withered, wasted, consumptive, phthisic, anorexic or anorectic,
             wasting (away), scrawny, skinny, thin, lean, spare,
             undernourished, underfed, starved, half-starved:  The inmates of
             the camp were so emaciated they could scarcely stand.

   emanate   v.  1 issue, come (out), emerge, proceed, flow, ooze, exude;
             radiate:  Black smoke emanated from the mouth of the idol.  2
             radiate, give off or out, send out or forth, disseminate,
             discharge, put out, emit; exhale, ooze, exude:  The idol's eyes
             emanated a blue light.

   emancipate
             v.  release, set free, liberate, enfranchise, manumit, loose,
             let loose, let go, set free, disenthral, unfetter, unchain,
             unshackle; deliver:  Britain emancipated the slaves almost 50
             years before Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

   embargo   n.  1 restraint, block, blockage, bar, ban, stoppage, cessation,
             proscription, prohibition, interdiction, check, restriction,
             barrier; hindrance, impediment:  The government placed an
             embargo on the export of oil.

             --v.  2 restrain, block, bar, ban, stop, cease, proscribe,
             prohibit, interdict, check, restrict, hold back, prevent;
             hinder, impede, retard, hold up:  They may embargo oil shipments
             in case of war.

   embark    v.  1 board, go aboard; entrain; emplane or enplane:  We
             embarked and the ship sailed.  2 Often, embark on. commence,
             begin, enter (upon), initiate, launch, start, go into, set
             about, take up or on, engage in, assume, tackle:  He will embark
             on the new enterprise next month.

   embarrass v.  disconcert, discomfit, chagrin, abash, shame, mortify,
             humble, humiliate, discountenance, discompose, fluster, upset,
             distress, disgrace, Colloq show up:  He embarrassed his
             colleagues by his bad manners.

   embarrassed
             adj.  1 ashamed, shamefaced, blushing, disconcerted,
             discomfited, chagrined, abashed, shamed, mortified, humiliated,
             discountenanced, discomposed, flustered, distressed, red-faced,
             uncomfortable, self-conscious, sheepish, red in the face;
             humbled, disgraced:  She was extremely embarrassed by all the
             attention.  2 in debt, in the red, straitened, insolvent, Colloq
             short, hard up, broke, Brit skint:  I'm financially embarrassed
             now but I'll pay you later.

   embarrassing
             adj.  awkward, humiliating, mortifying, shaming, shameful,
             uncomfortable, discomfiting, disconcerting, touchy, distressing,
             worrying:  I had a very embarrassing moment when I forgot the
             client's name.

   embarrassment
             n.  1 bashfulness, awkwardness, clumsiness, discomposure,
             abashment, uneasiness, discomfort, self-consciousness,
             mortification, chagrin:  My embarrassment made me blush.  2
             difficulty, mess, predicament, dilemma, problem, trouble, Colloq
             hot water, pickle, fix, scrape, bind:  Finding them together
             presented me with a real embarrassment.  3 excess, superfluity,
             superabundance, over-abundance, embarras de richesse, embarras
             de choix, oversupply, surplus, profusion:  An embarrassment of
             options was open to me.

   embellish v.  1 beautify, improve, titivate or tittivate, dress (up),
             trick out or up, enhance, elaborate, enrich, embroider, gild,
             furbish (up), garnish, decorate, adorn, ornament, deck, bedeck,
             trim, elaborate, caparison, rubricate, varnish; gild refined
             gold, paint the lily, Misquote gild the lily:  The saddles are
             embellished with silver studs.  2 elaborate, exaggerate, overdo,
             embroider, enhance, dress up:  His reports are so embellished
             that you cannot separate fact from fiction.

   embellishment
             n.  1 decoration, ornamentation, ornament, elaboration,
             adornment, embroidery:  The basic design, which is shoddy, is
             unimproved by embellishment.  Good pasta needs minimal
             embellishment. 2 exaggeration, enhancement, tinsel, garnish,
             gilding, frill:  All the embellishments make her story totally
             unbelievable.

   embers    n.pl.  live coals; cinders, ashes; remains, remnants:  The dying
             embers of the fire symbolized her waning love for Darrin.

   embezzle  v.  misappropriate, peculate, misapply, misuse, steal, make off
             or away with, filch, pilfer, purloin, Law defalcate; Colloq have
             one's hand in the till:  The treasurer had embezzled half a
             million from the company.

   embezzlement
             n.  misappropriation, peculation, misapplication, misuse,
             misusing, abstraction, stealing, theft, thievery, larceny,
             filching, purloining, pilferage, pilfering, Law defalcation:
             Wanted for embezzlement, he fled to Brazil.

   embittered
             adj.  bitter, resentful, sour, soured, caustic, acrimonious,
             acid, envenomed; angry, choleric, rancorous:  His conviction for
             fraud left him an embittered man.

   emblem    n.  badge, insigne, symbol, representation, device, seal, crest,
             token, sign; trade mark, logotype or logo:  The white knight's
             emblem was a pair of crossed flaming swords.

   emblematic
             adj.  emblematical, symbolic(al), representative,
             representational:  The white dove is emblematic of peace.

   embodiment
             n.  1 incarnation, realization, concretization, manifestation,
             expression, personification, materialization, actualization,
             reification, substantiation:  The golden section is the
             embodiment of an ancient principle of proportion. 2
             consolidation, collection, unification, incorporation,
             inclusion, integration, combination, concentration,
             systematization, organization, codification, synthesis, epitome:
             This book is the embodiment of Arnolfo's theories of aesthetics.

   embody    v.  1 concretize, realize, manifest, express, personify,
             materialize, reify, actualize, externalize, incarnate:  Her
             feminist convictions are embodied in her lifestyle.  2
             exemplify, typify, represent, symbolize, stand for:  Note how
             this painting embodies Longchamp's unique notions of form. 3
             consolidate, collect, unite, unify, incorporate, include,
             integrate, combine, concentrate, systematize, organize,
             comprise, codify, epitomize, synthesize:  The teachings of the
             sect are embodied in their scriptures.

   embrace   v.  1 hug, clasp, grasp, hold, enfold, cuddle, cleave together,
             Archaic clip:  She embraced him warmly when they met again.  2
             adopt, espouse, take up or in, avail oneself of, use, make use
             of, employ, accept, receive, welcome:  They embraced Christian
             ideals.  3 include, comprise, embody, incorporate, comprehend,
             encompass:  Their tribal territory embraces all areas south of
             the mountains.

             --n.  4 hug, squeeze, clutch, Slang clinch:  He gave her a
             tender embrace and left.

   emerge    v.  1 appear, come out, come forth, come up, rise; arise,
             surface, come into view or notice, come to light, be revealed,
             crop up, turn out, develop, become known, become apparent,
             transpire, happen, evolve:  It emerged that she had bought a
             pistol that morning.  2 issue, emanate, come forth, proceed:
             The train emerged from the tunnel.

   emergence n.  rise, surfacing, appearance; development, materialization,
             manifestation:  They were surprised by his emergence as leader.

   emergency n.  crisis, exigency, danger, predicament, difficulty, pinch:
             In an emergency, put on lifebelts.

   emigrant  n.  ‚migr‚, expatriate, displaced person, DP, refugee, boat
             person; colonist, settler:  For millions of European emigrants,
             their first sight of the promised land was the Statue of Liberty
             in New York harbour.

   emigrate  v.  migrate, move, relocate, resettle; leave, quit, depart,
             forsake:  Her parents emigrated from Turkey and settled in
             Scotland.

   eminent   adj.  1 distinguished, esteemed, exalted, respected, revered,
             honoured, dignified, notable, noteworthy, important, noted,
             outstanding, prominent, pre-eminent, conspicuous, superior,
             great, illustrious, famous, renowned, well-known, celebrated:
             McLeod is an eminent meteorologist.  2 conspicuous, outstanding,
             marked:  His suggestion made eminent good sense.

   eminently adv.  very, exceedingly, extremely, exceptionally, remarkably,
             singularly, notably, signally:  This man is eminently well
             suited for his job.

   emit      v.  discharge, eject, expel, emanate, send out or forth, pour
             out or forth, give off or out, issue, vent, radiate; exhale;
             exude, ooze:  The factory has been emitting toxic gases into the
             atmosphere.

   emotion   n.  feeling, passion, sentiment, sensation:  They say there is a
             fine line between the emotions of love and hate.

   emotional adj.  1 passionate, impassioned, ardent, enthusiastic, heated,
             zealous, heartfelt, excited, fervent, fervid:  She reacted in a
             very emotional way to the suggestions.  2 tense, nervous,
             excitable, highly-strung, high-strung, temperamental, volatile,
             hotheaded, demonstrative:  He is a very emotional person, who
             should not be driving a bus.  3 sensitive, warm, sentimental,
             tender, moving, poignant, stirring, emotive, affective,
             touching:  Their meeting after 50 years was certainly emotional.
             4 frantic, agitated, irrational, hysterical, wild, ranting:  She
             became very emotional when the police took away her son.

   emphasis  n.  importance, stress, significance, prominence, attention,
             weight, gravity, force, moment, pre-eminence, priority,
             underscoring, underlining, Technical paralipsis:  They place too
             much emphasis on the social aspects of school.

   emphasize v.  stress, accentuate, accent, underscore, point up, underline,
             call or draw attention to, mark, highlight, play up, spotlight,
             feature:  The new procedures emphasize safety.

   emphatic  adj.  firm, uncompromising, determined, decided, resolute,
             dogged; earnest, definite, unequivocal, unambiguous, distinct,
             dogmatic, categorical, peremptory, explicit, incisive,
             insistent, affirmative, positive, sure, certain, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable, specific, definitive, direct; forceful, vigorous,
             energetic, assertive, intense; express, pronounced, strong:  She
             was emphatic about leaving then and there.

   empirical adj.  empiric, experiential, practical, observed, pragmatic,
             experimental:  He has been there and has empirical knowledge of
             the system.

   employ    v.  1 hire, engage, enlist, recruit, enrol, sign (up), take on,
             retain, commission:  I have employed a solicitor to look after
             my affairs while I am away. The company employed 120 engineers.
             2 use, make use of, utilize, apply:  We plan to employ the most
             modern equipment.  3 occupy, take (up), engage, involve:  He is
             employed with his stamp collection.

   employee  n.  worker, staff member, wage-earner; hand:  The employees are
             on strike.

   employer  n.  1 proprietor, owner, patron, manager, director, chief, head,
             Colloq boss, Brit gaffer, governor, Eye dialect guv'nor, guv:
             My employer comes in late every day.  2 company, firm,
             corporation, business, establishment, organization, Colloq
             outfit:  She took her employer to court for unfair dismissal.

   employment
             n.  1 occupation, job, trade, work, business, profession,
             vocation, calling, livelihood, pursuit, m‚tier, skill, craft,
             Colloq line, Slang racket:  My employment for many years has
             been restoring antique furniture.  2 hire, hiring, engagement,
             engaging, employing, taking on, retaining, enlistment,
             enlisting:  The employment of 50 people by the new firm will
             help the town.  3 use, utilization, application, operation,
             implementation:  The job involves the employment of specialized
             techniques.

   emptiness n.  1 voidness, hollowness, vacantness, vacancy, vacuity,
             blankness, bareness, barrenness, desolation, desertedness,
             vacuum, void:  He was again alone in the vast emptiness of
             space. After she left, I felt a terrible emptiness. 2
             senselessness, meaninglessness, pointlessness, aimlessness,
             purposelessness, futility, uselessness, worthlessness,
             hollowness:  The emptiness of the candidate's words was apparent
             to all.  3 vacuity, vacuousness, vacantness, blankness,
             expressionlessness, emotionlessness:  The emptiness of her
             facial expression told me that she hadn't understood a word.

   empty     adj.  1 void, unfilled, hollow, bare, barren, vacant,
             unfurnished, unadorned, undecorated; emptied, drained, spent,
             exhausted:  That empty space on the wall needs a painting.  2
             vacant, unoccupied, uninhabited, untenanted:  He finally found
             an empty flat with two bedrooms.  3 deserted, desolate,
             uninhabited, wild, waste, bare, barren; forsaken:  He wandered
             for days on the empty moor.  4 trivial, insincere, hypocritical,
             hollow, cheap, worthless, valueless, meaningless, insignificant,
             insubstantial, unsatisfying, idle:  His promises were merely
             words, empty words.  5 vacant, blank, deadpan, expressionless,
             poker-faced; vacuous, fatuous, stupid, foolish, inane:  He
             looked at me with that empty expression of his.  6 blank, clean,
             new, unused, clear:  On an empty page write your name and the
             date.  7 empty of. devoid of, lacking (in), wanting, in want of,
             deficient in, destitute of, without, sans:  Their hearts are
             empty of compassion.

             --v.  8 clear, remove, take out or away, put out, cast or throw
             out, eject; vacate, evacuate; dump, drain, exhaust, pour out,
             void, discharge, unload:  Thieves emptied everything from the
             house. The police are emptying the building because of a bomb
             scare. Empty these bottles outside.

5.11 enable...
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   enable    v.  1 qualify, authorize, entitle, permit, allow, sanction,
             approve, empower, license,commission, entrust, depute, delegate,
             assign, charter, franchise:  An act was passed to enable them to
             build the railway.  2 capacitate, facilitate, expedite, help,
             aid, assist:  The grant enabled me to continue my studies.  3
             permit, allow, approve, assent to, go along with, agree to, give
             the go-ahead or green light, Colloq OK or okay:  Her press pass
             enables her to get through police lines.

   enact     v.  1 pass, legislate, ratify; ordain, decree, rule, command,
             order, authorize:  The law was enacted to protect consumers.  2
             act (out), represent, play, portray, depict, perform, appear as:
             She enacted the role of a modern Lady Macbeth.

   enchant   v.  1 bewitch, cast a spell on, ensorcell or ensorcel,
             spellbind, hypnotize, mesmerize, voodoo, Brit magic, US hex,
             Colloq hoodoo:  Circe enchanted Ulysses' men and turned them
             into swine.  2 charm, fascinate, beguile, captivate, enthral,
             enrapture, attract, allure, delight, entrance:  With her sultry
             looks she has enchanted the most cynical of men.

   enchanted adj.  pleased, delighted, happy, thrilled, French enchant‚(e):
             I am enchanted to meet you at last, Mrs Thompson.

   enchanting
             adj.  beguiling, bewitching, entrancing, spellbinding, charming,
             fascinating, captivating, intriguing, enthralling, alluring,
             delightful, hypnotic, attractive, appealing, winsome, ravishing,
             seductive:  Caesar found Cleopatra utterly enchanting.

   enchantment
             n.  1 witchcraft, sorcery, magic, wizardry, thaumaturgy,
             conjuration or conjury; spell, charm, jinx, US hex:  Stories of
             enchantment and magic fail to interest today's sceptical
             five-year-old. When she worked her enchantment on me, I
             succumbed completely. 2 charm, beguilement, allure, fascination,
             rapture, mesmerism, bliss:  She was completely carried away by
             the enchantment of the moment.

   encircle  v.  surround, gird, circle, enclose, ring, encompass, compass,
             confine, hem or hold in; wreathe:  When the horde encircled the
             castle we thought we were doomed.

   enclose   v.  1 inclose, confine, shut in, close or hem in, surround, pen,
             encircle, encompass, bound, envelop, hedge in, wall in, immure,
             fence in or off, US and Canadian corral:  A high wall encloses
             the garden.  2 insert, include, contain; wrap:  The cheque was
             enclosed in the same envelope.

   enclosure n.  1 fold, pen, cote, run, sty, yard, farmyard, barnyard,
             courtyard, quadrangle or quad, square, compound, Brit close, US
             and Canadian corral:  We had trouble keeping the dogs in the
             enclosure.  2 fence, wall, rail, railing, barrier, hedge,
             barricade, boundary:  The buildings serve as an enclosure.

   encounter v.  1 meet, come upon, run into or across, happen upon, chance
             upon, hit upon, light upon, stumble upon, Colloq bump into:  She
             encountered him again in the supermarket.  2 face, experience,
             meet with, contend with, be faced with, come into contact with,
             wrestle with:  She encounters such problems every day.  3 come
             into conflict with, contend with, assail, cross swords (with),
             grapple with, engage, joust with, do battle with, confront,
             clash with, join, meet:  The ballad tells how he encountered the
             black knight in single combat.

             --n.  4 meeting:  It was a chance encounter that brought us
             together.  5 confrontation, brush, quarrel, disagreement,
             dispute, altercation, engagement, action, battle, fight, clash,
             conflict, skirmish, contest, competition, duel, contention,
             struggle, war, Colloq dust-up, scrap, run-in, set-to:  My uncle
             took part in the bloody encounter in the Ardennes.

   encourage v.  1 hearten, embolden, reassure, buoy (up), stimulate,
             animate, support, inspirit, inspire, cheer (up), urge or spur on
             or onward(s), incite, Colloq egg on, pep up:  She encouraged him
             in his study of medicine.  2 promote, advance, aid, support,
             help, assist, abet, foster, forward, boost, Colloq give a shot
             in the arm:  The continued success of the team encouraged
             attendance at the games.

   encouragement
             n.  1 heartening, reassuring, reassurance, buoying up,
             stimulating, stimulation, stimulus, animating, animation,
             supporting, support, promoting, promotion, inspiring,
             inspiration, cheering, urging, spur, spurring, exhorting,
             exhortation, prodding, urging, innervation, inciting,
             incitement:  Without her encouragement, I could never have won.
             2 boost, stimulus, help, aid, support, Colloq pep talk:  The
             team gets a lot of encouragement from local merchants.

   encroach  v.  Often, encroach on or upon. intrude, trespass, infringe,
             invade, make inroads:  When you mention arctophily, you're
             encroaching on my territory.

   encumber  v.  1 burden, weigh down, load (up or down), overload,
             overburden, strain, oppress, saddle, tax, overtax:  Encumbered
             with intolerable taxes, the people revolted. She almost drowned
             because she was encumbered with her numerous petticoats. 2
             hamper, impede, hinder, handicap, inconvenience, trammel,
             retard, slow down:  Though encumbered by an invalid husband, she
             managed to qualify as a barrister.

   encumbrance
             n.  weight, burden, onus, cross (to bear), albatross, millstone,
             handicap, impediment, hindrance, obstacle, obstruction,
             liability, disadvantage, drag:  The children were regarded
             merely as an encumbrance.

   encyclopedic
             adj.  encyclopaedic, comprehensive, inclusive, broad, extensive,
             universal, thorough, exhaustive, wide-ranging, complete:  She
             has an encyclopedic knowledge of Chinese art.

   end       n.  1 extremity, extreme, extent, bound, boundary, tip, limit,
             terminus:  That fence marks the southern end of the property. At
             the end of the garden was a large shed. 2 close, termination,
             conclusion, cessation, expiration, finish, completion, finale,
             ending, wind-up; denouement or d‚nouement:  At the end of the
             film, the lights came on.  3 aim, purpose, intention, intent,
             objective, object,goal, point, reason, raison d'€tre,
             destination, motive, motivation, aspiration:  To what end does
             she persist so vehemently?  4 consequence, result, outcome,
             effect, upshot:  The end of the affair was that he had to leave
             town.  5 destruction, death, ruin, extermination, annihilation,
             death, termination, conclusion:  That would spell the end to all
             life on earth.  6 at a loose end or US and Canadian at loose
             ends. unsettled, unoccupied, unemployed, uncommitted, undecided,
             indecisive, ambivalent, vacillating, purposeless, aimless,
             adrift, drifting, betwixt and between, neither here nor there:
             My wife has gone off to visit her mother and I'm at a loose end.
             7 on end.  a upright, erect, standing:  He can balance a ruler
             on end.  b continuously, uninterruptedly, unceasingly,
             incessantly, consecutively:  It rained for days on end.  8 the
             end.  a the worst, the last straw, the final blow, Colloq the
             limit, too much:  Brian's winning first prize is the absolute
             end.  b the best, the greatest:  That disc by The What is the
             living end.

             --v.  9 terminate, conclude, bring to an end, stop, halt, cease,
             wind up or down, settle, put an end to, discontinue, break off,
             cut off, close, finish, culminate, end up, Brit put paid to; die
             (out), expire, climax, peter out, vanish:  We have ended our
             relationship. The book ends with her returning to him. The year
             ends on December 31st. 10 kill, put to death, annihilate,
             exterminate, terminate, extinguish; destroy, ruin:  He ended his
             life last night with a bullet.  11 surpass, outdo, outclass,
             outshine, outstrip, supersede:  It is a disaster film to end all
             disaster films.

   endanger  v.  imperil, threaten, jeopardize, risk, put at risk, hazard,
             expose (to danger), put in jeopardy, tempt fate:  She endangered
             her life while trying to save his.

   endangered
             adj.  imperilled, threatened, near extinction:  Every effort
             must be made to protect endangered species.

   endearing adj.  attractive, engaging, likeable, appealing, winsome,
             captivating, winning:  He has a few endearing qualities, I
             suppose.

   endeavour v.  1 try, attempt, strive, make an effort, do one's best,
             struggle, exert oneself, undertake; aim, aspire; Colloq take a
             stab at, have a go or crack or whack or shot at:  For years he's
             endeavoured to see her.

             --n.  2 effort, pains, attempt, try, striving, struggle,
             venture, enterprise, Colloq stab, crack, whack, shot:  Her
             endeavours to be published have come to naught.

   endless   adj.  1 limitless, unlimited, boundless, unbounded, infinite,
             immeasurable, eternal, unending:  They found themselves in the
             endless reaches of outer space.  2 ceaseless, uninterrupted,
             incessant, unceasing, unending, constant, perpetual,
             interminable, unremitting, non-stop, continuous, continual,
             everlasting:  I wish you two would stop your endless bickering.

   endorse   v.  1 indorse, approve, sanction, authorize, advocate, support,
             back, subscribe to, sustain, confirm, countenance, put one's
             stamp or seal (of approval) on, set one's seal (of approval) to,
             give (something) one's imprimatur, Colloq OK, okay:  The council
             endorsed our application for planning permission.  2 indorse,
             countersign:  Endorse the cheque to cash it.

   endorsement
             n.  1 indorsement, approval, affirmation, sanction,
             authorization, confirmation, ratification, support, backing,
             approbation, seal or stamp of approval, imprimatur, Colloq OK,
             okay:  He is acting with the full endorsement of his union.  2
             counter-signature:  His endorsement is on the back of the
             cheque.

   endowment n.  1 grant, (financial) aid, subsidy, subvention, allowance,
             allotment, contribution, donation, gift, present, award;
             bequest, inheritance, dowry:  The endowment was enough to
             support me for a year.  2 gift, presentation, bestowal, award,
             awarding, settlement:  The endowment of the grant was approved
             by the college.  3 endowments. qualities, talents, gifts,
             abilities, aptitudes, capabilities, capacities, qualifications,
             strengths; attributes, properties, characteristics:  She is a
             woman of considerable endowments.

   endurance n.  1 stamina, staying power, perseverance, persistence,
             resolution, fortitude, tenacity, patience, tolerance, Colloq US
             stick-to-it-iveness:  He showed remarkable endurance in the
             pentathlon trials.  2 lasting quality, durability, longevity,
             lifetime, continuation:  In this film, he uses the river as a
             symbol of endurance and timelessness.

   endure    v.  1 last, persist, stay, remain, abide, prevail, survive,
             continue, hold, live (on), Colloq go the distance:  Her fame as
             a poet will endure.  2 stand, abide, tolerate, face, survive,
             withstand, bear, weather, take (it), suffer, stomach, undergo,
             hold out (against), Colloq hang in (there), stick or sweat (it
             or something) out:  He endured the pressure of his job as long
             as he could.  3 suffer, undergo, bear, face, stand, put up with,
             stomach, take:  Consider the tyranny that Europe endured under
             Hitler.

   enduring  adj.  lasting, long-lasting, durable, abiding, continuing,
             long-standing, persisting, persistent, remaining, steady,
             steadfast; eternal, immortal, permanent:  Their enduring faith
             carried them through the ordeal.

   enemy     n.  foe, antagonist, adversary, opponent, rival, competitor,
             contestant, contender; the opposition, the other side:  His
             enemies were running a smear campaign against him.

   energetic adj.  lively, active, vigorous, invigorated, dynamic, animated,
             spirited, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, sprightly, spry,
             vital, high-powered, brisk, vibrant, zesty, zestful, Colloq hot,
             peppy, full of pep, full of get-up-and-go, zippy, on one's toes,
             zingy, full of beans:  I feel most energetic at the start of the
             day.

   energize  v.  enliven, liven up, stimulate, animate, invigorate, activate,
             actuate, move, motivate, galvanize, electrify, inspire,
             inspirit, pep up, waken, rouse, stir, arouse, excite, egg on,
             urge:  Max's enthusiasm energized the whole of the research
             team.

   energy    n.  vitality, forcefulness, vivacity, liveliness, vigour,
             animation, spirit, force, dynamism, drive, verve, dash, ‚lan,
             intensity, power, determination, puissance, strength, might,
             Colloq pep, vim and vigour, US stick-to-it-iveness,
             get-up-and-go, zip, zing:  At seventy, she just couldn't put as
             much energy into her performance as she once did.

   enervate  v.  weaken, tire, strain, enfeeble, debilitate, fatigue,
             exhaust, drain, sap, wear out, devitalize, break, defeat:  I
             have always found the tropics quite enervating.

   enforce   v.  1 insist upon or on, stress, require, impose, support, put
             into effect, apply, administer, carry out, inflict, bring to
             bear, implement, prosecute, discharge; reinforce; Colloq crack
             or clamp down:  The police will enforce the curfew tonight.  2
             force, compel, pressure or Brit pressurize, press, coerce, lay
             stress upon or on, impose upon or on, impress upon or on, insist
             upon or on, demand, require; intimidate, browbeat, bully,
             railroad; Colloq lean on, twist (someone's) arm:  They hired
             thugs to enforce their claim.

   engage    v.  1 employ, hire, enrol or US also enroll, enlist, retain,
             sign (up), contract with or for, indenture; rent, book, reserve,
             secure, bespeak:  She was engaged on a part-time basis. We
             engaged rooms for the night. 2 occupy, engross, busy, absorb,
             involve, tie up, preoccupy, employ:  This task will engage all
             available resources until the end of next month. 3 pledge,
             undertake, bargain, agree, covenant, promise, guarantee,
             contract:  I engaged to complete the work by Tuesday.  4
             attract, hold, capture, catch, draw:  The museum has many
             exhibits that will engage the interest of children. 5 join (in)
             combat or battle with, meet, encounter, fight, combat, attack,
             battle, clash with, grapple with:  The enemy was engaged at
             dawn.  6 engage in. participate (in), partake in, take part
             (in), enter (into), undertake, embark on:  She engages in many
             out-of-school activities.

   engaged   adj.  1 betrothed, affianced, plighted, pledged, promised;
             spoken for:  They got engaged on St Valentine's Day.  2 busy,
             occupied, tied up, involved, employed, absorbed, preoccupied,
             wrapped up:  He is otherwise engaged and cannot meet me today.

   engagement
             n.  1 appointment, meeting, date, rendezvous, arrangement,
             commitment:  I'm sorry, I have a previous engagement.  2
             betrothal:  Their engagement was announced in all the papers.  3
             agreement, bargain, obligation, promise, pledge, covenant,
             contract:  The company undertook an engagement to provide the
             steel.  4 job, position, post, commission, booking; employment,
             work; Colloq spot, Slang (of a musician) gig:  He has an
             engagement with the newspaper.  5 fight, battle, conflict,
             encounter, combat:  The naval engagement lasted three days and
             nights.

   engaging  adj.  charming, pleasant, attractive, winsome, winning,
             appealing, agreeable, delightful, pleasing, likeable, friendly,
             open:  With her engaging personality, it is no wonder she has so
             many friends.

   engine    n.  motor, machine, mechanism, appliance, apparatus; locomotive:
             The invention of the internal combustion engine revolutionized
             modern transport.

   engineer  n.  1 designer, originator, inventor, contriver, architect,
             planner, mastermind:  The engineer of this scheme was one David
             Jones.  2 (engine-) driver, conductor, operator:  He was the
             engineer on the afternoon train out of Washington.  3 mechanic,
             technician, repairman:  The telephone engineers will be here on
             Monday to install a new phone system.

             --v.  4 devise, plan, develop, originate, contrive, invent,
             mastermind, construct, build, make:  It is said that Daedalus
             engineered the first man-made wings.  5 manipulate, scheme,
             plot, machinate, intrigue, connive, conspire, manoeuvre, rig,
             set up, organize, arrange, put over, Colloq finagle, wangle,
             swing:  She tried to engineer the laundering of the money, but
             was caught.

   engrave   v.  1 cut, carve, chisel, inscribe; etch:  The ring was a plain
             gold band, engraved with daisies.  2 impress, stamp, set, lodge,
             fix, embed, imprint, ingrain:  The horror of that night was
             forever engraved in his mind.

   engraving n.  1 intaglio, cameo, etching, dry-point, woodcut, linocut,
             wood or steel engraving, anaglyph, block or US also cut:  She
             uses a burin to make these engravings.  2 print, impression,
             etching, dry-point:  The exhibition of DЃrer engravings closes
             tomorrow.

   enhance   v.  improve, better, augment, boost, raise, elevate, lift,
             heighten, exalt, enlarge, swell, magnify, increase, add to,
             amplify, intensify, enrich, embellish, complement, reinforce,
             strengthen:  His public image was greatly enhanced by his
             support of charities.

   enigma    n.  puzzle, conundrum, mystery, riddle, poser, problem:  How he
             escaped is an enigma to the police.

   enjoy     v.  1 delight in, appreciate, like, take or derive pleasure or
             satisfaction in or from, relish (in), fancy, take to, Slang dig,
             get a kick or lift or charge out of, get high on, get off on:
             Bernard really enjoys Wagner.  2 benefit or profit from, take
             advantage of, use, utilize, make use of, use to advantage, have,
             possess:  He cannot be charged because he enjoys diplomatic
             immunity.  3 enjoy oneself. have a good time, make merry, Colloq
             have a ball or the time of one's life:  I enjoyed myself at your
             party.

   enjoyment n.  1 pleasure, delight, joy, gratification, satisfaction,
             relish, zest, delectation, recreation, entertainment, diversion,
             amusement:  The public has derived much enjoyment from Shaw's
             plays.  2 use, utilization, exercise, possession; benefit,
             advantage:  As a member, you are entitled to the enjoyment of
             all club privileges.

   enlarge   v.  1 increase, expand, magnify, amplify, extend, swell, dilate,
             spread, wax, widen, broaden, lengthen, elongate, stretch,
             distend; add to, supplement, augment; inflate; Colloq blow up:
             The government will enlarge the area devoted to public parks.
             Enlarge the photographs and details appear. 2 enlarge on or
             upon. expand on, expatiate on, amplify, expound; detail,
             elaborate (on):  The speaker was asked to enlarge on her plans
             for building new hospitals.

   enlighten v.  inform, edify, instruct, teach, tutor, educate, coach,
             apprise, make aware, advise, counsel:  You must enlighten George
             on how to behave in public.

   enlightened
             adj.  well-informed, informed, educated, aware, knowledgeable,
             literate, rational, reasonable, sensible, common-sense,
             commonsensical, broad-minded, open-minded, liberal; cultivated,
             civilized, sophisticated, Colloq in the know:  In a democracy,
             the press serves an enlightened public.

   enlist    v.  1 enrol, register, join (up), volunteer, sign up or on;
             engage, recruit, induct, muster, conscript, impress, call up, US
             draft:  He enlisted in the navy at 17.  2 employ, hire, engage,
             retain, make available, secure, obtain, get, procure, gather,
             drum up, mobilize, Colloq organize:  We must enlist all the help
             we can.

   enliven   v.  1 invigorate, inspirit, animate, pep up, stimulate,
             energize, vivify, vitalize, quicken, exhilarate, arouse, rouse,
             awaken, wake up, spark (off), kindle, enkindle, fire (up),
             inspire:  Enlivened by the coach's talk, we were determined to
             win.  2 brighten, cheer (up), buoy (up), gladden, uplift:  The
             room was considerably enlivened by the new curtains.

   enormity  n.  outrageousness, outrage, atrociousness, atrocity,
             wickedness, heinousness, flagitiousness, horribleness, horror,
             barbarity, savagery, monstrousness, horridness, evil,
             viciousness:  The enormity of the crime shocked us all.

   enormous  adj.  huge, immense, gigantic, elephantine, gargantuan, mammoth,
             titanic, colossal, tremendous, vast, massive, stupendous,
             Brobdingnagian, gross, monstrous, prodigious:  An enormous
             dragon blocked their way out of the cave.

   enormousness
             n.  immensity, hugeness:  I was staggered by the sheer
             enormousness of the building.

   enough    adj.  1 sufficient, adequate, ample:  There isn't enough food to
             go round.

             --n.  2 sufficiency, adequacy, ample supply, plenty:  I have
             enough for myself.

             --adv.  3 sufficiently, adequately, reasonably, satisfactorily,
             tolerably, passably:  Your word is good enough for me.

   enquire   v.  1 inquire, ask, question, query:  The police enquired
             whether we had noticed any strange goings-on next door. 2 See
             inquire.

   enrage    v.  anger, infuriate, madden, incense, provoke, inflame, make
             (someone's) blood boil, Colloq get (someone's) back or Irish or
             hackles or dander up, make (someone) see red, wave a red flag
             before (someone), make (someone's) blood boil, US burn (someone)
             up, Slang US tick (someone) off, Taboo piss (someone) off, Brit
             put (someone's) monkey up, US tee (someone) off:  Lord Thimble
             was enraged at being made to wait his turn.

   enrapture v.  enchant, entrance, transport, thrill, bewitch, spellbind,
             fascinate, charm, enthral, captivate, beguile, delight:  The
             soprano quite enraptured her audience.

   enrich    v.  1 endow, enhance, improve, upgrade, better, ameliorate,
             refine, add to:  His novels have enriched our literature.  2
             ornament, adorn, decorate, embellish; beautify, grace:  Before
             us rose a lofty dome enriched with precious stones.

   enrol     v.  1 enlist, register, sign up or on (for), join; volunteer;
             recruit; Colloq join up:  He enrolled at the university.  2
             record, register, chronicle, put down, list, note, inscribed,
             catalogue:  Their names will be enrolled forever in the Book of
             Heroes.

   ensemble  n.  1 outfit, costume, clothing, clothes, attire, apparel, garb,
             garments, coordinates, Colloq get-up:  A black hat, gloves, and
             shoes completed the ensemble.  2 band, combination, orchestra,
             group; chorus, choir; Colloq combo:  A new chamber music
             ensemble is performing tonight at the town hall. 3 assemblage,
             composite, aggregate, collection, set, whole, entirety,
             totality; agglomeration, conglomeration:  A strange ensemble of
             objects was on display.

   enslave   v.  subjugate, yoke, fetter, enchain, shackle, trammel,
             dominate; bind, indenture, Archaic enthral:  The enslaved masses
             rose and overcame their masters.

   ensure    v.  1 insure, assure, make sure or certain, confirm, certify,
             guarantee; secure, effect:  He must ensure that there is no
             leak.  2 insure, protect, make safe, safeguard, guard, secure:
             The captain is responsible for ensuring the safety of the
             passengers.

   entail    v.  involve, require, call for, necessitate, demand, occasion,
             give rise to, impose; lead to, cause:  The post has entailed
             working an average 60-70 hours a week.

   entangle  v.  1 tangle, ensnarl, snarl, enmesh, catch (up), entrap, snag,
             foul, implicate, knot (up), twist; impede; involve, embroil:
             The propeller became entangled in the seaweed so that the boat
             couldn't move. 2 confuse, mix (up), twist, snarl, ensnarl,
             ensnare, hamper, complicate, confound, bewilder, perplex,
             embarrass:  He became entangled in a web of social and business
             liaisons.

   enter     v.  1 go or come (in or into), pass (into):  Please enter at the
             left.  2 penetrate, pierce, stick (into), stab (into), puncture;
             invade, infiltrate:  The nail entered the tyre here. The iron
             entered into his soul.  3 insert, inscribe, write, set or write
             or put down, note, record, take or jot down, register; log,
             document, minute:  Enter your name on the dotted line.  4 enter
             on or upon, begin, start, commence, undertake, set out on, take
             up:  I didn't want to enter the marathon if I couldn't finish.
             5 enrol, enlist, sign on or up, join, become a member of:  He
             has entered the ranks of the unemployed.  6 present, offer,
             proffer, tender, submit:  More than 100 poems were entered in
             the competition.  7 file, register, record, submit:  The
             defendant entered a plea of 'Not guilty'.  8 enter into. engage
             or participate in, sign, be (a) party to, co-sign, countersign:
             We entered into an agreement to buy the house.

   enterprise
             n.  1 undertaking, project, venture, adventure, effort,
             programme, plan, scheme:  His latest enterprise involves
             establishing a chain of pizza shops.  2 boldness, daring,
             courage, mettle, adventurousness, audacity, enthusiasm, zeal,
             energy, spirit, drive, vigour, ambition, initiative, push,
             eagerness, determination, resolve, purposefulness, purpose;
             aggressiveness; Colloq get-up-and-go, zip, pep, gumption, guts,
             US starch:  It takes a lot of enterprise to start your own
             business.  3 business, operation, firm, company, concern,
             establishment:  We began this enterprise on a shoestring.

   enterprising
             adj.  resourceful, venturesome, adventurous, daring, courageous,
             bold, brave, mettlesome, audacious, enthusiastic, eager, keen,
             zealous, energetic, spirited, vigorous, ambitious, determined,
             resolved, resolute, earnest, purposeful, purposive,
             goal-oriented; aggressive, hard-working, indefatigable,
             tireless, diligent, assiduous, industrious, persevering; Colloq
             pushy, go-ahead:  She is an enterprising young lawyer with her
             own practice.

   entertain v.  1 amuse, divert; delight, please; occupy:  While we waited
             the boy entertained us with his juggling.  2 receive,
             accommodate, treat, be host (to), cater (for or to); have or see
             people or guests or visitors or company; Colloq host:  We
             entertain on Tuesdays only.  3 contemplate, consider, have,
             hold, harbour, foster, tolerate, allow, maintain, sustain,
             support:  They felt that they could not entertain the idea of
             their daughter marrying the gardener's son.

   entertaining
             adj.  amusing, diverting, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, fun,
             pleasing, pleasurable, interesting, engaging; funny, comic,
             humorous, witty:  We find Laurel and Hardy films entertaining.

   entertainment
             n.  1 amusement, diversion, distraction, pastime, recreation,
             sport, play, fun, pleasure, enjoyment, relaxation, relief:  What
             do you do for entertainment?  2 performance, presentation,
             diversion, amusement, divertissement, exhibition, pageant,
             spectacle, show, production, spectacular, extravaganza:  They
             put on a lavish entertainment for the queen.

   enthralling
             adj.  captivating, entrancing, spellbinding, enchanting,
             bewitching, beguiling, fascinating, gripping, absorbing,
             intriguing, hypnotizing, mesmerizing, riveting:  There was an
             enthralling melodrama on TV last night.

   enthusiasm
             n.  1 eagerness, keenness, earnestness, fervour, avidity, zeal,
             excitement, passion, ardour, interest, relish, devotion,
             devotedness, gusto, exuberance, zest; fanaticism, mania, rage:
             No one matches her enthusiasm for grand opera.  2 rage, passion,
             craze; hobby, interest, pastime, diversion, amusement; Colloq
             fad:  His current enthusiasm is acid rock.

   enthusiast
             n.  fan, devotee, aficionado, lover, admirer, zealot, addict,
             fanatic, promoter, supporter, champion, follower, disciple,
             adherent, US booster, Colloq teeny-bopper, bug, hound, buff,
             fiend, Slang nut, freak, groupie, US head:  They are model
             railway enthusiasts.

   enthusiastic
             adj.  eager, keen, fervent, fervid, hearty, ardent, avid,
             energetic, vigorous, devoted, earnest, passionate, spirited,
             exuberant, zealous, fanatic(al), unqualified, unstinting,
             irrepressible:  He's an enthusiastic supporter of the prime
             minister's policies.

   entice    v.  lure, allure, tempt, attract, draw, seduce, coax, persuade,
             prevail on, beguile, cajole, blandish, wheedle; decoy, lead on,
             inveigle, Colloq sweet-talk, soft-soap, Slang suck in:  The
             prospectus enticed 3.15 million people to buy shares in the
             company.

   enticement
             n.  1 temptation, allurement, beguilement, seduction, cajolery,
             wheedling, blandishment, coaxing, persuasion:  Do you approve of
             the system of enticement used to get you to buy time-share
             holidays? 2 lure, bait, decoy, trap, inducement, attraction,
             temptation, Colloq come-on, soft soap:  Among the enticements
             offered was a free weekend in Paris.

   entire    adj.  1 complete, whole, total, full, undivided, absolute,
             thorough, unreserved, unrestricted, undiminished, unconditional,
             express, unexceptional, unmixed, unalloyed:  That problem has
             occupied my entire attention all week.  2 intact, whole, sound,
             unbroken, undamaged, unimpaired, inviolate, without a scratch,
             unscathed, in one piece:  Twelve amphorae were recovered entire
             from the wreck.  3 continuous, full, whole, complete,
             uninterrupted:  She has lasted an entire year in her new job.

   entirely  adv.  1 completely, wholly, altogether, fully, totally, utterly,
             unreservedly, unqualifiedly, unexceptionally, in every respect,
             in all respects, thoroughly, to a T, in toto, exhaustively, all
             out, from head to toe or foot, (right) down to the ground, from
             A to Z, lock, stock and barrel, root and branch, without
             exception or reservation:  She was entirely satisfied. I agree
             with that entirely.  2 solely, exclusively, only, unambiguously,
             unequivocally; positively, definitely, clearly:  It was entirely
             my fault.

   entirety  n.  1 completeness, unity, totality, wholeness, fullness,
             integrity, perfection:  Any chance of completing his mission in
             its entirety had vanished.  2 whole, sum total, everything, all:
             The entirety of the bequest amounted to a million francs.

   entitle   v.  1 allow, permit, qualify, make eligible, authorize, fit;
             enfranchise, license, empower:  This document entitles her to
             half of the estate.  2 name, title, call, label, nickname, dub,
             designate, term; christen, baptize:  His first novel was
             entitled Out of the Depths .

   entity    n.  1 thing, object, being, existence, quantity, article,
             individual, organism:  The emergence of the youth movement as a
             separate entity posed problems for the party leadership. 2
             essence, real nature, quiddity, quintessence, Metaphysics ens:
             Every living creature has a distinct entity.

   entrance° n.  1 (right of) entry, access, admission, admittance, entr‚e,
             introduction:  You need security clearance to gain entrance.  2
             entry, entry-way, access, door, gate, passage, way (in);
             ingress:  The entrance is locked after midnight.  3 arrival,
             appearance; coming, entry, coming or going in:  Her entrances
             were accompanied by cheers. He opposed our entrance into the
             war. 4 beginning, start, commencement:  Today marks his entrance
             into his new duties.

   entranceэ v.  enchant, enrapture, fascinate, bewitch, spellbind,
             transport, delight, charm, captivate, enthral, overpower,
             mesmerize, hypnotize:  He was entranced by her beauty.

   entrenched
             adj.  rooted, deep-rooted, embedded, fixed, (firmly) planted,
             established, set, deep-seated, unshakeable, ineradicable,
             ingrained:  We were unable to combat their entrenched opposition
             to the proposals.

   entrust   v.  intrust, trust, charge, assign, delegate, confide:  I
             entrusted her with my secret.

   entry     n.  1 access, entrance, entr‚e, admittance, admission:  The
             burglar gained entry through the skylight.  2 access, entrance,
             entry-way, door, inlet, passage, way in:  Both entries were
             blocked.  3 entrance, arrival, coming or going in:  His entry
             was met with jeers.  4 record, item, memorandum, note, account,
             listing; registration; Colloq memo:  There is no entry in his
             diary for the 15th of April.  5 competitor, contestant, player,
             entrant, participant, candidate; rival, adversary, opponent:
             Dennis was a late entry in the marathon.

   entwine   v.  intwine, interlace, braid, interweave, intertwine, weave,
             knit, plait, twist, coil, twine, splice; entangle, tangle:  Her
             hair was entwined with wild flowers.

   enumerate v.  1 list, name, itemize, specify, detail, spell out,
             catalogue, tick off, take stock of, cite, quote, recite,
             recount, relate, narrate , US check off:  I shall enumerate the
             reasons why you may not go.  2 count, calculate, compute,
             reckon, tally, add, number:  The researcher could enumerate only
             seven different species.

   enunciate v.  1 articulate, pronounce, utter, voice, say, speak, vocalize,
             express, deliver, present, Formal enounce:  Foreign names should
             be enunciated clearly.  2 state, proclaim, declare, promulgate,
             announce, broadcast, pronounce, propound:  The party platform
             was enunciated in last night's speech.

   envelop   v.  1 wrap, enclose, enfold, enwrap, cover, engulf, swathe,
             shroud, enshroud, swaddle:  The body was enveloped in a white
             robe.  2 shroud, enshroud, cover, conceal, hide, screen, shield,
             obscure, veil, cloak:  The motive for the murder was enveloped
             in a mass of misleading clues.

   enviable  adj.  desirable, wanted, desired, sought-after, covetable, in
             demand:  He is in an enviable financial position.

   envious   adj.  jealous, covetous, resentful, begrudging, green-eyed,
             green (with envy), desirous:  He is envious of his wife because
             she has a better job.

   environment
             n.  surroundings, environs, atmosphere, ecosystem, conditions,
             habitat, circumstances, medium, milieu; territory, locale,
             setting, mise en scЉne, situation:  Car exhaust fumes are
             ruining our environment.

   environmentalist
             n.  ecologist, conservationist, naturalist, preservationist,
             nature-lover, green or Green:  We have environmentalists to
             thank for clean-air laws.

   envisage  v.  1 visualize, contemplate, imagine, picture, conceive (of),
             fancy, think or dream or conjure up, Chiefly US envision:
             Envisage a city built entirely of glass.  2 foresee, see,
             predict, forecast, anticipate:  I envisage a time when all
             people will be free.

   envision  v.  envisage, visualize, imagine, conceive of, foresee,
             anticipate, predict, forecast, prophesy:  I envision great
             success for you.

   envoy     n.  delegate, legate, ambassador, diplomat, minister, (papal)
             nuncio, attach‚; representative, emissary, agent; Formal envoy
             extraordinary, minister plenipotentiary:  The government sent an
             envoy to discuss trade.

   envy      n.  1 jealousy, enviousness, resentment:  She was consumed with
             envy of anyone who had more money than she did. 2 covetousness,
             desire, longing:  Success excites my envy.

             --v.  3 covet, begrudge, resent:  He envies his brother and his
             new car.

5.12 epicure...
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   epicure   n.  gourmet, connoisseur, aesthete, epicurean, sybarite,
             hedonist, gastronome, bon viveur, bon vivant, Lucullus;
             gourmand:  An epicure, he refuses to eat any food not prepared
             by his own chef.

   epicurean adj.  1 sensual, sybaritic, luxurious, voluptuous, carnal,
             self-indulgent, pleasure-seeking, pleasure-oriented, hedonistic,
             gluttonous, intemperate, overindulgent, crapulent or crapulous,
             swinish, porcine, piggish, immoderate, orgiastic, libidinous,
             wild, unrestrained, unconfined, dissolute, dissipated,
             Bacchanalian, Saturnalian:  The king's epicurean lifestyle
             contrasted with that of his starving subjects. 2 Lucullan,
             gourmet:  That was truly an epicurean repast.

             --n.  3 epicure:  It was a meal that would have won the approval
             of the greatest epicureans.

   epidemic  adj.  1 widespread, universal, prevalent, prevailing, rampant,
             general, wide-ranging, pandemic:  The disease has reached
             epidemic proportions.

             --n.  2 plague, pestilence, scourge, rash, growth, upsurge,
             outbreak, spread:  An epidemic of anthrax has affected the
             cattle.

   epigram   n.  1 witticism, bon mot, quip, mot, turn of phrase, jeu
             d'esprit, Atticism; pun, double entendre, jeu de mots, play on
             words, equivoque; paronomasia:  His epigram characterizing
             Eskimos as 'God's frozen people' was widely quoted. 2 proverb,
             aphorism, maxim, saw, saying, adage, apophthegm or apothegm:
             'Nothing succeeds like success' is his favourite epigram.

   epigrammatic
             adj.  pithy, terse, laconic, concise, succinct, compendious,
             piquant, pungent, trenchant, sententious, witty, pointed,
             proverbial, aphoristic, apophthegmatic or apothegmatic, Colloq
             snappy, punchy:  Oscar Wilde is known for his epigrammatic
             sayings.

   episode   n.  1 event, incident, occurrence, happening, experience,
             adventure, affair, matter:  Please do not remind me of the
             episode with the chicken.  2 chapter, scene, instalment, part:
             Don't miss tonight's episode of your favourite soap opera.

   epitome   n.  1 essence, quintessence, embodiment, personification,
             archetype, exemplar, (typical) example, model, prototype:  My
             secretary is the epitome of laziness.  2 summary, abstract,
             condensation, synopsis, digest, compendium, abridgement,
             abbreviation, conspectus, r‚sum‚, contraction; outline, pr‚cis,
             syllabus:  The chairman wants an epitome of the report by
             lunch-time.

5.13 equable...
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   equable   adj.  1 even-tempered, easygoing, serene, calm, placid,
             composed, cool, imperturbable, collected, unruffled, tranquil,
             peaceful, level-headed, Colloq unflappable:  With his equable
             temperament, Edgar is the man for the job.  2 uniform,
             unvarying, unvaried, consistent, stable, steady, regular, even,
             unchanging, invariable, constant:  We moved to the Caribbean
             because of its equable climate.

   equal     adj.  1 identical, the same (as), interchangeable, one and the
             same, coequal, selfsame; like, alike, tantamount, similar (to),
             equivalent, commensurate:  This year's sales figures are equal
             to last year's.  2 uniform, regular, corresponding,
             correspondent, congruent, congruous, (evenly) balanced, (evenly)
             matched, matching; equivalent, even; commensurate, comparable,
             proportionate, (evenly) proportioned, harmonious, symmetrical;
             Colloq fifty-fifty, Brit level pegging, US even Steven:  Women
             are entitled to equal employment opportunities. The scores are
             equal. 3 equal to. up to, capable of, fit(ted) or suited or
             suitable for, adequate for, Archaic or literary sufficient unto:
             Are you sure that Renwick is equal to the responsibility?

             --n.  4 peer, colleague, fellow, brother, mate, counterpart,
             equivalent, alter ego, compeer:  Constance is certainly anyone's
             equal in intelligence.

             --v.  5 match, meet, even, correspond (to), square (with), tally
             (with), tie (with), parallel, come up to; rival:  He will never
             be able to equal the world record.

   equality  n.  1 parity, sameness, identity, coequality, uniformity:  The
             equality of the two bids was very suspicious.  2 similarity,
             likeness, resemblance, equivalence, correspondence, conformity,
             congruence, similitude, analogy, comparability, comparison,
             coincidence:  The equality between their performances is
             surprising.  3 impartiality, fairness, justice; egalitarianism:
             Surely we all deserve equality of treatment under the law.

   equalize  v.  regularize, even up, square, balance, equate, match,
             standardize, (make) equal:  Equalize the amounts of liquid in
             all the containers.

   equip     v.  furnish, provide, supply, stock, outfit, fit (out or up),
             rig (out or up), accoutre, array, attire, dress, deck (out),
             caparison, clothe, Chiefly Brit kit out or up:  We can equip you
             with any scuba gear you may require.

   equipment n.  gear, apparatus, furnishings, accoutrements, appurtenances,
             paraphernalia, kit, materiel or mat‚riel, tackle, outfit,
             trappings, tack, equipage, Colloq Brit clobber:  They spent a
             fortune on mountain-climbing equipment.

   equitable adj.  fair, even-handed, just, impartial, objective, unbiased,
             unprejudiced, square, fair-minded, open-minded, disinterested,
             dispassionate, neutral, tolerant, unbigoted, reasonable,
             judicious, ethical, principled, moral, proper, right-minded,
             Colloq fair and square:  Suspects have the right to equitable
             treatment.

   equity    n.  fairness, impartiality, even-handedness, justice, fair play,
             objectivity, disinterest, fair-mindedness, equitableness,
             open-mindedness, disinterestedness, neutrality, tolerance,
             judiciousness, right-mindedness, high-mindedness:  This court
             recognizes the equity of your claim.

   equivalent
             adj.  1 tantamount, commensurate, alike, similar, close,
             comparable, corresponding, interchangeable, equal, synonymous,
             of a piece or a kind:  He didn't really believe that women's
             rights should be equivalent to men's.

             --n.  2 match, equal, peer, counterpart, twin:  The garage could
             not supply the same part but they offered an equivalent.

   equivocal adj.  1 evasive, misleading, roundabout, hedging, suspicious,
             duplicitous, questionable, oblique, circumlocutory, ambagious,
             ambivalent, amphibolic or amphibolous, Colloq waffling,
             wishy-washy:  When asked about the guarantee, they gave an
             equivocal answer.  2 ambiguous, vague, hazy, indefinite,
             unclear, indistinct, enigmatic(al), puzzling, perplexing,
             indeterminate, uncertain, Colloq waffling:  Just say Yes or No -
             none of your equivocal responses.

   equivocate
             v.  evade, mislead, hedge, deceive, quibble, dodge, weasel out
             (of), double-talk, fence, sidestep, skirt, avoid, tergiversate,
             prevaricate, Colloq waffle, beat about the bush, pussyfoot:  I
             wish she'd confirm or deny it and stop equivocating.

5.14 era...
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   era       n.  age, period, time(s), day(s), epoch, stage; generation,
             cycle, date:  They lived in an era of peace.

   erase     v.  1 expunge, rub or scratch or blot or wipe out, delete,
             cancel, efface, scratch, cross or strike out or off, obliterate:
             The scribe erased one line and substituted another.  2 abolish,
             destroy, obliterate, remove, eliminate, (get) rid of, eradicate,
             efface:  We erased every trace of evidence that we had been
             there.

   erect     adj.  1 upright, standing, upstanding, straight, vertical,
             perpendicular, plumb:  There was a slight stoop now in what had
             previously been a notably erect body.

             --v.  2 build, construct, put up, raise; pitch:  I could swear
             that they erected that building overnight!  3 establish, found,
             set up, form, institute, organize, create:  Their religion was
             erected on the principles of utilitarianism.

   erode     v.  wear (down or away), eat away, grind down, abrade, gnaw away
             (at), consume, corrode, wash away; deteriorate, destroy,
             deplete, reduce, diminish:  Water has eroded the rock. Their
             continued lying has eroded my confidence in their honesty.

   erosion   n.  wear (and tear), wearing (down or away), wasting away,
             washing or grinding or rubbing away, corroding, corrosion,
             abrading, abrasion, eating or gnawing away, chafing, fraying,
             weathering, attrition:  Erosion by rainwater has washed away the
             topsoil.

   erotic    adj.  1 sensual, stimulating, suggestive, titillating, risqu‚,
             bawdy, ribald, seductive, voluptuous, lustful, Colloq sexy:
             Some insist that there is a difference between pornographic and
             erotic literature. 2 amatory, venereal, amorous, anacreontic:
             Many classical poets wrote erotic verse.  3 erogenous, naughty,
             carnal, arousing, rousing, aphrodisiac, libidinous, lubricious
             or lubricous, prurient, lascivious, lewd, concupiscent,
             salacious, obscene, pornographic, dirty, filthy, nasty, Colloq
             blue:  He has a collection of photos that he calls erotic art.

   err       v.  1 be wrong, be in error, be mistaken, be inaccurate, be
             incorrect, be in the wrong, go wrong, go astray, make a mistake,
             miscalculate, (make a) blunder, bungle, botch, fumble, muff,
             make a mess of, make a faux pas, mess up , US bobble; Colloq
             goof (up), slip (up), drop a clanger, foul up, Brit drop a
             brick, blot one's copybook, Slang screw up, Brit boob, Taboo
             slang fuck up:  The referee erred in ruling that the ball was
             out.  2 misbehave, sin, transgress, trespass, lapse, fall, do
             wrong:  She has erred many times in her long life.

   errand    n.  1 trip, journey:  She was on an errand of mercy.  2 mission,
             charge, assignment, commission, task, duty:  Francis is out
             running some errands for me.

   erratic   adj.  1 irregular, unpredictable, inconsistent, unreliable,
             capricious, changeable, variable; wayward, unstable, aberrant,
             flighty:  The buses run on an erratic schedule.  2 peculiar,
             abnormal, wayward, odd, eccentric, outlandish, strange, unusual,
             unorthodox, extraordinary, queer, quaint, bizarre, weird,
             unconventional:  He thinks that his erratic behaviour marks him
             as an individualist.  3 wandering, meandering, directionless,
             planetary, aimless, haphazard, discursive, errant, divagatory:
             Their course was erratic, following the loss of their compass.

   erroneous adj.  wrong, mistaken, incorrect, inaccurate, inexact,
             imprecise, amiss, awry, false, faulty, misleading, flawed,
             botched, bungled, unsound, invalid, untrue, fallacious,
             spurious, counterfeit, Colloq off the mark, off course, Brit off
             beam, US off the beam:  He gives the erroneous impression of
             being intelligent. 'Seperate' is an erroneous spelling of
             'separate'.

   error     n.  1 mistake, inaccuracy, fault, flaw, blunder, slip, gaffe;
             misprint, typographical error, erratum, solecism; Brit literal,
             Colloq slip-up, goof, clanger, fluff, boo-boo, howler, Brit
             bloomer, Slang foul-up, boner, Brit boob:  I cannot accept a
             report so full of errors.  2 sin, transgression, trespass,
             offence, indiscretion, wrongdoing, misconduct, iniquity, evil,
             wickedness, flagitiousness:  He seems to have seen the error of
             his ways.  3 in error.  a wrong, mistaken, incorrect, at fault:
             She was in error about the date of the conference.  b
             mistakenly, incorrectly, by mistake, erroneously:  I caught the
             earlier train in error.

   erupt     v.  1 eject, discharge, expel, emit, burst forth or out, blow
             up, explode, spew forth or out, break out, spout, vomit (up or
             forth), throw up or off, spit out or up, belch (forth), gush:
             The volcano erupted ash and lava.  2 appear, come out, break
             out:  A boil erupted on his chin.

   eruption  n.  1 outbreak, outburst, discharge, expulsion, emission,
             bursting forth, explosion, spouting, vomiting (up or forth),
             belching forth:  The eruption of Vesuvius killed thousands in
             Pompeii.  2 outbreak, rash:  The doctor said the eruption would
             disappear in a day.

5.15 escape...
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   escape    v.  1 get away, break out or free, bolt, flee, fly, run away or
             off, elope, decamp, abscond, steal or slip off or away, take to
             one's heels, take French leave, disappear, vanish, Brit levant,
             Colloq take off, clear out, cut and run, duck out, make oneself
             scarce, do a disappearing act, Brit do a moonlight flit, US
             vamoose, hightail it, skedaddle, US and Canadian skip (town),
             fly the coop, cut out; Slang vamoose, Brit do a bunk, bugger
             off, mizzle off, US and Canadian scram, blow, lam out, take it
             on the lam, take a (run-out) powder, Chiefly Australian shoot
             through:  They escaped when I wasn't looking.  2 evade, elude,
             avoid, dodge:  They escaped detection for years by hiding in a
             deserted monastery.  3 drain, leak, issue, seep, discharge,
             emanate:  Steam was escaping through a hole.  4 elude, evade,
             baffle, stump, mystify, puzzle, be forgotten by, be beyond
             (someone):  How the thing started escapes me for the moment.

             --n.  5 flight, getaway, departure, decampment, bolt, jailbreak,
             prison-break, Colloq break, break-out:  The escape was planned
             for midnight.  6 distraction, relief, diversion, recreation:  He
             watches westerns as an escape.  7 leakage, leaking, seepage,
             seeping, drainage, draining, leak, discharge, outpouring,
             outflow, effluence, efflux, effluxion:  An escape of radioactive
             waste from the nuclear power station had been reported earlier.

   escort    n.  1 guard, convoy, bodyguard, protection, guardian, protector,
             chaperon, cortege or cortЉge, retinue, entourage, safe conduct,
             usher, companion:  The king rode in with his armed escort.  2
             guide, attendant, conductor, leader, cicerone:  The curator
             acted as our escort through the museum.  3 companion; date,
             boyfriend, beau:  Donald is Thea's escort to the ball.

             --v.  4 accompany, shepherd, squire, usher, conduct, guide,
             attend:  Would you please escort Denise in to dinner?  5 guard,
             convoy, protect, watch over:  The oil tankers were escorted by
             destroyers.

   especially
             adv.  1 particularly, specially, specifically, exceptionally,
             conspicuously, singularly, remarkably, extraordinarily,
             unusually, uncommonly, peculiarly, outstandingly, uniquely,
             notably, strikingly, noticeably, markedly, signally:  She was
             especially good at mathematics.  2 chiefly, mainly,
             predominantly, primarily, principally, first, firstly, first of
             all, above all:  He is especially interested in music.

   essay     n.  1 article, composition, paper, theme, piece; thesis,
             dissertation, disquisition, tract:  Her essay is on the life
             cycle of the flea.  2 attempt, effort, try, endeavour, venture;
             Colloq shot, go:  This is his first essay into the financial
             world.

             --v.  3 try, attempt, endeavour, strive, make an effort,
             undertake, venture, tackle, test, go about, Colloq take a crack
             or whack or stab at, Slang have a go at, give (it or something)
             a shot, have a go or bash (at):  Let him essay to do better.

   essence   n.  1 quintessence, quiddity, (essential) nature, substance,
             spirit, being, heart, core, pith, kernel, marrow, soul,
             significance, (active) principle, crux, cornerstone,
             foundation-stone, Colloq bottom line:  The essence of her
             argument is that animals have the same rights as people. 2
             extract, concentrate, distillate, elixir, tincture:  The room
             smelled faintly of essence of roses.  3 in essence. essentially,
             basically, fundamentally, materially, substantially, at bottom,
             in the final analysis, au fond; in effect, virtually:  In
             essence, there is little to choose between Trotskyism and
             Stalinism.  4 of the essence. essential, critical, crucial,
             vital, indispensable, requisite, important:  In this job, time
             is of the essence.

   essential adj.  1 indispensable, necessary, requisite, required,
             important, imperative, vital, material, quintessential:  A
             strong defence is essential to peace.  2 fundamental, basic,
             intrinsic, elemental, elementary, principal, primary, key, main,
             leading, chief:  Yeast or baking powder is an essential
             ingredient of bread.

   establish v.  1 found, create, institute, set up, start, begin,
             inaugurate, organize, form, constitute; decree, enact, ordain,
             introduce:  The company was established in 1796. A new law was
             established to protect consumers. 2 secure, settle, fix,
             entrench, install or instal, seat, ensconce; lodge, locate;
             station:  Hitler became established as dictator in 1933. Are you
             established in your new house? 3 prove, confirm, certify,
             verify, affirm, determine, authenticate, demonstrate, show,
             substantiate, corroborate, validate, support, back (up):  It
             will be difficult to establish exactly how the crime was
             committed.

   establishment
             n.  1 foundation, founding, formation, organization,
             construction, creation, origin, origination, institution,
             inauguration, setting up:  We look forward to the establishment
             of a democratic government.  2 business, concern, firm, company,
             enterprise, institution, organization; office; shop, store,
             market:  He works for a retail establishment.  3 the
             Establishment. the system, the government, the authorities, the
             administration, the power structure, the ruling class, the
             (established) order, the conservatives,the powers that be; the
             Church:  The press must not be under the control of the
             Establishment.

   estate    n.  1 property, holdings, domain, demesne, land, landed estate,
             manor, mansion:  They live on a large estate in the south of
             France.  2 property, holdings, assets, capital, resources,
             wealth, fortune; belongings, possessions, chattels:  The estate
             was divided among the heirs.  3 estate of the realm, class,
             caste, order, standing, position, (social) status, state,
             station, place, situation, stratum, level, rank:  By virtue of
             her high estate, she is entitled to certain privileges.  4
             development, Brit (housing or industrial or trading) estate:
             They live in a council house on an estate near Reading.

   esteem    v.  1 respect, value, treasure, prize, cherish, hold dear,
             appreciate, admire, look up to, regard highly, venerate, revere,
             reverence, honour, defer to; like, love, adore:  The novels of
             Virginia Woolf were greatly esteemed by a small intellectual
             group. 2 consider, judge, deem, view, regard, hold, estimate,
             account, believe, think, rate, rank, reckon, evaluate:  The Duke
             was esteemed throughout Europe as 'the perfect knight'.

             --n.  3 estimation, (high) regard, respect, (high) opinion,
             favour, admiration, appreciation, approval, approbation:  He
             holds her talents in very high esteem. My esteem for your
             father's accomplishments is undiminished.

   estimable adj.  esteemed, respectable, respected, admirable, admired,
             valuable, valued, creditable, worthy, meritorious, reputable,
             honoured, honourable, laudable, praiseworthy, commendable,
             excellent, good:  I want you to meet my estimable friend,
             Esterhazy.

   estimate  v.  1 approximate, gauge, determine, judge, guess; assess,
             appraise, value, evaluate, reckon, calculate, work out, Colloq
             guestimate or guesstimate:  Experts estimated the cost of
             restoration at њ10,000.  2 consider, think, believe, guess,
             conjecture, judge:  I estimate our chances of success as very
             low.

             --n.  3 approximation, gauge, guess, conjecture, assessment,
             appraisal, evaluation, reckoning, calculation, Colloq guestimate
             or guesstimate:  What is your estimate of the company's value?
             4 estimation, belief, opinion, judgement, thinking, feeling,
             sentiment, sense, (point of) view, viewpoint:  My estimate of
             his abilities is that he is not the man for the job.

   estimation
             n.  1 opinion, judgement, view, (way of) thinking, mind:  In my
             estimation, the scheme will fail.  2 esteem, regard, respect,
             admiration:  Her estimation of his talent is unflagging.  3
             estimate, approximation, guess, gauge:  You must make an
             estimation of the value for insurance purposes.

   estranged adj.  alienated, divided, separated, withdrawn, disaffected,
             driven apart, dissociated, disassociated:  Iain Carstairs has
             had a lot of trouble with his estranged wife.

5.16 etch...
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   etch      v.  1 engrave, incise, carve, inscribe, grave, cut, score,
             scratch, corrode, eat into:  After the design has been painted
             on, acid is used to etch the metal plate. 2 impress, imprint,
             engrave, ingrain:  The scene will be etched into my memory
             forever.

   eternal   adj.  1 everlasting, timeless, infinite, endless, immortal,
             limitless:  They pledged eternal love for one another.  2
             unending, endless, ceaseless, unceasing, incessant, perpetual,
             constant, continuous, interminable, uninterrupted, non-stop,
             unremitting, persistent, relentless; continual, recurrent:  I'm
             sick and tired of my neighbours' eternal arguing.  3 unchanged,
             unchanging, immutable, invariable, unvarying, unalterable,
             permanent, fixed, constant, everlasting, enduring, lasting,
             undiminished, unfaltering, unwavering:  To the north there was
             only the eternal silence of the greatest desolation.

   eternity  n.  endlessness, everlastingness, unendingness, boundlessness,
             perpetuity, timelessness, infinity:  Many religions believe in
             the eternity of the soul.

   ethical   adj.  moral, upright, righteous, right, just, principled,
             correct, honest, proper, open, decent, fair, good, virtuous,
             straightforward, high-minded, noble:  It wasn't ethical of him
             to disclose details of the report.

   etiquette n.  code (of behaviour), form, convention, ceremony,
             formalities, protocol, rules, custom(s), decorum, propriety,
             politesse, politeness, courtesy, (good) manners, civility,
             seemliness:  Etiquette requires that you address me as 'Sir'.

5.17 eulogize...
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   eulogize  v.  praise, extol, laud, applaud, compliment, sound or sing the
             praises of, acclaim; appreciate, honour; flatter:  Kirk was
             eulogized for his contribution to space travel.

   eulogy    n.  praise, commendation, acclaim, acclamation, tribute,
             compliment, applause, homage, plaudits, encomium, accolade,
             paean, panegyric:  The eulogy listed Wotton's many achievements.

   euphemism n.  amelioration, mollification, mitigation, cushioning,
             Technical paradiastole:  Euphemism is saying 'not too good' when
             you mean 'bad' or 'awful'.

5.18 evacuate...
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   evacuate  v.  1 empty, clear (out), exhaust, drain, deplete, purge, get
             rid of, void, discharge, vent; divest, deprive:  In cases of
             poisoning, they first evacuate the stomach.  2 vacate, desert,
             leave, depart (from), withdraw or retire (from), go away (from),
             quit, relinquish, abandon, decamp (from), move or pull out (of
             or from):  When the enemy approached, the troops evacuated the
             area.  3 relocate, move:  Thousands were evacuated to a safe
             distance when the bomb was discovered.

   evade     v.  1 avoid, elude, dodge, sidestep, escape (from); get away
             (from), get out of, duck, circumvent, shirk, Colloq chiefly US
             and Canadian weasel out (of):  The prisoner evaded capture.
             Don't evade your responsibilities.  2 quibble, equivocate,
             tergiversate, manoeuvre, hedge, shuffle, fudge, fence, parry,
             Colloq waffle, Slang cop out:  The witness continued to evade
             the barrister's questions.

   evaluate  v.  1 value, appraise, assess:  You must be an expert to
             evaluate netsuke.  2 judge, rank, rate, gauge, estimate,
             approximate, calculate, reckon, compute, figure, quantify,
             determine, ascertain:  How can they evaluate your importance to
             the project?

   evaluation
             n.  1 appraisal, valuation, assessment:  The insurance company
             refused to accept a higher evaluation on my house. 2 estimate,
             estimation, approximation, rating, opinion, ranking, judgement,
             reckoning, figuring, calculation, computation, determination:
             The committee meets annually to discuss the evaluation of each
             employee's contribution.

   evaporate v.  1 vaporize; boil off or out; dehydrate, desiccate:  Much of
             the surplus liquid will evaporate during cooking.  2 disappear,
             disperse, dissipate, vanish, evanesce, evanish, dispel; fade
             (away), melt away, dissolve:  Opposition to his appointment
             seems to have evaporated.

   evaporation
             n.  1 vaporization, drying (up or out), dehydration,
             desiccation, exsiccation, parching, searing:  Clouds are formed
             by the evaporation of terrestrial water.  2 disappearance,
             dispersion, dispelling, dissipation, evanescence,
             dematerialization, dissolution, fading (away), melting (away):
             He was pleased to note the evaporation of all serious
             opposition.

   evasion   n.  1 escape, avoidance, shirking, dodging:  They disapproved of
             his evasion of his civic duties.  2 subterfuge, deception,
             deceit, chicane or chicanery, artifice, cunning, trickery,
             sophistry, excuse, dodging, prevarication, lying, fudging,
             evasiveness, quibbling, equivocation, double-talk:  All the
             interviewers' questions were met with evasion.

   evasive   adj.  devious, indirect, equivocating, equivocal, misleading,
             oblique, ambiguous, sophistical, casuistic, shifty, dissembling,
             cunning, tricky, deceitful, Colloq cagey, Jesuitical:  When
             asked if he had visited her, he gave an evasive reply. She too
             was evasive about how she had spent the evening.

   eve       n.  1 evening or day or night before, time or period before;
             vigil:  It was Christmas Eve, and we went out carolling.  2
             verge, threshold, brink:  We met on the eve of my departure for
             Hungary.

   even      adj.  1 smooth, flat, plane, level, regular, uniform, flush,
             straight, true:  Sand the edges till they are even.  2
             Sometimes, even with. level or uniform (with), coextensive
             (with), flush (with), parallel (with or to):  Make sure that the
             lines at the bottom of the columns are even.  Is that board even
             with the others? 3 steady, regular, consistent, constant,
             uniform, unvaried, unvarying, methodical, unchanging, set,
             equable, stable, measured, metrical, rhythmical, orderly,
             ordered, monotonous, unbroken, uninterrupted:  We walked along
             at an even pace.  4 even-tempered, calm, equable, composed,
             placid, serene, peaceful, cool, tranquil, unruffled,
             imperturbable, undisturbed, impassive, steady, temperate,
             equanimous, self-possessed, sober, staid, sedate, sober-sided:
             People of even disposition are unexcited, unexcitable, and
             unexciting.  5 balanced, equal, the same, identical, coequal,
             level, drawn, on a par, tied, neck and neck; equivalent, Colloq
             fifty-fifty, Brit level pegging, US even Steven:  At half-time
             the scores were even. I have an even chance of getting the job.
             6 square, quits, equal:  If I pay for this round, we'll be even.
             7 fair (and square), square, impartial, disinterested, neutral,
             just, even-handed, equitable, straightforward, on the level,
             honest, upright, unbiased, unprejudiced:  See that you make an
             even distribution of the food parcels.  8 exact, precise, round,
             rounded off or out or up or down:  The bill came to an even
             fifty pounds.  9 get even (with). repay, revenge oneself (on),
             even or settle accounts or the score (with), requite,
             reciprocate, retaliate, be revenged:  I'll get even with her for
             telling my mother. Whenever he feels that he's been insulted, he
             wants to get even.

             --adv.  10 still, yet; all the (more), indeed, (more) than ever:
             He is even dumber than I thought. He is in debt to everyone,
             even his daughter. 11 Sometimes, even with or though.
             notwithstanding, despite, in spite of, disregarding:  Even with
             delays, we arrived on time.  12 even so. nevertheless,
             nonetheless, still, yet, notwithstanding, all the same, in spite
             of that, despite that:  He refused to attend; even so, we sent
             him an invitation.

             --v.  13 Usually, even up or out. smooth, flatten, level,
             equalize; align:  This road will be fine when they even out the
             bumps.  14 even out or up. equalize, balance (out), settle;
             compensate:  Unfortunately, our profits and our expenses evened
             out.

   evening   n.  nightfall, eventide, dusk, sunset, sundown, p.m., Literary
             gloaming:  The Klincks will join us for dinner this evening.

   event     n.  1 occurrence, happening, incident, episode, occasion,
             circumstance, affair, experience:  An event then took place that
             changed the course of his life.  2 issue, outcome, consequence,
             result, conclusion, upshot, end, effect:  There is no merit in
             preparing for a disaster after the event.  3 at all events or in
             any event. come what may, in any case, at any rate, regardless,
             anyhow, anyway:  At all events, we were ready and waiting when
             the raid started.  4 in the event. in the reality or actuality,
             as it or things turned out, at the time, when it happened:  In
             the event, we left as soon as we could.

   eventful  adj.  busy, full, active, lively, exciting, interesting;
             important, significant, signal, consequential, notable,
             noteworthy, momentous, memorable:  What with your wedding and
             the birth of your son, it certainly has been an eventful week.

   eventual  adj.  1 ultimate, final, last, concluding, resulting:  The
             eventual cost is impossible to forecast.  2 due, expected,
             anticipated, inevitable, likely, consequent, resulting,
             resultant, foreordained, preordained, unavoidable, destined,
             predestined, unavoidable, ineluctable, probable:  As they cannot
             afford the mortgage payments, they are faced with the eventual
             loss of their home.

   eventuality
             n.  circumstance, contingency, event, occurrence, happening,
             case; likelihood, chance, possibility, probability:  We must
             prepare for the eventuality of war.

   eventually
             adv.  ultimately, finally, at last, in the end or long run, at
             the end of the day, sooner or later, when all is said and done,
             in the final analysis, in due course, in (the course of) time,
             after all:  We must all die eventually.

   ever      adv.  1 at all, (at) any time, at any point or period, on any
             occasion, in any case, by any chance:  Do you ever visit London?
             2 always, for ever, yet, still, even, at all times, in all
             cases, eternally, perpetually, endlessly, everlastingly,
             constantly, continuously, continually, for ever and a day, till
             the end of time, till the cows come home, till doomsday; all the
             time:  He is ever the one to make us laugh. Literacy is becoming
             ever more important.

   everlasting
             adj.  eternal, deathless, undying, immortal, infinite, timeless;
             never-ending, perpetual, constant, continual, continuous,
             permanent, unceasing, incessant, interminable, endless:  They
             believed in everlasting punishment after death. I wish that dog
             would stop its everlasting barking.

   everyday  adj.  1 daily, day-to-day, quotidian, diurnal; circadian:  In
             our family a big breakfast was an everyday occurrence.  2
             commonplace, common, ordinary, customary, regular, habitual,
             routine, usual, run-of-the-mill, unexceptional, accustomed,
             conventional, familiar:  She found herself unable to cope with
             everyday tasks that she used to take in her stride. 3 prosaic,
             mundane, dull, unimaginative, unexciting, mediocre, inferior:
             These are very everyday paintings of little value.

   everyone  pron.  everybody, all (and sundry), one and all, each and every
             one or person, the whole world, everybody under the sun, every
             Tom, Dick, and Harry:  Everyone will want to come to my party.

   everything
             pron.  all, all things, the aggregate, the (whole or entire)
             lot, the total, the entirety, Colloq the whole kit and caboodle,
             the whole shooting match, Chiefly US and Canadian the whole
             shebang:  Everything was destroyed in the earthquake.

   everywhere
             adv.  in all places, in or to each or every place or part, in
             every nook and cranny, high and low, far and wide, near and far;
             ubiquitously, universally, globally; throughout:  She went
             everywhere searching for clues. The smell of jasmine was
             everywhere. Errors occur everywhere in his writings.

   evict     v.  oust, dislodge, turn out (of house and home), expel, eject,
             remove, dispossess, put out, Law disseise or disseize, Colloq
             toss or throw or kick or boot out, Brit turf out:  The landlord
             evicted us for non-payment of rent.

   eviction  n.  ouster, dispossession, dislodgement, expulsion, ejection,
             removal, Law disseisin or disseizin, Colloq the boot:  His
             eviction from the club was for refusing to wear a tie.

   evidence  n.  1 proof, ground(s), fact(s), data, basis, support,
             verification, attestation, affirmation, confirmation,
             validation, corroboration, substantiation, documentation,
             certification:  Have we enough evidence to convict the suspects?
             2 testimony, statement, deposition, affidavit, averment,
             assertion:  The prosecution will present its evidence tomorrow.
             3 indication, sign, mark, token, manifestation, demonstration,
             hint, suggestion, clue, trace, smoking gun:  There is evidence
             that there are mice in the house.

             --v.  4 demonstrate, show, display, manifest, signify, exhibit,
             reveal, denote, attest, prove, evince, testify, (bear) witness:
             The destruction of the forests is evidenced by the open plains.

   evident   adj.  clear, obvious, plain, apparent, manifest, patent,
             palpable, conspicuous, clear-cut, express, unmistakable,
             incontrovertible, understandable, comprehensible, recognizable,
             perceptible, perceivable, discernible, noticeable:  It was
             evident that someone had been tampering with the mechanism.

   evidently adv.  1 clearly, obviously, plainly, manifestly, palpably,
             apparently, patently, indubitably, undoubtedly, doubtless(ly),
             without a doubt, indisputably, incontestably, incontrovertibly,
             undeniably, unquestionably, surely, certainly, to be sure:  He
             is evidently the culprit.  2 apparently, outwardly, seemingly,
             it would seem, so it seems, as far as one can see or tell, to
             all appearances, ostensibly:  Evidently, there were two people
             here, not just one.

   evil      adj.  1 bad, awful, wrong, immoral, wicked, sinful, nefarious,
             iniquitous, base, corrupt, vile, accursed, damnable, villainous,
             heinous, infamous, flagitious, foul, nasty, abominable,
             atrocious, horrible, horrid, ghastly, grisly, dreadful,
             depraved, vicious, malevolent, maleficent, malefic,
             black-hearted, evil-minded:  He was an evil tyrant who killed
             anyone who opposed him.  2 treacherous, traitorous, perfidious,
             insidious, unscrupulous, unprincipled, dishonest, dishonourable,
             crooked, criminal, felonious, knavish, sinister, underhand(ed),
             dirty, corrupt:  He thought up an evil plan for getting rid of
             his wife.  3 harmful, destructive, hurtful, injurious,
             mischievous, detrimental, ruinous, deleterious, disastrous,
             catastrophic, pernicious, noxious, malignant, malign, virulent,
             toxic, poisonous, deadly, lethal:  Evil policies were
             promulgated against minority groups, and racist attacks
             abounded. 4 unfortunate, unlucky, ominous, inauspicious, dire,
             unpropitious, calamitous, infelicitous, woeful:  Their business
             had fallen on evil times.  5 bad, offensive, disgusting,
             repulsive, awful, nasty, mephitic, noxious, foul, pestilential,
             putrid, vile; disagreeable, unpleasant:  An evil odour permeated
             the crypt.

             --n.  6 badness, sin, vice, wickedness, iniquity, turpitude,
             immorality, profligacy, depravity, degeneracy, corruption,
             degradation, devilry or deviltry, villainy, nefariousness,
             viciousness, vileness, heinousness, flagitiousness, baseness,
             foulness:  The evil that men do lives after them, the good is
             oft interred with their bones. 7 harm, hurt, injury, mischief,
             damage, ruin, calamity, misfortune, catastrophe, destruction,
             disaster, cataclysm; ill, misery, suffering, pain, sorrow, woe,
             agony, anguish:  Evil befell the residents of Pompeii.

   evil-minded
             adj.  1 dirty(-minded), smutty, obscene, depraved, lewd,
             lascivious, lecherous, salacious, licentious, filthy, nasty;
             foul-mouthed:  Those anonymous phone calls were made by some
             evil-minded degenerate.  2 wicked, sinful, flagitious, vicious,
             hateful, malicious, spiteful, malevolent, evil, bad:  The
             evil-minded old witch grabbed Hansel and Gretel.

   evoke     v.  summon (up), call up or forth, elicit, conjure up, invoke,
             recall, reawake(n), (a)wake, wake(n), (a)rouse, raise:  Seeing
             her again evoked fond memories.

   evolution n.  development, advance, growth, progress, progression,
             phylogeny, evolvement, developing, growing, evolving, formation,
             maturation, production:  This book traces the evolution of the
             aeroplane. His treatise is on the evolution of insects.

5.19 exact...
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   exact     adj.  1 precise, accurate, correct, faithful, true, faultless,
             identical, literal, perfect, consummate:  This is an exact copy
             of the original. Were those her exact words?  2 careful,
             meticulous, strict, rigorous, accurate, exacting, severe,
             fastidious, scrupulous, thorough, painstaking, rigid,
             punctilious:  He has conducted the most exact experiments.

             --v.  3 demand, extort, require, enforce, insist on or upon,
             extract, impose, wrest, compel, enjoin, call for, requisition,
             claim:  The chief exacted tribute before releasing the
             prisoners.

   exacting  adj.  demanding, rigorous, difficult, rigid, stern, hard, tough,
             severe, harsh, burdensome, taxing, stringent, imperative,
             unsparing, oppressive, tyrannical:  I know of no more exacting
             job than that of air traffic controller.

   exactly   adv.  1 accurately, precisely, strictly, perfectly, correctly,
             unerringly, faultlessly, faithfully, scrupulously, literally, to
             the letter, word for word, verbatim, closely; methodically,
             systematically:  She translated the passage exactly, with no
             errors.  2 definitely, absolutely, positively, undeniably,
             surely, certainly, unequivocally, completely, in every respect,
             in all respects, particularly, specifically, explicitly, just,
             quite, expressly, precisely, accurately, truly, Colloq Brit bang
             on:  This is exactly the kind of house we want.

   exaggerate
             v.  overstate, magnify, inflate, overdraw, embroider, embellish,
             elaborate, enlarge, stretch, romance, overemphasize, overstress,
             overplay, overdo, exalt, hyperbolize, paint, Colloq lay it on
             thick, play up, pile it on:  She exaggerates when she claims to
             be the best actress in the world. He believes the health risks
             are exaggerated.

   exaggeration
             n.  overstatement, magnification, inflation, embroidery,
             embellishment, elaboration, enlargement, stretch,
             romanticization, extravagance, overemphasis, excess, exaltation,
             enhancement, hyperbole; empty talk, bombast, bragging, boasting,
             boastfulness, magniloquence, Literary gasconade, rodomontade,
             Colloq fish story, puffery, Slang bull(shit), hot air:  It was a
             press agent's exaggeration to call the movie a 'colossal epic'.

   exalt     v.  1 elevate, raise or lift (up or on high), upraise, uplift,
             upgrade, boost, promote, advance:  The goalkeeper was exalted to
             heroic status by the fans.  2 praise, honour, extol, glorify,
             idolize, dignify, ennoble, revere, reverence, venerate, pay
             homage or tribute to, celebrate; lionize:  O magnify the Lord
             with me, and let us exalt His name together.  3 stimulate,
             excite, animate, (a)rouse, fire, inspire, electrify, awaken,
             spur, stir (up), inspirit:  Certain drugs have the effect of
             exalting the imagination.

   exalted   adj.  1 elevated, lofty, high, eminent, notable, noted,
             prominent, famous, famed, celebrated, distinguished, dignified,
             honoured, prestigious, glorified, sublime, grand:  During his
             later life he enjoyed an exalted reputation.  2 elevated, noble,
             lofty, superior, uplifting, heightened, high-flown; exaggerated,
             pretentious, overblown, inflated:  His writing is euphuistic,
             that is, flowery or exalted. She has an exalted notion of her
             importance. 3 elated, excited, exultant, ecstatic, jubilant,
             overjoyed, joyful, rapturous, transported, blissful, happy,
             joyous, in seventh heaven, uplifted, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit
             over the moon:  They were in too exalted a mood to be interested
             in such mundane matters.

   examination
             n.  1 investigation, scrutiny, study, analysis, inspection,
             inquiry or enquiry, probe, search, exploration, research,
             survey, going-over, check-up, check(out), appraisal, assessment:
             Examination of the finances revealed a secret Swiss bank
             account.  2 testing, test, quiz, exam:  There will be a written
             examination on Friday.  3 interrogation, inquisition, inquiry or
             enquiry, catechism, cross-examination, Colloq third degree,
             grill(ing):  Examination of the prisoners is left to
             intelligence officers.

   examine   v.  1 investigate, scrutinize, study, peruse, scan, pore over,
             analyse, sift, inspect, inquire or enquire into, go over or
             through or into, look over or into, probe, search, explore,
             research, survey, check up on, check (out), appraise, assess,
             weigh, Brit vet, Slang case:  The theory will be examined
             thoroughly.  2 test; interrogate, quiz, catechize,
             cross-examine, question, sound out, Colloq grill, pump:  The
             director closely examined all applicants for the position.

   example   n.  1 instance, case, sample, specimen, illustration:  If this
             is an example of your work, I'm afraid we aren't interested.  2
             model, prototype, standard, archetype, exemplar, pattern,
             benchmark, norm, criterion:  You should set an example to the
             children.  3 warning, admonition, lesson:  The judge made an
             example of him by giving him the maximum sentence.  4 for
             example. for instance, as a case in point, as an illustration or
             example, by way of illustration, to illustrate, e.g.  or eg,
             exempli gratia:  Consider, for example, the following poem by
             Wordsworth.

   exasperate
             v.  1 anger, infuriate, enrage, incense, madden, rile, drive
             mad; embitter; inflame; Colloq drive crazy, drive up the wall:
             Dealing with a bureaucracy can be exasperating for anyone.  2
             irritate, irk, annoy, bother, harass, pique, gall, nettle,
             rankle, provoke, vex, pester, torment, plague; hector, badger,
             Colloq bug, needle, peeve, get, get under (someone's) skin, rub
             (up) the wrong way, aggravate, Slang get (someone's) goat, piss
             (someone) off:  The child's constant questions were beginning to
             exasperate me.

   excavate  v.  1 dig (out or up), hollow or gouge (out), scoop out, burrow
             or cut (out):  They are excavating a great hole in the centre of
             the site.  2 unearth, uncover, expose, clear, lay bare, dig up,
             disinter, bring up, exhume:  A large part of Pompeii has been
             excavated.

   excavation
             n.  cavity, hole, pit, crater, cut, ditch, trench, trough,
             burrow, hollow, shaft, tunnel; mine, quarry:  Concrete for the
             foundations will be poured into the excavation.

   exceed    v.  1 surpass, top, excel, be superior to, go beyond, beat,
             overwhelm, better, outdistance, pass, overtake, outstrip,
             outrank, outrun, outdo, outpace, transcend, outshine, outreach,
             overshadow, eclipse:  The success of the new product exceeded
             our expectations.  2 overstep, go beyond, overextend:  His
             behaviour exceeded the bounds of decency.

   exceeding adj.  great, huge, enormous, extraordinary, excessive,
             exceptional, surpassing:  The exceeding poverty of the people is
             heart-rending.

   exceedingly
             adv.  very, extremely, especially, exceptionally, considerably,
             incomparably, immeasurably, extraordinarily, remarkably;
             excessively, greatly, hugely, enormously:  She plays the violin
             exceedingly well. Even for a dog, that is an exceedingly ugly
             dog.

   excel     v.  surpass, be superior (to), dominate, top, exceed, go beyond,
             beat, outstrip, outrank, outdo, outpace, outshine, overshadow,
             eclipse; shine, be pre-eminent:  Few places excel the Caribbean
             islands for beauty. He really excels when it comes to swimming.

   excellence
             n.  superiority, merit, (high) quality, goodness, fineness,
             greatness, prominence, eminence, pre-eminence, distinction,
             value, worth, supremacy:  Those who attain excellence often
             devote their lives to one pursuit.

   excellent adj.  superb, outstanding, exceptional, superior, matchless,
             peerless, unequalled, without equal, nonpareil, supreme,
             superlative, sterling, capital, first-class, first-rate, prime,
             choice, select, distinguished, noteworthy, notable, worthy, the
             best, tiptop, admirable, splendid, remarkable, marvellous,
             extraordinary, Colloq A-1 or A-one, great, smashing, super,
             terrific, fantastic, Brit magic, Dialectal champion,
             Old-fashioned top-hole, ripping, tickety-boo, US A number 1,
             major, Australian bonzer, Slang cool, ripsnorting:  Thank you
             for an excellent dinner. He is an excellent pianist.

   except    prep.  1 Sometimes except for. excepting, save, but, excluding,
             exclusive of, barring, bar, with the exception of, omitting, not
             counting, apart from, but for, other than, saving:  There was no
             one there except us. Except for us, no one came.

             --conj.  2 except that. except or but (for the fact) that, but,
             save that:  He would have gone except that he has no car.

             --v.  3 exclude, omit, leave out, excuse:  As usual, the wealthy
             were excepted from the tax increase.

   exception n.  1 exclusion, omission:  With the exception of those who are
             absent, all members are entitled to a free T-shirt. 2 debarment,
             blockage, lockout, shut-out:  His wife was deeply offended by
             his exception from membership of the country club. 3 departure,
             anomaly, irregularity, special case; oddity, freak, rarity,
             peculiarity, quirk:  The exception proves the rule. Why does Viv
             always have to be an exception? 4 take exception (to). make or
             raise (an) objection (to or against), object (to), demur (at),
             find fault (with), take offence or umbrage (at), be offended
             (at); (call into) question, cavil, quibble, challenge, oppose,
             disagree (with):  She takes exception to everything I suggest.
             If you propose to ban smoking at the meeting, will some people
             take exception?

   exceptionable
             adj.  objectionable, disputable, questionable, criticizable,
             unacceptable, unsatisfactory:  We found nothing exceptionable
             about the service.

   exceptional
             adj.  1 special, unusual, especial, out of the ordinary,
             extraordinary, uncommon, rare, singular; strange, irregular,
             aberrant, odd, peculiar, anomalous:  The candlesticks turned out
             to be of exceptional value. He insisted that rainstorms in the
             Sahara were not exceptional. 2 gifted, talented, superior,
             outstanding, above average, excellent, prodigious,
             extraordinary:  Your child is exceptional, Mrs Einstein.  3
             handicapped, below average, deficient, Brit ESN (='educationally
             subnormal'):  The boy attends a school for exceptional children.

   excerpt   n.  1 extract, selection, quotation, citation, passage,
             pericope:  The speaker read excerpts from well-known writers.

             --v.  2 extract, select, quote, cite, cull (out), pick (out),
             take:  Parts of this book were excerpted from his earlier
             writings.

   excess    n.  1 surplus, over-abundance, overflow, superabundance,
             nimiety, superfluity, surfeit, plethora, glut, redundancy,
             over-sufficiency, supererogation, leftovers; overkill:  The
             excess of income over expenses constitutes profit. There is an
             excess of water on the road after a rainstorm. 2 Often,
             excesses. debauchery, extravagance, immoderation, prodigality,
             overindulgence, intemperance, dissipation, dissoluteness:
             Because of their excesses they have been shunned by their
             friends.

             --adj.  3 surplus, extra, superfluous, excessive, leftover,
             residual, remaining:  After paying the bills, any excess money
             goes into savings.

   excessive adj.  1 immoderate, inordinate, disproportionate, extravagant,
             exorbitant, superfluous, excess, undue, enormous, extreme,
             unreasonable, unwarranted, unjustifiable, outrageous,
             unconscionable:  This job is making excessive demands on my
             time.  2 overdone, fulsome, cloying, nauseating, disgusting:  I
             was sickened by her excessive sweetness.

   exchange  v.  1 trade, barter, switch, change, interchange, reciprocate,
             return, Colloq swap or swop:  We exchange gifts every Christmas.

             --n.  2 trade, barter, change, traffic, commerce, dealing,
             truck, transfer, interchange, reciprocity, reciprocation,
             switch, quid pro quo, tit for tat, Colloq swap or swop:  An
             exchange of prisoners was negotiated. What can I do for you in
             exchange? 3 altercation, argument, quarrel, disagreement,
             unpleasantness:  We had a brief exchange, then he struck me.  4
             market, stock market, Stock Exchange, securities exchange, the
             Market, the Board, the Big Board, the Exchange, the Bourse, Wall
             Street, US the Street:  The exchange reported little activity in
             anticipation of the finance minister's speech.

   excitable adj.  volatile, jumpy, apprehensive, nervous, restive, restless,
             fidgety, edgy, touchy, highly-strung, high-strung, mercurial,
             emotional, quick-tempered, testy, hot-blooded, feverish,
             hysterical, US on a short string:  The director becomes very
             excitable before each performance.

   excite    v.  1 (a)rouse, spur (on), stir (up), move, animate, enliven,
             activate, motivate, invigorate, energize, stimulate, cause,
             provoke, prod, agitate, incite, quicken, urge, (a)wake,
             (a)waken, call forth, summon (up), elicit, inspire, inspirit,
             rally, galvanize, electrify, foment, fire (up), inflame, kindle,
             ignite, initiate, instigate, generate, occasion, begin, start,
             bring about, effect, set in motion, Colloq get going, spark,
             wind up, get (someone) (all) steamed up, hop up, US kick-start,
             light a fire under:  The speech excited the crowd's patriotic
             fervour.  2 agitate, disturb, perturb, stir up, discompose,
             fluster, ruffle, upset, disconcert:  Don't excite the horses.  3
             thrill, stir up, titillate, work up, arouse, inflame:  Risqu‚
             films are intended to excite viewers.

   excited   adj.  1 (a)roused, stirred (up), stimulated, agitated,
             disturbed, perturbed, upset, worked up, wrought up, wound up,
             keyed up, overwrought, discomposed, disconcerted, discomfited,
             nervous, edgy, on edge, uneasy, flustered, ruffled, fidgety,
             frantic, frenetic, aflame, feverish, frenzied, hysterical,
             beside oneself, Colloq itchy, (all) hot and bothered, high, on a
             high, off the deep end, out of one's mind:  Turner was in a very
             excited state by the time the police arrived.  Don't get so
             excited just because he called you a name. 2 ardent, zealous,
             impassioned, passionate, eager, energized, energetic, active,
             brisk, animated, lively, spirited, fervid, fervent, vehement,
             stimulated, enthusiastic, galvanized, electrified, intoxicated,
             Colloq turned on:  The excited children scrambled into the boat.
             She becomes excited listening to rock 'n' roll.

   excitement
             n.  1 restlessness, disquiet, disquietude, tension, agitation,
             unrest, malaise, discomfort, jumpiness, nervousness,
             freneticness, excitation:  He had to give the patient an
             injection to quell her excitement.  2 perturbation, upset,
             action, ado, activity, ferment, furore or US furor, turmoil,
             tumult, to-do, stir, commotion, hubbub, brouhaha, fuss,
             hurly-burly, Colloq fireworks:  The robbery caused a lot of
             excitement at the bank.  3 animation, eagerness, enthusiasm,
             exhilaration, ebullience:  She could hardly contain her
             excitement at winning the lottery.

   exciting  adj.  1 stimulating, intoxicating, heady, thrilling, stirring,
             moving, inspiring, rousing, exhilarating, electrifying,
             galvanizing, energizing, invigorating; overwhelming,
             overpowering, astounding, astonishing, amazing, mind-boggling,
             Colloq far-out, rip-roaring, mind-blowing:  Orbiting the world
             in the space shuttle was the most exciting experience of my
             life. 2 seductive, sensuous, voluptuous, ravishing, captivating,
             charming, tempting, enticing, alluring, provocative,
             titillating, Colloq sexy:  Fenella is truly an exciting young
             woman.

   exclaim   v.  call or cry (out), proclaim, vociferate, utter, declare,
             ejaculate, shout, yell, bawl, bellow, burst out (with), blurt
             out, Colloq holler:  'It's a girl!' he exclaimed.

   exclamation
             n.  outcry, call, cry, utterance, ejaculation, interjection,
             vociferation, shout, yell, bellow, Colloq holler:  She gave an
             exclamation of surprise at seeing me there.

   exclude   v.  1 Often, exclude from. keep out or away, lock or shut out,
             ban, bar, debar, prohibit, interdict, forbid, proscribe, deny,
             refuse, disallow:  Women are excluded from participating in
             certain religious ceremonies.  Must we exclude Maria, too? 2
             eliminate, leave out, reject, omit, except, preclude, repudiate,
             count out:  Exclude them from consideration as candidates.  3
             eject, evict, expel, oust, get rid of, remove, throw out, Colloq
             toss out, Slang bounce:  He was excluded from the club because
             of his behaviour.

   exclusion n.  1 lockout, shut-out, ban, bar, prohibition, interdiction,
             forbiddance, denial, refusal, disallowance, proscription:  He
             would not join a club that supported the exclusion of women
             members. 2 elimination, rejection, omission, repudiation,
             exception, preclusion:  We must ensure the exclusion of
             unqualified candidates.  3 ejection, eviction, expulsion,
             ouster, removal, riddance:  The exclusion of rowdies and
             hooligans is in the club's best interests.

   exclusive adj.  1 incompatible, inimical; unshared, unique, absolute,
             restricted, limited:  Exclusive concepts, like 'animal' and
             'vegetable', do not coincide save in their both being 'alive'.
             Our newspaper printed the exclusive story of the disaster. 2
             chic, clannish, choice, upper-class, aristocratic, closed,
             restricted, restrictive, private, snobbish, fashionable,
             elegant, stylish, select, Colloq trendy, Slang classy:  They are
             seen in the most exclusive nightclubs.  3 only, single, one,
             sole, singular, unique:  Boats are the exclusive means of
             transport here.  4 Usually, exclusive of. excluding, excepting,
             except for, omitting, ignoring, leaving aside, apart from,
             (de)barring, not counting, eliminating:  Charges range from $220
             to $350 a night, exclusive of meals.

   excruciating
             adj.  tormenting, torturing, torturous, agonizing, painful,
             racking, intense, extreme, unbearable, unendurable, severe,
             acute, exquisite, harrowing, distressful, distressing, piercing,
             insufferable:  She was racked with excruciating pain.

   excursion n.  1 trip, tour, outing, airing, expedition, voyage, cruise,
             journey, junket, jaunt; ramble, stroll, walk, hike, trek, drive,
             ride, sail:  We left the city and took an excursion into the
             mountains.  2 detour, deviation, side-trip, diversion,
             digression, excursus:  Forgive the excursion, but I'll return to
             the subject in a minute.

   excuse    v.  1 forgive, pardon, overlook, absolve, clear, exonerate,
             acquit, exculpate, pass over, disregard, wink at, ignore, be
             blind to, look the other way, pay no attention or heed (to),
             find or prove innocent (of):  Please excuse my tardiness.  2
             release, let go or off, liberate, free, relieve, exempt,
             absolve; dismiss, Colloq let off the hook:  She was excused from
             attending class today. You may be excused.  3 condone, allow,
             permit, defend, apologize for, justify, warrant, explain,
             vindicate, rationalize, mitigate, extenuate, palliate:  Poverty
             does not excuse your stealing.

             --n.  4 apology, explanation, story, reason, justification,
             defence, plea, vindication, condonation, rationalization,
             extenuation, mitigation, palliation; basis, grounds, foundation,
             cause:  Can you think of any excuse for your behaviour?  5
             forgiveness, remission, pardon, indulgence, reprieve, clearing,
             exculpation, absolution, exoneration, acquittal, disregard,
             heedlessness, vindication, clearance, acquittance:  Ignorance of
             the law is not an excuse.  6 evasion, subterfuge, pretence,
             pretext, makeshift, escape, loophole, way out, Colloq alibi,
             stall, Slang cop-out:  He always uses his grandmother's illness
             as an excuse for missing school.

   execute   v.  1 accomplish, do, carry out or off or through, perform,
             discharge, dispatch or despatch, bring about or off, implement,
             engineer, cause, Colloq pull off, put over, Slang US swing, cut,
             hack (out):  She executes her duties satisfactorily.  2
             complete, finish, deliver; achieve, consummate, fulfil, effect,
             effectuate; sign, seal, validate, countersign:  He executed the
             portrait in an hour. The contract was executed yesterday. 3 put
             to death, kill, put to the sword, butcher; liquidate,
             assassinate, murder, remove, slay, Slang bump off, rub or wipe
             out, snuff (out), knock off, US waste, ice:  Convicted murderers
             are no longer executed in this country. The mob executed the
             rival gangleaders.

   execution n.  1 accomplishment, performance, carrying out, doing,
             discharge, dispatch or despatch, implementation, prosecution,
             realization, enactment:  His drinking interferes with the
             execution of his responsibilities.  2 completion, fulfilment,
             consummation, achievement, attainment, implementation, bringing
             about, administration, pursuance:  The company will pay ten
             thousand dollars upon execution of the agreement. 3 killing,
             capital punishment; assassination, murder, removal, liquidation,
             slaying:  The traitor's execution is tomorrow. There has been
             another gangland style execution. 4 skill, art, mastery,
             technique, style, manner, mode, touch, approach, delivery,
             rendering, rendition, production:  The cellist's execution was
             superb.

   executive n.  1 chairman (of the board), director, managing director,
             chief executive, president, chief (executive officer), CEO,
             manager, head, leader, principal, administrator, official;
             supervisor, foreman, superintendent, overseer, boss, master,
             Colloq Mr Big, (chief or head) honcho, number one, kingpin,
             Slang top banana, big cheese, numero uno, top dog:  She is an
             executive in the local power company.  2 administration,
             management, directorship, directorate, government, leadership,
             supervision:  Five people form the executive of the society.

             --adj.  3 administrative, managerial, supervisory, official,
             governing, governmental, gubernatorial, regulatory:  He works in
             the executive department of the government.

   exemplary adj.  1 illustrative, typical, characteristic, representative,
             archetypal; paradigmatic:  The text contains passages exemplary
             of good writing.  2 model, meritorious, outstanding, noteworthy,
             admirable, commendable, praiseworthy, excellent, superior:
             Private Jones is an exemplary soldier.  3 cautionary,
             admonitory, warning, monitory:  In addition to payment for the
             damage, we were awarded exemplary damages.

   exemplify v.  1 illustrate, typify, represent, epitomize, instance;
             embody, personify:  This painting exemplifies Picasso's blue
             period.  2 demonstrate, display, show, exhibit, model, depict:
             Early Mediterranean civilization is exemplified at Knossos.

   exempt    v.  1 Often, exempt from. free or liberate or release from,
             excuse or relieve from, spare from, let off, absolve, except,
             Colloq let off the hook:  The doctor exempted Becker from
             strenuous activity.

             --adj.  2 exempted, free, liberated, released, excused,
             relieved, spared, let off, excepted, immune, Colloq off the
             hook:  It seems that Becker is now exempt from doing any work.

   exemption n.  exception, immunity, freedom, release, impunity,
             dispensation, exclusion:  This document confirms his exemption
             from jury service.

   exercise  v.  1 employ, use, apply, practise, bring to bear, put to use or
             effect; discharge, exert, wield, execute; utilize, effect:  Try
             to exercise better judgement next time. The chairman exercises
             too much authority. 2 work out, limber up, warm up, train,
             drill:  She exercises for an hour every day.  3 harass, annoy,
             irritate, vex, harry, distress, worry, concern, burden, try,
             trouble, perturb, disturb, agitate, make nervous, Colloq drive
             crazy, drive up the wall:  We have been much exercised over the
             issue of acid rain.

             --n.  4 activity, workout, working-out, warm-up, warming up,
             callisthenics, aerobics, isometrics, gymnastics; training,
             drill, drilling:  Exercise is good for the heart.  5 action,
             application, practice, performance, discharge, use, utilization,
             employment, execution, operation:  We expect the exercise of
             your best endeavours.

   exert     v.  1 exercise, use, utilize, put to use or work or effect,
             employ, wield, bring to bear, bring into play, expend:  Please
             exert your influence to have his conviction quashed.  2 exert
             oneself. attempt, try, endeavour, make an effort, apply oneself,
             strive, do one's best, work, strain, struggle, toil, push, drive
             (oneself), go all out, give one's all, Colloq knock oneself out,
             cudgel one's brains, beat one's brains out, do one's damnedest,
             Slang bust a gut:  If Peter exerted himself a bit more, we might
             see some results.

   exertion  n.  action, effort, striving, strain, work, struggle, toil,
             drive, push, diligence, industry, assiduity, assiduousness,
             sedulousness, sedulity, Colloq US stick-to-it-iveness:  By
             considerable exertion, we finished on time. He was tired after
             all his exertions.

   exhalation
             n.  1 expiration, exhaling, breath, respiration, suspiration:
             The doctor could detect the wheezing only on exhalation.  2
             vapour, breath, air, puff, whiff, exhaust, emission, steam,
             mist, gas, fog, fume, emanation, effluvium, evaporation:
             Poisonous exhalations from vents on the side of the volcano had
             destroyed all vegetation.

   exhale    v.  breathe (out), blow, puff, huff, gasp, evaporate, pass off,
             discharge, emit, emanate, issue (forth), respire, suspire, give
             forth, blow off, eject, expel, exsufflate:  Please exhale into
             this balloon. The volcano continued to exhale noxious fumes.

   exhaust   v.  1 use (up), expend, consume, finish, deplete, spend,
             dissipate, run through, squander, waste, fritter away, Slang
             blow:  In less than a year, he had exhausted all his funds.  2
             tire (out), fatigue, weary, wear out, enervate, fag, overtire,
             sap, strain, tax, weaken, prostrate, debilitate, disable, Colloq
             frazzle:  Working sixty hours a week would exhaust anyone.  3
             empty, drain, evacuate, void, clean or clear out:  The pump is
             used to exhaust the chamber of air.  4 overdo, overwork, treat
             thoroughly, deplete, drain, empty:  I think we've exhausted that
             topic.  5 empty (out), drain (off or out), vent, issue, escape,
             discharge, run out:  The fumes exhaust through this tube.

             --n.  6 emanation, effluent, emission, fumes, gas:  Car exhausts
             are polluting the atmosphere.

   exhausted adj.  1 (dead) tired, fatigued, weary, wearied, worn out,
             enervated, debilitated, overtired, weak, weakened, prostrate,
             worn or fagged or played or burnt-out, spent, all in, out on
             one's feet, Colloq dog-tired, dead (on one's feet), wiped out,
             drained, knocked out, all in, done in, frazzled, Slang (dead)
             beat, Brit knackered, US and Canadian pooped:  I must sleep: I'm
             exhausted.  2 empty, emptied, bare; depleted, consumed, done,
             gone, at an end, finished:  Our supply of paper-clips is
             exhausted.  3 spent, worn out, depleted, impoverished, poor,
             infertile, barren:  It is impossible to grow anything in this
             exhausted soil.

   exhausting
             adj.  1 tiring, fatiguing, wearying, enervating, wearing,
             debilitating:  Proofreading these figures can be exhausting.  2
             arduous, laborious, back-breaking, strenuous, hard, gruelling,
             crippling, difficult, burdensome, onerous:  Harvesting sugar is
             exhausting work.

   exhaustion
             n.  1 emptying, drawing out or forth, discharge, draining,
             evacuation, voiding, depletion, consumption, finish(ing):  The
             exhaustion of air from the cylinder is accomplished by a
             powerful pump. 2 tiredness, fatigue, enervation, debilitation,
             weariness, lassitude:  The survivors were suffering from
             exposure and exhaustion.

   exhaustive
             adj.  complete, comprehensive, all-inclusive, thorough,
             all-encompassing, encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, extensive,
             thoroughgoing, far-reaching, sweeping, full-scale, in-depth,
             maximal, maximum, Colloq all-out:  The police conducted an
             exhaustive investigation of the company's finances.

   exhibit   v.  show, display, present, offer, expose; show off, parade,
             brandish, flaunt; demonstrate, reveal, betray, manifest,
             exemplify, evince, evidence, disclose, express:  Her paintings
             are widely exhibited. Such behaviour exhibits poor judgement.

   exhibition
             n.  exposition, fair, show(ing), display, demonstration,
             presentation, offering, US exhibit, Colloq expo, demo:  The
             craft exhibition will be held at the civic centre.

   exhilarating
             adj.  1 invigorating, bracing, stimulating, vivifying,
             enlivening, rejuvenating, refreshing, vitalizing, fortifying,
             restorative, tonic:  We took an exhilarating walk round the
             lake.  2 cheering, uplifting, gladdening, elating, inspiriting,
             heartening, comforting, reassuring; happy, good, delightful:  We
             received the exhilarating news of Phoebe's complete recovery.

   exile     n.  1 expatriation, banishment, expulsion, deportation,
             transportation; separation:  Napoleon was sentenced to exile on
             Elba.  2 expatriate, ‚migr‚(e), emigrant, outcast, deportee,
             pariah, displaced person, DP; alien, foreigner, outsider:  Many
             of the exiles from Nazi Germany settled in Britain.

             --v.  3 deport, expel, alienate, banish, expatriate, oust,
             eject, displace, transport, drive or run or cast out, outlaw,
             exclude, oust, evict, bar, ban; extradite; maroon:  Many
             criminals were exiled to Australia.

   exist     v.  1 be, continue, prevail, endure, abide; live, breathe:  Some
             believe that the universe exists only in our imagination.  2
             survive, subsist, eke out a living or an existence, stay alive,
             get by or along:  How can the family exist only on his pension?
             3 occur, happen, be found, be present, remain, persist; obtain,
             prevail:  A two-foot gap exists between the wall and the roof.
             'Status quo' refers to the circumstances that exist.

   existence n.  1 being, presence, actuality, fact:  Most cultures believe
             in the existence of one god or more.  2 life, living;
             continuance, continuation, persistence, permanence, duration,
             endurance:  The early settlers had to struggle for existence.  3
             entity, being, creature; ens, quiddity, essence:  In Hindu
             philosophy, there is no limit to the number of existences.

   exit      n.  1 way out, egress, door, gate; outlet, vent:  Everyone left
             by the emergency exit when the alarm rang. This is the exit for
             the smoke. 2 departure, leave-taking, withdrawal, leaving,
             retreat, retirement; flight, exodus, evacuation, escape:
             Terribly embarrassed, they made their exit. The villain's exit
             from the stage was marked by catcalls.

             --v.  3 go (out or away), (take one's) leave, depart, take or
             make one's departure, retire, (beat a) retreat, bid adieu,
             withdraw, run, (take a) walk, walk out (on), quit, escape, take
             to one's heels, show a clean pair of heels, vanish, disappear,
             Colloq take off, skedaddle, kiss goodbye, US cut out; Slang beat
             it, US and Canadian take it on the lam, lam (on) out of or from,
             take a (run-out) powder:  He exited from the party as soon as he
             could.

   exorbitant
             adj.  extraordinary, excessive, extravagant, outrageous,
             immoderate, extortionate, extreme, unreasonable, inordinate,
             disproportionate, unconscionable, preposterous, undue,
             unwarranted, unjustifiable, unjustified:  The price of petrol in
             Britain is exorbitant.

   exotic    adj.  1 foreign, alien, non-native, imported:  She raises exotic
             plants.  2 strange, unfamiliar, unusual, bizarre, odd, peculiar,
             unique, singular, extraordinary, remarkable, out of the
             ordinary, different, outlandish, weird, crazy:  His exotic
             clothes make him stand out in a crowd.  3 striptease, belly,
             go-go, topless, bottomless, nude:  Her daughter is an exotic
             dancer at the new disco.

   expand    v.  1 enlarge, spread (out), extend, increase, open (out or up),
             swell, inflate, distend; unfold:  His waistline began to expand
             as he approached middle age.  2 prolong, lengthen, stretch,
             dilate:  An elastic valve expands easily.  3 increase, extend,
             amplify, magnify, broaden, widen, augment, heighten, develop:
             The minister sought to expand his influence.  4 Often, expand
             on. detail, enlarge on, embellish, develop, amplify, expatiate
             on or upon, elaborate (on); flesh out:  The speaker expanded on
             the topic of health insurance.

   expanse   n.  stretch, extent, area, space, range, sweep, reach, length
             and breadth, spread:  The vast expanses of space are yet to be
             explored.

   expansion n.  1 increase, augmentation, development, enlargement,
             extension, burgeoning or bourgeoning, flourishing, growth,
             spread:  How will the company finance its expansion in other
             markets?  2 dilatation or dilation, stretching, distension or
             distention, inflation, swelling:  The animal moves by the
             alternate expansion and contraction of the muscle.

   expansive adj.  1 expansible or expandable or expandible, inflatable,
             dilatable, extensible or extendible or extendable; extending,
             expanding, enlarging, spreading, opening or stretching (out):
             Increased temperature causes the enlargement of expansive
             materials.  2 effusive, open, free, easy, genial, amiable,
             friendly, warm, affable, sociable, outgoing, communicative,
             outspoken, extrovert(ed) or extravert(ed), talkative,
             loquacious, garrulous, frank, unreserved:  William became
             relaxed, almost expansive over the meal.  3 broad, extensive,
             far-reaching, wide-ranging; comprehensive, widespread,
             all-embracing, (all-)inclusive:  We stood on the edge of an
             expansive desert. The company has expansive interests in Europe.

   expect    v.  1 anticipate, look forward or ahead to, have or keep in
             view, await, envisage, watch or look for, wait for, contemplate,
             foresee, US envision:  She expects to leave. He was expecting
             her at noon.  2 assume, presume, suppose, imagine, believe,
             think,trust, surmise, conjecture; foresee, US and Canadian
             guess:  I expect you will be hungry when you return.  3 look
             for, want, require, wish, need, demand, reckon on or upon, hope
             for, calculate or count on or upon:  What did you expect me to
             do?

   expectant adj.  expecting, (a)waiting, ready, eager, apprehensive,
             anxious, with bated breath, hopeful, looking, watchful,
             anticipating:  The understudy waited, expectant, in the wings.

   expectation
             n.  1 anticipation, confidence, hopefulness, watchfulness,
             apprehension, apprehensiveness, expectancy, suspense:  There was
             an air of expectation in the room.  2 hope, assumption,
             presumption, surmise, supposition, belief, conjecture, US and
             Canadian guess:  Our expectation is that he will come on the
             next train.  3 demand, requirement, wish, desire, want,
             insistence, reliance:  I think your expectations might be too
             optimistic.  4 prospects, outlook:  He had great expectations
             from his rich uncle.

   expecting adj.  pregnant, gravid, with child, in a family way, enceinte,
             Brit in the family way, US in a family way, Colloq in the club,
             Brit preggers, Slang US with a bun in the oven:  Monica is
             expecting and will give birth any day.

   expedient adj.  1 suitable, appropriate, fitting, fit, befitting, proper,
             apropos, right, correct, meet, pertinent, applicable, practical,
             pragmatic, worthwhile, politic:  To cross the river, a bridge
             would prove expedient.  2 advantageous, beneficial, advisable,
             desirable, recommended, useful, practical, utilitarian, prudent,
             wise, propitious, opportune, helpful, effective:  Count on him
             to do what is expedient and ignore what is honest.

             --n.  3 device, resource, means, measure, contrivance, resort,
             recourse:  Life jackets are a useful expedient if the boat
             sinks.

   expedite  v.  1 hasten, rush, hurry, speed or step up, accelerate;
             dispatch or despatch:  The shipment has been expedited and
             should reach you tomorrow.  2 advance, facilitate, promote,
             forward, ease, enable:  The growing process can be expedited by
             adding this chemical.

   expedition
             n.  1 exploration, journey, voyage, field trip, trip, tour,
             excursion; enterprise, undertaking, mission, quest:  She went on
             an expedition up the Amazon to research herbal medicines.  2
             speed, promptness, celerity, alacrity, dispatch or despatch,
             haste, rapidity, swiftness, quickness:  He was ordered to
             complete his chores with expedition.

   expeditious
             adj.  ready, quick, rapid, swift, fast, brisk, speedy, fleet,
             efficient, diligent:  We made an expeditious passage round Cape
             Horn. The problem requires an expeditious solution.

   expel     v.  1 eject, dislodge, throw or cast out, drive or force out,
             evict, put or push out, remove, run (someone) off or out,
             displace, dispossess, show the door, suspend, dismiss, let go,
             Colloq fire, Brit sack, turf out:  They will expel the tenant at
             the earliest opportunity.  2 banish, deport, exile, expatriate,
             outlaw, maroon; proscribe, ban, bar, debar, dismiss, exclude,
             blackball, drum out, cashier, discharge, oust:  The leader of
             the opposition was expelled from the country. The committee
             voted to expel Horace from the club.

   expend    v.  1 pay out, spend, disburse, use, employ, Slang lay or dish
             out, fork or shell out:  Reduce the money expended on
             entertainment.  2 use up, consume, exhaust, deplete, finish
             (off), dissipate, sap, drain:  I expended all my energies eking
             out a bare living.

   expendable
             adj.  dispensable, disposable, non-essential, inessential or
             unessential, unnecessary, replaceable; unimportant,
             insignificant:  In terms of military strategy, the commando unit
             was expendable.

   expenditure
             n.  outlay, outgoings, disbursement, spending, payment, expense,
             cost; price, charge, fee:  The financial director must closely
             examine all expenditures.  I cannot justify that kind of
             expenditure for a car.

   expense   n.  1 Often, expenses. payment, costs, outlay, outgoings,
             disbursement, expenditure, spending, out-of-pocket (expenses);
             cost, price, charge, fee, rate:  Keep your expenses to a
             minimum. Expenses for travel and entertainment will be
             reimbursed by the company. 2 detriment, sacrifice, cost, loss,
             impairment, ruin, destruction:  They continue to smoke at the
             expense of their health.

   expensive adj.  costly, dear, high-priced, up-market, valuable, precious,
             priceless, extravagant; overpriced:  Richard and Elizabeth flew
             off for an expensive holiday in the sun.

   experience
             n.  1 knowledge, contact, involvement, practice, familiarity,
             acquaintance, exposure; participation, observation:  Her book on
             nursing is based on personal experience.  2 incident, event,
             happening, affair, episode, occurrence, circumstance, adventure,
             encounter; trial, test, ordeal:  He has lived through some
             harrowing experiences.  3 common sense, wisdom, sagacity,
             knowledge, know-how, savoir faire, savoir vivre, sophistication,
             skill, judgement, Slang savvy:  She is a woman of experience.

             --v.  4 undergo, live or go through, suffer, endure, sustain,
             face, encounter, meet (with), feel, sense, taste, sample, be
             familiar with, know:  Your problem is that you have never
             experienced genuine hunger.

   experienced
             adj.  1 adept, skilled, skilful, accomplished, practised,
             proficient, knowledgeable, knowing, wise, sage, sagacious,
             shrewd, prepared, (well-)informed, trained, (well-)versed,
             expert, master, masterly, qualified, professional, competent,
             efficient, capable, au fait; Slang on the ball, US savvy:  She
             is an experienced surgeon.  2 mature, seasoned, sophisticated,
             battle-scarred, seasoned, veteran; Slang in the know, US savvy:
             We need an experienced leader.

   experiment
             n.  1 test, trial, investigation, inquiry or enquiry,
             examination, experimentation, research, proof:  Experiment has
             shown that the ointment cures many minor skin ailments.  2
             procedure, policy:  Totalitarianism seems to have failed as a
             political experiment.

             --v.  3 experiment on or with. test, try, examine, investigate,
             research, probe:  The time has come to experiment on human
             subjects. Artists now experiment with many media, from canvas to
             computers.

   experimental
             adj.  1 hypothetical, theoretical, tentative, speculative,
             conjectural, exploratory:  Man's first attempts at flying were
             purely experimental.  2 empirical, experiential:  She has
             profound experimental knowledge of what is involved.

   expert    n.  1 authority, professional, specialist, scholar, master,
             connoisseur, pundit, Colloq wizard, whiz, pro, ace, Brit dab
             hand, boffin, Slang US maven or mavin:  We rely on experts to
             verify the age of works of art.

             --adj.  2 skilful, skilled, trained, knowledgeable, learned,
             experienced, practised, qualified, adept, proficient,
             accomplished, au fait, adroit, dexterous, polished, finished,
             masterful, masterly, first-rate, excellent, superb, wonderful,
             superior, champion(ship), A-one, A-1, virtuoso, Colloq
             top-notch, Brit whizzo, wizard, US crackerjack, crack:  Davis is
             an expert snooker player.

   expertise n.  expertness, skill, knowledge, know-how, judgement, mastery;
             dexterity, adroitness, Slang savvy:  You need a great deal of
             expertise to be a museum curator.

   expiration
             n.  expiry, finish, (coming to an) end, termination, running
             out, ending, conclusion, concluding, close, closing,
             discontinuance, discontinuation:  The expiration of the option
             is in March.

   expire    v.  1 cease, (come to an) end, close, finish, terminate, run
             out, conclude, discontinue:  Your subscription expires with the
             next issue.  2 die, breathe one's last, decease, perish, pass
             away:  His grandmother expired only last year, at the age of
             110.  3 exhale, breathe out, expel:  In the daytime we expire
             more carbon dioxide than during the night.

   explain   v.  1 interpret, define, explicate, detail, delineate, make
             plain, simplify, spell out, resolve, get across, clarify, clear
             up, elucidate, illustrate, expound, describe, disclose, unfold,
             unravel, untangle:  The teacher explained the theory so that
             even I could understand it. 2 Also, explain away. justify,
             account for, excuse, rationalize, legitimate, legitimatize,
             extenuate, palliate:  You will be required to explain your
             absence.

   explanation
             n.  1 interpretation, definition, explication, delineation,
             simplification, resolution, clarification, elucidation,
             description, illustration, exposition, account, disclosure;
             exegesis, commentary, criticism, analysis:  The encyclopedia
             contains detailed explanations of how machines work. 2 excuse,
             rationalization, justification, vindication:  What is your
             explanation for such outrageous behaviour?  3 cause, motive,
             reason, key, signification, solution:  The explanation for
             aberrant behaviour often lies in hormonal imbalance.

   explanatory
             adj.  explanative, elucidative, revelatory, interpretive or
             interpretative, expository, descriptive; critical, exegetic(al):
             Please read the explanatory notes below.

   expletive adj.  1 wordy, verbose, prolix, repetitious, redundant,
             tautological, iterative, reiterative, pleonastic; unnecessary,
             unneeded, needless, unessential, non-essential, gratuitous,
             superfluous:  Her speech is punctuated by expletive words and
             phrases, like 'like, you know', and so forth.

             --n.  2 oath, swear-word, curse, obscenity, epithet, Colloq
             cuss-word, dirty word, four-letter word:  Expletives sometimes
             lend an air of naturalness to written dialogue.  3 filler,
             padding, redundancy, tautology, pleonasm:  Some grammarians term
             the 'It' in 'It is raining' an expletive.

   explicit  adj.  1 specific, categorical, (crystal-)clear, definite,
             well-defined, distinct, unambiguous, precise, exact,
             unequivocal, express, stated, plain, manifest, unmistakable,
             positive, absolute, final, peremptory, unqualified,
             unconditional:  The children had explicit instructions to keep
             away from the canal.  2 open, outspoken, unreserved,
             unrestrained, candid, frank, direct, forthright,
             straightforward, definite:  She was explicit in her orders.

   explode   v.  1 blow up, burst, blast, fly apart, go off, erupt,
             fulminate; set off, detonate:  Police exploded the bomb after
             clearing the area. Rockets exploded in the night sky. 2 reject,
             discredit, refute, repudiate, disprove, debunk, belie, give the
             lie to, Slang pick holes in, poke or shoot full of holes:
             Ptolemy's geocentric theory has been thoroughly exploded.  3
             lose one's temper, rant, rave, rage, storm, throw a tantrum,
             Colloq get into a tizzy, blow one's top, fly off the handle, go
             through or hit the roof, hit the ceiling; Slang lose one's cool,
             go up the wall, US blow one's stack or cool, flip (one's lid),
             freak out:  He exploded when he learned his car had been smashed
             up.

   exploit   n.  1 achievement, deed, feat, attainment, accomplishment:  The
             speaker regaled them with tales of his exploits as an explorer.

             --v.  2 use, take advantage of, manipulate, make capital out of,
             profit from, utilize, turn to account, manoeuvre, work:  Far
             from being your friends, they are exploiting you for their own
             purposes. They need capital to exploit the country's natural
             resources.

   exploration
             n.  examination, investigation, search, probe, inquiry or
             enquiry, study, research, analysis, review, scrutiny,
             inspection, survey, reconnaissance, observation; expedition:
             Exploration of the intestine revealed the presence of polyps.
             He is noted for his exploration of the sources of the Nile.

   explore   v.  1 survey, tour, travel, reconnoitre, traverse:  They are on
             safari, exploring the Congo.  2 investigate, scrutinize,
             examine, inquire or enquire into, inspect, probe, search,
             research, look into, study, analyse, review, observe:  We ought
             to explore the possibility of your working for us.

   explosion n.  1 blast, bang, report, burst, boom, clap, crack, eruption,
             crash, outburst, fulmination; detonation:  The explosion shook
             the entire house.  2 outburst, outbreak, paroxysm, upheaval,
             flare-up, eruption, burst, fit, spasm, tantrum, Colloq Brit
             paddy or paddywhack or paddywack, wax:  The unrest among the
             people is building up to an explosion.  3 increase, burgeoning
             or bourgeoning, expansion, welling up, mushrooming:  The
             population explosion has caused a housing shortage.

   explosive adj.  1 volatile, sensitive, delicate, tense, anxious, fraught,
             touch-and-go, touchy, inflammable, (highly) charged, unstable,
             uncertain, unsound, shaky, hazardous, chancy, unpredictable,
             precarious, dangerous, perilous, critical, nasty, ugly, Colloq
             dicey, iffy:  The explosive situation between the strikers and
             management may lead to bloodshed.

             --n.  2 dynamite, TNT, gunpowder, gelignite, plastic, plastique:
             The car was blown up by a powerful charge of explosive.

   expose    v.  1 (lay) bare, reveal, uncover, show, exhibit, present,
             display, disclose; divulge, unveil, unmask, discover, air,
             ventilate, let out, leak, betray, bring to light, make known:
             He unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his hairy chest. The facts of
             the case will be exposed tomorrow. Will he expose the names of
             his accomplices? 2 risk, imperil, endanger, jeopardize, hazard:
             Do not expose your house to danger of flooding by building it so
             close to the river. 3 expose to. subject to, introduce to,
             acquaint with, bring into contact with:  Today children are not
             taught, but 'exposed to education'.

   exposition
             n.  1 exhibition, show(ing), presentation, display,
             demonstration, US exhibit , Colloq expo:  There is a special
             exposition of medieval farming implements in the museum. 2
             description, declaration, statement, explanation, explication,
             clarification, interpretation, exegesis:  The exposition of his
             argument was remarkably lucid.  3 paper, theme, article, essay,
             thesis, dissertation, treatise, disquisition, study, critique,
             commentary:  She received high marks for her exposition on
             Zoroastrianism.

   exposure  n.  1 baring, uncovering, laying open, unveiling, disclosure,
             disclosing, unmasking, revealing, revelation, expos‚, airing,
             publication, publishing, communicating, communication, leaking,
             leak, divulging:  The exposure of the spy was part of the plan.
             2 jeopardy, risk, hazard, endangerment, vulnerability,
             imperilment; danger, peril:  By diversifying your investments,
             you reduce your exposure to a loss in just one. 3 familiarity,
             knowledge, acquaintance, experience, contact, conversancy:  My
             exposure to Chinese philosophy has been negligible.  4 aspect,
             view, outlook, orientation, frontage; setting, location,
             direction:  She said that she preferred a bedroom with an
             easterly exposure.

   express   v.  1 articulate, verbalize, phrase, utter, voice, state, word,
             put (into words), set or put forth, put or get across,
             communicate, depict, portray; say, speak, tell:  She expressed
             her thoughts on the subject very clearly.  2 show, indicate,
             demonstrate, manifest, exhibit, evince, evidence, reveal,
             expose, disclose, divulge, make known, intimate, betoken,
             signify, embody, depict, designate, denote, convey:  His tone of
             voice expressed his resentment.  3 symbolize, represent,
             signify, stand for, denote, designate:  The ratio can be
             expressed in the form of a fraction.  4 press or squeeze or
             wring or force out, expel, extract:  The oil is expressed from
             ripe olives.

             --adj.  5 explicit, clear, plain, unambiguous, unmistakable,
             unqualified, outright, definite, out-and-out, downright,
             straightforward, categorical, direct, specific, well-defined,
             distinct, precise, accurate, exact, positive:  We had an express
             understanding not to enter into competition with one another. 6
             specific, special, particular, clear-cut; true:  Our express
             purpose in coming was to see you.  7 quick, speedy, swift, fast,
             rapid, prompt, immediate; direct, non-stop:  The documents must
             be sent by express delivery.

   expression
             n.  1 verbalization, airing, representation, declaration,
             utterance, assertion, enunciation, asseveration, pronouncement,
             communication, voicing, announcement:  Any expression of
             criticism of government is forbidden in many countries. 2
             representation, manifestation, sign, token, symbol, show,
             demonstration, indication, evidence:  A curled lip is an
             expression of scorn.  3 look, mien, air, appearance, face,
             aspect, countenance:  He had long straight hair and a completely
             blank expression. Her smile twisted into an expression of
             frustration. 4 tone, note, nuance, intonation, accent, touch,
             nuance, shading, loudness, softness; expressiveness, emotion,
             feeling, sensitivity, passion, spirit, depth, ardour, intensity,
             pathos:  There was much expression in her playing of the fugue.
             5 word, term, phrase, idiom, turn of phrase, locution, saying:
             Some find the expression 'Have a nice day' to be irritating.  6
             wording, phrasing, phraseology, language, style, diction, usage,
             speech, delivery:  Writers are not the only ones who should
             study effective expression.

   expressive
             adj.  1 indicative, suggestive, allusive, eloquent, revealing,
             meaningful, significant, denotative:  Her frown is expressive of
             her disapproval.  2 pointed, pithy, explicit:  Leave it to him
             to make some expressive remark about Frieda's hat. 3 striking,
             vivid, telling, pregnant, loaded, forceful, moving, emotional,
             poignant, provocative, thought-provoking:  His poetry contains
             much expressive language.

   expressly adv.  1 distinctly, definitely, categorically, explicitly,
             absolutely, positively, directly, unambiguously, unequivocally,
             unmistakably, plainly, pointedly, exactly, clearly:  He
             expressly denied the rumour.  2 purposely, especially,
             purposefully, particularly, specifically, specially; on purpose:
             The gift was intended expressly for you.

   expulsion n.  expelling, ejection, eviction, repudiation, ouster, removal,
             dismissal, discharge; Colloq the (old) heave-ho, Brit the boot,
             the sack, sacking, US the bounce:  His expulsion from the pub
             was accompanied by cheers from the patrons.

   exquisite adj.  1 delicate, fine, elegant, graceful, excellent, choice,
             well-crafted, well-made, well-executed, refined, elaborate:
             They have a collection of exquisite miniature portraits.  2
             ingenious, detailed, recherch‚, rare, subtle, deep, abstruse;
             far-fetched:  He is expert in the exquisite points of seduction.
             3 beautiful, perfect, lovely, attractive, handsome, comely,
             good-looking; smart, chic, elegant, striking:  In her youth, she
             was an exquisite blonde goddess. He wore an exquisite silk
             costume. 4 acute, sharp, keen, excruciating, agonizing, intense;
             elaborate:  The most exquisite pain I have known is occasioned
             by gout. Spies, subjected to exquisite torture, usually revealed
             their secrets. 5 superb, superior, peerless, matchless,
             incomparable, unequalled, rare, precious, choice, consummate,
             outstanding, superlative, excellent, select, flawless, perfect,
             wonderful, splendid, marvellous:  She wore a tiara of exquisite
             diamonds.

   extemporaneous
             adj.  unstudied, unpremeditated, extempore, extemporary,
             impromptu, improvised, spontaneous, unrehearsed, extemporized,
             unprepared, unplanned, unscripted, offhand, ad lib, extempore,
             Colloq off the cuff:  Though extraordinarily well-organized,
             Charlotte's speech was entirely extemporaneous.

   extend    v.  1 stretch or spread (out), outstretch, outspread, open
             (out), unroll, unfold; reach, range; carry on, draw out,
             continue, develop:  The carpet extends from wall to wall. Her
             reputation extends worldwide.  The city walls extended to the
             river. 2 lengthen, elongate, widen, continue; broaden, enlarge,
             add to, augment; increase, stretch (out), supplement:  We are
             planning to extend the sitting-room. They asked the mortgage
             company to extend the repayment period. 3 last, stretch,
             continue, go or carry on; perpetuate, drag on or out, keep up or
             on, prolong:  Their visit extended until the following week.  4
             offer, proffer, give, present, hold out, stretch forth, tender;
             bestow; grant, impart, confer, accord, advance:  She extended
             her hand. The store does not extend credit to any customers.

   extension n.  1 stretching, expansion, increase, enlargement,
             augmentation, development, amplification, broadening, widening,
             lengthening, spread, spreading:  The extension of the plan is
             scheduled for next year.  2 range, extensiveness, scope, extent,
             magnitude, gauge, compass, sweep, reach, size, volume,
             dimension(s), proportions, capacity, span; breadth, width,
             height, length, spread, stretch:  The extension of the mind
             seems almost limitless.  3 addendum, addition, annexe, wing,
             adjunct, ell, appendage; appendix, supplement:  We have built an
             extension to the house.

   extensive adj.  1 broad, wide, expansive, far-reaching, far-ranging,
             wide-ranging, far-flung, sweeping, widespread, comprehensive,
             all-embracing; national, nationwide, international,
             intercontinental, cosmopolitan, worldwide, global, universal,
             vast; cosmic; catholic:  The storm is responsible for extensive
             crop damage. He has extensive business connections. 2 large,
             big, great, huge, substantial, considerable, sizeable, immense,
             enormous, vast, gigantic, massive; voluminous, spacious,
             commodious, capacious:  The extensive gold deposits were soon
             depleted. The cave contains several extensive chambers.

   extent    n.  1 magnitude, dimensions, compass, size, range, scale, sweep,
             scope, expanse, immensity, enormousness, capaciousness,
             spaciousness, space, amplitude:  The extent of space is
             unimaginably vast.  2 limit, bounds, limitation, lengths; range,
             scope:  To what extent will he go to see justice done?  3 area,
             region, tract, territory, compass:  In the whole extent of
             Europe you could find no better mushroom.

   extenuating
             adj.  mitigating, lessening, tempering, palliating, moderating,
             diminishing, qualifying:  Owing to extenuating circumstances, he
             could not be tried for murder.

   exterior  adj.  1 outer, outside, external, outward, superficial, surface:
             The exterior covering of the capsule becomes very hot on
             re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. 2 external, extrinsic,
             extraneous, foreign, alien, exotic, outside:  The problem can be
             overcome without exterior help.

             --n.  3 outside, surface, covering, coating, facing, face,
             front, skin, shell, fa‡ade:  The exterior is of pink stucco.

   exterminate
             v.  destroy, root out, eradicate, extirpate, annihilate,
             eliminate, weed out, get rid of, wipe out, obliterate, put an
             end to, terminate, liquidate, massacre, murder, kill (off),
             butcher, slaughter, Slang bump off, US rub out, waste:  It is
             his avowed intention to exterminate all the vermin of the
             criminal fraternity.

   external  adj.  1 outer, outside, outward, exterior:  This medication is
             for external use only.  2 outside, exterior, extrinsic,
             extraneous, alien, foreign, exotic:  Do not ignore the external
             influences on the nation's economy.  3 apparent, visible,
             perceptible, superficial, surface:  The external features of the
             planet barely suggest what lies within.

   extinct   adj.  1 defunct, dead, died out, gone, departed, vanished:
             These are the bones of an extinct species of flying mammal.  2
             dated, outmoded, old-fashioned, antiquated, obsolete, archaic,
             out of date, antediluvian, ancient, old hat, pass‚, d‚mod‚:
             High-button shoes and bustles have been extinct for almost a
             century.  3 out, extinguished, quenched, burnt- or put or
             snuffed out; inactive, dormant:  The lake is in the caldera of
             an extinct volcano.

   extinguish
             v.  1 put or snuff or blow out, quench; turn off or out:  We are
             landing shortly, so please extinguish all smoking materials.
             Extinguish the lights before leaving. 2 kill (off), annihilate,
             destroy, obliterate, abolish, exterminate, eliminate, do away
             with, nullify, eradicate, remove, banish, wipe or blot out:  The
             potion contained a drug that extinguished all memory of
             unhappiness.  3 obscure, eclipse, dim, outdo, put in the shade,
             overshadow, adumbrate, Colloq show up:  His personality is
             completely extinguished by the dazzle of his wife.

   extol     v.  exalt, elevate, uplift, glorify, praise, laud, applaud,
             commend, acclaim, cheer, celebrate, pay tribute or homage to,
             sing the praises of, make much of, honour, congratulate,
             compliment:  William is always extolling the talents of some
             dancer or other.

   extort    v.  exact, extract, blackmail, bully, coerce, force, wring,
             wrest, Colloq milk, bleed, put the arm on (someone):
             Threatening to swear that it was my fault, she extorted a
             promise from me to keep silent about the body.

   extra     adj.  1 additional, added, auxiliary, accessory, supplementary,
             supplemental, further, ancillary, subsidiary, collateral,
             adventitious:  We had an extra person for dinner. Zenobia has an
             extra toe on each foot. 2 leftover, excess, spare, surplus,
             unused, superfluous, supernumerary, reserve:  After all were
             served, we had two extra desserts.

             --n.  3 addition, addendum, accessory, appurtenance, supplement,
             bonus, premium, dividend:  As an extra, each customer receives a
             free ball-point pen.  4 supplement, US mark-up, surcharge, Slang
             US and Canadian kicker:  There is an extra if you want bread and
             butter.  5 supernumerary, walk-on, Colloq super, spear-carrier:
             One could scarcely call being an extra a 'Hollywood career'.

             --adv.  6 uncommonly, unusually, exceptionally, unexpectedly,
             extraordinarily, remarkably, notably, surprisingly, amazingly,
             very, particularly, especially, extremely, strikingly:  Teacher
             said that Philip was extra good today.  7 additionally, again,
             more, in addition:  They charge extra for room service.

   extract   v.  1 draw or pull (out), remove, withdraw, pluck or take out,
             draw forth, extricate:  The dentist extracted two teeth. I
             extracted some important papers from your waste-paper basket. 2
             draw, derive, deduce, develop, glean, extricate, distil, get,
             obtain:  I could extract little sense from her ramblings.  3
             wrench, wring, wrest, extort, draw (forth), evoke, elicit,
             extricate, winkle out, worm (out), prise (out), force (out):
             Using torture, they finally extracted a confession from him. She
             extracted money from her victims by threatening to tell their
             wives. 4 copy, quote, cite, abstract, select, choose, glean,
             cull:  We extracted useful material from some old encyclopedias.

             --n.  5 concentrate, distillate, essence, distillation,
             quintessence, concentration, extraction, decoction:  We boiled
             off the water and used the extract as a salve.  6 excerpt,
             abstract, quotation, citation, clipping, cutting, passage,
             selection:  Extracts from other works are printed in smaller
             type.

   extraction
             n.  1 removal, extrication, withdrawal, uprooting, eradication,
             extirpation, deracination:  The extraction of my tooth was
             completely painless.  2 extract, concentrate, distillate,
             essence, distillation, quintessence, concentration, decoction,
             separation, derivation:  This syrup is an extraction from coffee
             beans.  3 origin, birth, ancestry, descent, lineage, derivation,
             blood, parentage, breed, strain, race, stock, pedigree:  The
             family is of Scandinavian extraction.

   extraneous
             adj.  1 unessential, non-essential, inessential, peripheral,
             superfluous, unnecessary, unneeded, extra, added, additional,
             adventitious, supernumerary, incidental, needless:  Filter out
             all the extraneous substances.  2 not pertinent, impertinent,
             inapplicable, inapt, unapt, unfitting, inappropriate, unrelated,
             irrelevant, inapposite, unconnected, remote, alien, foreign,
             exotic, strange, outlandish, external, extrinsic, external, out
             of place, off the mark or point or subject, beside the point or
             mark:  Why must you constantly bring up extraneous matters?

   extraordinary
             adj.  1 unusual, uncommon, remarkable, exceptional, particular,
             outstanding, special, rare, unique, singular, signal,
             unheard-of, curious, peculiar, odd, bizarre, queer, strange,
             abnormal, unprecedented, unparalleled:  She showed extraordinary
             courage in coming here.  2 amazing, surprising, astonishing,
             astounding, remarkable, notable, noteworthy, marvellous,
             fantastic, incredible, unbelievable, impressive, fabulous,
             miraculous, unparalleled, Colloq super, smashing, lovely,
             gorgeous, Slang far-out, unreal:  This is an extraordinary
             example of the bookbinder's art.

   extravagance
             n.  1 wastefulness, waste, lavishness, profligacy, prodigality,
             squandering, dissipation, improvidence, exorbitance,
             recklessness, overspending, excess:  Our present debts are the
             result of extravagance.  2 immoderation, immoderateness,
             excessiveness, outrageousness, unrestraint, superfluity,
             superfluousness, over-sufficiency, preposterousness,
             unreasonableness, irrationality, absurdity; capriciousness,
             whim, fantasy, flightiness:  His tawdry life belied the
             extravagance of his dreams.

   extravagant
             adj.  1 wasteful, lavish, profligate, prodigal, improvident,
             reckless, excessive, spendthrift, profuse, extreme, immoderate:
             She cannot afford to maintain her extravagant way of life for
             long. 2 unrestrained, uncontained, wild, outrageous,
             preposterous, immoderate, ridiculous, foolish, fanciful,
             unreasonable, absurd, impractical; undeserved, unjustified,
             unjustifiable:  The speaker lavished extravagant praise on the
             award winners.  3 expensive, costly, extortionate, unreasonable,
             overpriced, exorbitant, high; dear; Colloq steep:  That trip to
             Istanbul by private jet was extravagant to say the least. 4
             gaudy, garish, ostentatious, showy, ornate, flashy, loud,
             flamboyant; exaggerated, high-sounding:  She appears at parties
             wearing the most extravagant costumes.

   extravaganza
             n.  spectacular, spectacle, pageant, production, show,
             exposition:  An extravaganza was staged to celebrate the opening
             of the Channel Tunnel.

   extreme   adj.  1 unusual, uncommon, exceptional, outstanding, notable,
             noteworthy, abnormal, different, extraordinary, remarkable:  We
             experienced extreme difficulty driving home.  2 immoderate,
             excessive, severe, intense, acute, maximum, worst:  This
             equipment is made to withstand extreme arctic conditions.  3
             outermost, endmost, farthest, ultimate, utmost, uttermost,
             remotest, last, far-off, far-away, distant, very:  She walked to
             the extreme end of the pier.  4 rigid, stern, severe, strict,
             conservative, hidebound, stiff, stringent, restrictive,
             constrictive, uncompromising, Draconian, harsh, drastic:
             Grandfather favoured taking extreme measures against terrorists.
             5 unconventional, radical, outrageous, wild, weird, bizarre,
             queer, outrageous, offbeat, exotic, eccentric, different, outr‚,
             Slang far-out, way-out, US and Canadian kooky:  I find your
             outfit too extreme to wear in public.  6 beyond the pale or
             limits or bounds, extravagant, inordinate, excessive,
             disproportionate, outrageous:  Because of your extreme
             behaviour, you will be confined to the house for a week.

             --n.  7 Often, extremes. limit(s), bounds, utmost, maximum,
             Colloq swing:  Try to be more moderate and to avoid extremes.  8
             Often, go to extremes. limit(s), bounds, maximum, acme, zenith,
             pinnacle, summit, height, apex, apogee, peak, extremity; depth,
             nadir:  Thea's moods varied between the extremes of joy and
             grief.  9 in the extreme. extremely, very, exceptionally,
             exceedingly, extraordinarily, unusually:  His table manners are
             rude in the extreme.

   extremely adv.  very, exceedingly, outrageously, extraordinarily,
             unusually, uncommonly, exceptionally, damned, hellishly, to the
             nth degree, Colloq Brit bloody, US darned:  The service was
             extremely bad. They are extremely stupid.

   extremity n.  1 end, termination, limit, edge, boundary, bound, border,
             margin; periphery; frontier:  A fence marks the eastern
             extremity of our land.  2 extremities. fingers, fingertips,
             toes; hands, feet; arms, legs, limbs; paws, trotters, hooves,
             wings:  His extremities were numb with frostbite.  3 extreme,
             utmost, maximum, limit(s), bounds:  The situation tested the
             extremity of my patience. They were driven to extremities in
             their search for food.

   extricate v.  unravel, disentangle, untangle, disengage, (set) free, turn
             loose, release, liberate, rescue, save, deliver:  You helped
             extricate me from a terrible predicament.

   extrinsic adj.  external, extraneous, irrelevant, exterior, unrelated,
             outside; outer, outward:  Such extrinsic factors may be excluded
             from the discussion.

   exuberance
             n.  1 cheerfulness, joy, joyfulness, ebullience, effervescence,
             exhilaration, buoyancy, animation, spirit, spiritedness,
             sprightliness, liveliness, vitality, vivacity, enthusiasm,
             excitement, zeal, zest, energy, vigour:  It is hard to imagine
             the dog's exuberance when he saw his master.  2 abundance,
             lavishness, effusiveness, flamboyance, copiousness,
             superabundance, superfluity, excess, profusion, prodigality,
             bounteousness, bountifulness:  Everything attests to the
             exuberance of the author's genius.

   exuberant adj.  1 cheerful, joyful, ebullient, effervescent, buoyant,
             animated, spirited, spry, sprightly, lively, vivacious,
             enthusiastic, zealous, energetic, vigorous:  She enjoys
             exuberant good health.  2 happy, glad, delighted, overjoyed,
             joyful, ecstatic, Brit in the seventh heaven, US in seventh
             heaven, Colloq on cloud nine:  She was exuberant at the news of
             Lyle's return.

   exult     v.  rejoice, revel, glory (in), jump for joy, delight,
             celebrate, make merry:  We exulted in our new-found freedom.

   exultant  adj.  delighted, jubilant, overjoyed, elated, joyful, gleeful,
             glad, ecstatic, exuberant, in seventh heaven, cock-a-hoop,
             Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon:  We were exultant to
             learn that the war was over.

5.20 eye...
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   eye       n.  1 eyeball, orb, Colloq optic:  The eye of the eagle is
             nearly as large as that of an elephant.  2 vision, (eye)sight,
             visual acuity, perception:  Her eyes are weakened by so much
             reading.  3 discernment, perception, taste, judgement,
             discrimination, percipience, perspicacity, appreciation,
             sensitivity; knowledge, recognition, comprehension:  Shirley has
             a good eye for Chinese antiques. Walmsley has the eye of an
             artist. 4 liking, affection, fondness, partiality, appreciation;
             lustfulness:  Old Bisley still has an eye for the girls.  5
             ogle, leer, look, wink, glad eye, sidelong glance:  The barmaid
             gave me the eye as soon as I walked in.  6 view, respect,
             regard, aim, intention, purpose, design, plan, idea, notion:  He
             lent me the money with an eye to asking a favour in return.  7
             attention, regard, look, scrutiny, view, examination,
             observation; supervision:  All our comings and goings were under
             the watchful eye of Scotland Yard. 8 guard, lookout, watch,
             vigil:  The class monitor is expected to keep an eye on the
             younger children.

             --v.  9 examine, scrutinize, look at, regard:  My future
             mother-in-law eyed me up and down.  10 behold, gaze or look or
             peer at or upon, contemplate, study, regard, view, inspect;
             watch, observe:  The doctor eyed the wound with concern.

   eyewitness
             n.  witness, observer, spectator, viewer, watcher; bystander,
             onlooker, passer-by:  The police sought eyewitnesses to the
             accident.

6.0 F
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6.1 fabric...
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   fabric    n.  1 cloth, textile, material, stuff:  The chair is upholstered
             in traditional floral fabric.  2 construction, constitution,
             core, heart, foundation, structure, framework, organization,
             configuration, make-up:  Extensive strikes threatened the very
             fabric of our society.

   fabricate v.  1 erect, build, construct, frame, raise, put or set up,
             assemble, fashion, form, make, manufacture, produce:  The basic
             structure was fabricated of steel.  2 invent, create, originate,
             make up, manufacture, concoct, think up, imagine, hatch, devise,
             design:  Numerous lies, fabricated by politicians, were already
             in circulation.  3 forge, falsify, counterfeit, fake, feign,
             manufacture; trump up, Colloq cook up, Brit cook:  He admitted
             to having fabricated the data in his application.

   fabrication
             n.  1 construction, assembly, assemblage, making, fashioning,
             production, manufacture, putting together, building, erection,
             formation, formulation, structuring, constructing, organization,
             forming, framing, architecture:  The fabrication of thousands of
             parts took only a month.  2 invention, creation, origination,
             make-up, manufacture, hatching, concoction, contrivance, design:
             Only Vanessa could have been responsible for the fabrication of
             such a diabolical plot. 3 falsehood, lie, fib, prevarication,
             story, tale, untruth, fiction, yarn, fable; falsification,
             forgery, fake, sham, Colloq cock-and-bull story, Brit fairy
             story, fairy tale:  His war record is a complete fabrication.

   fabulous  adj.  1 fabled, mythic(al), celebrated, legendary, storied,
             fictitious, fictional, unreal, fanciful, imaginary, story-book,
             fairy-tale:  Greek mythology tells us of a fabulous winged horse
             called Pegasus.  2 fantastic, marvellous, incredible,
             unbelievable, inconceivable, wonderful, astounding, astonishing,
             amazing, wondrous, extraordinary, miraculous, phenomenal:
             Houses in London were selling at fabulous prices.  3 superb,
             marvellous, terrific, great, wonderful, Colloq great, super,
             smashing, thumping, whopping, thundering, rattling, howling, US
             neat, keen, Slang fab, hot, far-out, cool, Old-fashioned
             fantabulous, in the groove, groovy, ace, Brit magic, US and
             Canadian copacetic:  I saw an absolutely fabulous new film the
             other night.

   face      n.  1 visage, countenance, physiognomy, features, lineaments,
             Slang mug, mush, kisser, pan, puss, Brit phiz, phizog, dial,
             clock:  I don't like the expression on your face.  2 look,
             appearance, aspect, expression, mien:  He has the face of
             someone who is very proud of himself. Modern farming has changed
             the face of the countryside. 3 mask, veneer, fa‡ade, front,
             camouflage, pretence, disguise, (false) impression, semblance,
             masquerade:  She puts on a bold face, but we know she was deeply
             hurt by your remarks. 4 dignity, image, self-respect, standing,
             reputation, repute, name, honour, status:  You might lose face
             if you admit you were wrong.  5 boldness, daring, audacity,
             effrontery, impudence, impertinence, presumption, brashness,
             Colloq gall, brass, nerve, cheek, guts, gutsiness, Brit brass
             neck, Slang US balls:  Who would have the face to name such a
             hotel 'The Palace'?  6 surface, exterior, front, outside, cover,
             facing, fa‡ade, skin:  The building will have a face of white
             marble.  7 right side, obverse, front; dial:  The card landed
             face up. The face of the clock is enamelled.  8 face to face.
             confronting, facing, opposite, en face, vis-…-vis, t€te-…-t€te,
             … deux, eye to eye, head to head, Colloq eyeball to eyeball:  We
             met face to face for the first time in the courtroom.  9 in the
             face of. in defiance of, notwithstanding, despite, in spite of,
             confronting, in opposition to:  Some experts attacked the report
             for flying in the face of received wisdom. 10 make a face.
             grimace, change one's expression, murgeon:  When I said I would
             be there, she made a face.  11 on the face of it. to all or
             outward appearances, seemingly, apparently, superficially,
             evidently:  On the face of it, I assumed that he was guilty.  12
             show one's face. put in or make an appearance, appear, arrive,
             be seen, turn up, Colloq show up:  I suppose I ought to show my
             face at the office party.  13 to one's face. directly, brazenly,
             eye to eye, face to face, candidly, openly, frankly:  I told him
             to his face that he was a liar.

             --v.  14 confront, brave, meet (with), encounter, experience,
             deal or cope with, come or go up against; appear before:  In the
             jungle we faced grave danger from man-eating tigers. She faces
             her first audience tonight. 15 give (out) or front on or onto,
             front towards, overlook, look out on or over; be opposite:  Our
             rooms face the lake. Facing page 22 is a map of the area.  16
             coat, surface, cover, clad, dress, sheathe, overlay, finish;
             veneer:  The collar is faced with velvet.  17 face down.
             confront, intimidate, cow, subdue, overawe, browbeat:  I'll not
             be faced down by that impudent clerk.  18 face up to.  a admit,
             accept, acknowledge, allow, confess:  We must all face up to our
             own shortcomings.  b confront, deal or cope with, come or go up
             against, brave, come to terms with; brazen through or out, bite
             (on) the bullet, grasp the nettle:  You wouldn't be able to face
             up to your wife if you'd forgotten her birthday.

   facilitate
             v.  ease, expedite, smooth, further, promote, advance; assist,
             aid, help:  It would facilitate transport if you would bring
             your own car.

   facility  n.  1 ease, smoothness, fluency, effortlessness, readiness,
             easiness, skill, skilfulness, deftness, dexterity, adroitness,
             ability, aptitude, expertise, expertness, proficiency, mastery,
             masterfulness, masterliness, efficiency; quickness, alacrity,
             celerity, swiftness, speed:  They praised her new-found facility
             with the Italian language.  2 Often, facilities.  a plant,
             system, building(s), structure, complex:  The company is
             building a new facility in France.  b convenience(s), privy,
             equipment, lavatory, toilet, powder-room, Nautical head, Brit
             water-closet, WC, loo, US and Canadian rest room, men's room,
             ladies' room, Colloq the Gents, the Ladies('), Slang Brit bog,
             karzy, US and Canadian john:  An American asked where he could
             find the facilities.

   facing    n.  fa‡ade, front, cladding, surface, overlay, skin; coating:
             The houses all have a colourful stucco facing.

   facsimile n.  copy, reproduction, print, carbon (copy), replica,
             duplicate, photocopy, fax, Trade Mark Xerox (copy), Photostat,
             Colloq US dupe:  Send a facsimile of the report to each field
             office.

   fact      n.  1 reality, actuality, truth, certainty:  The fact of the
             matter is that she didn't do it. Is there a basis in fact for
             your allegations? 2 accomplishment, fait accompli; occurrence,
             event, happening, incident, episode, experience, act, deed:
             Supersonic travel has been a fact for many years.  3 Often,
             facts. data, information, particular(s), detail(s), point(s),
             item(s), factor(s), Colloq low-down, (inside) info, the score,
             Brit the gen, US and Canadian the poop:  If I am going to defend
             you, I need all the facts of the case.  4 in fact. indeed, to be
             sure, as a matter of (actual) fact, in truth, truly, truthfully,
             actually, really, in reality, in point of fact, factually:  He
             didn't come; in fact, he had gone abroad the week before.

   faction   n.  1 group, cabal, bloc, cadre, camp, splinter group, circle,
             camarilla, clique, set, coterie, lobby, pressure group, junta or
             junto, ring, gang, Brit ginger group, Colloq crowd:  There is a
             small faction plotting to assassinate the finance minister.  2
             dissension, intrigue, strife, sedition, disharmony, discord,
             disagreement, quarrelling, contention, controversy, infighting,
             rupture, split, rift, schism, clash:  Faction within the party
             has no regard for national interests.

   factious  adj.  contentious, disputatious, litigious, refractory,
             divisive, conflicting, discordant, argumentative, at odds, at
             loggerheads, quarrelsome, seditious, mutinous, rebellious:  A
             factious Congress spells trouble for the President.

   factitious
             adj.  fake(d), bogus, false, mock, falsified, artificial,
             insincere, unreal, synthetic, fabricated, engineered,
             manufactured, spurious, counterfeit, sham, simulated, imitation,
             unauthentic, set or got up, rigged, Colloq phoney or US also
             phony:  We are all victims of factitious desires by which
             luxuries have become necessities.

   factor    n.  1 constituent, ingredient, element, part, particular, piece,
             component; circumstance, consideration, aspect, fact, influence,
             determinant, cause:  Which factors contributed to the decline of
             Mayan civilization?  2 agent, representative, proxy, middleman,
             intermediary, deputy, go-between:  Our company has a factor
             handling all our exports.  3 banker, financier, backer,
             moneylender, lender:  The factors lent us money to buy the stock
             needed to fill the orders.

   factory   n.  works, mill, plant:  She has a job at the piano factory.

   factual   adj.  1 actual, real, true, authentic, verifiable, realistic,
             true to life, genuine, valid, bona fide:  The report is a
             forgery, but the letters are factual.  2 accurate, correct,
             true, correct, faithful, precise, unbiased, undistorted,
             unvarnished, unexaggerated, objective, unprejudiced,
             straightforward:  This is a factual account of the Battle of
             Marathon.

   faculty   n.  1 ability, capacity, skill, aptitude, potential, talent,
             flair, knack, gift, genius; dexterity, adroitness, cleverness,
             capability:  She has a faculty for making people feel at home.
             2 school, department, discipline:  Her graduate studies were in
             the Faculty of Philosophy.  3 staff, personnel, members, Brit
             dons:  Each member of the faculty has a doctorate.  4 power,
             authorization, dispensation, sanction, licence, prerogative,
             privilege, right, permission, liberty:  The government has the
             faculty to judge treasonable acts.

   fad       n.  craze, mania, rage, fashion, trend, fancy, vogue:  Do you
             remember the hula-hoop fad?

   fade      v.  1 (grow) dim or pale, grow faint, cloud (over), dull;
             bleach, whiten, etiolate, wash out, blanch or blench, discolour:
             The scene faded in the distance. Look how the sun has faded the
             curtains! 2 droop, wither, decline, die out or away, perish,
             ebb, flag, wane, wilt, waste away, sag, diminish, dwindle,
             languish, deteriorate, decay, shrivel, peter out or away:  As he
             aged, his lust for life faded.

   fag       v.  1 Often, fag out. exhaust, weary, tire (out), fatigue, wear
             out, jade, Colloq Brit knacker, US poop:  I am completely fagged
             out from studying all night.

             --n.  2 Brit bore, nuisance, drag, chore, pain:  It's a bit of a
             fag having to fetch water from the garden.  3 servant, menial,
             flunkey, drudge, lackey, underling:  The seniors used to have
             fags to clean their shoes.  4 See homosexual, 1, below.  5
             cigarette, smoke, Colloq butt, cig(gy), weed, coffin-nail,
             cancer stick, Old-fashioned gasper:  Got a fag?

   fail      v.  1 not succeed, be unsuccessful, miss, miscarry, misfire,
             fall short (of), fall flat, fall through, falter, be (found)
             lacking or wanting, be defective, be deficient, be or prove
             inadequate, come to grief or naught or nothing, go wrong, abort,
             meet with disaster, founder, run aground, Colloq flop, fizzle
             (out), go up in smoke, flunk:  Guy Fawkes's plot failed utterly.
             Gloria failed her history examination.  2 let down, disappoint,
             forsake, desert, abandon, neglect, ignore, slight:  I was really
             counting on Mary, but she failed me.  3 decline, peter out,
             dwindle, diminish, wane, deteriorate, weaken, decay, fade or die
             (out or away), disappear, flag, ebb, sink, languish, give out;
             gutter, go out:  His health is failing. The light failed,
             leaving us in darkness.  4 go bankrupt, go out of business, go
             under, go into receivership, become insolvent, close up shop,
             close up or down, cease operation(s), Brit go to the wall, US
             file for Chapter Eleven, Colloq fold (up), go bust or broke, US
             drown in red ink:  According to the statistics, hundreds of
             businesses fail every week.

   failing   n.  1 weakness, shortcoming, foible, flaw, fault, defect, weak
             spot, blind spot, blemish, imperfection:  Bigotry and prejudice
             are her most serious failings.

             --prep.  2 lacking, wanting, in default of, without, sans, in
             the absence of:  Failing a favourable decision, we shall lodge
             an appeal.

   failure   n.  1 failing, default, non-performance, remissness; neglect,
             omission, dereliction, deficiency:  His failure to do his duty
             resulted in a court martial.  2 breakdown, collapse,
             discontinuance, miscarriage, loss; decline, decay,
             deterioration:  Power disruptions are caused by the failure of
             the national grid.  3 loser, non-starter, incompetent, also-ran,
             nonentity, Colloq flop, fizzle, damp squib, dud, lemon, washout,
             dead duck, US lead balloon:  He was an utter failure as a
             violinist.  4 bankruptcy, ruin, insolvency, downfall, crash,
             Colloq folding:  Bank failures increased owing to bad loans and
             other poor investments.

   faint     adj.  1 dim, dull, pale, faded, indistinct, vague, hazy,
             imperceptible, indiscernible, unclear, blurred, blurry, muzzy,
             wavering, faltering, ill-defined, weak, feeble, flickering,
             subdued; low, soft, slight, hushed, muffled, muted, inaudible,
             stifled:  A faint light burned in the corridor. I heard a faint
             noise.  2 dizzy, light-headed, unsteady, vertiginous, giddy,
             Colloq woozy:  I felt faint after climbing the stairs.

             --v.  3 black out, pass out, lose consciousness, swoon, drop,
             collapse, Colloq keel over:  She fainted when they told her the
             news.

             --n.  4 loss of consciousness, blackout, unconsciousness,
             collapse, swoon, Medicine syncope:  He dropped in a dead faint.

   faint-hearted
             adj.  1 cowardly, timorous, afraid, frightened, scared, faint,
             lily-livered, white-livered, pusillanimous; timid, shy,
             diffident; Colloq yellow(-bellied), chicken-hearted,
             chicken-livered, chicken:  He's too faint-hearted to ask her to
             marry him.  2 irresolute, weak, ineffectual, feeble, puny,
             feckless:  She made only a faint-hearted attempt at
             reconciliation.

   fair°     adj.  1 impartial, even-handed, disinterested, equitable, just,
             unprejudiced, unbiased, objective, Colloq square:  Judge Leaver
             is known for his fair decisions. We are counting on your sense
             of fair play. 2 honest, above-board, honourable, lawful,
             trustworthy, legitimate, proper, upright, straightforward:  He
             won the trophy in a fair fight.  3 light, blond(e), fair-haired,
             flaxen-haired, tow-headed, tow-haired; light-complexioned,
             peaches and cream, rosy; unblemished, clear, spotless,
             immaculate:  She has fair hair and fair skin.  4 satisfactory,
             adequate, respectable, pretty good, tolerable, passable, all
             right, average, decent, middling, reasonable, comme ci, comme
             ‡a, not bad; mediocre, indifferent, Colloq so so, OK or okay:
             The performance was fair but not outstanding.  5 favourable,
             clear, sunny, fine, dry, bright, cloudless, pleasant, halcyon,
             benign:  Fair weather is promised for tomorrow's picnic.  6
             unobstructed, open, clear, free:  Every spectator has a fair
             view of the football field.  7 attractive, good-looking,
             handsome, comely, pretty, beautiful, pulchritudinous, lovely,
             beauteous:  Faint heart never won fair lady.  8 civil,
             courteous, polite, gracious, agreeable:  She was not deceived by
             his fair words.

   fairэ     n.  f€te, festival, kermis or kirmess, exhibition, exposition,
             show; market, bazaar, mart, US exhibit:  Ashby will judge the
             sheep at the annual fair.

   fairly    adv.  1 quite, rather, pretty, somewhat, tolerably, adequately,
             sufficiently, passably, moderately, Colloq sort of, kind of:  I
             thought that the singing was fairly good.  2 equitably,
             impartially, justly, properly, honestly, objectively:  Please
             make certain that everyone is treated fairly.  3 absolutely,
             totally, utterly, completely, positively, really, actually,
             veritably, virtually:  The crowd fairly cheered themselves
             hoarse.

   fairyland n.  dreamland, wonderland, never-never land, happy valley,
             paradise, cloud-land, enchanted forest, cloud-cuckoo-land,
             Nephelococcygia, Shangri-La:  Zuleika's thoughts are always off
             somewhere in fairyland.

   faith     n.  1 belief, credence, confidence, conviction, trust,
             certainty, certitude, assurance, assuredness, sureness,
             reliance, dependence:  His faith in God is unassailable. I have
             great faith in her ability.  2 belief, religion, creed,
             persuasion, dogma, teaching, doctrine, denomination, sect:  To
             which faith do you belong? She is of the Jewish faith.  3 duty,
             allegiance, obligation, promise, faithfulness, loyalty,
             fidelity, devotion, consecration, dedication, fealty, obedience:
             Don't break faith with your electorate by supporting the bill.

   faithful  adj.  1 true, loyal, devoted, steadfast, dedicated, attached,
             unswerving, firm, staunch, unwavering, constant:  He has always
             remained faithful to his wife.  2 close, exact, accurate, true,
             correct, precise, perfect, valid; literal:  Jowett's is a
             faithful translation from the Greek.  3 conscientious, dutiful,
             scrupulous, careful, meticulous, thorough, punctilious, finicky
             or finical, detailed, fastidious, rigorous, rigid, severe,
             particular:  He received a gold watch for fifty years of
             faithful attendance to his duties. 4 reliable, dependable,
             trusted, trustworthy, trusty, honest, true, truthful, righteous,
             right, moral, virtuous, upright, veracious:  He has remained my
             faithful friend for many years.

   faithless adj.  1 sceptical, doubting, unbelieving, disbelieving,
             agnostic, atheistic, freethinking:  Faithless wretches are
             called Doubting Thomases.  2 unfaithful, disloyal, treacherous,
             traitorous, perfidious, shifting, shifty, fickle, inconstant,
             untrustworthy, unreliable, false, hypocritical, insincere,
             dishonest, false, crooked, unscrupulous, conscienceless,
             recreant:  With faithless friends like her, who needs enemies?

   fake      v.  1 falsify, doctor, alter, modify, counterfeit, fabricate,
             manufacture, forge:  He faked the evidence in order to implicate
             his own sister.  2 pretend, make a pretence of, dissemble,
             feign, sham, make believe, simulate, affect:  She faked a
             headache to avoid gym classes.

             --n.  3 hoax, counterfeit, sham, forgery, imitation, Colloq
             phoney or US also phony:  The experts agree that the painting is
             a fake.  4 faker, impostor, charlatan, fraud, hoaxer,
             mountebank, cheat, humbug, quack, pretender, Colloq phoney or US
             also phony:  He isn't a doctor - he's a fake!

             --adj.  5 false, counterfeit, forged, sham, fraudulent,
             imitation, pinchbeck, bogus, spurious, factitious, Colloq phoney
             or US also phony:  He escaped the country using a fake passport.

   fall      v.  1 descend, sink, subside, settle, drop or come (down),
             plummet, plunge, dive, (take a) nosedive; cascade:  The bucket
             fell to the bottom of the well. A meteorite fell on my house.
             The water falls 100 metres over the cliff at this point. 2
             tumble, trip, stumble, slump, collapse, keel over, topple,
             crumple:  Mother fell in the kitchen and hurt her knee.  3
             diminish, (become) lower, sink, decline, fall or drop off, drop,
             decrease, dwindle, subside, come or go down:  The price of oil
             fell today to a new low.  4 slope, fall away, decline:  Beyond
             the spinney, the meadow falls towards the river.  5 succumb,
             surrender, yield, give up or in, capitulate, be defeated or
             conquered, be captured, be taken (captive or prisoner), be
             overthrown, come or go to ruin, be destroyed, be lost:  The
             castle fell after a year's siege.  6 die, perish, drop dead, be
             slain or killed:  His grandfather fell at the Battle of the
             Marne.  7 fall apart. disintegrate, crumble, collapse, fall or
             come or go to pieces, break up, be destroyed; break apart,
             fragment, shatter:  I knew she would fall apart on the witness
             stand. The gadget fell apart as soon as we used it. 8 fall back.
             retreat, retire, withdraw, draw back; recede:  As the enemy
             advanced, we fell back.  9 fall back on or upon. have recourse
             to, rely or depend on or upon, return to, count on or upon,
             resort to, call on or upon, make use of, use, employ:  All the
             ready ammunition was gone and we had to fall back on our
             reserves. 10 fall behind. drop back, trail, lag; be in arrears:
             If you fall behind, I'll wait for you. We fell behind in our
             mortgage payments. 11 fall down.  a collapse, drop:  She hit me
             so hard that I fell down.  b fail, be (found) wanting or
             lacking, be unsuccessful, be or prove inadequate or
             disappointing:  He had to be replaced because he fell down on
             the job.  12 fall flat. collapse, fail, Colloq flop, US bomb
             (out), lay an egg, go over like a lead balloon:  A hit in London
             might fall flat in New York.  13 fall for.  a fall in love with,
             be infatuated with:  Some people will fall for anyone who tells
             them the right time.  b be fooled or duped or taken in or
             deceived by, accept, swallow, succumb to, Slang be a sucker for,
             US and Canadian be a patsy for:  Did Beaseley really fall for
             that old confidence trick?  14 fall in. cave in, collapse, sink
             inwards:  The walls were about to fall in on us.  15 fall in
             with. join, associate with, become associated or allied with,
             befriend; cooperate with, go along with, concur with, support,
             accept:  He fell in with a gang of thieves and spent the next
             few years avoiding the police. She agreed to fall in with my
             plan. 16 fall off. diminish, decrease, decline, deteriorate:
             Business falls off immediately after Christmas.  17 fall on or
             upon. attack, assault, assail, set upon:  Three muggers fell on
             me and stole my wallet.  18 fall out. disagree, differ, quarrel,
             clash, squabble, wrangle, dispute, fight:  We fell out over
             politics.  19 fall short. prove or (turn out to) be inadequate
             or insufficient or deficient or lacking or wanting or
             disappointing, miss, fail, disappoint:  The results of the sales
             campaign fell short of expectations.  20 fall through. fail,
             come to nothing or naught, miscarry, die, Colloq fizzle (out),
             flop:  The deal to buy the company fell through.  21 fall to.
             start, begin, commence, set or go about, get under way,
             undertake, tackle, take on; get moving, attack, Colloq get the
             show on the road, get cracking, US get a wiggle on, move it:
             The washing-up had to be done so I fell to.

             --n.  22 drop, descent, dive, nosedive, plunge, tumble,
             dropping, falling:  How could he have survived a fall from such
             a height?  23 Chiefly US and Canadian autumn:  They turn the
             clocks back one hour in the fall.  24 decline, decay, collapse,
             downfall, failure, destruction, ruin, failure, deterioration,
             eclipse:  Have you read Poe's classic Fall of the House of Usher
             ?  25 Usually, falls. cascade, cataract, waterfall; rapids:  How
             many falls are there along the Limpopo River?  26 depreciation,
             sinking, diminution, decrease, decline, lapse, downturn,
             down-swing, drop, drop-off, lowering, abatement, slump,
             collapse:  On the Stock Exchange today, investors experienced
             sharp falls in share prices. 27 slope, declivity, descent,
             decline, drop, downhill, Chiefly US and Canadian downgrade:
             Note the smooth rise and fall of the land.  28 surrender,
             capitulation, submission, taking, seizure, capture, overthrow,
             defeat, conquest, downfall:  The fall of Khartoum in 1898 marked
             the re-establishment of British rule in the Anglo-Egyptian
             Sudan.

   fallacy   n.  misconception, miscalculation, misjudgement, mistake, error,
             non sequitur, solecism, delusion; paralogism; sophism:  It is a
             fallacy to think that you could ever learn to play the violin as
             well as Susannah.

   false     adj.  1 untrue, unfactual, untruthful, wrong, amiss, mistaken,
             erroneous, incorrect, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, faulty,
             flawed, invalid, unsound, unreal, imaginary, fictitious,
             spurious:  The explorers gave a completely false picture of the
             local inhabitants.  2 untrue, untruthful, lying, misleading,
             fallacious, fabricated, made-up, concocted, mendacious,
             untrustworthy, fraudulent, meretricious, deceptive, deceitful,
             treacherous, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  The testimony of
             this witness is completely false.  3 counterfeit, imitation,
             simulated, sham, forged, fraudulent, fake, artificial,
             synthetic, manufactured, unnatural, spurious, bogus, ersatz,
             factitious, mock, pseudo, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  Your
             false teeth look almost real.  4 sham, feigned, affected,
             insincere, faked, manufactured, counterfeit(ed):  Don't shed any
             false tears over me when I'm gone.  5 illogical, fallacious,
             unsound, invalid, flawed, faulty:  That conclusion could come
             only from false reasoning.

   falsehood n.  lie, fib, prevarication, untruth, fabrication, misstatement,
             fiction, (fairy) tale, story, distortion, Colloq cock-and-bull
             story, Slang Brit load of codswallop:  That was a complete
             falsehood about the goings-on in the attic, wasn't it?

   falsify   v.  fake, alter, distort, misstate, misrepresent, twist, Colloq
             fudge, trump up, Brit cook:  The tax inspector found that the
             accounts had been falsified.

   falsity   n.  untruthfulness, mendacity, mendaciousness, fraudulence,
             deceptiveness, deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, spuriousness,
             speciousness, casuistry, hypocrisy, insincerity, falseness:  The
             prosecution was unable to prove the falsity of her statement.

   fame      n.  renown, repute, reputation, celebrity, illustriousness,
             superiority, pre-eminence, stardom, prominence, eminence, glory,
             name, notoriety, acclaim:  Randolph's fame has spread far and
             wide.

   familiar  adj.  1 well-known, common, commonplace, everyday, ordinary,
             current:  That's a familiar melody.  2 frequent, usual,
             customary, habitual, routine, traditional:  He strolled along
             his familiar route through the trees.  3 friendly, affable,
             close, intimate, sociable, social, free, free and easy, relaxed;
             over-friendly, overfree, overfamiliar, bold, forward, insolent,
             impudent, presumptuous, presuming, disrespectful, unreserved,
             unrestrained; informal, casual, cordial, unceremonious; Colloq
             chummy, Slang US and Canadian buddy-buddy, palsy-walsy:  She
             began to get entirely too familiar.  4 familiar with. aware or
             conscious or cognizant of, knowledgeable about or of or in,
             conversant or acquainted with, no stranger to, on speaking terms
             with, up on or in, (well-)versed in, informed of or about, privy
             to, in the know about, au courant, au fait:  Are you familiar
             with the latest theories in particle physics?

   familiarity
             n.  1 knowledge, acquaintance(ship), grasp, understanding,
             comprehension, cognizance, awareness, conversance, experience:
             I have no familiarity at all with particle physics.  2
             friendliness, affability, sociability, neighbourliness,
             fellowship, intimacy, intimateness, closeness, openness,
             naturalness, ease, informality, unceremoniousness:  He prided
             himself on his familiarity with celebrities.  3 boldness,
             presumptuousness, overfamiliarity, presumption, impudence,
             insolence, impertinence, impropriety:  He put his arm round her
             waist with offensive familiarity.

   familiarize
             v.  Usually, familiarize with. accustom (to), make familiar or
             acquaint (with), initiate (in), inform (about or on), enlighten
             (about or as to), teach (about), educate or instruct or tutor
             (in):  I am trying to familiarize myself with the music of John
             Cage.

   family    n.  1 (kith and) kin, kinsmen, kindred, kinsfolk or US and
             Canadian kinfolk, next of kin, relatives, relations, household,
             people, one's own flesh and blood, one's nearest and dearest,
             m‚nage, Colloq folks:  We usually spend the holidays with my
             family.  2 children, offspring, progeny, issue, brood, Colloq
             kids:  Large families were much more common in the 19th century.
             3 ancestors, forebears, forefathers, progenitors; ancestry,
             parentage, descent, extraction, derivation, lineage, pedigree,
             genealogy, family tree, house, line, bloodline, dynasty; blood,
             stock, strain:  He came from an old family of German bankers.  4
             group, set, division, subdivision, classification, type, kind,
             class, genre, order, species, genus:  English belongs to the
             Indo-European family of languages.

   famine    n.  starvation; shortage, dearth, scarcity, deficiency, paucity,
             exiguity, barrenness, lack:  In days of abundance, no one should
             die of famine.

   famished  adj.  starving, starved, voracious, ravenous, ravening, craving,
             hungry:  The survivors were famished after a fortnight in the
             lifeboat.

   famous    adj.  renowned, celebrated, popular, famed, well-known, noted,
             eminent, pre-eminent, conspicuous, prominent, illustrious,
             notable, acclaimed, venerable, legendary, distinguished,
             praiseworthy, honoured, lionized:  A famous architect has been
             invited to address the convention.

   famously  adv.  excellently, (very) well, superbly, marvellously,
             splendidly, capitally, spectacularly, superlatively:  The prince
             and I get on famously.

   fan       n.  admirer, enthusiast, adherent, devotee, aficionado,
             follower, supporter, lover, zealot, Colloq buff, fiend, hound,
             bug, addict, nut, US booster, Slang junkie, freak, groupie:
             Avid fans of Ascot United, we go to all the matches.

   fanatic   n.  maniac, extremist, zealot, Colloq fiend, nut, Slang freak:
             Religious fanatics killed 'heathens' or 'infidels' by the
             thousand.

   fanatical adj.  fanatic, extreme, distracted, maniacal, mad, rabid,
             zealous, frenzied, feverish, burning, frantic, frenetic,
             obsessive, fervent, compulsive, monomaniacal, fervid, perfervid,
             passionate, enthusiastic, agog, immoderate, excessive:  The
             entire family are fanatical in their fundamentalism.

   fanaticism
             n.  1 devotion, dedication, devotedness; infatuation,
             enthusiasm, fervour, zeal, obsessiveness, franticness, frenzy,
             hysteria:  Her fanaticism for rock musicians is getting a bit
             out of hand.  2 monomania, single-mindedness, mania, madness,
             extremism, intolerance, bigotry, bias, partiality, prejudice,
             narrow-mindedness, close-mindedness:  Some religious sects are
             characterized by virulent fanaticism.

   fancied   adj.  imaginary, unreal, fanciful, imagined, illusory,
             make-believe, mythical, fairy-tale:  They support their king in
             the pursuit of his fancied rights.

   fanciful  adj.  1 whimsical, capricious, impulsive, inconstant, fickle,
             changeable, variable:  Those graffiti are products of a fanciful
             mind.  2 extravagant, chimerical, fantastic, fabulous, mythical,
             fairy-tale, imaginative, fancied, make-believe, unreal,
             illusory, imagined, visionary, imaginary:  Some of the more
             fanciful ideas of science fiction have become realities. 3
             curious, odd, peculiar, bizarre, unusual, original:  The chalice
             was decorated with fanciful curlicues.

   fancy     adj.  1 ornate, decorative, decorated, ornamental, ornamented,
             elaborate, embellished, embroidered, fanciful, extravagant,
             rococo, baroque, gingerbread, Byzantine, complicated, intricate,
             complex:  The modern trend has been away from fancy
             architecture.  2 illusory, capricious, fanciful, extravagant,
             fantastic, far-fetched, delusive, whimsical, visionary,
             unrealistic, grandiose:  He has some fancy ideas about building
             an undersea city.  3 de luxe, luxury, luxurious, choice, select,
             prime, special, elegant, superior, quality, high-class; posh:
             They stock only fancy fruits and vegetables. She has a fancy
             suite at the Cardigan Hotel. 4 high, exorbitant, inflated,
             outrageous:  One has to pay very fancy prices for haute couture.

             --n.  5 imagination, creation, conception, inventiveness,
             creativeness, creativity:  These chimeras are entirely a product
             of his fancy.  6 imagination, fantasy, hallucination, delusion,
             illusion, unreality, make-believe, dream, day-dream, pipedream,
             mirage, phantasm, phantom, figment (of the imagination),
             impression:  Our plans for the future must be based on fact, not
             fancy.  7 liking, inclination, fondness, taste, penchant,
             attraction, preference, partiality, predilection, yearning,
             craving, hankering, wish, desire, longing:  Miss Crow's fancy
             for younger men often causes her some embarrassment.  8 idea,
             whim, caprice, whimsy, urge, impulse, notion, vagary, quirk,
             crotchet, peculiarity:  His fancy today is that he invented
             electricity.

             --v.  9 imagine, conceive, picture, visualize, envisage, think
             or make up, conjure up, US envision, Colloq dream up:  He
             fancies himself on a big yacht in the Mediterranean.  10 think,
             imagine, understand, believe, suspect, guess, conjecture,
             presume, surmise, assume, take it, suppose, infer, reckon:  From
             his costume I fancy he must be Superman. Fancy Kim winning the
             Nobel prize! 11 like, be attracted to, take (a liking) to,
             desire, want, crave, long or pine for, have a yen or craving
             for, have an eye for, wish for, hunger for, favour, prefer, lust
             after:  Terry has always fancied tall women. I wouldn't fancy
             being 40 feet up a swaying ladder like that.

   fanfare   n.  1 flourish, fanfaron, fanfaronade, (trumpet-)blast or blare:
             Following a loud fanfare, the toreador strutted into the ring.
             2 hullabaloo, hubbub, brouhaha, commotion, stir, ado, show,
             fuss, Colloq to-do, ballyhoo:  Despite the enormous fanfare, the
             film was a failure.

   fantasize v.  dream, imagine, day-dream, muse, mull (over), build castles
             in the air or in Spain, speculate, envisage, star-gaze;
             hallucinate, US envision:  She often fantasized about the kind
             of man she would marry.

   fantastic adj.  1 fanciful, strange, weird, peculiar, odd, eccentric,
             queer, bizarre, quaint, outlandish, exotic, extravagant,
             grotesque, nightmarish, alien, remarkable:  She wore the most
             fantastic costume to the fancy-dress ball.  2 imaginary,
             illusory, illusive, unreal, visionary, fanciful, unrealistic,
             imagined, irrational:  His books are inhabited by fantastic
             creatures.  3 unbelievable, incredible, preposterous,
             extraordinary, implausible, absurd, unlikely:  At 85, he made
             the fantastic decision to enter the marathon.  4 marvellous,
             spectacular, splendid, wonderful, tremendous, overwhelming,
             Colloq great, fabulous, terrific:  The Picasso exhibition is
             simply fantastic.

   fantasy   n.  1 imagination, fancy, creativity, inventiveness, creativity,
             originality:  We encourage the children to give free rein to
             their fantasy.  2 vision, hallucination, illusion, mirage,
             delusion, chimera, dream, day-dream, (flight of) fancy,
             pipedream:  Her fantasy is to become prime minister.  3
             make-believe, invention, cabrication, fiction, masquerade,
             fable, concoction, pretence:  His story about being an orphan is
             pure fantasy.

   far       adv.  1 afar, far-away or -off, a good or great or long way or
             distance off or away:  We caught sight of a sail far to the
             south.  2 (very) much, considerably, decidedly, incomparably:
             She is a far better swimmer than George.  3 by far. (very) much,
             considerably, decidedly, incomparably, (im)measurably, by a long
             shot, far and away, clearly, plainly, obviously, doubtless(ly),
             indubitably, undoubtedly, definitely, beyond (the shadow of a)
             doubt, without a doubt, Colloq Brit by a long chalk:  She's a
             better swimmer than George by far. He is by far the wealthiest
             person I know. 4 far and wide. everywhere, near and far or far
             and near, extensively, widely, high and low; here, there, and
             everywhere:  We searched far and wide to find these specimens.
             5 far gone.  a beyond or past help, advanced, deteriorated, worn
             out, dilapidated, near the end:  That shirt is too far gone to
             send to the laundry. My house is so far gone it's beyond repair.
             b drunk, besotted, Slang loaded, pissed, paralytic, paralysed:
             He's too far gone to walk.  6 go far.  a progress, advance,
             succeed, go places, get ahead, rise (in the world), make a name
             for oneself, become successful, set the world on fire, Brit set
             the Thames on fire, US cut a swath:  He is a very bright
             youngster and I'm sure he will go far in whatever profession he
             chooses. b help, aid, contribute, play a part:  The new law will
             go far towards inhibiting child abuse.  7 go too far. go
             overboard or over the top, not know when to stop, go to
             extremes; exceed, overdo, overstep, transcend, go beyond:
             Ambition is one thing, but he went too far when he tried to get
             his boss's job. 8 so far.  a thus far, (up) to or till or until
             now or the present or this point, to date, to this point in
             time:  So far, we have been able to keep up with the mortgage
             payments.  b to a certain extent or limit or point:  She said
             she would go just so far and no further.

             --adj.  9 (more) remote or distant, far-away, far-off; extreme,
             further, farther, farthest:  She claimed the ability to see into
             the far future. He kicked the ball to the far end of the field.

   far-away  adj.  1 faraway, distant, remote, far-off, outlying, far-flung:
             People came from far-away places as news of the miracle spread.
             2 faraway, dreamy, detached, absent, absent-minded, abstracted:
             When you have that far-away expression, I know you don't hear a
             word I say.

   farcical  adj.  ludicrous, laughable, risible, funny, nonsensical,
             ridiculous, silly, preposterous, absurd, foolish; comical,
             humorous, droll, amusing:  His farcical attempts at surfing
             fully dressed had us in hysterics.

   fare      n.  1 passenger, traveller:  The taxi-driver deposited his fare
             at the hotel.  2 charge, price, cost:  What is the fare from
             Oxford to London?  3 food, diet, victuals, meals, viands,
             eatables, provisions:  Prison fare consisted of bread and water.

             --v.  4 do, make one's way, manage, get on or along, make out,
             survive:  The children didn't fare very well on their own.

   farewell  n.  1 adieu, goodbye:  We said our farewells and left.  2
             departure, leave-taking, cong‚, parting, Colloq send-off:  I
             want to avoid a tearful farewell.

             --interjection.  3 Adieu!, Goodbye!, So long!, Godspeed!,
             Adios!, Hasta luego!, Hasta la vista!, Auf Wiedersehen!, Ciao!,
             Sayonara!, Aloha!, Vaya con Dios!, Colloq Brit God bless!,
             Old-fashioned Toodle-oo!, Pip! Pip!, Ta-ta!, US old-fashioned
             See you later (alligator)!, Don't take any wooden nickels!:  I
             said farewell and we went our separate ways.

   far-fetched
             adj.  strained, stretched, improbable, implausible, unlikely,
             doubtful, dubious, questionable, forced, unconvincing,
             unrealistic, fantastic, preposterous, hard to believe,
             unbelievable, incredible, Colloq hard to swallow, fishy:  They
             told some far-fetched tale about being robbed by a gang of
             midgets.

   farm      n.  1 farmstead, farmhouse, grange, homestead, holding; land,
             farmland, acreage, arable; Brit steading, smallholding,
             allotment, Scots farm-toun, croft:  My grandfather owns a farm
             in Yorkshire.  2 buy the farm. die, be killed:  A MIG caught
             Johnson and he bought the farm.

             --v.  3 cultivate, work the land, till the soil:  His family has
             been farming this land for centuries.  4 farm out. contract,
             subcontract, lease, delegate, let (out):  They cut staff and now
             farm out much of the work.

   farmer    n.  husbandman, agriculturist, agronomist, yeoman, Brit
             smallholder, US dialect granger:  The farmers here were hard hit
             by the drought.

   farming   n.  agriculture, agronomy, husbandry, agribusiness, cultivation:
             Less than 8,000 years ago man turned from hunting and gathering
             to farming.

   far-sighted
             adj.  1 far-seeing, foresighted, prescient, provident, prudent,
             shrewd, perceptive, discerning, insightful, wise, sagacious,
             acute, sharp, astute, sensible, imaginative:  The committee drew
             up a far-sighted plan for the redevelopment of the town centre.
             2 long-sighted, hyperopic or hypermetropic, presbyopic:  I'm
             far-sighted, so I wear glasses only for reading.

   fascinate v.  bewitch, enchant, cast a spell on or over, ensorcell,
             spellbind, hold spellbound, put or have under a spell, charm,
             captivate, intrigue, beguile, hypnotize, mesmerize, transfix,
             entrance, engross, enthral, enrapture, absorb, allure, attract:
             Desmond is utterly fascinated by Elizabeth.

   fascination
             n.  enchantment, sorcery, magic, attractiveness, attraction,
             draw, pull, (animal) magnetism, charm, allure, captivation,
             influence, witchcraft, entrancement:  Blondes always held a
             strange fascination for him.

   fashion   n.  1 style, mode, vogue, trend, look, taste:  That year there
             was a fashion for stiletto heels.  2 the fad, mania, the craze,
             the rage, the latest (thing), dernier cri, Colloq Brit the go:
             He remembers when upswept hair-dos were the fashion.  3 manner,
             mode, way, approach, attitude:  I'll always be true to you,
             darling, in my fashion.  4 in fashion. See fashionable, below.

             --v.  5 make, model, style, shape, form, frame, mould, create,
             construct, forge, work, manufacture:  She fashions the most
             beautiful vases out of shapeless lumps of clay.

   fashionable
             adj.  in fashion, chic, … la mode, modish, stylish, smart, in
             vogue, up to the minute, up to date, Colloq trendy, in, with it,
             Colloq Brit all the go:  The couturiers insist that black will
             be fashionable this year.

   fast°     adj.  1 quick, swift, fleet, speedy, brisk; brief, hurried,
             hasty, high-speed, accelerated, expeditious, rapid, express:
             She is very fast on her feet. We need a fast turn-round on this
             job. 2 loose, profligate, wild, extravagant, dissipated,
             intemperate, irresponsible, sybaritic, self-indulgent,
             dissolute, unrestrained, indecorous, rakish, licentious,
             promiscuous, immoral, wanton, lecherous, lustful:  They led
             quite a fast life till their divorce.  3 firm, fastened,
             secure(d), fixed, tied, bound, connected, attached:  The boat
             was fast to the pier.  4 firm, fixed, settled, stable, solid,
             immovable, unshakable or unshakeable, tight:  The sword was fast
             in the stone.  5 firm, stable, steadfast, staunch, unwavering,
             constant, lasting, close, loyal, devoted, faithful, lasting,
             permanent:  We maintained a fast friendship over the years.

             --adv.  6 quickly, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, briskly, presto,
             hastily, hurriedly, with all speed or haste, expeditiously,
             apace, post-haste, like a flash, in the blink of an eye, in a
             wink, before you can say 'Jack Robinson', in no time (at all),
             Colloq like a bat out of hell, like a shot, p.d.q. (='pretty
             damned quick'), Brit like the clappers (of hell), US and
             Canadian quick like a bunny or rabbit, lickety-split:  Don't
             talk so fast. He ran out of there very fast. I'll be back very
             fast. 7 firmly, fixedly, immovably, solidly, unshakeably or
             unshakably, tightly, securely, soundly:  The rope held fast. He
             is fast asleep.  8 closely, close to, immediately, near, (close)
             on, right:  Fast on the heels of the fugitive came the police.
             9 loosely, wildly, recklessly, intemperately, irresponsibly,
             fecklessly, extravagantly, intemperately, sybaritically,
             self-indulgently, dissolutely, unrestrainedly, indecorously,
             rakishly, licentiously, promiscuously, immorally, wantonly,
             lecherously, lustfully:  He's been living fast since inheriting
             that fortune.

   fastэ     v.  1 abstain, go hungry, deny oneself, diet, starve (oneself):
             Do you fast during Lent?

             --n.  2 abstention, abstinence, fasting, self-denial, diet;
             hunger strike:  She went on a two-week fast.

   fasten    v.  1 attach, tie, bind, bond, stick, affix, anchor, fix, lock,
             hook (up), secure, join, connect, link, fuse, cement, clamp:
             Fasten your seat belts. The mussels fasten themselves by their
             byssi to underwater piles. 2 fix, rivet, focus, concentrate,
             direct, aim, point:  He fastened his gaze on Kitty. She fastened
             her attention on the ceiling.

   fastening n.  fastener, catch, clasp, latch, lock, tie, bond:  Can you see
             what kind of fastening is holding the cover?

   fastidious
             adj.  squeamish, delicate, over-nice, fussy, meticulous,
             finicky, finical, pernickety or US also persnickety, particular,
             difficult, critical, hypercritical, supercritical, over-precise,
             punctilious, Colloq nit-picking, picky:  The Prioress was too
             fastidious to allow a morsel drop from her lip.

   fat       adj.  1 obese, stout, overweight, heavy, plump, rotund,
             corpulent, portly, well-fed, chubby, podgy or chiefly US pudgy,
             roly-poly, tubby, bulky, fleshy, paunchy, pot-bellied, overfed,
             flabby, elephantine, Colloq broad in the beam, beamy, beefy,
             Slang US five-by-five:  A fat man squeezed in beside me.  2
             oily, oleaginous, unctuous, greasy, fatty, pinguid, sebaceous,
             adipose:  His complexion is bad because he eats too much fat
             food.  3 rich, wealthy, prosperous, affluent, well-to-do, well
             off, Colloq well-heeled, loaded:  They grew fat on their profits
             from the black market.  4 profitable, lucrative, fruitful,
             remunerative, Slang cushy:  He has a fat job as a purchasing
             agent for the government.

             --n.  5 obesity, corpulence, stoutness, overweight, heaviness,
             plumpness, rotundity, portliness, chubbiness, podginess or
             chiefly US pudginess, tubbiness, fleshiness, paunchiness,
             flabbiness:  He leans a little towards fat because of lack of
             exercise.  6 riches, wealth, prosperity, fertility, yield,
             abundance, plenty, plenteousness:  He's living off the fat of
             the land.

   fatal     adj.  1 fateful, deadly, murderous, lethal, mortal, toxic,
             terminal, final; baneful, poisonous:  She drank the fatal potion
             without a word. Who dealt the fatal blow? 2 destructive,
             fateful, ruinous, calamitous, dreadful, disastrous, devastating,
             cataclysmic, catastrophic, harmful, mischievous, damaging:
             Discovery by the police would prove fatal to our plan.  3
             fateful, fated, destined, predestined, decreed, ordained,
             foreordained, preordained, predetermined, inevitable,
             unavoidable, necessary, essential, inescapable, ineluctable:
             The events fell into their fatal sequence.

   fatality  n.  1 catastrophe, disaster, calamity, cataclysm:  The eruption
             of Vesuvius was a relatively recent fatality.  2 death,
             casualty:  Traffic fatalities are on the increase.

   fate      n.  1 fortune, lot, luck, chance, life, destiny, God's will,
             providence, doom, karma, kismet, toss or throw of the dice,
             Colloq US and Canadian the breaks, the way the cookie crumbles,
             the way the ball bounces:  Fate has brought us together. Our
             meeting this way was just fate.  2 doom, destruction, downfall,
             undoing, ruin, disaster, collapse, death, nemesis, end, finish:
             The defenders of Masada met their fate bravely.  3 end, outcome,
             future, destination, disposition:  There was no trace of the
             fate of the explorers. What is to be the fate of this obsolete
             equipment?

   fated     adj.  1 destined, predestined, predetermined, decreed, doomed,
             fateful, ordained, foreordained, preordained, decided:  The
             fated day of my trial arrived.  2 sure, certain, doomed, damned,
             cursed:  Was I fated to spend the rest of my life in this fetid
             dungeon?  3 fatal, fateful, unavoidable, inescapable,
             inevitable, ineluctable:  Their fated punishment was to bail out
             the sea using sieves.

   fateful   adj.  1 significant, momentous, ominous, major, consequential,
             important, critical, crucial, decisive, weighty, portentous,
             earth-shaking, pivotal:  The minister is faced with having to
             make a fateful decision.  2 deadly, lethal, fatal, destructive,
             ruinous, disastrous, catastrophic, cataclysmic:  Failure to
             preserve the environment could have fateful consequences.

   father    n.  1 sire, paterfamilias, Colloq dad, daddy, pa, papa, pop, old
             man, old boy, Brit governor, pater:  His father is a chemist.  2
             forebear, ancestor, forefather, progenitor, primogenitor:  The
             father of the dynasty fought at Hastings.  3 creator, founder,
             originator, inventor, author, architect, framer, initiator:  He
             regards Lavoisier as the father of modern chemistry.  4 priest,
             confessor, cur‚, abb‚, minister, pastor, shepherd, parson,
             clergyman, chaplain, Colloq padre, Military slang sky pilot:  We
             should see the Father about the funeral service.

             --v.  5 sire, beget, get, engender, procreate, generate:  He had
             fathered more than forty children in his harem.  6 originate,
             establish, found, invent, author, frame, initiate, institute,
             create:  Galileo fathered modern astronomy by inventing the
             telescope.

   fatherland
             n.  motherland, native land, mother country, homeland, (old)
             country, birthplace:  They return to their fatherland for an
             annual visit.

   fatherly  adj.  paternal, kindly, kind, warm, friendly, affectionate,
             protective, amiable, benevolent, well-meaning, benign, caring,
             sympathetic, indulgent, understanding; parental:  My nephew used
             to come to me for fatherly advice.

   fathom    v.  probe, sound, plumb, penetrate, search (out), investigate,
             measure, gauge, determine, ascertain, work out, get to the
             bottom of, delve into, understand, grasp, divine:  I never quite
             fathomed the purpose of this device.

   fatigue   n.  1 weariness, tiredness, weakness, exhaustion, lassitude,
             listlessness, lethargy, languor, sluggishness, enervation:  She
             kept on tending the wounded till fatigue finally overcame her.

             --v.  2 weary, tire, weaken, exhaust, drain, enervate, Colloq
             fag (out):  My morning's work had fatigued me.

   fatigued  adj.  weary, wearied, tired, overtired, dead tired, weak,
             weakened, exhausted, listless, lethargic, languorous, sluggish,
             enervated, strained, wasted, Colloq whacked (out), knocked out,
             dead, beat, dead-beat, all in, Brit knackered, jiggered,
             buggered, US and Canadian pooped, bushed:  The firemen were
             fatigued after being on duty round the clock.

   fatness   n.  obesity, stoutness, corpulence, embonpoint, portliness,
             plumpness, chubbiness, rotundity, podginess or chiefly US
             pudginess:  His fatness is owing to a glandular condition, not
             overeating.

   fault     n.  1 imperfection, flaw, defect, blemish, deficiency,
             shortcoming, failing, weakness; frailty, foible, peccadillo:
             The fault lies in this circuit. Using filthy language is only
             one of his faults. 2 mistake, error, blunder, lapse, failure,
             offence, oversight, slip(-up), indiscretion, gaffe, gaucherie,
             faux pas, Slang boner, howler, goof, boo-boo, Brit boob:  People
             should be responsible for their faults. There are many faults in
             this manuscript. 3 responsibility, liability, culpability;
             blame, accountability, answerability:  It wasn't my fault that
             the tree fell down. The fault lies with you, James. 4 sin,
             transgression, trespass, misdeed, offence, misdemeanour, vice,
             indiscretion, misconduct, misbehaviour:  He will confess his
             faults to anyone who will listen.  5 at fault. to blame,
             blameable, blameworthy, in the wrong, responsible, answerable,
             accountable, liable, culpable, guilty:  You were at fault for
             failing to report the crime.  6 find fault. criticize, censure,
             take exception (to), carp (at), cavil (at), pick at, pick on,
             pick apart, pick holes in, niggle, fuss, Colloq nit-pick, knock:
             She constantly finds fault with everything I do.  7 to a fault.
             excessively, extremely, to an extreme, in the extreme,
             unreasonably, exceedingly, unduly, disproportionately,
             immoderately, irrationally, US overly:  She is modest to a
             fault.

             --v.  8 find fault with, censure, blame, criticize, call to
             account, impugn, call into question, hold (someone) responsible
             or accountable or to blame, lay at (someone's) door, accuse:
             You cannot be faulted for not knowing the fuel tank was empty.

   fault-finding
             n.  1 criticism, censure, carping, cavilling, captiousness,
             hypercriticism, quibbling, fussiness, hair-splitting,
             pettifogging, Colloq nit-picking, pickiness:  Why continue to
             put up with the foreman's fault-finding?

             --adj.  2 critical, censorious, carping, cavilling, captious,
             hypercritical, fussy, hair-splitting, pettifogging, niggling,
             contentious, querulous, quibbling, Colloq nit-picking, picky:
             She could no longer abide his fault-finding attitude.

   faultless adj.  perfect, flawless, immaculate, ideal, exemplary, correct,
             accurate, foolproof, irreproachable, unimpeachable, Colloq Brit
             bang on, spot on:  Their performance was faultless.

   faulty    adj.  defective, unsound, imperfect, flawed, impaired, out of
             order, malfunctioning, broken, bad; damaged; Slang on the blink,
             Chiefly US on the fritz:  The carburettor is faulty.

   favour    n.  1 good will, approval, support, approbation:  Father looked
             with favour on my marriage to Leslie.  2 courtesy, good or kind
             deed, good turn, kindness, gesture, beau geste; service:  As a
             favour, I'll walk your dog while you're away.  3 favouritism,
             partiality, prejudice, bias, preference, patronage:  They show
             favour in repeatedly giving the contract to the same company. 4
             grace, esteem, consideration, view, regard, opinion, account,
             (good or bad) books; disposition, taste, predisposition:  How
             does Rochester stand in the favour of the king?  5 in favour
             (of). for, pro, on the side of, in support (of), at the back of,
             backing, behind, on or US and Canadian in behalf (of), in back
             of:  Please vote in favour of the resolution. Are you in favour
             or against?

             --v.  6 approve, prefer, like, have a liking or preference for,
             be partial to, advocate, espouse, back, endorse, support,
             champion, recommend, incline to or towards, side with, take the
             side or part of, go for, opt for, fancy, select, choose, elect,
             single out, sponsor, adopt, go in for:  Which candidate do you
             favour?  7 pamper, coddle, baby, protect, indulge, be partial
             to:  Notice how Billie favours his left leg when walking?  8
             advance, forward, promote, facilitate, expedite, help, benefit,
             assist, aid, encourage, accommodate, smile upon:  The warm,
             moist climate favours the growth of mould.  9 resemble, look
             like, take after:  Little Jimmy favours his father, I think.

   favourable
             adj.  1 advantageous, promising, auspicious, fair, beneficial,
             suitable, fitting, appropriate, encouraging, facilitative,
             helpful, helping, supportive, supporting, convenient, useful,
             opportune, propitious, accommodating, accommodative;
             facultative:  A favourable breeze sent our craft towards Cyprus.
             2 good, promising, positive, encouraging, reassuring,
             affirmative, well-disposed, sympathetic; commendatory,
             laudatory, enthusiastic, eager, ardent, zealous:  They concluded
             a very favourable deal to supply the army with boots. My latest
             book received favourable reviews.

   favourably
             adv.  1 graciously, indulgently, sympathetically, genially,
             positively, agreeably, enthusiastically, with favour:  They
             reacted favourably to my suggestion.  2 advantageously,
             affirmatively, positively, in favourable terms:  Your
             application has been considered favourably.

   favoured  adj.  1 preferred, chosen, choice, selected, popular, favourite,
             pet:  The favoured explanation is that he is the boss's son.  2
             advantaged, privileged, blessed, prosperous, wealthy, rich,
             affluent, well off:  She is one of the favoured few who can
             afford to travel.

   favourite n.  1 choice, pick, preference, preferred, esteemed, darling,
             pet, ideal, apple of (someone's) eye, Colloq Brit blue-eyed boy
             or girl, flavour of the month, US white-haired or white-headed
             boy or girl, fair-haired boy or girl:  Raising interest rates
             doesn't exactly make the chancellor everyone's favourite.

             --adj.  2 beloved, chosen, picked, selected, preferred,
             best-liked, most-liked, favoured, choice, pet, ideal:  Which is
             your favourite flavour?

   favouritism
             n.  partiality, bias, predisposition, prepossession, prejudice,
             bent, partisanship, nepotism, preferment; preference, leaning,
             inclination, proclivity:  He openly admits to favouritism in
             selecting employees.

6.2 fear...
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   fear      n.  1 dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, alarm, trepidation,
             apprehension, fearfulness, apprehensiveness, dismay,
             consternation, hesitation, qualms, diffidence, timidity,
             cravenness, cowardice, second thoughts:  His fear of going into
             the jungle alone is understandable.  2 awe, respect, reverence,
             veneration:  That'll put the fear of God into him!  3 horror,
             spectre, nightmare, bogey or bogy, phobia, bugbear, b€te noire,
             misgiving(s), foreboding(s):  When they came to break the news,
             her worst fears were realized.  4 solicitude, anxiety, angst,
             foreboding(s), distress, misgiving(s), concern, apprehension,
             worry, uneasiness, unease:  Fear for her safety is shared by all
             of us.

             --v.  5 be afraid or scared or fearful or frightened (of),
             dread, quail or tremble or quake at, shudder at, shrink from,
             quiver:  What man cannot understand he often fears.  6 revere,
             respect, venerate, be or stand in awe of:  If you fear the Lord
             as I do, you won't take his name in vain.  7 expect, anticipate,
             imagine, suspect, foresee:  I fear we are too late for dinner.

   fearful   adj.  1 afraid, scared, frightened, terrified, alarmed,
             panic-stricken, terror-stricken:  Of all disasters, I am most
             fearful of fire.  2 hesitant, timid, timorous, shy, diffident,
             unwilling, intimidated, jumpy, nervous, edgy, panicky, anxious,
             apprehensive, cowardly, pusillanimous, Colloq yellow, jittery:
             Why is she so fearful of meeting her prospective in-laws?  3
             awful, dire, dreadful, frightful, frightening, terrifying,
             terrible, appalling, ghastly, atrocious, horrible, horrifying,
             horrendous, horrific, hideous, gruesome, grisly, grim, baleful,
             monstrous, unspeakable, loathsome, heinous, repugnant,
             repulsive, revolting, disgusting, nauseating, nauseous:  The
             fearful monster blocked our only way out.

   fearfully adv.  1 hesitantly, timidly, timorously, shyly, diffidently,
             unwillingly, nervously, edgily, anxiously, apprehensively:
             Fearfully, she approached the altar.  2 very, awfully, terribly,
             extremely, exceedingly, frightfully, tremendously:  It was
             fearfully considerate of you to come.

   fearless  adj.  brave, bold, intrepid, valorous, dauntless, courageous,
             valiant, plucky, daring, audacious, heroic, venturesome,
             gallant, chivalrous:  These fearless commandos cared nothing for
             their personal safety.

   fearsome  adj.  dreadful, awesome, appalling, formidable, daunting,
             frightening, frightful, awe-inspiring, menacing, terrible,
             terrifying, intimidating:  Last week's typhoon was the most
             fearsome storm of the century.

   feasibility
             n.  practicability, workability, applicability, viability,
             practicality:  The feasibility of the scheme has yet to be
             assessed.

   feasible  adj.  practicable, workable, doable, applicable, viable,
             practical, possible, realizable, achievable, attainable,
             sensible, usable, realistic:  The world needs a feasible method
             for disposing of nuclear waste.

   feast     n.  1 banquet, (lavish) dinner, (sumptuous) repast, (Lucullan or
             Epicurean) treat, Colloq spread, Brit beanfeast; Slang blow-out,
             Brit beano:  Dinner at Patrick's is no mere meal - it is a
             feast.  2 observance, celebration, rite, ritual, solemnization,
             commemoration, memorialization, anniversary, birthday, jubilee,
             feast-day, festival, f€te, holy day, holiday, red-letter day,
             occasion, event, gala:  Church calendars list both movable and
             immovable feasts.  3 treat, delight, pleasure, gratification:
             Seeing you again was a feast for the eyes.

             --v.  4 dine, wine (and dine), fare well or sumptuously,
             (over)indulge, gorge (oneself), gormandize, eat one's fill:  We
             feasted on roast turkey with all the trimmings.  5 entertain,
             feed, wine and dine, treat, regale:  Visitors to Arthur's court
             were feasted with the finest viands available. 6 delight,
             gratify, please, cheer, gladden:  Ali Baba feasted his eyes on
             the vast treasure in the cave.

   feat      n.  exploit, deed, act, attainment, achievement, accomplishment,
             tour de force:  Persuading your wife to let you go fishing was
             quite a feat.

   feature   n.  1 characteristic, attribute, trait, mark, hallmark, earmark,
             property, character, quality, aspect, facet, peculiarity, quirk,
             idiosyncrasy:  What are the identifying features of traditional
             Chinese architecture?  2 (main) attraction, draw, special
             attraction, high point or spot, best or memorable part; main
             film; US and Canadian drawing card; column, piece, article,
             item:  The feature of the show was the appearance of Gracie
             Fields. He writes the gardening feature for a Sunday newspaper.
             3 features. face, visage, physiognomy, countenance, looks, Slang
             mug, kisser, chips and plaice:  Her features twisted into a
             frown.

             --v.  4 present, promote, publicize, advertise, highlight,
             spotlight, put into the limelight, star, stress, emphasize, call
             attention to, play up, puff up, Colloq headline, hype:  He was
             featured in many films.  5 be, act, perform, take or have a role
             or part, participate, be involved or drawn in:  Novels feature
             prominently in our publishing programme.

   federation
             n.  combination, confederacy, confederation, amalgamation,
             coalition, league, alliance, union, association, Bund, society:
             The central government consists of a federation of states.

   fee       n.  1 charge, price, cost, fare, bill, tariff, toll, Colloq
             damage(s):  The membership fee is њ25.  2 pay, payment,
             emolument, compensation, recompense, honorarium, remuneration,
             rate, wage(s), stipend, salary:  What is your fee per hour for
             proofreading?

   feeble    adj.  1 weak, infirm, frail, puny, slight, feckless;
             debilitated, enervated, decrepit, enfeebled, exhausted,
             weakened; effete, delicate, fragile, powerless, impotent,
             impuissant, languid, spiritless, sickly, ailing, unsound, faint,
             dizzy; Colloq woozy, Brit wonky:  The survivors were suffering
             from exposure and too feeble to walk.  2 flimsy, weak,
             ineffectual, ineffective, namby-pamby, half-baked, lame,
             unconvincing, shoddy, thin, insubstantial, poor, unsatisfactory,
             insufficient, inadequate, unavailing, meagre, paltry,
             insignificant, Colloq wishy-washy, Brit wet:  She gave her usual
             feeble excuse for being late.  3 weak, obscure, dim,
             imperceptible, faint, distant, indistinct, unclear:  He could
             see little in the feeble light from the one candle. We heard a
             feeble cry from under the rubble.

   feeble-minded
             adj.  stupid, dull(-witted), witless, moronic, idiotic,
             imbecilic, simple, slow (on the uptake), slow-witted,
             weak-minded, dim-witted, addle-pated, halfwitted, deficient,
             subnormal, mentally defective, retarded, attocerebral, Brit ESN
             (='educationally subnormal'), Colloq dumb, thick, soft in the
             head, boneheaded, empty-headed, vacant, Brit gormless, US
             exceptional:  Why do you spend so much time with that
             feeble-minded twit?

   feed      v.  1 provision, cater or provide (for), victual, purvey,
             provender, supply, maintain, nurture, nourish, board, support,
             sustain, wine and dine:  Is there enough to feed everyone?  2
             eat, devour, graze, pasture:  Cattle feed most of the day.  3
             feed on or upon. subsist or survive or depend or thrive on or
             upon, be nourished or gratified or supported by:  Swindlers feed
             on others' gullibility.

             --n.  4 fodder, forage, pasturage, silage, food, provender:
             What kind of feed are you giving the sheep?

   feel      v.  1 touch, see, note, sense, perceive, experience, determine;
             handle, manipulate, finger:  Feel how rough the skin is at this
             spot.  2 stroke, caress, pet, fondle:  I like to feel a bare
             carpet with my toes.  3 sense, be conscious of, perceive, be
             aware or sensible of, experience:  I could feel the heat of the
             fire across the room.  4 sense, believe, think, perceive, judge,
             consider, deem, know, discern, intuit, Colloq get or have the
             impression, have a hunch, guess, have a (funny) feeling, feel in
             one's bones:  I feel I have outstayed my welcome.  5 undergo,
             sense, suffer, bear, endure, withstand, stand, abide, brook,
             tolerate, go through:  Let the other team feel the agony of
             defeat for a change.  6 seem, appear, strike one, give the
             impression, have a or the feeling:  It felt as if a great weight
             has been lifted from me. It feels like old times. That feels
             silky. 7 seem to be, be, regard or characterize oneself as, take
             oneself to be:  I feel certain that we've met before. I felt a
             perfect fool.  8 feel for. sympathize or empathize with,
             commiserate with, bleed for, be sorry for, pity, have compassion
             for:  She feels for all mothers whose sons have died.  9 feel
             like. incline or lean to or towards, prefer, fancy, want,
             desire, crave:  I feel like a cup of hot tea.

             --n.  10 texture, surface, sensation, touch, finish:  This wood
             has the feel of satin.  11 feeling, air, atmosphere, climate,
             ambience, sense, note, tone, quality:  It's so cosy here - it
             has the feel of home.

   feeler    n.  1 antenna, tentacle, palp, sensor:  Those moths have long,
             feathery feelers.  2 overture, hint, suggestion, foretaste,
             probe, tester, sensor:  The questionnaire is a feeler put out to
             test public opinion.

   feeling   n.  1 (sense of) touch, sensitivity, sense, perception,
             sensation, sensibility:  I had no feeling in my left side.  2
             intuition, idea, notion, inkling, suspicion, belief, hunch,
             theory, sense; premonition, hint, presentiment, sense of
             foreboding, sensation, impression, opinion, view; instinct,
             consciousness, awareness:  I have a feeling you're fooling. Do
             you ever have the feeling of being watched? 3 regard, sympathy,
             empathy, identification, compassion, tenderness, appreciation,
             concern, understanding, sensitivity, sensibility:  He has a
             genuine feeling for animals.  4 ardour, warmth, passion,
             fervency, fervour, ardency, intensity, heat, sentiment, emotion,
             vehemence:  She said she loved me with so much feeling that I
             thought she meant it. 5 feelings. emotions, sensitivity,
             sympathies, sensibilities, susceptibilities:  She hurt my
             feelings.  6 feel, mood, atmosphere, climate, sense, air,
             ambience or ambiance:  There is a feeling of impending doom
             about this place.

             --adj.  7 sentient, sensitive, tender, tender-hearted,
             compassionate, sympathetic:  Their behaviour did the soldiers
             honour as feeling men.

   feint     n.  distraction, mock attack, bluff, dodge, manoeuvre, false
             move, pretence, ruse, ploy, subterfuge, deception, tactic,
             stratagem, gambit, artifice:  The attack on the flanks is merely
             a feint - the main thrust will be at the centre.

   fell      v.  cut or knock or strike down, floor, prostrate, level, hew
             (down), flatten, demolish, mow (down); kill:  He felled his
             opponent with one blow. All the trees in this area must be
             felled.

   fellow    n.  1 man, boy, person, individual, gentleman, one, Colloq guy,
             chap, customer, kid, Brit bloke, Slang geezer, gink, US
             old-fashioned gazabo:  There was a fellow here asking for you
             today.  2 colleague, associate, comrade, companion, ally, peer,
             compeer:  He is going to meet some of his fellows at the club.
             3 mate, match, counterpart, partner, complement, concomitant,
             accessory:  I lost one glove last week and now have lost its
             fellow.  4 boyfriend, man, sweetheart, love, young man; lover,
             paramour, Formal suitor, Old-fashioned beau, Archaic swain,
             Slang guy:  Bailey has been Sue's fellow for years.

             --adj.  5 associate(d), affiliate(d), allied, auxiliary,
             related:  Ladies, not accorded membership in the men's club,
             belonged to a fellow organization. She shared her sandwiches
             with a fellow passenger.

   fellowship
             n.  1 companionship, camaraderie, comradeship, amity,
             brotherhood, fraternization, togetherness, association,
             friendship, amity, companionability, sociability, intimacy:  I
             have always enjoyed the fellowship of my university colleagues.
             2 society, club, association, alliance, guild, league, union,
             sisterhood, sorority, brotherhood, fraternity, congregation,
             circle, community, order, organization, consortium, partnership;
             lodge, clan, company, coterie, set, clique, coalition, bloc,
             cartel, trust:  They belong to the worldwide fellowship of
             artists.  3 friendliness, clubbiness, sociability, intimacy,
             amicability, affability, kindliness, cordiality, familiarity,
             affinity, belonging, congeniality, warmth, hospitality:  Being a
             club member gives him a feeling of fellowship.

   felon     n.  criminal, outlaw, lawbreaker, offender, culprit, miscreant,
             malefactor, wrongdoer:  Only if convicted of a certain class of
             crime is a person technically a felon.

   feminine  adj.  1 female, womanlike, womanly, ladylike, submissive,
             deferential, amenable, gentle, docile, tender, soft, delicate:
             She is much more feminine than her sister.  2 effeminate,
             womanish, unmanly, unmasculine, sissy or Brit cissy, sissified
             or Brit cissified, effete, affected:  Barry's manner and
             behaviour seem to become more feminine every day.

   fence     n.  1 barrier, enclosure, barricade, confine, wall, rampart;
             railing(s), palisade:  Maurice had a fence put up round his
             house.  2 on the fence. undecided, indecisive, vacillating,
             uncommitted, uncertain, irresolute; impartial, neutral,
             non-partisan, unbiased, unprejudiced, unaligned, non-aligned,
             independent:  She is on the fence with regard to the issue of
             capital punishment.

             --v.  3 enclose, encircle, surround, circumscribe, bound, coop,
             restrict, hedge, confine, fortify, protect, separate:  The
             pasture is fenced both to keep the sheep in and the wolves out.
             Fence off this area for a garden. 4 parry, avoid, fend off,
             sidestep, dodge, evade, hedge, stonewall, equivocate, palter,
             tergiversate, vacillate, shilly-shally, quibble, cavil, beat
             about the bush, qualify, prevaricate, Colloq Brit waffle:
             Awkward questions were adroitly fenced by the chairman. Give a
             straight answer and stop fencing.

   fend      v.  1 fend for oneself. get or scrape along (on one's own), make
             out, get by, make do, shift for oneself, take care of or provide
             for or support oneself:  Mother didn't believe I could fend for
             myself.  2 fend off. discourage, parry, keep or hold at bay,
             resist, repel, stave or ward or fight off, deflect, turn aside,
             avert, divert:  We fended off our attackers for three days.

   ferment   v.  1 boil, effervesce, seethe, bubble, foam, froth, brew; rise,
             raise, work, leaven:  A rebellion is fermenting in the northern
             counties. Adding yeast causes the bread to ferment. 2 excite,
             stir up, incite, instigate, agitate, foment, inflame, rouse,
             provoke:  He helped to ferment a riot.

   ferocious adj.  fierce, savage, cruel, vicious, feral, fell, brutal,
             bestial, merciless, ruthless, pitiless, inhuman, barbaric,
             barbarous, violent, destructive, murderous, bloodthirsty,
             sanguinary, predatory, fiendish, diabolical, devilish, hellish,
             monstrous:  Cerberus, a ferocious beast with three heads, guards
             the gates of hell.

   fertile   adj.  fruitful, prolific, fecund, productive, bounteous,
             profuse, abundant, copious, fructuous, plenteous, generative,
             teeming, rich, luxuriant:  The land was fertile enough to grow
             anything. This book is a fertile source of ideas.

   fertilize v.  1 impregnate, inseminate, pollinate, fecundate, fructify:
             The flower should be fertilized by pollen from a different
             stock.  2 manure, mulch, feed, nourish, enrich, dress, compost:
             The earth can be fertilized at any time.

   fervent   adj.  1 fervid, fiery, burning, glowing, hot, intense,
             passionate, impassioned, ardent, hotheaded, inflamed,
             fanatic(al), excited, frantic, frenzied:  Only the most fervent
             acolytes were ordained as ministers of the faith. 2 eager,
             earnest, enthusiastic, zealous, animated, intense, heartfelt,
             emotional:  It is my fervent desire to see you happy.  3
             ecstatic, transported, rapturous, rapt, enrapt, enraptured,
             captivated:  The fervent crowds cheered wildly when Caesar
             arrived.

   fervour   n.  fervency, ardour, warmth, passion, vehemence, glow,
             intensity, zeal, eagerness, earnestness, enthusiasm, animation,
             gusto, ebullience, spirit, verve:  She went about her studies
             with a fervour we had not seen before.

   fester    v.  1 ulcerate, suppurate, run, ooze, putrefy, putresce,
             necrose, mortify, rot, decay, decompose:  His entire body was
             covered with festering sores.  2 rankle, smoulder, gall, chafe,
             inflame:  Bitterness over the way he had been treated festered
             inside him for years.

   festival  n.  1 holiday, holy day, f€te, feast, commemoration,
             anniversary:  He wanted to be with his family for the Christmas
             festival.  2 celebration, f€te, festivities, carnival,
             entertainment, red-letter day, gala day, anniversary, birthday:
             The town organizes a festival every autumn.

   festivity n.  1 rejoicing, gaiety, mirth, jubilation, conviviality,
             joyfulness, merriment, revelry, merrymaking, glee, jollity,
             jollification, felicity, Colloq Brit mafficking:  There were
             laughter and festivity in the air.  2 festivities.
             celebration(s), festival, party, fun and games, entertainment,
             amusement, hilarity, boisterousness, frivolity:  Come along and
             join the festivities at our house tonight.

   fetch     v.  1 get, go after or for, bring (back), retrieve, deliver,
             obtain, carry or convey (back):  Would you please fetch my
             slippers?  2 summon, bring or draw forth, call, elicit:  The
             doorbell fetched me from my bath.  3 sell for, bring (in), go
             for, yield, earn, make, cost, realize:  These days a house near
             London fetches a high price.

             --n.  4 reach, stretch, range, span, extent:  It is quite a long
             fetch across the bay.

   fetching  adj.  attractive, alluring, taking, winsome, winning, cute,
             enchanting, charming, captivating, intriguing:  Fingal's sister
             is a fetching young lass.

   f€te      n.  1 festival, entertainment, reception, levee, gala,
             rejoicing, celebration, party, festivities, get-together,
             social, amusement, revel, fair, ball, frolic, spree, jamboree,
             carnival, event, occasion, Colloq blow-out, shindig, bash, do,
             bust, Slang US and Canadian wingding, blast:  You are invited to
             our annual f€te on New Year's Eve.

             --v.  2 entertain, feast, roll or bring out the red carpet for,
             wine and dine, celebrate, honour, lionize, fuss over, kill the
             fatted calf for:  Fiona's book was a great success and she was
             f€ted all over Europe.

   fetish    n.  1 charm, amulet, talisman, totem, Rare periapt:  Round his
             neck he wore the dreaded fetish of the fish god.  2 obsession,
             compulsion, fixation, mania, id‚e fixe:  It's a fetish of hers
             to kiss only under the mistletoe.

   feud      n.  1 dispute, conflict, vendetta, hostility, strife, enmity,
             animosity, hatred, antagonism, rivalry, ill will, bad blood,
             hard feelings, contention, discord, grudge, dissension,
             disagreement, argument, quarrel, bickering, squabble, falling
             out, estrangement:  A silly feud broke out over whose turn it
             was to bring the Christmas goose.

             --v.  2 dispute, quarrel, bicker, disagree, conflict, row,
             fight, fall out, clash, be at odds, be at daggers drawn:  The
             Hatfields and McCoys feuded for decades.

   feverish  adj.  inflamed, flushed, burning, fiery, hot, ardent, fervent,
             hot-blooded, passionate, frenzied, frantic, excited, frenetic,
             zealous; Pathology febrile, pyretic, pyrexic:  I was looking
             forward to our rendezvous with feverish excitement.

   few       adj.  1 hardly or scarcely any, not many, insufficient;
             infrequent, occasional:  Few people came to my party. He is a
             man of few words.

             --n.  2 handful, some, scattering:  I invited a lot of people,
             but only a few came.

             --pron.  3 (only) one or two, not many:  Many apply but few are
             chosen.

6.3 fianc‚(e)...
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   fianc‚(e) n.  betrothed, wife- or bride- or husband-to-be, intended:  He
             went out to buy a ring for his fianc‚e.

   fiasco    n.  failure, disaster, muddle, mess, abortion, botch, Colloq
             fizzle, flop:  My effort to help Donald with his maths homework
             was a complete fiasco.

   fib       n.  1 falsehood, (little) white lie, untruth, prevarication,
             fabrication, invention, misrepresentation, story, (fairy) tale,
             fiction; lie; Colloq tall story, US tall tale, cock-and-bull
             story, whopper:  I told a little fib when I said my grandmother
             was ill.

             --v.  2 prevaricate, misrepresent, fudge, falsify, misspeak,
             palter; lie; Colloq waffle:  They admitted they had fibbed about
             who had thrown the egg.

   fibre     n.  1 filament, thread, strand, fibril, tendril:  This fabric is
             woven from cotton fibre.  2 texture, structure, material,
             fabric:  The fibre of this rock is granular.  3 essence,
             character, nature, mould, composition, constitution, substance,
             quality, stripe, cast, make-up:  Love for him is wrapped up in
             the very fibre of her being.

   fickle    adj.  flighty, capricious, frivolous, unpredictable, moody,
             giddy, fanciful, whimsical, fitful, mercurial, volatile,
             unstable, changeable, mutable, inconstant, changeful, unsteady,
             unsteadfast, indecisive, undecided, vacillating or rarely
             vacillant, unsure, uncertain, irresolute, wavering, erratic,
             unreliable, undependable, irresponsible, untrustworthy,
             faithless, unfaithful, disloyal, Colloq wishy-washy:  That
             fickle woman has already taken up with someone else. You should
             know how fickle the tastes of the public are.

   fictional adj.  unreal, imaginary, invented, made-up, mythical, fanciful;
             legendary, fabulous:  The newspaper article was a hoax -
             completely fictional. Lorna Doone is Janet's favourite fictional
             heroine.

   fictitious
             adj.  1 imagined, imaginary, non-existent, unreal, made-up,
             invented, fabricated, mythical, fancied, fanciful, fictive,
             untrue, apocryphal:  The claim that an article had appeared was
             completely fictitious.  2 false, counterfeit, bogus, artificial,
             spurious; assumed, improvised, made-up, invented, make-believe,
             imaginary, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  When arrested they
             gave fictitious names.

   fiddle    v.  1 Often, fiddle with. meddle (with), tamper (with),
             interfere (with), alter, falsify, fix; cheat, swindle, flimflam;
             Colloq finagle, Brit cook:  The treasurer had been fiddling the
             accounts for years.  2 Often, fiddle with or about or around.
             toy or trifle or fidget (with), twiddle or play or tinker
             (with), fool or fuss (with), Colloq mess or muck (about or
             around) (with), frivol (away), monkey (around) (with):  He sat
             there nervously fiddling with his ear. Stop fiddling about and
             get on with your work.

             --n.  3 Brit swindle, fraud, racket, thimblerig, US shell-game,
             Slang skin game, funny business, monkey business:  The tax
             inspector caught him in some fiddle with his business expenses.
             4 violin, viola, viol, cello, violoncello, kit:  He played
             fiddle for the tsar.

   fiddlesticks
             interj.  Nonsense!, Rubbish!, Colloq Fiddle-de-dee!,
             Balderdash!, Stuff and Nonsense!, Poppycock!, Pish and tush!,
             Tommy-rot!, Hogwash!, Eyewash!, Boloney!, Bilge-water!,
             Moonshine!, Humbug!, Bosh!, Fiddle-faddle!, Bull!, Rot!, Brit
             Codswallop!, Taboo slang Bullshit!, Balls!, Crap!, Horseshit!,
             Brit Bollocks!  or Ballocks!:  When he said he'd pay what he
             owed, I just said, 'Fiddlesticks!'

   fidget    v.  1 squirm, twitch, shuffle, wriggle, wiggle, fiddle, fuss;
             fret, chafe:  Stop fidgeting and tell me the truth!

             --n.  2 fusspot, fuss-budget, cat on hot bricks, US cat on a hot
             tin roof, Colloq US nervous Nellie:  If her conscience is clear,
             why is she such a fidget?  3 the fidgets. restlessness,
             fidgetiness, dither, uneasiness, the jitters, nervousness,
             itchiness, Colloq heebie-jeebies, jim-jams, ants in one's pants:
             Whenever he tells a lie he gets a bad case of the fidgets.

   field     n.  1 ground, land, arable, pasture, grassland, meadow, green,
             lawn, common, clearing, tract, area, acreage, Literary
             greensward, lea, sward; Archaic mead:  The house looks out over
             the fields.  2 battlefield, battleground, airfield; (cricket)
             pitch, football or hockey or soccer field, American football
             gridiron:  We marched onto the field prepared for anything.  3
             competition, competitors, players, entrants, contestants,
             participants, candidates, possibilities, applicants:  Who can
             match you among today's field?  4 area, domain, realm,
             department, territory, province, sphere, scope, division,
             interest, line, m‚tier, discipline, bailiwick, speciality,
             specialization, expertise, forte, strength:  She is certainly
             the leading expert in her field. My field is biochemistry.

             --v.  5 catch, stop, return, retrieve, pick up:  Did you see how
             Border fielded that ball?  6 answer, reply to, respond to,
             handle, manipulate, deal with, react to, cope with:  The
             candidate adroitly fielded questions from the press.

   fiend     n.  1 See devil.  2 addict, maniac, fanatic; fan, aficionado,
             enthusiast, devotee, hound, follower, Colloq buff, nut, Slang
             freak:  He's a Welsh rarebit fiend.

   fiendish  adj.  cruel, savage, inhuman, monstrous, ghoulish, malignant,
             malevolent, malicious, wicked, evil, bad, black-hearted,
             satanic, devilish, Mephistophelian, demonic, demoniac(al),
             diabolic(al), cacodemonic, hellish, infernal:  He sniggered with
             fiendish glee as he tightened the thumbscrew.

   fierce    adj.  1 ferocious, savage, wild, truculent, brutish, feral,
             bestial, tigerish, brutal, cruel, fell, murderous, bloodthirsty,
             sanguinary, homicidal, barbaric, barbarous, inhuman, dangerous:
             The fierce beasts will tear you limb from limb.  2 intractable,
             angry, furious, hostile, aggressive, vehement, frenzied, stormy,
             violent, turbulent, wild, tempestuous, tumultuous, raging,
             merciless, uncontrollable:  The old curmudgeon is in a fierce
             mood again today. A fierce storm raged for three days. 3 severe,
             awful, dreadful, intense, keen, dire, bitter, biting, racking:
             Wear warm clothes to protect you from the fierce cold.

   fiercely  adv.  very, extremely, exceedingly, vehemently, intensely,
             impetuously, violently, furiously, ferociously, viciously,
             savagely:  She refuses to deal with anyone who is so fiercely
             competitive.

   fiery     adj.  1 burning, flaming, blazing, hot, red-hot, white-hot,
             overheated; afire, on fire, in flames, ablaze:  Fiery lava burst
             from the volcano.  2 glowing, red, incandescent, brilliant,
             luminous, glaring, gleaming, radiant; aglow, afire:  We watched
             the fiery sunset fade into azure hues.  3 ardent, eager,
             spirited, passionate, excited, excitable, peppery, irascible,
             touchy, irritable, edgy, hotheaded, fierce:  I had best not be
             late as my boss has a fiery temper.

   fight     v.  1 contend (with), battle, conflict (with), encounter, war
             (against), engage, clash, take up arms (against), feud (with),
             combat, bear or take up arms (against), brawl, struggle or
             strive (with or against), cross swords (with), close (with),
             come to or exchange blows (with), go to or wage war (with or
             against), joust (with), grapple or wrestle (with), skirmish
             (with), tussle or scuffle (with or against); box, spar;
             Old-fashioned broil:  He offered to fight anyone in the place.
             Why are the boys always fighting? 2 dispute, question, confront,
             contest, oppose, contradict, defy, confute, protest, resist,
             rail or struggle, against, withstand, refute, oppugn, make or
             take a stand against, contravene, confound:  He has sworn to
             fight prejudice wherever he finds it.  3 rise up, make or take a
             stand, struggle, take up arms:  It is better to fight for the
             good than to rail at the ill.  4 argue, dispute, bicker,
             quarrel, wrangle, squabble, spat, tiff, fall out (over), have
             words, disagree, row, altercate, debate:  I hear the neighbours
             fight every night.  5 fight off. repel, repulse:  Prepare to
             fight off anyone trying to come over the side!  6 fight shy of.
             avoid, keep or remain aloof from or of, keep away from:  She
             usually fights shy of going to cocktail parties.

             --n.  7 battle, conflict, bout, duel, (single) combat,
             monomachy, one-on-one, action, warfare, clash, hostilities, war,
             match, struggle, engagement, meeting, encounter, contest,
             fighting, brawl, Donnybrook, affray, fray, fracas, disturbance,
             riot, row, m€l‚e or melee, tussle, scuffle, scrimmage, skirmish,
             brush, Colloq free-for-all, set-to, scrap, Brit scrum, bovver,
             Slang US rumble, Old-fashioned broil:  Three policeman were
             injured in the hour-long fight.  8 altercation, argument,
             quarrel, feud, dispute, run-in, disagreement, dissension,
             dissidence, dissent, difference (of opinion), squabble,
             bickering, spat, misunderstanding, row, discord, Colloq ruckus:
             Such fights between husband and wife happen all the time.  9
             pugnacity, mettle, militancy, belligerence, truculence, spirit,
             pluck, zeal, enthusiasm, zest:  She had enough fight left in her
             to go on to win.

   figure    n.  1 physique, build, shape, form, configuration, conformation,
             build, body, outline, silhouette; cut, cast; Slang bod, chassis:
             It's exercise that gives Kathy such a fine figure.  2
             appearance, image, likeness, representation, semblance:  The
             vision came to him in the figure of a dragon.  3 person,
             individual, human (being):  A burly figure loomed up out of the
             fog.  4 statue, effigy, sculpture, bust, mould, cast, image,
             representation, idol, icon:  Hundreds of figures are carved into
             the stone of the temple fa‡ade.  5 picture, illustration,
             diagram, drawing, sketch, plate:  See Figure 12 for a graph
             showing the rate of inflation for the past decade. 6
             personality, celebrity, somebody, leader, personage, worthy,
             notable, individual, presence, force, character:  Chaplin looms
             large as a figure in the history of comedy.  7 number, numeral,
             cipher, digit; character, symbol, device, sign; design, pattern,
             motif, emblem:  His salary is in six figures.

             --v.  8 Often, figure up. calculate, compute, reckon, work out;
             count, enumerate, numerate, total, tot up, tally, sum:  Please
             figure up how much I owe you.  9 picture, imagine, think, take,
             reckon, consider, calculate, judge, believe; assume, presume,
             suppose; accept, acknowledge, concede:  I never figured her to
             be the guilty one.  10 act, participate, take or play a part or
             role, appear, feature, have a place; be included or mentioned,
             be featured or conspicuous:  He does not figure in my plans.  11
             figure on or upon.  a rely or depend on or upon, count on or
             upon, trust in, put faith in:  You mustn't figure on his help.
             b plan on or upon, take into consideration or account, consider,
             make allowance for:  They were figuring on consumer demand for a
             better mousetrap.  12 figure out.  a calculate, reckon, compute,
             work out:  I haven't yet figured out last year's profits and
             losses.  b decipher, translate, understand, interpret, solve,
             grasp, get, fathom, see, perceive, Colloq dig, make head(s) or
             tail(s) of, get through one's head, get the hang or drift of,
             catch on (to), get a fix on, Brit twig, suss out:  Can you
             figure out what this article is trying to say?

   figurehead
             n.  puppet, dummy, marionette, mouthpiece, Brit man of straw, US
             and Canadian straw man, Colloq front man, Chiefly US front:  The
             king is a mere figurehead with no power at all.

   file      n.  1 document, documentation, dossier, case, data, folder,
             portfolio, information:  Interpol has files on Cowdery's
             activities going back ten years.  2 line, queue, column, row,
             rank:  The file of armoured vehicles stretched for miles.

             --v.  3 classify, organize, systematize, categorize,
             alphabetize, chronologize, order, arrange, pigeon-hole,
             interfile, put or place in order, register, record, enter:  Must
             all this correspondence be filed today?  4 submit, send in,
             complete, fill in or US and Canadian also fill out, enter:  I
             have already filed my application for a transfer.  5 walk,
             march, troop, parade:  Please file into the classroom and take
             your seats.

   fill      v.  1 crowd, stuff, cram, jam, load, burden, pack, squeeze:  A
             huge number of people filled the stadium.  2 top (off), top up,
             fill up, make full; inflate, swell, stretch, blow up, distend,
             expand:  Pour in just enough to fill the bottle. See if you can
             fill the balloon. Wind filled the sails. 3 Sometimes, fill up.
             supply, provide, furnish:  Irena has filled her house with
             paintings.  4 meet, satisfy, fulfil, answer:  Will a dozen fill
             your needs for a while?  5 satisfy, satiate, bloat, sate, gorge,
             stuff; stock:  The guests filled themselves with choice foods at
             the reception.  6 abound in, overflow, be abundant or plentiful
             in:  Trout filled the lake.  7 close, stop (up), block, stuff,
             plug, caulk, seal:  The dentist had to fill two cavities.  8
             occupy, take over, discharge, carry out, do, execute:  Can you
             fill her job while she's away?  9 fill in or US and Canadian
             also out.  a make out, complete, answer:  Please fill in this
             application.  b take the place, stand in, substitute:  Could you
             fill in during my secretary's absence?  c inform, tell, advise,
             let in on, notify, bring up to date, share, let in on:  Don will
             fill you in on the details later.  10 fill out.  a swell,
             expand, grow, distend, stretch; fatten, increase:  The sails
             filled out in the freshening breeze.  b US fill in. See 9(a).

             --n.  11 one's fill. plenty, enough; surfeit, sufficiency:  We
             ate our fill and left.

   filling   n.  filler, stuffing, padding, wadding; contents, components,
             Colloq innards:  What kind of filling do you like in a pie?

   film      n.  1 coating, skin, coat, membrane, peel, integument, layer,
             overlay, covering, cover, sheet, dusting, veil, Technical
             pellicle:  There is a film of grease over everything.  2 motion
             picture, movie, picture; videotape; Colloq flick, pic; video:
             Why do they show the same films every Christmas?  3 veil,
             screen, murkiness, blur, smokescreen, haze, mist, haziness,
             mistiness, cloud, vapour, fog, steam:  I could barely make out
             the road through the film on the windscreen.

             --v.  4 film over, coat, cover, dim, obscure, fade (away), veil,
             screen, blur, blear, mist, cloud, glaze,:  The pond filmed over
             with bacteria. Her eyes filmed with tears.  5 photograph, shoot,
             take, (video)tape:  If the director insists, then the scene must
             be filmed again.

   filmy     adj.  1 gauzy, gossamer(-like), sheer, delicate, diaphanous,
             transparent, translucent, flimsy, light, cobwebby,
             insubstantial, see-through, peekaboo:  Phoebe looked very
             seductive in her filmy negligee.  2 murky, blurry, cloudy, hazy,
             misty, bleary, blurred, dim, clouded, beclouded, milky, pearly,
             opalescent:  We inched down the cliff in the filmy light of the
             moon.

   filter    n.  1 sieve, colander, riddle, screen, strainer, gauze, cloth,
             cheesecloth, membrane:  To allow the liquid to pass through, a
             clean filter must be used.

             --v.  2 Sometimes, filter out. strain, screen, sift, winnow,
             clarify, refine, purify, clean; separate, weed out, exclude,
             eliminate:  Some people filter tap water to improve its taste.
             This company would be improved if we could filter out the
             undesirable elements. 3 leach, percolate, drip, seep, dribble,
             trickle, drain, run or pass through, ooze:  The rainwater is
             filtered through fine sand to purify it.

   filth     n.  1 sewage or sewerage, dirt, slime, muck, sludge, sullage,
             effluent, pollution, trash, rubbish, garbage, refuse, ordure,
             (night-)soil, excrement, faeces, excreta, manure, droppings,
             guano, dung, foul matter, filthiness, offal, leavings, carrion,
             decay, putrescence, putrefaction, Slang crud, Brit gunge, US
             grunge, Taboo slang shit:  Cleaning the filth from the Augean
             stables was the fifth labour of Hercules. 2 corruption,
             vileness, baseness, foulness, rottenness, debasement,
             defilement, taint, pollution, adulteration, perversion,
             degradation, taint; sullying, besmirchment:  Sodom and Gomorrah
             were destroyed along with their filth.  3 indecency, obscenity,
             smut, pornography, corruption, nastiness, vulgarity, grossness:
             The censors forbade the showing of films with any hint of filth.

   filthy    adj.  1 defiled, polluted, tainted, foul, nasty, dirty, unclean,
             vile, putrid, rotten, fetid or foetid, maggoty, fly-blown,
             purulent, feculent, faecal, scummy, slimy, mucky, Slang cruddy,
             Brit gungy, US grungy:  That city's public lavatories are the
             filthiest I have ever seen.  2 dirty, unwashed, begrimed,
             squalid, sordid, shabby, soiled, low, stained, grimy,
             bedraggled, unkempt, slovenly, sloppy, mean, scurvy, disgusting,
             miserable, wretched, Slang Brit gungy, US grungy:  The filthy
             beggar turned out to be Holmes in disguise.  3 immoral, taboo or
             tabu, indecent, impure, obscene, smutty, pornographic, X-rated,
             depraved, corrupt, dirty, lewd, lascivious, licentious, gross,
             offensive, coarse, bawdy, ribald, blue, suggestive,
             foul-mouthed, dirty-minded, filthy-minded:  Customs officers
             confiscated thousands of filthy books, magazines, films, and
             videos.

   final     adj.  1 ending, concluding, terminating, finishing, closing,
             last, terminal, ultimate, end:  The final sentence needs
             rewriting.  2 conclusive, decisive, unalterable, irreversible,
             irrevocable, incontrovertible, irrefutable, indisputable,
             unchangeable, immutable, definitive; settled, fixed, absolute,
             certain, sure:  Those are my final words on the subject. We made
             a final series of measurements.

   finality  n.  conclusiveness, decisiveness, unalterability,
             irreversibility, irrevocableness, incontrovertibility,
             irrefutability, indisputability, unchangeability, immutability,
             definitiveness, certainty, certitude, sureness, fixedness:
             There is an air of finality in the way she gives orders.

   finalize  v.  conclude, settle, complete, decide, Colloq wrap up, clinch,
             sew up:  We finalized the agreement yesterday by signing the
             contract.

   finally   adv.  1 at (long) last, lastly, eventually, in the end,
             ultimately, at length, when all is said and done, in the long
             run, at the end of the day, at the last moment:  We finally
             arrived in port.  2 conclusively, once and for all, decisively,
             irrevocably, in fine, completely, inexorably, absolutely,
             definitively, definitely, for good, for ever, for all time:  I
             didn't want to commit myself finally till I'd seen the plans.

   finance   n.  1 resource(s), banking, accounting, economics, money
             (management), business, commerce, (financial) affairs,
             investment:  Bendick is the officer in charge of finance for the
             company.  2 finances. capital, money, cash, funds, resources,
             assets, holdings, wealth, wherewithal:  Have you the finances
             needed to buy the house?

             --v.  3 fund, subvene, invest in, back, capitalize, underwrite,
             subsidize, pay for, Colloq US bankroll:  The new enterprise is
             being financed entirely by small investors.

   financial adj.  monetary, pecuniary, fiscal, economic:  We must get the
             financial affairs of the country in order.

   financier n.  capitalist, banker, plutocrat, investor, backer, US
             money-man, Colloq angel:  The financiers suggest switching
             investment from shares to bonds.

   find      v.  1 discover, come across, happen or come on or upon, hit upon
             or on, chance or stumble on or upon; encounter, bump into:
             We've found a tiny bistro on the Left Bank where we like to go.
             2 Often, find out. uncover, discover, unearth, lay one's hand(s)
             on, turn up, come up with, reveal, bring to light, light upon or
             on, catch sight of, see, espy, descry, detect, learn, spot,
             locate, track down; find out, identify, become aware of,
             determine, ascertain, put one's finger on, point to, Colloq
             tumble to, Brit twig; Slang finger, rumble, Brit suss out:  The
             police are trying to find the murderer. Can you find who did it?
             3 discover, perceive, see, understand, notice, mark, remark,
             note, distinguish, discern; realize:  I find nothing odd about
             her attire.  4 consider, think, regard, view, feel or discover
             to be:  I have always found Lady Sharpless exceedingly dull. He
             finds it impossible to refuse her demands. 5 get, obtain,
             procure, secure, acquire, win, gain; experience:  We despair of
             finding customers for our services in these hard times. He found
             relief only in painkillers. 6 recover, locate, get back;
             repossess, recoup:  I hope you find the earring you lost.  7
             summon (up), call up, command, gather (up), muster (up), rouse,
             arouse, awaken:  I tried to find the courage to ask her to marry
             me.  8 set aside, allot, assign, manage, get:  Have you found
             the time to read Connie's new book?  9 judge, decide or
             determine to be, pronounce, declare:  A jury found her guilty.
             The judge found in favour of the plaintiff.

             --n.  10 discovery, catch, bargain, deal; boon, windfall:  The
             gold doubloon was the find of a lifetime.

   finding   n.  1 discovery, find:  The findings from Pompeii are in the
             Museum of Portici.  2 judgement, decree, verdict, decision,
             determination, pronouncement, declaration, conclusion:  The
             findings of the Law Lords are final.

   fine°     adj.  1 superior, excellent, superb, magnificent, supreme,
             marvellous, exceptional, splendid, exquisite, elegant,
             first-class, first-rate, prime, choice, select, top-grade,
             high-grade, top-drawer, quality, admirable, great, good,
             satisfactory, Colloq out of this world, great, OK or okay,
             peachy, neat, keen, Brit tickety-boo, US neat, Australian
             bonzer, Slang swell, cool, Brit old-fashioned ripping, Dialectal
             champion:  He is a connoisseur of fine paintings. She turned in
             a fine performance.  2 sunny, fair, bright, clear, cloudless,
             balmy, pleasant, dry, nice:  It was a fine day for a picnic.  3
             enjoyable, satisfying, entertaining, amusing, good, interesting,
             pleasant, nice:  Thank you for inviting us to such a fine party.
             4 accomplished, skilful, consummate, outstanding, masterly,
             brilliant, virtuoso:  Ann-Sofie is a fine pianist.  5 delicate,
             subtle, exquisite, well-made, dainty, elegant; superior,
             excellent, outstanding:  What a fine example of
             miniature-painting!  6 delicate, dainty, thin, gossamer,
             diaphanous, gauzy, sheer, slender, frail, flimsy, filamentous,
             threadlike:  The sword hung over Damocles' head by a fine
             thread.  7 powdered, powdery, pulverized, comminuted, crushed,
             fine-grained:  As soon as they touched the papyrus, it
             disintegrated into a fine powder. 8 sharp, keen, keen-edged,
             razor-sharp, pointed, acute:  The points of the sea urchin's
             spines are so fine you don't feel them enter. 9 subtle,
             delicate, refined, acute, keen, discriminating, critical,
             precise, nice, hair-splitting:  There is sometimes a fine
             distinction between pleasure and pain.  10 good-looking,
             handsome, attractive, striking, beautiful, pretty, lovely,
             seemly, fair, comely, Colloq US cute, Scots bonny:  Jeanette
             married a fine young man.  11 meritorious, worthy, commendable,
             admirable, excellent, superb, splendid, good, Colloq great:  She
             has displayed fine courage in the face of terrible family
             problems. 12 healthy, well, healthful, robust, all right, Colloq
             OK or okay:  I told the doctor that I was feeling fine.  13
             close:  Arriving at the airport with only minutes to spare is
             cutting it pretty fine.

   fineэ     n.  1 penalty, charge, fee, mulct, forfeit, amercement;
             forfeiture:  He was unable to pay the parking fine.

             --v.  2 penalize, charge, mulct, amerce:  She was fined for
             parking at a bus stop.

   finery    n.  decoration(s), ornaments, trappings, trinkets, frippery,
             showy dress, Colloq best bib and tucker, Sunday best, Sunday
             clothes, gear, glad rags:  They were all dressed in their finery
             at the reception.

   finesse   n.  1 artfulness, subtlety, cunning, craftiness, cleverness,
             strategy, shrewdness, skill, style, dash, ‚lan, panache, knack,
             skilfulness, talent, adroitness, expertness, expertise,
             adeptness, proficiency, ability, facility:  I admire the finesse
             with which she persuaded him to give the painting to the museum.
             2 trick, artifice, stratagem, wile, ruse, scheme, machination,
             intrigue, device, expedient, manoeuvre, deception, deceit:  He
             used every finesse in the book to get her to work for him.  3
             tact, diplomacy, discretion, grace, taste, delicacy, polish,
             refinement, elegance:  With infinite finesse, Lord Lacey
             suggested that the duchess might like to stay the night.

             --v.  4 manoeuvre, manipulate, bluff, trick, delude, deceive,
             fool, outwit, hoodwink, Colloq finagle, Slang con:  She was
             finessed into making him heir to her fortune.

   finger    n.  1 digit:  How many fingers am I holding up?  2 have a finger
             in. be or become or get involved in, figure in, have a hand in,
             influence, interfere in, tamper or meddle or tinker or monkey
             with:  I knew that Lightfoot must have had a finger in the deal.
             3 keep one's fingers crossed. hope or pray for the best, touch
             or esp. US knock wood:  I'm sure you'll win, but I'll keep my
             fingers crossed just the same. 4 lay or put a finger on. (so
             much as) touch, strike, hit, punch:  If you lay a finger on her,
             you'll have to answer to me!  5 lay or put one's finger on.  a
             recall, remember, recollect, bring or call to mind, think of,
             pin down:  I can't quite put my finger on the date when we met.
             b locate, find, discover, unearth, lay or put one's hands on,
             track down, get hold of, come by, acquire; buy, purchase:  I was
             finally able to put my finger on the book you asked for.  c
             indicate, identify, point to, pin down, Colloq zero (in) on:
             Frank put his finger on the problem at once.  6 (not) lift or
             raise (even) a (little) finger. make an attempt or effort,
             offer, make a move, contribute, do one's part, do anything or
             something:  She didn't so much as lift a finger when I needed
             her.  7 pull or get one's finger out. get on with it, stop
             delaying or procrastinating, Colloq get cracking:  He should
             have finished by now, and I wish he'd pull his finger out. 8 put
             the finger on. accuse, inform on or against, tell or tattle on,
             betray, bear witness, Slang snitch or squeal on, peach on:
             After Louise put the finger on the kingpin, the cops arrested
             him. 9 slip through one's fingers. elude, escape, get away,
             vanish, disappear:  Despite the cordon round the house, the
             fugitive slipped through our fingers. 10 twist or wrap around
             one's little finger. control, dominate, lord it over, have under
             control, manipulate, manoeuvre, wield power or authority over,
             have under one's thumb, have the upper hand over, be master of,
             influence, make subservient:  She has her father twisted around
             her little finger, and can do no wrong in his eyes.

             --v.  11 touch, handle, feel; toy or play or fiddle with:  He
             was quite nervous and kept fingering his tie.  12 identify,
             point out, put the finger on:  It was too late, the mob had
             already fingered Slats for assassination.

   finicky   adj.  1 finical, fussy, fastidious, critical, difficult,
             meticulous, hard to please, (over-)delicate, (over-)dainty,
             (over-)particular, over-nice, over-precise, niminy-piminy,
             punctilious, (over-)scrupulous, Colloq pernickety or US also
             persnickety, choosy, nit-picking, picky:  No one can work for
             him - he's too finicky.  2 fussy, elaborate, detailed, fine,
             delicate:  Notice the tiny, finicky engraving on this
             watch-case.

   finish    v.  1 stop, conclude, end, cease:  When you have finished
             eating, please clear the table.  2 complete, accomplish,
             perfect, achieve, carry out, fulfil, consummate, clinch, write
             'finis' to, Colloq wrap up:  We finished the work on time.  3
             Sometimes, finish off. dispose of, dispatch or despatch,
             exhaust, consume, eat or drink (up), use (up), devour, drain,
             Colloq polish off:  We finished the last of the beer last night.
             4 Sometimes, finish off. kill, exterminate, annihilate, destroy,
             get rid of, dispose of, dispatch or despatch, put an end to,
             administer or deliver or give the coup de grѓce, bring down,
             overcome, beat, defeat, conquer, best, worst, Colloq polish off,
             terminate, Slang bump off, rub out, US waste, ice:  The cavalry
             finished off the last of the enemy. The contender was finished
             in the third round. 5 Sometimes, finish up. conclude, close,
             terminate, wind up, end, culminate:  He goes straight home when
             he finishes work. When will you finish?  6 Sometimes, finish up.
             end up, settle:  Where did you finish up after the party?  7
             Sometimes, finish off. perfect, put the final touches on,
             polish, put a finish on:  He finishes fine furniture for a
             living.  8 finish with. release, let go, have or be done with,
             let loose, set free:  I'll finish with you later, young man!

             --n.  9 conclusion, termination, end, close, closing,
             completion, culmination, ending, finale, Colloq winding up, US
             wind-up:  Tomorrow is the finish of the hunting season.  10
             death, killing, annihilation, extermination, downfall,
             destruction, defeat:  A major catastrophe spelt the finish of
             the dinosaurs.  11 polish, surface, texture:  Just feel the
             finish on this gunstock!

   finite    adj.  limited, bounded, bound, restricted, delimited, numerable,
             countable:  It has been shown that there are a finite number of
             grains of sand in the universe.

   fire      n.  1 flame(s), blaze; conflagration, holocaust, inferno:  We
             gathered round the roaring fire.  2 feeling, passion, ardour,
             ardency, fervour, fervency, intensity, vigour, spirit, energy,
             vim, vivacity, sparkle, animation, liveliness, verve, pep, ‚lan,
             ‚clat, dash, vitality, eagerness, enthusiasm, fever,
             feverishness:  I have never seen the role of Carmen performed
             with such fire.  3 firing, fusillade, volley, barrage,
             bombardment, salvo, cannonade, shelling, broadside, flak:  The
             fire from the guns shook the house.  4 hang fire. delay, be
             delayed, be in abeyance, be suspended, be shelved, be put off,
             be postponed, be up in the air, Colloq be put on hold, be (put)
             on the back burner:  The decision is hanging fire till tomorrow.
             5 on fire. afire, burning, blazing, alight, aflame, flaming;
             ardent, passionate, fervent, fervid, hot-blooded, intense,
             aroused, stirred, stimulated, enthusiastic, fired up, eager,
             inspired, excited:  The building is on fire: you must leave at
             once. My very soul is on fire when I think of you. 6 play with
             fire. undertake a risk or hazard or peril, run a risk, risk
             (something or everything), imperil or endanger (something),
             tempt fate, live dangerously:  He warned people not to play with
             fire by stirring up racial hatred.  7 set fire to. See 8, below.

             --v.  8 a set fire to, set afire, set on fire, ignite, set
             alight, kindle, spark (off), put to the torch, burn, Slang US
             torch:  Arsonists fired our headquarters last night.  b
             Sometimes, fire up. inflame, impassion, incite, excite, provoke,
             foment, whip up, arouse, rouse, work up, fire up, enkindle,
             light a fire under, stimulate, inspirit, motivate, move, stir,
             animate, inspire, awaken, energize, vitalize, vivify:  She fired
             the crowd's emotions with her impassioned speech.  9 discharge,
             shoot, let go (with), launch, propel, throw, catapult, hurl:  He
             fired the missile towards the enemy.  10 detonate, set off,
             ignite, set fire to, light, let off:  It is against the law to
             fire any explosives in this area.  11 discharge, dismiss, oust,
             let go, cashier, give (someone) notice, Brit make or declare
             redundant, Colloq Brit ask for or get (someone's) cards, US give
             (someone) a pink slip; Slang bounce, give (someone) the bounce,
             axe, give (someone) the axe, show (someone) the door, can, give
             (someone) the (old) heave-ho, give (someone) his or her (Brit)
             marching orders or (US) walking papers, Brit sack, give
             (someone) the sack, boot (someone) out, give (someone) the boot:
             They fired me last month and I can't find work.

   firm      adj.  1 compact, solid, dense, compressed, condensed,
             concentrated, rigid, stiff, hard, unyielding, inflexible,
             inelastic:  I prefer a firm mattress.  2 stable, fixed, fast,
             secure, steady, solid, stationary, anchored, moored, unmovable,
             immovable:  This pole is firmer than that one.  3 steady,
             strong, sturdy, tight, unwavering, unshakable or unshakeable,
             unswerving:  What we need is a firm hand at the controls.  4
             resolute, determined, dogged, definite, resolved, positive,
             decisive, decided, set on or upon, steadfast, constant,
             unflinching, staunch, unshaken, unshakeable or unshakable,
             immovable, inflexible, rigid, unwavering, undeviating,
             unchanging, unchangeable, obstinate, obdurate, stubborn, strict,
             unyielding, unbending, unalterable:  Father was firm about my
             not staying out past midnight.

             --v.  5 Often firm up. consolidate, establish, settle (down),
             solidify, resolve, determine, set up:  We firmed up the terms of
             the contract. Sugar prices firmed today.

             --n.  6 company, organization, corporation, limited company,
             public limited company, plc, partnership, proprietorship,
             business, enterprise, concern, house, conglomerate,
             multinational (company), cartel, Colloq outfit; US jargon CIA,
             Central Intelligence Agency:  He works for a firm in the City.

   firmament n.  heaven, the heavens, sky, the skies, vault (of heaven),
             Literary welkin, empyrean:  Sirius is one of the brightest stars
             in the firmament.

   firmly    adv.  1 solidly, strongly, securely, tightly, rigidly, fast,
             immovably:  The column is set firmly into the concrete.  2
             resolutely, steadfastly, determinedly, staunchly, unwaveringly,
             decisively, unhesitatingly, constantly:  Jacquelyn firmly
             supports John in anything he says.

   first     adj.  1 foremost, leading, chief, head, premier, prime, primary,
             principal, pre-eminent:  The Kennedys were regarded as among
             'the first people of Boston'.  I heard that your son is now
             first violinist in the Philharmonic. 2 earliest, original,
             senior, oldest; initial, beginning, maiden, opening:  The first
             clock in England was made about 1288. The first assault resulted
             in great loss of life. 3 fundamental, elementary, basic,
             primary, cardinal, key, essential:  It is necessary to return to
             first principles.

             --adv.  4 before, in front, earliest, beforehand, ahead, sooner,
             foremost:  Bannister came in first.  5 in the first place,
             firstly, before all or anything else, initially, at the outset
             or beginning, to begin or start with, from the start, Colloq
             first off:  First, I want to thank you all for coming to my
             party.

             --n.  6 beginning, start, inception, commencement, outset,
             Colloq word go:  I knew you'd win from the first.  7 first
             place, blue ribbon, gold (medal), triumph, victory; win:
             Britain achieved three firsts in yesterday's athletics meeting.
             8 at first. initially, in the beginning, at the start or outset,
             Colloq from the word go:  I didn't believe him at first.

   first-rate
             adj.  first-class, high-grade, prime, excellent, superior,
             superb, great, remarkable, admirable, fine, exceptional,
             outstanding, extraordinary, unparalleled, matchless,
             unsurpassed, Colloq A-1 or A-one, top-notch, tiptop, crack, top,
             ace, Brit whiz-bang or whizz-bang, wizard:  Sarah is a
             first-rate pianist.

   fiscal    adj.  financial, economic, budgetary, pecuniary, monetary:  It
             is against our fiscal policy to deal in off-shore securities.

   fishy     adj.  1 piscine, fishlike, piscatory, piscatorial:  On the
             fishmonger's slab lay an array of fishy offerings, only a few of
             which I could recognize. 2 dubious, doubtful, questionable,
             unlikely, far-fetched, suspicious, not kosher, peculiar, odd,
             queer, strange, suspect, improbable, implausible, Colloq shady,
             funny:  There is something fishy about this deal.

   fit°      adj.  1 fitting, appropriate, fitted, suitable, suited, adapted,
             apt, meet, apropos, applicable; befitting, becoming, convenient,
             proper, right, correct, fitting:  Those books are not fit for
             children. It's not a fit night out for man or beast. 2 prepared,
             ready, able, capable, qualified, worthy, right, adequate:  The
             question is, is such a man fit to lead men into battle?  3
             healthy, well, hale, hearty, stalwart, vigorous, strong, sturdy,
             robust, strapping, able-bodied, in good shape or trim or
             condition, in fine fettle:  Is she fit enough to run in the
             marathon?  4 ready, angry, troubled, upset, inclined, disposed,
             ready or likely or about to, exhausted enough:  I worked till I
             was fit to drop. Mr Barrett was coughing fit to burst.

             --v.  5 befit, suit, become, be suited to, be suitable or
             appropriate for, answer, satisfy:  This computer program does
             not fit my needs.  6 join, conform, go (together), match,
             correspond, dovetail, tally:  I cannot make the parts fit.  7
             adjust, modify, change, adapt, alter, accommodate, shape,
             fashion:  You will just have to fit your schedule to conform to
             ours.  8 equip, supply, furnish, provide, outfit, fit out or up,
             install or instal, rig out, gear up:  I am having my boat fitted
             with radar.

   fitэ      n.  1 attack, seizure, convulsion, spasm, spell, paroxysm, bout,
             throe:  She has periodic fits of severe depression.  2 outburst,
             outbreak, paroxysm, spell, period:  Occasionally, Gurning would
             go into a fit of hysterical laughter.  3 tantrum; eruption,
             explosion:  She throws a fit if I so much as mention Maria's
             name.  4 by fits and starts. sporadically, occasionally,
             fitfully, spasmodically, intermittently, erratically,
             haphazardly, now and then, irregularly, unsystematically;
             unreliably:  The fridge works only by fits and starts.

   fitful    adj.  irregular, sporadic, intermittent, occasional, periodic,
             erratic, spasmodic, haphazard, unsystematic, changeable,
             unstable, capricious, varying, fluctuating, variable, uneven:
             The dying torch emitted a fitful light. No true patriot pays
             merely fitful allegiance to his country.

   fitness   n.  1 aptness, appropriateness, suitability, suitableness,
             competence, pertinence, seemliness; eligibility, adequacy,
             qualification(s):  There is some doubt about Henryson's fitness
             as a leader.  2 health, healthiness, (good) (physical)
             condition, vigour, well-being, (good) shape, (fine) fettle,
             tone, wholesomeness, salubriousness or salubrity:  Tony is a
             fanatic about physical fitness and exercises daily.

   fitted    adj.  custom-made, tailor-made; tailored, bespoke:  The house
             boasts a fully fitted kitchen.

   fitting   adj.  1 fit, befitting, suitable, appropriate, meet, becoming,
             proper, comme il faut, seemly, apt, apropos, apposite, germane,
             relevant:  Is it fitting to send flowers? It was a fitting end
             to the story.

             --n.  2 fittings. fitments, attachments, accessories, elements,
             pieces, parts, units, fixtures; appointments, extras,
             installations, furnishings, trappings, furniture, equipment,
             accoutrements, paraphernalia, trimmings:  Gold-plated bathroom
             fittings are available at extra cost.

   fix       v.  1 affix, pin, fasten, make fast, attach, secure, stick,
             connect, link, tie, couple, clasp, clamp, rivet, cement, weld,
             fuse:  Fix this sign to the door.  2 establish, set, settle,
             agree to, determine, organize, stabilize, firm up, solidify,
             decide, conclude, arrive at, define, specify, resolve, arrange,
             install or instal, institute:  The new limits must be fixed by
             tomorrow.  3 repair, mend, fix up, remedy, rectify, correct,
             emend, adjust, patch (up), regulate, put or set to rights,
             doctor, straighten out:  My watch is at the jeweller's being
             fixed.  4 hold, fasten, focus, direct, level, rivet,
             concentrate, freeze; fixate:  He fixed his attention on the
             ice-cream.  5 hold, rivet, spellbind, mesmerize, hypnotize,
             fascinate, freeze, immobilize:  She fixed him with a baleful
             stare.  6 concentrate, focus:  Fix your thoughts on how we're
             going to get out of here.  7 harden, congeal, thicken, set,
             consolidate, solidify, rigidify, become rigid, stiffen, freeze:
             Mould the clay before it becomes fixed.  8 establish, set,
             settle, organize, install or instal, situate, locate, position,
             place:  Her family is comfortably fixed.  9 impose, assign,
             allocate, attribute, ascribe, specify, pin, attach, fasten,
             establish:  They tried to fix the responsibility for the
             accident.  10 settle, set, stabilize, freeze, solidify:  The
             introduction and spread of printing fixed many spellings.  11
             bribe, suborn, buy (off), corrupt, influence, manipulate, Colloq
             grease (someone's) palm:  He attempted to fix a judge.  12
             arrange, prearrange, predetermine, set up, contrive, Colloq
             fiddle, pull strings, rig:  We knew the winner as they had fixed
             the race.  13 desexualize, desex, alter, cut; castrate,
             emasculate, see to, eunuchize, geld, caponize; spay,
             oophorectomize, ovariectomize:  Animals that have been fixed are
             usually more tractable.  14 retaliate against, wreak vengeance
             on, hit or strike or get back at, get even with, even the score
             with, make reprisal against, avenge oneself against, take
             revenge or retribution on or against, repay, pay back, Colloq
             settle (someone's) hash, cook (someone's) goose, sort (some)
             out:  I'll fix him for tattling to the teacher!  15 fix on or
             upon. decide (on or upon), set, agree (on or upon), choose,
             select, settle (on), determine, finalize:  We can't fix on a
             date till we know David's schedule.  16 fix up.  a furnish,
             supply, provide, accommodate, set up, Brit lay on:  Her mother
             fixed her up with a nice young man. Can you fix me up with a
             room for the night? b (re)decorate, furnish, renovate, restore,
             furbish, refurbish; straighten out or up, organize, do up, set
             up:  I like the way you've fixed up the basement. Please fix up
             your room before the guests arrive. c clear up, resolve,
             reconcile, sort out, settle:  Have they fixed up their
             differences yet?  d repair, patch (up):  Fix up my car so it
             will run at least till I get home.

             --n.  17 dilemma, predicament, difficulty, corner, double bind,
             catch-22, quandary, mess, (bad) situation, strait(s), Colloq
             pickle, jam, hole, (tight or tough) spot, pinch, US bind:  You
             could help me get out of a terrible fix.  18 arrangement,
             prearrangement, fiddle; bribery, subornation; Slang chiefly US
             and Canadian set-up:  The fix is on for her to win at roulette.

   fixation  n.  mania, obsession, compulsion, fixed idea, id‚e fixe, fetish,
             monomania, preoccupation, infatuation, Colloq hang-up, thing,
             kick:  He has a health-food fixation.

   fixed     adj.  1 fastened, attached, anchored, set, secure(d), firm,
             stable, settled, immovable, immobile, stationary, rigid, rooted,
             solid; immobilized, stuck:  While this part rolls, the other
             remains fixed. There was a fixed smile on her face. 2
             established, secure, unalterable, steadfast, set, firm,
             unchangeable, unchanging, persistent, unfluctuating, unflagging,
             unwavering, inflexible, undeviating, unflinching, unblinking,
             rigid, rooted, immutable, definite, resolute, resolved,
             determined, intent; obstinate, stubborn:  I admire Philip's
             fixed determination to persevere.  3 settled, resolved, agreed,
             regular, habitual, decided, arranged, prearranged, definite,
             established:  We have a fixed date on which we meet each month.
             4 arranged, prearranged, set-up, framed; crooked, dishonest,
             bent, Colloq rigged, put-up:  He lost everything in a fixed
             poker game.

   fixture   n.  1 meet, meeting, event, match, occasion, occurrence:  The
             Davis Cup tennis championship is an annual fixture.  2
             appliance, accessory, fitting, equipment, apparatus, device,
             instrument, tool, gadget, contrivance, appendage, fitment:  The
             landlord forbids the removal of any fixture.

   fizz      v.  1 bubble, effervesce, sparkle, froth, fizzle; hiss, sputter,
             sizzle:  The champagne fizzed in my glass.

             --n.  2 effervescence, sparkle, carbonation, bubbling, froth,
             fizzle, fizziness:  All the fizz is gone from my drink!  3 hiss,
             hissing, sibilance:  The steam escaped with a loud fizz.  4 US
             soda, soda water, club soda, seltzer, Dialect plain; soft drink,
             tonic:  May I have a little fizz with my scotch?  5 champagne,
             Colloq Brit champers:  We celebrated with oysters and a bottle
             of fizz.

   fizzle    v.  1 fizz:  This headache powder makes the water fizzle.  2
             Often, fizzle out. die (out or away), fizz out, expire, peter
             out, come to nothing or naught, fail, fall through, miscarry,
             abort, come to grief, misfire, collapse, cave in:  Her grandiose
             plans for staging an extravaganza quickly fizzled out.

6.4 flabby...
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   flabby    adj.  1 limp, loose, lax, flaccid, slack, floppy, sagging,
             drooping, baggy, pendulous, quaggy, soft:  After forty, he began
             to get a bit flabby around the middle.  2 weak, spineless,
             feeble, impotent, ineffective, ineffectual:  The critics found
             the characterizations flabby and the plot non-existent.

   flag°     n.  1 banner, ensign, standard, pennant, banneret, pennon,
             streamer, bunting, jack, gonfalon, vexillum:  Our flag was
             raised over the fort.

             --v.  2 Often flag down. warn, signal, hail, inform, stop:  A
             workman flagged us down because the bridge was out.  3 mark,
             tag, label, tab, identify, Brit tick (off), US and Canadian
             check (off):  Flag the supplies you need that are listed here.

   flagэ     v.  1 droop, sag, dangle, hang down, swag, festoon:  In the
             doldrums the sails flagged soggily about the masts.  2 weaken,
             languish, falter, fail, dwindle, fade, deteriorate, waste away,
             degenerate, die, decline, diminish, decrease, lessen, abate,
             peter out, taper off, let up, ease (up), subside, slump, fall
             off, wane, ebb, sink, lag:  When he reached eighty, he sometimes
             complained that his sexual appetite was flagging.

   flagrant  adj.  blatant, brazen, bold, barefaced, audacious, arrant,
             glaring, outrageous, shocking, shameless, scandalous, atrocious,
             infamous, notorious, defiant, egregious, obvious, conspicuous,
             open, complete, out-and-out, utter, flagitious, monstrous,
             heinous, cruel, villainous, treacherous, nefarious, awful,
             gross, rank, inconsiderate, scornful, contemptuous;
             reprehensible; contemptible:  Speeding shows a flagrant
             disregard for the safety of others.

   flair     n.  1 talent, ability, aptitude, feel, knack, genius, skill,
             mind, gift, faculty, propensity, bent, proclivity, facility:  He
             showed a flair for music at an early age.  2 chic, panache,
             dash, ‚lan, ‚clat, style, stylishness, glamour, verve, sparkle,
             vitality, elegance, taste, Colloq savvy, pizazz or pizzazz,
             Old-fashioned oomph:  She dresses with great flair.

   flak      n.  flack, criticism, disapproval, censure, abuse, blame,
             aspersion, complaint(s), disapprobation, condemnation, Colloq
             brickbats:  He took a lot of flak from the press for his
             comments.

   flake     n.  1 snowflake; scale, chip, bit, piece, scrap, particle, tuft,
             flock, scurf, fragment, shaving, sliver; wafer, lamina,
             Technical squama:  A flake of slate caught him in the eye.

             --v.  2 Often, flake off. scale, chip, fragment; Technical
             desquamate, exfoliate:  The paint is flaking off on this side.
             3 flake out.  a collapse, go to or fall asleep, drop off (to
             sleep), pass out, keel over:  After the game, I flaked out on
             the couch for ten hours.  b become flaky, act crazy:  He flaked
             out when he heard the new record.

   flamboyant
             adj.  1 elaborate, ornamented, ornate, decorated, embellished,
             baroque, rococo, florid:  We chose a flamboyant wallpaper with
             purple peacocks.  2 extravagant, ostentatious, showy, gaudy,
             flashy, dazzling, brilliant, splendid, dashing, rakish,
             swashbuckling, jaunty; high, wide, and handsome:  With a
             flamboyant display of swordsmanship, d'Artagnan dispatched his
             attacker.

   flame     n.  1 fire, blaze; conflagration:  The flame began to lick about
             my feet.  2 passion, fervour, ardour, intensity, warmth, fire,
             zeal, feverishness, enthusiasm, eagerness:  The flame of love is
             still burning.  3 boyfriend, girlfriend, lover, heartthrob,
             sweetheart, beau:  Linda is an old flame of Trevor's.

             --v.  4 burn, blaze, glow, flare:  Flaming embers from the
             chimney set fire to the roof. Here and there civil unrest flamed
             up in the countryside.

   flaming   adj.  obvious, conspicuous, blatant, flagrant, egregious,
             extravagant, Slang bloody, bleeding, blasted, damned, blooming:
             That flaming idiot was appointed to the Ministry of Defence!

   flammable adj.  inflammable, combustible, burnable:  The warning on the
             tin says the contents are flammable.

   flank     n.  1 side, quarter; loin, haunch:  The enemy was about to
             attack our flank. The pony drew back with trembling flanks.

             --v.  2 edge, border, line:  Armed guards flanked the entrance.
             3 skirt, outmanoeuvre, outflank, circle, go (a)round:  They have
             enough troops to flank our forces to the east.

   flannel   n.  1 flattery, humbug, nonsense, blarney, rubbish,
             prevarication, Colloq eyewash, hogwash, boloney, soft soap,
             weasel words, sweet talk, bull, crap, Brit waffle, cock, US
             bushwa; Taboo slang bullshit, horseshit, (load of) shit, Brit
             codswallop, bollocks or ballocks:  Don't believe a thing Fordyce
             says - it's all flannel.

             --v.  2 flatter, hedge, mislead, pull the wool over (someone's)
             eyes, Colloq soft-soap, sweet-talk, Taboo slang bullshit,
             horseshit, shit:  They aren't sincere - they're just flannelling
             you.

   flap      v.  1 slap, slat, beat, flail, wave, wag, waggle, flutter,
             thresh, thrash, oscillate, vibrate:  An ornithopter is an
             aeroplane that flaps its wings like a bird.  The Union Jack was
             flapping in the breeze.

             --n.  2 flapping, beat, wave, wag, waggle, flutter, oscillation:
             With a flap of its wings, the bird flew away.  3 fold, fly,
             lappet, lap, tail, tab:  Leave a flap of cloth to cover the
             pocket.  4 upset, agitation, to-do, ado, commotion, panic,
             flurry, fuss, distress, Colloq state, tizzy, sweat, Brit
             kerfuffle:  She's in a flap about what to wear to the dance.  5
             quarrel, argument, dispute:  There was a big flap over which car
             model to buy.

   flare     v.  1 Often, flare up. blaze or flame (up), flash, erupt, break
             out; dazzle, flicker, glimmer, shimmer, flutter:  The fire
             flared up briefly when he tossed the paper onto it.  2 Often,
             flare out. spread (out or outwards), widen, broaden, expand,
             increase, enlarge, bulge, swell:  The sides of the vase flare
             out near the top.  3 Often, flare up. anger, lose one's temper,
             chafe, seethe, fume, rage, throw a tantrum, become incensed or
             angry (etc.); blow up, burst forth, erupt, explode; Colloq get
             one's back up, get one's Irish or dander up, see red, get worked
             up, fly off the handle, lose one's cool, go out of or lose
             control, get hot under the collar, blow one's top:  He flares up
             at the very mention of her name. Tempers flared when we touched
             on the subject of politics.

             --n.  4 blaze, flame, burst, outburst, flash, glare, dazzle,
             incandescence, brilliance, luminosity:  A bright orange flare
             erupted from the mouth of the cave.  5 beacon, light, signal,
             torch, flambeau, link:  We prayed that the rescue party would
             see our flares.  6 spread, broadening, widening, expansion,
             swelling, bulge, increase, enlargement:  I like that slight
             flare at the hem of the skirt.

   flash     n.  1 blaze, flame, flare, burst, dazzle, spark, sparkle,
             coruscation, fulguration, glitter, twinkle, twinkling, flicker,
             flickering, scintilla, scintillation, glint, shimmer, glimmer,
             gleam, beam, ray, shaft:  There was a blinding flash of blue
             light and the little man was gone. 2 (sudden or momentary)
             display, stroke, show, manifestation, outburst, outbreak, sign,
             indication, exhibition; touch, hint, suggestion:  She has
             occasional flashes of insight bordering on genius.  3 moment,
             (split) second, instant, twinkling (of an eye), trice, minute,
             Colloq two shakes (of a lamb's tail), jiffy, shake, before you
             can say 'Jack Robinson':  In a flash he was at her side.

             --v.  4 burn, blaze, flame, flare, burst (out), dazzle, spark,
             sparkle, coruscate, fulgurate, glitter, twinkle, flicker,
             scintillate, shimmer, glimmer, gleam, beam, glare, shine:  The
             light flashed every eight seconds.  5 race, speed, dash, streak,
             flick, tear, rush, hurry, hasten, fly, zoom, shoot, bolt,
             whistle; run, sprint, dart, scuttle, scamper, Colloq scoot,
             skedaddle, take off, whiz or whizz:  The train flashed by, doing
             about 100.

             --adj.  6 dazzling, showy, ostentatious, smart, chic, Colloq
             swish, classy, ritzy, snazzy:  Barbara's new car looks very
             flash.  7 See flashy, 1.

   flashy    adj.  1 flash, gaudy, flamboyant, glaring, fulgurous, showy,
             ostentatious, loud, garish, vulgar, cheap, meretricious,
             pretentious, tawdry, tasteless, Colloq tacky, Slang jazzy, US
             glitzy:  He was attracted by her flashy appearance.  2
             superficial, cosmetic, skin-deep, surface, shallow, glib, slick,
             facile, insubstantial, thin:  The reviewer called it a flashy
             interpretation of the Bard.

   flat      adj.  1 level, horizontal, even, smooth, plane, unbroken,
             uninterrupted:  I looked out over the flat surface of the frozen
             bay.  2 prostrate, prone, supine, lying (down), stretched out,
             recumbent, outstretched, reclining, spread-eagle(d), spread out,
             outspread:  I lay flat on my back staring up at the sky.  3
             collapsed, levelled, overthrown, laid low:  The air raid had
             left all the buildings completely flat.  4 downright, outright,
             unqualified, unreserved, unconditional, absolute, categorical,
             explicit, unconditional, definite, firm, positive, out-and-out,
             unequivocal, peremptory, unambiguous, unmistakable, direct,
             complete, total:  The request for clemency was met with the
             judge's flat refusal.  5 featureless, monotonous, dull, dead,
             uninteresting, unexciting, vapid, bland, empty, two-dimensional,
             insipid, boring, tiresome, lifeless, spiritless, lacklustre,
             prosaic, stale, tired, dry, jejune:  The critics wrote that she
             turned in a very flat performance.  6 deflated, collapsed,
             punctured, ruptured, blown out:  We had a flat tyre on the way.
             7 unchangeable, unchanging, invariable, unvaried, unvarying,
             standard, fixed, unmodified, unmodifiable, Colloq US
             cookie-cutter:  They charge the same flat rate for children, the
             elderly, and all between. 8 dead, insipid, stale, tasteless,
             flavourless, unpalatable; decarbonated, non-effervescent:  My
             beer has gone flat.  9 exact, precise:  It's a flat ten minutes
             from here to the railway station.  10 definite, certain, sure,
             irrevocable:  I said I'm not going, and that's flat.  11 dull,
             slow, sluggish, inactive, depressed:  Business has been a bit
             flat since Christmas.  12 dull, mat or matt or matte, unshiny,
             non-gloss(y), non-reflective, non-glare, unpolished:  The table
             looks better with a flat finish.  13 lacking perspective,
             two-dimensional, lifeless, unrealistic:  Some of his paintings
             seem pretty flat to me.

             --n.  14 Often, flats.  a US low shoes, loafers, sandals, Colloq
             flatties:  Cynthia said that wearing flats makes her feet hurt.
             b lowland(s), plain(s), tundra, steppe(s), prairie(s), savannah
             or savanna, heath, moor, pampas; mud-flat(s); shallow(s), shoal,
             strand; marsh, bog, fen, swamp:  Before us was a large flat of
             barren ground.  15 rooms, suite, apartment:  How can you afford
             to keep a flat in London?

             --adv.  16 absolutely, completely, categorically, utterly,
             wholly, uncompromisingly, irrevocably, positively, definitely,
             directly; exactly, precisely, flatly:  He has come out flat in
             favour of the status quo. When he started drinking, she left him
             flat. 17 flat out.  a at maximum or top or full or breakneck
             speed, speedily, quickly, apace, on the run, rapidly, swiftly,
             at full speed or gallop, post-haste, hell for leather, like a
             bat out of hell, like a shot, like (greased) lightning, like the
             wind:  Someone shouted 'Fire!' and we headed flat out for the
             exits.  b flatly, unhesitatingly, directly, at once,
             immediately, forthwith, without delay; plainly, openly, baldly,
             brazenly, brashly:  He asked to borrow some money and she told
             him 'No', flat out.

             --n.  18 room(s), flat, suite (of rooms), chambers, tenement;
             garden flat, maisonette, penthouse, studio, Brit bedsitter,
             bedsit; accommodation, living quarters, Colloq Brit digs , US
             and Canadian apartment, furnished room, walk-up, duplex,
             triplex, garden apartment:  We rented a two-bedroom flat in a
             good neighbourhood.

   flatten   v.  1 level or even (off or out); smooth (out), press or iron
             (out), roll:  The children's noses were flattened against the
             window of the toy shop. You will have to flatten the lawn if you
             want to play croquet on it. 2 knock down or over, knock out,
             floor, prostrate:  Menges flattened the champion in the first
             round.  3 raze, tear down, demolish, level:  The bomb flattened
             every house in the area.

   flatter   v.  1 butter up, play up to, compliment, praise, fawn (on or
             upon), toady to, truckle to, court, curry favour with, Colloq
             flannel, soft-soap, oil; Slang shine or suck up to, boot-lick,
             Taboo kiss (someone's) arse, brown-nose:  Flattering the boss
             won't get you a salary increase.  2 enhance, complement, suit,
             show to advantage:  That colour flatters her complexion.  3
             cajole, wheedle, coax, inveigle, beguile, sweet-talk:  He was
             flattered into signing that contract.

   flatterer n.  toady, sycophant, fawner, wheedler, time-server, courtier,
             backscratcher, sponge, parasite, leech, hanger-on, sweet-talker,
             backslapper, truckler, lickspittle, Colloq yes-man; Slang
             bootlicker, Taboo brown-noser , Brit arse-kisser, arse-licker,
             bum-sucker, US ass-kisser, ass-licker:  Don't believe anything
             that flatterer tells you.

   flattering
             adj.  1 complimentary, becoming, kind, enhancing:  That is quite
             a flattering portrait of Dorian.  2 adulatory, laudatory,
             gratifying, fulsome, honeyed, sugary, fawning, ingratiating,
             unctuous, slimy, Chiefly Brit smarmy:  Authors once wrote the
             most flattering dedications to their patrons.

   flattery  n.  adulation, cajolery, blandishment, sweet talk, beguilement,
             wheedling, gloze, Colloq soft soap, Slang boot-licking, Taboo
             brown-nosing, Brit arse-kissing, arse-licking, bum-sucking, US
             ass-kissing, ass-licking:  A judicious use of flattery moved him
             up the corporate ladder.

   flaunt    v.  display, show (off), parade, flourish, exhibit, sport,
             disport, spotlight:  They were like all the other nouveaux
             riches who flaunt their wealth in the stylish continental
             resorts.

   flavour   n.  1 taste, savour, tang, piquancy, zest; tastiness,
             savouriness; essence, extract, seasoning, flavouring, seasoning,
             spice; aroma, odour, scent; Rare sapor:  Overcooking destroys
             the flavour of food. This sweet has a minty flavour. 2
             character, spirit, nature, quality, property, mark, stamp,
             essence, characteristic, style, taste, feel, feeling, ambience
             or ambiance, sense, tinge, aroma, air, atmosphere, hint,
             suggestion, touch, soup‡on:  We all agreed that the new play has
             a Shavian flavour.

             --v.  3 season, spice:  She flavours her teacakes with ginger.

   flaw      n.  1 fault, defect, imperfection, error, mistake, blemish,
             blot, stain, taint, (black) mark, damage, disfigurement,
             failing, weakness, weak spot; loophole:  Flaws in the casting
             give this bell a dull sound. I can see flaws in your argument. 2
             crack, break, breach, chink, chip, fracture, rupture, fissure,
             cleft, split, slit, cut, gash, rent, rift, tear, rip, puncture,
             hole, perforation:  The tiniest flaw may reduce the value of a
             pot to a collector.

             --v.  3 damage, harm, spoil, ruin, mark, weaken, disfigure:
             Careless workmanship has flawed many of the objects they
             produced.  4 discredit, stigmatize, damage, hurt, harm; taint,
             mar, stain, blot:  Her reputation has already been flawed.

   flawed    adj.  damaged, harmed, marred, weakened, tainted, stained,
             tarnished, defective, imperfect, unsound, faulty:  His flawed
             record prevented him from getting work.

   flawless  adj.  1 perfect, pristine, pure, uncorrupted, chaste, virgin,
             intact, whole, clean, immaculate, unsullied, unspoilt, unsoiled,
             impeccable, unblemished, faultless, undamaged, unimpaired,
             spotless, untarnished:  Two flawless artefacts were found in the
             tomb. Many envied her flawless reputation. 2 undeniable,
             unassailable, unimpeachable, unquestionable, irrefutable,
             foolproof, sound, demonstrable:  The prosecutor's evidence
             appears to be flawless.

   flecked   adj.  spotted, dappled, pied, (be)speckled, (be)sprinkled,
             dotted, marked, stippled, dusted, specked, spattered, freckled:
             His lank brown hair was flecked with grey.

   flee      v.  1 quit, run away or off, escape, get away, fly, take flight,
             bolt, go (away), decamp, abscond, seek safety, avoid, make off,
             make an exit, make (good) one's escape, make a (clean) getaway,
             beat a (hasty) retreat, take to one's heels, show a clean pair
             of heels, turn tail, make tracks, make a run for it, cut and
             run, vanish, disappear, Brit levant, Colloq take off, scoot,
             make oneself scarce, beat it, clear out, fly the coop,
             skedaddle, scram, Brit scarper, Australian and New Zealand shoot
             through, US and Canadian take a (run-out) powder, skip (town),
             cut out, hightail it, Old-fashioned skiddoo; Slang split, Brit
             bugger off, do a moonlight flit, do a bunk, US and Canadian
             vamoose, lam out, take it on the lam, blow, bail out:  He fled
             the town and was never seen again. When they saw what they had
             done, they fled. She fled to Brazil to avoid the tax
             authorities. 2 avoid, evade, shun, escape from, eschew:  She
             fled the responsibilities of caring for her children.

   fleece    v.  cheat, overcharge, swindle, bilk, defraud, victimize,
             plunder, strip, milk, rob, Colloq take, flimflam, gyp, diddle,
             bleed, take for a ride or to the cleaners, Slang rip off,
             chisel, pluck, rook, clip, soak:  The gang stole credit cards
             and fleeced the companies out of millions.

   fleet°    n.  armada, flotilla, navy, naval (task) force, task force,
             squadron, convoy, division:  A fleet of submarines was sent to
             harass shipping in the Atlantic.

   fleetэ    adj.  swift, rapid, fast, speedy, quick, nimble, expeditious,
             agile:  Nowadays, the fleetest transportation in a large city is
             by bicycle.

   fleeting  adj.  transitory, fugitive, transient, temporary, passing,
             ephemeral, fugacious, evanescent, momentary, short-lived,
             fly-by-night, short, brief:  I caught only a fleeting glimpse of
             the car as it sped by.

   flesh     n.  1 meat; tissue, muscle:  We ate the flesh and threw away the
             fat, bones, and skin.  2 body, corporeality, flesh and blood,
             human nature, physicality; mortality:  The spirit is willing but
             the flesh is weak.  3 flesh and blood. real, physical,
             corporeal, human, natural:  He pointed out that he was flesh and
             blood, not a robot.  4 in the flesh. personally, in person,
             really, physically, bodily, alive, living, in life:  She stood
             before me, in the flesh.  5 one's (own) flesh and blood. kin,
             kinsfolk or US and Canadian kinfolk, family, stock, blood, kith
             and kin, relatives, relations:  How could she treat her own
             flesh and blood that way?

             --v.  6 flesh out. substantiate, fill (in or out), give or lend
             substance or dimension to, incorporate, embody, colour:  The
             idea is good, but it needs fleshing out.

   flex      n.  1 wire, lead, cord, cable, extension:  Replace this flex
             before you have a short circuit.

             --v.  2 bend, give, stretch, curve:  The plastic tube can be
             flexed many times without breaking.  3 exercise, tense, tighten,
             contract:  He flexed his muscles before lifting the weight.

   flexibility
             n.  1 pliability, pliancy or pliantness, elasticity, resilience
             or resiliency, suppleness, flexibleness, bendability,
             limberness, stretch, give, spring, springiness, ductility:
             Chemists improved the flexibility of the substance by adding
             more plasticizer. 2 conformability or conformableness,
             adaptability, versatility, adjustability or adjustableness,
             compliance or compliancy, manageability, tractability or
             tractableness, malleability, obedience, submissiveness,
             docility, agreeableness, conformity:  Fletcher has the
             flexibility needed to move from one department to another.

   flexible  adj.  1 pliable, pliant, elastic, resilient, supple, bendable,
             limber, lithe, stretchy, stretchable, springy, extensible or
             extensile, ductile, flexile, tensile, yielding, willowy:  The
             foil is a thin, flexible duelling sword.  2 modifiable,
             adaptable, conformable, compliant, malleable, obedient,
             tractable, manageable, cooperative, amenable, persuadable or
             persuasible:  English seems to be an infinitely flexible
             language. Nicole is flexible in her attitude towards politics. 3
             easy, facile, submissive, complaisant, docile:  Discipline at
             the school might be a little too flexible.

   flicker   v.  1 twinkle, blink, waver, glimmer, glint, sparkle, shimmer,
             flare, gutter:  A slight draught made the candles flicker.  2
             flap, flutter, quiver, twitter, fluctuate, oscillate, shake,
             tremble, vibrate:  Dozens of tiny flags flickered in the wind.

             --n.  3 glimmer, glint, glimmering, sparkle, spark, twinkle,
             twinkling, gleam, flare, glare:  With a dying flicker the torch
             went out.  4 hint, suggestion, trace, glimmer, vestige,
             scintilla, spark:  I thought I detected a flicker of recognition
             when our eyes met.

   flight°   n.  1 flying, soaring, winging, excursion:  The flight above the
             mountains was exhilarating. He is subject to wild flights of the
             imagination. 2 (air) voyage or journey or trip:  We had a fine
             flight from New Delhi.  3 aeroplane, airliner, plane, aircraft:
             Our flight was delayed in Istanbul.  4 flock, swarm, cloud,
             covey (of grouse or partridge), bevy (of quail), skein (of
             geese), exaltation (of larks):  A flight of migrating birds
             passed overhead.  5 feather:  The flights on this dart are
             broken.

   flightэ   n.  1 escape, retreat, departure, exit, exodus, getaway,
             fleeing, bolting, Slang split:  Mohammed's flight from Mecca to
             Medina in 622 is called a 'hegira'.  2 put to flight. chase or
             drive (off or away), disperse, send off or away, send packing,
             dismiss, rout, stampede:  They put the Saracens to flight in a
             decisive battle.  3 take flight. flee, go or run away or off,
             abscond, desert, depart, (beat a) retreat, exit, bolt, decamp,
             withdraw, take to one's heels, show a clean pair of heels,
             Colloq light out, shove off, Brit scarper, US take a (run-out)
             powder, take it on the lam, lam out; Slang split, Brit do a
             bunk, do a moonlight flit, bugger off:  The constable blew his
             whistle and the thief took flight.

   flighty   adj.  1 fickle, frivolous, inconstant, capricious, fanciful,
             changeable, variable, mercurial, skittish, volatile, unstable,
             unsteady, giddy, wild:  These flighty girls never stay in a job
             more than a month.  2 irresponsible, light-headed,
             rattle-brained, silly, hare-brained, dizzy, crazy, mad,
             reckless, thoughtless, Colloq nutty, screwy, dotty, dippy:  It
             was flighty of Caroline to pour the brandy into the well.

   flimsy    adj.  1 slight, frail, weak, insubstantial or unsubstantial,
             feeble, makeshift, fragile, frangible, breakable, rickety,
             ramshackle, dilapidated, jerry-built, gimcrack, slight,
             delicate:  That flimsy ladder will never support me. He lives in
             a flimsy shack near the railway. 2 slight, trivial, paltry,
             feeble, unconvincing, weak, makeshift, implausible,
             unbelievable, unsatisfactory, insubstantial or unsubstantial,
             poor, inadequate:  Her flimsy excuse was that she had a
             headache.  3 sheer, light, gauzy, transparent, thin, filmy,
             diaphanous, gossamer, delicate:  She was wearing a flimsy pink
             blouse.

   flinch    v.  wince, draw back, withdraw, cower, cringe, recoil, start,
             quail, blench, shrink (from), shy (away) (from), dodge, duck:
             Each time he raised the whip, I flinched.

   fling     v.  1 toss, pitch, throw, cast, hurl, heave, sling, propel,
             fire, let fly, send, Colloq lob, chuck:  The smugglers had flung
             the contraband into the sea.

             --n.  2 indulgence, debauch, binge, spree, party, Colloq
             blow-off:  This will be my last fling before going into the
             army.  3 gamble, risk, venture, attempt, try, go, shot, Colloq
             crack, whirl, bash:  Her brief fling at an acting career was
             unsuccessful.

   flip      v.  1 toss, flick, snap, flop, turn, twist, spin:  Flip a coin
             to see who goes first.  2 anger, become angry or furious, go
             mad, go crazy, go berserk, US also flip out, Colloq go off the
             deep end, lose one's cool, Slang flip one's lid or Brit top,
             Brit freak, US freak out, lose it:  Father flipped when I said I
             was quitting college.

   flippancy n.  1 frivolousness, facetiousness, levity, light-heartedness,
             frivolity, jocularity, offhandedness, unseriousness:  I was
             chagrined that she should treat my proposal of marriage with
             such flippancy. 2 disrespect, disrespectfulness, impudence,
             impertinence, irreverence, sauciness, rudeness, discourtesy,
             brazenness, brashness, pertness, insolence, Colloq cheek,
             cheekiness, lip, mouth, Slang Brit side:  The headmaster will
             not tolerate flippancy on serious subjects such as religion and
             race relations.

   flippant  adj.  1 frivolous, facetious, light-hearted, jocular,
             offhand(ed), unserious, shallow, thoughtless, superficial;
             supercilious, belittling, scornful, dismissive:  I don't
             appreciate your flippant remarks when I'm trying to be serious.
             2 disrespectful, impudent, impertinent, irreverent, saucy, rude,
             pert, discourteous, brazen, brash, insolent, Colloq cheeky,
             flip:  He disapproves of Charles's flippant attitude towards the
             royal family.

   flirt     v.  1 coquette, play or act the coquette, tease, tantalize, toy,
             lead on, dally, philander, Colloq Brit chat up; Slang US come on
             to:  Amanda enjoys flirting with the boys.  2 flirt with. trifle
             or toy or play or tinker with, contemplate, consider, entertain,
             give a thought to, think about or of, Colloq Brit try on:  Many
             teenagers flirt with the idea of leaving home.

             --n.  3 coquette, tease, vamp, hussy, playgirl, minx;
             philanderer, playboy, Slang lady-killer, Old-fashioned wolf,
             sheik, masher, lounge lizard, Taboo slang cock-teaser,
             prick-teaser:  They are both such flirts, I can't tell if their
             advances are genuine.

   flirtatious
             adj.  coquettish, vampish, seductive, flirty, coy, philandering,
             provocative, enticing, alluring, amorous, come-hither:  They
             exchanged many flirtatious looks across the table.

   flit      v.  move, go, fly, flee, dart, skip, skim, flick, hop, whisk,
             flutter, flash:  As a bee flits from flower to flower, she flits
             from man to man.

   float     v.  1 hover, poise, bob, waft, be suspended, hang; sail, drift,
             glide, swim:  In the clear Caribbean waters, the boat seemed to
             float in mid-air.  2 launch, establish, set up, organize, found,
             initiate, get going or moving:  The financiers are trying to
             float a new company.  3 negotiate, arrange, transact, bring or
             carry off, get, effect, consummate, Colloq pull off, swing:
             Were you able to float a loan on your house?

             --n.  4 raft, Brit platform:  I can swim out to the float.  5
             buoy; pontoon:  The bridge is supported by floats.  6 (parade)
             exhibit or display:  Our parade float won first prize.

   flock     n.  1 body, company, group, band, pack, bunch, troop, set,
             collection, assembly, convoy, gathering, congregation, crowd,
             mass, mob, throng, gang, multitude, number, quantity, host,
             horde, swarm, drove; herd, flight, troupe, fleet, school; bevy:
             A huge flock of buyers sought bargains in the post-Christmas
             sales.

             --v.  2 assemble, meet, collect, gather, come or go together,
             congregate, crowd, mass, mob, throng, pour, flood, swarm, herd
             (together), band together, go:  People flocked around the
             speaker.

   flog      v.  1 whip, lash, horsewhip, strap, flagellate, flay, scourge,
             thrash, thresh, beat; chastise, castigate, punish:  He will be
             flogged, then drawn and quartered. He was flogged for stealing a
             loaf of bread. 2 sell; promote, publicize:  Her latest job is
             flogging encyclopedias door-to-door.

   flood     n.  1 inundation, deluge, overflow(ing), d‚bѓcle:  The hurricane
             was accompanied by a devastating flood.  2 torrent, cataract,
             freshet, overflow, stream, spate:  A flood of lava poured down
             the mountain.  3 abundance, deluge, overflowing, surge,
             outpouring, torrent, tide, tidal wave, stream, rush, flow, glut,
             surfeit, satiety, profusion, over-abundance, superabundance,
             nimiety, plethora, excess, surplus, superfluity:  A flood of
             invective poured from her lips.

             --v.  4 inundate, submerge, overflow, swamp, immerse, deluge,
             pour over, drown:  The water flooded everything in the basement.
             5 overwhelm, glut, oversupply, saturate, choke:  The market is
             being flooded with cheap imitations.  6 sweep, flow, swarm,
             surge, rush, crowd, pour:  As soon as the doors opened, the
             people flooded in.  7 permeate, fill, engulf, cover, pour into
             or throughout or over:  I open the curtain and sunlight floods
             the room.

   floor     n.  1 flooring, parquet, boarding, planking, Nautical or colloq
             deck:  The floor is mopped once a week.  2 storey, level; deck:
             On which floor is your flat?  3 minimum, bottom, base, lower
             limit, lowest (level):  Owing to inflation, the wage floor was
             raised. Share prices went through the floor in today's trading.

             --v.  4 knock over or down, bowl over, prostrate, fell,
             overthrow, bring down, (make) fall; beat, defeat, conquer,
             destroy, rout, overwhelm, crush, whip, trounce, thrash, drub,
             best, worst:  The champion was floored by a blow to the head.  5
             stump, bewilder, baffle, dumbfound or dumfound, confuse,
             confound, disconcert, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, astound,
             astonish, amaze, surprise, shock:  Alexandra was floored when
             she received a gift from her ex-husband.

   flop      v.  1 collapse, drop (down), fall (down), tumble, topple, plump
             down, plop down, flounce down:  I was so exhausted that I
             flopped into bed at once.  2 flap, wave, swing:  The door,
             unfastened, flopped back and forth in the wind.  3 fail, fall
             flat, come to naught or nothing, founder, Colloq fold, US bomb:
             The musical flopped on the first night.

             --n.  4 failure, fiasco, disaster, non-starter, d‚bѓcle, US
             fizzle, Colloq dud, washout, clanger, US lead balloon, bomb;
             Slang lemon, Brit cock-up, damp squib:  His idea for a new
             corkscrew was a complete flop.

   flounce   n.  1 frill, furbelow, peplum, ruffle, ornament, valance,
             trimming:  The dress has decorative flounces round the skirt.

             --v.  2 fling, toss, bounce, twist, strut, toss, parade, march,
             storm, stamp, US sashay:  She flounced out of the room in high
             dudgeon.

   flounder  v.  grope, blunder, stumble, tumble, struggle, stagger, plunge
             about:  We floundered about in the dark till someone found the
             light switch.

   flourish  v.  1 prosper, thrive, grow, develop, luxuriate, bloom, blossom,
             flower, bear fruit, fructify, boom, burgeon or bourgeon, mature,
             ripen, increase, succeed, get ahead, do or fare well, make good;
             go up or rise in the world; Slang go great guns:  We understand
             that Amy's medical practice has flourished.  2 wave, wield,
             brandish, wag, swing, twirl, flaunt, vaunt, swagger, swish,
             shake:  The band-leader flourished his baton.

             --n.  3 decoration, embellishment, floridness, floweriness,
             ornamentation, elaboration, adornment, frill, embroidery,
             curlicue, furbelow:  His signature is characterized by all these
             flourishes.  4 fanfare, display, show, showiness, dash,
             gesturing, wave:  With a flourish of his hand, the king
             signalled the tourney to begin.

   flourishing
             adj.  luxuriant, lush, thriving, prospering, blooming,
             blossoming, fruitful, flowering, burgeoning or bourgeoning,
             successful, prosperous, booming, growing, increasing:  Patel
             runs a flourishing flower shop in Bicester.

   flout     v.  deride, scorn, disdain, contemn, spurn, decry, denounce,
             misprize, blaspheme, depreciate, degrade, abase, belittle,
             minimize, deprecate, disparage, denigrate, mock, jeer, guy,
             ridicule, scoff, sneer, gibe or jibe (at), taunt, twit, insult,
             affront, Archaic fleer; Colloq put down, chaff, rag, knock:
             When introduced in the sixties, miniskirts brazenly flouted
             convention.

   flow      v.  1 stream, pour, run, rush, course, surge, move, go, proceed,
             progress, drift; gush, glide, purl, roll, ripple, trickle,
             gurgle, bubble; swirl, whirl, circulate:  People continue to
             flow past the window. The Thames flows silently to the sea. 2
             rush, gush, surge, well (forth), stream, spring, issue, spout,
             spurt, squirt, spew, flood, cascade, fall, rain; brim, overflow,
             spill, teem:  Open the gates to allow water to flow into the
             lock. A stream of insults flowed from his lips. Her tears flowed
             like wine. 3 issue, originate, come, emanate, rise, begin:  With
             the dam repaired, water will once again flow from the reservoir.
             The authority of the state constitutions does not flow from
             Congress. 4 spread, overspread, cover:  The paint flowed
             effortlessly onto the canvas.

             --n.  5 rush, gush, surge; current, course, stream, run,
             movement, drift:  A dam blocks the flow of water here. The sound
             of a shot interrupted the flow of conversation. 6 abundance,
             superabundance, flood, plethora, excess, overflow(ing), deluge,
             tide, supply; plenty:  London experiences an unending flow of
             tourists.

   flower    n.  1 blossom, bloom, floret or floweret, bud, Technical
             efflorescence:  He brought me flowers for my birthday.  2 cream,
             best, pick, ‚lite, crЉme de la crЉme, finest, choicest:  The
             flower of the city's youth were put to death by the wicked
             caliph.

             --v.  3 blossom, bloom, bud, burgeon or bourgeon, come out,
             open, unfold, Technical effloresce:  The century plant was so
             called because it was thought to flower only once every hundred
             years.

   flowery   adj.  florid, ornate, fancy, elaborate(d), decorated,
             ornamented, overwrought, embellished, rococo, baroque,
             arabesque, euphuistic, Gongoristic, Ossianic, grandiloquent,
             bombastic, inflated, pompous, affected, artificial, high-flown,
             showy:  Many find his flowery style of writing difficult to
             stomach.

   fluctuate v.  vary, change, alternate, see-saw, swing, vacillate,
             undulate, waver, oscillate, shift:  Prices fluctuate according
             to supply and demand.

   fluctuation
             n.  Sometimes, fluctuations. variation(s), change(s),
             alternation(s), swing(s), vacillation(s), wavering(s),
             oscillation(s), undulation(s), ups and downs, instability,
             unsteadiness, inconstancy:  We can expect fluctuation in
             temperatures during the coming week.

   fluency   n.  articulateness, eloquence, control, command, ease, grace,
             effortlessness, facility, felicity, smoothness, polish,
             slickness, glibness, volubility:  His extemporaneous speeches
             are marked by an enviable fluency.

   fluent    adj.  articulate, eloquent, well-spoken, felicitous, graceful,
             facile, easy, natural, effortless, ready, smooth, polished,
             flowing, voluble, glib, slick; expressive:  She is a fluent
             speaker of Spanish.

   fluff     n.  1 down, fuzz, feather(s), thistledown, floss, lint, dust,
             dust-ball, fuzz ball:  Be sure you clean the fluff from under
             the beds.  2 bit of fluff. poppet, girl (friend), mistress,
             Slang bit of all right, (bit of) crumpet, (bit of) skirt or
             stuff, Old-fashioned Brit popsy:  Bickerley keeps some fluff on
             the side.  3 blunder, error, slip, mistake, Colloq howler, Brit
             bloomer, US and Canadian blooper:  They showed a video of the
             fluffs actors make during recordings.

             --v.  4 muddle, spoil, ruin, make a mess of, bungle, botch,
             Colloq foul up, screw up, mess up, US snafu, Slang Brit cock up,
             balls up, US ball up, Taboo fuck up:  I have a funny story about
             how Barrymore fluffed Hamlet's soliloquy.  5 fluff up. puff up,
             shake out or up, aerate:  He doesn't like the pillows on his bed
             fluffed up.

   fluffy    adj.  1 soft, downy, puffy, whipped up, light, airy, puffy,
             feathery, wispy:  Beat the egg whites till they are fluffy.  2
             frivolous, superficial, trivial, unimportant, airy, thin,
             lightweight, light, insubstantial, gossamer, Brit airy-fairy:
             Mr Piffle is too fluffy-headed to offer anything useful.

   fluid     n.  1 liquid, solution, liquor, ichor; gas, vapour:  It might
             surprise some to learn that physicists consider gases to be
             fluids.

             --adj.  2 liquid, flowing, running, runny, watery, aqueous:
             Once the metal has become fluid, it is poured into the moulds.
             3 changeable, mutable, flexible, adjustable, variable, pliant,
             unformed, formless, unfixed, unstatic or non-static, plastic,
             protean, mercurial, mobile, unstable, shifting, uncertain,
             indefinite, unsettled:  The situation is fluid and the decision
             could go either way.

   fluke     n.  lucky or successful stroke, stroke of (good) luck, lucky or
             big break, (happy) accident, quirk or twist of fate, windfall,
             fortuity, serendipity:  If he won first prize, it was by a
             fluke.

   flummox   v.  confuse, baffle, perplex, bewilder, confound, throw into
             confusion, stymie, stump, puzzle, mystify, fox, deceive,
             hoodwink, nonplus:  We were completely flummoxed by the
             licensing requirements.

   flunkey   n.  1 servant, retainer, lackey, footman, menial, minion,
             hireling, underling, subordinate, inferior; slave; Colloq
             dogsbody, Slang US and Canadian gofer:  A company flunkey drove
             me to the airport.  2 toady, hanger-on, yes-man, jackal,
             doormat, stooge, lickspittle, sycophant, Colloq US and Canadian
             apple-polisher, Taboo brown-noser:  He has a collection of
             flunkeys waiting about for hand-outs.

   flurry    n.  1 activity, commotion, ado, to-do, fuss, upset, hubbub,
             pother, stir, excitement, disturbance, agitation, tumult, whirl,
             furore, bustle, hurry, hustle, flutter, fluster; burst,
             outburst; Colloq tizzy:  I was happy to leave the worry and
             flurry of the city. There was a brief flurry of activity at the
             Stock Exchange today.

             --v.  2 confuse, bewilder, agitate, put out, disturb, excite,
             fluster, disconcert, upset, perturb, unsettle, shake (up),
             Colloq rattle:  He was quite flurried by the arrival of the
             police.

   flush°    v.  1 blush, redden, crimson, glow, burn, colour (up):  When he
             told her she was pretty she flushed a bit.  2 Often, flush out.
             rinse, wash (out or away), douse, douche, hose down, flood,
             drench, clean out, cleanse, purge, discharge, empty:  Oil
             tankers are flushed out far from shore.  3 animate, stir,
             inflame, impassion, quicken, arouse, excite, elate, encourage,
             cheer, delight, thrill, gladden:  Suzie was flushed with the
             success of having got the job.

             --n.  4 blush, redness, bloom, rosiness, colour, blood, glow,
             radiance:  When he was asked what had happened to the money, a
             flush rose to his cheek. 5 flood, deluge, drenching, soaking,
             overflow, inundation, rush, gush, surge, stream, flow:  The
             flush of water washed away all the debris.  6 thrill,
             excitement, passion, quickening, arousal, stir, stirring,
             animation, elation, euphoria, delight, encouragement, thrill,
             tingle:  In the first flush of success, they were overwhelmed
             with orders.  He felt a flush come over him when he won the
             race.

   flushэ    adj.  1 (on the same) plane or level (with), even, smooth, flat,
             square, true, continuous; adjacent, next to:  See that the
             tabletop is flush with the countertop. The mirror should be
             flush against the wall. 2 full, overflowing, replete, abundant:
             Turn off the water when it is flush with the top of the basin.
             3 solvent, well supplied, comfortable; well-to-do, well off,
             well-found, wealthy, rich, prosperous, affluent, moneyed, Colloq
             well-heeled, on Easy Street, in the money, US in the chips;
             Slang loaded, rolling (in money or it):  He's flush enough to
             take us all out to dinner.

             --adv.  4 even(ly), square(ly), levelly, plumb, directly:  Cut
             this branch off flush.

   fluster   v.  1 agitate, stir (up), discompose, discomfit, discomfort,
             disconcert, shake (up), upset, disquiet, discommode, bother, put
             out or off, disturb, perturb, flurry, flutter, make nervous,
             throw off, distract, confuse, baffle, confound, puzzle, perplex,
             befuddle, bewilder, daze, dazzle, Colloq rattle, throw,
             discombobulate, hassle, faze:  Don't be flustered by her rude
             manner.

             --n.  2 agitation, upset, discomfort, disquiet, bother,
             disturbance, commotion, perturbation, dither, flurry, flutter,
             nervousness, distraction, confusion, bafflement, befuddlement,
             perplexity, bewilderment:  All this fluster came about through
             the absence of a coherent plan.

   flutter   v.  1 flap, flop, fluctuate, vacillate, wave, waver, oscillate:
             The paper streamers fluttered in the breeze.  2 flit, flicker,
             flitter, hover, dance; fuss:  We shall never get done if you
             keep fluttering about.  3 tremble, shake, quiver, dither, jump,
             vibrate, twitch:  She is fluttering with anticipation waiting
             for the postman.

             --n.  4 fluttering, flapping, flopping, fluctuation,
             fluctuating, vacillation, vacillating, wave, waving,
             oscillation, oscillating, trembling, quiver, quivering:  The
             slightest flutter of her fan communicates volumes.  5 See
             fluster, 2.

   flux      n.  instability, change, mutation, modification, fluctuation,
             unrest, swing, swinging, wavering, movement, motion,
             oscillation, indecision, indecisiveness:  The economic
             indicators are in a constant state of flux.

   fly       v.  1 take wing, take flight, take to the air, wing, soar, sail,
             hover; flutter, flit, flap:  A stork flew overhead. Daedalus
             taught Icarus to fly.  2 Also, fly away or off. take flight,
             depart, leave, flee, decamp, bolt, run away or off, escape, make
             (good) one's escape, take to one's heels, show a clean pair of
             heels, rush or nip off or out or away, (make a) run (for it), go
             or get away or off, abscond, make a getaway, cut and run, beat a
             (hasty) retreat, take off, scoot, Colloq light out, beat it,
             clear out or off, skedaddle, scram, US cut out, hightail (it),
             take it on the lam, take a (run-out) powder, lam out, take to
             the hills, take to the woods; Slang Brit scarper, bugger off, US
             vamoose, blow:  She flew off before I could get her telephone
             number.  3 hasten, hurry, rush, run, race, dash, sprint, tear,
             scamper, scoot, Colloq make tracks:  I must fly if I'm to catch
             the train.  4 pass (by), elapse, go (by), expire, run its
             course, slip or slide by or away:  Time flies quickly when
             you're having fun.  5 aviate, pilot; jet:  Parker flies his own
             plane. I flew down to Paris with him.  6 fly in the face of.
             flout, defy, go against, contemn, scorn, scoff at, oppose, go or
             run counter to, counter, counteract, countervail, countermine,
             contradict, contravene, thumb one's nose at, Colloq Brit cock a
             snook at:  His actions fly in the face of conventional
             behaviour.  7 fly off the handle. fly into a rage or fury or
             temper or passion, lose one's temper, have a fit or tantrum, be
             fit to be tied, go berserk, go crazy or mad, explode, Colloq
             lose or blow one's cool, blow one's top, hit or go through the
             roof, US hit the ceiling, blow one's stack, get worked up
             (over); Slang blow a fuse or a gasket, flip (one's lid), have a
             haemorrhage, Brit flip one's top:  Rudolf flies off the handle
             at the slightest provocation.  8 let fly.  a throw, toss, cast,
             hurl, fling, heave, pitch, lob, sling, chuck, shoot, fire (off),
             let rip, discharge, launch, propel, let go or off:  They let fly
             a volley of arrows.  b let go with, let (someone) have it, lash
             out, vent one's spleen, lose one's temper, burst out or forth,
             burst into, Colloq pull no punches, tear into:  That was the
             last straw, and she really let fly at him.

             --n.  9 Often, Brit flies. flap, fly front, Brit zip, US zipper:
             He was embarrassed to find his flies were open.  10 fly in the
             ointment. hitch, snag, impediment, obstacle, obstruction,
             problem, difficulty, drawback, detraction, rub, hindrance,
             bugbear, bogey, bugaboo, Offensive nigger in the woodpile:  The
             one fly in the ointment is that my mother won't give me
             permission to go.

   fly-by-night
             adj.  1 temporary, short-lived, transitory, fugitive, ephemeral,
             transient, fleeting, passing, brief, impermanent, here today,
             gone tomorrow:  That fly-by-night operation was in business for
             less than a month.  2 unreliable, untrustworthy, disreputable,
             irresponsible, dubious, questionable; shifty, dishonest, sharp,
             crooked, Colloq shady, Brit cowboy:  Guarantees on double
             glazing are worthless if installed by some fly-by-night company.

6.5 foam...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   foam      n.  1 bubbles, froth, spume, lather, suds; effervescence,
             sparkle, carbonation, fizz:  The foam leaves spots when it
             dries.

             --v.  2 bubble, froth, spume, lather, suds, soap up:  Watch the
             solution foam when I drop this tablet into it.

   focal     adj.  central, focused, concentrated, convergent, centred,
             centralized:  The light rays come together at this focal point.
             Harris's address was the focal point of the conference.

   focus     n.  1 centre, concentration, focal point, heart, core, target,
             convergence, hub, nave; cynosure:  Why should Anita always be
             the focus of attention?  2 in focus. clear, distinct, well- or
             sharply defined:  With the telescope in focus, you feel as if
             you can almost touch the distant shore. 3 out of focus. unclear,
             indistinct, blurred, blurry, fuzzy, woolly:  The photos are so
             out of focus that I can't tell who's who.

             --v.  4 concentrate, centre, converge, meet, pinpoint,
             spotlight; bring into focus; Colloq zero in:  Without
             distractions, we can focus on the problem at hand.

   fog       n.  1 mist, haze, smog, vapour, cloud, Colloq pea-souper:  Our
             flight was grounded because of fog.  2 trance, daze, stupor,
             brown study, confused state; coma:  He's in a fog and didn't
             hear a word you said.

             --v.  3 dim, obscure, cloud, bedim, becloud, blind, stifle:  The
             purpose of all that verbiage is merely to fog the issue.  4
             Usually, befog. bewilder, mystify, perplex, confuse, muddle,
             puzzle, nonplus:  I was completely befogged by the technical
             language he used.  5 Also, fog up or over. mist over or up,
             cloud up or over, shroud:  My bathroom mirror fogs when I take a
             hot shower.

   fogy      n.  Also, fogey. Usually, old fogy or fogey. conservative,
             relic, Colloq fuddy-duddy, fossil, antique, stick-in-the-mud,
             back number, square:  That old fogy still dances the foxtrot.

   foible    n.  weakness, imperfection, weak point, fault, frailty,
             shortcoming, flaw, defect, failing, blemish, infirmity;
             peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, quirk, crotchet, eccentricity,
             preoccupation, kink, Colloq hang-up, bug:  One of her foibles is
             that she loves junk food.

   foil°     v.  thwart, offset, defeat, baffle, balk, parry, frustrate,
             counter, check, impede, hamper, outwit, circumvent, checkmate,
             daunt, disconcert, discomfit, disappoint, pull the rug out from
             under (someone), cut the ground from under someone's feet,
             nullify, nip in the bud, countervail (against), Brit put a spoke
             in (someone's) wheel, Colloq clip (someone's) wings, cut
             (someone) down to size, spoil (someone's) game, Chiefly US and
             Canadian faze:  The villain and his evil plan were again foiled
             by the arrival of the sheriff.

   foilэ     n.  layer, lamina, lamination, sheet, membrane, film, coating,
             flake, scale, wafer:  Cigarettes once came packaged in tin foil.

   foist     v.  palm or pass off, impose, unload, put (off), push (off),
             Colloq lay (off), Brit fob off:  Don't try to foist those fake
             paintings on me!

   fold      v.  1 bend, ply, double (over or up), overlap, crease, pleat,
             gather, crimp:  Fold the letter before putting it into the
             envelope.  2 enclose, envelop, enfold, wrap, enwrap, clasp,
             clip, embrace, hug, gather:  He folded her in his arms.  3 give
             way, collapse, fail, close (up or down), shut down, go out of
             business, go bankrupt, Colloq go under, go broke, go bust, Brit
             go to the wall:  The company folded and ten employees were made
             redundant.

             --n.  4 crease, wrinkle, crinkle, pucker, pleat, gather, crimp,
             overlap, lap:  The folds will remain crisp if you use starch
             when ironing.

   folk      n.  people, tribe, (ethnic) group, clan, race; society, nation,
             (general) public, populace, population, citizenry:
             Archaeologists refer to these people as the 'Beaker Folk'. Some
             folks disliked the performance.

   follow    v.  1 go or come after or next; go or walk or tread or move
             behind, bring up the rear, Colloq string or tag along:  You go
             on ahead and I'll follow shortly. Please see the comments that
             follow. 2 adhere to, cleave to, support, believe in, accept,
             adopt, conform to, comply with, obey, be guided by, be modelled
             after or on, observe, heed, mind, go along with, reflect,
             mirror, echo, imitate, copy, mimic, ape:  This newspaper follows
             strict party policy.  3 attend, accompany, escort, go (along)
             with; serve:  Mary's little lamb followed her everywhere.  4
             chase, pursue, dog, hunt (down), stalk, run down, track, trail,
             tail, trace, shadow:  The detective swore to follow him to the
             ends of the earth.  5 succeed, supersede, step into the shoes
             of, take the place of, replace, supplant:  Who followed Henry
             VIII on the throne?  6 practise, pursue, engage in, carry on,
             occupy oneself with, apply or dedicate or devote oneself to,
             cultivate:  After the war he followed a career as a teacher.  7
             result from, ensue, issue, flow, arise, develop:  The conclusion
             follows logically from the premise.  8 understand, fathom,
             comprehend, get, grasp, see, catch, appreciate, take in, keep up
             with, Colloq dig:  Were you able to follow everything in that
             lecture?  9 watch, be a fan or aficionado of, pursue, take an
             interest in, keep up with, keep abreast of, cheer or root for,
             admire:  He follows international yacht racing.  10 follow
             through (on). persist or persevere, continue, perform, conclude,
             realize, consummate, pursue, carry out, see through, make good,
             discharge, adhere to, keep:  I only hope she follows this
             through and delivers the goods.  11 follow up (on).  a pursue,
             go after, track, investigate, pursue, check (out), check up
             (on), inquire, make inquiries, look into:  MacGregor is very
             good at following up on the most obscure references.  b pursue,
             prosecute, reinforce, consolidate, support, buttress, augment,
             bolster, ensure:  The Romans followed up their success with an
             attack on Olbia.

   follower  n.  1 disciple, adherent, student, pupil, apprentice,
             prot‚g‚(e):  They were followers of Buddha.  2 attendant,
             henchman, servant, retainer, bodyguard, myrmidon:  Louie walked
             in with two of his followers.  3 supporter, devotee, fan,
             aficionado, promoter, enthusiast, booster, advocate, proponent,
             US rooter, Colloq groupie:  She is a faithful follower of The
             Dirty Knees, a rock group.

   follow-through
             n.  perseverance, diligence, persistence, steadfastness,
             endurance, stamina, indefatigableness, sedulousness, sedulity,
             pursuance, tenacity, resolve, determination, Colloq US
             stick-to-it-iveness:  One needs imagination for new ideas but
             follow-through to make them succeed.

   follow-up n.  reinforcement, support, backup, bolstering; consolidation:
             The failure of the sales campaign was attributed to lack of
             follow-up.

   folly     n.  1 foolishness, nonsense, absurdity, daftness, silliness,
             preposterousness, absurdness, senselessness, fatuousness,
             fatuity, rashness, stupidity, asininity, inanity,
             nonsensicalness, idiocy, imbecility, irrationality, lunacy,
             insanity, madness, craziness, eccentricity, weak-mindedness,
             feeble-mindedness, simple-mindedness, muddle-headedness,
             thickheadedness, stolidity, stolidness, obtuseness,
             brainlessness, Colloq dumbness, dopiness, nuttiness, US and
             Canadian kookiness:  They saw the folly of fighting against such
             enormous odds. It would be folly to leave in this storm. 2
             absurdity, mistake, blunder, error, faux pas, gaffe, Colloq
             goof, fluff:  What follies have been committed in the name of
             honour!

   foment    v.  rouse, stir or whip up, awaken, waken, provoke, incite,
             instigate, initiate, prompt, start, motivate, inspire, work up,
             inflame, fan the flames (of), kindle, galvanize, rally, excite,
             stimulate, encourage, promote, foster, forward, further,
             advance, cultivate, sow the seeds of, spur, goad, egg on, urge:
             He is always fomenting ill will against the management.

   fond      adj.  1 tender, loving, affectionate, warm, adoring, caring:
             She clasped him in a fond embrace.  2 foolish, bootless, empty,
             vain, na‹ve:  She had fond hopes of his being elected.  3 fond
             of. partial to, (having a) liking (for), soft on or about,
             affectionate towards, attached to, having a fancy or taste for,
             fancying, predisposed or inclined to or towards; addicted to,
             Colloq hooked on:  She is inordinately fond of chocolate.

   fondle    v.  caress, stroke, pet, pat, touch, cuddle, snuggle; handle,
             touch:  See that couple over there fondling one another? He
             fondled his dagger.

   fondly    adv.  affectionately, lovingly, tenderly, warmly, adoringly,
             caressingly:  Martin regarded his wife fondly.

   food      n.  nourishment, nutriment, aliment, sustenance, subsistence;
             foodstuffs, edibles, eatables, viands, bread, victuals, rations,
             provisions, comestibles, Brit commons, Colloq grub, eats, chow,
             Brit scoff, prog:  Without any food for days, the survivors were
             near starvation.

   fool      n.  1 simpleton, ninny, ninny-hammer, nincompoop, ass, jackass,
             dunce, dolt, halfwit, numskull or numbskull, blockhead,
             bonehead, pinhead, silly, feather-brain, loon, goose, booby,
             jay, goon, mooncalf, idiot, ignoramus, dim-wit, nitwit, halfwit,
             imbecile, moron, clod, clodpole, clodpoll, clodpate, oaf,
             Psychology retardate, Scots gomerel, Colloq birdbrain,
             dumb-bell, fat-head, chump, twit, knuckle-head, chucklehead,
             nit, twerp or twirp, Brit pillock, US and Canadian jerk, retard;
             Slang sap, dope, Brit git, Australian boofhead:  He's such a
             fool he'll believe anything.  2 (court) jester, clown, comic,
             comedian or comedienne, entertainer, zany, buffoon, merry
             andrew, farceur, joker, jokester, droll, Punch, Punchinello,
             pierrot, harlequin:  In Shakespeare's plays, the fool is often
             the wisest character.  3 butt, dupe, gull, victim, cat's-paw,
             Colloq chump, greenhorn, (easy) mark, US fall guy; Slang pigeon,
             sucker, stooge, Brit mug:  His co-workers liked to make a fool
             out of him.

             --v.  4 trick, deceive, take in, swindle, defraud, hoax, cheat,
             fleece, cozen, hoodwink, bluff, dupe, gull, humbug, delude,
             mislead, make a fool of; pull the wool over (someone's) eyes,
             have (someone) on, pull (someone's) leg, tease, twit, Archaic
             chouse; Colloq kid, con, snow, do a snow job on, bamboozle, put
             one or something over on, pull something or a fast one on, Brit
             twist, Chiefly US and Canadian josh; Slang pluck, Brit nobble:
             When he said the diamond was fake, he certainly fooled me. I
             think she was fooling when she said she'd inherited millions. 5
             joke, jest, banter, tease, twit, feign, fake, pretend, make
             believe, Colloq kid:  She insists that she is not fooling but
             dead serious.  6 fool with or around or about (with). play
             (around or about) (with), toy or trifle (with), mess or fiddle
             (around or about) (with), monkey (around or about) with, meddle
             (with), tamper with, fribble (with):  Please stop fooling with
             the dials on the radio.  7 fool around or about.  a play or mess
             around or about, gambol, frolic, romp, cavort:  Stop fooling
             around and get serious.  b waste or fritter away or squander or
             kill time, fribble, loiter, dawdle, idle, Brit potter (about),
             lark or muck about or around, US putter around or about, Colloq
             footle:  She's always fooling around instead of getting on with
             her work.

   foolhardy adj.  rash, imprudent, impetuous, reckless, brash, venturesome,
             bold, cheeky, daring, audacious, temerarious, adventurous,
             daredevil, incautious, hotheaded, careless, heedless,
             devil-may-care, hasty, thoughtless, unthinking, irresponsible,
             wild, madcap, Colloq US and Canadian nervy, Slang gutsy:  It is
             foolhardy to go scuba diving without a companion.

   foolish   adj.  1 senseless, incautious, imprudent, impolitic, indiscreet,
             unwise, injudicious, ill-considered, ill-advised, misguided,
             short-sighted, impetuous, headlong, rash, brash, reckless,
             hasty, heedless, unwary, foolhardy, thoughtless, mindless:
             Standing under a tree in a thunderstorm is foolish.  2
             nonsensical, stupid, asinine, inane, silly, fatuous, fatuitous,
             dim-witted, scatterbrained, hare-brained, crazy, mad, insane,
             demented, irrational, erratic, unstable, crack-brained,
             feather-brained, bird-brained, simple-minded, light-headed,
             muddle-headed, numskulled or numbskulled, addle-pated,
             rattle-brained, bemused, confused, feeble-minded, moronic,
             idiotic, imbecilic, halfwitted, dull-witted, slow-witted,
             witless, brainless, empty-headed, blockheaded, boneheaded,
             thickheaded, obtuse, stolid, Colloq dumb, balmy or Brit barmy,
             loony, nuts, nutty, batty, dopey or dopy, soft (in the head),
             dim, thick, dippy, dotty, dizzy, Brit potty, daft, Slang cuckoo,
             goofy, screwy, wacky:  Tracy was foolish to believe him when he
             said he loved her.  3 preposterous, ridiculous, absurd,
             irrational, illogical, unreasonable, ludicrous, wild:  They have
             some foolish idea about building a hotel in Antarctica.

   foolproof adj.  safe, certain, sure, trustworthy, dependable, reliable,
             infallible, unfailing, guaranteed, warranted, Colloq sure-fire:
             She claims to have a foolproof way of preventing unwanted
             pregnancies.

   footing   n.  1 foundation, basis, base, ground(s):  The events put our
             entire relationship on a new footing.  2 standing, status,
             level, condition, position, terms, state, rank:  The two
             departments are on an equal footing as far as funding is
             concerned. 3 foothold, toe-hold; balance, stability:  She lost
             her footing on the icy pavement and down she went.

   footstep  n.  1 step, footfall, tread:  I recognized her footstep.  2
             Usually, footsteps. footprint(s), track, trail, trace, spoor,
             footmark(s); tradition, example, way of life:  He followed in
             his master's footsteps.

   for       prep.  1 representing, championing; in favour of, Brit on or US
             and Canadian also in behalf of, on the side of, in support of,
             in the service of, as a service to, for the benefit of, pro:
             Are you for or against the candidate? She did it for herself.  2
             in search or quest of, seeking, looking for or after, after,
             with a view or an eye to:  We're just here for the beer.  3
             instead of, in place of, representing, as a replacement for,
             Brit on or US and Canadian in behalf of; in return or exchange
             for, in compensation or recompense or payment or repayment for,
             in requital for:  I am acting for my father. This cheque is for
             the toaster. Will you accept nothing for your pains? 4 for the
             treatment of, as a remedy for, against; for the purpose or
             object of:  This medication is for skin infections only. It's
             for your own good. 5 for the sake of, Brit on or US and Canadian
             also in behalf of, in the interest of:  Would you really do that
             for me?  6 in the direction of, to, towards, into:  Head for the
             hills!  7 to save, in the interest or benefit of, for the sake
             or benefit of, conducive to; because of, on account of, by
             reason of:  Every summer, they went to Carlsbad for their
             health. She hated him for what he represented. 8 to go to,
             destined for:  I am leaving for Tierra del Fuego tomorrow.  9
             suitable or suited for, fit or fitted or fitting for,
             appropriate for, proper for:  I am not sure that this colour is
             for you. Is it right for me to speak out now? 10 for the
             duration of; over (the extent of), during, in the course of,
             throughout, through:  She stayed for a week.  11 despite, in
             spite of, notwithstanding, allowing for:  For all his
             complaining, he seemed satisfied.  12 as for. regarding, in
             regard to, as regards, respecting, concerning, as far as
             (something or someone) is concerned:  As for Betty, let her do
             as she likes.

             --conj.  13 because, since, as, inasmuch as, seeing that, owing
             or due to the fact that:  I was unable to see him, for he was
             out of the office.

   forbid    v.  prohibit, ban, hinder, stop, exclude, debar, preclude,
             prevent; outlaw, interdict, disallow, proscribe, taboo; veto:  I
             was forbidden from entering. They forbid smoking in the
             classrooms.

   forbidding
             adj.  1 repellent, repulsive, offensive, odious, abhorrent:  In
             his long cloak and mask, he presented a forbidding appearance.
             2 hostile, unfriendly, stern, harsh, menacing, threatening,
             ominous, dangerous, bad, nasty, ugly, unpleasant:  The coast
             here is rocky and forbidding. The old crone gave him a
             forbidding look and we cringed.

   force     n.  1 power, might, energy, strength, potency, vigour,
             intensity, violence, impact; dynamism, pressure:  The force of
             the blow knocked me down.  2 coercion, pressure, constraint,
             duress, compulsion, arm-twisting:  When persuasion failed, the
             guards resorted to force.  3 troops, soldiers, army:  NATO
             forces are on manoeuvres.  4 weight, persuasiveness,
             persistence, cogency, effectiveness, efficacy, strength,
             validity, significance, value:  The force of his argument was
             sufficient to convince us.  5 meaning, import, significance:
             Are they able to cope with the full force of the word 'God'?  6
             in force. in effect, effective, in operation, operative, valid,
             binding, current:  The ancient customs still remain in force.
             The law came into force at midnight.

             --v.  7 make, oblige, require, compel, coerce, exact, constrain,
             enforce, impel, intimidate, pressure or Brit also pressurize,
             press, dragoon, twist (someone's) arm, Colloq bulldoze, put the
             squeeze on (someone):  Each of us was forced to dig his own
             grave.  8 push, drive, thrust, propel; prise or prize, break,
             wrench, crack, jemmy, US pry:  The tornado forced the chair
             through the wall. He forced open the safe and took the money. 9
             exact, extort, extract, wrest, wring, drag:  The CIA tried to
             force a confession from her.

   forced    adj.  artificial, unnatural, contrived, stilted, calculated,
             studied, laboured, strained, stiff, false, feigned, fake(d),
             mannered, affected, self-conscious, Colloq phoney or US also
             phony:  Her forced joviality failed to conceal her contempt for
             those present.

   forceful  adj.  1 vigorous, energetic, compelling, dynamic, intense,
             potent, strong, mighty, powerful, aggressive, weighty,
             effective, convincing, persuasive:  The colonel was known as a
             forceful leader of men.  2 effective, efficacious, cogent,
             logical, impressive, telling, convincing, persuasive, strong,
             mighty, forcible, powerful, compelling, irresistible; pithy,
             meaty:  The most forceful arguments came from Catherine towards
             the end of the discussion.

   forcible  adj.  1 See forceful, 2.  2 drastic, forceful, violent,
             aggressive, coercive, severe, stringent:  The plan involves the
             forcible repatriation of refugees.

   foreboding
             n.  1 apprehension, apprehensiveness, feeling, sense, misgiving,
             dread, suspicion, intuition, anxiety, fear:  An atmosphere of
             foreboding filled the crypt.  2 premonition, augury, prophecy,
             prediction, prognostication, warning, foretoken, foreshadowing,
             presentiment, omen, sign, portent, intimation, forewarning,
             presage, advance word:  I had a strange foreboding of horror as
             I entered the room.

   forecast  v.  1 predict, foretell, prophesy, prognosticate, foresee,
             augur, presage, vaticinate, anticipate; forewarn, calculate:
             Seers forecast coming events; meteorologists forecast the
             weather.

             --n.  2 prediction, prophecy, prognosis, prognostication,
             foresight, augury, vaticination, anticipation; forewarning,
             calculation:  Have you heard the weather forecast for tomorrow?

   foregoing adj.  preceding, above, former, previous, precedent, prior,
             antecedent; earlier, preliminary, anterior; aforementioned,
             aforesaid:  The foregoing paragraph set forth the principles.

   foregone  adj.  Usually in foregone conclusion. assumed, established,
             pre-established, predetermined, fixed, inevitable, set,
             accepted, cut and dried:  His incarceration for the crime was a
             foregone conclusion.

   foreign   adj.  1 alien, imported, non-native; overseas, distant,
             tramontane, transalpine, transatlantic, transpacific:  Duty is
             payable on foreign goods. We holiday in a different foreign
             country each year. 2 strange, outlandish, exotic, unfamiliar,
             peculiar, odd, curious:  She regards anything except beans and
             toast as foreign food.  3 unknown, unfamiliar, strange,
             inappropriate, unrelated, unconnected, unassimilable, remote,
             extrinsic, extraneous:  Their philosophy is completely foreign
             to my way of thinking.

   foreigner n.  alien, non-native, immigrant, newcomer, new arrival,
             outsider, outlander, stranger:  The word xenophobia means 'dread
             of foreigners'.

   foreman   n.  superintendent, manager, boss, supervisor, overseer, Brit
             shopwalker, US floor-walker, Colloq super, Brit gaffer, US straw
             boss:  The foreman insists we use the time clocks.

   foremost  adj.  1 first, primary, prime, leading, pre-eminent, supreme;
             prominent, notable, noteworthy, noted, chief, paramount, main,
             best, superior:  She is one of the foremost eye surgeons in her
             country.

             --adv.  2 first, firstly, primarily, primarily, in (the) first
             place, before anything else:  First and foremost, we must
             consider the matter of safety.

   forerunner
             n.  1 predecessor, precursor, foregoer; herald, harbinger,
             envoy; forebear, ancestor, forefather, progenitor:  This
             dishwasher is better designed than its forerunners. The cuckoo
             is thought by many to be the forerunner of spring. 2 omen,
             portent, foretoken, premonition, sign, augury, token:  A drop in
             the barometer is a forerunner of bad weather.

   foresee   v.  presage, foretell, envisage, picture, forecast, predict,
             prophesy, augur, US envision:  I don't foresee any problems.

   foreshadow
             v.  presage, foretoken, portend, augur, indicate, prophesy,
             predict, bode, signal, signify, betoken:  The surrender of Ghent
             foreshadowed the fate of Flanders.

   foresight n.  1 providence, prudence, care, far-sightedness, watchfulness,
             caution, precaution, long-sightedness, perspicacity, wisdom,
             sagacity, insight, circumspection:  The commander demonstrated
             foresight in ordering a retreat.  2 prevision, perception,
             prospect, vision, foreknowledge, prescience; expectation:  A
             little foresight could have prevented the calamity.

   forestall v.  anticipate, prevent, obstruct, hinder, obviate, thwart,
             preclude, frustrate, avert, ward or stave or fend off,
             intercept, parry, stop, delay:  The frigate effectively
             forestalled our plan to sail away secretly.

   forethought
             n.  premeditation, planning, plotting, far-sightedness,
             long-sightedness:  Much forethought went into the assassination
             scheme.

   for ever  adv.  1 forever, always, for good, ever, (for) evermore,
             forevermore, eternally, everlastingly, for ever and a day,
             undyingly, for eternity, till doomsday, till the end of time,
             Colloq till the cows come home, till hell freezes over:  They
             swore to be true for ever.  2 constantly, continually,
             continuously, all the time, unceasingly, incessantly, without
             cease or surcease, endlessly, consistently, persistently,
             interminably, perpetually:  She was forever watching soap operas
             on the telly.

   foreword  n.  preface, prologue, prelude, prolegomenon, preamble, Literary
             proem; introduction:  He set forth the purpose of the book in
             the foreword.

   forfeit   n.  1 penalty, fine, fee, charge, damages, forfeiture,
             sequestration, amercement, mulct:  You will have to give me a
             kiss as a forfeit.

             --v.  2 lose, yield (up), give up or over, relinquish,
             surrender, be stripped or deprived of, forgo, renounce, waive:
             You have forfeited your right to trial and you will be hanged at
             dawn.

             --adj.  3 surrendered, lost, yielded, relinquished, forgone,
             waived, renounced:  His life was forfeit the moment he
             volunteered to defuse the bomb.

   forge     v.  1 make, construct, fashion, fabricate, manufacture, shape,
             mould, cast, hammer out:  This plant forges heavy steel tools.
             He forged a new life for himself in the American West. 2 create,
             invent, conceive (of), coin, devise, think up, frame:  I have
             forged a new plan of escape.  3 counterfeit, copy, reproduce,
             imitate, falsify, fake, Slang US hang paper:  She forged her
             employer's name on the cheque. The gang was caught because they
             forged three-pound notes.

   forgery   n.  1 counterfeiting, falsification, fraud, fraudulence:  He was
             sent to prison for ten years for forgery.  2 counterfeit, fake,
             sham, imitation, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  The police
             have found three forgeries of Dali paintings.

   forget    v.  1 fail or cease to remember or recall or think of, lose,
             draw a blank:  I forgot what I was supposed to buy at the
             market.  2 leave (behind), omit or neglect (doing or taking):  I
             forgot my umbrella this morning.  3 ignore, dismiss from (one's)
             mind or thoughts, disregard, overlook, consign to oblivion:
             Forget the fact that you ever met me.

   forgetful adj.  amnesiac; absent-minded, distracted, abstracted,
             inattentive, preoccupied, neglectful, negligent, careless, lax,
             dreamy, dreaming, in dreamland, in the clouds, in
             cloud-cuckoo-land or cloud-land or Nephelococcygia, remote,
             distrait(e), Colloq not turned on, turned off, out of it:
             Franklin is so forgetful he'd lose his head if it weren't
             stitched on.

   forgive   v.  1 pardon, excuse, allow, make allowance(s) for, indulge,
             condone, vindicate; overlook, ignore, disregard, pay no
             attention to, pass over, US slough over:  Please forgive my
             curiosity, but where did you get that hat?  2 clear, acquit,
             absolve, exculpate, exonerate; spare; Colloq let off:  Father,
             forgive them, for they know not what they do.  3 cancel, waive,
             abolish, void, nullify, erase, delete; Colloq let off (the
             hook):  Her dream was to awake one day and find all her debts
             forgiven.

   forgiveness
             n.  1 pardon, reprieve, absolution, remission, acquittal,
             acquittance, amnesty, allowance, vindication, exculpation,
             exoneration, Archaic shrift:  Oh, Lord, I ask forgiveness for my
             sins.  2 mercy, mercifulness, compassion, grace, leniency,
             clemency, indulgence, tolerance:  He begged her forgiveness for
             the way he had treated her.

   forgiving adj.  tolerant, lenient, sparing, forbearing, merciful,
             compassionate, conciliatory, magnanimous, humane, soft-hearted,
             clement:  In a forgiving mood, the judge gave her a light
             sentence.

   forgo     v.  1 give up, renounce, forswear, forsake, abandon, do or go
             without, sacrifice, eliminate, omit, leave out or alone, cede,
             waive; avoid, shun, eschew, abstain from, turn down, pass up,
             deny (oneself):  His new diet requires him to forgo all dairy
             produce.  2 resign, give up, yield, surrender, relinquish, cede,
             waive, renounce, forswear, abdicate, abandon:  Did he not forgo
             all right to the throne by marrying a commoner?

   forlorn   adj.  1 miserable, wretched, desolate, woebegone, lost,
             pitiable, pitiful, pathetic, woeful, cheerless, joyless,
             unhappy, depressed, sad, desolate, disconsolate, gloomy,
             lugubrious, glum, despondent, dismal, dejected, dispirited,
             low-spirited, comfortless, down, melancholy, dolorous,
             sorrowful, mournful, inconsolable:  She looked so fragile and
             forlorn as she struggled to hold back her tears. 2 abandoned,
             forsaken, deserted, neglected, shunned, outcast, alone, lonely,
             lonesome, friendless, bereft:  We came upon a forlorn little
             village.

   form      n.  1 shape, configuration, conformation, order, organization,
             arrangement, formation, construction, structure, construct,
             frame, cut, cast, mould, pattern, appearance; manifestation:
             The equipment in the playground was in a variety of geometric
             forms. In what form will the jinnee appear next? 2 figure, body,
             build, shape, physique, anatomy; silhouette, aspect, look,
             appearance, profile, contour; carriage, bearing, attitude, pose,
             Slang US bod, built:  She has the form of a wrestler.  3 type,
             kind, variety, sort, breed, species, genus, genre, character,
             make, brand, colour, tone, tint, texture, fabric, material,
             feather, description, manner, way, nature, style, stamp,
             manifestation:  What forms of life are not of divine origin? He
             revelled in music in all its forms. 4 blank; model, format,
             frame, framework, course, procedure, order, regimen, method,
             system, ritual, formula, rule(s), practice, technique, way,
             means, approach, mode, fashion, manner, style:  Fill in the
             application form in ink. Please follow the proper form when
             submitting articles. 5 condition, state, shape, trim, fettle:
             He seems in unusually good form tonight.  6 decorum, behaviour,
             deportment, formality, ceremony, convention, etiquette, manners,
             conduct, custom, protocol, propriety, ritual:  Follow correct
             form when writing to the king. Spitting is considered bad form.

             --v.  7 make, fabricate, forge, shape, mould, fashion, produce,
             turn out, manufacture, construct, assemble, put together, set
             up, put up, build, erect, elevate, raise, put up; organize,
             codify; develop:  The architect takes the many elements and
             forms them into a coherent whole. Have you formed an opinion of
             the book? 8 create, originate, devise, invent, compose,
             formulate, give form or shape, coin, concoct, conceive,
             contrive, dream up, imagine, visualize, envisage, US envision:
             His ideas of religion were formed when he was very young. A
             picture of the battle was formed in my mind. 9 make up,
             constitute, be made up of, comprise, be composed of; serve as:
             This compound is formed of many elements. Six fugues formed the
             main part of the programme. 10 acquire, develop, cultivate,
             contract; get:  In prison I formed the habit of rolling my own
             cigarettes. We formed a lasting friendship. 11 develop, grow,
             arise, appear, materialize, show up, take shape or form,
             accumulate:  When the yeast is added, a barm forms on the
             surface.

   formal    adj.  1 standard, conventional, customary, established,
             prescribed, regular, normal, correct, proper; strict, formulaic,
             inflexible, punctilious, exacting, unchanging, methodical,
             orderly, systematic, set, pro forma, ritual, ritualistic,
             ceremonial, proper, official, routine, fixed, rigid, stiff,
             stilted, stately, starched, unbending, solemn; confining,
             straitened, limited; Colloq straight, square:  Formal rules of
             behaviour are observed.  2 explicit, express, definite, spelled
             out, formalized, express, authorized, official, solemn, legal,
             lawful:  Formal demands have been made for the withdrawal of our
             ambassador.  3 prim, ceremonious, dignified, stuffy,
             strait-laced, stiff, precise, exact:  He made a formal bow and
             left our company.

   formality n.  1 Often, the formalities. form, convention, conventionality,
             practice, procedure, custom, wont, observance, protocol,
             ceremony, rite, ritual:  Observe the legal formalities by having
             this document witnessed.  Formality requires that you walk
             backwards out of the room. 2 strictness, punctilio, exactness,
             precision, correctness, rigidity, stiffness, inflexibility:  We
             must maintain the formality of Sunday service.  3 etiquette,
             politesse, decorum, punctilio, conformity, propriety:  Formality
             prohibits casual conversation.

   format    n.  1 appearance, look(s), aspect, layout, plan, design, style,
             form, dimension(s), shape, size:  In its present format, the
             magazine resembles an academic journal.  2 composition,
             content(s), make-up, constitution, arrangement, plan,
             organization, order, set-up:  Her TV programme has the format of
             a chat show.

   formation n.  1 development, appearance, materialization, shape,
             accumulation, generation, creation, crystallization, forming,
             genesis, production:  The formation of bubbles indicates that
             the acid is working.  2 establishment, institution, creation,
             founding, set-up, organizing, organization, development,
             composition:  We met to discuss the formation of a new company.
             3 array, display, pattern, arrangement, structure, grouping,
             organization, configuration, disposition:  The vast military
             formation covered the entire valley.

   former    adj.  1 previous, earlier, prior, ex-, one-time, preceding,
             erstwhile, late, latest, last, recent, ci-devant, quondam,
             Archaic whilom:  I ran into a former girl-friend at the art
             show.  2 old, past, bygone; ancient, (pre)historic, departed,
             antediluvian:  In former times, one could demand - and get -
             decent service.

   formerly  adv.  once, before, previously, hitherto, long ago, at one time,
             in the old days, once upon a time, in days gone by, in days or
             time past, time was, back then, when the world was young(er),
             Colloq way back or US also way back when:  Formerly, there were
             no tall buildings to block one's view.

   formidable
             adj.  1 alarming, appalling, dreadful, frightful, awesome,
             awe-inspiring, menacing, horrifying, frightening, intimidating,
             daunting, petrifying, terrifying:  A formidable, fire-breathing
             dragon blocked our exit.  2 terrific, fantastic, unbelievable,
             incredible, impressive, prodigious, mind-boggling, awesome,
             Colloq mind-blowing, freaky:  They are a formidable talent and
             will sell a million records this year. 3 arduous, indomitable,
             overwhelming, staggering, powerful, mighty, difficult,
             challenging, burdensome, onerous:  She has formidable obstacles
             to overcome before becoming a doctor.

   formula   n.  recipe, rubric, formulary; rule(s), prescription,
             directions, instructions, blueprint, method, technique, means,
             way, pattern, procedure, modus operandi, Colloq US MO:  Ali Baba
             uttered the formula, 'Open sesame!', and the rock opened.
             Alchemists sought to discover a formula for making gold from
             lead.

   formulate v.  1 systematize, codify, define, specify, articulate,
             particularize, denote:  You must try to formulate your ideas
             more clearly.  2 devise, originate, create, think up or of,
             dream up, conceive, concoct, invent, improvise, Colloq cook up:
             I have formulated a plan in my mind to deal with the problem.  3
             develop, forge, evolve, work out, design, map out, block out,
             draw up:  You have three days to formulate a workable procedure.

   forsake   v.  1 abandon, desert, quit, leave, flee, depart, vacate:  He
             forsook balmy California to dig for gold in the Klondike.  2
             abandon, desert, leave, jilt, reject, throw over, jettison, cast
             off:  She has forsaken Michael for another man.  3 give up,
             yield, renounce, repudiate, relinquish, forgo, forswear,
             surrender, resign, abdicate, recant, deny, have or be done with,
             turn one's back on:  Would you forsake a throne for the love of
             a woman?

   forte     n.  talent, strong point, gift, speciality, strength, aptitude,
             genius, Colloq long suit:  His forte is carving ivory
             miniatures.

   forthcoming
             adj.  1 approaching, nearing, impending, imminent, coming,
             (close) at hand, upcoming; near or close (by), (near or close)
             at hand, in the offing, on the horizon, Colloq Brit on the
             cards, US in the cards:  The forthcoming tax increase will
             affect everyone. A new regulation is forthcoming. 2 awaited,
             expected, anticipated, looked-for, watched for, prospective,
             foreseen:  The forthcoming payment will be be a little late.  3
             outgoing, friendly, amiable, affable, sociable, accessible,
             expansive, chatty, talkative, communicative, informative, open,
             free, revealing, unreserved:  Barry was most forthcoming when
             questioned about his finances.

   forthright
             adj.  straightforward, direct, blunt, candid, frank,
             above-board, unambiguous, unequivocal, open, outspoken,
             uninhibited, unreserved, unconstrained, unrestrained:  She has
             always been forthright and honest in her dealings with me.

   fortify   v.  1 strengthen, reinforce, shore up, buttress, brace, bolster,
             secure:  Steel plates were used to fortify the walls.  2 cheer,
             encourage, hearten, buoy, invigorate, energize, embolden,
             reassure, brace:  Her enthusiasm fortified him to face what was
             coming.  3 supplement, enhance, enrich, boost, augment:  The
             drink was fortified by the addition of whisky.

   fortitude n.  strength, mettle, backbone, courage, nerve, resolution,
             resoluteness, perseverance, endurance, tenacity, pertinacity,
             grit, determination, will-power, Colloq guts:  His encouragement
             gave me the fortitude to carry on.

   fortunate adj.  1 lucky, in luck, fortuitous, blessed:  You were fortunate
             to have survived the crash.  2 favoured, advantageous,
             propitious, auspicious, providential, favourable, opportune,
             timely, well-timed:  It was a fortunate time to be buying a
             house.

   fortune   n.  1 position, worth, means, assets, holdings, wealth,
             property, estate, possessions; wealth, riches, affluence,
             opulence, treasure, money, prosperity:  Each member is liable to
             the full extent of his fortune. He acquired his fortune from
             oil. 2 luck, chance, fortuity; lot, fate, kismet, destiny,
             karma; future; US happenstance:  It was just fortune that put me
             in the right place at the right time. She'll tell your fortune
             if you cross her palm with silver. 3 Usually, fortunes.
             circumstance(s), experience(s), adventures, expectation(s), lot:
             My fortunes of late have been poor.

   fortune-teller
             n.  oracle, soothsayer, prophet, diviner, augur, seer,
             clairvoyant, prognosticator, sibyl, haruspex, crystal-gazer,
             tea-leaf reader, palmist, palm reader, star-gazer; futurologist:
             The fortune-teller said to beware the Ides of March.

   forward   adj.  1 advance, leading, foremost, front, head, first:  The
             forward contingents of the army moved into the town.  2 bold,
             pert, impudent, brash, insolent, impertinent, disrespectful,
             brazen, audacious, rash, unashamed, unabashed, saucy, flippant,
             presumptuous, cheeky, Colloq flip, fresh, pushy:  It was a bit
             forward of you to call the chairman by his nickname.  3
             (well-)advanced, (well-)developed, progressive, precocious,
             forward-looking:  She was quite a forward girl at fifteen.

             --adv.  4 forwards, ahead, onward, along; clockwise, deasil:  I
             moved forward to the head of the queue. Set the clock forward an
             hour tonight. 5 up, out, forth, to the fore, into consideration,
             into view, into the open, to the surface, on to the table:
             Cooper brought forward an interesting proposal.

             --v.  6 advance, further, promote, back, foster, support, aid,
             assist, help; patronize, encourage, nourish, nurse along:  He
             did his best to forward her career.  7 dispatch or despatch,
             send, ship, deliver, transmit, express, post, mail, consign,
             remit; send on:  The shipment will be forwarded as soon as
             payment is received.  The post office will forward mail to my
             new address. 8 speed (up), accelerate, advance, hasten,
             expedite, hurry, quicken, step up:  This mixture is said to
             forward the flowering of plants.

   foster    v.  1 promote, encourage, stimulate, further, forward, advance,
             cultivate, nurture, nourish, support, back, assist, help, aid,
             succour, patronize:  Cutting back these offshoots fosters growth
             of the main stem.  Representatives have fostered acceptance of
             our products throughout Europe. 2 bring up, rear, raise, take
             care of, maintain, care for:  The Cartwrights have fostered
             eight orphans in their home.

   foul      adj.  1 offensive, loathsome, disgusting, obnoxious, revolting,
             repulsive, repellent, repugnant, sickening, nauseous,
             nauseating, nasty, beastly, Archaic fulsome:  The bartender
             makes a foul concoction he swears will cure a hangover.  2
             filthy, unclean, nasty, polluted, putrid, putrescent,
             putrefactive or putrefacient, defiled, soiled, spoiled, rotten,
             decayed, decomposed, rancid, soured, turned, tainted, mouldy,
             impure, adulterated, contaminated, stale, bad, Brit off:  The
             hamburger place was closed when public health inspectors found
             foul food in the freezer. 3 smelly, stinking, noisome, fetid or
             foetid, rank, evil-smelling, foul-smelling, malodorous, musty,
             mephitic, graveolent:  A foul odour emanated from the cabinet.
             4 wicked, vile, bad, base, abominable, low, sordid, iniquitous,
             evil, flagitious, atrocious, monstrous, nefarious, sinful,
             immoral, amoral, vicious, villainous, scandalous, infamous,
             dishonourable, shameful, disgraceful, ignominious; detestable:
             They were finally brought to justice for their foul deeds.  5
             dirty, obscene, filthy, profane, scatological, gross, smutty,
             foul-mouthed, blue, licentious, salacious, lewd, indecent,
             improper, coarse, uncouth, vulgar, rude, scurrilous, rough,
             indelicate, immodest, risqu‚, off colour, suggestive, bawdy,
             ribald, Rabelaisian, Fescennine, US raw, Slang raunchy:  My
             mother forbids my reading books containing foul language.  6
             abusive, offensive, affronting, insulting, disparaging,
             maligning, thersitical, calumnious or calumniatory, aspersive,
             slanderous, defamatory, libellous, denigrating, derogatory,
             deprecatory or deprecative, depreciatory or depreciative,
             denunciatory or denunciative, derisory, derisive, scornful,
             belittling, fulminous, objurgatory or objurgative, vituperative,
             invective:  Keep your foul tongue to yourself.  7 dishonest,
             unfair, unjust, unsportsmanlike, dishonourable, fraudulent,
             underhand(ed), double-dealing, two-faced, corrupt, venal, dirty,
             treacherous, perfidious, traitorous, unscrupulous, Colloq
             crooked, shady, Slang chiefly Brit bent:  Thrupp will get his
             way by fair means or foul.  8 nasty, dangerous, rough,
             disagreeable, unfavourable, sloppy, stormy, adverse; windy,
             blustery; snowy, sleety, wet, rainy:  We ran into a spot of foul
             weather at Dover.  9 obstructed, blocked, choked, stopped (up),
             plugged (up), clogged (up):  The drain is foul with all that
             rubbish.  10 tangled, entangled, caught, ensnared, enmeshed,
             snarled:  A foul anchor is a common nautical symbol.  11
             illegal, prohibited, forbidden, interdicted, not fair; dirty:
             In boxing a hit below the belt is a foul blow.

             --v.  12 dirty, pollute, sully, befoul, defile, soil,
             contaminate, adulterate, taint:  Effluent from the factory was
             fouling the river.  13 tangle, entangle, catch, snare, ensnare,
             enmesh, snag, snarl, jam, twist:  We can't hoist the mainsail
             because the halyard is fouled.  14 disgrace, dishonour, sully,
             taint, besmirch, defile, soil, stain, smear, tarnish, blacken,
             denigrate, debase, degrade, abase, demean, disparage, defame,
             derogate, asperse, devaluate, depreciate, vitiate, belittle,
             discredit, bring or call into disrepute:  That act of treachery
             will foul the family name for generations.  15 obstruct, block,
             choke, stop or plug or clog (up):  Dead leaves fouled the
             downpipe.  16 foul up.  a See def. 13.  b mismanage, mishandle,
             botch, bungle, make a mess (of), mess up, spoil, ruin, Colloq
             muff, Brit throw a spanner in(to) (the works), US throw a monkey
             wrench into (the machinery); Slang muck up, goof (up), blow,
             screw up, louse up, Chiefly Brit bugger (up), US and Canadian
             snafu:  Give him a chance and he's sure to foul up. She fouled
             up my hi-fi.

             --n.  17 violation, infringement, infraction, illegality:  The
             Rangers' forward has already been charged with two fouls.

             --adv.  18 afoul, in conflict, in trouble, in violation:
             Curshaw has fallen foul of the law again.

   foul play n.  treachery, chicanery, perfidy, perfidiousness, duplicity,
             double-dealing, deception, guile, crime, sharp practice,
             skulduggery, dirty work or business, dirty trick(s); murder,
             homicide, manslaughter; Colloq hanky-panky:  The travellers
             suspected foul play when the aeroplane failed to arrive. The
             hacked up corpse suggested foul play to Detective LemaЊtre.

   found     v.  1 establish, originate, institute, set up, organize,
             inaugurate, start, initiate, create, bring about, develop:  The
             society was founded a hundred years ago.  2 base, ground,
             establish, set, build; rest:  This charity was founded on love
             and concern for children.

   foundation
             n.  1 basis, base, substructure, understructure, underpinning,
             bottom, foot, basement, cellar:  This foundation is of stone.  2
             basis, base, fundamental, (underlying or fundamental) principle,
             grounds, groundwork, rationale, raison d'€tre, purpose:  Their
             morality finds its foundations in Judaeo-Christian culture.  3
             founding, establishment, instituting, institution, creation,
             origination, setting up, organizing, organization, inauguration,
             endowment:  We voted for the foundation of an institute to study
             the English language.

   founder°  n.  originator, creator, progenitor, author, framer, father,
             architect, designer, builder, initiator, establisher,
             institutor:  Today we honour the founder of this great
             university.

   founderэ  v.  1 sink, go down or under, go to Davy Jones's locker, be
             wrecked or destroyed:  Many a proud vessel has foundered on this
             rock.  2 fail, miscarry, collapse, come to nothing or naught,
             fall through, abort, falter, break down, come to grief, die:
             After Alice left to get married, the business foundered.  3
             trip, stumble, stagger, lurch, fall, topple (over or down),
             collapse; go lame:  He drove the horse too hard and caused it to
             founder.

   foundling n.  orphan, waif; stray, outcast:  We are trying to raise money
             for a hospital for foundlings.

   fountain  n.  1 fount, spring, font, jet, spout, spray, well, well-spring,
             well-head, fountain-head:  Bathing in the city fountains is
             forbidden.  2 source, origin, genesis:  Miss Corbell was a
             fountain of wisdom on the subject of basket-weaving.

   foxy      adj.  1 clever, sly, cunning, wily, crafty, tricky, guileful,
             shifty, devious, slippery, smooth, slick, artful, resourceful,
             ingenious, calculating, designing, plotting, scheming,
             disingenuous, knowing, shrewd, sharp, astute, wise; foxlike,
             vulpine; Colloq cagey or cagy:  Be careful dealing with him, for
             he can be foxy.  2 attractive, alluring, seductive, vampish,
             Colloq sexy:  Margo is a very foxy lady.

6.6 fracas...
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   fracas    n.  1 trouble, disturbance, commotion, rumpus, fuss, hubbub,
             pandemonium, hullabaloo, uproar, disorder, scramble, scuffle,
             brawl, rough-house, rough-and-tumble, turmoil, tumult,
             free-for-all, riot, fray, brouhaha, m€l‚e or melee, Law affray;
             Brit scrum, US brannigan; Colloq ruckus, punch-up, Slang Brit
             bovver:  It was football hooligans who caused the fracas after
             the game.  2 argument, disagreement, quarrel, dispute, discord,
             wrangle, altercation, squabble, spat, tiff, fight, row, tussle,
             Donnybrook, brawl, Colloq barney, scrap:  After the referee's
             ruling, a fracas broke out.

   fracture  n.  1 break, breakage, breaking:  An old fracture makes him walk
             with a limp.  2 break, crack, split, rupture, breach,
             separation, cleavage, division, rift:  We can permit no fracture
             in the united front we present to the voters.

             --v.  3 break, rupture, crack, split, breach, separate, cleave:
             He fractured three vertebrae in the accident.

   fragile   adj.  frail, breakable, brittle, frangible, delicate, dainty,
             thin, light, slight, weak, feeble, infirm, decrepit; tenuous,
             shaky, flimsy, rickety, unsubstantial or insubstantial:  Because
             of her great age, her bones had become fragile. The argument in
             favour of acquittal is very fragile, indeed.

   fragment  n.  1 piece, portion, part, chip, shard or sherd, splinter,
             sliver, scrap, bit, speck, snippet, morsel, crumb, particle,
             remnant, shred, snatch:  A fragment of the airliner was found
             twenty miles from the crash.  2 fragments. smithereens; debris,
             Literary disjecta membra:  The car was blown into thousands of
             fragments. I tried to pick up the fragments of my former life.

             --v.  3 shatter, splinter, break or split (up), explode,
             disintegrate, come or go to pieces, come apart:  I picked up the
             skull and it fragmented in my fingers.

   fragmentary
             adj.  disconnected, piecemeal, incomplete, scattered,
             disjointed, incoherent, sketchy:  Accounts of the disaster are
             still fragmentary.

   fragrance n.  fragrancy, scent, aroma, smell, odour, redolence, perfume,
             bouquet, balm:  The fragrance of orange blossom filled the room.

   fragrant  adj.  aromatic, odorous, redolent, perfumed, balmy, odoriferous,
             ambrosial, sweet-scented, sweet-smelling:  A fragrant breeze
             wafted over the meadow.

   frail     adj.  1 See fragile.  2 ailing, unwell, ill, sick, sickly,
             poorly, thin, skinny, slight, puny, scrawny, wasting or fading
             away, languishing, infirm, feeble; crippled, consumptive,
             phthisic:  She is too frail to see visitors.

   frailty   n.  1 weakness, infirmity, delicate condition, feebleness,
             fragility, delicacy:  The doctors are concerned about his
             frailty.  2 susceptibility, liability, suggestibility,
             impressionability, vulnerability; fallibility, foible, flaw,
             defect, imperfection, fault:  You just said that to take
             advantage of my frailty. Her vanity is her greatest frailty.

   frame     n.  1 framework, shell, form, skeleton, support, chassis,
             framing, structure, fabric, scaffolding, construction:  We made
             a frame of sticks over which the canvas was stretched.  2
             border, casing, case-mounting, mount, edge, edging; setting:
             This picture would look best in a gold frame.  3 system, form,
             pattern, scheme, schema, plan, order, organization, framework,
             structure, construct, construction, arrangement, blueprint,
             design, layout, composition, context, make-up, configuration:
             The proposed new department does not fit into the present frame
             of the company. 4 physique, build, bone structure, body,
             skeleton, figure:  He has an unusually large frame for a dancer.
             5 frame of mind. mood, humour, state, condition, attitude, bent,
             disposition:  I am not in the right frame of mind to put up with
             your nonsense at the moment.

             --v.  6 construct, build, put together, assemble, set up, put
             up, erect, raise, elevate:  We framed the entire house in two
             days.  7 make, fashion, form, mould, carve out, forge,
             originate, create, devise, compose, formulate, put together,
             conceive, draw up, draft, shape, block out, give form or shape
             to; contrive:  The founding fathers met to frame a new
             constitution.  8 enclose, box (in); set off:  I like the way
             you've framed that painting.  9 set up, incriminate
             (fraudulently), trap, entrap:  Did Dr Crippen kill his wife or
             was he framed?

   frank     adj.  1 open, free, candid, direct, outspoken, unreserved,
             uninhibited, honest, sincere, genuine, truthful, plain-spoken,
             forthright, downright, explicit, unrestrained, unchecked,
             unconstrained, unrestricted, unabashed:  I asked for a frank
             appraisal of my work and, unfortunately, he gave it. 2 candid,
             na‹ve, guileless, artless, ingenuous, innocent, (open and)
             above-board, on the up and up, Colloq upfront, on the level:
             The boy's description of the events was completely frank.

   frantic   adj.  frenzied, excited, frenetic, nervous, overwrought,
             excitable, wrought up, distracted, distraught, beside oneself,
             hysterical, wild, berserk, mad, running amok; upset, agitated,
             perturbed, at one's wit's end, disconcerted, confused; hectic;
             Colloq in a state, in a tizzy, up the wall, in a dither, out of
             one's mind, Chiefly US and Canadian discombobulated:  They are
             frantic because they haven't heard from Edmund in a week.

   fraternal adj.  brotherly, platonic, friendly, comradely, idealistic,
             intellectual:  He insists that his interest in her is purely
             fraternal.

   fraternity
             n.  1 community, brotherhood, crowd, set, clique, coterie,
             circle, society, US club:  Rumours have been circulating in the
             academic fraternity for months.  2 brotherliness, kinship,
             fellowship, camaraderie, sodality, comradeship, friendship,
             companionship, relatedness, closeness, association, affiliation,
             solidarity, unity, esprit de corps, clannishness:  A sense of
             fraternity prevents them from betraying one another.  3 company,
             guild, clan, league, club, union, society, association:  She has
             joined the fraternity of legal clerks.

   fraternize
             v.  consort (with), associate (with), socialize (with), go
             (around or round) with or together, spend time with or together,
             keep company (with), hobnob with, mingle (with), mix (with),
             take up with or together, keep up (with), fall in with, rub
             shoulders (with), Colloq hang out (with or together), hang about
             or around with or together:  Soldiers are forbidden to
             fraternize, which means they are not allowed to fraternize with
             local people.

   fraud     n.  1 deception, trickery, cheating, sharp practice, chicanery,
             deceit, swindling, double-dealing, duplicity, artifice, craft,
             guile, humbug, humbuggery, treachery, Colloq monkey business,
             funny business, hanky-panky:  The company directors have been
             convicted of fraud.  2 trick, hoax, swindle, deception, cheat,
             wile, stratagem, dodge, bilk, ruse, sham, fake, subterfuge,
             Colloq flimflam, Slang gyp, rip-off, scam:  The investigation
             exposed extensive fraud in the handling of local government
             funds. 3 deceiver, trickster, cheat(er), impostor, swindler,
             charlatan, humbug, sharper, shark, bilk(er), quack, mountebank,
             fake(r), pretender, bluff(er), confidence man, inveigler,
             defrauder; scoundrel, rogue, Archaic knave; Colloq con man or
             artist, phoney or US also phony, flimflam artist, flimflammer,
             US and Canadian four-flusher; Slang US barracuda:  He is a fraud
             who extracts protection money from the elderly.

   fraudulent
             n.  1 fake, counterfeit, forged, false, falsified, spurious,
             imitation, sham, pinchbeck, Colloq phoney or US also phony:
             These banknotes are fraudulent.  2 deceitful, dishonest,
             criminal, deceptive, tricky, artful, crafty, double-dealing,
             duplicitous, shifty, guileful, sharp, Colloq shady, crooked,
             bent:  Substituting paste for diamonds is a fraudulent act.

   fraught   adj.  1 Usually, fraught with. filled or charged or packed with,
             loaded with, teeming or replete or overflowing with,
             oversupplied with, abounding or abundant in, attended or
             accompanied by:  The scene was fraught with emotion.  2 tense,
             taut, stressful, trying, anxious, distressing, distressful,
             upsetting, nerve-racking or nerve-wracking, fretful, strained,
             traumatic:  Relations between the two countries became even more
             fraught following the incident.

   fray°     n.  disturbance, skirmish, fight, battle, brawl, tussle,
             scuffle, fracas, m€l‚e or melee, Donnybrook, wrangle, rumpus,
             row, quarrel, dispute, altercation, Law affray, Colloq ruckus,
             punch-up:  He leapt into the fray and fought like a tiger.

   frayэ     v.  shred, wear (thin or threadbare), wear out, rub, abrade,
             chafe, ravel, unravel, frazzle:  He saves his frayed shirts to
             wear at home.

   freak     n.  1 monstrosity, monster, mutant, deformity:  The show
             features freaks such as a two-headed calf and a bearded lady. 2
             anomaly, rarity, abnormality, irregularity, oddity, curiosity,
             rara avis, rare bird, Brit one-off, Colloq one-shot:  Biologists
             regard the albino giraffe as a freak of nature.  3 whim,
             caprice, vagary, crotchet, quirk, eccentricity, fancy,
             idiosyncrasy, peculiarity:  The snow in New York in July was a
             freak.  4 enthusiast, fan, devotee, aficionado; fanatic, addict;
             Colloq buff, fiend, nut:  She's been a jazz freak for years.

             --adj.  5 freakish, freaky, abnormal, anomalous, extraordinary,
             unique, rare, atypical, unusual, odd, queer, strange,
             exceptional, bizarre, weird, unparalleled, unforeseen,
             unexpected, unpredicted, unpredictable, Brit one-off, Colloq
             one-shot:  He claims he had a freak experience with a lion that
             had a thorn in its foot.

   free      adj.  1 at liberty, unfettered, unchained, unshackled,
             unconfined, untrammelled, unencumbered, unrestrained,
             unrestricted, unconstrained, uncontrolled, free-born,
             independent, self-governing, self-governed, self-ruling,
             autonomous, democratic, sovereign:  These people want to be
             free. It's a free country.  2 liberated, at large, let go, let
             off, emancipated, delivered, manumitted, set free, unshackled,
             unfettered, released, freed, loose, out, Colloq sprung, on the
             loose:  After ten years he was free at last.  3 unoccupied,
             unengaged, at liberty, not busy, available, accessible; unused,
             vacant, empty, spare, extra, uninhabited, untenanted:  Are you
             free for dinner tonight? Here is a free room we can use for the
             meeting. 4 cost-free, free of charge, complimentary, gratis, for
             nothing, without cost (or obligation), unencumbered, Colloq for
             free, on the house:  The food was free but we paid for our
             drinks.  5 unattached, unfastened, untied, loose:  Tie the free
             end of the rope round your waist.  6 unasked for, unsolicited,
             gratuitous, unbidden, voluntary, spontaneous, unconditioned,
             unconditional:  Let me give you some free advice.  7 generous,
             lavish, open, liberal, munificent, unstinting, bountiful,
             open-handed, unsparing; charitable:  Fred is quite free with his
             donations to good causes.  8 relaxed, casual, informal, free and
             easy, easy, natural, unceremonious, Colloq laid-back:  He is
             quite free about letting me use his car.  9 open, above-board,
             honest, direct, outspoken, uninhibited, unconstrained,
             unrestrained, relaxed:  You can be free in your criticism.  10
             unhindered, unimpeded, unencumbered, unhampered, unobstructed,
             allowed, permitted, able, clear, unrestricted, unregulated:
             She's free to do as she pleases. The two countries have signed a
             free-trade agreement. 11 free of. rid of, exempt(ed) from,
             relieved of, safe from, not liable or subject to, immune from,
             unaffected by, above, without, untouched by:  He thinks he is
             free of her influence.

             --adv.  12 freely, openly, at will, unrestrictedly, loose;
             loosely:  Our dog runs free on the farm. Let the rope hang free.
             13 gratis, at no cost, free of charge, without charge:  They
             give new businesses advice free.

             --v.  14 set free, set at liberty, enfranchise, release, let go,
             liberate, let out, let loose, unloose, unchain, unfetter,
             uncage; emancipate, disenthrall, manumit; pardon, parole,
             furlough:  Bail was paid and we were freed. Lincoln freed the
             slaves. He was freed after six years in prison. 15 disengage,
             untie, unbind, loose, unfasten, undo, unshackle, unlock, open,
             release, disentangle, loosen, detach, extricate:  Free the end
             of that rope.  16 relieve, rid, unburden, disburden,
             disencumber, unbosom; rescue, redeem:  Free yourself of any
             preconceived notions on the subject.

   freedom   n.  1 liberty, independence, self-government,
             self-determination, self-direction, autonomy:  Democracy is
             based on the freedom of the individual.  2 release, deliverance,
             liberation, emancipation, manumission:  Will these people ever
             get their freedom?  3 exemption, immunity, deliverance,
             liberation, relief:  All citizens should enjoy freedom from
             want.  4 range, latitude, scope, play, deregulation,
             non-interference, discretion, margin, free hand, discretion;
             facility, ease, licence, permission, right, privilege,
             authority, authorization, power, carte blanche:  He must have
             the freedom to make decisions. I have the freedom to do as I
             wish. 5 free time, leisure, spare time:  I like a lot of freedom
             to do things in my own time.  6 candour, honesty, openness,
             frankness, candidness, unrestraint, unconstraint, naturalness:
             Freedom of speech is practised here.  7 boldness,
             overfamiliarity, audacity, audaciousness, forwardness,
             brazenness, brass, impertinence, impudence, disrespect,
             arrogance, presumption, presumptuousness, nerve, gall:  Where
             does she get the freedom to talk to you that way?

   freely    adv.  1 candidly, frankly, openly, unreservedly, without
             reserve, unrestrainedly, without restraint, unconstrainedly,
             without constraint, unceremoniously, plainly:  Please speak
             freely.  2 willingly, spontaneously, readily, voluntarily, on
             (one's) own, independently, of (one's) own accord, of (one's)
             own volition or free will:  I didn't send for her - she came to
             me freely.  3 unrestrainedly, unrestrictedly, without
             restriction, without let or hindrance, without interference:  He
             was allowed to move freely about the island.  4 liberally,
             lavishly, unreservedly, generously, unstintingly, open-handedly,
             ungrudgingly, munificently, amply, plentifully, abundantly:  He
             has no money to donate but he gives freely of his time.  5
             readily, easily, smoothly, cleanly, unobstructedly:  With the
             obstacle removed, the water ran freely through the pipes.

   freeze    v.  1 chill, refrigerate, ice, deep-freeze, flash-freeze, frost:
             If you freeze the leftovers, they keep better.  2 solidify,
             congeal, harden, stiffen, ice up or over:  When the lake
             freezes, we can go skating.  3 fix, immobilize, paralyse, stop
             (dead or dead in one's tracks), stay, pin, transfix, Gorgonize;
             become fixed, stand (stock-)still or motionless; peg, stick,
             set:  She froze him with an icy stare. He froze to the spot in
             horror.  Rates of exchange are no longer frozen. 4 freeze out.
             exclude, debar, ban, reject, ostracize; eject, drive away or
             out, expel, force out:  When he tried to join the club, he was
             frozen out.

             --n.  5 frost, Brit freeze-up, US ice-up, deep-freeze:  There
             will be a freeze tonight in northern counties.  6 fix,
             immobilization:  The government has put a freeze on wages.

   freezing  adj.  frigid, icy, arctic, frosty, boreal, hyperboreal, numbing,
             Siberian, polar, glacial, ice-cold, wintry, bone-chilling,
             bitter, biting, bitter(ly) cold, perishing, cold, chill,
             tooth-chattering; chilled to the bone, frozen, shivering,
             Archaic frore:  The rescue was performed under freezing
             conditions. We were freezing in our thin jackets.

   freight   n.  1 transport, transportation, carriage, conveyance, shipping,
             shipment, freightage, delivery:  The charges for freight are
             included.  2 goods, cargo, tonnage, freightage; load, boatload,
             shipload, lorry load, haul, consignment, payload:  How much
             freight passes through here?

   frenzy    n.  1 excitement, agitation, fury, fever, Brit furore or US
             furor, passion, turmoil, transport:  The crowd was whipped into
             a frenzy at the match.  2 distraction, paroxysm, seizure,
             outburst, bout, fit:  She went into a frenzy of despair after
             the death of her family.

   frequent  adj.  1 recurrent, recurring, habitual, regular, familiar,
             everyday, customary, usual, ordinary, normal, common, repeated,
             iterative, reiterative, persistent, continuing, continual,
             constant; many, numerous, countless, innumerable:  She was a
             frequent visitor at our house. She paid us frequent visits.

             --v.  2 haunt, patronize, visit, resort to, go to or attend
             regularly, Colloq hang out or around at:  Yes, Inspector, I used
             to frequent the pub called The Saracen's Head.

   frequently
             adv.  1 often, regularly, continually, repeatedly, over and over
             (again), again and again, a lot, many times, many a time, time
             after time, time and (time) again, Archaic oftentimes,
             oft-times:  She has visited me frequently during the past weeks.
             2 often, habitually, customarily, regularly, usually,
             ordinarily, generally, commonly, every so often, many a time, as
             often as not, Archaic oftentimes, oft-times:  He frequently
             stops at The Golden Hind after work.

   fresh     adj.  1 new, today's, brand-new; (most) recent, late(st):  Don't
             you love the smell of fresh bread? This is the product of fresh
             research. 2 new, modern, up to date, novel, original,
             newfangled, unusual, unconventional, different, alternative,
             unorthodox:  We are seeking a fresh approach.  3 raw,
             inexperienced, untested, unsophisticated, green, untried,
             unfledged, immature, untrained, na‹ve, callow, (still) wet
             behind the ears, Brit still in nappies; US still in diapers:
             These troops are too fresh to send into battle.  4 additional,
             new, further, renewed, extra, supplementary:  We need a fresh
             supply of paper towels.  5 alert, refreshed, vigorous,
             energetic, invigorated, spry, lively, full of vim and vigour,
             fresh as a daisy, keen, bright, brisk, active, Colloq
             bright-eyed and bushy-tailed:  Put the horses through the
             dressage while they are fresh.  6 wholesome, healthy, well,
             refreshed, glowing, fair, rosy, ruddy, blooming, flourishing:
             She came back to work fresh from a week's rest.  7 moderate,
             brisk, strong; cool, clean, pure, clear, unpolluted:  Sailing
             conditions were ideal: a fresh breeze and good visibility.  Open
             the window for some fresh air. 8 bold, impudent, impertinent,
             brazen, brassy, forward, disrespectful, saucy, pert, cheeky,
             presumptuous, insolent, rude, Colloq smart-alecky or
             smart-aleck, US sassy, flip:  That fresh kid called her an old
             bag.

   freshen   v.  1 strengthen, increase, blow harder:  The wind began to
             freshen as we sailed past the headland.  2 Sometimes, freshen
             up. invigorate, revive, refresh, enliven, (re)vitalize,
             stimulate, titivate, rouse, liven up:  I'll just freshen up
             before dinner. Freshen these flowers by changing the water. 3
             ventilate, air out, deodorize, purify:  We freshen the rooms by
             opening all the windows.  4 strengthen, spike, lace, fortify:
             May I freshen your drink?

   fret      v.  1 worry, be concerned, agonize, lose sleep, be upset or
             distressed or anxious or disturbed, grieve, brood, whine, fuss,
             complain, Colloq stew, tear one's hair:  Your kitten is safe
             now, so stop fretting.  2 worry, concern, distress, vex, annoy,
             irritate, torment, provoke, US rankle:  She fretted herself
             about Henry's health.

   fretful   adj.  irritable, vexed, ill-tempered, bad-tempered, peevish,
             edgy, cross, petulant, testy, touchy, tetchy, splenetic,
             irascible, choleric, crabby, fractious, short-tempered, grumpy,
             sulky, moody, fault-finding, carping, querulous, whining,
             complaining, captious, ill-natured, disagreeable, impatient,
             snappish, waspish, short, abrupt, curt, US and Canadian cranky:
             Are you always so fretful before breakfast?

   friction  n.  1 abrasion, rubbing, abrading, chafing, fretting, attrition,
             scraping, grating, erosion:  Friction is always accompanied by
             heat.  2 disagreement, discord, conflict, contention, dispute,
             dissension, disharmony, controversy, dissent, bickering,
             argument, wrangling, ill feeling, ill will, bad blood,
             animosity, rivalry, hostility, antagonism, strife:  Politics
             have always been a source of friction between them.

   friend    n.  1 (boon) companion, partner, comrade, crony, familiar,
             confidant(e), intimate, Achates, alter ego, ally, compeer;
             acquaintance, playmate, pen-pal or Brit also pen-friend; Colloq
             chum, pal, Brit cocker, Chiefly Brit and Australian and New
             Zealand mate, Australian cobber, US and Canadian (bosom) buddy,
             SW US compadre; Slang Brit (old) china:  She is spending the
             weekend with some friends.  2 ally, associate, fellow,
             confederate, colleague, co-worker, confrЉre, compatriot,
             consociate, US cohort:  A friend from the office is coming to
             dinner.  3 room-mate, bunk-mate, flatmate, soul mate, bedfellow,
             lover, sweetheart, escort; girl, woman, girlfriend, concubine,
             mistress, Old-fashioned doxy; man, boyfriend, Old-fashioned
             beau; Colloq US alternative other, POSSLQ (= 'Person of the
             Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters'), roomie; Slang baby,
             moll, sugar-daddy, US squeeze, twist, Chiefly Brit bird:  Chris,
             why don't you introduce us to your new friend?  4 benefactor,
             patron, supporter, advocate, adherent, backer, financier,
             Maecenas; angel, investor:  He has long been associated with the
             Friends of the Library.

   friendly  adj.  1 amicable, congenial, sociable, companionable, comradely,
             convivial, familiar, well-disposed, close, on good terms,
             simpatico, comfortable, at home, neighbourly, clubby, fraternal,
             brotherly, sisterly, Colloq chummy, pally, thick, Brit matey, US
             palsy-walsy, buddy-buddy:  We've always been friendly with the
             people next door.  2 amiable, affectionate, loving,
             demonstrative, cordial, warm-hearted, warm, genial, agreeable,
             good-natured, pleasant, kind, kindly, kind-hearted, agreeable,
             affable, approachable, accessible, unreserved, open, Brit
             clubbable:  Clare can be very friendly when she wants to be.

   friendship
             n.  1 amity, congeniality, sociability, companionability,
             comradeship, fellowship, conviviality, familiarity, closeness,
             neighbourliness, harmony, clubbiness, fraternity, brotherhood,
             sisterhood, alliance:  I hope that this affair will not affect
             the friendship between our countries. 2 friendliness,
             amiability, amicability, esteem, warmth, devotion, affection,
             fondness, attachment, (deep) regard, rapport, intimacy, love:
             What can I do to regain your friendship?

   fright    n.  1 fear, alarm, terror, dread, horror, panic, trepidation,
             dismay, consternation, apprehension, Colloq (blue) funk:  He
             almost dies of fright at the sight of blood.  2 scare, shock:
             Here, sip this brandy; you've had a terrible fright.  3 spectre,
             monster, eyesore, Colloq sight, mess:  He looked a perfect
             fright when I saw him after the accident.

   frighten  v.  terrify, scare, alarm, panic, startle, shock, petrify,
             horrify, dismay, appal or US appall, unnerve, distress, daunt,
             cow, intimidate, Colloq scare out of one's wits, make one's hair
             stand on end, scare the (living) daylights [etc.] out of, scare
             stiff, Brit put the wind up (someone), put the frighteners on
             (someone):  She was frightened by the neighbours' vicious dog.
             Are you frightened of aeroplanes?

   frightening
             adj.  terrifying, alarming, startling, shocking, petrifying,
             horrifying, dismaying, appalling, unnerving, dire, distressing,
             daunting, intimidating, formidable, frightful, fearful,
             hair-raising, harrowing, dreadful, Colloq scary, spooky:
             Skydiving can be a frightening experience. The sight of their
             mangled bodies was frightening.

   frightful adj.  1 See frightening.  2 awful, dreadful, terrible,
             disagreeable, atrocious, abhorrent, loathsome, grisly, ghastly,
             lurid, macabre, horrible, horrifying, horrid, horrendous, nasty,
             hideous, vile, unspeakable, nauseating, nauseous, repugnant,
             repulsive, shocking, revolting, abominable, offensive, ugly:
             Brixton police report a frightful crime of decapitation.

   frightfully
             adv.  awfully, very, extremely; amazingly, surprisingly:  We saw
             a frightfully good play last night.

   frigid    adj.  1 cold, arctic, frosty, frozen, glacial, icy, hyperboreal,
             polar, bone-chilling, boreal, Siberian, freezing, wintry,
             chilly, chill, Archaic frore:  We were huddled in that frigid
             alpine hut for two days.  2 cold, cool, cold-hearted,
             forbidding, austere, unemotional, unfeeling, stiff, rigid, prim,
             strait-laced, stony, callous, steely, obdurate, thick-skinned,
             impervious, inaccessible, remote, unapproachable, unfriendly,
             standoffish, haughty, aloof, reserved:  His behaviour to his
             ex-wife has always been frigid.  3 unapproachable, unresponsive,
             impassive, passive, indifferent, cold; impotent:  She says he's
             impotent and he insists that she's frigid.

   frill     n.  1 trimming, decoration, ornament, furbelow, flounce, ruffle:
             This dress would be suitable without the frill.  2
             ornamentation, frippery, falderal or fal de rol or folderol,
             frou-frou, showiness, ostentation, embellishment, luxury,
             trimming, extra, addition, superfluity, gewgaw, (bit of)
             paraphernalia, Colloq US foofaraw, bells and whistles, Slang
             jazz:  They ordered a computer system that has every imaginable
             frill.

   fringe    n.  1 trimming, edge, edging, border, frill, flounce, ruffle,
             purfle, purfling, ruff, ruche or rouche, ricrac or rickrack,
             ornament, decoration, furbelow:  The curtains would look better
             without that pink fringe.  2 border, perimeter, edge, boundary,
             bounds, periphery, limits, margin, outskirts, march(es);
             Technical fimbria:  We live on the fringes of Oxford.

             --v.  3 edge, border, trim, surround:  The grounds are fringed
             with trees.

   frisk     v.  1 caper, gambol, cavort, frolic, skip, trip, romp, curvet,
             leap, dance, prance, play, rollick:  She was frisking about like
             a lamb.  2 search, inspect, examine, check (out), go over:  At
             the airport, we were frisked for weapons.

   frisky    adj.  lively, frolicsome, rollicking, playful, active, animated,
             (high-)spirited, coltish:  Tell Frances to calm down - she's
             getting a bit too frisky.

   fritter   v.  fritter away. squander, waste, idle away, misspend,
             dissipate:  Stop frittering away your time watching television.
             She frittered away every penny of her inheritance.

   frivolous adj.  1 trifling, inconsequential, unimportant, trivial,
             nugatory, insignificant, minor, petty, paltry, niggling,
             peripheral, superficial, worthless, Colloq small-time, Brit
             twopenny, two a penny, US two-bit, penny-ante, nitty-gritty:
             Don't waste my time with frivolous details.  2 scatterbrained,
             bird-brained, silly, feather-brained, irresponsible, flippant,
             casual, flighty, giddy, foolish, childish, puerile; airy, light,
             slight, Brit airy-fairy, Colloq flip:  Try to be serious and
             less frivolous about such important matters.

   frolic    n.  1 merriment, merrymaking, gaiety, sport, fun (and games),
             high jinks, jollity, mirth, jollification, festivity,
             celebration, revelry, play, horseplay, Colloq skylarking,
             partying:  After we won the cup there was great frolic in the
             town.  2 romp, party, spree, revel, gambol, caper, gambado,
             antic; escapade, prank:  The noise of our frolics echoed across
             the square.

             --v.  3 frisk, cavort, caper, skylark, gambol, rollick, romp,
             cut capers, curvet, play, skip, sport, have fun, Colloq party,
             make whoopee, horse around or about:  Gregory frolics about
             instead of getting on with his work.

   frolicsome
             adj.  playful, merry, frisky, sportive, gay, lively, sprightly,
             animated, spirited, coltish:  Irene may seem frolicsome but she
             has her sober side as well.

   front     n.  1 face, fa‡ade, facing, fore-part, anterior; obverse:  The
             front of the door has a painting on it. This dress buttons up
             the front. 2 frontage, forefront:  The front of the property
             measures only 40 feet.  3 beginning, head, fore, vanguard,
             forefront, van:  At the front of the parade marched the mayor.
             4 bearing, demeanour, mien, air, face, countenance, fa‡ade,
             mask, expression, show, appearance, aspect, look, exterior:
             Despite her grief, she put on a brave front at the wake.  5
             disguise, cover, guise, mask, cover-up, show, pretext, fa‡ade:
             The restaurant was merely a front for a narcotics operation.  6
             movement, organization, league, bloc, party, group, faction,
             wing:  A new popular front was formed out of a coalition of
             several opposition groups. 7 haughtiness, overconfidence,
             effrontery:  He frightens away potential clients by showing so
             much front.  8 in front. first, leading, ahead, to the fore, in
             the forefront, in the vanguard or van, in advance, in the lead,
             before; winning:  In this picture the man in front is my father.
             My horse was in front all the way. 9 upfront.  a See 8, above.
             b open, straightforward, honest, direct, forthright, frank,
             candid:  Why can't you be upfront instead of conspiring against
             me?

             --adj.  10 first, advance, foremost, leading, head; main:  The
             front carriage was smashed in the train wreck. Enter by the
             front door.

             --v.  11 overlook, face, look out on or towards, be opposite:
             Our house fronts the river. The flat fronts on the street.  12
             front for. act for, represent; substitute for, replace:  I hate
             formal affairs and hoped that you might front for me.

   frontier  n.  front line; border, boundary, bound(s), marches, (far)
             reaches, limit(s), pale, extreme(s), bourn:  We'll need our
             passports to cross the frontier into Italy.

   froth     n.  1 foam, spume, suds, lather, bubbles; head:  The froth
             tickles my nose.  2 trivia, rubbish, nonsense, twaddle, babble,
             gibberish, drivel, Colloq hot air, gas, gab, piffle:  His
             sermons were just so much froth.

             --v.  3 foam, spume, bubble, fizz, effervesce, aerate:  You are
             supposed to drink the medicine while it is frothing.  4 foam,
             salivate; lather:  He was so angry he began to froth at the
             mouth.

   frown     v.  1 scowl, glower, glare, knit one's brows, grimace, give a
             dirty look, Brit lour or lower, US lower:  Don't frown so much
             or you'll get wrinkles.  2 frown on or upon. disapprove (of),
             (look on or regard or view with) disfavour, discountenance, look
             down on or upon, look askance at, not take kindly to, not think
             much of, look disapprovingly upon, Colloq take a dim view of, be
             turned off by:  My parents frown on my seeing you.

             --n.  3 scowl, glower, glare, grimace, dirty look, Brit lour or
             lower, US lower:  Her forehead is always furrowed by a frown.

   frugal    adj.  1 thrifty, sparing, economic(al), careful, prudent,
             provident, saving, conservative, conservational, moderate:
             Mother had to become quite frugal when father fell ill.  2
             parsimonious, penurious, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, mean,
             miserly, stingy, niggardly, tight(-fisted), close(-fisted), hand
             to mouth:  He led a frugal existence on his earnings as an
             artist.  3 meagre, paltry, poor, skimpy, scant(y), small,
             negligible, piddling:  His frugal meal consisted entirely of
             bread and water.

   fruit     n.  Often, fruits. product(s), result(s), revenue(s), outgrowth,
             outcome, consequence(s), return(s), advantage(s), benefit(s),
             profit(s), emolument, payment, income, compensation, recompense,
             desert(s):  He didn't live to enjoy the fruit of his work.

   fruitful  adj.  1 productive, fertile, prolific, fecund; fructiferous,
             frugiferous, fructuous:  The soil in this valley is extremely
             fruitful.  2 effective, worthwhile, well-spent, profitable,
             successful, useful, rewarding, advantageous, beneficial,
             productive, fertile:  We had a fruitful meeting and accomplished
             a great deal.  3 plentiful, abundant, bounteous, bountiful,
             prolific, plenteous, copious, luxurious, rich, flourishing:  We
             expect another fruitful harvest this year.

   fruition  n.  realization, fulfilment, consummation, achievement, success,
             materialization, maturity, ripeness, maturation, completion;
             perfection:  I saw my plans for the town brought to fruition.

   fruitless adj.  barren, unfruitful, unproductive, worthless, bootless,
             futile, pointless, useless, vain, idle, unavailing, ineffectual,
             ineffective, unprofitable, for naught, to no avail,
             unsuccessful, unrewarding, abortive:  Our search for a new
             manager has so far been fruitless.

   frustrate v.  1 thwart, foil, stymie, block, baffle, check, balk or baulk,
             disappoint, discourage, forestall, prevent, stop, halt, cripple,
             hinder, hamper, impede, hamstring, defeat, counteract,
             neutralize, nullify, counter, fight off, repel, repulse:  So
             far, we have been able to frustrate take-over bids for the
             company. 2 discourage, disappoint, upset, exasperate:  I feel
             frustrated because mother won't let me help with the bills.

6.7 fuel
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   fuel      n.  1 tinder, combustible, kindling; fossil or nuclear fuel:
             You must pay a lot for fuel to heat that big house.  2
             ammunition, encouragement, stimulus, incitement, provocation:
             Her teasing him only provided more fuel for his passion.  3
             nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, food, nutrition:  The body
             needs more fuel on a cold day.

             --v.  4 nourish, feed, sustain; stimulate, encourage, incite,
             provoke, inflame, exacerbate, excite:  U-235 is used to fuel the
             reactor. Frustration fuels the flame of desire.

   fugitive  n.  1 runaway, escapee, deserter, refugee, Archaic runagate:
             Many fugitives from political oppression seek asylum in the UK.

             --adj.  2 fleeing, escaped, running away, runaway:  They police
             are able to devote little time to tracing fugitive children. 3
             fleeting, passing, brief, short-lived, transitory, transient,
             ephemeral, evanescent, momentary, volatile, fugacious:  She once
             entertained the fugitive notion of becoming an opera singer.

   fulfil    v.  1 bring about, achieve, accomplish, bring or carry to
             completion, carry out, complete, consummate, discharge, live up
             to, abide by, observe, realize, effect, bring or carry off,
             carry through, keep, satisfy, do, perform, execute, effectuate,
             achieve:  I trust that you will fulfil all your obligations.
             Will she ever fulfil her ambition to be a virtuoso pianist? 2
             answer, satisfy, meet, implement, look or see to, conform to or
             with, comply with, obey:  This hammer will fulfil my needs for
             the moment. Will your new assistant be able to fulfil your
             requirements?

   fulfilment
             n.  completion, consummation, performance, carrying out or
             through, discharge, realization, implementation, execution,
             accomplishment, compliance, conformity or conformance, making
             good, meeting, satisfaction, answering, achievement:  You will
             be paid upon fulfilment of the contract.

   full      adj.  1 filled, replete, brimming, brim-full, packed,
             jam-packed, congested, loaded, bursting, chock-a-block,
             chock-full or choke-full or chuck-full, jammed, crammed, solid,
             well supplied, crowded, stuffed; gorged, saturated, sated,
             satiated:  The tank is full of petrol. Her Christmas stocking
             was full of toys. I'm full; I couldn't manage another bite. 2
             complete, thorough, detailed, comprehensive, total,
             all-inclusive, broad, extensive, all-encompassing, exhaustive,
             plenary:  The police are demanding a full investigation.  3
             complete, entire, whole:  The recipe calls for a full dozen egg
             yolks.  4 utmost, greatest, maximum, highest, top; extreme:
             Full speed ahead.  5 wide, ample, generous, broad, copious,
             loose(-fitting):  The tight bolero jacket is offset by a full
             skirt.  6 occupied, engrossed, absorbed, immersed, preoccupied,
             obsessed, consumed, engaged, concerned:  She's entirely too full
             of herself to pay any attention to us.  7 filled or rounded out,
             round(ish), well-rounded, plump; robust, shapely, well-shaped,
             curvaceous, buxom, busty, voluptuous, full-bodied,
             well-proportioned, well-built , Slang stacked, Brit
             well-stacked, US zaftig, built:  His face is rather full, so
             wrinkles don't show. Her figure is what I'd call full. 8
             unrestricted, non-restricted, unconditional, unqualified:
             Payment of dues entitles you to full membership privileges.  9
             sentimental, emotional, overflowing:  His heart was so full he
             could say no more.  10 unobscured, unshaded, undimmed, open,
             broad, bright, shining, brilliant, dazzling, glaring, intense,
             blazing, blinding; harsh, vivid, revealing:  We emerged into
             full daylight. In the full light of day, the plan seems
             unworkable. 11 powerful, resonant, rich, deep, loud:  His full
             bass voice was unmistakable.  12 complete, whole, entire;
             comprehensive, uncut, unabridged, intact, unshortened,
             unbowdlerized, uncensored:  We were to receive full pay for a
             half day's work. Is this a full deck of cards? I have a full set
             of the original engravings.

             --adv.  13 fully, completely, entirely, wholly, thoroughly,
             altogether:  That is not a full-grown horse.  14 squarely,
             directly, right, precisely, exactly, bang, Colloq slap, smack:
             The ball hit him full in the eye.  15 very, perfectly,
             exceedingly, quite, Slang damned:  You know full well why I am
             here.

             --n.  16 maximum, greatest degree, fullest:  The moon is at its
             full tonight.  17 in full. completely, fully, entirely, wholly,
             thoroughly, in its entirety, totally, in toto:  Copy this report
             in full.  18 to the full or fullest. completely, fully, quite,
             thoroughly, to the utmost, to the greatest or fullest extent; a
             great deal, greatly, hugely, enormously:  We enjoyed our visit
             to the full.

   fumble    v.  1 grope, feel, stumble:  She fumbled about for the light
             switch.  2 mishandle, drop, muff, bungle, botch, Colloq US
             bobble, flub:  Bosworth fumbled the ball and Fernpath scored
             again.

   fume      v.  1 seethe, smoulder, chafe, boil, rage, storm, rant, flare
             up, bluster, lose one's temper, explode, Colloq get steamed (up)
             (over or about), lose one's cool, flip one's lid, flip (out),
             fly off the handle, hit the roof, raise the roof, blow one's top
             or stack, get hot under the collar, blow a gasket, go off the
             deep end:  She was fuming because I was five minutes late.  2
             smoke:  The mixture fumes if you add these ingredients.

             --n.  3 Usually, fumes. smoke, vapour, effluvium, gas,
             exhalation, exhaust; smell, odour, aroma, fragrance, stench,
             stink, miasma; pollution, smog:  The fumes from O. C. Cabot's
             cigar spread through the building.

   fumigate  v.  disinfect, cleanse, purify, sanitize, sterilize,
             decontaminate:  There have been no insects since the kitchen was
             fumigated.

   fun       n.  1 merriment, merrymaking, gaiety, glee, jollity, mirth,
             cheer, high spirits, delight, frolic, festivity, high jinks;
             amusement, diversion, sport, enjoyment, recreation,
             entertainment, pastime, joy, pleasure, Colloq (making) whoopee:
             Your party was great fun. We always have fun when we're
             together.  Want to have some fun? 2 tomfoolery, horseplay,
             joking, playfulness, clowning, pranks, sport, jesting,
             jocularity, nonsense, fooling around or about, Colloq
             skylarking:  This is no time for fun - we have to catch a train.
             3 in or for fun. jokingly, teasingly, in jest, facetiously, with
             tongue in cheek, playfully, as a lark, for a joke or gag; not
             seriously:  In fun, we told him that he had missed the last
             ferry.  4 Like fun! Under no circumstances!, No way!, Colloq
             Like hell!, US No way, Jose!:  Like fun will I go swimming in
             the nude!  5 make fun of. poke fun at, tease, deride, (hold up
             to) ridicule, scoff at, lampoon, parody, satirize, make sport or
             game of, taunt, gibe, rag, Colloq kid, rib, Brit send up:  Kevin
             is always making fun of people by imitating them.

   function  n.  1 purpose, aim, use, role or r“le, raison d'€tre,
             responsibility, mission, charge, concern, business, province,
             duty, job, occupation, work, office, task, chore, assignment,
             commission, activity:  A knife's function is to cut; a guard's
             is to stand watch.  2 reception, gathering, affair, party,
             dinner, banquet, gala, ceremony, formality, rite, ritual;
             occasion, event:  We are attending a function at the embassy
             tonight.

             --v.  3 act, operate, perform, behave, work, go, run:  Are you
             sure the engine is functioning properly?  4 serve, take the role
             or r“le of, act the part of, act as, work as:  Dunmow will
             function as host in my absence.

   functional
             adj.  1 utilitarian, useful, serviceable, practical,
             practicable, functioning, working; essential, important,
             effective:  This gear is a functional part, not mere decoration.
             2 working, operating, operational, running, going:  Is this
             telephone functional?

   functionary
             n.  official, commissioner, bureaucrat, office-holder, officer:
             She is some sort of functionary at the Ministry of Information.

   fund      n.  1 supply, stock, reserve, store, pool, cache, reservoir,
             repository, mine:  Alison is a veritable fund of information
             about art.  2 Often, funds. money, (hard) cash, ready money,
             assets, means, wealth, resources, wherewithal, savings, capital,
             nest egg, endowment, Colloq loot, lucre, pelf, green, bread,
             dough, Brit ready, readies, lolly, US bucks, scratch:  He has
             the funds to buy out his partners. Have you contributed to the
             fund for indigent lexicographers?

             --v.  3 finance, back, capitalize, stake, support, pay for,
             endow, grant, subsidize:  The company has funded a number of new
             businesses.

   fundamental
             adj.  1 basic, rudimentary, elementary, primary, main, prime,
             first, principal, underlying, cardinal, central, essential,
             quintessential, constitutional, inherent, intrinsic, important,
             crucial, critical, organic, vital:  Our fundamental aim is to
             provide employment.

             --n.  2 principle, law, rule, axiom, essential, element, sine
             qua non, cornerstone, keystone:  Freedom of speech is a
             fundamental in a democracy.

   funeral   n.  obsequies, exequies; burial, interment, sepulture,
             entombment, inhumation; cremation:  It is fitting to wear black
             when attending a funeral.

   funereal  adj.  grave, solemn, sad, unhappy, morose, sombre, mournful,
             doleful, sorrowful, melancholy, gloomy, lugubrious, dismal,
             grievous, depressing, dreary, woeful, dark, sepulchral:  Why are
             you in such a funereal mood?

   funny     adj.  1 comical, humorous, comic, ludicrous, laughable,
             ridiculous, risible, waggish, side-splitting, hilarious,
             uproarious, jocular, jocose, merry, droll, facetious, witty,
             farcical, slapstick, zany; amusing, entertaining, diverting,
             Colloq hysterical:  A comedian's material may be funny but he
             relies on timing for much of his effect. 2 peculiar, odd,
             unusual, curious, strange, mysterious, mystifying, puzzling,
             queer, weird, bizarre, remarkable, unconventional, eccentric,
             Slang off-the-wall:  She had a funny expression on her face. If
             you do love me, you have a funny way of showing it.

   furious   adj.  1 angry, enraged, raging, infuriated, fuming, incensed,
             irate, maddened, mad, boiling, wrathful, provoked, beside
             oneself, up in arms, in high dudgeon, on the warpath, foaming at
             the mouth, Literary wroth, Colloq steaming, livid, in a tizzy,
             Slang up the wall, pissed off, browned off, Brit cheesed off:
             Mark was furious at Betty for leaving without him.  2 fierce,
             wild, violent, savage, intense, unrestrained, frantic, frenzied:
             A few made a furious attempt to jump off the burning ship.

   furnish   v.  1 supply, provide, afford, equip, outfit, fit (out or up),
             rig (out or up), provision, give, stock up, Colloq Brit kit out
             or up:  The trading post furnished what we needed for a month in
             the wilderness.  Can you furnish me with a blanket? 2 decorate,
             equip:  She received a commission to furnish a ten-room house.

   furniture n.  1 furnishings, household (goods); movables, chattels,
             paraphernalia, effects, possessions, belongings, Colloq gear,
             things, stuff, Slang shit:  There wasn't any furniture in the
             room, not even a chair.  2 fittings, fitments, equipment,
             fixtures, apparatus, devices, tackle, tack, trappings, gear,
             accoutrements or US also accouterments, accessories, appliances,
             Colloq Brit clobber:  The front door has some fine brass
             furniture.

   furore    n.  1 US furor, uproar, outburst, tumult, commotion, turmoil,
             brouhaha, ado, hurly-burly, to-do, hubbub, stir, fuss,
             disturbance, excitement:  The deportation of the student caused
             a furore among his supporters.  2 rage, craze, mania, vogue,
             enthusiasm, obsession, fad:  The furore for antiques has driven
             up prices enormously.

   furrow    n.  1 groove, channel, rut, trench, track, ditch, gutter,
             trough, fosse, fissure, sulcus, sulcation, flute, score, cut,
             gash, scratch, line; wrinkle, crease, corrugation, crow's-feet,
             Technical sulcus:  He can't even plough a straight furrow. The
             furrows in his brow come from worry.

             --v.  2 groove, channel, flute, score, cut, gash, scratch;
             plough, harrow:  This rock was furrowed by glacial action.  3
             wrinkle, crease, corrugate, knit, pucker, crinkle:  A frown
             furrowed his forehead.

   further   adj.  1 more, additional, another, other, new, supplemental,
             supplementary, accessory, auxiliary, extra, spare, fresh:
             Further investment by our group is out of the question.  2
             farther, more distant or remote:  Some day, we may travel to the
             further reaches of the galaxy.

             --adv.  3 furthermore, besides, moreover, too, also,
             additionally, in addition, over and above, beyond, above, what
             is more, to boot, yet, then (again), again:  She told him he was
             rude and, further, ugly as well.  4 farther, at or to a greater
             distance or depth:  She has looked into the matter much further
             than I.

             --v.  5 advance, promote, favour, push or urge onward(s) or
             forward(s), forward, foster, back, patronize, support, help,
             assist, aid:  What can I do to further your efforts?

   furtherance
             n.  promotion, advancement, pursuit, backing, boosting, boost,
             fostering, championing, championship, advocating, advocacy,
             patronage, support, help, aid, assistance, succour:  The
             furtherance of anti-pollution laws is all to the good.

   furtive   adj.  1 secret, private, secretive, clandestine, surreptitious,
             stealthy, underhand(ed), covert, hidden, conspiratorial,
             skulking, deceitful, under the table, under the counter,
             hugger-mugger, Colloq sneaky:  She gave me a furtive look to let
             me know she was on to me.  2 sly, foxy, cunning, crafty, wily,
             shifty, untrustworthy, Colloq sneaky:  His furtive manoeuvres
             mark him as one not to be trusted.

   fury      n.  1 anger, rage, wrath, indignation, ire, choler, rancour:
             Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.  2 impetuosity,
             ferocity, savagery, vehemence, fierceness, tempestuousness,
             turbulence, violence:  How can we stem the fury of his attack?
             3 virago, shrew, spitfire, hell-cat, termagant, vixen,she-devil,
             hag, witch, bitch, Archaic beldam:  Some of the furies from the
             women's liberation movement descended on him.

   fuse      v.  blend, merge, unite, combine, compound, mix, commingle,
             coalesce, flow or come together, consolidate, amalgamate; melt:
             The metals fuse at a relatively low temperature.

   fuss      n.  1 bother, pother, dither, fluster, flurry, fret, commotion,
             ado, bustle, to-do, excitement, furore or US furor, unrest,
             (deal of) trouble, disquiet, upset, stir, uproar, disturbance,
             stir, hubbub, agitation, brouhaha, Colloq hoo-ha, flap, stink,
             Brit kerfuffle, Slang US hoop-la:  Stop making such a big fuss
             over nothing.

             --v.  2 make a fuss, rush about or around, flutter, Colloq kick
             up a fuss:  I do wish she'd stop fussing - the party is going
             very well.

   fussy     adj.  1 particular, finicky, finical, dainty, discriminating,
             difficult, fastidious, exacting, demanding, Colloq picky,
             choosy, nit-picking, pernickety or US also persnickety:  He's so
             fussy that he'll wear only custom-made shoes.  2 fancy,
             elaborate, over-decorated, gingerbread, rococo, ornate,
             detailed, Byzantine:  The style is a bit too fussy for my taste.

   futile    adj.  unsuccessful, unavailing, useless, unprofitable, vain,
             abortive, profitless, bootless, worthless, empty, sterile,
             barren, unproductive, impotent, ineffective, ineffectual;
             Chiefly literary sleeveless:  After several futile attempts to
             get in touch with you, I gave up.

   future    n.  1 days or time to come; tomorrow:  Who knows what the future
             may bring?

             --adj.  2 coming, tomorrow's, later, prospective, following,
             unborn, subsequent, expected, approaching; to be to come:
             Future generations will appreciate what we have done here.

   fuzzy     adj.  1 woolly, downy, linty, fleecy, furry, fluffy, frizzy,
             flossy, flocculent, floccose, floccus; feathery:  Tiny bits from
             her fuzzy pullover kept coming off on my suit.  2 dim, faint,
             hazy, foggy, misty, blurred, blurry, indistinct, unclear, vague,
             shadowy, indefinite, obscure, ill-defined, woolly, distorted:
             The picture was too fuzzy to make out any details.

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   gab       v.  1 jabber, gabble, chatter, gibber, blather or blether,
             prate, prattle, blab, gossip, Colloq Brit natter, witter, Slang
             jaw, yack, US run off at the mouth:  Stop gabbing and get on
             with your work!

             --n.  2 chatter, chit-chat, prattle, jibber-jabber, jabber,
             gossip, blarney, blather or blether, tittle-tattle; cackle,
             moonshine, nonsense, drivel, twaddle, rubbish, gobbledegook or
             gobbledygook, mumbo-jumbo, poppycock, bunk or bunkum,
             balderdash, stuff and nonsense, hogwash, eyewash, Colloq piffle,
             flummery, rot, bull, codswallop, Slang bullshit, horseshit,
             shit, crap, garbage, Chiefly Brit tosh, balls:  He had nothing
             important to say - just a lot of gab.

   gad       v.  Usually, gad about or around. gallivant, run around, flit
             about, traipse:  He's never home, always gadding about, from one
             party to another.

   gadget    n.  contrivance, device, appliance, creation, invention,
             machine, tool, utensil, implement, instrument, mechanism,
             apparatus, Colloq contraption, widget, thingumabob or
             thingamabob or thingumbob, thingumajig or thingamajig or
             thingummy, whatchamacallit, what's-its-name, Brit doodah, US
             hickey, doodad, doohickey, whosis, whatsis, dingus, Chiefly US
             and Canadian gismo or gizmo:  He invented a gadget for resealing
             fizzy drink bottles.

   gag°      v.  1 silence, stifle, still, muffle, stop (up), muzzle, quiet,
             curb, suppress, repress, restrain, throttle, strangle, check,
             inhibit, discourage:  The department gagged him, forbidding any
             press interviews.  2 retch, choke, heave; gasp for air, struggle
             for breath; US keck:  That drink made me gag.

             --n.  3 restraint, curb, muzzle, check:  MI5 tried to put a gag
             on the revelations of the former spy.

   gagэ      n.  1 joke, witticism, jest, quip, pun, gibe, Colloq wisecrack,
             Slang crack:  He told some gags but nobody found them funny.  2
             practical joke, hoax, prank, trick, Colloq fast one:  For a gag,
             we put a snake in the sergeant's bed.

   gaiety    n.  1 cheerfulness, exhilaration, elation, glee, joie de vivre,
             buoyancy, light-heartedness, blitheness, happiness, felicity,
             pleasure, delight, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, exultation,
             merriment, mirth, mirthfulness, jubilation, good or high
             spirits, sprightliness, liveliness, joviality, jollity,
             hilarity:  The gaiety of the celebration was becoming
             infectious.  2 Often, gaieties. merrymaking, festivity,
             festivities, celebration, revelry, revels, rejoicing,
             conviviality, Old-fashioned Brit mafficking:  We all joined in
             the gaiety of Mardi Gras.  3 colourfulness, brightness,
             gaudiness, garishness, brilliance, brightness, cheeriness:  The
             gaiety of her costume was offset by her lugubrious expression.

   gaily     adv.  1 showily, gaudily, brightly, splendidly, brilliantly,
             colourfully, flashily, flamboyantly, garishly:  The dancers
             appeared in their gaily coloured dresses.  2 happily,
             cheerfully, cheerily, gleefully, joyously, joyfully, jubilantly,
             merrily, blithely, light-heartedly, airily, jauntily,
             insouciantly:  The revellers came cavorting gaily down the
             street.

   gain      v.  1 get, obtain, acquire, procure, attain, achieve, secure,
             earn, win, capture, bag, net, harvest, reap, garner, glean,
             collect, gather, come by, pick up:  Any advantage we gain today
             may be lost tomorrow.  2 make, get, profit, gain ground, earn,
             benefit, realize, clear, bring in, produce, yield:  Have you
             gained from the transaction?  3 improve, recuperate, progress,
             rally, get better, advance, gain ground:  Her health has gained
             steadily since the cyst was removed.  4 catch up (to or on or
             with), approach, get nearer (to), overtake, close with, close in
             (on), narrow the gap, gain ground:  As we came to the finish
             line, Tom was gaining on me. Though he kept gaining, I won. 5
             leave behind, outdistance, draw or pull away (from), widen the
             gap, get or go or move further or farther ahead, get further or
             farther away (from), increase the lead:  I kept gaining on him
             till I was a mile ahead.  6 reach, arrive at, get to, come to:
             After paddling for hours, we finally gained the shore.  7
             increase, move ahead, improve, advance, progress, gain ground:
             Shares gained again on the exchange.

             --n.  8 profit, advantage, margin, yield, return, revenue,
             income, dividend, benefit, emolument, payment, pay, money;
             proceeds, earnings, winnings; Colloq chiefly US take, payout,
             pay-off:  What was your gain on the sale of the house? He has
             seen gains of 20 per cent on his investment. 9 increase,
             increment, improvement, rise, addition, enhancement, elevation,
             augmentation, upward or forward movement, advance, progress:
             Each month has seen a gain in share prices.  10 acquisition,
             achievement, attainment:  My gain was at the expense of their
             sacrifice.

   gainful   adj.  advantageous, profitable, productive, fruitful,
             beneficial, useful, valuable, worthwhile, rewarding,
             remunerative, lucrative, moneymaking:  Your father thinks it
             about time you sought gainful employment.

   gala      n.  1 f€te or fete, festival, festivity, feast, celebration,
             event, red-letter day, holiday, holy day, carnival, occasion,
             happening, event, pageant, party, ball; field-day:  The annual
             gala is planned for Midsummer's Eve.

             --adj.  2 merry, festive, joyful, joyous, gleeful, jovial, gay,
             celebratory, jolly, convivial, happy, cheerful, cheery:  Her
             home-coming was a gala occasion.

   gale      n.  1 wind-storm, strong wind, (big or hard) blow, blast,
             turbulence, storm, tempest:  I refuse to take the boat out in
             that gale.  2 outburst, burst, explosion, eruption; peal, roar,
             scream, shout, howl, shriek:  Bea Lillie needed merely to raise
             an eyebrow to send her audience into gales of laughter.

   gall°     n.  1 bitterness, acerbity, acrimony, harshness, vitriol,
             asperity, bile, spleen, causticness or causticity, bite,
             mordacity or mordaciousness, sharpness, rancidness or rancidity;
             venom, poison, rancour:  Once more he experienced the gall of
             disappointment.  2 impudence, insolence, impertinence, audacity,
             brashness, brazenness, sauciness, effrontery, temerity,
             overconfidence, front, Colloq brass, nerve, guts, cheek, lip,
             crust, sauce, US and Canadian chutzpah, moxie; Slang balls:  One
             student had the gall to suggest that he would be a better
             teacher than I am.

   gallэ     n.  1 sore (spot), abrasion, scrape, graze, scratch, chafe:
             This gall on my leg is from the saddle.  2 irritation,
             annoyance, nuisance, bother, exasperation, vexation, Colloq
             aggravation:  One has to tolerate a lot of gall in this job.

             --v.  3 irritate, chafe, abrade, fret, scrape, rub, grate,
             scratch:  His shoe was galling his heel.  4 irritate, annoy,
             bother, vex, irk, exasperate, harass, harry, plague, provoke,
             goad, nag, pester, hector, badger, nettle, needle, ruffle, fret,
             anger, enrage, inflame, infuriate, incense, arouse, US rankle:
             It galls me to think of all the animals killed just to make fur
             coats.

   gallant   adj.  1 brave, courageous, bold, valiant, daring, dauntless,
             intrepid, plucky, fearless, valorous, unafraid, undaunted,
             manly, manful, plucky, mettlesome, stout-hearted, lion-hearted,
             heroic, dashing, (high-)spirited:  Three gallant soldiers held
             off the enemy attack.  2 chivalrous, courtly, courteous, polite,
             attentive, gentlemanly, noble, gracious, considerate,
             thoughtful, well-bred, mannerly:  What man is so gallant today
             as to give up his seat on a bus to a lady? 3 dignified, elegant,
             imposing, grand, noble, glorious, fine, splendid, majestic,
             stately, magnificent:  Overwhelmed by four enemy men o' war, the
             gallant ship sank beneath the waves.

             --n.  4 champion, hero, knight, cavalier, paladin:  Which
             gallant wears her scarf on his sleeve in today's jousts?  5
             lover, Romeo, sweetheart, beloved, paramour, boyfriend, beau,
             escort, suitor, admirer, Literary swain:  In those days,
             gallants continually sent their ladies gifts and flowers.

   gallows   n.  gibbet:  Another name for gallows was 'Tyburn tree', after
             that at Tyburn, in London.

   galore    adv.  in abundance, in large quantity or numbers or amounts, in
             excess, everywhere, aplenty, in profusion:  There were prizes
             galore for everything from swimming to skittles.

   gamble    v.  1 risk, venture, hazard, bet, wager, stake, chance,
             speculate; play, game, Brit punt:  I wouldn't gamble that he'll
             be on time. I go to Monte Carlo to gamble. 2 gamble on. back,
             bet or wager on, stake or put money on, take a chance or flier
             on, try one's luck or fortune on, lay or place or make a wager
             or bet on; count on, rely on:  We gambled on the horse to win. I
             was gambling on his having forgotten the debt.

             --n.  3 chance, risk, venture; uncertainty, speculation, Colloq
             US crap-shoot:  I had to take the gamble that the rope would
             hold. All of life is just a gamble. 4 bet, wager, stake, Brit
             punt:  She took a gamble on number 14.

   game      n.  1 amusement, pastime, diversion, distraction, recreation,
             play; sport:  She regards love as just a game.  2 contest,
             competition, meeting or US also meet, tournament or US also
             tourney, match, encounter, engagement, event, round; regatta:
             Would you like to see a football game? The games are held
             annually.  3 scheme, plan, plot, design, stratagem, strategy,
             tactic, artifice, trick, device(s), ploy:  Aha! I am on to your
             little game!  4 occupation, line (of work), job, position,
             field, business, trade, profession, Slang racket:  She is in the
             advertising game.  5 quarry, prey; victim, target:  Game has
             been plentiful this year, especially pheasant and quail.  He is
             fair game for any unscrupulous swindler. 6 play games.
             dissemble, dissimulate, be deceitful or underhand, misrepresent,
             pretend, practise deceit or deception, fake, feign:  She wasn't
             serious about selling, she was just playing games.

             --adj.  7 ready, willing, prepared; plucky or spirited or daring
             or adventurous enough:  She's game for anything: I'm sure she'll
             jump at the chance of scuba-diving lessons. 8 plucky, spirited,
             high-spirited, daring, devil-may-care, adventurous, unflinching,
             courageous, brave, bold, heroic, Colloq nervy, gutsy:  Entering
             the cave to rescue the dog was a game thing for him to do.

             --v.  9 gamble:  He has taken up gaming as a hobby.

   gamut     n.  range, scale, spectrum, compass, spread, sweep, field,
             series:  Parker said that Hepburn's acting ran the whole gamut
             of emotions from A to B.

   gang      n.  1 group, band, crowd, company, pack, mob, ring:  The police
             are looking for the gang that robbed the mail train.  2 clique,
             set, coterie, circle, party, company, team, troupe:  A whole
             gang of my friends came over yesterday evening.

             --v.  3 gang up (on or against.) conspire or plot against,
             combine or unite or unify or join (against), league or ally or
             club or band (against), join forces (against), overwhelm:  When
             they all ganged up on me, I decided to change my mind.

   gangster  n.  criminal, gang member, racketeer, Mafioso, soldier,
             hooligan, gunman, thug, mugger, robber, tough, ruffian,
             desperado, brigand, bandit, Brit skinhead, Australian and New
             Zealand larrikin, Chiefly US and Canadian hoodlum, gunslinger,
             Colloq crook; Slang hood, hit man, US gunsel, torpedo, mobster,
             goon:  The gangsters were arrested for smuggling cocaine.

   gap       n.  1 opening, space, aperture, distance, hole, void, gulf,
             cavity, break, breach, crevice, chink, crack, split, division,
             cleft, rift, rip, tear, rent; interruption, interval, lacuna,
             hiatus, discontinuity, disruption; lull, pause, rest, recess,
             halt, stop, suspension, delay, wait, intermission, respite:  The
             gap between the walls is just big enough for a child. I can see
             through a gap in the curtain. There is a gap in his payment
             record. 2 difference, divergence, disparity, disagreement,
             inconsistency, discrepancy; division, distinction:  A gap exists
             between your ideas of justice and mine.

   gape      v.  1 stare, gawk, goggle, Slang rubberneck, Brit gawp or gaup:
             She gaped when they brought in the boar's head.  2 yawn, open
             wide, part; split:  The jaws of the huge shark gaped to swallow
             the diver.

   garbage   n.  rubbish, refuse, waste, muck, offal, sweepings, swill,
             filth, slops, dross, scraps, junk, litter, debris, detritus,
             Chiefly US and Canadian trash, Slang crap:  The garbage in the
             river is a health hazard.

   garble    v.  1 warp, distort, twist, corrupt, adulterate, slant, colour,
             mangle, mutilate, pervert, doctor, falsify, misrepresent, belie,
             misstate, misquote, misreport, mistranslate, misrender;
             misunderstand, misconstrue, misread:  She has garbled the story
             and it makes no sense. I've garbled your message completely. 2
             confuse, mix up, jumble, mumble, mutter:  He garbles his words
             so badly that I cannot understand him.

   garish    adj.  gaudy, flashy, glaring, cheap, tawdry, florid, raffish,
             vulgar, harsh, loud, meretricious, Brummagem, showy, crude,
             tasteless, Colloq flash, Slang US glitzy:  Their flat is filled
             with the most garish decorations.

   garland   n.  1 wreath, festoon, crown, chaplet, circlet:  Diana crowned
             the sleeping Endymion with a garland of flowers.

             --v.  2 wreathe, festoon, crown, decorate, coil, spiral,
             encircle, ring, circle:  The columns were all garlanded with
             brightly coloured paper decorations.

   garments  n.pl.  garb, clothes, clothing, raiment, dress, attire, apparel,
             costume, outfit, habit, vestments, habiliment; wardrobe;
             uniform, livery; Colloq duds, rig, togs, Slang rags, threads,
             gear:  All his garments are custom-made in Savile Row.

   garner    v.  gather, collect, accumulate, assemble, amass, store (up),
             stock (up), husband, lay in or up or down or by, heap or pile
             up, put away or by, stow (away), cache, store, save, reserve:
             He garnered what he could from the family estate.

   gash      n.  1 cut, slash, wound, score, cleft, incision, laceration,
             slit, groove, split:  The chisel slipped, cutting a deep gash in
             the table.

             --v.  2 cut, slash, wound, score, cleave, incise, lacerate,
             slit, groove, split:  I've gashed my hand on a rusty nail.

   gasp      v.  1 pant, gulp for air, fight for air or breath; catch one's
             breath, snort, huff, puff:  I gasped when I saw the condition of
             the room.

             --n.  2 snort, puff, blow, gulp, wheeze:  He gave a gasp of
             horror.

   gate      n.  1 gateway, barrier, doorway, door, access, entrance, exit,
             passage, opening:  The garden gate sagged on its hinges.  2
             admissions, attendance, crowd, audience, assemblage:  We had the
             biggest gate of the year at yesterday's game.

   gather    v.  1 collect, assemble, accumulate, amass, muster, heap or pile
             (up), garner, pick, harvest, glean, get or bring together,
             stockpile, stock:  I gathered all the firewood I could find.  2
             collect, assemble, convene, meet, huddle, forgather or
             foregather, get or come together, congregate, turn out, flock or
             herd (together), group, cluster, throng, crowd, swarm, rally:
             We gathered round the old man's bed.  3 purse, shirr, pucker,
             tuck, ruffle, pleat, draw or pull together, contract, constrict:
             The fabric is gathered at the waist.  4 draw, conclude, infer,
             assume, deduce, understand, learn, hear, be led to believe:  I
             gather that you'd prefer not to collect the award in person.  5
             increase, grow, enlarge, expand, extend, wax, heighten, deepen,
             intensify, build, rise:  He stood, menacingly, in the gathering
             shadows.

   gathering n.  assembly, convocation, convention, congress, assemblage,
             meeting, get-together, turnout, conclave, rally, aggregation:
             There is a gathering of the clan once a year.

   gaudy     adj.  garish, flashy, glaring, tawdry, loud, cheap, florid,
             showy, ostentatious, raffish, vulgar, crude, tasteless,
             Brummagem, meretricious, tinselly, gimcrack, shoddy, trashy,
             Brit tatty, US and Canadian honky-tonk, Colloq US tacky,
             chintzy:  The carnival stands were painted pink, purple, and
             other gaudy colours.

   gauge     v.  1 measure, determine, weigh, calculate, compute, reckon,
             figure, US technical also gage:  Try to gauge the height of that
             building.  2 judge, evaluate, appraise, assess, rate, estimate,
             guess, US technical also gage:  How can we gauge the strength of
             the opposition?

             --n.  3 standard, yardstick, criterion, benchmark, basis,
             measure, norm, model, example, pattern, rule, touchstone, test,
             guide, guideline, US litmus test, Technical also gage:  You
             cannot use your compulsive work habits as a gauge for others.  4
             scope, capacity, amount, extent, measure, size, dimension(s),
             magnitude, degree, limit:  There are a number of narrow-gauge
             railways in Wales. What will be the gauge of your involvement in
             the enterprise?

   gaunt     adj.  1 emaciated, scrawny, raw-boned, bony, angular, haggard,
             skeletal, wasted, starved-looking, cadaverous, scraggy, spindly,
             meagre, hollow-cheeked, spare, skinny, lank(y), pinched, thin,
             underweight:  We were shocked by the gaunt faces of the famine
             victims.  2 dreary, dismal, bleak, bare, barren, deserted,
             desolate, harsh, hostile, unfriendly, inimical, stern,
             forbidding, stark, grim, forlorn:  Under the low cloud, the moor
             looked even more gaunt than usual.

   gawk      n.  1 oaf, lout, bumpkin, clod, boor, churl, dolt, dunderhead or
             dunderpate, ninny, ninny-hammer, ignoramus, fool, simpleton,
             ass, bungler, bumbler, Colloq clodhopper, lummox, Slang chiefly
             US old-fashioned galoot or galloot, lug:  You big gawk, get out
             of my way!

             --v.  2 stare, goggle, gape, Colloq rubberneck, Slang Brit gawp
             or gaup:  Stop gawking and help me get him to a hospital.

   gay       adj.  1 See homosexual, 1, below.  2 happy, blithe, jovial,
             light-hearted, carefree, debonair, cheerful, gleeful, bright,
             joyful, joyous, jubilant, high-spirited, merry, lively,
             vivacious, buoyant, effervescent, bubbly, bubbling, sparkling,
             US chipper:  In those days our hearts were young and gay.  3
             garish, gaudy, flashy, bright, brilliant, vivid, many-coloured:
             The gay decorations added to the atmosphere to the party.

             --n.  4 See homosexual, 2, below.

   gaze      v.  1 look at or on or upon or over, view, regard, contemplate,
             stare; wonder, gape:  She stood gazing out to sea. I gazed at
             the screen in disbelief.

             --n.  2 fixed or steady or intent look, stare, look:  His gaze
             faltered and he averted his eyes.

7.2 gear...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   gear      n.  1 cog, cog-wheel; gearbox, mechanism, machinery; works:
             This gear operates the automatic doors.  2 equipment, apparatus,
             appliances, implements, tools, tackle, utensils, supplies,
             material(s), accessories, accoutrements or US also
             accouterments, appurtenances, paraphernalia, panoply, outfit,
             trappings, fixtures, materiel or mat‚riel:  Have you taken all
             the camping gear?  3 clothing, apparel, attire, clothes,
             garments, habit, habiliments, vestments, raiment, regalia,
             uniform, livery, Colloq duds, togs, Brit clobber:  You should
             keep your gear in your locker.  4 belongings, things, stuff,
             effects, kit, effects, chattels, goods, impedimenta, (bag and)
             baggage, accoutrements, Colloq junk, Slang shit:  Get your gear
             together and get out of here!

             --v.  5 adjust, adapt, fit, suit, tailor, accommodate:  You will
             have to gear your schedule according to our plans.

   gem       n.  1 gemstone, jewel, stone, precious or semiprecious stone:
             The crown was set with rubies and other precious gems.  2 ideal,
             quintessence, perfect example; pearl (of great price), marvel,
             flower, ‚lite, cream, crЉme de la crЉme, pick, nonpareil,
             treasure, prize, masterpiece, chef-d'oeuvre:  This is a perfect
             gem of a painting. The vale of Grasmere is a gem in the diadem
             of the Lake District.

   general   adj.  1 common, prevailing, accepted, popular, public, communal,
             community, widespread, shared, extensive, prevalent, universal,
             worldwide, global; comprehensive, inclusive, all-inclusive,
             non-exclusive, overall, unrestricted:  The general feeling is
             that she should resign. We demanded a general revision of the
             law. 2 ordinary, common, normal, customary, habitual, regular,
             usual, run-of-the-mill, everyday, familiar, accustomed;
             non-specialized, unspecialized, non-specific, unspecific:
             Indoor plumbing became general only in the twentieth century.
             Within the general area of ceramics there are scores of
             specialities. 3 mixed, assorted, miscellaneous, heterogeneous,
             encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, diversified, extended, broad,
             comprehensive, inclusive, all-inclusive, non-exclusive, overall,
             blanket, across the board, sweeping, panoramic, catholic,
             composite, combined, blended, hybrid, mongrel:  The plan is to
             prepare a general work of reference.  4 vague, indefinite,
             broad, ill-defined, loose, inexact, imprecise, undetailed,
             non-specific, unspecific, generalized, overall; approximate:
             This kind of general report fails to pinpoint problems.

   generality
             n.  1 generalization, abstraction, abstract, vague or loose or
             sweeping or indefinite statement, imprecise or vague notion:
             His talks are characterized by empty generality, without
             detailed facts. 2 Often, generalities. principle(s), law(s),
             abstraction(s), generalization(s), universality or
             universalities:  You have given us the generalities, now we want
             the particulars.

   generally adv.  1 usually, commonly, ordinarily, in general, customarily,
             habitually, conventionally, normally, typically, on average, as
             a rule, by and large, for the most part, mostly, mainly, on the
             whole, predominantly:  Generally, people do not have a healthy
             diet. He is generally in the office at noon. 2 superficially,
             non-specifically, unspecifically, roughly, broadly, in a general
             way, loosely, approximately, largely, in the main, mainly,
             principally:  He covered the subject generally, not dwelling on
             details.

   generate  v.  1 produce, create, originate, make, manufacture:  At these
             stations we can generate 1000 megawatts of electricity.  2
             spawn, father, sire, bring into being, procreate, breed, beget,
             engender, propagate:  This one fish would generate millions of
             offspring if all survived.  3 produce, create, give rise to,
             inspire, whip up, cause, initiate:  Her good fortune generated
             in him a feeling of envy.  4 produce, create, invent, coin, make
             up, fabricate, fashion, devise, develop, form, forge, mould,
             contrive, construct, put together:  We must generate a new
             theory to account for these phenomena.

   generation
             n.  1 production, reproduction, propagation, procreation,
             begetting, fathering, siring:  In the lower animals, the
             generation of offspring is asexual.  2 time(s), day(s), age,
             period, era, epoch:  The trait did not appear till later
             generations. The 1950s and '60s spawned the yuppie generation of
             the '80s. 3 origination, creation, genesis, inception,
             initiation, start, beginning, institution, establishment,
             formation, formulation:  The generation of legal systems can be
             traced to the oldest civilizations.  4 crop; age (group);
             contemporaries:  This generation of Americans has a rendezvous
             with destiny. He prefers to be with people of his own
             generation.

   generous  adj.  1 bounteous, bountiful, magnanimous, charitable,
             eleemosynary, philanthropic, lavish, open-handed, free, liberal,
             unstinting, ungrudging, beneficent, benevolent, big-hearted,
             munificent:  Not everyone who has money is generous with it.  2
             magnanimous, benevolent, charitable, unselfish, humanitarian,
             humane, kindly, noble, high-minded, lofty, good, disinterested,
             unprejudiced:  He was too generous in acknowledging the
             accomplishments of his political foes. 3 plentiful, full,
             lavish, overflowing, abundant, bounteous, handsome, copious,
             ample:  They certainly serve generous portions at that
             restaurant.

   genial    adj.  affable, amiable, cordial, warm, friendly, congenial,
             agreeable, good-natured, good-humoured, well-disposed,
             neighbourly, sociable, kindly, kind, hospitable, easygoing,
             relaxed, pleasant, nice, cheerful, cheery, convivial:  And here
             is your genial host, Sonny Gegenschein!

   genitals  n.pl.  genitalia, sexual or reproductive organs, sex organs,
             organs of procreation or generation, private parts, privates:
             They wore loincloths to cover their genitals.

   genius    n.  1 mastermind, master, virtuoso, intellect; maestro, expert,
             adept; Colloq brain, Einstein:  At the age of nine, this genius
             entered university.  2 intelligence, brilliance, wit, ingenuity,
             brains, ability, aptitude:  She is a woman of incredible genius.
             3 talent, gift, knack, faculty, flair, aptitude, forte,
             capacity, ability, capability:  He has a genius for saying the
             wrong thing.

   genre     n.  kind, sort, type, class, style, brand, character, category,
             genus, species, variety, fashion:  Her paintings are in the
             classicist genre.

   genteel   adj.  1 over-polite, unnatural, pretentious, affected, mannered,
             putting on airs, pompous, overdone, Colloq posh, la-di-da or
             lah-di-dah or la-de-da, phoney or US also phony, Brit county:
             The Brumfits are a bit too genteel for my taste.  2 courtly,
             polite, civil, well-mannered, well-bred, courteous, mannerly,
             gracious, proper, respectable, decorous, ladylike, gentlemanly,
             chivalrous, cavalier, debonair, suave, patrician, high-class,
             upper-class, aristocratic, thoroughbred, blue-blooded, noble,
             royal, Colloq classy, tony, upper crust, US silk-stocking:  His
             son married a woman from an ancient, genteel house.  3 refined,
             polished, sophisticated, debonair, suave, urbane, cosmopolitan,
             cultivated, cultured, elegant, Colloq ritzy:  Why small feet are
             considered genteel, I cannot say.

   gentle    adj.  1 kind, kindly, mild, tender, benign, moderate, easy,
             quiet, calm, still, temperate, unruffled, untroubled,
             undisturbed, tranquil, restful, peaceful, pacific, placid,
             smooth, lenient, patient, indulgent, soothing, thoughtful,
             gracious, compassionate, humane, tender-hearted, merciful; soft,
             light, balmy:  Amy is very gentle with the patients. A gentle
             breeze barely stirred the leaves. The gentle waves belied the
             terror that lurked below. 2 tame, tractable, docile, manageable,
             controllable; broken:  As he's a beginner, he's been given a
             gentle mare to ride.  3 gradual, easy, moderate:  The car rolled
             down the gentle slope and stopped.

   gentry    n.  ladies and gentlemen, upper classes, Љlite, aristocracy,
             landed gentry, gentlefolk, upper class(es) or strata, cream,
             crЉme de la crЉme; landowners, Brit squirearchy, Colloq upper
             crust or strata:  He thinks he is privileged because he belongs
             to the gentry.

   genuine   adj.  1 authentic, real, bona fide, veritable, legitimate, true,
             original, proper, not counterfeit or fake; pukka or pucka:  Is
             that a genuine diamond? I know his feelings for her are genuine.
             Armstrong is a genuine leader of men. 2 candid, frank, open,
             sincere, earnest, honest, unfeigned:  His art is much more
             genuine than the pretentious output of his contemporaries.

   germ      n.  1 micro-organism, microbe, bacterium, virus, Colloq bug:
             Germs were not conceived of before Leeuwenhoek's invention of
             the microscope. 2 source, origin, fount, embryo, seed, root,
             rudiment, beginning, start, base, basis:  The germ of romantic
             literature lies in folk-tales.

   gesture   n.  1 movement, motion, gesticulation, signal, indication,
             action, Colloq US high sign:  She made a gesture of dismissal.
             2 formality, move; gambit, ploy; token, indication, symbol:
             Sending her flowers was a friendly gesture. Their burning the
             flag was a gesture of defiance.

             --v.  3 motion, gesticulate, signal, sign, indicate, Colloq US
             give (someone) the high sign:  He gestured for me to step
             forward.

   get       v.  1 obtain, secure, acquire, come by or into (the) possession
             of, procure, pick up; collect; buy, purchase, book, retain,
             hire, engage, rent, lease; accede to, inherit, fall heir to,
             succeed to:  Where did you get these beautiful prints? You had
             better get yourself a good lawyer. They got the furniture from
             his mother's estate. 2 receive; be given, come by:  He got a
             bicycle from his grandma. I got a job at the carwash.  3 earn,
             receive, realize, make, take, gross, clear, net, pocket, be
             paid; win, Colloq take home, pull down:  He gets a lot of money
             for just standing there and answering questions.  4 fetch, go
             (to or and) get, go for or after, pick up; bring (back),
             retrieve:  Please get me a cup of tea.  5 catch, contract, have,
             suffer from, come down with, fall ill or sick with, be afflicted
             with, become infected with, acquire:  You'll get pneumonia if
             you go out without your coat.  6 become, fall:  We got ill from
             eating too much chocolate.  7 become, turn, grow:  It got very
             cold last night. He got rich almost overnight.  8 capture,
             seize, arrest, take, apprehend, grab, pick up, lay hold of, bag,
             Colloq collar, nab, pinch:  Are the police sure that they got
             the right person?  9 manage, arrange, come, succeed; contrive,
             fix it, manoeuvre, manipulate, Colloq wangle:  How did you get
             to be chairman?  10 reach, arrive (at), come, go, travel,
             journey:  She got home by taxi.  11 catch, take, enter, make,
             come or go by, travel or journey by:  He got the midnight train.
             12 reach, get in touch with, communicate with, get onto or
             through to, Colloq contact:  We finally got him just before he
             left for the day.  13 receive, pick up, tune in to or on, listen
             to or watch:  I cannot get that programme.  14 persuade, prevail
             upon, coax, induce, influence, cajole, wheedle, talk (someone)
             into, sway, bring (someone) round, make, cause:  How did you
             ever get them to let you go?  15 put, place, set, fit,
             manoeuvre, manipulate, wiggle, wriggle:  I can't get this knob
             back on.  16 affect, stir, move, touch, arouse, stimulate,
             excite, have an impact or effect on, make an impression on,
             impress, leave a mark on, get to, Colloq turn (someone) on:
             Those old romantic songs really get me.  17 get at, irritate,
             annoy, vex, irk, nettle, pique, provoke, anger, exasperate,
             bother, perturb, rile, Colloq bug, get (someone's) goat, rub
             (someone) (up) the wrong way, Sometimes non-standard aggravate:
             Doesn't it get you to see people going unpunished for their
             crimes?  18 baffle, confuse, confound, puzzle, perplex,
             bewilder:  You've got me! I don't know where it is!  19
             understand, appreciate, fathom, see, grasp, apprehend, perceive,
             follow, comprehend, take in, work out, make head(s) or tail(s)
             of:  You just don't get the joke, do you?  20 catch, hear:  I
             didn't get the name; please repeat it.  21 derive, learn, glean,
             absorb, take in:  Did you get anything from yesterday's lecture?
             22 have, place, put, fix, pinpoint:  Eventually, I'll get him
             where I want him!  23 get even with, revenge oneself on, take
             vengeance on, pay (someone) back, settle or even the score with,
             get back at:  I'll get him for betraying me if it's the last
             thing I do!  24 strike, hit, punch, smack; shoot; hurt, harm,
             damage, injure; Slang sock, slug:  She got him right between the
             eyes.  25 get about or around.  a spread, become known, leak
             (out), circulate, be bruited about or around, be noised abroad,
             go about or around:  He let the news get about that he needed a
             secretary.  b be socially active, socialize, go or get out; run
             about or around, gad about:  Since his accident, he doesn't get
             around much any more.  26 get across. get or put over, put
             across, get through, communicate, make clear, impart:  She is
             trying to get across to you the fact that she despises
             television. 27 get ahead. succeed, prosper, be or become
             successful, do well, flourish, thrive, make good, progress, rise
             (up) in the world, Colloq go places:  With his contacts, he's
             bound to get ahead.  28 get along.  a be friendly or compatible
             (with), associate (with), agree (with), be agreeable, get on
             (with), Colloq hit it off (with):  She gets along with most
             people quite well. Do you think they'll get along? b manage,
             cope, shift, fare, survive, make both ends meet, keep the wolf
             from the door, keep one's head above water, get on, Colloq get
             by, make out, make do:  How are you getting along with your new
             novel?  c leave, depart, go or move away, get going, get on, go
             along, proceed:  I have to get along now or I'll miss my train.
             d progress, proceed, get on, advance, move ahead or along or on:
             How are you getting on with your new novel?  e get on, age, get
             or become or grow older, advance:  They are getting along but
             you wouldn't guess that they're eighty.  29 get around.  a See
             25, above.  b See 46, below.  30 get at.  a gain access to,
             access, reach, put or lay one's hands on, get to:  I can't get
             at the lock from here.  b intend, mean, suggest, hint (at),
             insinuate, imply, have in mind or view, contemplate:  She just
             didn't understand what I was getting at.  c get, tease, taunt,
             criticize, find fault with, carp, nag, pick on, US get to:  She
             is really beginning to get at me with her persistent criticism.
             d get to, influence, intimidate, corrupt, bribe, undermine,
             subvert, suborn:  They tried to get at the judge.  e learn, find
             out, ascertain, determine:  The police said they were only
             trying to get at the facts.  31 get away.  a escape, leave,
             break out or away, flee, depart, make good one's escape, elude
             one's captors, break free, disappear:  He will never be able to
             get away now!  b escape, take a holiday or US also vacation, get
             or take a rest or respite:  I must get away for a few days.  c
             start, get or take off:  Black Flash got away from the starting
             gate at top speed.  32 get back.  a return, come or go back:
             I'll try to get back before midnight.  b reacquire, recover,
             regain, retrieve, recoup, repossess:  Can you get your money
             back for that hat?  33 get back at. See 23, above.  34 get
             behind. back, support, promote, finance, fund, push, Colloq
             plug, hype:  If you get behind the enterprise, I know it will
             succeed.  35 get by. See 28 (b), above.  36 get down.  a
             dismount, alight, descend, come or go down, climb or step down,
             get off:  He got down from his horse and drew his gun.  b write
             (down), note (down), record, make a note of:  She wasn't able to
             get down everything Shaw said.  c depress, dispirit, sadden,
             dishearten, discourage, deject:  Don't let a little thing like
             that get you down.  d swallow, eat:  No sooner does he get some
             food down than it comes right back up again. 37 get down to.
             concentrate or focus on, turn attention to, attend to:  Let's
             get down to business.  38 get in.  a enter, get into or on or
             onto, embark, entrain, emplane or enplane, get or go aboard:  We
             got in the car and were driven away. You can get in here.  b
             enter, arrive, return, come or go in:  I got in at eight today.
             c fit or squeeze in, insert, slip in, include:  He got in my
             comment. The doctor got me in before anyone else.  d arrive,
             come in, land:  My flight got in at dawn.  39 get into.  a put
             or put on, don, dress in, get dressed in:  Here, get into this
             uniform.  b go into, discuss, become involved in, pursue, treat,
             describe, delineate, detail, follow up on, penetrate:  Do you
             really want me to get into the nasty details?  c be into, be or
             become involved in, take up, pursue; enjoy, like, become
             enthusiastic about, Slang get off on, get or become high on:  I
             could really get into farming.  d See 38 (a), above.  40 get
             off.  a alight, disembark, get down from, get out of, dismount,
             descend (from), climb or step down off or from, deplane,
             detrain:  She got off her bike and came towards me.  b leave,
             depart, go (off), set out or off:  I hope to get off tomorrow
             morning.  c remove, take off, shed, doff:  Can you get those
             boots off easily?  d cause to be set or go free, be or cause to
             be acquitted or liberated or released or set free:  A clever
             lawyer could have got him off. He got off on a technicality.  41
             get off on. See 39 (c), above.  42 get on.  a See 28, above.  b
             See 38 (a), above.  c See 39 (a), above.  d grow or become late:
             It's getting on and they'll be waiting.  43 get onto.  a See 12,
             above.  b See 38 (a), above.  c discover, learn about, become
             aware of, find out about, Colloq Brit twig, US cotton (on) to:
             If they get onto the missing stores we're in for it.  44 get out
             (of).  a leave, depart, go out or away, be off, retire:  We got
             out as quickly as we could.  b escape, extricate oneself; be
             released:  She thought she'd never get out alive.  c extract,
             draw, wrest, force, drag or pry out, wring or get from:  They'll
             never get anything out of me!  d gain, profit:  Ask yourself
             what you will get out of the deal.  e avoid, evade, sidestep,
             escape:  Gabriela was somehow always able to get out of PE
             class.  f See 25 (b), above.  45 get over.  a surmount, cross,
             climb, pass, traverse:  A dog can't get over a fence that high.
             b recover or recuperate from, survive:  Which takes longer,
             getting over a love affair or the measles?  c finish, complete,
             bring to an end:  Let's get this over with as soon as possible.
             d See 26, above.  46 get round or around.  a bypass, circumvent,
             skirt, avoid, evade, elude, outsmart, outwit, outmanoeuvre,
             outflank, steal a march on, Colloq give (someone) the
             run-around:  Chris is always trying to get round the parking
             restrictions.  b cajole, wheedle, flatter, persuade, coax, win
             over:  I didn't want to propose, but she managed to get round
             me.  c See 25.(b), above.  47 get round or around to. get or
             come to, reach, arrive at (finally), find time for:  He said he
             would do the repairs if he got round to it.  48 get through.  a
             (help to) succeed or complete:  She got me through the ordeal.
             Without her help, I never could have got through. b reach,
             contact:  The line is engaged and I cannot get through to
             mother.  c finish, conclude:  When you get through, please put
             away the dishes.  d communicate (with):  Parents sometimes have
             trouble getting through to their children.  49 get (to).  a
             arrive at, come to; near, approach:  What time did you get to
             the office? How did you get home?  b See 28.(c), (d), above.  50
             get together.  a gather, accumulate, collect, assemble:  Get
             your things together and leave at once!  b assemble, convene,
             gather, meet, congregate, socialize:  Have you time to get
             together on Friday?  c arrive at or reach an agreement or
             settlement, come to terms, come to an understanding:  I think we
             can get together on the question of wages.  51 get up.  a arise,
             awaken, wake (up):  I get up at dawn.  b stand (up):  Get up and
             you'll be able to reach it.  c mount, climb (up), ascend:  Can
             we get up the next hill? She got up on the table and started to
             dance. d create, devise, organize, arrange, prepare:  We got up
             a cabaret for the after-dinner entertainment.  e dress, clothe,
             apparel, outfit, attire, turn out, deck out, rig out, dress up,
             fit out or up:  She got herself up as a cabaret dancer.  f
             study, learn, US get up on:  You'd best get up your history
             before the exam.  52 get up to. become or be involved in, be up
             to:  If you don't watch her, she'll get up to no good.

   getaway   n.  escape, flight, retreat:  The prisoners made their getaway
             in a van. Lady Fenella was so boring I couldn't wait to make my
             getaway.

   get-together
             n.  gathering; meeting, conference, convention:  We had a
             get-together at my house. Can we arrange a get-together for all
             the members?

   get-up    n.  1 costume, outfit; rig:  He came in a diver's get-up.  2
             format, layout, arrangement, structure, look, style:  Who is
             responsible for the magazine's new get-up?

   gewgaw    n.  trinket, bauble, gimcrack, trifle, knick-knack, bagatelle,
             kickshaw, toy, novelty, bijou, vanity; bric-…-brac or
             bric-a-brac:  She has a huge collection of worthless gewgaws.

7.3 ghastly...
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   ghastly   adj.  1 dreadful, awful, terrible, terrifying, frightful,
             hideous, horrible, horrendous, horrid, horrifying, grim, grisly,
             loathsome, gruesome, ugly, repellent, repulsive, shocking,
             appalling, Colloq gross, scary:  He was involved in a ghastly
             accident.  2 grim, cadaverous, haggard, ashen, wan, pale,
             pallid, pasty(-faced), drawn, livid, ghostly, spectral, macabre:
             She looked ghastly after the surgery.  3 awful, bad, terrible,
             ill, ailing, sick:  We felt ghastly after eating the undercooked
             chicken.

   ghost     n.  1 apparition, phantom, spectre, phantasm, shade, spirit,
             wraith, poltergeist, banshee, double-ganger, Doppelganger,
             ghoul, manes, No. Eng. dialect boggart; hallucination, illusion,
             vision; Colloq spook:  The ghost of his uncle appeared before
             him.  2 hint, suggestion, shadow, trace, scintilla, glimmer:
             Vera hasn't the ghost of a chance of meeting anyone suitable at
             the office.

   ghostly   adj.  1 spectral, ghost-like, wraithlike, phantasmal, phantom,
             eerie, unreal, unnatural, supernatural, preternatural,
             unearthly, sinister, strange, uncanny, weird, Colloq spooky,
             scary, creepy:  I heard a ghostly voice calling my name.  2 See
             ghastly, 2, above.

   ghoulish  adj.  1 devilish, demonic, satanic, diabolic(al), fiendish,
             demoniac(al), cacodemonic, Mephistophelian; infernal, hellish,
             malign:  The coven engage in the most ghoulish practices.  2
             macabre, grisly, morbid, gruesome, disgusting, monstrous,
             abominable, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, horrid,
             brutal, barbaric, savage, ruthless, pitiless, merciless, cruel,
             vicious, feral, inhuman, bloodthirsty, ferocious, Colloq sick:
             She has some ghoulish notions about being eaten alive by rats.

7.4 giant...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   giant     n.  1 superhuman, titan, colossus, Goliath; giantess, Amazon,
             ogre; behemoth, monster, leviathan, mammoth:  Blocking the road
             in front of Jack was a giant nearly thirty feet tall.

             --adj.  2 See gigantic, below.

   gibberish n.  drivel, tripe, nonsense, rubbish, gibber, prattle, twaddle,
             gabble, jabber, balderdash, jibber-jabber, blather or blether,
             Jabberwocky, gobbledegook or gobbledygook, mumbo-jumbo,
             rodomontade, Gongorism, cackle, chatter, patter, chatter,
             jargon, babble, claptrap, poppycock, Colloq tripe, codswallop,
             crap, bunk, piffle, US garbage, horse feathers; Taboo slang
             balls, bull(shit), US crock (of shit):  If one listens to such
             gibberish long enough, one begins to believe it.

   gibe      v.  1 jibe (at), jeer (at), scoff (at), flout, mock, deride,
             make fun of, poke fun at, ridicule, twit, taunt, sneer (at),
             chaff, tease, rag, heckle, No. Eng. dialect gird, Colloq kid,
             rib, US and Canadian razz:  All of us at school used to gibe at
             David because he wore fancy clothes.

             --n.  2 jibe, jeer, taunt, sneer, dig, cutting remark, thrust,
             chaff, raillery, scoffing, derision, ridicule, mockery, Rare
             mycterism, Slang crack, wisecrack:  David paid no attention to
             his classmates' gibes.

   giddy     adj.  1 dizzy, faint, unsteady, light-headed, vertiginous,
             reeling, Colloq woozy:  This medication may make you feel a bit
             giddy.  2 silly, frivolous, scatterbrained, flighty, capricious,
             irresponsible, erratic, fickle, volatile, impulsive, reckless,
             whimsical:  You can't marry a giddy young girl like Peggy.

   gift      n.  1 present, donation, favour, grant, largesse, bounty,
             benefaction, offering, honorarium, contribution, give-away,
             premium, bonus, prize; alms, hand-out, dole, charity, benefit;
             tip, gratuity, baksheesh or backsheesh, pourboire, cumshaw:
             Before we left, our neighbours made a gift to us of some local
             pottery. 2 talent, ability, aptitude, genius, flair, knack,
             facility, forte, strength, strong point, bent, capability,
             capacity, power:  Her family never recognized her special gifts.

   gifted    adj.  talented, able, skilled, capable, skilful, outstanding,
             excellent, superior, superb, brilliant, expert, master,
             masterful, masterly, virtuoso, first-class, first-rate,
             top-drawer, top-flight, good, Colloq top-notch, ace,
             crackerjack, crack:  Grants are available for gifted, indigent
             artists.

   gigantic  adj.  big, large, huge, enormous, massive, giant, colossal,
             immense, mammoth, tremendous, stupendous, towering, staggering,
             vast, titanic, gargantuan, elephantine, Cyclopean, Herculean,
             Brobdingnagian; king-size, extra-large, Colloq jumbo, walloping,
             whopping, thumping, thundering, strapping, super-duper, US
             humongous:  The gigantic tower, reaching to the heavens,
             appeared before us.

   giggle    v.  1 titter, snicker, snigger, chuckle, laugh, chortle, cackle,
             twitter:  Stop that giggling at the rear of the classroom!

             --n.  2 titter, snicker, snigger, chuckle, laugh, chortle,
             cackle, twitter:  Did I hear a giggle?  3 joke, prank, laugh:
             Just for a giggle, we tied his shoelaces together.

   gimmick   n.  1 device, strategy, stratagem, ploy, trick, ruse, wile,
             subterfuge, manoeuvre, artifice, deception, trap, snare, US
             hook, Colloq dodge:  We need some sort of gimmick to attract
             buyers.  2 device, contrivance, gadget, invention, Colloq
             contraption, widget, thingumbob or thingumabob or thingamabob,
             thingumajig or thingamajig or thingummy, whatchamacallit,
             what's-its-name, Brit doodah, US doohickey, doodad, hickey,
             whosis, whatsis, dingus, Rube Goldberg (invention), Chiefly US
             and Canadian gismo or gizmo:  He uses some kind of gimmick to
             break into cars.

   gingerly  adv.  1 warily, cautiously, charily, carefully, delicately,
             fastidious, daintily, squeamishly, tentatively, nervously,
             cannily, circumspectly, guardedly, watchfully, timidly,
             timorously, shyly:  Handle that nitroglycerine very gingerly.

             --adj.  2 wary, cautious, chary, careful, fastidious, delicate,
             dainty, squeamish, tentative, nervous, canny, circumspect,
             guarded, watchful, timid, timorous, shy:  Note the gingerly way
             he handles the nitroglycerine.

   girl      n.  1 female, woman, lass, (young) lady, miss, mademoiselle,
             wench, Fr„ulein, maid, maiden, damsel, demoiselle, Irish
             colleen, Australian and New Zealand sheila, Colloq chick, filly,
             gal, Slang bird, frail, skirt, piece, mouse, Brit crumpet, bit
             of skirt or stuff, Old-fashioned Brit popsy, US dame, broad,
             (bit of) San Quentin quail or jail-bait:  His mother wants to
             introduce him to a nice girl.  2 girlfriend, sweetheart;
             betrothed, fianc‚e; mistress, lover, friend, live-in lover,
             inamorata, tally, US POSSLQ (= 'Person of the Opposite Sex
             Sharing Living Quarters'), Colloq Brit popsy, Slang moll, US
             twist, squeeze:  She's his girl and she'll stick by him.

   girth     n.  1 circumference, perimeter, ambit, periphery, circuit:  His
             girth steadily expanded as he approached fifty.  2 belt, girdle,
             border, cincture, waistband, cestus, cummerbund, Archaic zone,
             US and Canadian cinch:  Tighten that girth or the saddle will
             come off.

   gist      n.  essence, core, heart, substance, point, theme, quintessence,
             pith, meat, marrow, focus, nub, significance, (main or basic)
             idea; direction, drift:  It will save time if I tell you the
             gist of the argument.

   give      v.  1 present, deliver, pass (over), turn or hand over, confer,
             vouchsafe, provide, supply, furnish, bestow, donate, accord,
             afford, award, hand out, contribute, distribute, grant, allow,
             transfer, make over, entrust:  Please give me the envelope. I
             have given the files to the tax inspector. Give freely to
             charity. 2 exchange, pay, transfer, trade, barter, swap or swop:
             Philippa gave a week's salary for that dress.  3 impart, pass
             on, communicate, transmit, send, convey, express:  Give my
             regards to Broadway.  4 afflict with, cause, occasion:  Rock
             music gives me a headache.  5 sacrifice, devote, dedicate, yield
             (up), surrender, give up, cede, concede, consign, apply
             (oneself) to:  Those monks have given their lives to the study
             of Scripture.  6 present, offer; announce, introduce:  Ladies
             and gentlemen, I give you Madja Kiziamainska, the Polish
             Nightingale! 7 present, announce, offer, recite, sing, act,
             perform, read, put on:  We were asked to give a performance for
             charity.  8 utter, emit, give out (with), issue:  He gave a
             shout to warn us.  9 yield, relax, give way, fail, collapse,
             buckle, break down, fall or come apart:  If that pillar gives,
             the balcony will come down.  10 cause, lead, induce, persuade,
             make, prompt, move, dispose:  I was given to understand that I
             was not welcome.  11 cede, relinquish, concede, allow,
             surrender, yield:  He gave me the first game but I lost the
             second.  12 give away.  a See 1, above.  b reveal, betray, let
             out, divulge, disclose, expose, inform on, uncover, leak, let
             slip; let the cat out of the bag; Colloq blow the whistle on,
             Slang rat on, US fink on:  The traitor gave me away, and I was
             arrested.  13 give in. yield, submit, give up, give ground, back
             away (from), back off, capitulate, surrender, admit defeat:
             After trying for hours to make him change his mind, he finally
             gave in. 14 give off. give out, emit, exude, exhale, discharge,
             send or throw out, release, smell of:  Her clothing gave off a
             scent of lavender.  15 give out.  a See 14, above.  b
             distribute, hand out, give, deal (out), pass out or around,
             disseminate, dispense, allot, apportion, allocate, assign,
             distribute, issue, mete or hand out, ration (out), dole (out),
             pay, Colloq dish or fork out, shell out:  The prizes will be
             given out to the winners at a special ceremony.  She was giving
             out handbills to passers-by. c publish, announce, make known,
             broadcast, impart, issue, make public, reveal:  You shouldn't
             give out that kind of information.  d become exhausted, be
             reduced or depleted, fail, run out:  What will we do when the
             food gives out?  e See 8, above.  16 give over. assign, resign,
             hand over, surrender, relinquish, pass or over, give up; assign,
             entrust:  We gave our dog over to Lambert's for training.  17
             give up.  a abandon, stop, cease, quit, leave off, forgo,
             forsake, renounce, desist from, swear off, abstain from; reject;
             Colloq cut out, chuck:  I am trying to give up smoking.  b
             surrender, capitulate, yield, cede, concede, give in (to
             defeat), throw in the towel or sponge; despair:  I've tried to
             convince him but finally gave up.  c See 4, above.  d See 13,
             above.  e See 16, above.

             --n.  18 slack, play, leeway, excess; flexibility, stretch:
             There is very little give in the rules governing working hours.
             Nylon is used for boat anchor rodes because it has some give.

   give and take
             n.  compromise, cooperation, reciprocity, interaction, fair
             exchange, teamwork, joint effort, synergy:  There is a lot of
             give and take in our relationship - I give and she takes.

   given     adj.  1 stated, accepted, agreed(-upon), delineated, confirmed,
             noted, affirmed, specified, settled, set, (pre)arranged,
             preordained, foreordained:  You must solve the problem using the
             given information.  2 presupposed, assumed, understood,
             postulated, premised, conceded, acknowledged, allowed:  I think
             we can take her honesty as given.  3 prone, accustomed,
             dedicated, addicted, inclined, disposed:  Our headmaster is not
             exactly given to flights of fancy.

             --n.  4 assumption, donn‚e; fact, certainty, reality, actuality,
             gospel, the truth:  Can we accept her interest in the job as a
             given?

7.5 glad...
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   glad      adj.  1 happy, pleased, contented, gratified, satisfied;
             delighted, thrilled, joyful, overjoyed, tickled, Colloq tickled
             pink or to death, pleased as Punch, Slang Brit chuffed:  I am
             genuinely glad to see you.  2 (ready and) willing, happy, keen,
             eager, (well-)disposed, inclined, ready:  I would be glad to
             help you, madam.

   gladden   v.  cheer, enliven, brighten, delight, hearten, exhilarate,
             elate, buoy (up), animate:  It certainly gladdened me to be home
             again.

   gladly    adv.  cheerfully, happily, readily, willingly, with pleasure:
             I'd go with you gladly if I had the time.

   glamorous adj.  1 alluring, fascinating, charming, attractive, magnetic,
             captivating, enthralling, desirable, appealing, enchanting,
             entrancing, intriguing, beguiling, bewitching, magical:  Esm‚
             designs clothes for the most glamorous women in the world. 2
             chic, smart, stylish, fashionable, Colloq trendy:  She always
             wears the most glamorous clothes.

   glamour   n.  allure, fascination, charm, attractiveness, brilliance,
             glitter, attraction, magnetism, charisma, captivation,
             desirability, appeal, enchantment, bewitchment, witchcraft,
             sorcery, magic:  Who today can match the glamour of the movie
             stars of the '30s?

   glance    v.  1 glimpse, peek, peep, scan, look, Colloq Brit have a shufti
             or shufty at, take a dekko at:  I've only had time to glance at
             the report.  2 reflect, glint, glisten, shimmer, twinkle, gleam,
             shimmer, flicker, glimmer, sparkle, scintillate, glitter, flash:
             A ray of sunlight glanced off the windows opposite.  3 bounce
             (off), reflect, ricochet, rebound, carom:  The stone glanced off
             the pavement and struck my leg.

             --n.  4 glimpse, peek, peep, look, coup d'oeil, Colloq gander,
             Brit shufti or shufty, dekko:  She turned and gave him a
             questioning glance, As he fingered the tip of his fer-de-lance.
             5 gleam, glint, glimmer, shimmer, twinkle, sparkle,
             scintillation, glitter, flicker, flash:  The silver light, with
             quivering glance, Played on the water's still expanse.

   glare     n.  1 dazzle, brilliance, brightness, splendour, resplendence,
             radiance, effulgence, lustre, shine, flame, flare, blaze:  We
             had to shade our eyes from the glare.  2 frown, dirty or nasty
             or black look, scowl, stare, glower, lower or Brit also lour:
             She shrank from his fierce glare.  3 garishness, gaudiness,
             floridity or floridness, flashiness, tawdriness, showiness,
             ostentation, meretriciousness:  His writing is filled with the
             pomp and glare of rhetoric.

             --v.  4 frown, give a dirty or nasty or black look, scowl,
             stare, glower, lower or Brit also lour, look daggers (at):  She
             simply glared at him and he withered.

   glaring   adj.  1 blatant, flagrant, egregious, conspicuous, obtrusive,
             prominent, evident, obvious, manifest, patent, overt, clear,
             visible, unconcealed, outrageous, gross, flagitious, atrocious,
             heinous, shameless, disgraceful, shocking, scandalous:  They
             pointed out a glaring omission in the proposals.  2 garish,
             dazzling, brilliant, blinding, blazing, vivid, harsh, strong:  I
             was blinded when we first walked out into the glaring sunlight.

   glass     n.  1 glassware, crystal:  Use the best glass for the party.  2
             mirror, looking-glass:  He constantly looks at himself in the
             glass.  3 window, pane, window-pane, plate glass:  The children
             pressed their noses against the glass of the toy shop. 4
             tumbler, drinking-glass, beaker, goblet:  May I have a glass of
             beer?  5 barometer:  The glass fell as the storm approached.  6
             lens, magnifying glass, telescope, spyglass, microscope:  Look
             at this drop of water through the glass.  7 glasses. spectacles,
             eyeglasses, lorgnon, lorgnette, opera-glasses, binoculars,
             field-glasses, bifocals, trifocals, goggles, sun-glasses, Colloq
             specs:  These are my reading glasses.

   glassy    adj.  1 shining, shiny, gleaming, smooth, slippery, slick,
             glossy, icy, mirror-like, US slick:  We skidded on the glassy
             surface and crashed into a wall.  2 fixed, staring, trancelike,
             hypnotic, vacant, empty, expressionless, blank, void, vacuous,
             dazed, dull, glazed, cold, lifeless:  His glassy stare made me
             very uncomfortable.

   glaze     v.  1 varnish, lacquer, shellac, enamel, coat, cover; polish,
             burnish, shine, gloss:  Many of the works of art had been glazed
             for protection.

             --n.  2 varnish, lacquer, shellac, enamel, coating, covering;
             polish, shine, gloss, lustre, patina:  The glaze distorts the
             design beneath.

   gleam     n.  1 light, glimmer, glint, glow, flicker, shine, shimmer,
             glitter, twinkle, spark, flare, glare, flash; beam, ray, shaft:
             I could just make out the faint gleam of a candle.  2 hint,
             suggestion, indication, vestige, trace, scintilla, inkling,
             glimmer, ray, spark, flicker:  There wasn't a gleam of hope of
             rescue.  3 look, glint:  He got a strange gleam in his eye when
             he talked about his inventions.

             --v.  4 glimmer, glint, shimmer, shine, twinkle, glitter,
             glisten, beam, sparkle:  I could see the beast's eyes, gleaming
             in the dark. The shore was dotted with gleaming white houses.

   glee      n.  delight, exuberance, cheerfulness, high or good spirits,
             cheer, exhilaration, elation, exultation, joy, happiness,
             rapture, gladness, felicity, pleasure, joyfulness, merriment,
             jubilation, joyousness, joviality, jollity, gaiety,
             mirthfulness; enjoyment, satisfaction, Schadenfreude:  We
             watched with great glee as the villain was thwarted.

   gleeful   adj.  happy, merry, joyful, delighted, exuberant, ecstatic,
             cheerful, in high or good spirits, exhilarated, elated,
             exultant, rapturous, overjoyed, pleased, jubilant, joyous,
             jovial, jolly, gay, mirthful:  He wrote a gleeful report of the
             chairman's conviction for insider trading.

   glib      adj.  ready, fluent, smooth, slick, facile, smooth-spoken,
             smooth-tongued, smooth-talking, fast-talking, fluid, easy,
             unctuous, suave, nonchalant, superficial:  Why must obituary
             notices always be so glib?

   glide     v.  slide, slip, coast, skate, soar, float, sail, glissade,
             stream, flow:  The skiff glided peacefully down the river.

   glisten   v.  shine, reflect, glint, glimmer, gleam, sparkle, glitter,
             wink, blink; glow, gleam, twinkle:  The lamplight glistened on
             his wet coat. A tear glistened on her cheek.

   glitter   v.  1 See glisten, above.

             --n.  2 See gleam, 1, above.  3 See glamour, above.  4
             showiness, gaudiness, garishness, flash, flashiness,
             ostentation, floridity or floridness, spectacle, pageantry,
             splendour, refulgence, brilliance, Colloq pizazz or pizzazz,
             razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz, Slang US glitz:  In those days,
             Hollywood was all glitter.

   gloat     v.  Often, gloat over. exult (in), glory (in), relish (in),
             revel (in), crow (over or about), delight (in):  He is still
             gloating over the misery he caused her.

   global    adj.  worldwide, international, broad, extensive, wide-ranging,
             far-reaching, epidemic, pandemic, universal:  Protection of the
             atmosphere is a global responsibility.

   globe     n.  1 earth, world, planet, Terra:  Our family is scattered all
             round the globe.  2 sphere, ball, orb; globule:  On the table
             was a lamp with a green glass globe.

   gloom     n.  1 shadowiness, gloominess, shade, shadow, murkiness, murk,
             dimness, dusk, dullness, dark, darkness, cloudiness, blackness,
             obscurity:  We arose in the gloom of a midwinter's morning.  2
             despondency, depression, sadness, dejection, downheartedness,
             melancholy, woe, sorrow, moroseness, desolation, low spirits,
             blues, doldrums, despair, dolour, misery, Colloq dumps:  The
             team suffered the gloom of defeat.

   gloomy    adj.  1 shadowy, shaded, shady, murky, dim, dusky, dull, dark,
             cloudy, overcast, obscure, black, inky, Literary Stygian:  It is
             too gloomy a day to have a picnic.  2 depressed, melancholy,
             sad, dejected, morose, glum, lugubrious, unhappy, cheerless,
             dismal, moody, down, downcast, desolate, doleful, sorrowful,
             crestfallen, chap-fallen, downhearted, forlorn, despondent,
             miserable, joyless, dispirited, despairing, dreary, sullen,
             blue, distressed, down in the mouth, in the doldrums, saturnine,
             Colloq (down) in the dumps:  Both of them have been very gloomy
             since the divorce.  3 depressing, cheerless, dreary, dismal,
             dispiriting, sad, disheartening:  The d‚cor is much too gloomy
             for a doctor's waiting-room.

   glorified adj.  1 overrated, pretentious, overdone, high-flown,
             high-sounding, affected, pompous, exalted, Colloq jumped-up:
             You say he is a scholar, but he behaves more like a glorified
             schoolboy. 2 sham, pretend, imitation, counterfeit, fake,
             substitute, ersatz, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  In that
             outfit, she looks like a glorified chorus girl.

   glorify   v.  1 elevate, exalt, raise (up), upgrade, promote, advance,
             boost, enhance, dignify, ennoble, immortalize:  Winning first
             prize glorified his reputation considerably. In her book she
             glorifies motherhood. These men are glorified by their heroism.
             2 canonize, deify, idolize, revere, venerate, sanctify, worship,
             pay tribute or homage to, ennoble, idealize, apotheosize,
             eulogize, panegyrize, adore, honour, look up to, celebrate,
             extol, praise, laud, commend, hail, lionize, applaud, acclaim:
             The world glorified Lindbergh for the first solo flight across
             the Atlantic.

   glorious  adj.  1 illustrious, famed, famous, renowned, celebrated,
             distinguished, honoured, eminent, excellent:  England may be
             proud of her glorious literary heritage.  2 outstanding,
             splendid, magnificent, marvellous, wonderful, spectacular,
             fabulous, dazzling:  They announced another glorious victory
             over enemy forces.  3 enjoyable, delightful, fine, great,
             excellent, pleasurable, superb, Colloq heavenly:  We had a
             glorious holiday in the Greek islands.  4 beautiful, splendid,
             brilliant, gorgeous, resplendent, admirable, superior,
             excellent, estimable:  The walls are covered with frescos in
             glorious colour.

   glory     n.  1 honour, fame, repute, reputation, exaltation, celebrity,
             renown, eminence, distinction, illustriousness, prestige,
             dignity, immortality:  Our soldiers fought for glory not for
             gain. Even today we sense the glory that was Rome. 2 honour,
             veneration, reverence, homage, gratitude, glorification,
             exaltation, worship, adoration, praise, laudation, thanksgiving;
             benediction, blessing:  Glory be to God in the highest.  3
             splendour, pomp, magnificence, grandeur, beauty, brilliance,
             radiance, effulgence, refulgence, excellence, pageantry,
             nobility, triumph, greatness:  Her photographs depict the
             Amazonian rain forest in all its glory.  4 aureole, nimbus,
             halo; crown, circlet, corona:  A glory surrounds the saint's
             head in the painting.

             --v.  5 revel, relish, delight, exult, pride oneself, crow,
             rejoice, gloat; show off, boast:  She sat by the window,
             glorying in the magnificence of the scenery.

   gloss°    n.  1 sheen, lustre, polish, glow, glaze, shine, gleam, burnish,
             brightness:  I prefer a dull gloss to a high polish on
             furniture.  2 show, fa‡ade, mask, front, surface, veneer,
             disguise, camouflage, false appearance, semblance:  She soon saw
             through the gloss, and the honeymoon was over.

             --v.  3 glaze, polish, burnish, shine:  Gloss up your shoes a
             bit.  4 Usually, gloss over. veil, cover up, smooth over,
             conceal, hide, disguise, camouflage, mask, Colloq whitewash:  He
             tried to gloss over his voting record.

   glossэ    n.  1 explanation, interpretation, exegesis, explication,
             definition, elucidation, comment, commentary, annotation,
             critique, criticism, analysis, footnote; translation:  Some
             editions of Shakespeare give glosses of difficult words and
             phrases at the foot of each page.

             --v.  2 comment on or upon, explain, interpret, explicate,
             define, elucidate, annotate, criticize, analyse, review, US
             critique; translate:  Johnson was not the first to gloss the
             word 'pastern'.  3 See gloss°, 4, above.

   glossary  n.  gloss, (specialized or special-subject) dictionary,
             wordbook, word-list:  There is a useful glossary of terms at the
             end of the book.

   glossy    adj.  1 shining, shiny, smooth, polished, glazed, lustrous,
             burnished, smooth, sleek, waxed, glassy, glistening:  Our
             magazine is printed on glossy paper.  2 slick, specious, put-on,
             artificial, meretricious, contrived, pretended, simulated,
             feigned, insincere, pseudo, false, unreal; bogus, counterfeit,
             fraudulent, imitation, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  It is
             only a glossy remake of the original film.

   glow      n.  1 luminosity, phosphorescence, incandescence, light,
             lambency, lustre:  The surface of the flying saucer emitted a
             faint green glow.  2 light, brightness, gleam, luminousness,
             brilliance, radiance, resplendence, splendour, effulgence:  The
             glow in the east is from a forest fire.  3 flush, blush,
             redness, ruddiness, burning, excitement, warmth, fervour,
             fervency, enthusiasm, feverishness, thrill, Colloq rush:  I can
             feel a glow just thinking of you.

             --v.  4 shine, radiate, incandesce, phosphoresce, glimmer,
             gleam, light up:  The numerals on the clock were glowing in the
             dark.  5 heat, overheat, burn; ablate:  The spaceship began to
             glow as it entered the atmosphere.  6 flush, bloom, colour,
             blush:  As you can see from her complexion, she simply glows
             with good health. 7 blush, flush, redden, colour, turn red or
             scarlet:  My cheeks glowed with embarrassment.

   glowing   adj.  1 aglow, incandescent, burning, lambent, luminous,
             candent; smouldering:  I stirred the glowing embers.  2 rich,
             warm, vibrant, bright, brilliant:  Banners in glowing colours
             enlivened the hall. He is in glowing health. 3 laudatory,
             complimentary, enthusiastic, eulogistic, rhapsodic, favourable,
             encomiastic, panegyrical:  The critics described her performance
             in glowing terms.

   glue      n.  1 cement, adhesive, mucilage, gum, paste:  You need a
             specialist glue to mend a break like that.

             --v.  2 cement, paste, stick, affix, fix, seal:  Let's glue this
             picture into the album.

   glum      adj.  gloomy, sullen, morose, dispirited, woebegone, dismal,
             sad, sulky, dour, moody, sour, crestfallen, doleful, down, low,
             pessimistic, lugubrious, saturnine:  After Irena left, I was
             feeling rather glum.

   glut      n.  1 excess, surplus, over-abundance, superabundance, surfeit,
             oversupply, overflow, superfluity, nimiety:  The glut of
             razor-blades in the market is due to increased production.  2
             saturation, glutting, satiation:  Glut leads to a lowering of
             prices.

             --v.  3 oversupply, flood, saturate, swamp, inundate, deluge,
             overload, overstock, clog, stuff, gorge:  The markets will soon
             be glutted with mobile telephones.  4 satiate, sate, choke,
             cram, overload, overfeed, gorge, surfeit, pall, cloy, jade,
             sicken, weary:  Everyone was thoroughly glutted before the
             wedding reception was over.

   glutton   n.  trencherman, gormandizer, gourmand or gormand, overeater,
             hog, pig, Grangousier, Colloq greedy-guts, Slang Brit gannet, US
             chowhound:  Like the glutton that he is, he asked for more after
             eating an enormous meal.

   gluttonous
             adj.  voracious, gormandizing, edacious, greedy, ravenous,
             insatiable, esurient, piggish, hoggish, swinish:  She was so
             gluttonous that she ate my dinner after finishing her own.

   gluttony  n.  overeating, gormandizing, gormandism or gourmandism, greed,
             hoggishness, piggishness, rapacity, voraciousness, greediness,
             voracity, insatiability, edacity, crapulence, crapulousness,
             intemperance, immoderation, Archaic gulosity:  The Bible
             categorizes gluttony among the seven deadly sins.

7.6 gnarled...
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   gnarled   adj.  twisted, knotty, lumpy, bumpy, knotted, bent, crooked,
             distorted, contorted, warped;, arthritic:  I concealed myself in
             the gnarled branches of the old oak. The beggar reached out to
             me with her gnarled hand.

   gnaw      v.  1 chew, nibble, eat, bite, champ:  The marks were made by
             deer gnawing the bark.  2 erode, eat away, corrode, wear down or
             away, fret, consume, devour:  The acid continues to gnaw away at
             the metal till it is gone.  3 fret, irritate, harry, hector,
             pester, worry, bother, plague, trouble, torment, torture,
             distress, badger, harass, haunt, nag, vex, gall, nettle, irk,
             peeve, annoy:  The feeling that something was very wrong
             continued to gnaw at her.

7.7 go...
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   go        v.  1 move (ahead or forward or onwards), proceed, advance,
             pass, make headway, travel, voyage, set off, tour, trek, wend,
             stir, budge:  Would you go to the market for me?  2 leave,
             depart, go out, move (out or away), decamp, make off, withdraw,
             repair, retire, retreat, Colloq take off:  I wish he would go at
             once. She went to her country cottage for the weekend. 3
             function, operate, work, run, perform:  I cannot get the engine
             to go properly.  4 lead, open to, give access to, communicate to
             or with, connect with or to:  Where does this door go?  5 lead,
             communicate with, run:  Does this road go to Oxford?  6 fit,
             belong (together), agree or conform (with each other),
             harmonize, blend, match, be appropriate or suitable (for or to),
             complement each other:  These colours don't go.  7 become:  He
             went mad when he learnt about the accident.  8 fit, extend,
             reach, span, stretch:  My belt would never go round your waist!
             9 be disposed of or discarded or thrown away, be dismissed, be
             got rid of or abolished, be given up, be cast or set or put
             aside, be done with:  That out-dated computer has to go.  10
             disappear (without a trace), vanish (into thin air), evaporate:
             Where has all the money gone?  11 pass, elapse, slip or tick
             away, fly:  Time goes quickly when you're having fun.  12 fail,
             fade, decline, flag, weaken, degenerate, wear out, give (out);
             give way, collapse, fall or come or go to pieces, disintegrate,
             crack:  I'm afraid the tyres are going. When that last support
             goes, the roof will come down. 13 die, expire, be gone, meet
             one's Maker, pass on or away, shuffle off this mortal coil, go
             to one's reward, go to the happy hunting-grounds, go to that
             great cricket-pitch in the sky, Slang kick the bucket, snuff it:
             By the time the doctor arrived, Graham had gone.  14 sound,
             pronounce, enunciate, articulate, say, utter:  And this little
             pig goes 'Wee, wee, wee', all the way home.  15 survive, last
             (out), endure, live, continue:  How long can we go without
             water?  16 be used up or consumed or finished:  The last of our
             food was gone.  17 go to the toilet or the lavatory or the
             bathroom, move (one's) bowels, urinate, defecate, Slang pee,
             take a leak or a crap, Chiefly Brit go to the loo, Chiefly US go
             to the john, Taboo slang (take a) piss or shit:  We stopped at a
             motorway filling station because Jane had to go.  18 go about.
             approach, tackle, set about, undertake, begin, start:  I don't
             like the way she goes about her work. How does one go about
             establishing a business? 19 go ahead. proceed, continue, move or
             go forward, advance, progress, go on:  She told me I could go
             ahead with the scheme. The policeman motioned to go ahead. 20 go
             along (with).  a escort, accompany:  We asked if we could go
             along with them to the cinema.  b agree (to), concur (with),
             acquiesce (to), assent (to), support:  Beverly would never go
             along with a plan like yours.  21 go around or about or round
             (with).  a move or go around, circulate:  I wish he'd stop going
             round telling everyone about me. There's a lot of flu going
             around. b socialize (with), frequent or seek the company of,
             spend time with, associate with, Colloq hang around or about
             (with), hang out (with):  The boy is going around with that
             Collins girl.  c wander or move around:  He goes about picking
             through rubbish bins.  22 go at. attack, assault, assail:  We
             went at the enemy with all the fire power we could muster.  23
             go away. go (off), leave, depart, withdraw, exit; retreat,
             recede, decamp:  The clouds went away and the sun came out. We
             are going away for the weekend. 24 go back (to).  a return (to);
             revert (to), change back (to):  He went back to his old job
             after the war. Can we go back to the way things were before we
             were married? b originate (in), begin or start (with), date back
             (to):  Our friendship goes back to our childhood.  25 go back
             on. renege (on), break, retract, repudiate, forsake:  She's gone
             back on our agreement.  26 go by.  a pass (by), go past, move
             by; elapse:  We used to watch the goods trains go by. The months
             went by quickly since our last meeting. b rely or count or
             depend or bank on, put faith in(to), be guided by, judge from:
             You cannot go by what Atherton tells you.  27 go down.  a sink,
             go under, founder, submerge:  The ship went down within minutes
             of striking the mine.  b decrease, decline, drop, sink, drop:
             The Nikkei Index went down 200 points.  c fall, be defeated or
             beaten, suffer defeat, lose, collapse:  Our forces went down
             under an onslaught from the attacking armies.  d be remembered
             or memorialized, or recalled or commemorated or recorded:  That
             day of infamy will go down in history.  e find favour or
             acceptance or approval, be accepted:  His ideas have not gone
             down well with the council.  28 go for.  a fetch, obtain, get:
             Please go for help.  b apply or relate to, concern, involve:
             The rule against smoking goes for you, too, Smedley.  c fancy,
             favour, like, admire, be attracted to, prefer, choose, Slang
             dig:  I can tell that Peter really goes for Maria. I could go
             for a pint of beer right now. d attack, assault, assail, set
             upon:  The dog went for him as soon as he opened the gate.  e
             set one's sights on, aim for, focus attention or effort(s) on:
             I decided to risk all and go for Drogheda Boy at 100-8.  29 go
             in for.  a enter, enrol, start, begin, embark on, pursue, take
             up, embrace, espouse, undertake, follow, adopt, go into, US go
             out for:  He is going in for a career in boxing.  b like, fancy,
             favour, practise, do, engage in:  I don't go in for
             mountain-climbing.  30 go into.  a See 28 (a), above.  b delve
             into, examine, pursue, investigate, analyse, probe, scrutinize,
             inquire into, study:  I want to go into the subject of your
             absences with you, Fanshawe.  c touch on, discuss, mention:  I
             should avoid going into the subject of money with Pauline if I
             were you. 31 go off.  a go out, cease to function:  I saw the
             lights go off at nine.  b explode, blow up, detonate, erupt;
             fire, be discharged:  The bomb is set to go off in an hour. The
             gun went off, killing the mouse. c occur, happen, take place:
             The conference went off as planned.  d depart, leave, go (away),
             set out, exit, decamp, quit:  She went off without another word.
             e Brit deteriorate, rot, moulder, go stale, go bad, spoil, sour,
             turn:  After two days the milk goes off.  f Usually, go off
             into. start or break into or out in:  He goes off into gales of
             laughter whenever I mention your name.  32 go on.  a continue,
             proceed, keep on, carry on; persist, last, endure, persevere:
             He went on coughing all night long. The party went on into the
             small hours. b happen, occur, take place, come about, Colloq
             come off:  I have always wondered what went on in there.  c come
             on, begin or resume functioning:  The lights went on at
             midnight.  d enter, make an entrance:  She doesn't go on till
             the third act.  e going on. approaching, nearing, nearly,
             almost, not quite:  He's six going on seven. It's going on eight
             o'clock.  f gabble, chatter, drone on, Brit natter, Colloq Brit
             witter (on), rabbit on:  He goes on endlessly about his cars.  g
             rely or depend on, use:  The detective had very little to go on.
             33 go out.  a fade or die (out), expire, cease functioning, go
             off, be extinguished:  The lights went out, throwing the room
             into Stygian blackness.  b depart, leave, exit:  He went out at
             six and has not been seen since.  c socialize, associate; court,
             go together, Brit walk out, US date:  Harry is going out with
             Annabel.  34 go over.  a review, skim (through or over), go
             through, scan, look at, read, study; inspect, examine,
             scrutinize, investigate:  I went over your report last night.
             They are going over everyone's luggage with a fine-tooth comb. b
             be received:  The first song went over very well.  c clean, tidy
             or neaten (up):  I've just gone over the entire flat.  d
             rehearse, repeat, reiterate, review, go through:  We keep going
             over the same things, again and again.  35 go round or US also
             around.  a revolve, rotate, spin, whirl, twirl:  The earth takes
             a year to go round the sun.  b suffice, be sufficient or
             adequate or enough, satisfy:  Are there enough life jackets to
             go around?  c See 21, above.  36 go through.  a experience,
             suffer, undergo, bear, take, stand, tolerate, put up with,
             brook, submit to, endure, live through, brave:  I don't think I
             could go through another war.  b be accepted or approved, pass
             (muster):  The bill went through without a hitch.  c See 34 (a),
             above.  37 go together.  a harmonize, accord, agree, fit, go,
             suit each other, belong (with each other):  I don't think that
             puce and vermilion go together.  b See 33 (c), above.  38 go
             under.  a See 27 (a), above.  b fail, collapse, subside, go
             bankrupt, succumb, Brit go to the wall, Colloq fold, US go belly
             up:  Statistics show that more than 500 companies go under every
             week in the USA. 39 go up.  a rise, increase:  If inflation goes
             up, the Chancellor will raise interest rates.  b explode, blow
             up:  The munitions factory went up, showering debris over the
             whole neighbourhood. 40 go with.  a go together with, harmonize
             with, blend with, be suitable or suited for, fit (in) with,
             accord or agree with:  That scarf does not go with the dress.  b
             socialize with, associate with, date, accompany, court,
             Old-fashioned Brit walk out with, US date:  I hear that Connie
             is going with Don.  41 go without. do or manage or get by
             without, lack, be deprived of, need; abstain from, survive or
             live or continue without:  In the old days, if you could not
             afford something, you went without.  She cannot go without a
             cigarette for more than an hour.

             --n.  42 chance, turn, opportunity, try, attempt, Colloq whack,
             crack, whirl, shot, stab:  I don't expect much, but I'll have a
             go anyway.

   go-ahead  n.  1 permission, approval, leave, authorization, sanction,
             Colloq say-so, okay or OK, green light, US the nod:  I have the
             go-ahead to proceed with the project.

             --adj.  2 ambitious, enterprising, progressive, forward-looking,
             resourceful:  The directors, all under thirty, make it a real
             go-ahead company.

   goal      n.  object, aim, purpose, end, objective, target, ambition,
             ideal, aspiration:  Fletcher's goal is to be head of the
             company.

   gob       n.  chunk, piece, blob, lump, gobbet, morsel, fragment, bite:
             She took a gob of peanut butter and spread it on the bread.

   gobbledegook
             n.  1 gobbledygook, jargon, nonsense, gibberish, moonshine,
             rubbish, tommy-rot, mumbo-jumbo, humbug, balderdash, eyewash,
             hogwash, poppycock, drivel, Colloq bunk, rot, garbage, bosh,
             pish and tush, piffle, bilge (water), Slang crap, malarkey,
             bull, bullshit, Brit (load of old) cobblers or codswallop:  Can
             you make sense out of all that computer gobbledegook?  2
             gobbledygook, equivocation, double-talk, deception,
             deceptiveness, vagueness, quibbling, circumlocution,
             obscurantism, obfuscation, ambagiousness, shiftiness:  Ordinary
             people are often confused by the gobbledegook of official
             pronouncements.

   go-between
             n.  intermediary, agent, middleman, medium, mediator,
             negotiator, messenger, internuncio, liaison; intercessor,
             interceder:  David served as go-between in our negotiations with
             the rebels.

   goblin    n.  elf, gnome, hobgoblin, imp, kobold, leprechaun, demon,
             brownie, pixie, nix or nixie:  On Hallowe'en the ghouls and
             goblins will get you if you don't watch out!

   god       n.  deity, demigod, demiurge, divinity, spirit, immortal,
             genius, power, tutelary, numen:  Throughout man's sojourn on
             earth he has worshipped many gods.

   godless   adj.  1 wicked, evil, iniquitous, sinful, unrighteous, unholy,
             hellish; impious, blasphemous, profane, sacrilegious, ungodly:
             The prison was a godless place, where one was murdered for a
             crust of bread. 2 atheistic, nullifidian, agnostic, unbelieving,
             sceptical:  In theory, communism is a godless ideology.

   godlike   adj.  1 divine, godly, sacred, holy, saintly, angelic, seraphic,
             blest, blessed, sainted:  The savages thought her a goddess and
             treated her with godlike reverence. 2 heavenly, celestial,
             blissful, rapturous, ecstatic, beatific, ethereal:  For a
             decade, she lived a godlike existence among the savages.

   godly     adj.  religious, pious, devout, God-fearing, good, righteous,
             holy, virtuous, moral, pure, saintly, reverent, pietistic,
             devoted, faithful:  The monks pursue a godly life in their
             mountain fastness.

   godsend   n.  gift, blessing, benediction, boon, windfall, bonanza, stroke
             of (good) fortune, piece or bit of (good) luck:  The Red Cross
             parcels were a godsend to the prisoners of war.

   goggle-eyed
             adj.  agog, awestruck, wide-eyed, thunder-struck, agape,
             open-mouthed, gawking, staring, dumbfounded or dumfounded,
             astonished, astounded, amazed, stupefied, dazed, surprised:  His
             first time in the city, Eugene stood goggle-eyed at the
             skyscrapers.

   going     adj.  1 thriving, successful, succeeding, prosperous, wealthy,
             affluent, booming, prospering, flourishing, growing:  The
             Davises took over a failing business and turned it into a going
             concern. 2 current, present, contemporary, active, effective,
             accepted, prevailing, prevalent, universal, common, usual,
             customary:  What is the going rate for a skilled cabinet-maker?

   golden    adj.  1 yellow, yellowish, gold, blond or blonde, flaxen,
             aureate; tow(-haired):  Her golden tresses fell about her
             shoulders.  2 gold, auriferous; gilded, gilt, aureate; Technical
             auric, aurous:  They drank together from a golden bowl.  3
             bright, shining, brilliant, sunny, gleaming, lustrous, shiny,
             glittering, dazzling, resplendent, radiant, glowing, sparkling:
             We emerged from the black tunnel into golden sunshine.  4 happy,
             blissful, delightful, joyful, glorious, joyous, exuberant:  We
             can never recapture the golden days of our youth.  5
             flourishing, halcyon, prosperous, thriving, favourable,
             excellent, outstanding, productive, fertile, blessed, blest,
             good, successful, palmy:  After the golden age of Greece and
             Rome, Europe was plunged into the dismal gloom of the Dark Ages.
             6 gifted, talented, favoured, special, exceptional, favourite,
             cherished, pet, Brit blue-eyed, white-headed, white-haired, US
             fair-haired:  As long as the company's profits were increasing,
             Hamilton was the golden boy. 7 advantageous, propitious,
             auspicious, promising, rosy, opportune, optimistic, favourable:
             She missed a golden opportunity by turning down the job.

   good      adj.  1 agreeable, satisfactory, commendable, acceptable, fair,
             adequate, admissible, tolerable, all right, passable, Colloq
             okay or OK:  According to the reviews, the new opera is good but
             not great.  2 admirable, outstanding, first-rate, first-class,
             fine, superb, superior, tiptop, extraordinary, exemplary,
             choice, excellent, capital, marvellous, wonderful, splendid,
             sterling, Colloq super(-duper), great, smashing, A1 or A-1 or
             A-one, Brit cracking, brilliant, amazing, ace, knockout, brill,
             fantastic, terrific, unbelievable, groovy, fab, fabulous,
             crucial, serious, US bad, Old-fashioned Brit tickety-boo, No.
             Eng. champion, Chiefly US A-OK:  I thought that was a really
             good dinner.  3 correct, proper, decorous, orderly, right,
             seemly, fit, fitting, suitable, meet, appropriate, allowable,
             permissible, admissible, passable, satisfactory, tolerable:  He
             should get time off for good behaviour.  4 obedient,
             well-behaved, proper, well-mannered:  Why can't you be a good
             boy when we go out?  5 moral, high-minded, righteous, noble,
             wholesome, chaste, pure, honourable, ethical, upstanding,
             upright, virtuous, worthy, lofty, elevated, saintly, angelic,
             godly, godlike:  Think only good thoughts and still you may not
             get to heaven.  6 kind, benevolent, beneficent, gracious,
             gentle, kindly, nice, considerate, friendly, solicitous,
             good-hearted, sympathetic, benign, charitable, humane,
             kind-hearted, well-disposed:  Her parents have always been good
             to me.  7 fresh, unspoilt, edible, consumable, palatable:  These
             eggs are good but the milk has gone off.  8 genuine, valid,
             legitimate, authentic, honest, proper, reliable, secure,
             dependable, safe, creditable, sound, solid, substantial,
             well-founded, trustworthy, honest, actual, real; credible,
             believable, convincing, compelling, cogent:  Have you a good
             reason for saying that?  9 honourable, esteemed, respected,
             respectable, well-thought-of, reputable, established, solid:
             They say that he comes from a good family.  10
             well-proportioned, shapely, attractive:  Yes, I'd say that
             Marilyn has a good figure.  11 thorough, complete, penetrating,
             careful:  Has she had a good look at the defendant?  12 gifted,
             talented, competent, capable, skilful, clever, accomplished,
             proficient, adept, adroit, skilled:  Am I a good enough actor to
             audition for the part?  13 advantageous, propitious, opportune,
             beneficial, profitable, favourable; safe, secure, reliable,
             sound, sensible:  Are utilities a good investment? Is this a
             good time to buy shares?  14 healthy, salubrious, salutary,
             beneficial, wholesome:  We'll have to put you on a good diet.
             15 best, company, Sunday, special-occasion, most luxurious:
             Should we use the good glasses tonight?  16 ample, sufficient,
             adequate, considerable, full, extensive, sizeable, large,
             substantial:  We have a good supply of food available.  17
             approving, complimentary, flattering, positive, favourable,
             enthusiastic, laudatory, eulogistic, encomiastic:  His book
             received a very good review in the Sunday supplement.  18 great,
             considerable, sizeable, substantial, fair:  We are still a good
             distance away from land.

             --n.  19 benefit, advantage, profit, use, usefulness, gain,
             worth, avail:  What good does it do to complain?  20 goodness,
             morality, virtue, merit, righteousness, right, rectitude, worth,
             probity, virtuousness, integrity, nobility, high-mindedness,
             honourableness, honesty:  The evil that men do lives after them,
             The good is oft interred with their bones. 21 goods.  a
             possessions, (personal) property, chattels, things, gear,
             belongings, effects, paraphernalia, movables, stuff:  He's gone
             and he's taken all his goods with him.  b merchandise,
             commodities, wares, stock, produce, tangibles, assets:  We shall
             pay on delivery of the goods.  c US and Canadian (incriminating)
             evidence or proof or information or documentation or facts or
             data:  The police have the goods on the murderer.  d fabric,
             cloth, textile, material, yard goods, piece-goods:  My tailor
             said he had made it from the best goods available.  e freight:
             A goods train had broken down on the line between Oxford and
             Banbury.

   goodbye   interjection.  Farewell!, Hawaiian Aloha!; Italian Arrivederci!,
             Ciao!; German Auf Wiedersehen!; French Au revoir!, Adieu!;
             Japanese Sayonara!; Spanish ­Adios!, ­Hasta la vista!, ­Hasta
             luego!; Latin Vale!; Colloq Bye!  or 'Bye!, Bye-bye!,
             Toodle-oo!, So long!, Brit Ta-ta!, Cheers!, cheerio,
             Old-fashioned Pip! Pip!, US See you later ( alligator)!:  We
             said our goodbyes and went on our way.

   good-for-nothing
             adj.  1 worthless, useless:  'You are asking too much for that
             good-for-nothing old lamp', Aladdin told the pedlar.

             --n.  2 ne'er-do-well, wastrel, waster, idler, loafer, layabout,
             lazybones, slugabed, sluggard, black sheep, Colloq US gold
             brick, goof-off:  Why doesn't that lazy good-for-nothing get a
             job?

   goodly    adj.  considerable, sizeable, substantial, ample, great, large,
             significant, consequential:  The museum attracts a goodly number
             of visitors each year.

   good-natured
             adj.  good-humoured, friendly, agreeable, genial, gracious,
             good-hearted, pleasant, mellow, easygoing, considerate, nice,
             kind, kindly, kind-hearted, tender-hearted, charitable,
             tolerant, generous, courteous, cordial, warm, warm-hearted,
             amiable, amicable, cooperative:  He seems a good-natured fellow,
             but not too bright.

   goody-goody
             adj.  smug, sanctimonious, self-righteous, priggish, prim,
             holier-than-thou, Pecksniffian, hypocritical:  She's one of
             those goody-goody people who never do anything wrong.

   gooey     adj.  1 gluey, sticky, tacky, glutinous, mucilaginous, gummy:
             The pudding was accompanied by an unpleasantly gooey sauce.  2
             sweet, sugary, saccharine, sentimental, unctuous, cloying,
             syrupy, mawkish, maudlin, Colloq mushy, slushy, sloppy:  They
             like to watch those gooey soap operas.

   gore°     n.  blood, carnage, butchery, slaughter, bloodshed:  The current
             crop of horror films have too much gore for my taste.

   goreэ     v.  pierce, stab, poke, horn, penetrate, puncture, spear, gouge,
             spit, stick, impale, disembowel:  The matador, severely gored by
             the bull, was carried away.

   gorge     n.  1 ravine, canyon, defile, pass, chasm, fissure, crevasse,
             gully or gulley, wadi or wady, gap, Brit gill or ghyll, US and
             Canadian notch:  Water runs in this gorge only during the rainy
             season.  2 vomit, vomitus:  Injustice makes my gorge rise.

             --v.  3 fill, stuff, glut, cram; gulp, gobble (down), devour,
             bolt (down), wolf (down), gormandize, swallow:  She acquired the
             habit of gorging on cream cakes.

   gorgeous  adj.  1 resplendent, splendid, magnificent, glorious, exquisite,
             sumptuous, dazzling, grand, beautiful, splendorous,
             breathtaking, radiant, refulgent, brilliant, showy, colourful,
             Colloq splendiferous:  The males are known for their gorgeous
             plumage.  2 great, terrific, fantastic, wonderful, marvellous,
             glorious, spectacular, superb, excellent, Colloq fantabulous,
             marvy, smashing, super, nifty, neat, swell:  He married a
             gorgeous fashion model.

   gory      adj.  bloody, sanguinary, blood-soaked, bloodstained; gruesome,
             grisly, horrific, blood-curdling:  The scene was so gory as to
             turn the strongest stomach.

   gospel    n.  truth, fact, certainty:  He swears that his story is gospel.

   gossip    n.  1 chat, conversation, talk, chit-chat, small talk, palaver;
             tittle-tattle, prattle; Scots clishmaclaver; gup; Colloq Brit
             natter, chin-wag:  I was just having a little gossip with my
             neighbour.  2 rumour, scandal, hearsay, information, on dit,
             word, Colloq grapevine, (inside) info, tittle-tattle, Slang
             dope, Chiefly US scuttlebutt, US and Canadian poop:  The latest
             gossip is that she left him for another woman.  3 rumour-mill,
             rumour-monger, scandalmonger, gossip-monger, newsmonger,
             busybody, tattle-tale, quidnunc, blabber, blatherskite,
             tell-tale, talebearer, flibbertigibbet, Colloq big-mouth,
             chatterbox, blabbermouth, Nosy Parker:  That old gossip will
             tell everybody your business.

             --v.  4 Sometimes, gossip about. bruit, tattle, rumour, whisper,
             blether or US blather, gabble, Colloq blab, Brit natter, Slang
             jaw:  I was just gossiping to my friend about your new job.

   gouge     v.  1 chisel, gash, incise, scratch, groove, dig; scoop or
             hollow (out):  The screwdriver slipped and gouged a piece out of
             the table. She's so mad she wants to gouge out your eyes. 2
             extort, extract, bilk, defraud, wrest, wrench, squeeze,
             blackmail, Colloq milk, bleed, skin, fleece, cheat, swindle:
             The gang gouged money from their classmates by threatening to
             tell the teacher.

             --n.  3 groove, furrow, scratch, gash, hollow; trench, ditch:
             The retreating glacier cut a deep gouge in the landscape.

   gourmet   n.  epicure, connoisseur, Lucullus, gastronome, gourmand, bon
             vivant, bon viveur:  My dear, that was a dinner fit for a
             gourmet!

   govern    v.  1 rule, control, direct, reign, hold sway (over), lead,
             conduct, guide, manage, regulate, run, supervise, superintend,
             oversee, steer, captain, pilot, command, head (up), look after,
             sit on the throne, wield the sceptre, wear the crown, run the
             show, be in power, be in charge (of), exercise or wield power or
             control (over), have or hold the whip hand, Colloq wear the
             pants, be in the saddle or driver's seat:  Catherine governed
             with an iron hand.  2 control, check, bridle, curb, master,
             subdue, restrain, contain, hold in, suppress, repress:  You must
             govern the urge to scream out.

   government
             n.  1 rule, command, authority, regulation, control, management,
             direction, administration, sway, superintendence, supervision,
             oversight, guidance, domination:  His government of the island
             has led to disorder.  2 administration, ministry, regime:  The
             government intends to ban smoking in public places.

7.8 grab...
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   grab      v.  1 snatch, lay or catch hold of, fasten upon, grasp, seize;
             catch, grip, clutch; Colloq latch on to, get one's hands or
             fingers on, nab, US snag:  The thief grabbed my purse and ran.
             She grabbed the railing to break her fall. 2 appropriate,
             expropriate, seize, commandeer, take over, usurp, arrogate:  The
             general grabbed the reins of government in the coup.  3 arrest,
             capture, catch, Colloq nab, pinch, collar:  The police grabbed
             him as he was leaving the scene of the crime.

             --n.  4 snatch, clutch; grasp, grip:  I made a grab for the
             rope.

   grace     n.  1 elegance, gracefulness, suppleness, finesse, refinement,
             ease, polish, poise:  She rides well, with an unconscious grace.
             2 tastefulness, (good) taste, cultivation, suavity or suaveness,
             culture, savoir faire, discernment, discrimination, (good)
             manners, politeness, breeding, consideration, decency,
             etiquette, tact, propriety, decorum, mannerliness:  They had the
             grace to ignore my rough attire.  3 indulgence, forgiveness,
             mercy, mercifulness, leniency, compassion, clemency, charity,
             goodwill, goodness:  We survived the fire only by the grace of
             God. The company gives you 30 days' grace to pay the bill. 4
             kindness, favour, kindliness, benevolence, generosity, goodness,
             graciousness, becomingness, seemliness; excellence, virtue,
             strength of character, considerateness:  At least he had the
             good grace to admit being wrong.  5 blessing, thanksgiving,
             prayer, benediction:  Grace was said before each meal.

             --v.  6 adorn, embellish, set off, decorate, ornament, beautify,
             enhance, garnish:  The table was graced by a huge silver
             candelabrum.  7 dignify, enhance, distinguish, enrich, honour,
             favour:  The dinner-party is graced by your presence.

   graceful  adj.  1 fluid, flowing, supple, lissom or lissome, lithe,
             facile, smooth, nimble, agile, deft:  How graceful a dancer she
             is!  2 tactful, well-mannered, polite, courteous, mannerly,
             refined, tasteful, elegant, courtly, urbane, polished, refined,
             suave:  In return for certain concessions, the chief was
             graceful enough to release the hostages.

   gracious  adj.  kind, courteous, polite, well-mannered, kindly,
             benevolent, beneficent, indulgent, kind-hearted, warm-hearted,
             cordial, warm, friendly, sociable, good-natured, amiable,
             affable, benign, accommodating, obliging, agreeable,
             considerate:  It was gracious of you to grant me an audience.

   grade     n.  1 degree, position, rank, status, stage, standing, station,
             gradation, echelon, class, level, category, condition, state,
             estate, situation, rung:  She is a singer of the first grade.  2
             rating, mark, score:  What grade did you get in physics?  3
             class, form, year:  My daughter is in the third grade.  4 hill,
             slope, rise, gradient, acclivity, declivity, incline, decline,
             ascent, descent, upgrade, downgrade:  The car coasted down a
             gentle grade into the lake.  5 make the grade. pass, measure up,
             succeed, qualify, Colloq US make it, Slang US and Canadian and
             NZ hack or cut it:  Do you think that Simpson can make the
             grade?

             --v.  6 classify, class, order, organize, rank, sort, size,
             group, categorize, rate:  Her job is to grade pearls according
             to their size.  7 mark, rate, correct, evaluate:  My teacher was
             up late grading our exams.

   gradual   adj.  easy, gentle, even, moderate, slow, piecemeal, inchmeal,
             regular, steady:  There is a gradual slope down to the garden
             wall. The acceleration was gradual. He became aware of a gradual
             erosion of his authority.

   gradually adv.  slowly, evenly, piecemeal, inchmeal, drop by drop, step by
             step, bit by bit, little by little, piece by piece, gradatim:
             The water gradually seeped through the filter. We advanced
             gradually through the forest.

   graduate  n.  1 bachelor, postgraduate, US alumnus (pl. alumni) or alumna
             (pl. alumnae):  Even university graduates found it difficult to
             get a job.

             --v.  2 gradate, mark, calibrate, grade, scale:  This
             thermometer is graduated in increments of one tenth of a degree.

   graft°    n.  1 bud, scion, shoot, splice, implantation or implant,
             transplant:  New varieties were created by the implantation of
             grafts that have desirable qualities.

             --v.  2 implant, splice, insert, join:  Fruit-bearing stems are
             grafted onto a sturdy rootstock.

   graftэ    n.  corruption, jobbery; bribery, extortion, Colloq payola,
             kickback:  After only five years, he retired on the takings from
             graft.

   grain     n.  1 seed, kernel, stone, pip, pit:  Grains from each crop are
             stored ready for sowing.  2 cereal, corn, grist:  The grain
             harvest was sparse this year.  3 particle, bit, fragment, crumb,
             speck, granule, morsel, mote, molecule, atom, fleck, iota,
             ounce, scrap, trace, scintilla, hint, suggestion, whit, jot (or
             tittle), dab, soup‡on, taste, Colloq US and Canadian smidgen or
             smidgin:  There's not a grain of truth in anything that's been
             said.  4 texture, pattern, fibre, weave, nap:  Use a different
             kind of saw for cutting across the grain.

   grand     adj.  1 large, great, huge, immense, enormous, impressive,
             imposing, splendid, fine, majestic, stately, lofty, monumental,
             lavish, magnificent, opulent, luxurious, palatial, sumptuous,
             Colloq posh:  We were led into a grand hall where thousands
             awaited the emperor.  2 dignified, distinguished, august,
             respected, eminent, pre-eminent, outstanding, celebrated,
             illustrious, renowned, notable, legendary, exalted, revered,
             venerable, immortal:  He is regarded as the grand old man of
             chemistry.  3 flamboyant, overdone, histrionic, ostentatious,
             pretentious, grandiose, lordly:  The abysmal performance was
             punctuated by the actors' grand strutting and gesturing. 4
             complete, total, sum, comprehensive, (all-)inclusive;
             bottom-line:  The grand total of expenses came to њ12,467.22.  5
             marvellous, wonderful, outstanding, first-class, first-rate,
             splendid, excellent, superb, admirable, Colloq great, marvy,
             smashing, terrific, fantastic, fabulous, fantabulous, super:
             Isn't it grand that Freda will be able to go!  6 principal,
             chief, main, head, leading, foremost, highest:  The grand vizier
             was second only to the caliph.

   grandeur  n.  1 splendour, magnificence, majesty, sublimity,
             luxuriousness, pomp:  The grandeur of the French court was never
             to be equalled.  2 nobility, augustness, nobleness, eminence,
             majesty:  The emperor received us with a grandeur befitting his
             station.

   grandiose adj.  1 pretentious, ostentatious, showy, flamboyant, bombastic,
             histrionic, extravagant, pompous, fustian, high-flown,
             high-flying, overambitious, overdone, over-dramatic,
             melodramatic, Ossianic, inflated, affected, florid, flashy,
             Colloq highfalutin or hifalutin, flash:  The council is
             unimpressed by your grandiose plans to redevelop the area, Mr
             Wren. 2 imposing, impressive, ambitious, grand, monumental,
             magnificent, lofty:  She has some grandiose ideas for a national
             symphony orchestra.

   grant     v.  1 give, confer, bestow, present, award, offer; supply,
             furnish, distribute, donate; allocate, assign:  She has been
             granted a sum that will enable her to complete the book. 2
             concede, accede (to), cede, give (up), agree (to), consent (to),
             allow, permit, admit; let:  They granted my request for
             clemency.

             --n.  3 gift, present, endowment, bequest, subvention, subsidy,
             award, grant-in-aid, donation, contribution, concession,
             allowance:  He received a government grant to study abroad.

   granular  adj.  grainy, granulated, particulate, comminuted, gravelly,
             sandy, gritty:  The sauce was somewhat granular and tasted too
             strongly of nutmeg.

   grapevine n.  rumour-mill, jungle telegraph, grapevine telegraph; rumour,
             gossip:  According to the grapevine, you two are going to be
             married.

   graphic   adj.  1 vivid, distinct, well-defined, detailed, explicit,
             particular, clear, lucid, plain, manifest, crystal clear,
             unmistakable or unmistakeable, unambiguous, accurate, precise,
             well-drawn, photographic, descriptive, telling, picturesque,
             pictorial, realistic, lifelike, true to life, Colloq gory:  He
             described his injuries in graphic detail.  2 written, drawn,
             diagrammatic, delineated, visible:  The magazine won a prize for
             graphic design.

   grapple   v.  1 grasp, grab, grip, seize, clasp, catch, wrestle; hold,
             clutch, snatch:  They grappled each other at the edge of the
             Reichenbach Falls.  2 grapple with. come to grips with, cope
             with, contend with, deal with, struggle with, tackle, face, take
             on:  The government is grappling with the problem of
             unemployment.

   grasp     v.  1 grip, grab, seize, clasp, clutch, snatch, hold, take or
             lay or catch hold of, Colloq nab:  I grasped the rope and was
             pulled to safety.  2 understand, comprehend, appreciate, catch
             (on), get, get the drift or point of, follow, see, realize,
             apprehend, learn, Colloq make head(s) or tail(s) of, Slang dig:
             I am trying to grasp the full import of what you are saying.

             --n.  3 hold, grip, clutches, clasp, embrace, lock:  He loosened
             his grasp on my throat and I could breathe again.  4 possession,
             control, power, mastery, sovereignty, suzerainty, hold:  By
             then, even the outer islands had fallen within his grasp.  5
             understanding, comprehension, apprehension, awareness,
             perception, sense:  He has a poor grasp of the basics of the
             subject.

   grasping  adj.  greedy, avaricious, acquisitive, rapacious, mean, miserly,
             stingy, penurious, parsimonious, niggardly, tight, tight-fisted,
             penny-pinching, close-fisted, mercenary:  If the company weren't
             so grasping, they'd have less difficulty hiring staff.

   grass     v.  1 inform, betray, give away, Slang peach, squeal, snitch,
             squeak, tattle, rat on, sell out, Brit blow the gaff, nark:  He
             received a shorter sentence for grassing on his accomplices.

             --n.  2 traitor, informer, Slang stool-pigeon, stoolie,
             squealer, snitch, squeaker, rat, Brit nark:  A grass is treated
             roughly by fellow inmates.

   grate     v.  1 shred, rasp, scrape, rub, triturate:  Peel six raw
             potatoes and grate them fine.  2 scrape, rasp, rub, grind,
             scratch, screech, stridulate:  The cricket grates its legs
             against its wing covers to produce the 'singing' sound. 3 Often,
             grate on or upon. annoy, vex, irk, irritate, pester, set one's
             teeth on edge, jar, fret, chafe, rub (someone) (up) the wrong
             way, go against the grain, Colloq get on one's nerves:  Her
             voice just grates on me.

   grateful  adj.  thankful, appreciative:  I am grateful for any help I can
             get.

   gratification
             n.  satisfaction, fulfilment, enjoyment, pleasure, delight,
             compensation, recompense, reward, return, requital:  She does it
             only for the gratification she gets from making the children
             happier.

   gratify   v.  please, satisfy, fulfil, delight, compensate, recompense,
             reward, requite, cheer, gladden, favour:  Albert would be
             gratified to see the good coming from his charitable bequests.

   grating   adj.  1 jarring, strident, raucous, harsh, discordant,
             dissonant, unharmonious, offensive, irritating, irksome,
             annoying, vexatious, galling:  I find the noise of chalk
             squeaking on the blackboard very grating.  2 grinding, gritty,
             squeaky, jangling, screeching, creaking, shrill, piercing,
             squawking, croaking, rasping:  The grating noise you hear is my
             fridge motor.

             --n.  3 grate, grid, reticle or reticule, grille, lattice,
             trellis, screen, network, reticulation:  When a beam of light is
             directed through the fine grating, odd patterns are formed.

   gratitude n.  thankfulness, appreciation, gratefulness; thanks, return,
             compensation, thanksgiving:  Here is a box of chocolates in
             gratitude for looking after my cat.

   gratuitous
             adj.  1 gratis, free, complimentary, spontaneous:  The earth is
             a machine which has, till now, yielded gratuitous service. 2
             unasked for, unrequested, unsought for, wanton, unprovoked,
             unsolicited, unlooked-for, uncalled-for, unwelcome, unjustified,
             unwarranted, baseless, groundless, needless, unfounded,
             ungrounded, unjustifiable, irrational:  He seems to derive some
             twisted pleasure from spreading gratuitous lies about me.

   grave°    n.  crypt, sepulchre, tomb, vault, mausoleum, last or final
             resting-place, eternal rest:  She began to sob as the coffin was
             slowly lowered into the grave.

   graveэ    adj.  1 serious, sombre, solemn, earnest, unsmiling, staid,
             sedate, sober, dour, gloomy, grim, grim-faced, grim-visaged,
             Brit po-faced:  The doctor, looking very grave, said that he had
             done all he could.  2 serious, critical, vital, dangerous,
             matter of life and death, crucial, urgent, weighty, important,
             pressing, pivotal, perilous:  Fenwick is in intensive care in a
             grave condition.

   graveyard n.  burial-ground, churchyard, cemetery, God's acre, necropolis,
             potter's field, W US Boot Hill, Rare Golgotha, Slang bone-yard:
             Uncle Valentine is buried in the graveyard on the hill.

   gravity   n.  1 gravitation; attraction:  After middle age, the body obeys
             the laws of gravity but not of mutual attraction. 2 seriousness,
             acuteness, immediacy, importance, significance, weight,
             magnitude, severity, urgency, exigency, momentousness,
             weightiness:  When I saw mother's expression I realized the
             gravity of the situation.  3 solemnity, dignity, sombreness,
             staidness, sedateness, sobriety, gravitas, soberness, reserve;
             gloominess, grimness:  The ceremony was conducted with suitable
             gravity.

   greasy    adj.  1 oily, sebaceous, fatty, fat, buttery, lardy, soapy,
             oleaginous, pinguid, butyraceous, saponaceous, waxy:  Before
             curing, the hide is greasy with natural oils.  2 unctuous, oily,
             slippery, slithery, smooth, glib, fawning, slick, toadying,
             sycophantic, Slang Brit smarmy:  Edna is so greasy, always
             trying to manoeuvre you into doing something for her.

   great     adj.  1 big, large, huge, immense, enormous, gigantic, giant,
             grand, extensive, prodigious, colossal, massive, vast,
             tremendous; spacious, capacious, mammoth, gargantuan, monstrous,
             titanic, Cyclopean, Brobdingnagian:  Europe was covered by a
             great forest. A great castle loomed before me. 2 large, huge,
             immense, enormous, gigantic, prodigious, vast, tremendous,
             abundant, countless:  Plague killed a great number of people.  3
             extreme, considerable, marked, pronounced, inordinate,
             extraordinary, significant; excess, excessive:  I have something
             of great importance to tell you. Your news created great
             confusion. 4 critical, important, crucial, momentous,
             significant, serious, weighty, consequential:  Those were great
             days for the history of England.  5 important, prominent, major,
             eminent, celebrated, distinguished, famous, famed, renowned,
             notable, noteworthy, illustrious, outstanding, well-known,
             weighty, influential, Rare eximious:  What of the great
             universities, like Oxford and Cambridge? Our mayor thinks of
             himself as a great man. 6 talented, gifted, excellent,
             outstanding, exceptional, major, superlative, superior, leading,
             best, incomparable, matchless, peerless, skilful, artistic,
             brilliant, first-rate, remarkable, top, accomplished:  Flaubert
             was one of the greatest writers of his age. Tamara is a good
             dancer, but not a great dancer. 7 lofty, elevated, exalted,
             noble, high-minded, grand:  Great thoughts come from great
             minds.  8 talented, skilled, skilful, adroit, clever, adept,
             able, proficient, expert:  Daphne is really great at playing
             bridge.  9 keen, zealous, eager, active, enthusiastic, devoted,
             ardent, passionate:  Frank is a great stamp collector.  10
             close, devoted, dedicated, fast, faithful, true, loyal,
             intimate, loving:  Graham and Pembroke quickly became great
             friends.  11 terrible, bad, awful, unforgivable, horrendous,
             heinous, grievous, horrific, horrible, terrific, huge, colossal,
             enormous, gigantic, significant, cardinal, egregious, basic,
             profound, flagrant, glaring, arrant, consummate, out-and-out:
             Inviting her at the same time as her ex-husband was a great
             mistake.  12 spectacular, marvellous, outstanding, excellent,
             superb, grand, wonderful, fine Colloq fantastic, terrific,
             stupendous, marvy, smashing, fantabulous, Old-fashioned Brit
             tickety-boo:  He says that we missed a truly great show.

   greed     n.  1 greediness, avarice, avariciousness, covetousness,
             acquisitiveness, cupidity, avidity, craving, yearning:  Greed
             accounts for most of man's dishonesty.  2 meanness, stinginess,
             miserliness, selfishness, niggardliness, penuriousness,
             parsimony, close-fistedness, penny-pinching, tight-fistedness:
             From a life of greed he had accumulated enormous wealth.  3
             gluttony, voraciousness, edacity, esurience, voracity,
             overeating, gormandizing, ravenousness, insatiableness:  Obesity
             owes more to greed than to glandular disorder.

   greedy    adj.  1 ravenous, voracious, gluttonous, piggish, hoggish,
             swinish, cormorant, edacious, esurient, insatiable,
             unquenchable:  I'd love another slice, but I mustn't be greedy.
             2 avaricious, acquisitive, covetous, grasping, craving;
             materialistic, money-hungry:  If some people were less greedy,
             there would be plenty for everyone.  3 stingy, miserly, mean,
             selfish, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, penny-pinching,
             mercenary, close-fisted, tight-fisted, close, Colloq near,
             tight, Brit mingy:  He's so greedy that he asks beggars for
             receipts.

   green     adj.  1 verdant, grassy, fresh, leafy; rural, country-like:
             Plans call for a green belt to be created around every major
             city.  2 immature, unripe, unripened; na‹ve, callow, untested,
             untrained, unversed, inexperienced, new, raw, unseasoned,
             unsophisticated, gullible, amateur, unskilled, unskilful,
             amateurish, non-professional, inexpert, Colloq wet behind the
             ears:  This banana is still too green to eat. Isn't Piers a bit
             green to be given so much responsibility? 3 environmental,
             conservationist:  The green activists appear to be gaining
             influence in governmental circles.

             --n.  4 lawn, sward, common, grassland:  Let us meet on the
             village green at noon.  5 environmentalist, conservationist,
             preservationist:  The greens are opposed to draining the
             marshes.

   greenhorn n.  newcomer, beginner, novice, tiro or tyro, neophyte, novice,
             initiate, learner, tenderfoot, Colloq rookie:  They send all the
             greenhorns off to fetch a bucket of steam and a can of striped
             paint.

   greet     v.  1 welcome, receive, usher in, meet:  We were greeted warmly
             by the family.  2 hail, accost, address, salute:  People greeted
             him in the street with a wave and a smile.

   greeting  n.  1 salutation, hail, hello, welcome, reception:  She had a
             smile and a greeting for every passer-by.  2 greetings card,
             card, message, note:  The Queen sent me a greeting on my 100th
             birthday.  3 greetings. regards, respects, best or good wishes,
             devoirs, compliments:  I sent you greetings from Barbados, where
             I took my holiday.

   grey      adj.  1 ashen, leaden, colourless, pale, pallid, wan, livid,
             pearly, griseous, smoky, sooty, bloodless:  The cadaver's skin
             was a dead, whitish grey.  2 gloomy, dismal, dull, depressing,
             glum, dreary, sombre, drab, cheerless, dark, murky, foggy,
             misty, cloudy, overcast, sunless:  As if to mould her
             temperament, Kathleen was born on a grey December day in 1791. 3
             aged, elderly, hoary, old, venerable, ancient:  A stooped, grey
             crone inched along, muttering to herself.  4 mature, wise,
             experienced:  Seventy years have spread their grey experience
             over his hoary head.

   grief     n.  1 anguish, suffering, agony, misery, wretchedness, pain,
             hurt, sadness, sorrow, dejection, depression, despondency,
             melancholy, unhappiness, woe, torment, desolation, heartbreak,
             remorse, regret, ruth, heartache:  Nothing equalled the grief I
             felt at the death of my dog, Whiffler.  2 distress, trouble,
             difficulty, tribulation, trial, burden, load, onus, ordeal,
             travail, affliction, worry, bitterness, curse; adversity,
             misfortune, evil days, bad or ill fortune or luck, calamity,
             disaster, catastrophe, trauma:  The death of her only child was
             a lasting grief to Millie.  3 come to grief. fail, go to rack
             and ruin, meet with disaster, miscarry, fall or come apart,
             Colloq come unstuck:  Our plans for retirement came to grief
             when my husband went bankrupt.

   grievance adj.  1 wrong, ill, injustice, disservice, unfairness, injury,
             damage, harm, outrage, affront, indignity, hardship, calamity:
             I had to listen to details of every grievance she had ever
             suffered.  2 complaint, objection, charge, plaint, allegation,
             grudge, Colloq gripe, bone to pick, Brit crow to pluck, Slang
             beef:  Please register all your grievances at the office next
             door.

   grieve    v.  1 mourn, bemoan, lament, regret, rue, deplore, bewail, mope,
             eat one's heart out:  Sylvia is still grieving over the loss of
             her husband.  2 weep, cry, mourn, moan, keen, suffer, sorrow;
             shed tears, complain:  Go in and try to comfort the grieving
             widow.

   grievous  adj.  1 severe, heavy, painful, grave, serious, distressing,
             harmful; damaging, hurtful, acute, wounding:  The church
             buildings suffered grievous damage from the storm.  He was
             charged with causing grievous bodily harm. 2 egregious, awful,
             flagrant, terrible, outrageous, heinous, dreadful, atrocious,
             monstrous, appalling, shocking, deplorable, calamitous,
             lamentable, intolerable, shameful, unbearable:  Missing that
             catch was a grievous error.

   grim      adj.  1 stern, severe, unrelenting, resolute, uncompromising,
             unyielding, inflexible, adamant, stony, iron, unbending, firm,
             intractable, unflinching, unmoving, unmoved, implacable,
             inexorable, determined, steadfast, (dead) set, fixed, decided,
             obstinate, headstrong, stubborn, obdurate, dogged, unwavering:
             By controlling the purse strings, she kept a grim hold over the
             family. 2 forbidding, formidable, harsh, ferocious, fierce,
             cruel, savage, merciless, heartless, ruthless, pitiless,
             vicious, brutal, brutish, feral, inhuman, fiendish, violent,
             bloodthirsty, murderous, homicidal, fell:  A grim pack of
             howling wolves loped after our sledge.  3 dire, dreadful,
             ghastly, awful, frightful, frightening, sinister, hideous,
             horrid, horrific, horrible, horrendous, terrible, terrifying,
             terrific, harrowing, dread, alarming, appalling, grotesque,
             gruesome, eerie, macabre, flagitious, heinous, evil, wicked,
             iniquitous, atrocious, monstrous:  Before me appeared the
             ghostly apparition of the Grim Reaper.

   grime     n.  dirt, filth, soot, mud, muck, slime, scum:  The lad began to
             rub the grime from the old oil lamp.

   grind     v.  1 pound, powder, pulverize, abrade, crush, granulate, mill,
             grate, rasp, crumble, kibble, mash, triturate, bray, comminute:
             The rock was soon ground to a fine powder.  2 sharpen, whet;
             file, smooth, polish:  He is grinding the edge to be razor
             sharp.  3 gnash, grit, grate:  He grinds his teeth when he's
             angry.  4 Also, grind away. labour, toil, slave (away); study,
             lucubrate, burn the midnight oil, Colloq cram, Brit swot:
             George has been grinding away at the same job all his life.
             Languages came easily, but he had to grind away at the sciences.
             5 grind down. wear down or away, crush, oppress, subdue,
             suppress, tyrannize, persecute, maltreat, ill-treat, harry,
             harass, hound, hector, plague, badger:  Dictators first grind
             down all opposition, then destroy it.  6 grind out. produce,
             generate, crank out, churn out, turn out:  For 20 years he has
             been grinding out the daily gossip column.

             --n.  7 toil, labour, drudgery, travail, exertion, task, chore:
             Working at the checkout counter hour after hour is a terrible
             grind.

   grip      n.  1 hold, grasp, clutch, handgrip, clasp, hand-clasp:  Losing
             his grip on the rope, he plummeted into the abyss.  2 control,
             command, hold, mastery; authority, influence, power, rule,
             domination, sovereignty, tenure, dominion, suzerainty, custody:
             Peter is losing his grip on reality. The dictator kept a tight
             grip on the people right up to his death. 3 grasp,
             understanding, apprehension, comprehension, sense, sensitivity,
             feel, feeling, awareness, perception, view, Slang US handle:
             Skerry is having trouble getting a grip on what you plan to do.
             4 handgrip, valise, (travelling or overnight) bag, case,
             satchel, suitcase, Brit holdall, US and Canadian carry-all:  I
             got off the plane in New York, but my grip went on to Detroit.
             5 come or get to grips with. tackle, confront, approach, handle,
             meet (head on), undertake, grapple or contend with, cope or deal
             with, face:  We must come to grips with the problem of
             Cassandra.

             --v.  6 grasp, clutch, clasp, hold, seize:  He gripped the
             handle of the revolver more tightly.  7 engross, engage, hold,
             fascinate, enthral, entrance, absorb, mesmerize, hypnotize,
             spellbind, rivet:  Just at the gripping climax, the reel broke
             and the film stopped.

   gripe     v.  1 complain, moan, grumble, whimper, whine, bleat, nag,
             cavil, carp, grouse, Colloq beef, Brit whinge, Slang bitch,
             bellyache:  It's natural to gripe about the food in the army.

             --n.  2 complaint, grievance, objection, protest; complaining,
             moaning, grumbling, whimpering, whining, nagging, cavilling,
             carping, grousing, Colloq beef, Brit whinging Slang bitching,
             bellyaching:  I don't want to hear any more gripes about the
             food!  3 Usually, gripes. cramp, twinge, pang, pain, ache,
             colic, distress, Colloq bellyache:  The gripes became so painful
             that he was sure he had appendicitis.

   grisly    adj.  gruesome, gory, abhorrent, abominable, awful, appalling,
             hideous, shocking, nasty, dreadful, repulsive, repellent,
             repugnant, disgusting, sickening, nauseating, horrific, horrid,
             horrendous, horrifying, terrible, terrifying, terrific:  A
             grisly scene greeted the soldiers who liberated the
             concentration camp.

   grit      n.  courage, courageousness, valour, bravery, fortitude,
             resolution, resoluteness, resolve, toughness, mettle, pluck,
             spirit, backbone, nerve, gameness, intrepidity or intrepidness,
             dauntlessness, tenacity, determination, firmness, hardiness,
             hardihood, staunchness, stalwartness, doughtiness, fearlessness,
             Colloq guts, gutsiness, spunk, spunkiness, starch, Brit bottle,
             US and Canadian chutzpah, moxie, stick-to-it-iveness:
             Mountain-climbing requires more grit than you might think.

   gritty    adj.  1 sandy, gravelly, granular, grainy, rough, abrasive,
             rasping, arenose:  The texture of the mud-pack felt somewhat
             gritty on her face.  2 courageous, valorous, brave, resolute,
             tough, mettlesome, plucky, spirited, game, intrepid, dauntless,
             tenacious, determined, persistent, firm, hardy, staunch,
             stalwart, doughty, fearless, Colloq gutsy, spunky:  The band of
             gritty frontiersman was led by Sheriff Boswell.

   groan     v.  1 moan, sigh, murmur, wail, whimper, whine:  Unattended
             patients were lying there, groaning in agony.  2 complain,
             grumble, grouse, object, protest, Colloq gripe, beef, yammer,
             Brit whinge, Slang bitch:  Now that he's rich, he's groaning
             about taxes.

             --n.  3 moan, sigh, murmur, wail, whimper, whine:  I thought I
             heard a groan coming from the attic.  4 complaint, grumble,
             grousing, muttering, Colloq gripe, griping, beef, yammering,
             Slang bitching:  His announcement that the whole class would be
             punished was met by groans.

   groggy    adj.  unsteady, shaky, wobbly, weak-kneed, weak, staggering,
             stupefied, dazed, stunned, reeling, punch-drunk, numb, numbed,
             benumbed, faint, in a trance or stupor, muddled, addled,
             confused, bewildered, confounded, puzzled, baffled, befuddled,
             Colloq dopey, punchy, woozy, Brit muzzy:  I was still groggy
             from the blow on the head.

   groom     n.  1 stable-boy, stableman, Brit stable-lad, Archaic ostler or
             hostler, equerry:  The groom unsaddled the horses and began to
             curry them.  2 bridegroom:  Let's drink to the bride and groom!

             --v.  3 spruce up, dress, tidy or neaten up, smarten up,
             titivate or tittivate, preen, primp, refresh:  Every time she
             passes a mirror Vivian stops to groom herself.  4 fit, train,
             prepare, coach, tutor, brief, drill, prime, (get or make) ready,
             adapt, shape:  McCusker is being groomed for a directorship.

   groove    n.  slot, cut, channel, furrow, gouge, trough; flute, scratch,
             striation or stria, rifling, rifle, Architecture glyph,
             Technical sulcus:  The door slides in these grooves at the
             sides.

   grope     v.  feel, fumble, fish, probe:  I groped for the switch in the
             dark.

   gross     adj.  1 fat, obese, corpulent, overweight, big, large, bulky,
             great, heavy, ponderous, massive, cumbersome, unwieldy:  The
             gross detective eased his bulk onto a tiny chair.  2 total,
             aggregate, entire, pre-tax, (all-)inclusive, overall, whole:
             The gross profit was up by 15 per cent this year.  3 coarse,
             vulgar, crude, unsophisticated, uncultured, uncultivated,
             earthy, crass, indelicate, indecent, inappropriate, unseemly,
             improper, unrefined, bawdy, ribald, Rabelaisian, raw, rude,
             offensive, obscene, lewd, dirty, smutty, pornographic, filthy:
             That was too gross a story for mixed company.  4 outrageous,
             flagrant, obvious, plain, glaring, shameful, blatant, monstrous,
             heinous, manifest, evident:  Her conviction was a gross
             miscarriage of justice.  5 disgusting, repulsive, repellent,
             revolting, nauseating:  His table manners are truly gross.

             --v.  6 earn, bring or take in, make:  We grossed over a million
             but netted only 50,000 after expenses.

             --n.  7 (overall) total, take, intake, takings, receipts, gate:
             As I said, the gross was over a million.

   grotesque adj.  1 distorted, bizarre, freakish, twisted, misshapen,
             malformed, deformed, gruesome, gnarled:  Victor Hugo created the
             character of Quasimodo, the grotesque bell-ringer of Notre Dame.
             2 absurd, incongruous, weird, odd, fantastic, strange, queer,
             peculiar, curious, outlandish, offbeat, abnormal, aberrant,
             anomalous, ludicrous, ridiculous, preposterous:  The idea of
             marrying Leonard is too grotesque for even Gladys to
             contemplate.

   ground    n.  1 earth, soil, turf, sod, dirt, loam, clay; land, terrain:
             There is a great hole in the ground behind my house.  2
             territory, area, range, scope, compass:  We covered the ground
             quite thoroughly at our meeting.  3 Often, grounds. basis,
             foundation, base, reason, footing, justification, rationale,
             argument, cause, motive, excuse:  What are her grounds for suing
             for divorce?  4 grounds. sediment, dregs, lees, deposit,
             settlings, Brit grouts:  Filter out the grounds before drinking
             the coffee.

             --v.  5 base, establish, organize, found; settle, set:  The
             school's philosophy is grounded on the principles of Maria
             Montessori. 6 instruct, teach, train, coach, tutor, inform,
             prepare, initiate:  The purpose of the course is to ground
             students in basic mathematics.

   groundless
             adj.  baseless, without foundation, unsound, unfounded,
             unsupported, unjustified, unjustifiable, unwarranted,
             uncalled-for, gratuitous, unreasoned, unreasonable, speculative,
             suppositional, hypothetical, tenuous, flimsy, illusory,
             imaginary, chimerical:  Assumptions that the boy is guilty are
             entirely groundless.

   groundwork
             n.  basis, spadework, preparation(s), base, foundation,
             underpinning(s), cornerstone:  The report provided the
             groundwork for the research.

   group     n.  1 assembly, assemblage, gathering, congregation, company,
             number, alliance, union, association, organization, league,
             society, coterie, clique, set, band, circle, club, party, body,
             faction, crowd, team, corps, guild, troupe, unit, troop,
             platoon, squad, gang:  A group of revolutionaries meets nightly
             in a basement in Krakowskaya Street. 2 batch, aggregation, set,
             grouping, collection, assemblage, bunch, accumulation,
             conglomeration, agglomeration, assortment, series; pile, heap,
             bundle:  The entire group of abstract paintings was auctioned at
             double their estimated value.

             --v.  3 classify, class, sort, bracket, organize, order, rank,
             assort, categorize, catalogue:  Books are grouped according to
             subject.  4 collect, assemble, arrange, place, dispose, gather,
             organize, bring or put together, set apart:  Group oversized
             books together on the lowest shelves.

   grovelling
             adj.  obsequious, fawning, toadying, toad-eating, sycophantish,
             subservient, slavish, servile, submissive, kowtowing, cringing,
             cowering, truckling, snivelling, scraping, tugging the forelock,
             abject, crawling, base, low, mean, sordid, Colloq boot-licking,
             US apple-polishing; Slang brown-nosing, Brit arse-kissing,
             arse-licking, US ass-kissing, ass-licking:  The grovelling
             coward threw himself to the ground, begging forgiveness.

   grow      v.  1 flourish, develop, increase, become larger or greater,
             enlarge, wax, swell, expand, broaden, thicken, spread, lengthen,
             multiply, burgeon or bourgeon, thrive, luxuriate, prosper,
             mature, ripen, bloom, flower, blossom, fructify, bear or yield
             fruit:  The seeds he had planted grew abundantly. The population
             continues to grow. 2 develop, evolve, arise, issue, stem, spring
             (up), originate:  A great friendship grew out of their
             association.  3 plant, cultivate, breed, nurture, raise,
             propagate, produce; sow:  Cathcart grows sorghum where he used
             to grow alfalfa.  4 become, get:  I am growing fonder of you
             every day, Abbie.  5 grow on. get or become accepted by, come or
             begin to be liked by, to gain or increase in interest or
             attraction to, become more pleasing to:  I didn't like her at
             first, but she grows on you.  6 grow up. mature, reach or attain
             maturity or adulthood, come of age, reach one's majority:  Those
             who grew up in the Great Depression knew real poverty.

   growth    n.  1 development, evolution, evolvement, cultivation,
             nurturing, increase, expansion, broadening, extension,
             enlargement, spread, proliferation, flowering:  The growth of
             education was a slow and painful process.  2 vegetation, crop:
             The area is covered with a dense growth of timber.  3 advance,
             advancement, success, improvement, expansion, rise, progress:
             The growth of the economy has slowed down in the last quarter.
             4 wen, excrescence, wart, lump, tumour, swelling, intumescence:
             He developed an ugly growth on his nose.

   grudge    n.  1 bitterness, resentment, rancour, ill will, hard feelings,
             spite, grievance, pique, dislike, aversion, antipathy, animus,
             animosity, enmity, venom, malice, malevolence, hatred:  He had
             harboured a grudge against her ever since she was promoted.

             --v.  2 begrudge, resent, envy, mind, covet:  She grudges other
             people their simple pleasures.

   gruesome  adj.  ghastly, repugnant, horrible, horrid, horrific,
             horrendous, grisly, hideous, revolting, repellent, repulsive,
             loathsome, grim, grotesque, macabre, abominable, frightful,
             frightening, fearsome, shocking, terrible, awful:  She told a
             tale too gruesome to repeat here.

   gruff     adj.  1 surly, crusty, grumpy, curmudgeonly, cantankerous, sour,
             peevish, churlish, rude, uncivil, bearish, testy, querulous,
             irritable, cross, petulant, crabbed, irascible, sullen, sulky,
             bluff, abrupt, curt, blunt, brusque, short, short-tempered,
             ill-humoured, ill-natured, bad-tempered, stinging, cutting,
             biting, acerb, acrimonious, acid, caustic, Colloq grouchy,
             crotchety:  It is difficult to work for someone as gruff as he
             is.  2 throaty, deep, rough, guttural, rasping, low, husky,
             hoarse, harsh(-sounding):  Instantly I recognized father's gruff
             voice on the telephone.

7.9 guarantee
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   guarantee n.  1 guaranty, warranty, assurance, pledge, bond, obligation,
             promise; word (of honour), oath, undertaking:  The guarantee
             expires one month from the sell-by date. Have I your guarantee
             that this battery will last a year?

             --v.  2 guaranty, warranty, assure, ensure, pledge, promise,
             undertake, stand behind, vouch for, certify, make sure or
             certain, swear to, attest to:  The manufacturer guarantees every
             car for three years or 50,000 miles.

   guard     v.  1 protect, shield, safeguard, (keep or stand) watch (over),
             defend, convoy, escort, police, look after, tend, mind:  Only
             three men will be guarding the bullion when we make our move.  2
             control, mind:  Guard your tongue - the walls have ears.

             --n.  3 sentinel, watchman, sentry, security guard, custodian,
             guardian, protector, picket, watch, bodyguard; evzone,
             bashibazouk; Brit warder, wardress , Slang screw, Brit minder:
             The guards go to eat at noon.  4 protection, convoy, escort,
             patrol:  A guard of six men will accompany the van along this
             route.  5 defence, protection, safety, safeguard, security,
             shield:  This bandage will serve as a guard against infection.

   guarded   adj.  careful, cautious, heedful, prudent, circumspect, wary,
             noncommittal, restrained, mindful, suspicious, leery or Brit
             also leary, apprehensive; loath or loth, reticent, reluctant,
             Colloq cagey:  He became very guarded under close questioning.
             When I asked where she had been, she gave a guarded answer.

   guardian  n.  protector, defender, paladin, champion; trustee, custodian,
             keeper, preserver:  She fancies him her guardian, her knight in
             shining armour. Do we really need guardians of the 'purity' of
             the language?

   guerrilla n.  guerilla, partisan or partizan, resistance or freedom or
             underground fighter, irregular; insurgent, saboteur, terrorist;
             US history Jayhawker, French history Maquis:  The guerrillas
             continue to attack the government's supply convoys.

   guess     v.  1 conjecture, estimate, hypothesize, speculate, postulate,
             Slang guestimate or guesstimate:  We guessed that he might try
             to come in through the window.  2 think, suppose, conclude,
             assume, believe, dare say, surmise, judge, deem, reckon,
             imagine, fancy, feel, suspect, divine:  I guess you were right
             about her.

             --n.  3 conjecture, estimate, hypothesis, speculation, surmise,
             assumption, judgement, feeling, suspicion, supposition,
             postulate, theory; guesswork; Colloq shot in the dark, Slang
             guestimate or guesstimate:  My guess as to which card would turn
             up was wrong.

   guest     n.  visitor, company, caller; patron, customer, lodger, boarder,
             roomer:  Our guests get clean linen daily.

   guidance  n.  1 leadership, direction, management, government, conduct,
             control, regulation, charge, handling, rule, auspices:  The
             company prospered under her guidance.  2 counsel, advice,
             counselling, advisement, instruction, teaching:  I have turned
             to you for guidance in the matter.

   guide     v.  1 lead, show or lead the way, conduct, shepherd, direct,
             usher, steer, orient or Brit orientate:  She guided me to the
             proper office. What will guide your judgement in dealing with
             this situation? 2 steer, pilot, manoeuvre, navigate, direct:  He
             carefully guided the boat between the shoals.  3 counsel,
             advise, influence, sway; supervise, oversee, handle, manage,
             superintend, direct, control, regulate, govern:  Mr Thrall
             guided my artistic development from the beginning.  4 instruct,
             teach, tutor, train:  From early youth we were guided by the
             elders of the community.

             --n.  5 leader, conductor, director, cicerone, chaperon, mentor,
             counsel, counsellor, adviser or advisor, guru, master:  He
             served as my guide through the financial jungle. Let your
             conscience be your guide. 6 model, criterion, exemplar,
             standard, ideal, example, inspiration:  She looked upon the life
             of Mother Theresa as a guide.  7 beacon, light, signal, guiding
             light, landmark, lodestar, sign, marker:  The Southern Cross was
             our constant guide sailing round the Horn.  8 handbook, manual,
             enchiridion, vade-mecum, guidebook, Baedeker:  Can you recommend
             a good guide to English usage?

   guilt     n.  1 culpability, guiltiness, criminality, blame,
             responsibility, blameworthiness; crime, sinfulness,
             feloniousness, wrongdoing, misconduct:  Confronted by the
             evidence, Shillingworth admitted his guilt.  2 remorse,
             self-reproach, regret, sorrow, contrition, repentance, shame,
             contriteness, self-condemnation, bad conscience:  That feeling
             of guilt would plague me for the rest of my life.

   guilty    adj.  1 responsible, culpable, answerable, blameworthy, at
             fault, delinquent, wrong; offending, reprehensible:  Whoever was
             guilty will be prosecuted. First we must find the guilty party.
             2 remorseful, contrite, regretful, sorry, apologetic, repentant,
             sorrowful, conscience-stricken, rueful, penitent; ashamed,
             shame-faced, sheepish, embarrassed, red-faced:  Gavin felt
             terribly guilty for having insulted Tina.

   guise     n.  1 appearance, aspect, semblance, look, image, likeness,
             mien; air, behaviour, conduct, deportment, comportment, bearing,
             demeanour:  This is nothing but an old political concept in a
             new guise.  2 semblance, disguise, fa‡ade, front, pretence:  The
             treacherous Lothario assumed the guise of a knight in shining
             armour.

   gulf      n.  1 bay, bight, cove, inlet, sound, loch or sea loch, firth or
             frith, fiord or fjord, Irish lough, Brit creek:  We sailed into
             the gulf to shelter from the wind behind the cliffs.  2 chasm,
             deep, depth, abyss, abysm, void, space, opening, rift, breach,
             gap, separation, rift, split:  After the divorce, the gulf
             between us widened even further.

   gullible  adj.  innocent, green, simple, credulous, unsophisticated,
             na‹ve, unsuspecting, unwary, unsuspicious, wide-eyed, born
             yesterday, inexperienced, immature:  He was gullible enough to
             fall for the old con game, three-card monte.

   gully     n.  gulley, channel, river-bed, watercourse, gorge, ravine,
             canyon, notch, cut, pass, defile, valley, corridor, wadi, Brit
             gill or ghyll, W US arroyo , US and Canadian gulch:  We rode
             along in the gully so as not to be seen.

   gulp      v.  1 bolt, gobble, wolf (down), devour, gorge, swallow, throw
             down, toss off, quaff, guzzle, swill, Colloq knock back, swig,
             US chug-a-lug:  The boy gulped his dinner and ran out to play.
             2 swallow, suppress, stifle, choke (back), smother, strangle:
             She gulped back her tears as the coffin was lowered.

             --n.  3 mouthful, swallow, draught, swill, Colloq swig:  He took
             a gulp of his drink before making another bid.

   gumption  n.  1 resourcefulness, shrewdness, cleverness, (mother) wit,
             (common) sense, astuteness, judgement, Colloq horse sense,
             brains, Slang Brit nous:  It takes a lot of gumption to run a
             good cattle auction.  2 backbone, grit, pluck, mettle,
             enterprise, initiative, courage, spirit, gameness, nerve,
             daring, vigour, energy, boldness, audacity, stamina, Colloq
             spunk, guts, get-up-and-go, US moxie, Slang Brit bottle, Taboo
             slang balls:  He hasn't the gumption to go into business for
             himself.

   gurgle    v.  1 bubble, burble, babble, ripple, splash, plash, lap,
             murmur, purl:  The cool brook gurgled merrily through the
             meadow.

             --n.  2 babble, burble, bubbling, babbling, burbling, splash,
             gurgling, splashing, plashing, murmuring, purl, purling:  I lay
             back, listening to the gurgle of the spring among the rocks.

   gush      v.  1 cascade, rush, flood, stream, spurt, jet, spout, burst;
             run, flow:  The water gushed out of the pipe, soaking us all.  2
             bubble over, overflow, be ebullient or effusive or effervescent,
             effervesce, make much of, fuss over, prattle, chatter, babble,
             jabber, blather or blether, Colloq Brit natter, witter:  It was
             impossible to stop them from gushing on about the performance.

             --n.  3 cascade, rush, flood, flow, stream, spurt, jet, spout,
             burst, torrent:  A gush of water hit me right in the face.  4
             exuberance, effusion, bubbling over, outburst:  After the first
             gush of enthusiasm, everything quieted down.

   gushy     adj.  gushing, fulsome, cloying, mawkish, excessive, effusive,
             overdone, (over-)sentimental, (over)enthusiastic, Colloq sloppy,
             slushy:  It's another gushy film about a little girl and a lost
             kitten.

   gust      n.  1 puff, blow, wind, breeze, blast:  A gust of wind blew my
             hat off.

             --v.  2 puff, blow, blast, surge, increase:  The wind gusted up
             to gale force overnight.

   gusto     n.  enthusiasm, relish, zest, appetite, zeal, zealousness,
             avidity, eagerness, enjoyment, appreciation, pleasure, delight,
             satisfaction:  We attacked the meal with great gusto and soon
             dispatched every scrap.

   gut       n.  1 Often, guts. bowels, intestines, entrails, viscera,
             stomach, offal, vitals, vital parts, gurry, Brit (of a deer)
             gralloch, Colloq insides, innards or inwards:  As soon as the
             game is killed, the guts must be removed.  2 stomach, abdomen,
             belly; beer-belly, bay window, corporation:  His enormous gut
             hung over his belt.  3 guts.  a backbone, bravery, boldness,
             audacity, pluck, courage, determination, daring, spirit, grit,
             mettle, gumption, nerve, intestinal fortitude, Colloq spunk,
             gutsiness, Slang Brit bottle, Taboo balls:  He hasn't the guts
             to tell the boss what he thinks of him.  b integrity,
             will-power, stamina, endurance, forcefulness, dynamism:  It
             takes real guts to stand up for your rights.

             --v.  4 disembowel, eviscerate, draw, dress, clean:  It will
             take hours to gut all these fish.  5 ransack, pillage, plunder,
             sack, despoil, strip, ravage, loot, rifle, Rare depredate; clean
             out, devastate, empty:  The building was completely gutted by
             the fire.

             --adj.  6 basic, heartfelt, instinctive, instinctual, intuitive,
             visceral, deep-seated, emotional:  My gut reaction is to refuse
             the offer.

   guttersnipe
             n.  waif, (street) Arab, (street) urchin, ragamuffin, brat,
             gamin, rogue, Colloq Brit rare mudlark:  That little guttersnipe
             stole my wallet!

   guy       n.  1 man, lad, youth, boy, fellow, person, Colloq chap, geezer,
             Brit bloke, Slang gink, cat, customer, US dude, Old-fashioned
             gazabo or gazebo:  Clarence is a pretty nice guy.

             --v.  2 mock, ridicule, make fun of, caricature, satirize, poke
             fun at, lampoon, Colloq rib, take off, Brit send up:  We put on
             a show at school in which we guyed the teachers.

7.10 gyrate
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   gyrate    v.  rotate, spin, revolve, turn (round or about), whirl, twirl,
             swirl, pirouette; swivel:  The dancers were gyrating to the
             deafening music.

8.0 H
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8.1 habit...
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   habit     n.  1 custom, routine, practice, convention, policy, pattern,
             usage, mode, rule, wont, praxis:  Jogging every morning had
             become a habit. She is a creature of habit. 2 tendency,
             disposition, manner, practice, way, custom, inclination, bent,
             predisposition, second nature, frame of mind, attitude,
             penchant, propensity, proclivity; addiction, compulsion:  This
             kettle has a habit of leaking. Try to control your bad habits.
             3 attire, clothing, dress, apparel, clothes, garb, costume,
             garments, vestments, uniform, raiment, livery, regalia,
             habiliment(s), Colloq gear:  She was disguised in a monk's
             habit.

   habitable adj.  liveable, inhabitable:  With some effort, two rooms were
             made habitable.

   habitat   n.  abode, home, haunt, domain, range, territory, bailiwick,
             realm, terrain, element, environment, surroundings, Colloq
             stamping-ground:  The winter habitat of the monarch butterfly is
             in northern Mexico.  Curtis doesn't function well outside his
             natural habitat.

   habitual  adj.  1 settled, fixed, customary, usual, conventional,
             accustomed, set, rooted, established, traditional, standard,
             routine, ritual, regular, normal, wonted, common, ordinary,
             natural:  He follows his habitual practice of rising at dawn.  2
             inveterate, established, chronic, confirmed, hardened,
             ingrained, frequent, persistent, constant, continual, perpetual:
             Many English people are habitual tea-drinkers.

   habitu‚   n.  frequenter, patron, regular customer, Colloq regular:  Larry
             has been a habitu‚ of The Bell Inn for 20 years.

   hack°     v.  1 chop, hew, lacerate, gash, slash, cut; mangle, butcher,
             mutilate, ruin, destroy, smash, batter, damage, deface:  He
             hacked the furniture to pieces with an axe.  2 bark, cough:  She
             was disgusted by the man's hacking and spitting.

             --n.  3 cut, gash, slash, chop:  He took a hack at the log with
             his hatchet.

   hackэ     n.  1 drudge, penny-a-liner, scribbler, Grub Street writer:  We
             made a mistake hiring that hack as a feature writer.  2 plodder,
             drudge, toiler, menial, flunkey, lackey, slave, Brit fag, Slang
             grind, Brit swot:  Fergus gets good grades because he's such a
             hack.  3 saddle-horse, riding-horse, hackney, Archaic palfrey:
             The hack was a fine bay mare.

             --adj.  4 hackneyed, trite, banal, overdone, commonplace,
             routine, stereotyped, stock, tired, tedious, mediocre,
             overworked, stale, unoriginal, run-of-the-mill, humdrum,
             moth-eaten, mouldy, Colloq old hat:  Haverstock keeps publishing
             hack romances.

   hag       n.  crone, fury, witch, ogress, gorgon, harpy, fishwife,
             harridan, shrew, virago, termagant, vixen, hell-cat, maenad or
             menad, Xanthippe, Archaic beldam; dog, beast, monster; Colloq
             battleaxe, Slang bitch, bag, US two-bagger:  Perseus met the
             Graeae, three old hags with one eye that they passed among them.

   haggard   adj.  gaunt, drawn, wasted, emaciated, hollow-eyed,
             hollow-cheeked, scrawny, scraggy, ghastly, cadaverous, run-down,
             wearied, weary, careworn, spent, played out, exhausted,
             toil-worn, worn, shrunken, withered:  She looked haggard, as if
             she hadn't slept for a week.

   haggle    v.  wrangle, bargain, higgle, bicker, chaffer, palter, dispute,
             squabble, quibble, negotiate; barter, deal; Colloq US dicker:
             However little you ask for the lamp, she's sure to haggle over
             the price.

   hail°     v.  1 greet, accost, address, signal, call:  Robert hailed us
             from across the road.  2 cheer, salute, applaud, approve,
             glorify, praise, laud, honour, acclaim, congratulate,
             felicitate, acknowledge:  He was hailed by all for his
             charitable work.

   hailэ     v.  1 rain or beat or shower (down) on, bombard, pelt, volley,
             barrage:  Rocks and debris hailed down on us from the cliffs
             above.

             --n.  2 volley, storm, shower, torrent, bombardment, barrage:
             They were greeted by a hail of abuse when they entered the
             meeting hall.

   hair      n.  1 tresses, locks, mane, curls, ringlets; braids, plaits:
             You will recognize her by her red hair.  2 hair's breadth,
             whisker, trifle, fraction, skin of one's teeth:  He won the race
             by a hair.

   hairdo    n.  coiffure, hairstyle, cut, coif:  Your hairdo is very
             becoming.

   hairless  adj.  bald, bald-headed, bald-pated, glabrous, calvous:  She
             finds hairless men rather sexy.

   hair-splitting
             adj.  quibbling, (over-)fussy, hypercritical, petty, captious,
             carping, fault-finding, finicky, (over)nice, fastidious,
             cavilling, niggling, Colloq nit-picking:  His hair-splitting
             attention to detail gets on my nerves.

   hairy     adj.  1 hirsute, shaggy, downy, fleecy, fluffy, woolly, lanate
             or lanose, lanuginous or lanuginose, bristly, setaceous, setal,
             hispid, comate or comose, fringy, crinite, trichoid, strigose or
             strigous, strigillose; whiskered, bewhiskered, bearded, barbate,
             unshaven:  The creature had a very hairy face.  2 tricky,
             dangerous, perilous, risky, uncertain, precarious, hazardous,
             frightening, worrying, nerve-racking or nerve-wracking, Colloq
             scary:  The situation at the office has become very hairy.  3
             tangled, intricate, knotty, complex, complicated, difficult,
             problematic, confused, confusing:  The exam contained some hairy
             questions.

   hale      adj.  healthy, hearty, fit (as a fiddle), sound, able-bodied,
             hardy, wholesome, robust, flourishing, in good or fine fettle,
             in the pink:  Her grandmother was as hale and hearty as ever.

   half-hearted
             adj.  indifferent, uncaring, unconcerned, lukewarm,
             uninterested, dispassionate, cool, unenthusiastic, half-baked,
             nonchalant, phlegmatic, lackadaisical, insouciant:  The council
             has made only a half-hearted effort to solve the problem.

   halfwit   n.  dunce, fool, idiot, simpleton, ninny, ass, ninny-hammer,
             moron, imbecile, dolt, dunderhead or dunderpate, rattle-brain,
             nincompoop, dullard, Colloq numskull or numbskull, nitwit,
             dim-wit, birdbrain, Brit nit, twit:  He's such a halfwit, he can
             hardly expect me to give him a job!

   halfwitted
             adj.  stupid, foolish, silly, simple, inane, asinine, moronic,
             imbecilic, doltish, rattle-brained, feeble-minded, attocerebral,
             cretinous, thick, non compos mentis, dim-witted, weak-minded,
             Colloq dumb, Brit dotty, barmy (in the crumpet):  She had some
             halfwitted idea that she would win the lottery.

   hall      n.  1 corridor, hallway, passageway, passage; foyer, entry,
             entry-way, lobby, vestibule:  Let us step out into the hall for
             a brief word.  2 auditorium, assembly or meeting or convention
             hall, theatre, amphitheatre, hired hall; lecture-room,
             lecture-hall, classroom:  We hired a hall for the wedding
             reception.

   hallmark  n.  1 authentication, verification, seal or stamp (of
             authenticity or approval), mark, device, sign, symbol;
             plate-mark; assay-mark:  From this hallmark we know when and
             where the piece was made, by whom, and its degree of purity.
             Surprise endings are the hallmark of O. Henry's short stories. 2
             feature, stamp, mark, earmark, trade mark, characteristic,
             identification:  From his hallmark, a tiny axe, you can tell
             that the painting is a genuine Fellworthy.

   hallow    v.  1 consecrate, bless, sanctify, dedicate, honour, enshrine,
             glorify:  Englishmen look upon this battlefield as hallowed
             ground.  2 venerate, worship, revere, reverence, respect,
             honour, pay homage or respect or honour to, exalt:  We must
             observe the hallowed traditions of the university.

   hallucination
             n.  fantasy, mirage, day-dream, illusion, delusion, vision,
             dream, aberration, chimera, phantasm, phantom, figment of the
             imagination, apparition, spectre, ghost; par‘sthesia:  Alone at
             sea for a fortnight, I began having hallucinations.

   halo      n.  nimbus, aura, aureole or aureola, corona, radiance, Painting
             vesica, mandorla; ring, disc, circle, annulation, annulus:  The
             saints can be identified by the golden halos round their heads.

   halt      n.  1 stop, standstill, end, termination, close, stoppage,
             cessation:  We must call a halt to absenteeism in the factory.

             --v.  2 stop, quit, end, terminate, cease, check, curb, stem,
             discontinue, desist, bring or come or draw to an end or close,
             put an end or stop to, conclude, shut or close down or up:  We
             halted when we came to the river. The guerrillas halted the
             armoured column at the pass.

   halting   adj.  hesitant, hesitating, wavering, shifting, uneven,
             faltering, stumbling, faulty, unsteady, awkward, stammering,
             stuttering:  He told her in halting English that there was no
             news of her friend.

   hamper°   v.  slow, balk or baulk, delay, hold up, retard, inhibit,
             encumber, hinder, obstruct, block, impede, prevent, interfere
             with, frustrate, restrict, curb, limit, handicap, restrain,
             trammel, bar, barricade, shackle, clog, curtail, lessen, reduce,
             diminish:  Ice floes hampered their further progress.

   hamperэ   n.  basket, pannier, creel, Brit punnet; hanaper, Dialectal
             skep:  A hamper arrived from Fortnum's, packed full of
             delicacies such as foie gras and peaches in brandy.

   hand      n.  1 Slang mitt, paw, US lunch-hook:  Keep your hands off me,
             you oaf!  2 help, aid, assistance, helping hand, relief, boost;
             leg up:  Please give me a hand with this trunk.  3 influence,
             agency, participation, involvement, part, share:  Did you have a
             hand in my getting the appointment?  4 (manual) labourer,
             worker, workman, man, help, employee:  It's getting harder to
             find hands for the farm.  5 pointer, indicator, index:  The
             minute hand covers the hour hand at noon and midnight.  6 (round
             of) applause, ovation, clap:  Give the lad a hand for trying.  7
             handwriting, penmanship, script; calligraphy:  The writing was
             in a hand that she could not recognize.  8 Often, hands.
             control, hold, grasp, possession, custody, clutches, keeping,
             power, disposal, jurisdiction, authority, supervision,
             management, guardianship, care:  At last, the government is in
             the hands of the people.  9 at hand. nearby, close, near, close
             by, handy, (readily) available, to or on hand, at one's
             fingertips, convenient, within (arm's) reach, accessible,
             present; approaching, imminent, around the corner:  He always
             kept a pistol at hand. The Day of Judgement is at hand.  10 hand
             in glove. hand in hand, in league, together, in collusion,
             collusively, connivingly, conspiringly, intimately, closely,
             jointly, Colloq in cahoots:  An informer is working hand in
             glove with the police.  11 hand in hand. together, side by side,
             hand in glove:  They walked hand in hand down the road.  12
             hand-over-fist. quickly, speedily, rapidly, swiftly, steadily,
             like mad:  He makes money hand-over-fist in the stock market.
             13 hands down. easily, readily, effortlessly:  He can win the
             marathon hands down.

             --v.  14 give, pass, deliver, present to or with:  Please hand
             me the hammer.  15 hand down or on or over.  a bequeath, will,
             pass on; transfer, turn over:  The farm has been handed down
             from father to son for seven generations.  b See 18 (a), below.
             16 hand in. submit, give in, tender, proffer, offer:  I handed
             in my resignation.  17 hand out. distribute, disseminate, pass
             out or round or around, give out, deal (out), mete or dole out,
             dispense; disburse:  She was handing out leaflets to passers-by.
             18 hand over.  a deliver, submit, yield, give up, surrender,
             turn over; transfer:  The man produced a gun and told the
             cashier to hand over the money.  b See 15 (a), above.

   handcuffs n.pl.  manacles, shackles, Colloq cuffs, bracelets, Slang Brit
             darbies:  The police put handcuffs on them all.

   handful   n.  1 few, couple, sprinkling, small number; fistful:  Only a
             handful of restaurants are open that late. He gave the beggar a
             handful of change. 2 (behaviour or disciplinary) problem,
             bother, mischief-maker, troublemaker, nuisance:  Timothy was a
             real handful when he was five.

   handicap  n.  1 hindrance, restraint, encumbrance, restriction,
             limitation, impediment, barrier, bar, obstacle, (stumbling)
             block, constraint, check, curb, trammel, disability,
             disadvantage:  Did Douglas Bader view the loss of his legs as a
             handicap?

             --v.  2 hinder, hamper, restrain, encumber, restrict, limit,
             impede, bar, block, check, curb, trammel, disable, disadvantage:
             He was severely handicapped by the loss of his sword.

   handily   adv.  1 readily, easily, effortlessly, without strain,
             comfortably, with both hands tied (behind one's back):  Donald
             handily won the first prize in the poetry competition.  2
             skilfully, capably, deftly, cleverly, dexterously, adroitly,
             expertly, proficiently, masterfully:  I could never do that
             intricate work as handily as she.

   handle    n.  1 grip, hilt, handgrip, haft, helve:  Hold it by the handle,
             not the blade.

             --v.  2 feel, touch, finger, hold; caress, fondle, pat:  Be
             careful how you handle that knife.  3 manage, run, operate,
             direct, administer, supervise, oversee, control, command, guide:
             At the age of 26, she was handling all foreign business for the
             company. 4 steer, control, manage, cope with, manoeuvre,
             manipulate:  Are you sure he can handle that horse?  5 deal or
             trade or traffic in, (buy and) sell, market:  The gang was found
             to be handling stolen goods worth millions every month. 6 treat,
             control, deal with, cope with:  She handled the customers with
             the utmost tact and respect.  7 treat, employ, use, utilize;
             deal with, wield, tackle, manipulate:  Don't you admire how she
             handled the perspective in this painting?

   handsome  adj.  1 good-looking, fine-looking, attractive, fair, comely:
             He's handsome enough to be a movie star.  2 generous, sizeable,
             large, big, substantial, considerable, good, goodly, ample,
             abundant:  She has made a handsome profit on the painting.

   handy     adj.  1 nearby, accessible, available, at or on or to hand,
             close (by), convenient, at one's fingertips, within (easy)
             reach, (at the) ready:  Because of the recent break-ins, she
             keeps a pistol handy.  2 usable, serviceable, manoeuvrable,
             clever, useful, helpful, practical:  A pair of pliers and a
             screwdriver are the handiest tools.  3 deft, clever, dexterous,
             adroit, adept, skilled, skilful, proficient, expert:  Aunt Sara
             is very handy with a needle and thread.

   hang      v.  1 suspend, depend, dangle; be poised or suspended, hover,
             swing:  Hang the lantern from this branch. The laundry was
             hanging on the line. 2 gibbet, send to the gallows, lynch,
             execute, kill, Colloq string up, stretch:  They hanged two
             murderers this morning.  3 drape, fall:  The skirt isn't hanging
             straight.  4 hang about or around.  a loiter, wait, linger,
             dally, idle, tarry , Colloq hang out:  He hangs about after
             school every day, waiting for Susan.  b Also, hang about or
             around (with). frequent, haunt, visit, spend time at; associate
             with, socialize with, hobnob with, rub elbows with, consort
             with, fraternize with, mix or mingle with, Colloq hang out
             (with):  He hangs about the Golden Crown. I saw him hanging
             around with some pretty unsavoury characters. 5 hang back
             (from). be reluctant, recoil (from), shrink (from), hesitate,
             falter, stay away (from):  Move to the front of the queue and
             don't hang back.  6 hang fire. be delayed, remain unsettled or
             unfinished, be in suspense or abeyance; stall, hold up, delay:
             The decision will hang fire till after the election.  7 hang on.
             a Also, hang on to. hold on (to), cling (to), clutch, grip,
             grasp, grab:  Hang on to me when we're crossing the street.  b
             wait, stay, stop:  Hang on a minute - what did you call me?  c
             wait, persist, remain, carry on, persevere, go on, hold out,
             endure, hold the phone, Colloq US hang in there:  Hang on a
             minute, I have to put down the phone to get a pencil.  d Also,
             hang on to or upon. listen carefully or attentively, give one's
             undivided attention, be rapt:  She hung on every word the guru
             uttered.  e depend or rely (on), be dependent or contingent
             (on), be subject (to), be conditioned or conditional (on):  The
             entire project now hangs on their approval of the budget.  8
             hang one's head. be ashamed or humiliated or abashed or humbled
             or embarrassed:  She hung her head as the store detective
             confronted her with the stolen goods. 9 hang out. See 5 (a),
             above.  10 hang over. be put off or postponed or delayed:  We
             must first deal with matters hanging over from our last meeting.
             11 hang together.  a unite, be united, be as one, stick
             together, join forces, cooperate, act in concert or harmony:  We
             must hang together or we shall hang separately.  b make sense,
             be logical, be consistent, correspond, match (up), cohere, be
             coherent:  The statements issued yesterday and today just don't
             hang together.  12 hang up. break the connection, disconnect,
             cut off, put down the receiver:  Whenever a salesman phones, I
             simply hang up.

   hanger-on n.  follower, dependant, leech, parasite, toady, sycophant,
             yes-man, Colloq scrounger, US freeloader, Slang groupie, sponger
             or sponge:  The rock star came in, surrounded by his hangers-on.

   hangman   n.  executioner, Archaic Brit Jack Ketch:  The hangman, a black
             hood concealing his identity, slipped the noose over the
             prisoner's head.

   hanker    v.  Usually, hanker after or for. yearn for, long for, thirst
             after or for, hunger after or for, itch for, pine for, lust
             after or for, covet, crave, have a hankering for, want, desire,
             fancy, Colloq have a yen for:  She hankered after a big box of
             chocolates.

   hanky-panky
             n.  mischief, trickery, double-dealing, legerdemain, deception,
             duplicity, chicanery, naughtiness, foolishness, tomfoolery,
             Colloq funny business, jiggery-pokery, monkey business,
             shenanigans, goings-on, antics:  He'd best not try any of his
             hanky-panky with the tax inspector.

   haphazard adj.  1 random, arbitrary, chance, fortuitous, aleatory,
             accidental, unforeseen, unlooked-for, unexpected, adventitious,
             serendipitous:  Her fate was to be decided by a haphazard throw
             of the dice.  2 casual, offhand, hit-or-miss, unsystematic,
             slapdash, slipshod, careless, disorganized, disorderly:  He took
             some haphazard shots at the target.

   happen    v.  1 occur, take place, come about, go on, come to pass,
             develop; betide, chance, prove, materialize, Colloq transpire,
             come off, Slang cook:  What is happening? As it happens,
             everyone has already left.  2 befall, become of:  What will
             happen to me if I refuse?  3 happen on or upon. come upon,
             chance or hit on or upon, stumble on or upon, find, turn up,
             encounter, meet with:  It was then that I happened on an old
             letter of his.

   happening n.  event, incident, occurrence, occasion, taking place,
             circumstance, chance, episode, phenomenon:  Such a conjunction
             of the planets is a very rare happening.

   happily   adv.  1 fortunately, luckily, propitiously, providentially,
             opportunely:  Happily, she made a full recovery and was soon
             back at work.  2 joyfully, joyously, delightedly, gleefully,
             cheerily, cheerfully, gaily, merrily, blithely;
             enthusiastically, heartily:  She waved happily as they drove
             off.  3 gladly, with pleasure, agreeably, contentedly,
             willingly, peaceably:  And they both lived happily ever after.

   happiness n.  pleasure, delight, felicity, enjoyment, joy, joyousness,
             joyfulness, jubilation, cheerfulness, cheeriness, cheer,
             blithesomeness, gladness, light-heartedness, exhilaration,
             elation, exuberance, high spirits, glee, ecstasy:  My happiness
             at seeing you again was unbounded.

   happy     adj.  1 pleased, delighted, glad, joyous, joyful, overjoyed,
             jubilant, cheerful, cheery, blithe, blithesome, glad,
             light-hearted, contented, exhilarated, exultant, cock-a-hoop,
             elated, exuberant, thrilled, gleeful, euphoric, ecstatic,
             satisfied, gratified, Colloq on top of the world, on cloud nine,
             pleased as Punch, tickled pink, Brit in the seventh heaven, over
             the moon, US in seventh heaven:  Her parents were happy that
             Georgina was married at last.  2 lucky, fortuitous, propitious,
             fortunate, auspicious, advantageous, beneficial, favourable,
             felicitous, opportune, timely, well-timed, apt, appropriate:  By
             a happy chance, we were in Bermuda at the same time.

   harangue  n.  1 diatribe, tirade, oration, peroration, declamation,
             philippic, screed, exhortation, vituperation, rodomontade,
             speech, address, Colloq spiel:  This morning he delivered a
             ten-minute harangue on the weakness of the coffee.

             --v.  2 declaim, hold forth, preach, lecture, sermonize,
             pontificate, vituperate, rant and rave:  Our neighbour is always
             haranguing her husband about trimming the hedges.

   harass    v.  badger, harry, hector, trouble, torment, bother, exasperate,
             hound, plague, persecute, vex, annoy, irritate, pester, worry,
             beset, bait, nag, pick on or at, tease, torture, Brit chivvvy or
             chivy or chevy:  The police harass me by turning up at all hours
             for 'help with their inquiries'.

   harbinger n.  forerunner, herald, precursor, omen, foretoken, sign,
             portent, augury:  The crowing cock is the harbinger of dawn.

   harbour   n.  1 port, (safe) haven, anchorage, mooring:  We sailed into
             the harbour just as the storm broke.

             --v.  2 shelter, keep safe, protect, shield, guard, safeguard,
             conceal, hide:  They were found guilty of harbouring a known
             fugitive.  3 cherish, foster, nurture, nurse, keep, retain,
             maintain, hold, cling to:  She harbours a grudge against whoever
             set the fire.

   hard      adj.  1 rigid, stiff, solid, inflexible, firm, dense, condensed,
             compressed, close, solidified, hardened; stony, rocklike,
             concrete, petrified, granite(-like), flinty, steely; tough,
             rugged, leathery, callous; unyielding, adamant(ine),
             impenetrable, obdurate, impervious, impregnable:  The cement
             gets hard in an hour. This steak is as hard as shoe-leather.
             The metal was so hard that I broke three drills trying to make a
             hole in it. 2 difficult, laborious, arduous, back-breaking,
             burdensome, onerous, fatiguing, tiring, exhausting, wearying,
             strenuous, tough, toilsome:  Laying track for the railway is a
             very hard job.  3 difficult, perplexing, knotty, puzzling,
             baffling, enigmatic, intricate, complicated, complex, tangled,
             involved, thorny, incomprehensible, inscrutable, unsolvable,
             insoluble, Colloq tough:  There were a lot of hard questions in
             the exam.  4 stern, cold, callous, intractable, exacting,
             strict, demanding, hard-hearted, stony-hearted, severe,
             tyrannical, despotic, dictatorial, magisterial, oppressive,
             cruel, ruthless, pitiless, merciless, savage, brutal, brutish,
             inhuman, heartless, harsh, unkind, implacable, unsympathetic,
             dispassionate, uncompassionate, unfeeling, obdurate, indurate;
             unsentimental, insensitive, thick-skinned, tough, hard-boiled,
             stony, hardbitten, unfeeling, unsparing:  Hemel is a hard
             taskmaster. Of the prison warders, each was harder than the
             next. He advocates taking a hard line against white-collar
             crime. 5 bad, difficult, grievous, calamitous, racking,
             disastrous, dark, grim, distressing, devastating, agonizing,
             painful, unpleasant, severe, austere, Colloq tough, rough:  The
             years of the Great Depression were hard for everyone.  6 cool,
             unemotional, calculating, uncompromising, methodical, critical,
             systematic, practical, pragmatic, businesslike, realistic,
             penetrating, searching, hard-headed, Colloq tough, hard-nosed:
             Shareholders should take a hard look at the annual report.
             Chapelle drives a hard bargain. 7 sedulous, assiduous, devoted,
             conscientious, industrious, indefatigable, untiring, persistent,
             dogged, intent, eager, zealous, ardent, energetic, keen, avid:
             Galpin is a very hard worker who gets a lot done.  8 cold, bare,
             plain, straight, straightforward, blunt, unvarnished,
             unquestionable, verifiable, real, indisputable, undeniable,
             incontestable, incontrovertible, strict, inescapable,
             ineluctable, unavoidable, unalterable, immutable:  The hard fact
             is that the bill has never been paid.  9 angry, bitter,
             acrimonious, hostile, antagonistic, harsh, unpleasant,
             unfriendly:  I'm afraid there were some hard words between us.
             10 spirituous, alcoholic, strong:  She won't touch hard liquor.
             11 addictive, habit-forming:  He later changed from marijuana to
             hard drugs.  12 sharp, well-defined, clear, distinct, stark,
             definite:  Note the hard edges of objects in Realist paintings.

             --adv.  13 vigorously, forcefully, forcibly, energetically,
             mightily, arduously, laboriously, strenuously, earnestly,
             actively, dynamically, eagerly, intensely, ardently, heartily,
             zealously, intently, spiritedly, diligently, assiduously,
             sedulously, studiously, determinedly, steadfastly,
             conscientiously, industriously, devotedly, urgently,
             persistently, untiringly, indefatigably, perseveringly,
             unfalteringly, relentlessly, doggedly:  They always had to work
             very hard just to scrape by. He's hard at work writing his new
             book. 14 violently, deeply, intensely, badly, distressingly,
             painfully, severely, agonizingly:  Failing the examination hit
             him quite hard.  15 intently, carefully, earnestly:  The judge
             thought long and hard before passing sentence.  16 harshly,
             severely, badly, ill:  It's going to go hard with her if she
             doesn't change her ways.  17 hard up. poor, indigent,
             poverty-stricken, impoverished, penniless, impecunious,
             bankrupt, Colloq in the red, broke, bust(ed), on one's uppers,
             Slang Brit skint:  He's so hard up he can't afford a decent
             meal.

   harden    v.  1 set, solidify, stiffen, freeze:  The concrete will harden
             overnight.  2 intensify, strengthen, brace, fortify, toughen,
             reinforce, stiffen:  The opposition have hardened their stand
             against privatization.

   hardly    adv.  scarcely, barely, only, just, only just; not quite, by no
             means; seldom, rarely:  I hardly knew her. There was hardly
             enough to eat. He hardly ever visits his old mum any more.

   hardship  n.  want, privation, deprivation, suffering, misery, distress,
             affliction, adversity, austerity, misfortune, unhappiness, ill
             fortune, bad luck, difficulty, trouble:  The hardship of
             frontier life has never been fully described.

   hardware  n.  1 tools, metal goods, Brit ironmongery:  Go down to the
             hardware shop for some nails.  2 (computer) equipment,
             components, devices, machinery; arms, munitions, armament(s),
             mat‚riel:  We need the personnel to operate the hardware.

   hardy     adj.  1 robust, sturdy, strong, rugged, tough, durable, sound,
             stalwart, stout, vigorous, able-bodied, red-blooded, fit, hale,
             healthy, Colloq husky:  The pioneers were hardy souls.  2 bold,
             courageous, daring, valorous, valiant, brave, manly, intrepid,
             fearless, heroic, plucky:  He was among the hardy sailors who
             went with Magellan.

   hare-brained
             adj.  1 rash, foolhardy, wild, madcap, reckless, heedless,
             improvident, visionary, fanciful, airy, Colloq crackpot:  Don't
             put money into any of Zenobia's hare-brained schemes.  2
             foolish, silly, inane, asinine, flighty, witless, brainless,
             mindless, giddy, frivolous, scatterbrained:  Such hare-brained
             behaviour is not expected in two sober adults.

   harm      n.  1 injury, damage, mischief, hurt, abuse, misfortune:  A
             bodyguard was hired to see that no harm would come to her.  2
             evil, wrongdoing, wickedness, iniquity, wrong, badness:  I meant
             no harm when I told Phoebe that her husband was having dinner
             with Kathy.

             --v.  3 hurt, damage, injure, abuse, maltreat, wound:  She
             insists that her pet viper would never harm her.

   harmful   adj.  dangerous, pernicious, deleterious, destructive, damaging,
             bad, detrimental, injurious; unhealthy, noxious, baleful, toxic,
             poisonous, venomous, Archaic baneful:  Do you really think that
             Barbara has had a harmful influence on him? That substance can
             be harmful if swallowed.

   harmless  adj.  benign, innocuous, inoffensive, gentle, mild, innocent,
             safe; non-toxic, non-poisonous, non-venomous:  Pay no attention
             to such harmless gossip. It is impossible to identify harmless
             snakes by sight.

   harmonious
             adj.  agreeable, compatible, congruous, consonant, in accord,
             congenial, complementary, sympathetic, concordant, Colloq
             simpatico:  Our careers have always been harmonious.

   harmony   n.  1 agreement, accord, concord, compatibility, rapport,
             unanimity, unity:  The purpose is to promote harmony among the
             warring factions.  2 consonance, congruity, balance,
             orderliness, closeness, togetherness, consistency, fitness,
             parallelism:  A sense of harmony can be felt among the European
             nations.  3 melodiousness, euphony, tunefulness:  Their voices
             are in perfect harmony.

   harrowing adj.  distressing, vexing, alarming, unnerving, frightening,
             terrifying, horrifying, horrible, torturous, chilling,
             heart-rending, nerve-racking or nerve-wracking, traumatic,
             agonizing, painful; disturbing, upsetting, worrying, worrisome,
             disconcerting, daunting, dismaying, disquieting:  Waiting for
             the rescue team to release me was a harrowing experience.

   harsh     adj.  1 rough, coarse, bristly, scratchy, hairy, crude; hoarse,
             grating, raucous, rasping, husky, guttural; clashing,
             inharmonious or unharmonious, discordant, atonal, dissonant,
             cacophonous, strident, shrill, grinding, sour; bitter, sour,
             acrid:  He found harsh the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of
             the Casbah.  2 stern, austere, bleak, dour, unkind, unfeeling,
             comfortless, uncompassionate, unfriendly, grim, hard, Spartan,
             stringent, over-exacting, Draconian, tyrannical, stark, severe,
             cruel, abusive, punishing, punitive, brutal, brutish, inhuman,
             merciless, ruthless, pitiless:  Simon is a very harsh
             taskmaster.  3 unpleasant, disagreeable, impolite, discourteous,
             uncivil, rude, nasty, curt, abrupt, brusque, bluff, gruff,
             curmudgeonly, choleric, splenetic, surly, sullen, irascible,
             short-tempered, petulant, peevish, waspish, grouchy, bilious,
             cross, acrimonious, sarcastic, acerbic:  Why is Maria so harsh
             to Alan?

   harvest   n.  1 crop, yield, produce, output, fruit; vintage:  If we get
             enough rain, the harvest should be good this year.

             --v.  2 reap, gather, pick, glean, collect:  The oranges are
             harvested while they are still greenish.  3 earn, make, take in,
             collect, garner, get, receive, obtain, procure, net:  They
             harvest huge profits from slot machines.

   hash      n.  1 mixture, confusion, hotchpotch or US and Canadian
             hodgepodge, pot-pourri, gallimaufry, farrago, mishmash, jumble,
             mess, shambles, olla podrida, m‚lange, medley:  The building is
             a hash of a dozen architectural styles.  2 fiasco, disaster,
             botch, mess, Slang Brit balls-up, US snafu:  The council really
             made a hash of its housing policy.

             --v.  3 Often, hash up. mangle, mess or mix up, make a hash or
             mess or jumble of, muddle, bungle, botch, mishandle, mismanage,
             ruin, spoil, butcher, Colloq foul or louse up, screw up, muff,
             Brit bugger up:  Our plans for a holiday have been all hashed
             up.

   haste     n.  1 swiftness, rapidity, quickness, speed, velocity,
             expedition, urgency, dispatch or despatch, alacrity, celerity,
             briskness:  We must return to Baker Street with all haste,
             Watson.  2 hurry, rush, rashness, hastiness, hustle, bustle,
             impetuousness or impetuosity, recklessness, precipitancy:  Haste
             makes waste.

   hasten    v.  1 hurry, rush, make haste, fly, run, sprint, race, bolt,
             dash, scurry, scamper, scuttle, speed:  He hastened forward to
             greet her.  2 hurry (up), speed (up), dispatch or despatch,
             send, move, quicken, accelerate, expedite, rush, impel, urge:
             Is there any way to hasten delivery of the mail?

   hastily   adv.  1 quickly, speedily, swiftly, rapidly, at once,
             immediately, instantaneously, promptly, without delay, right
             away, straight away, post-haste, hurriedly, directly, suddenly,
             in haste, precipitately, on the spur of the moment, in a flash
             or wink, before you can say 'Jack Robinson', Colloq pronto, like
             a shot, like greased lightning, US lickety-split, Slang p.d.q.
             (= 'pretty damned quick'):  She left hastily when I asked for
             the return of the loan.  2 impetuously, impulsively, rashly,
             recklessly, unthinkingly, thoughtlessly, heedlessly,
             incautiously:  This is a trick question, so don't answer
             hastily.

   hasty     adj.  1 quick, speedy, swift, rapid, fast, brisk, prompt,
             immediate, instantaneous:  He made a hasty departure so as not
             to be late.  2 careless, rash, precipitate, impetuous,
             impulsive, reckless, thoughtless, unthinking, incautious,
             heedless, ill-considered, inconsiderate:  His was a hasty
             decision.  3 quick, speedy, cursory, superficial, fleeting,
             passing, slapdash, perfunctory, momentary, brief:  I had a hasty
             look at the contract, which seemed all right.  4 irritable,
             quick-tempered, irascible, testy, passionate, impatient,
             hot-tempered, petulant, waspish, volatile, contentious,
             choleric, splenetic, bearish, short-tempered, US and Canadian
             and Irish cranky:  Grandfather needn't have been so hasty with
             the poor child.

   hatch     v.  1 breed, brood, incubate, bring forth:  The normal clutch of
             three eggs is hatched in a fortnight.  2 devise, contrive,
             concoct, design, formulate, originate, invent, dream up, Colloq
             cook up:  Two of them hatched a scheme to discredit me.

   hate      v.  1 loathe, abhor, detest, have an aversion to, be averse to,
             abominate, dislike, execrate, despise, scorn:  I hate the smell
             of petrol, it really turns my stomach.  2 be loath, be reluctant
             or unwilling or disinclined; resist, shrink or flinch from,
             dislike, shrink from:  I hate to tell you what I really think.
             She hated revealing Bill's affair to his wife.

             --n.  3 hatred, abhorrence, loathing, odium, animosity, animus,
             antipathy, aversion, hostility, antagonism, malice, enmity,
             detestation:  He didn't believe he could feel so much hate for
             one person.

   hateful   adj.  1 loathsome, detestable, abhorrent, horrid, horrible,
             abominable, odious, execrable, despicable, scurvy, obnoxious,
             heinous, foul, contemptible, repugnant, repulsive, repellent,
             revolting, vile:  No vice is universally so hateful as
             ingratitude.  2 malignant, malefic, malevolent, malicious, evil,
             mean, spiteful, contemptuous:  She gave me a hateful glance.

   haughty   adj.  arrogant, proud, superior, self-important, smug,
             self-satisfied, complacent, pretentious, conceited, egotistical,
             snobbish, overbearing, lofty, presumptuous, overweening,
             patronizing, supercilious, vain, condescending, contemptuous,
             belittling, derisive, disdainful, scornful, Colloq highfalutin
             or hifalutin, hoity-toity, stuck-up, swell-headed or
             swelled-headed or swollen-headed, high and mighty, on (his or
             her) high horse, snooty, la-di-da or lah-di-dah or la-de-da,
             Slang snotty, uppish, uppity:  She's too haughty to have made
             any friends here.

   haul      v.  1 drag, pull, tug, tow, trail, lug, heave, draw:  Are you
             sure that one horse can haul that load?  2 cart, transport,
             carry, convey, truck, move:  The new vehicles are equipped to
             haul bulk dry goods.

             --n.  3 pull, tug, drag, draw; heave; attraction:  The tides are
             greater under the haul of both sun and moon.  4 catch, take,
             yield, harvest, bag:  We returned with quite a good haul of cod.

   haunt     v.  1 visit, frequent, hang about or around, spend time at, US
             habituate:  She haunts the yacht club, waiting for her ship to
             come in.  2 beset, obsess, plague, torment, trouble, possess,
             prey on:  He is haunted by the fear that she told the police
             everything.

             --n.  3 gathering-place, meeting-place, stamping-ground, Colloq
             hang-out:  She returned to Abergavenny to visit the haunts of
             her youth.

   have      v.  1 possess, own, keep; maintain:  Imelda had more shoes than
             you could count.  2 receive, take, accept, get, obtain, acquire,
             procure, secure, take:  How many gifts did you say she had from
             him?  3 entertain, be struck by:  I have an idea!  4 possess,
             bear, contain, include, comprise:  The night has a thousand
             eyes.  5 suffer with or from, be suffering with or from, be
             experiencing, be undergoing, be enduring, be subjected to:  My
             daughter was really ill when she had measles.  6 arrange,
             organize, set up, prepare; hold:  If I have a party, will you
             come? We shall have our next meeting on Saturday. 7 partake of,
             participate in, experience, enjoy; eat; drink:  I hope you have
             a good time.  8 give birth to, bear, deliver, bring into the
             world; beget, sire, father:  She had three children in as many
             years. How many children has he had? 9 make, demand; force,
             oblige, cause, induce, press, require, compel:  We'll have the
             caterers come at noon.  10 had better or best. ought to, must,
             should:  I had better not drink as I'm driving.  11 had rather
             or sooner. prefer to, would rather or sooner:  I'd rather be
             with you.  12 have on.  a be wearing, be dressed or clothed or
             attired in:  I'll have on the silk nightgown you like so much.
             b be committed to, have planned, have in the offing, have on the
             agenda:  I have something on next Tuesday evening.  c trick,
             tease, deceive, pull (someone's) leg, play a joke on, fool:  Do
             you really love me or are you having me on?

   havoc     n.  1 ruin, devastation, destruction, desolation, rack or wrack
             and ruin, despoliation, spoliation, damage:  Gales of more than
             80 m.p.h. wreaked havoc right across the British Isles. 2
             confusion, chaos, upset, disorder, mayhem, shambles, disruption:
             The railway slow-down created havoc with commuter schedules.

   hazard    n.  1 peril, danger, risk, endangerment, threat, jeopardy:  The
             greatest hazard in sailing single-handed round the world is the
             loneliness. 2 chance, gamble, uncertainty, luck, fortune:  They
             banned all games that depended on hazard.

             --v.  3 venture, dare; gamble, risk, jeopardize, endanger,
             threaten, imperil, stake:  May I hazard a guess as to the origin
             of the word? He hazarded his entire fortune on the turn of a
             card.

   hazardous adj.  unsafe, risky, fraught with danger, questionable, shaky,
             dangerous, precarious, uncertain, unpredictable, parlous,
             ticklish, tricky, Colloq chiefly Brit dicey, dicky or dickey,
             Slang hairy:  It took three months to make the hazardous
             overland journey in those days.

   hazy      adj.  1 misty, foggy, smoggy, cloudy, overcast:  It was so hazy
             that we couldn't see the town a mile away.  2 indistinct,
             blurred, blurry, dull, dim, faint, nebulous, vague, unclear,
             fuzzy, indefinite, muddled:  He has only a hazy idea of the
             plot.

8.2 head...
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   head      n.  1 skull, pate, cranium, Colloq dome, Slang coco(nut),
             belfry, noggin, bean, nut, rocker, noodle, gourd, Brit conk,
             crumpet, noddle, loaf:  She laid her head on the pillow and fell
             sound asleep.  2 chief, leader, administrator, chief executive
             officer, CEO, (managing) director, MD, president, chairman,
             chairwoman, chairlady, chairperson, chair, employer, principal,
             superintendent, supervisor, governor, prime minister,
             headmaster, headmistress, Colloq boss, headman, the man, Brit
             guv'nor, guv, US (chief) honcho; Slang big cheese, US Mr Big:
             The new head has called a meeting of the board of directors.  3
             front, vanguard, forefront, van, fore-part:  At the head of the
             column marched the general himself.  4 aptitude, intellect,
             intelligence, talent, perception, perceptiveness, mentality,
             faculty, flair, genius, brain, mind, wit, Colloq brains, grey
             matter:  I have no head for figures.  5 crisis, apex, (critical
             or turning) point, peak, crest, (fever) pitch, climax,
             culmination, conclusion, crescendo:  Matters have been brought
             to a head because of the coming elections.  6 source, origin,
             fount, font, fountain-head, well-spring:  We were trying to
             reach the head of the stream before nightfall.  7 top, first
             place, leading position, leadership, forefront:  Albert is at
             the head of his class in mathematics.  8 head over heels.
             completely, entirely, deeply, utterly, wholly, fully, Colloq
             madly, wildly:  The two of them are head over heels in love.

             --adj.  9 first, chief, main, principal, leading, premier,
             foremost, prime, pre-eminent, cardinal, paramount, supreme,
             superior, senior:  Alphonse is our new head chef.

             --v.  10 go, move, proceed, turn, steer, aim, point, head for,
             make a beeline for:  I shall head home when I leave here.  11
             head up, be in or take charge (of), direct, supervise, oversee,
             control, govern, run, (take the) lead, guide, manage, command,
             rule, administer, conduct:  Who will head the organization if
             you resign?  12 lead, precede, top:  Charlotte heads the list of
             candidates.  13 head off.  a intercept, divert; cut off, stop,
             block:  The cavalry will head them off at the pass.  b stop,
             forestall, prevent, inhibit, avert, ward or fend off:  What can
             we do to head off inflation?

   headache  n.  1 migraine, Technical cephalalgia:  Hazel says she has a
             headache and cannot come to work today.  2 worry, bother,
             vexation, inconvenience, nuisance, annoyance, problem,
             difficulty, trouble, bane, Colloq pain (in the neck), Slang pain
             in the Brit arse or US ass:  The balance of payments deficit is
             a perpetual headache.

   headway   n.  1 progress, forward motion, improvement:  Headway against
             that current was almost impossible. Any headway to report? 2
             make headway. advance, progress, move forward, go, gain
             (ground), get or go ahead, proceed, get going:  I tried to
             persuade her but haven't made much headway.

   heal      v.  1 cure, repair, renew, revitalize, rejuvenate, restore;
             mend, recuperate, recover, improve:  The wounds have healed. The
             ointment healed his wounds. I heal quickly. 2 reconcile, settle,
             patch up, put or set straight or right, remedy, repair, mend:
             His only wish was to heal the rift with his brother.

   health    n.  1 condition, fitness, trim, fettle, form, constitution:  My
             health has improved enough for me to return to work.  2
             healthiness, haleness, healthfulness, robustness, vigour,
             vigorousness, salubrity, salubriousness, well-being, strength:
             The health of the economy is good.

   healthy   adj.  1 well, fit, trim, in good or fine fettle or shape, in
             good health, robust, hale (and hearty), sturdy, strong,
             vigorous, thriving, flourishing, Colloq in the pink:  How come
             he is so healthy if he smokes?  2 wholesome, healthful,
             salubrious, salutary, beneficial, nourishing, nutritious, tonic,
             bracing:  The answer lies in eating healthy food and living in a
             healthy climate.

   heap      n.  1 collection, pile, mound, stack, accumulation, aggregation,
             agglomeration, congeries, conglomeration, hoard, mass, store,
             mountain, stockpile, supply, Colloq US and Canadian stash:
             Donors contributed a huge heap of clothing for the sale.  2
             Often, heaps. abundance, plethora, superabundance, lot(s),
             plenty, great deal, scores, peck, sea, Colloq lashings, load(s),
             piles, ton(s), raft(s), pots, oodles, scad(s), US and Canadian
             slew:  It was served with heaps of chocolate sauce. Heaps of
             people bought your record. You're in for a heap of trouble.

             --v.  3 collect, gather, harvest, reap, glean, garner, pile
             (up), accumulate, cumulate, aggregate, amass, stockpile, save
             (up), bank, lay by or up or in, set aside, Colloq stash (away):
             In autumn, squirrels heap up their supplies of nuts for the
             winter.  4 shower, load, bestow, give, provide, burden:  The
             grateful prince heaped us with treasure beyond imagination.

   hear      v.  1 perceive, understand, listen (to), attend (to), pay
             attention (to), catch, heed, hark (to):  Please hear what I have
             to say first.  2 understand, learn, discover, find out, gather,
             get wind of, pick up, ascertain, be told or advised or informed:
             I hear you're thinking of resigning.  3 hear of. entertain,
             consider; approve (of), sanction, condone, agree or consent or
             assent to:  I won't hear of your leaving.

   heart     n.  1 Colloq ticker, pump:  The doctor says I have a dicky
             heart.  2 stomach, nerve, courage, bravery, mettle, will,
             boldness, pluck, resolution, determination; callousness,
             insensitivity, heartlessness; Colloq guts, spunk:  I haven't the
             heart to tell him that his hamster died.  3 (basic) nature,
             core, centre, focus, hub, middle, marrow, pith, essence,
             quintessence, nucleus, nub, crux, basics, fundamentals, Colloq
             nitty-gritty:  Let's get down to the heart of the matter.  4
             sincerity, sentiment(s), feeling(s), spirit, verve, enthusiasm:
             She's going through the motions, but her heart isn't in her
             work.  5 humanity, humanitarianism, sympathy, understanding,
             kindness, kindliness, compassion, empathy, goodness,
             consideration, concern, soul, tenderness, magnanimity,
             generosity, sensitivity, sensibility, sentiment, pity,
             (brotherly) love, affection:  Mother Theresa is known for having
             a lot of heart. Have you no heart, Genghis?

   heartbroken
             adj.  broken-hearted, downhearted, dispirited, unhappy,
             miserable, grief-stricken, upset, dejected, heartsick,
             crestfallen, despondent, depressed, disconsolate, distressed,
             woebegone, doleful, sorrowful, mournful, morose, disheartened,
             disappointed, crushed:  Lucy was heartbroken over the loss of
             her locket.

   heartfelt adj.  sincere, honest, genuine, unfeigned, earnest, serious,
             wholehearted, deep, profound, dedicated, devoted, ardent,
             committed, fervent, fervid, hearty, passionate:  It is my
             heartfelt wish that you should succeed.

   heartless adj.  cruel, hard-hearted, callous, unconcerned, inhuman,
             inhumane, unkind, unfeeling, unsympathetic, brutal, cold,
             merciless, pitiless, ruthless, cold-blooded:  Taking away the
             child's toys was a heartless thing to do.

   heart-rending
             adj.  agonizing, distressing, excruciating, bitter, painful,
             heartbreaking, harrowing, piteous, tragic, depressing, poignant:
             Her distress was heart-rending to behold.

   heart-warming
             adj.  1 moving, touching, warming, affecting, uplifting,
             inspiriting, cheering, encouraging:  I heard the heart-warming
             news about Alan's recovery.  2 satisfying, gratifying, pleasing,
             comforting, pleasurable, rewarding:  It was heart-warming to see
             the family together at Christmas.

   hearty    adj.  1 genial, warm, kind-hearted, affectionate, amiable,
             amicable, friendly, affable, cordial, open, convivial:  I was
             greeted by a hearty welcome when I returned.  2 genuine,
             unfeigned, authentic, sincere, heartfelt, warm, wholehearted,
             honest, earnest, devout, stalwart, stout:  Please give Desmond
             my hearty congratulations.  3 enthusiastic, vigorous, energetic,
             eager, zealous, exuberant, robust, active, animated, strong:
             They are hearty supporters of our cause.  4 abundant, ample,
             substantial, solid, sizeable, satisfying, square; nourishing,
             invigorating, strengthening:  On Sundays, we had a hearty meal
             at midday when we could afford it. 5 healthy, hale, vigorous,
             robust, strong, sound:  Well, Eric, now that you're over your
             malaria you appear to be quite hearty.

   heat      n.  1 warmth, warmness, hotness, fever, fieriness, torridity or
             torridness:  The heat of the sun feels good after that cold
             swim.  2 passion, ardour, fervour, fervidness, intensity, fury,
             zeal, zealousness, earnestness, vehemence, eagerness,
             enthusiasm, excitement, tenseness, tension, stress, agitation,
             arousal, impetuosity, stimulation, exhilaration:  If I shouted
             at you in the heat of the moment, I apologize.

             --v.  3 warm (up):  It costs a lot to heat this house.  4 Often,
             heat up. excite, intensify, impassion, inflame, kindle, ignite,
             quicken, inspirit, rouse, awaken or waken, stir, animate,
             stimulate, warm (up), activate, Colloq Brit hot up:  It took a
             while for the debate to heat up.

   heated    adj.  impassioned, excited, intensified, aroused, quickened,
             stimulated, inflamed, vehement, fiery, frenzied, frantic,
             frenetic, passionate, fervent, fervid, ardent, intense, furious,
             stormy, tempestuous, violent; angry, bitter:  There was a heated
             dispute over animal rights, which finally led to blows.

   heathen   n.  1 unbeliever, infidel, pagan, idolater or idolatress,
             polytheist, atheist, nullifidian, sceptic, agnostic, heretic:
             One often finds more mercy in a heathen than in a brother
             Christian.

             --adj.  2 infidel, pagan, atheist(ic), godless, nullifidian,
             sceptic(al), doubting, agnostic, heretical, irreligious:  After
             the missionaries left, the tribe returned to their heathen
             practices. 3 savage, barbarian, barbaric, uncivilized,
             primitive, unenlightened, uncultured, Philistine; polytheistic,
             pantheistic:  Each of these tribesmen carries with him a tiny
             sculptured image of the heathen god.

   heave     v.  1 raise, lift, hoist, haul, pull, draw, tug; move:  We
             heaved in the anchor and made sail.  2 throw, toss, hurl, fling,
             cast, sling, pitch, let fly, send, launch, Colloq peg, chuck:
             When he heaved the sword into the lake a hand rose from the
             waters and caught it. 3 breathe, utter, sigh, groan, moan, gasp:
             We heaved a sigh of relief when we heard that they had been
             found.  4 gag, retch, vomit, be sick, regurgitate, disgorge,
             Colloq throw up, Slang puke, lose one's lunch, return one's
             dinner, US upchuck, spiff one's biscuits:  The smell of petrol
             always makes me heave.

   heaven    n.  1 paradise, bliss, hereafter, nirvana, Abraham's bosom,
             Elysian Fields or Elysium, Valhalla, Zion, happy
             hunting-grounds, Avalon, Isles of the Blessed, the Blessed or
             Fortunate or Happy Isles or Islands:  Will I go to heaven when I
             die?  2 heavens. sky, skies, firmament, Literary welkin,
             empyrean:  The heavens opened and the rain started to pour down.
             3 happiness, bliss, joy, rapture, ecstasy, paradise,
             contentment, seventh heaven, Eden, Garden of Eden, Utopia,
             heaven on earth, paradise on earth:  Darby said that his years
             with Joan had been sheer heaven.

   heavenly  adj.  1 divine, angelic, seraphic, celestial, holy, immortal,
             blessed, beatific, beatified, spiritual, saintly; supernal,
             unearthly, other-worldly, ultramundane, extramundane,
             extraterrestrial:  Alone on the mountain, she heard a heavenly
             voice calling her name. 2 delightful, wonderful, marvellous,
             sublime, paradisiac(al) or paradisaic(al), glorious, splendid,
             superb, exquisite, perfect, ideal, excellent, fantastic,
             rapturous, entrancing, blissful, Colloq gorgeous, divine,
             smashing, great:  Andr‚'s serves a perfectly heavenly lobster
             thermidor.

   heavy     adj.  1 weighty, ponderous, massive, Literary massy; compact,
             dense:  This box is much too heavy for me to lift.  2 abundant,
             overflowing, excessive, copious, profuse, prodigious, ample,
             unmanageable:  We just crawled along in the heavy traffic.  3
             serious, grave, important, crucial, critical, acute:  You always
             bring up heavy topics at the end of the meeting.  4 burdensome,
             onerous, oppressive, weighty, unbearable, severe, grievous,
             distressful, sore, intolerable, insupportable or unsupportable,
             awful:  Teenagers often feel that they are weighed down with
             heavy responsibilities.  5 sad, sorrowful, distressing,
             grievous, upsetting, depressing, gloomy, sombre, melancholy:
             Some heavy news has been received from the front.  6 unhappy,
             miserable, depressed, melancholy, grieving, sad, dejected,
             downhearted, disconsolate, downcast, despondent, gloomy,
             heavy-hearted, morose, crestfallen, cheerless:  Heavy at heart,
             he returned to his cheerless home.  7 ponderous, tedious,
             monotonous, boring, uninteresting, leaden, dull, prosaic, dry,
             dry-as-dust, stodgy, staid, stuffy, stifling, stultifying:  The
             critics found the style much too heavy for the subject being
             treated. 8 thick, coarse, broad, blunt, clumsy, ungraceful:
             These heavy brush-strokes prove that the painting is not a
             Turner.  9 gloomy, cloudy, overcast, bleak, dismal, dreary,
             leaden, grey, dark, louring or lowering, threatening:  it was
             another of Scotland's heavy February days.  10 intense,
             concentrated, severe, forceful, violent, torrential:  The
             snowfall was the heaviest of the year.  11 overweight, fat,
             obese, stout, chubby, plump, corpulent, portly, paunchy, tubby,
             Brit podgy or US pudgy, Colloq beer-bellied:  The doctor did not
             say I was too heavy, only that I ought to be six inches taller.
             12 weighty, difficult, complex, recondite, arcane, deep,
             profound, esoteric, incomprehensible, impenetrable,
             unfathomable:  He specializes in some heavy subject like
             micro-palaeontology.  13 burdened, laden, encumbered, loaded,
             overloaded, weighed down:  We spied two Indiamen, heavy with
             cargoes of spices, sailing towards us.

   heavy-handed
             adj.  1 awkward, clumsy, inept, maladroit, unskilful,
             ungraceful, graceless, bungling:  She made a heavy-handed
             attempt to apologize.  2 autocratic, imperious, magisterial,
             overbearing, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannical, oppressive,
             domineering, iron-handed, harsh, severe:  For more than 30 years
             he exercised heavy-handed control over the country.

   heckle    v.  badger, pester, annoy, irritate, bother, nettle, bait,
             harass, harry, plague, hector, taunt, jeer, Colloq hassle, bug,
             Brit and Australian and New Zealand barrack:  One man kept
             heckling the speaker with persistent interruptions.

   hectic    adj.  feverish, excited, agitated, busy, bustling, rushed,
             hyperactive, over-active, frenzied, frantic, chaotic, wild, mad,
             frenetic, riotous:  What with the new baby and everyone else
             having the flu, I've had a pretty hectic week.

   heed      v.  1 pay attention to, attend, (take or make) note (of), listen
             to, mark, consider, bear in mind; take, follow, obey, mind,
             respect, accept, abide by:  I wish I had heeded her suggestions
             for redecorating the house.  Heeding his advice, I joined the
             army.

             --n.  2 attention, notice, ear, mind, notice, respect,
             consideration, thought:  Let us give heed to the speaker's
             admonitions.

   heedless  adj.  inattentive, uncaring, unmindful, neglectful, unobservant,
             regardless; oblivious, deaf, blind:  Heedless of tradition, they
             replaced the older buildings with council housing.

   heel°     n.  1 end, butt or tail or fag (end), stump, remainder, remnant,
             rind, crust:  You can always freeze the heel of a loaf to use at
             some later date for breadcrumbs. 2 cad, scoundrel, swine, rogue,
             scamp, philanderer, Old-fashioned worm, knave, Chiefly Brit
             blackguard, Colloq Brit rotter, Old-fashioned bounder, Slang
             bastard, Brit sod:  He's an absolute heel - he got her pregnant
             and then left her.  3 down at heel.  US also down at the heels;
             poor, destitute, impoverished, down and out, on (one's) uppers,
             in straitened circumstances; shabby, seedy, dowdy, run-down,
             slovenly, Brit out at elbows, US out at the elbows, Colloq
             broke, strapped:  Farrington looked down at heel, so I slipped
             him a fiver.  4 take to (one's) heels. take flight, flee,
             escape, run off or away, show a clean pair of heels, Colloq
             split, Brit do a moonlight flit, US take a (run-out) powder, fly
             the coop, Australian and New Zealand shoot through:  When I
             mentioned payment, she took to her heels.

             --v.  5 dog, follow (closely), shadow, chase, pursue:  We have
             taught our puppy to heel.

   heelэ     v.  list, lean (over), tilt, tip, incline:  The boat heeled as
             we turned to beat into the wind.

   hefty     adj.  1 big, large, bulky, cumbersome, awkward, unwieldy,
             clumsy, substantial, massive:  That's a pretty hefty box for one
             person to carry.  2 brawny, strong, powerful, burly, muscular,
             strapping, rugged, robust, Colloq husky, beefy:  That hefty man
             over there is the Olympic weight-lifting champion.  3
             substantial, considerable, sizeable, impressive, enormous, huge,
             Colloq thumping or Brit socking great:  I've just received a
             hefty increase in salary.

   height    n.  1 altitude, elevation, level; tallness:  At what height is
             the second camp on Mount Everest? The height of the skyscrapers
             impressed me. 2 acme, crest, pinnacle, top, zenith, apogee,
             peak, apex, maximum, high point, summit, climax, culmination,
             extreme:  Popularity of that style reached its height in the
             1930s. His remark reflected the height of arrogance. 3 Often,
             heights. elevation, mound, hill, eminence, prominence, mountain,
             peak, crag, summit; tor, cliff, bluff, promontory, escarpment,
             scarp, headland, No. Brit fell:  As we gazed down from the
             heights, the villages seemed tiny.

   heighten  v.  1 raise, elevate, build up, increase, lift (up), upraise:  A
             white ceiling gives the effect of heightening a room.  2
             intensify, deepen, strengthen, reinforce, amplify, magnify,
             increase, enhance, augment, add to, supplement:  Adding some
             blue heightens the effect. The bribery scandal has only
             heightened distrust of the ruling party.

   heir      n.  heiress, beneficiary, inheritor, legatee, successor:  What
             if you are not the rightful heir to the estate?

   hell      n.  1 Erebus, Hades, Acheron, Tartarus, Gehenna, Tophet,
             Abaddon, Pandemonium, Dis, Sheol, Avernus, underworld, infernal
             regions, abyss, abode of the damned, inferno, hell-fire, lower
             world, nether regions, bottomless pit, other place:  For his
             sins he was condemned to everlasting hell.  2 chaos, misery,
             torment, agony, torture, ordeal, nightmare, trial:  The office
             has been an absolute hell since you left.  3 anguish, pain,
             agony, torment, torture, misery, suffering, affliction:  We have
             been through hell since Grenville's heart attack.  4 criticism,
             censure; scolding, castigation, reprimand, upbraiding:  My
             mother gave me hell for getting home late.

   helm      n.  1 tiller, wheel, rudder, steering gear or apparatus:  I had
             to put the helm over hard to avoid hitting the pier.  2
             directorship, presidency, chairmanship, leadership, control,
             rule, command, Colloq driver's seat, saddle:  Arthur remained at
             the helm of the company for 40 years.

   help      v.  1 aid, assist, lend a hand, support, serve; succour:  Let me
             help you carry that package, Mrs Smith. His charitable efforts
             have long helped the poor. 2 relieve, alleviate, mitigate,
             improve, facilitate, ease, better, remedy, cure:  Complaining
             about it won't help the situation.  3 stop, refrain from, avoid,
             eschew, resist, keep from, forbear, escape:  I know it was a
             secret but I couldn't help telling Sam.  4 assist, serve,
             advise, inform:  May I help you, sir?  5 help oneself.
             appropriate, take, arrogate, commandeer, expropriate; steal,
             purloin, usurp, plagiarize, pirate, Colloq pinch, lift, Brit
             nick, US boost:  She helped herself to some money from the till.

             --n.  6 aid, support, succour, assistance:  I need help in
             solving this problem.  7 employee(s), worker(s), staff,
             helper(s), hand(s), assistant(s), labourer(s), domestic(s),
             servant(s), Brit daily (help):  We have to hire more help to
             finish on time.  8 supporter, aide, assistant, helper:  You have
             been a great help to me.  9 relief, remedy, cure, balm:  This
             ointment has been a great help in stopping the itching.

   helpful   adj.  useful, serviceable, practical, pragmatic, utilitarian,
             beneficial, valuable, profitable, advantageous, constructive,
             productive; supportive, reassuring, sympathetic, considerate,
             caring, accommodating, kind, considerate, cooperative,
             neighbourly, friendly, benevolent:  A reference book might be
             helpful in answering that question.  Mrs Carlyle gave me such
             helpful advice.

   helping   n.  serving, portion, ration, plateful, Brit help, Colloq
             dollop:  He has already asked for a third helping of potatoes.

   helpless  adj.  1 dependent, vulnerable, weak, helpless, feeble, infirm,
             lame, crippled, disabled:  The disease has left him completely
             helpless.  2 confused, baffled, mystified, bewildered,
             perplexed, at sea, confounded, muddled, nonplussed:  I am
             completely helpless when it comes to balancing my accounts.  3
             weakened, weak, debilitated, faint, enfeebled, feeble, worn out,
             spent, exhausted, prostrate, enervated:  All of us were simply
             helpless from laughing so much.  4 worthless, incapable,
             incompetent, useless, unavailing, inefficient, inept, unfit,
             unqualified:  Dali was said to be helpless without Gala to
             manage his affairs.

   helter-skelter
             adj.  1 disorderly, disorganized, confused, muddled, haphazard,
             careless, jumbled, random, topsy-turvy, Colloq
             higgledy-piggledy:  How can one find anything in this
             helter-skelter mess?

             --adv.  2 confusedly, pell-mell, in all directions, recklessly,
             unsystematically, chaotically, erratically, aimlessly, US every
             which way, Colloq higgledy-piggledy:  When the giant appeared,
             the children ran away, helter-skelter.

   hence     adv.  1 therefore, consequently, thus, accordingly, ergo, as a
             result, for that or this reason:  She has homework to do, hence
             cannot go to the cinema.  2 away, from here or this place:  Get
             thee hence, you wicked witch!  3 from now, in the future:  Where
             will I be two years hence?

   henceforth
             adv.  hereafter, henceforward, from now on, Colloq US from here
             on out:  Henceforth, make no more personal remarks.

   henchman  n.  (fellow-) mobster or gangster or hoodlum, gangster,
             bodyguard, myrmidon, right-hand man, associate, attendant,
             follower, supporter, confidant, crony, Colloq sidekick,
             hooligan, Brit minder, US buddy, cohort; Slang heavy, US
             torpedo, gunsel, goon:  Mr Big strutted in with his henchmen and
             wrecked the place.

   henpeck   v.  nag, harass, hector, pester, torment, bully, carp, cavil:
             She henpecked him so much that he finally left her.

   herd      n.  1 group, pack, bunch, cluster, flock, crowd, multitude,
             host, horde, throng, mass, swarm, press, crush; assemblage,
             collection:  A herd of protesters gathered before the embassy.
             2 common herd, rabble, hoi polloi, great unwashed, riff-raff,
             masses:  How can you expect the herd to understand these
             principles?

             --v.  3 gather, congregate, flock, assemble, collect:  The
             reporters herded round to interview the minister.  4 round up,
             gather (together), shepherd, drive, W US and Canadian wrangle,
             corral:  Herd those cattle into the pen.

   hereditary
             adj.  1 heritable, inheritable, transmissible, transferable or
             transferrable, inherited, genetic, congenital, inborn, innate;
             atavistic:  Green eyes and red hair are hereditary in our
             family.  2 traditional, handed down, inherited, bequeathed,
             willed; ancestral:  Priesthood was hereditary among Aaron's
             descendants. These are the hereditary lands that go with the
             castle.

   heretical adj.  unorthodox, heterodox, impious, freethinking, heretic,
             apostate or apostatical, iconoclastic, schismatic, sceptic,
             agnostic, atheist(ic), idolatrous, heathen, pagan, infidel,
             godless:  The purpose of the Inquisition was to discover and
             suppress heretical views.

   heritage  n.  1 estate, inheritance, legacy, patrimony, birthright:  The
             manor-house was included in the heritage that was passed on to
             me. 2 tradition:  The documentary examines our cultural
             heritage.

   hermetic  adj.  hermetical, airtight, sealed; impervious:  If the hermetic
             seal is broken, sterility is not guaranteed.

   hermit    n.  recluse, eremite, anchorite or anchoret or anchoress,
             solitary, stylite:  He has retired from the world to become a
             hermit.

   hero      n.  1 heroine, champion, exemplar, star, superstar, idol, ideal,
             man of the hour, luminary, notable, celebrity; knight, paladin,
             warrior:  She was a hero to every aspiring woman lawyer. She
             expects a hero in shining armour on a white horse to sweep her
             off her feet. 2 protagonist, (male) lead or star, leading man or
             actor, principal:  G‚rard Depardieu plays the hero in this
             lavishly produced film.

   heroic    adj.  1 brave, courageous, bold, valiant, valorous, undaunted,
             dauntless, stout-hearted, noble, intrepid, gallant, chivalrous,
             daring, plucky, audacious, fearless, manly, virile, manful:  We
             published a book about Aylesworthy's heroic exploits.  2 noble,
             altruistic, magnanimous, generous, upstanding, honourable,
             virtuous, staunch, steadfast, stalwart, determined:  This plaque
             commemorates Manzanilla's heroic work in curbing religious
             persecution. 3 desperate, drastic, extreme:  Despite heroic
             efforts, it was impossible to rescue the entire crew. 4 grand,
             larger than life, exaggerated, magniloquent, grandiose,
             extravagant; giant, gigantic, enormous, huge, titanic, colossal,
             stupendous:  The heroic phrases of the demagogue still ring in
             my ears. Statues of heroic proportions have been moved from Abu
             Simbel. 5 mythological, epic, Homeric, legendary, classical,
             fabulous, wonderful, miraculous:  He enjoyed tales of heroic
             demigods like Hercules.  6 majestic, lofty, elevated, grand,
             august, towering, eminent, distinguished, prominent:  The entire
             court was silent as the heroic figure of the emperor entered.

   heroine   n.  (female) lead, leading actress or lady, prima donna or
             ballerina, premiЉre danseuse, diva:  The heroine was played by
             Mme Kropeczka.

   hesitant  adj.  1 hesitating, undecided, uncertain, unsettled, irresolute,
             vacillating, shilly-shallying, dithering, fluctuating, wavering,
             unresolved, ambivalent, in or of two minds, indefinite, Brit
             havering:  He was hesitant about whether to buy the blue or the
             green model.  2 halting, stammering, stuttering, faltering:
             From her hesitant speech I'd say she was nervous.

   hesitate  v.  1 delay, hold or hang back, pause, dilly-dally, wait,
             temporize, think twice, balk, boggle at, shrink from, demur,
             scruple, Brit haver, jib, Colloq stall:  He who hesitates is
             lost.  2 fumble, equivocate, tergiversate, fluctuate, alternate,
             waver, dither, vacillate, shilly-shally:  He hesitated between
             the doors - did this one conceal the lady or the tiger? 3
             stammer, stutter, falter, sputter, splutter, stumble, hem and
             haw:  She hesitated throughout the speech purely from stage
             fright.

8.3 hidden
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   hidden    adj.  concealed, secret, obscure(d), occult, veiled, cryptic,
             recondite, arcane, covert, esoteric, unseen, private:  Was this
             an ordinary shopping list or did it have some hidden meaning?

   hide°     v.  1 conceal, secrete, cache, squirrel away; go underground,
             take cover, lie low, go into hiding, lurk, go to ground, drop
             out of sight, go into hiding, hibernate, latibulize, Colloq hide
             out, hole up, lie low, Brit lie doggo:  Hide the sweets where
             the children won't find them. I found a place to hide under the
             stair. 2 conceal, cover, mask, camouflage, disguise, veil,
             shroud, screen, cover up, keep secret:  He managed to hide his
             embarrassment.  3 eclipse, blot out, obscure, block:  The clouds
             hid the moon as we made good our escape.  4 suppress, hush (up),
             repress, silence, keep quiet or secret:  She hid all knowledge
             of the crime.

   hideэ     n.  1 pelt, skin, fell, leather, fur, fleece:  Once tanned and
             dyed, the hide was made into clothing.

             --v.  2 flog, whip, lash, flail, beat, thrash:  The masters took
             great satisfaction in hiding the boys.

   hideaway  n.  refuge, retreat, sanctuary, hide-out, hiding-place, lair,
             (safe) haven, Colloq hole, Brit hidey-hole or hidy-hole:  My
             brother and I would crawl into our hideaway and pretend we were
             being held prisoner by pirates.

   hidebound adj.  strait-laced, conventional, ultra-conventional,
             conservative, reactionary, rigid, set (in one's ways),
             narrow-minded, close-minded, inflexible, intractable,
             uncompromising, restricted, cramped, bigoted, intolerant:  She's
             too much of a hidebound disciplinarian to rescind the
             punishment.

   hideous   adj.  1 grotesque, ugly, repulsive, revolting, repellent,
             monstrous, beastly, gorgonian, unsightly, ghastly, disgusting,
             grisly, nauseating, nauseous, sickening, gruesome:  Suddenly, a
             hideous face appeared at the kitchen window.  2 foul, abhorrent,
             heinous, horrifying, appalling, outrageous, abominable, vile,
             shocking, loathsome, contemptible, hateful, odious, atrocious,
             horrific, beastly, damnable, execrable:  Two hideous crimes were
             committed here last night.

   high      adj.  1 tall, lofty, elevated, towering:  High mountains
             surround the valley.  2 extreme, excessive, extraordinary,
             exorbitant, outrageous, Colloq steep, stiff:  Houses in that
             district are fetching high prices.  3 costly, dear, expensive,
             high-priced:  Shares are not as high as they were before the
             crash.  4 great, huge, enormous, considerable, strong; violent,
             turbulent:  These wires carry high voltages. The high winds blew
             down trees.  5 exalted, elevated, lofty, superior, high-class:
             With insider trading, theft became a high art in the financial
             world. 6 consequential, important, grave, serious, weighty,
             momentous, heinous; capital:  His activities constitute high
             treason.  7 high-pitched, high-frequency, squeaky, acute,
             treble, soprano; shrill, strident, sharp, penetrating, piercing,
             ear-splitting:  The higher notes make my radio speaker vibrate.
             She has an irritatingly high voice. 8 cheerful, exuberant,
             elated, boisterous, exhilarated, hilarious, merry, excited:  I
             find his persistent high spirits rather depressing.  9 euphoric,
             intoxicated, inebriated, drunk, drugged, Colloq loaded, tipsy,
             turned on, on a trip, Slang stoned, spaced out, Brit squiffy, US
             spacy, squiffed:  They got high sniffing glue.  10 gamy,
             tainted, aged, ripe, Slang Brit pongy:  He likes to hang venison
             till it is quite high.  11 chief, leading, important, principal,
             foremost:  He regards himself as the high priest of women's
             fashion.  12 elaborate, luxurious, grand, extravagant, lavish,
             rich, prodigal, sybaritic:  With her millions she can now enjoy
             the high life.  13 considerable, favourable, great:  She is held
             in high esteem by her colleagues.

             --adv.  14 far up; great in extent:  Daedalus warned Icarus not
             to fly so high. I was willing to go as high as 20,000 for the
             painting.

             --n.  15 peak, record, height, maximum, acme, apex:  Employment
             is expected to reach a high next summer.  16 intoxication,
             altered consciousness:  The high lasts till the drug wears off.
             17 anticyclone:  The high passing over the country will bring
             fair weather.

   highbrow  n.  1 scholar, intellectual, savant, sage, mastermind, genius;
             aesthete, connoisseur, Colloq egghead, brain:  Many who pretend
             to deride highbrows secretly envy them.

             --adj.  2 scholarly, intellectual, learned, erudite, deep,
             bookish, cultured, sophisticated, cultivated, aesthetic, Colloq
             brainy:  Books on philosophy are too highbrow for the market we
             cater to.

   high-class
             adj.  1 first-rate, superior, better, top-drawer, Colloq tops,
             tiptop, A-one or A-1, super, great:  He has had the benefit of a
             high-class education.  2 aristocratic, upper-class, ‚lite,
             select, exclusive; upper crust, fancy, Brit county, US and
             Canadian tony, Slang classy:  She says she comes from a
             high-class family.

   highly    adv.  1 greatly, much, tremendously, well, enthusiastically,
             warmly, immensely, hugely:  Her play was highly praised by all
             the critics.  2 very, extremely, quite, exceptionally,
             extraordinarily, incomparably, decidedly:  It is highly unlikely
             that I shall come to your party.  3 favourably, well,
             enthusiastically, approvingly, warmly, praisefully:  They seem
             to think highly of him at the office.  4 well, influentially,
             powerfully, strongly, authoritatively, effectively, importantly:
             I have the information from a highly placed government official.

   hilarious adj.  funny, side-splitting, humorous, comical, amusing,
             entertaining, mirthful; merry, gay, jolly, jovial, cheerful,
             cheery, joyous, joyful, rollicking, uproarious; Colloq
             hysterical:  Binky told me a hilarious story about his aunt's
             pet boa constrictor.  We had a hilarious time at your party.

   hilarity  n.  laughter, gaiety, joviality, jollity, merriment, mirth,
             exuberance, glee, boisterousness, cheerfulness, joyfulness,
             jubilation, elation, revelry, conviviality, high spirits,
             vivacity, exhilaration:  Thurgood did not join in the hilarity
             of his retirement party.

   hill      n.  1 elevation, rise, highland, mound, prominence, promontory,
             eminence, knoll, hillock, hummock, height, foothill, tor, mount,
             upland, downs or downland, Scots brae, No. Brit fell, W Brit
             tump, US and Canadian butte:  The house is on a hill overlooking
             the valley.  2 heap, pile, mound, stack; mountain:  By the
             autumn, the hill of compost had reached six feet in height.  3
             slope, incline or decline, acclivity or declivity, gradient or
             esp. US grade, US upgrade or downgrade:  Are you sure this car
             can make it up the next hill?

   hinder    v.  1 hamper, delay, interrupt, impede, interfere with, foil,
             thwart, frustrate, forestall, bar, stymie, check, balk or baulk,
             encumber, obstruct, handicap, set or keep or put or hold back,
             defer, retard, restrain, slow, postpone:  The difficulty of the
             task should not hinder the attempt.  2 stop, prevent, check,
             preclude, arrest; discourage, deter, inhibit, obviate:  Does the
             threat of capital punishment hinder people from committing
             murder?

   hindrance n.  1 obstruction, impediment, snag, check, obstruction,
             barrier, obstacle, restraint, drawback, hitch, stumbling-block,
             deterrent, encumbrance:  The only hindrance to the plan is
             Phyllis's disapproval of it.  2 prevention, curb, limitation:
             The presence of police cars serves as a hindrance to speeding
             motorists.

   hint      n.  1 suggestion, clue, implication, inkling, indication, tip,
             tip-off, intimation, allusion, innuendo, insinuation; pointer,
             help, advice:  The quiz-master gave me a hint and I got the
             answer at once.  2 trace, suggestion, touch, taste, breath,
             dash, soup‡on, whiff, undertone, tinge, whisper:  Which
             government has ever served without any hint of scandal?

             --v.  3 suggest, imply, indicate, tip (off), intimate, allude,
             insinuate, mention, clue, cue, signal, refer, advert:  She
             hinted that I might appeal to her sister.

   hip       adj.  informed, aware, knowledgeable, knowing, perceptive,
             alert, in or up on, onto, Colloq wise (to), with it, cool,
             Old-fashioned hep:  He's not hip to what they're saying about
             him and Carrie.

   hippie    n.  bohemian, Old-fashioned drop-out, beatnik, beat, longhair,
             flower child or person, hipster:  A few hippies were playing
             their guitars at the street corner.

   hire      v.  1 engage, employ, take on, appoint, enlist, sign on:
             Alexandra had to hire more people to get all the work done.  2
             rent, lease, engage, charter:  We hired a car for the day.  3
             hire out. rent (out), lease (out), let (out), charter (out):  I
             hire out my boat by the day.

             --n.  4 rent, lease, charter, letting:  Do you have bicycles for
             hire by the day?  5 (hire) charge, cost, fee, price, rate, rent,
             rental:  How much is the hire of a horse by the hour?

   hiss      n.  1 hissing, sibilance:  Serpents and geese make a sound like
             a hiss.  2 catcall, jeer, boo, hoot, Slang raspberry, US Bronx
             cheer:  The villain was greeted by hisses from the audience.

             --v.  3 boo, hoot, jeer, deride, mock, taunt, decry, disparage:
             The workers hissed and booed the speaker.

   historic  adj.  momentous, important, noteworthy, significant, red-letter,
             notable, celebrated, distinguished, prominent, great,
             consequential, signal, unforgettable, memorable:  We are
             gathered here to commemorate a historic event.

   historical
             adj.  factual, true, verifiable, reliable, real, authentic,
             recorded, documented:  The historical truth of what actually
             happened on that day has been obscured by legends.

   history   n.  1 account, story, record, description, depiction, portrayal,
             representation, telling, retelling, recital, narration,
             narrative, relation, retailing:  Washington Irving's
             Knickerbocker's History of New York begins with the creation of
             the world.  2 news, summary, recapitulation, report,
             intelligence, information:  The history of these events is
             recounted in a book by Robinson.  3 past, background, life;
             experiences, adventures, story, biography:  This woman appears
             to have had a rather curious history. The history of your years
             in Polynesia would make an interesting book. 4 record,
             experience, information, biography, CV or curriculum vitae, US
             r‚sum‚:  Your entire work history should be included in your
             application.  5 chronicle, annals, record, account:  The history
             of Parliamentary debate can be traced through Hansard.  6
             ancient history, the past, yesterday, the (good old) days, days
             of yore, olden days, yesteryear, antiquity:  What can history
             tell us about the future?  7 dead letter, yesterday's news, old
             hat:  Any animosity I might have felt towards him is now
             history.

   hit       v.  1 strike, cuff, smack, knock, whack, bash, bang, thump,
             thwack, punch, buffet, slap, swat, bludgeon, club, smite; spank,
             thrash, beat, pummel, batter, flog, scourge, birch, cane, lash,
             belabour, flagellate, whip, horsewhip, cudgel, Archaic
             fustigate; Colloq belt, wallop, clobber, clout, sock, clip,
             crown, bop, conk, paste, lambaste, zap:  She hit him on the jaw
             and he went down.  2 strike, bat, swat, knock, drive, propel:
             He hit the ball over the heads of the fielders.  3 strike,
             collide or impact with, run or smash or crash into, bump or bang
             into:  The car went off the road and hit a tree.  4 affect,
             touch, stir, move, wound, hurt, strike or hit home, make or
             leave an impression or a mark on, (make an) impact (on):  The
             new taxes hit the wealthy more than the poor.  5 dawn on, enter
             one's mind, occur to, strike:  It finally hit Graham that he had
             been insulted.  6 reach, attain, arrive at, gain, achieve:
             Those who have hit eighty know the meaning of old age. She hit
             the jackpot this week. 7 experience, encounter, meet (with):  It
             was at that point that we hit a snag in the negotiations.  8
             Also, hit up. importune, beseech, petition, beg, implore,
             entreat, ask for:  As usual, Guthrie hit me for a loan as soon
             as we met.  9 hit on or upon.  a come or happen or chance or
             light on or upon, discover, find, uncover, unearth, stumble or
             blunder on or upon, arrive at:  After years of experimentation,
             the Curies hit upon pitchblende as a source of radium. b devise,
             think of or up, invent, dream up, come up with, work out, see,
             perceive, detect, discern, find:  I have hit upon a way to
             counteract the force of gravity.

             --n.  10 impact, collision; blow, punch, knock, strike, swat,
             shot, smack, bump, bang, Colloq whack, thwack, conk, bop, sock:
             The weakness of the hit caused only a slight dent in my car
             door.  The boxer reeled after a hard hit to the midriff. 11
             success, triumph, coup, winner, sensation, Colloq smash (hit),
             sell-out:  After opening in the West End the musical became a
             hit on Broadway.  12 kick, jolt, thrill, Slang charge, US rush,
             bang:  Give me a hit off that reefer.

   hitch     v.  1 connect, couple, fasten, attach, join, harness, tie,
             unite, hook (up), link, fix:  When I arrived, she was hitching
             the horses to the wagon.  2 Often, hitch up. raise, pull up,
             hike (up), tug (up), hoist, yank, jerk, Brit hoick:  He hitched
             up his trousers, tucked in his shirt, and tightened his belt. 3
             hitchhike, thumb a lift or ride, Colloq US bum a ride:  I had no
             money and no car, so I hitched here from Newcastle.

             --n.  4 snag, catch, difficulty, trouble, problem, mishap,
             handicap, entanglement, interference, impediment, hindrance,
             obstruction, obstacle:  The entire plan went off without any
             hitch.

8.4 hoard...
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   hoard     n.  1 supply, stock, store, stockpile, reserve, fund, reservoir,
             accumulation, collection, cache:  They kept a hoard of food in
             the shelter in case of attack. Occasionally, farmers turn up a
             hoard of gold coins buried by the ancient Romans.

             --v.  2 amass, collect, accumulate, pile (up), assemble, gather,
             put away, stockpile, store, reserve, set aside, save (up),
             squirrel away, lay in or away or aside or up, Colloq stash away:
             Hoarding food was against the law during rationing.

   hoax      n.  1 deception, fraud, swindle, trick, flam or flimflam,
             imposture, cheat, humbug, Slang con (game), gyp, scam, game, US
             snow job:  They perpetrated a hoax on you, and I am afraid there
             is no way of getting your money back.

             --v.  2 deceive, defraud, swindle, trick, fool, dupe, take in,
             cozen, hoodwink, gull, bluff, Slang con, gyp, bamboozle:  She
             was hoaxed into investing in Sicilian gold-mines.

   hobble    v.  1 limp, falter, dodder, totter, stagger, reel, weave,
             stumble, shuffle, shamble:  I hobbled about on crutches for
             weeks.  2 shackle, fetter, restrain, restrict, hamper, hinder,
             impede, trammel:  As hobbled horses do not stray, she tried to
             think of some way to hobble Clarence's errant ways.

             --n.  3 limp, shuffle, shamble, claudication, stagger:  With the
             leg-irons on, I could walk only with a jerking hobble.

   hobby     n.  pastime, avocation, sideline, recreation, diversion,
             relaxation:  Her hobby is collecting wedding rings.

   hobnob    v.  associate, fraternize, socialize, consort, mingle, rub
             elbows or shoulders, mix, hang about or around, keep company:
             He hobnobs with the aristocrats.

   hocus-pocus
             n.  1 trickery, chicanery, deceit, deception, artifice, cheat,
             duplicity, mischief, hoax, humbug, trick, swindle, pretence,
             Colloq con (game), jiggery-pokery, flimflam, hanky-panky:  He
             tried some hocus-pocus on the company books but was caught.  2
             mumbo-jumbo, abracadabra, incantation, nonsense, rigmarole,
             gibberish, Colloq gobbledegook:  The medicine man muttered some
             hocus-pocus over the body, which began to rise into the air. 3
             sleight of hand, legerdemain, prestidigitation, magic,
             conjuring, jugglery:  From the earliest days religion has had
             its share of hocus-pocus.

   hoggish   adj.  piggish, greedy, avaricious, insatiable, gluttonous,
             voracious, edacious, acquisitive, possessive, self-seeking,
             selfish:  Don't be so hoggish; share the cake with the others.

   hoi polloi
             n.  riff-raff, rabble, mob, common herd, proletariat, populace,
             common people, crowd, masses, multitude, rank and file,
             plebeians, multitude, bourgeoisie, man in the street, Brit
             admass, man on the Clapham omnibus, US John Q. Public, Colloq
             great unwashed, proles, plebs, US silent majority:  Much of what
             goes on in government is incomprehensible to hoi polloi.

   hoist     v.  1 lift (up), elevate, raise, heave, uplift, winch:  The
             lifeboat with the survivors aboard is now being hoisted onto the
             rescue vessel.

             --n.  2 crane, lift, elevator, davit, winch, tackle:  The cable
             of the hoist broke, and the container dropped onto the pier.

   hoity-toity
             adj.  haughty, arrogant, overweening, snobbish, disdainful,
             supercilious, conceited, lofty, superior, self-important, Colloq
             high and mighty, stuck-up, snooty, uppity or chiefly Brit
             uppish, Brit toffee-nosed, Slang snotty:  Eleanor became very
             hoity-toity after her husband got his knighthood.

   hold      v.  1 grasp, grip, clasp, seize, clutch, keep; carry, Colloq
             hang on to:  She asked me to hold the baby for just a minute
             while she bought her railway ticket. 2 hug, embrace, clasp,
             cradle, clench, clutch, enfold:  He held me in his arms briefly
             before the guards led him into the quad. 3 maintain, keep, put:
             Hold up your hands and kick the gun over here to me.  4
             maintain, keep, sustain, absorb, occupy, engage, involve,
             engross, monopolize:  You hold his attention while I try to get
             round behind him.  5 confine, restrain, detain, contain, coop
             up:  Even a strait-jacket and chains couldn't hold Houdini.  6
             imprison, detain, confine, place into custody, put behind bars,
             jail:  He is being held overnight for questioning.  7 believe,
             deem, judge, consider, regard, look on or upon, maintain, think,
             esteem, take, assume:  What do you hold to be important in life?
             Father holds me responsible for every little dent in his car. 8
             accommodate, support, carry:  That little nail won't hold this
             picture.  9 contain, include, comprise:  This suitcase holds
             everything I own in the world.  10 call, convene, assemble,
             convoke; run, conduct, engage in, participate in, have, carry
             on, preside over, officiate at:  The next meeting will be held
             on Tuesday, at noon.  11 apply, hold good, be in effect or in
             force, stand or hold up, hold or prove or be true, be the case,
             function, operate, be or remain or prove valid or relevant or
             applicable or operative, Colloq hold water, wash:  What may be
             in order for Manchester may not necessarily hold for another
             city. 12 have, possess:  She holds two engineering degrees. He
             was holding four aces.  13 remain or keep (fast), stay, stick:
             Screws are needed here - nails won't hold.  14 hold back.  a
             restrain, repress, suppress, curb, inhibit, control, check, keep
             back, hinder:  Many reasons hold me back from telling you what I
             think.  b withhold, reserve, deny, keep back, refuse:  We ought
             to hold back payment till the work is completed.  15 hold down.
             a control, restrain, check; reduce, diminish:  We must hold down
             inflation.  b keep, maintain, manage:  He has to hold down two
             jobs to pay all the bills.  16 hold forth.  a Often, hold forth
             on or upon. lecture (on), declaim, harangue, preach (on or
             about), orate, sermonize (on), discourse (on), speechify (on or
             about), expatiate or expand on or upon, Colloq go on (about),
             Brit rabbit or natter or witter on (about):  As usual, Pinckley
             endlessly held forth on his pet subject, fishing.  b hold out,
             offer, proffer, tender, submit, advance, propose, propound, hold
             out, extend:  The company has held forth a profit-sharing plan
             that we cannot refuse. 17 hold in.  a control, curb, check, hold
             back, restrain, contain:  I could hold myself in no longer and a
             scream escaped my lips.  b conceal, hide, suppress:  How can I
             hold in my feelings for you?  18 hold off.  a delay, defer, put
             off, refrain from, postpone, avoid:  We held off buying till we
             had the money saved up.  b repel, keep off, repulse, fend off,
             rebuff, resist, withstand:  We held off the attackers till help
             came.  19 hold on.  a grip, grasp, hold, clutch, cling:  Hold on
             to the rope and I'll pull you up.  b keep, maintain, cling, hang
             on, retain:  Don't try to hold on to yesterday's dreams.  c
             stop, wait, hold off, Colloq hang on:  Hold on a minute! I'm not
             finished.  20 hold out.  a last, carry on, persist, persevere,
             continue, hang on, stand firm or chiefly US pat, endure:  I hope
             that the good weather holds out for our trip. Can we hold out
             till reinforcements arrive? b offer, proffer, extend, hold
             forth, present:  I grasped the hand he held out.  21 hold over.
             a postpone, delay, defer, put off, hold off, suspend:  The
             decision is to be held over till next year.  b continue, retain,
             extend, prolong:  The singer was popular enough to be held over
             a month.  22 hold up.  a rob, waylay, Colloq mug, stick up;
             knock off or US over:  Two men held up the bank courier last
             night.  b delay, impede, hinder, slow (down or up), set back,
             detain:  I was held up by the infernal traffic again.  c last,
             survive, fare, bear up, endure:  I am not sure that my car will
             hold up through another winter.  d present, show, exhibit,
             display:  Gibbons has been held up to ridicule since the
             scandal.  23 hold with. support, sustain, agree to or with,
             favour, countenance, approve (of), subscribe to, condone, concur
             with:  Being married to her doesn't mean you have to hold with
             all her ideas.

             --n.  24 grasp, grip, clasp, clutch:  Take hold of the rope!  25
             foothold, toe-hold, purchase:  She lost her hold and fell. He
             has a good hold on the subject.  26 power, dominance, mastery,
             control, ascendancy, authority, influence, leverage, sway,
             Colloq pull, clout:  She has a hold over him that makes him do
             her bidding.

   hold-up   n.  1 (armed) robbery, Colloq stick-up, mugging, US heist:  The
             robbers escaped with my gold watch in the hold-up.  2 delay,
             set-back, hitch, snag, interruption, lacuna, gap, hiatus, break,
             stoppage:  The cause of the hold-up was an overturned van.

   hole      n.  1 cavity, pit, hollow, excavation, burrow, crater, cavern,
             cave, recess, niche, nook, pocket, depression, indentation,
             dent, impression:  The snake disappeared into a hole in the
             rock.  2 opening, aperture, orifice, perforation, puncture,
             slit, slot, breach, rip, tear, rent, break, crack, fissure:  The
             water poured through a hole in the pipe.  3 hole in the wall,
             shack, hut, shanty, slum, hovel; Slang dump, dive, joint:  How
             can anyone live in such a hole? She finally got a job dancing in
             some hole downtown. 4 cell, prison, dungeon, donjon, keep, jail,
             oubliette, brig, cage:  When he refused to talk, they put him in
             the hole for a week.  5 difficulty, trouble, dilemma,
             predicament, situation, fix, corner, Colloq (tight) spot, hot
             water, scrape, box, bind, pickle, catch-22, mess, muddle:  She
             really got herself into a hole with the tax man.  6 flaw,
             shortcoming, inconsistency, fault, error, mistake, fallacy,
             discrepancy, loophole:  He never offers anything original but is
             always ready to pick holes in any suggestion you make.

             --v.  7 puncture, pierce, perforate:  A floating log holed the
             hull and the boat went down with all aboard.

   holiday   n.  1 time off, break, recess, respite, leave (of absence),
             furlough, sabbatical, Chiefly US vacation:  We spent our holiday
             in Ibiza this year.  2 festival, feast, celebration, f€te or
             fete; gala, fair, red-letter day, event:  Where are you going
             over the Christmas holiday?

   hollow    adj.  1 vacant, empty, void, unfilled:  A hollow space in the
             wall concealed a secret passage.  2 sunken, concave, indented,
             dented, sunken, recessed, depressed:  Dust gathers in the hollow
             places of the floor.  3 hungry, ravenous, starved, empty,
             famished:  I'm feeling hollow and should prefer to eat now, not
             later.  4 insincere, false, hypocritical, sham, artificial,
             counterfeit, feigned, fraudulent, spurious, deceitful,
             mendacious, deceptive, cynical:  Politicians campaigning for
             office often make hollow promises they do not intend to keep. 5
             empty, futile, costly, Pyrrhic, worthless, vain, unavailing,
             bootless, fruitless, profitless, unprofitable, valueless,
             ineffective, pointless, senseless, meaningless:  Winning the
             lawsuit was a hollow victory, for the man was bankrupt.  6
             muffled, dull, flat, low, sepulchral, toneless:  His voice
             sounded hollow, as if he were speaking into a metal bowl.

             --n.  7 hole, cavity, cavern, crater, basin, depression,
             excavation, pit, trough, furrow, indentation, dent, impression;
             valley, dale, dell, glen, dip:  We dug ourselves in a hollow in
             the ground hoping not to be seen.  The dog herded the sheep into
             the hollow near the stream.

             --v.  8 excavate, dig (out or up), gouge, scoop, furrow, dredge:
             Huskies hollow out places for themselves to sleep in the snow.

   holocaust n.  1 conflagration, fire-storm, inferno, fire; destruction,
             devastation:  When the volcano exploded, few escaped the
             holocaust.  2 genocide, mass murder, massacre, blood bath,
             pogrom, butchery, carnage, annihilation, extinction,
             extermination, eradication, elimination:  Survivors of the Nazi
             holocaust hold periodic memorial services.

   holy      adj.  1 sacred, religious, consecrated, sanctified, blessed,
             hallowed, venerated, divine, heavenly, supernal, celestial:  The
             holy relics are kept in a silver casket.  2 godly, godlike,
             saintly, saintlike, pious, devout, reverent, reverential,
             faithful, God-fearing, chaste, pure, unsullied, clean, sinless,
             spotless, immaculate, undefiled, uncorrupted, untainted:  The
             holy men, in their saffron robes, sat in a circle, contemplating
             the master of the universe.

   homage    n.  obeisance, respect, deference, honour, esteem, admiration;
             loyalty, allegiance, fidelity, tribute:  Today we pay homage to
             those who fought and died so that we might be free.

   home      n.  1 dwelling-place, residence, domicile, abode, dwelling,
             house, (living) quarters, habitation, lodging(s), Brit
             accommodation or US accommodations, Colloq place, Chiefly Brit
             digs, diggings:  He has been a guest in my home on many
             occasions.  2 (home) base, residency, territory, haunt, home
             ground, bailiwick, Colloq stamping-ground:  As you travel so
             much, what do you call home these days?  3 hospice, retreat,
             nursing home, old folks' or people's home, retirement community,
             almshouse, poorhouse, refuge, haven, institution, shelter,
             rest-home, US snug harbor:  His parents, who are very old and
             indigent, have been sent to a home. 4 at home.  a comfortable,
             at ease, relaxed, cosy, composed, tranquil, placid, peaceful,
             serene, untroubled:  The Harrises certainly do make one feel at
             home.  b in, accessible, available, welcoming:  You know that we
             are always at home to you, Frances.  5 at home with or in.
             comfortable with, conversant with, knowledgeable in or about,
             familiar with, well-versed in, competent in, expert in,
             proficient in, skilled in, up on, current in, adept in, adroit
             in, qualified in, (well-)informed in or on or about:  Widely
             read, she is at home in almost any subject you can name.

             --adj.  6 domestic, native, national, internal:  Buying more
             foreign than home goods upsets the balance of trade.  7
             domestic, household:  She now sells home appliances for a big
             manufacturer.  8 family, domestic:  What kind of home life has
             he had?

             --adv.  9 homeward(s):  When will you come home?  10 to the
             heart or core, to the quick; effectively, tellingly, profoundly,
             deeply, stingingly, cuttingly, harshly, severely, Colloq where
             it hurts, where one lives:  That remark really hit home.  11
             bring or drive home. stress, emphasize, impress upon, make
             clear:  I am trying to bring home to you the hardships people
             suffered during the war.

   homeless  adj.  1 dispossessed, outcast, exiled, vagabond, derelict,
             unsettled; unhoused:  Their houses destroyed in the war,
             homeless people wandered everywhere.

             --n.  2 the homeless. knights of the road, vagrants, vagabonds,
             tramps, US bums, hoboes:  There are not enough shelters for the
             homeless.

   homely    adj.  1 homey, homelike, unpretentious, modest, unassuming,
             simple, unaffected, informal, plain, natural, everyday,
             unsophisticated, homespun, commonplace, ordinary, familiar,
             friendly, amiable, neighbourly, affable, congenial, Colloq
             chiefly US folksy:  Her success as a doctor is traceable in part
             to her homely approach.  2 homey, homelike, warm, cosy, snug,
             domestic, comfortable, easy, serene, peaceful, restful,
             tranquil:  I like staying here for the homely atmosphere.  3
             ugly, plain, uncomely, unattractive, unlovely, ill-favoured:
             Peggy-Jo's rather homely face is redeemed by her good-humoured
             nature.

   homesick  adj.  nostalgic, longing, pining, lonely, lonesome; wistful,
             reminiscent:  I was homesick for the smell and taste of a good
             haggis.

   homespun  adj.  rustic, plain, simple, unrefined, unpolished,
             unsophisticated, down-to-earth, coarse, rough, rude, crude,
             inelegant, amateur, amateurish, non-professional,
             unprofessional; handmade:  The furniture is not of museum
             quality, but it has a homespun quality.

   homicidal adj.  murderous, lethal, deadly, death-dealing, mortal,
             blood-thirsty, sanguinary, ferocious, maniacal, berserk, amok or
             amuck, mad, insane:  The doctors say he is homicidal and should
             be institutionalized.

   homogeneous
             adj.  uniform, consistent, unvarying, identical, constant;
             similar, comparable, alike, akin:  The rock is ground up to make
             homogeneous powder.

   homosexual
             n.  1 gay, homophile; lesbian, tribade, sapphist; All the
             following are offensive and derogatory pervert, invert, Slang
             queer, fairy, pansy, nancy, nance, queen, drag queen, homo;
             butch, (bull) dyke; Brit poof, poofter, ginger (beer), US fruit,
             auntie, fag, faggot:  We suspected that he was a closet
             homosexual.

             --adj.  2 (of either sex) gay, homoerotic, homophile; (of a
             female) lesbian, tribadic, sapphic; (of a male) effeminate; All
             the following are offensive and derogatory perverted, inverted,
             Colloq chiefly Brit bent, Slang queer, camp, campy, faggy,
             kinky, Chiefly US fruity, limp-wristed, faggy, swish, swishy:
             We never knew of her homosexual tendencies.

   honest    adj.  1 trustworthy, truthful, veracious, trusty, honourable,
             creditable, decent, law-abiding, uncorrupted, uncorrupt,
             incorruptible, ethical, moral, virtuous, principled, upright,
             high-minded, dependable, reliable, reputable, on the up and up:
             How often does one meet an honest person in politics?  2
             above-board, straight, square, square-dealing, fair, just, on
             the up and up, straightforward, proper, genuine, bona fide,
             real, authentic, Colloq on the level, US square-shooting:  I
             write because I cannot earn an honest living. Would Felix give
             me an honest deal on a used car? 3 candid, frank, open, plain,
             straightforward, forthright, direct, sincere, ingenuous,
             explicit, uninhibited, unreserved, unrestrained, unconstrained,
             above-board, plain-spoken, unambiguous, unequivocal, Colloq
             upfront:  To be completely honest, I cannot stand the sight of
             you.  4 fair, just, equitable, legitimate, valid, rightful,
             sound, proper:  He gets an honest day's pay for an honest day's
             work.

   honestly  adv.  1 truthfully, honourably, creditably, decently, ethically,
             morally, uprightly, dependably, reliably, in good faith, justly,
             fairly, equitably, even-handedly, disinterestedly, objectively,
             impartially:  In general, the police deal honestly with
             suspects.  2 candidly, frankly, openly, straightforwardly,
             forthrightly, sincerely, truly, ingenuously, unreservedly,
             above-board, unambiguously, unequivocally, plainly, simply,
             straight (out), to one's face, in plain words or English,
             bluntly:  I tell you honestly that I have never heard of the
             man.

   honesty   n.  1 trustworthiness, uprightness, rectitude, probity,
             integrity, virtue, virtuousness, honour:  As he will deal with
             large amounts of money, his honesty cannot be in question. 2
             truthfulness, veracity, candour, openness, frankness,
             forthrightness, directness, straightforwardness, outspokenness,
             sincerity, guilelessness, ingenuousness, bluntness:  You might
             not like what he says, but you have to admire his honesty.  3
             fairness, equity, equitableness, even-handedness, objectivity,
             impartiality, disinterestedness, justness, justice:  We rely on
             the honesty of judges in meting out punishment to convicted
             felons.

   honorarium
             n.  (token) fee, compensation, recompense, pay, payment,
             remuneration, emolument:  Would you be willing to accept an
             honorarium in lieu of your usual fee?

   honorary  adj.  nominal, titular, in name or title only, ex officio:  She
             has several honorary doctoral degrees, which is not bad for
             someone who never went to university.

   honour    n.  1 integrity, honesty, fairness, justness, probity,
             uprightness, decency, goodness, righteousness, rectitude,
             justice, morality, principles, virtuousness, virtue:  Doing the
             right thing is a matter of honour.  2 respect, esteem,
             reverence, veneration, approbation, deference, admiration,
             homage, regard, accolade, praise, kudos, fame, glory, celebrity,
             distinction, prestige, illustriousness:  Great honour
             accompanies the award of a Nobel prize.  3 privilege,
             distinction, pleasure, joy, delight; credit, blessing:  I have
             the honour to introduce tonight's speaker. It has been an honour
             to serve under you, Admiral. 4 virginity, chastity, virtue,
             purity, innocence:  How did she manage to preserve her honour
             when fighting with the partisans?

             --v.  5 respect, esteem, revere, venerate, adulate, adore,
             worship, approve, prize, value, defer to, admire, pay homage to:
             Albert Schweitzer was much honoured in the latter part of his
             life. 6 praise, laud, glorify, celebrate, eulogize, salute,
             hail, acclaim, ennoble, dignify, exalt:  We have come together
             to honour those who have died for their country. 7 keep,
             maintain, carry out, live up to, discharge, fulfil, observe,
             meet:  She has done her best to honour her obligations.  8 pay,
             redeem, accept, clear, cash:  The bank refused to honour his
             cheque because of 'insufficient funds'.

   honourable
             adj.  1 upright, upstanding, trustworthy, trusty, honest, just,
             fair, moral, principled, uncorrupt, uncorrupted, incorruptible,
             high-minded, noble, virtuous:  Mark Antony referred to Caesar as
             an honourable man.  2 right, correct, proper, fitting,
             appropriate, virtuous, ethical, worthy, respectable, reputable,
             decent, square:  I think you can count on Cedric to do the
             honourable thing.  3 fair (and square), impartial, equitable,
             just, honest, unbiased, unprejudiced, non-prejudicial,
             even-handed, straight, disinterested, guileless, ingenuous,
             artless, open, sincere, above-board, on the up and up,
             undeceiving, undeceitful, Colloq upfront, on the level:  Eleanor
             is too honourable to accept payment for work she did not do. 4
             distinguished, prestigious, eminent, notable, noteworthy, noted,
             illustrious, famous, famed, honoured, exalted, respected,
             celebrated, renowned, acclaimed, well-thought-of:  Ian enjoys an
             honourable reputation as a publisher.

   hoodlum   n.  gangster, thug, racketeer, mobster, desperado, terrorist,
             ruffian, tough, rowdy, knave, Colloq hooligan, baddy, crook, US
             plug-ugly, Slang goon, Brit yob, yobbo, US mug, bad actor,
             roughneck, hood, gunsel, hit man, torpedo, French apache,
             Australian larrikin:  He has a few hoodlums on the payroll who
             do the dirty work.

   hoodwink  v.  fool, trick, deceive, delude, dupe, gull, hoax, defraud,
             mislead, humbug, outwit, Colloq bamboozle, pull the wool over
             (someone's) eyes, pull a fast one on, lead (someone) up or down
             the garden path, put one over on (someone), throw dust in
             (someone's) eyes, take (someone) for a ride, string (someone)
             along, Slang rook, con, suck in, US sucker in, snow:  They are
             trying to hoodwink the voters into believing that the recession
             is over.

   hook      n.  1 hanger, peg, holder; fastener, catch, clasp, clip, pin:
             Hang your hat on that hook. I'm using a safety pin because the
             hook on my dress is gone. 2 snare, trap; fish-hook:  What can we
             use as a hook to catch the fish?  3 by hook or by crook. somehow
             (or other), someway, come what may, by fair means or foul, (by)
             one way or another:  I have to get out of this place by hook or
             by crook.  4 hook, line, and sinker. completely, entirely, all
             the way, through and through, thoroughly, entirely, totally,
             utterly, wholly:  She actually fell for that old routine hook,
             line, and sinker.  5 off the hook. (set) free, (in the) clear,
             out of it; out of trouble, acquitted, exonerated, cleared, let
             off, vindicated, off:  After paying them the extortion money, he
             still wasn't off the hook.

             --v.  6 catch, trap, entrap, snare, ensnare; grab, capture,
             collar, nab, seize; Chiefly US and Canadian snag, Colloq pinch:
             The petty crooks have been caught but we now want to hook the
             big fish himself. 7 steal, pilfer, filch, palm, shoplift, rob,
             Slang snitch, rip off, Euphemistic liberate, remove, borrow,
             appropriate, Brit nick, Chiefly Brit pinch:  They used to hook
             sweets from Woolies'.

   hop       v.  1 jump, leap, bound, spring, vault; skip, caper, gambol,
             dance:  Here comes Peter Cottontail, Hopping down the bunny
             trail.  2 take a (short) trip or voyage, travel, come, go,
             proceed; fly:  Those yuppies think nothing of hopping over to
             Paris just for dinner.

             --n.  3 jump, leap, bound, spring, vault; skip, caper, dance:
             In a few hops the bird was off the branch and onto my finger.  4
             (short) trip or flight or journey or voyage:  The Bahamas are
             just a hop from Miami.

   hope      n.  1 desire, wish, expectation, yearning, hankering, craving,
             longing, fancy; ambition, (day)dream:  It was always my hope
             that you would go to university.  2 prospect, promise,
             expectation, expectancy, confidence, anticipation, assumption,
             security, faith, conviction, belief, trust:  We had given up
             hope of being rescued.

             --v.  3 aspire, count or rely on or upon, anticipate,
             contemplate, foresee, look forward to, expect, await, wait:
             After all these years, he is still hoping to meet the girl of
             his dreams. 4 trust; wish, want, desire; Dialect expect:  I hope
             my ship will come in soon. I hope to see the last of her
             tomorrow.

   hopeful   adj.  1 expectant, anticipating, optimistic, sanguine,
             confident, assured:  We are hopeful of victory in the
             forthcoming election.  2 promising, bright, rosy, reassuring,
             heartening, encouraging, auspicious, propitious, inspiriting:
             Today was a disaster, but tomorrow looks more hopeful.

   hopefully adv.  1 expectantly, optimistically, sanguinely, confidently:
             Jocelyn set off hopefully for the party.  2 with (any) luck, if
             things go well, all being well, it is hoped, expectedly:
             Hopefully, we shall arrive in time to catch the train.

   hopeless  adj.  1 desperate, beyond hope or saving, irreparable, beyond
             repair, irremediable, lost, gone, irretrievable; incurable,
             terminal, deadly, fatal, lethal:  As their ship drifted into the
             intergalactic void, they saw that their situation was hopeless.
             They told me that her condition was hopeless. 2 bad, poor,
             incompetent, inferior, inadequate, inept, unqualified, unfit,
             unskilful, deficient:  You might make a good surgeon, but as a
             judge of human nature you're hopeless. 3 despairing, despondent,
             forlorn, woebegone, disconsolate, inconsolable, depressed,
             dejected, melancholy, downcast, gloomy, miserable, discouraged,
             wretched, lugubrious, funereal, sorrowful, sad, unhappy:
             Utterly hopeless after his script was rejected by Hollywood, he
             moped in his room. 4 futile, vain, bootless, unavailing,
             impossible, impracticable, unworkable, pointless, worthless,
             useless:  It would be hopeless to try to send out a lifeboat in
             this storm.

   horizon   n.  view, purview, range, scope, vista, compass, perspective,
             prospect, ken, field of vision, limit(s):  This is something
             that lies beyond the horizon of present-day knowledge.

   horizontal
             adj.  level, flat, plane; prone, supine:  Make sure that the
             plank is horizontal before fastening it down.  They say that
             dancing is merely a vertical expression of a horizontal desire.

   horrible  adj.  1 awful, horrendous, horrid, horrifying, horrific,
             terrible, terrifying, dreadful, abominable, abhorrent,
             appalling, frightening, frightful, ghastly, grim, grisly,
             ghoulish, gruesome, loathsome, hideous, repulsive, revolting,
             disgusting, sickening, nauseating, nauseous, harrowing,
             blood-curdling, macabre, unspeakable, shocking:  The horrible
             sight of her father's mangled body haunted her for the rest of
             her days. 2 awful, nasty, unpleasant, disagreeable, horrid,
             terrible, dreadful, obnoxious, offensive, atrocious, monstrous,
             contemptible, detestable, despicable, Colloq Brit beastly:  The
             food was perfectly horrible at our hotel. Take that horrible
             little dog away.

   horrify   v.  1 terrify, frighten, scare, alarm, intimidate, panic, scare
             or frighten to death, petrify, Colloq scare or frighten the
             living daylights out of, scare stiff, make (someone's) hair
             stand on end, make (someone's or the) blood run cold, curl
             (someone's) hair, scare the pants off:  I was horrified to see
             the attack dogs racing towards me.  2 shock, startle, upset, put
             off, outrage, dismay, appal, distress, discountenance,
             disconcert:  I was horrified to hear that you weren't coming to
             my party.

   horror    n.  1 fear and loathing, repugnance, terror, dread, hatred,
             revulsion, detestation, abhorrence, distaste, dislike; aversion,
             antipathy, hostility, animosity, animus, rancour; odium,
             execration:  She has a horror of bats.  2 fear, dismay,
             distress, dread, fright, alarm, upset, perturbation, panic,
             terror, fear and trembling, trepidation, anxiety, angst,
             apprehension, uneasiness, queasiness, nervousness, awe:  The
             doctor helped me overcome my horror of flying.

   hors-d'oeuvre
             n.  appetizer, ap‚ritif, antipasto, smorgasbord or sm”rg†sbord,
             relish; Chiefly Brit starter; Archaic warner:  A Sauvignon was
             served with the hors-d'oeuvre, which was gravadlax.

   hospitable
             adj.  1 welcoming, gracious, courteous, genial, friendly,
             agreeable, amicable, cordial, warm, congenial, sociable,
             generous:  It was most hospitable of you to invite me.  2
             open-minded, receptive, amenable, approachable, tolerant:  The
             director is always hospitable to suggestions for improving
             sales.

   hospital  n.  medical centre, health centre, infirmary, clinic,
             polyclinic, dispensary, sickbay; asylum, sanatorium, nursing
             home, convalescent home or facility, US sanitarium:  With that
             wound, you ought to be in a hospital.

   hospitality
             n.  graciousness, courtesy, courteousness, friendliness,
             amicability, cordiality, warmth, congeniality, sociability,
             generosity:  I am grateful for the hospitality you showed my
             sister during her visit.

   host°     n.  1 hostess, innkeeper, hotelier, hotel-keeper, hotelman,
             landlord or landlady, manager or manageress, proprietor or
             proprietress, Brit publican:  As host, it is my responsibility
             to greet the guests.  2 entertainer, master or mistress of
             ceremonies, emcee, MC, announcer, Brit presenter, compЉre, US
             tummler:  For twenty years he has been the host of popular TV
             quiz shows.

             --v.  3 entertain, act or play the host or hostess, have:  She
             hosts a dinner-party for close friends every Wednesday.

   hostэ     n.  army, swarm, crowd, horde, multitude, throng, mob, pack,
             herd, troop, legion, body, assembly, assemblage, drove:  The
             rock group turned up with a host of followers, their so-called
             groupies.

   hostage   n.  pledge, security, surety, pawn, captive, prisoner, gage:
             The terrorists threatened that if their demands were not met
             they would kill the hostages.

   hostile   adj.  1 opposed, antagonistic, contrary, against, anti, adverse;
             averse, loath:  The government is hostile to curbs on business.
             2 unfriendly, inimical, unsympathetic, cold, inhospitable;
             unfavourable:  Why do many social workers seem hostile to the
             people they are supposed to help? The polar regions are very
             hostile environments to man. 3 warring, belligerent, bellicose,
             warlike, combative, militant, aggressive:  The UN units function
             as a buffer between the hostile forces.

   hostility n.  1 antagonism, opposition, enmity, animosity, antipathy,
             animus, ill will, malevolence, malice, aversion, unfriendliness:
             Do you still harbour the feelings of hostility towards them that
             you had during the war? The petty quarrels broke out into open
             hostility. 2 hostilities. war, warfare, fighting, combat,
             action, state of war, bloodshed:  Hostilities ceased when the
             factions agreed to parley.

   hot       adj.  1 fiery, white-hot, red-hot, piping hot, burning,
             blistering, scorching, roasting, frying, sizzling, searing,
             boiling, scalding, steaming, simmering, torrid, sweltering,
             sultry, heated:  The hot, molten steel is cast into ingots here.
             During the day it is hot, but it cools down at night. 2 spicy,
             peppery, sharp, piquant, pungent, biting, acrid:  She likes very
             hot food, with plenty of chilli.  3 intense, fervent, zealous,
             ardent, enthusiastic, passionate, fervid, vehement, excited,
             animated; impetuous, fiery, fierce, inflamed, sharp, violent:
             He had some hot words with the foreman who had dismissed him.  4
             eager, keen, avid, anxious, burning; intense, fervent, zealous,
             ardent, enthusiastic, passionate, fervid, vehement, excited,
             animated, earnest, Slang US gung-ho:  Desmond set out in hot
             pursuit of the thief.  5 recent, fresh, new, latest, brand-new:
             The hottest gossip is that she is marrying for the seventh time.
             6 popular, sought-after, commercial, saleable, marketable:  The
             publisher believes Zenobia's Memoirs to be the hot property of
             the year.  7 lustful, lecherous, libidinous, lubricous or
             lubricious, sensual, concupiscent, prurient, licentious,
             oversexed, sex-crazed, sex-mad, Archaic lickerish, horn-mad,
             Slang horny, Chiefly Brit randy, US hard up:  They were really
             hot, not having been with anyone of the opposite sex for months.
             8 intense, vivid, striking, bright, brilliant, dazzling, loud:
             That hot pink lipstick looks good with your suntan.  9
             electrified, live, charged, powered:  The hot wire connects to
             the other terminal - I think.  10 dangerous, precarious, risky,
             sensitive, delicate, unstable, touchy, unpredictable:  The
             situation is getting a bit too hot to handle.

             --v.  11 hot up. intensify, build up, heighten, increase,
             worsen, warm up, heat up:  The environment is hotting up as a
             political issue.

   hot air   n.  blather or blether, bunkum, verbiage, talk, wind,
             pretentiousness, pomposity, bombast, grandiloquence,
             magniloquence, flatulence, gasconade, rodomontade, Colloq
             claptrap, bosh, gas, guff:  Management's promises of pay
             increases were nothing but hot air.

   hotbed    n.  breeding ground, fertile source:  Slums are a hotbed of
             crime.

   hotchpotch
             n.  miscellany, mixture, gallimaufry, jumble, farrago, m‚lange,
             mishmash, mess, tangle, medley, hash, conglomeration,
             agglomeration, olio, olla podrida, pot-pourri, rag-bag, welter,
             US and Canadian hodgepodge, Colloq omnium gatherum, mixed bag:
             That hotchpotch of junk is scarcely what I should call an
             'antiques collection'.

   hotel     n.  hostelry, inn, lodging, caravanserai; motel, motor hotel,
             bed and breakfast or B & B, guest-house, pension, Australian and
             New Zealand pub, US tourist house:  We are staying at a small
             hotel just outside of town.

   hotheaded adj.  impetuous, headlong, hot-tempered, quick-tempered,
             volatile, rash, hasty, wild, foolhardy, reckless, precipitate,
             thoughtless, heedless, madcap, daredevil, devil-may-care:  He is
             too hotheaded to succeed in the diplomatic corps.

   hothouse  n.  1 hotbed, greenhouse, glasshouse, conservatory:  These
             tomatoes were grown during the winter in our hothouse.

             --adj.  2 dainty, delicate, sensitive, fragile, frail, pampered,
             overprotected, sheltered, shielded, spoiled, coddled, babied:
             She was glad to exchange the hothouse atmosphere of the
             university for the real world.

   hotly     adv.  intensively, energetically, doggedly, persistently,
             zealously, fervently, fervidly, ardently, warmly,
             enthusiastically:  Hotly pursued by the police, I managed to
             hide in a culvert.

   hound     v.  bully, browbeat, persecute, nag, harass, annoy, pester,
             harry, badger:  Although he was found innocent, his neighbours
             hounded him so much that he had to leave town.

   house     n.  1 residence, dwelling, dwelling-place, home, abode,
             household, homestead, domicile, lodging(s), quarters, building,
             edifice:  We are playing bridge at my house next Saturday.  2
             family, line, lineage, dynasty, clan, ancestry, strain, race,
             blood, descendants, forebears:  She is a member of the royal
             house of Sweden.  3 legislature, legislative body, congress,
             parliament, assembly, council, diet:  Both houses of the
             legislature passed the bill.  4 establishment, firm, concern,
             company, business, organization, enterprise, undertaking, Colloq
             outfit:  He has gone from one publishing house to another with
             his manuscript.  5 auditorium, theatre, concert-hall:  The house
             is sold out.  6 house of ill repute or ill fame or prostitution,
             brothel, whore-house, bagnio, bordello, Archaic bawdy-house,
             Colloq sporting house, crib, Slang US cat-house:  She used to
             run a house in Lambeth.  7 on the house. free, gratis, for
             nothing, as a gift:  Drinks will be on the house tonight to
             celebrate the tenth anniversary of our opening.

             --v.  8 shelter, accommodate, domicile, lodge, quarter, put up,
             take in, board, billet, harbour:  We have housed as many as ten
             people at a time in the cottage.  9 contain, accommodate,
             quarter:  This building houses our computer operations.

   housing   n.  1 homes, houses, lodging(s), quarters, accommodation,
             habitation, dwelling; shelter, protection:  The Council is
             trying to provide housing for the elderly.  2 case, casing,
             cover, covering, enclosure, container, box, shield:  We keep the
             sensitive equipment in a dust-proof housing.

   hovel     n.  hole, shack, shanty, (pig)sty, pigpen, coop, crib, hut,
             Colloq US dump:  The beggar lives in a hovel near the railway
             station.

   hover     v.  1 drift, poise, float, hang, be or hang suspended, hang in
             the air:  The humming bird hovers over a flower, drinking its
             nectar.  2 linger, loiter, wait, hang about or around:  The
             waiter's constant hovering about is making me nervous.

   however   adv.  1 notwithstanding, regardless, nevertheless, nonetheless,
             despite (that), in spite of (that), still, but, though, yet,
             even so, be that as it may, come what may, no matter what; at
             any rate, anyway, anyhow, on the other hand, in all events, in
             any event, in any case, after all:  He insisted the council
             should give their approval; however, that is not their
             responsibility. I was ready to move to Cardiff; she didn't offer
             me the job, however. 2 to whatever manner or extent or degree,
             howsoever, no matter how, in any way or manner or respect,
             anyhow, how, in whatever way or manner:  However you view it, he
             is still the boss. Spend the money however you see fit.

             --conj.  3 how, how on earth, how in the world, in what way or
             manner:  However do you manage with only three to help, you poor
             thing?  4 no matter how, regardless how, putting or setting
             aside how, notwithstanding how:  However much she earns, she is
             always short of money.

   howl      v.  1 yowl, cry, wail, ululate, bay; shout, yell, bellow,
             scream, roar, Colloq holler:  The wolves were howling at the
             moon last night. He howled with pain when he caught his finger
             in the door.

             --n.  2 yowl, yowling, ululation, ululating, wail, wailing,
             yelp, yelping, cry; shout, yell, bellow, scream, roar, Colloq
             holler:  The wolf's howl is an eerie, chilling sound. I kicked
             him and he let out a howl.

   howler    n.  blunder, mistake, error, gaffe; malapropism, Irish bull;
             Brit bloomer, US clinker, Colloq Brit clanger, US boner:  One
             paper contained the howler, 'Money is the route of all evil',
             which the author explained should be corrected to, 'The love of
             money is the root of all evil'.

8.5 hub...
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   hub       n.  centre, focus, focal point, pivot, heart, core, nucleus,
             nave:  This is the hub of the city, around which everything else
             moves.

   huddle    n.  1 cluster, group, bunch, clump, pack, herd, crowd, throng,
             mass:  Everyone got into a huddle, trying to keep warm.  2
             meeting, conference, discussion, consultation:  They were in a
             huddle, deciding what to do next.

             --v.  3 cluster, gather, crowd or press together, throng or
             flock together, nestle, jam or cram together, squeeze together:
             We huddled in basements during air raids.  4 meet, discuss,
             confer, consult:  Let's huddle on this question of the
             advertising schedule.

   hue       n.  colour, tint, shade, tinge, tone, cast, tincture, Technical
             chroma:  The dust in the atmosphere gives the sunsets a reddish
             hue.

   huff      n.  1 in a huff. piqued, peeved, testy, irritated, angered,
             vexed, annoyed, in high dudgeon, provoked, exasperated,
             petulant, in a pet, Colloq (all) het up:  She went off in a huff
             because I didn't praise her painting.

             --v.  2 puff, blow, bluster:  When I complained about the food,
             the manager simply huffed and puffed and walked away.

   hug       v.  1 embrace, clasp, squeeze, cuddle, snuggle, Archaic or
             literary clip:  They hugged each other warmly, then kissed
             goodbye.  2 follow closely, cling to, stay or keep near or close
             to:  We hugged the ground as the bullets whizzed by overhead.

             --n.  3 embrace, clasp, squeeze, Colloq clinch:  She saw me, ran
             over, and gave me a big hug.

   huge      adj.  large, great, enormous, gigantic, giant, immense, massive,
             tremendous, gargantuan, prodigious, mammoth, colossal,
             monumental, Brobdingnagian, titanic, stupendous, elephantine,
             leviathan, mountainous, vast, Colloq jumbo, whopping:  The red
             spot on Jupiter is so huge it could swallow the earth several
             times over.

   hulk      n.  1 shipwreck, wreck, derelict, shell, skeleton:  The rusting
             hulk of the once-proud ship is tied up at the dock.  2 oaf,
             clod, lout, ox, Slang US galoot or galloot, klutz:  Don't tell
             me that hulk of a man painted these delicate miniatures!

   hulking   adj.  clumsy, awkward, ungainly, lubberly, oafish, loutish;
             unwieldy, cumbersome, bulky, ponderous, massive, ungraceful,
             inelegant:  Their great hulking son could no longer fit into his
             clothes.  That hulking monolith of an office building dominates
             the entire neighbourhood.

   hull      n.  1 framework, skeleton, frame, structure, body:  The hull of
             the ship completed, we added the superstructure.  2 shell, pod,
             case, husk, skin, peel, rind, US shuck:  Squirrels carefully
             nibble through the hull of the nut to get at the kernel inside.

             --v.  3 shell, peel, skin, husk, US shuck:  We hulled all the
             nuts and they are now ready for the fruit cake.

   hum       v.  1 buzz, drone, thrum, murmur, whirr, purr, vibrate,
             Technical bombinate or bombilate:  I want to smell the wild
             flowers and hear the bees hum once again.  2 bustle, stir, be
             active, move briskly, Colloq tick (over):  Within three months
             of completion, the new plant was humming.  3 intone:  I said,
             'Do you know your rock guitar is keeping me awake?', and he
             replied, 'No, man, but if you hum it I'll try to play it.'

             --n.  4 buzz, buzzing, drone, droning, thrum, thrumming, murmur,
             murmuring, murmuration, whirr, whirring, purr, purring,
             vibration:  From the other room came the hum of conversation.

   human     adj.  1 mortal, anthropoid, hominoid, android; hominid; Possibly
             offensive manlike:  The aliens from the spaceship had few human
             characteristics. It is human nature to think. 2 sensitive,
             defenceless, weak, fallible, vulnerable:  She is human, too, and
             can be easily hurt.  3 kind, kindly, kind-hearted, considerate,
             charitable, compassionate, merciful, benign, benignant, tender,
             gentle, forgiving, lenient, benevolent, beneficent, generous,
             magnanimous, humanitarian, understanding, accommodating,
             sympathetic, good-natured, humane, sensitive:  Human concern for
             others is in short supply these days.

             --n.  4 human being, person, individual, woman, man, child,
             mortal, one, soul, someone, somebody:  Humans have long
             maltreated many of the animals on which they depend.

   humanitarian
             adj.  1 See human, 3.

             --n.  2 Good Samaritan, benefactor, philanthropist, altruist:
             Because of her charitable works, Lady Pendleton is thought of as
             a great humanitarian.

   humanity  n.  1 human race, people, society, humankind, Homo sapiens; the
             public, the masses, community; Possibly offensive man, mankind:
             From what we are told, humanity took millions of years to
             evolve.  2 humanness, human nature, mortality:  On his first
             voyage to Mars, Kollworth began to doubt his own humanity. 3
             kindness, kindliness, kind-heartedness, consideration,
             helpfulness, charitableness, open-heartedness, warm-heartedness,
             good will, benevolence, compassion, mercifulness, mercy,
             benignity, tenderness, warmth, gentleness, leniency or lenience
             or lenity, beneficence, generosity, unselfishness, magnanimity,
             understanding, sympathy, sensitivity:  It was owing to the
             humanity of our neighbours that we survived the bombing.

   humble    adj.  1 modest, reserved, unpretentious, unostentatious,
             self-effacing, unassuming, unpresuming:  For someone who has
             accomplished so much, she is quite humble.  2 submissive, meek,
             servile, obsequious, deferential, mild, respectful, subservient,
             subdued:  Usually pompous, Nigel became humble in the presence
             of the chairman.  3 lowly, low, inferior, mean, ignoble,
             ordinary, plebeian, common, simple, obscure, unprepossessing,
             unimportant, undistinguished, insignificant; low-born, base,
             base-born:  He lives in a humble cottage. Though she came from a
             humble background, she rose to become prime minister.

             --v.  4 chasten, bring or pull down, subdue, abase, debase,
             demean, lower, degrade, downgrade, reduce, make (someone) eat
             humble pie, lose face, shame, humiliate, crush, break, mortify,
             chagrin, Colloq put down, take (someone) down a peg or notch:
             He found army discipline a humbling experience.

   humdrum   adj.  dull, boring, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, monotonous,
             unvaried, unvarying, routine, undiversified, unchanging,
             repetitious, uneventful, unexciting, uninteresting, prosaic,
             mundane, ordinary, commonplace, common, banal, dry, insipid,
             jejune:  They saw no way of escaping from their humdrum lives.

   humid     adj.  damp, moist, muggy, clammy, sticky, steamy, soggy, sultry,
             wet:  The weather has been oppressively hot and humid all week.

   humiliate v.  See humble, 4.

   humiliation
             n.  disgrace, shame, mortification, dishonour, ignominy,
             indignity, discredit, loss of face, obloquy, abasement,
             depreciation, detraction, degradation, derogation, belittlement,
             disparagement, shaming, embarrassment, humbling:  He had to
             suffer the humiliation of being drummed out of the corps.

   humility  n.  modesty, meekness, self-effacement, shyness, diffidence,
             timidity, timorousness, meekness, bashfulness, mildness,
             unpretentiousness, submissiveness, servility, self-abasement,
             lowliness:  She sees humility as dissatisfaction with oneself on
             account of some defect or infirmity.

   humorous  adj.  funny, comical, facetious, laughable, risible, ludicrous,
             farcical, side-splitting, hilarious, merry; droll, whimsical,
             amusing, witty, waggish, jocular, jocose, playful, pleasant,
             Colloq hysterical:  The humorous parts of the play sent the
             audience into gales of laughter.

   humour    n.  1 funniness, comedy, wit, facetiousness, ludicrousness,
             drollery, jocoseness or jocosity, jocularity, waggishness,
             raillery, banter:  One writer defined humour as 'the happy
             compound of pathos and playfulness', another referred to the
             sense of humour as a 'modulating and restraining balance-wheel'.
             2 comedy, farce, jokes, jests, witticisms, wit, Slang
             wisecracks, gags:  Milton was scarcely known as a writer of
             humour.  3 mood, frame of mind, temper; spirit(s); disposition,
             nature, temperament:  She is in a bad humour till after
             breakfast.

             --v.  4 soothe, gratify, placate, please, mollify, indulge,
             appease, pamper, cosset, coddle, mollycoddle, jolly, baby,
             spoil:  They are trying to humour him because he's in a bad
             mood.

   hump      n.  1 bulge, lump, bump, protuberance, protrusion, projection,
             knob, node, mass, hunch, enlargement, swelling, growth,
             excrescence, tumefaction, tumescence; mound, barrow, tell,
             hummock, hillock, tumulus, Brit dialect tump:  Digging into the
             hump near the trees, we uncovered an ancient burial-ground.

             --v.  2 hunch, arch, curve, crook, bend:  Sulking in the corner,
             he humped his back and refused to speak to anyone. 3 drag, lug,
             haul, carry, heave:  She had to hump two heavy suitcases all the
             way from the railway station.

   hunch     n.  1 (intuitive) guess, intuition, feeling, impression,
             suspicion, premonition, presentiment:  I had a hunch they would
             be late.  2 See hump, 1.

             --v.  3 See hump, 2.

   hunger    n.  1 hungriness, emptiness, appetite, ravenousness,
             voraciousness, voracity; famine, starvation:  We ate leaves to
             stave off the pangs of hunger. Some optimists hope to eliminate
             hunger from the planet by the year 2000. 2 yearning, desire,
             craving, itch, thirst, longing, hankering, mania, cupidity,
             Formal cacoethes, Colloq yen:  She felt an insatiable hunger for
             intellectual companionship.

             --v.  3 Usually, hunger for or after. crave, yearn, desire,
             thirst, want, hanker, Colloq yen, have a yen:  Blessed are they
             who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

   hungry    adj.  1 famished, starved, starving, ravenous, voracious, empty,
             hollow, Colloq chiefly Brit peckish:  I'm hungry enough to eat a
             horse.  2 craving, covetous, eager, avid, greedy, keen,
             yearning, desirous, longing, hungering, thirsting, starving,
             dying, Colloq hankering:  Marooned for years, Crusoe was hungry
             for the sight of another human being. 3 acquisitive, greedy,
             thirsty, insatiable, deprived:  The parched, hungry earth drank
             up the rain.

   hunt      v.  1 chase, pursue, dog, hound, stalk, trail, track (down),
             trace; course:  The jewel thieves were hunted across three
             continents.  2 Also, hunt for or up or out or through. seek
             (out), search (for), go in search of or for, look (high and low)
             for, quest after, go in quest of, scour, ransack, investigate,
             pry into, go over or through with a fine-tooth comb, examine,
             explore, Colloq US check out:  Detectives hunted the carpet for
             clues. She is hunting a job in publishing. I have hunted for the
             ring but cannot find it. Can you hunt up someone to fill the
             vacancy? Hunt through your pockets again for the key.

             --n.  3 chase, pursuit, tracking (down), stalking, hunting;
             course:  The ten-year hunt for the thieves continues.  4 search,
             quest:  My hunt ended when I found the ring.

   hunter    n.  huntsman, huntswoman, stalker, tracker, Nimrod, Orion;
             huntress:  An expert hunter, she bagged three tigers last year.

   hurdle    n.  1 barrier, obstacle, impediment, hindrance, obstruction,
             bar, handicap, restraint, snag, (stumbling) block, check,
             difficulty, complication, interference:  Can she overcome the
             hurdle of prejudice against women?

             --v.  2 leap (over), vault (over), jump (over):  The fugitive
             easily hurdled the fence around the compound.

   hurl      v.  throw, toss, shy, sling, fling, pitch, cast, send, fire,
             heave, propel, let fly, Colloq chuck:  The fast bowler hurled
             the ball past the batsman.

   hurricane n.  cyclone, tornado, typhoon, whirlwind, twister, wind-storm,
             storm, gale, blow:  The 1985 hurricane destroyed millions of
             trees.

   hurried   adj.  1 hasty, feverish, frantic, hectic, breakneck, frenetic,
             impetuous, rushed, precipitate, swift, quick, speedy; brief,
             short:  We ate a hurried lunch before leaving to catch the
             train.  2 superficial, cursory, offhand, perfunctory, slapdash:
             Airport security guards made only a hurried examination of the
             hand luggage.

   hurry     v.  1 rush, hasten, make haste, speed, race, dash, hustle,
             scurry, tear, fly, run, shoot, scoot, scamper, scuttle, hotfoot
             (it), Colloq shake a leg, get cracking, get a move on, go hell
             for leather, skedaddle, step on it, step on the gas, Chiefly US
             hightail (it), go like greased lightning, get a wiggle on:
             You'll have to hurry to catch your bus.  2 speed up, accelerate,
             hasten, rush, push, press, expedite; urge, egg:  Such changes
             take time and can't be hurried. She hurried the children along
             so that they wouldn't miss the bus.

             --n.  3 haste, rush, urgency, eagerness; agitation, disquiet,
             upset, dither, fuss, bustle, ado, to-do, furore or US furor,
             commotion, turmoil, stir, pother; Colloq stew, sweat:  Why all
             the hurry to finish before dark? He's in an awful hurry to get
             home.

   hurt      v.  1 harm, injure, wound; damage, impair, mar, spoil, vitiate,
             ruin:  She's so gentle she wouldn't hurt a fly. The scandal hurt
             the candidate's chances of election. 2 ache, smart, pain, pinch,
             sting, burn, torment, gripe:  My elbow really hurts where I hit
             it.  3 distress, grieve, affect, afflict, aggrieve, depress,
             upset, disappoint, pain, cut to the quick, affront, offend:
             Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt
             me. You always hurt the one you love. 4 injure, maim, wound,
             cripple, lame, disable, incapacitate, damage, mutilate, mangle:
             Three people have been badly hurt in a car crash on the
             motorway.

             --n.  5 harm, injury, damage, detriment, disadvantage:  How much
             more hurt can you cause beyond what you have done already?  6
             ache, pain, pang, distress, discomfort, suffering, torment,
             torture, agony; anguish, misery, woe, dolour, sadness,
             depression:  If you rub on this ointment, the hurt will go away.
             You cannot imagine the hurt we felt when he failed his
             examinations.

             --adj.  7 injured, wronged, pained, rueful, grieved, unhappy,
             aggrieved, sad, wretched, woebegone, sorrowful, mournful,
             depressed, dejected, dismal, gloomy, melancholy:  Whenever I
             mention getting a job she gets that hurt expression on her face.
             8 damaged, defective, marred, impaired, broken, worn,
             dilapidated, shop-worn, scratched, bruised, scarred:  They are
             holding a sale of hurt merchandise at the warehouse tomorrow.

   hurtful   adj.  1 harmful, injurious, detrimental, pernicious,
             prejudicial, disadvantageous, damaging, deleterious,
             destructive, noisome, noxious, baneful, mischievous:  Efficient
             government is advantageous to many and hurtful to none.  2
             nasty, cruel, cutting, malicious, mean, unkind, wounding,
             spiteful:  He made some hurtful accusations about the
             librarian's efficiency.

   hurtle    v.  rush (headlong), tear, shoot, race, speed; plunge:  The car
             hurtled round the corner and crashed into a tree. Two bodies
             hurtled past me into the abyss below.

   husband   n.  1 mate, spouse, groom, bridegroom, partner, Colloq old man,
             hubby:  My husband and I take turns cleaning the house.

             --v.  2 save, keep, retain, hoard, conserve, preserve, store;
             budget, economize (on), manage:  If we husband our resources, we
             shall have enough for a rainy day.

   hush      interj.  1 Shush!, Quiet!, Be or Keep quiet or silent or still!,
             Hold your tongue!, Mum's the word!, Slang Shut up!, Clam up!,
             Shut your trap!, Button your lip!, Shut your gob!, Brit Belt
             up!, US Hush up!, Shut your face!, US dialect Hush your mouth!:
             Hush! You're in a library.

             --v.  2 shush, silence, still, quiet:  I wish she'd hush the
             child's wailing.  3 suppress, mute, soften, soft-pedal, whisper:
             They spoke in hushed tones.  4 Usually, hush up. suppress,
             repress, quash, cover up, hide, conceal, keep quiet, Colloq
             squelch:  They tried to hush up the news about his extramarital
             affairs.  5 soothe, allay, calm, quiet, mollify, pacify,
             placate, tranquillize:  Our worst fears were hushed by father's
             comforting words.

             --n.  6 silence, quiet, stillness, peace, tranquillity:  A hush
             came over the crowd as she rose to speak.

   husky     adj.  1 brawny, strapping, sturdy, burly, well-built, robust,
             hefty, rugged, powerful, strong, stout, thickset, muscular,
             tough, Colloq beefy:  Two husky men arrived to move the piano.
             2 hoarse, gruff, dry, harsh, rasping, rough, raucous:  She has a
             deep, husky voice I would recognize anywhere.

   hustle    v.  1 rush, push, hurry, hasten, run, dash, scamper, scuttle,
             scurry, sprint:  Mrs Grumble hustles off to the market every
             morning. He said that one must really hustle to make a living
             these days. 2 shove, push, drive, force, hasten, expedite,
             press:  The bill was hustled through the legislature in just one
             day.  3 shove, crowd, push, jostle, elbow, thrust, force:  She
             tried to hustle her way to the front of the queue.  4 push,
             eject, force, coerce, drive, Colloq bounce:  He was hustled out
             the back door.

             --n.  5 pushing, jostling, buffeting, jarring, elbowing,
             shoving, nudging:  We always take taxis to avoid the hustle in
             the underground.  6 activity, action, stir, movement:  I can't
             concentrate with all the hustle and bustle going on in the
             office.

   hut       n.  cabin, shack, shanty, shed, lean-to, shelter, cote, Literary
             cot, Australian gunyah:  We found a tiny hut where we could keep
             out of the storm.

8.6 hybrid...
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   hybrid    n.  mixture, cross-breed, half-breed, mongrel, cross, composite,
             combination, compound:  The best wheat for this region is a
             hybrid developed in our laboratory.

   hygienic  adj.  clean, sanitary, sterile, disinfected, germ-free, aseptic,
             pure:  It is essential that hygienic surroundings be maintained
             in hospitals.

   hypnotize v.  fascinate, mesmerize, entrance, cast a spell over or on,
             captivate, enchant, charm, spellbind, bewitch, enrapture,
             ensorcell, transport:  Greg is completely hypnotized by that
             singer at Felipe's nightclub.

   hypocrisy n.  deceit, deceitfulness, duplicity, double-dealing, deception,
             chicanery, guile, quackery, charlatanism or charlatanry,
             falseness, fakery, falseness, lying, mendacity, Pharisaism or
             Phariseeism, Tartuffery, insincerity, two-facedness, sanctimony,
             sanctimoniousness, Colloq phoneyness or US also phoniness:  I
             loath hypocrisy and double standards.

   hypocrite n.  deceiver, double-dealer, quack, charlatan, impostor or
             imposter, mountebank, confidence man or trickster, faker,
             pretender, liar, Pharisee, whited sepulchre, Tartuffe,
             flimflammer, Colloq phoney or US also phony, con man, flimflam
             man or artist, two-face:  It is incredible that so many were
             duped by that hypocrite.

   hypocritical
             adj.  deceptive, deceitful, deceiving, insincere, dissembling,
             feigning, dissimulating, double-dealing, false, fake, faking,
             two-faced, pretending, lying, mendacious, Pharisaic(al),
             sanctimonious, dishonest, underhand, treacherous, perfidious,
             untrustworthy:  He regards the Victorians as nothing but smug
             prudes and hypocritical moralizers.

   hypothesis
             n.  theory, theorem, postulate, premise or premiss, proposition,
             assumption, supposition, speculation:  Cadwallader's Hypothesis
             is that television sets watch viewers while viewers are watching
             them.

   hypothetical
             adj.  assumed, supposed, conjectural, conjectured, hypothesized,
             putative, surmised, assumed, presumed, suspected, imagined,
             guessed, speculative, speculated, theoretical, suppositional,
             suppositious or supposititious:  Let us take the hypothetical
             case of someone, for example, who refuses to pay income tax.

   hysterical
             adj.  1 raving, mad, beside oneself, crazed, irrational,
             distracted, rabid, frantic, frenzied, wild, berserk,
             uncontrolled, uncontrollable, unrestrained, unrestrainable:
             They are subject to violent, hysterical outbursts.  2 hilarious,
             side-splitting, uproarious, farcical, comical, funny:  The
             absolutely hysterical sign in our Japanese hotel read, 'You are
             invited to take advantage of the chambermaid'.

9.0 I
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9.1 icing...
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   icing     n.  1 frosting, glaze, coating:  Our favourite treat was
             chocolate cake with chocolate icing.  2 bonus, (fringe) benefit,
             reward, (extra) added attraction, extra, reward, dividend:  He
             clinched a seventh victory with his partner, putting the icing
             on the cake of their shared world championship.

   icy       adj.  1 ice-cold, frigid, arctic, bitter, glacial, freezing,
             frozen, chill, glacial, hyperborean or hyperboreal, polar,
             Siberian, wintry, raw, cold, chilling, chilly:  The icy wind cut
             through to the marrow of my bones.  2 cool, chill, chilly,
             frigid, distant, aloof, remote, freezing, ice-cold, unemotional,
             unimpassioned, stony, steely, callous, flinty, formal, reserved,
             forbidding, unfriendly, hostile:  She fixed him with an icy
             stare.

9.2 idea...
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   idea      n.  1 concept, conception, construct, thought, notion, plan,
             design, scheme, suggestion, recommendation:  Is that your idea
             of a good singing voice? Peter has an excellent idea for
             increasing sales. 2 notion, fancy, impression, picture, (mental)
             image, concept, conception, perception, understanding,
             awareness, apprehension, inkling, suspicion, hint, suggestion,
             approximation, clue, intimation, guess, estimate, estimation,
             impression:  I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking
             about. Can you give us any idea of the cause of the delay? 3
             belief, opinion, sentiment, feeling, teaching(s), doctrine,
             tenet, principle, philosophy, view, viewpoint, outlook, notion,
             conviction, position, stance:  Western and Eastern ideas differ
             as to the role of women in society.  4 aim, goal, purpose,
             objective, object, end, point, reason, raison d'€tre:  What was
             the idea of telling the teacher? The idea behind the scheme was
             to boost sales. The idea of the game is to capture your
             opponent's king. 5 hypothesis, theory, notion, dream, fantasy or
             phantasy:  His invention is based on the idea of an anti-gravity
             device.

   ideal     n.  1 model, paragon, standard, criterion, paradigm, exemplar,
             pattern, example, epitome:  She regarded Florence Nightingale as
             her ideal.  2 acme, (standard of) perfection, nonpareil:  The
             ideal can rarely be achieved, so you had better settle for
             reality. 3 ideals. principles, morals, standards:  Everyone's
             ideals are compromised sooner or later.

             --adj.  4 perfect, excellent, supreme, consummate, complete,
             model, idyllic:  This is an ideal home for a young couple.  5
             conceptual, imagined, imaginary, unreal, visionary, idealistic,
             fictitious, Utopian, notional, mythical or mythic, fantasy,
             dream, romantic, chimeric(al), illusory, fanciful, fancied:  In
             his ideal world there is no crime, so there is no need for
             police.

   idealistic
             adj.  visionary, romantic, romanticized, optimistic,
             starry-eyed, quixotic, Panglossian, impractical, unrealistic:
             He is idealistic enough to believe that people are basically
             good.

   idealize  v.  exalt, elevate, glorify, worship, ennoble, deify,
             apotheosize, put on a pedestal, romanticize:  Because she
             idealizes him, she cannot see his true nature.

   ideally   adv.  1 under or in the best of circumstances, at best, in a
             perfect world, all things being equal:  Ideally, February is the
             time to holiday in the Caribbean.  2 theoretically, in theory,
             in principle:  Ideally, people ought to have money before they
             are too old to enjoy it. 3 perfectly:  John and Marsha are
             ideally suited to each other.

   identical adj.  1 same, twin, duplicate, indistinguishable,
             interchangeable; selfsame:  The two leaves look identical to me.
             The duchess and I had the identical suite at the hotel, but a
             week apart. 2 similar, matching, like, alike, comparable, equal,
             equivalent, corresponding:  The children are dressed in
             identical clothing.

   identification
             n.  1 connection, recognition, distinguishing, indication,
             perception, detection, selection, naming, labelling,
             pinpointing, designation, characterization, denomination;
             authentication, verification, establishment, certification,
             substantiation, corroboration, Colloq fingering:  Her
             identification of him as her attacker is not sufficient to
             convict him. 2 classification, classifying, cataloguing,
             categorization, categorizing, pigeon-holing:  How much time is
             needed for the identification of the minerals in the moon rocks?
             3 ID, ID card, identity card, badge, credentials:  Only
             up-to-date identification will be accepted as proof of
             ownership.  4 connection, association, affiliation, empathy,
             sympathy, rapport, relationship:  His continued identification
             with comic-book heroes is immature.

   identify  v.  1 classify, categorize, catalogue, pigeon-hole, sort (out),
             specify, pinpoint, home (in) on, name, label, tag, recognize,
             place, mark, label, tag, pinpoint, single out, point out, Colloq
             put one's finger on:  We are unable to identify the butterfly
             you caught.  2 connect, associate, relate, ally:  She is closely
             identified with the success of the enterprise.  3 diagnose,
             specify, name, recognize:  From the symptoms, the doctor
             identified the disease as bubonic plague. 4 Usually, identify
             with. empathize (with), sympathize (with), relate (to), Colloq
             dig:  His problem is that he identifies too closely with his
             dog.

   identity  n.  1 sameness, oneness, unanimity, indistinguishability,
             agreement, accord, congruence:  Identity of purpose held them
             together under stress.  2 personality, individuality,
             distinctiveness, uniqueness, particularity, singularity:  Many
             who join the army lose their identity.

   ideology  n.  belief(s), convictions, tenets, credo, philosophy,
             principles, creed, dogma, teachings, doctrine:  Buddhism had a
             great influence on his ideology.

   idiom     n.  1 language, tongue, speech, vernacular, dialect, argot,
             patois, jargon, cant, idiolect, parlance, fa‡on de parler,
             phraseology:  The play is written in a rather old-fashioned
             idiom.  2 expression, (set) phrase, phrasing, locution, clich‚:
             The term red herring , an idiom meaning 'false trail', is used
             of something which is neither red nor a herring.

   idle      adj.  1 unused, inactive, unoccupied, non-operative, stationary:
             The looms were idle for months. The devil finds work for idle
             hands. 2 unemployed, out of work, redundant, jobless, workless,
             Colloq at leisure, at liberty, between assignments, resting, US
             on the beach:  Unable to find work, Gilbert has been idle for a
             year.  3 indolent, lazy, listless, lethargic, loafing, slothful,
             shiftless, lackadaisical, loitering, fain‚ant:  Since winning
             the lottery, Crouch has become one of the idle rich.  4
             bootless, fruitless, unproductive, abortive, unfruitful,
             pointless, vain, trifling, trivial, shallow, nugatory,
             superficial, insignificant, meaningless, senseless, unimportant,
             frivolous, worthless, useless, otiose, unavailing, futile:  We
             were passing the time at the pub in idle chatter when Michael
             walked in. He had no factual information to offer, only idle
             speculation.

             --v.  5 Often, idle away. waste, fritter away, while away, kill:
             They idle away the hours lying by the swimming-pool.  6 laze
             (about), loiter, kill time, loaf, loll, lounge, take it easy,
             Brit potter or US putter about or away, mess about, fool away,
             fool around or about, Colloq Brit muck about, bugger about, US
             lallygag or lollygag, goof off or around, Military slang US
             gold-brick:  Stop idling and get down to work.

   idleness  n.  1 inactivity, inaction, lethargy, torpor, indolence,
             laziness, sluggishness, sloth, slothfulness, shiftlessness,
             inertia, lassitude, torpor, flѓnerie, dolce far niente;
             unemployment, Colloq US lallygagging or lollygagging, Military
             slang US gold-bricking:  The strike created enforced idleness
             for non-union workers as well. 2 shirking, malingering,
             dawdling, loafing, time-wasting, lazing, Colloq dilly-dallying,
             shilly-shallying, Brit skiving:  The foreman warned that he
             would not tolerate idleness.

   idler     n.  loafer, layabout, slacker, shirker, sluggard, lazybones,
             slugabed, laggard, dawdler, clock-watcher, drone, slouch,
             ne'er-do-well, fain‚ant, Colloq lounge lizard, Military slang US
             gold brick or gold-bricker:  To fill out a crew we often
             recruited men from among waterfront idlers.

   idly      adv.  1 unproductively, lazily, indolently:  She wanders about
             the shops, idly whiling away the hours.  2 offhandedly,
             unconsciously, mechanically, thoughtlessly, unthinkingly,
             obliviously, insensibly, indifferently:  He sat quietly, his
             fingers idly drumming on the tabletop.

   idol      n.  1 (graven) image, icon or ikon, effigy, fetish, tiki,
             symbol:  Nebuchadnezzar's people worshipped golden idols.  2
             hero or heroine, superstar, celebrity, luminary, matin‚e idol,
             favourite, pet, darling:  When he was a lad his idol was
             Quatermain, from the Rider Haggard novels.

   idolize   v.  adore, admire, adulate, worship, revere, reverence,
             venerate, put on a pedestal, exalt, glorify, deify, lionize,
             look up to, apotheosize:  She had always idolized her father,
             and his death came as a terrible blow to her.

   idyllic   adj.  Arcadian, paradisaic(al) or paradisiac(al), heavenly,
             Edenic, halcyon, ideal, idealized, pastoral, rustic, bucolic,
             picturesque, charming, unspoilt or unspoiled, peaceful, pacific:
             He returned to the island to live out his life in idyllic
             repose.

9.3 ignorance...
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   ignorance n.  unfamiliarity, unawareness, unconsciousness, benightedness,
             unenlightenment, inexperience, greenness:  Ignorance of the law
             is no excuse. Mistakes are often caused by ignorance rather than
             stupidity.

   ignorant  adj.  1 unknowing, uninformed, untaught, uneducated, unschooled,
             unread, unlearned, unlettered, illiterate:  Is there anyone so
             ignorant as not to know who the Duke of Wellington was? 2
             unaware, unfamiliar, unconscious, benighted, unenlightened,
             unwitting, in the dark, oblivious, Formal nescient:  She knows
             many things about which we are ignorant.  3 inexperienced,
             green, na‹ve, innocent, unsophisticated:  They used to tease
             ignorant young apprentices by sending them to find a left-handed
             hammer. 4 uncouth, ill-mannered, discourteous, impolite,
             uncivil, boorish:  Don't be so ignorant and open the door for
             the lady!

   ignore    v.  1 disregard, overlook, pass over or by, turn a blind eye to,
             be blind to, turn one's back on, turn a deaf ear to, wink at,
             brush off or aside:  If you are over 65, you may ignore this
             paragraph.  2 snub, give (someone) the cold shoulder, reject,
             send to Coventry, turn one's back on, Colloq give (someone) the
             brush-off or go-by, cut, turn one's nose up at:  I don't care if
             you are cruel to me, just don't ignore me.

9.4 ill...
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   ill       adj.  1 ailing, unsound, sick, indisposed, infirm, unhealthy, in
             a bad way, diseased, afflicted, in bad health, sickly, unwell,
             not well, out of commission; invalided, valetudinarian; Colloq
             under the weather, in a bad way, poorly, not up to snuff, out of
             sorts, on the sick-list, off one's feed, Slang Brit dicky,
             seedy:  Call a doctor - this man is ill. I was rather ill last
             night after eating that fish mousse. 2 bad, wicked, sinful,
             evil, iniquitous, immoral, depraved, vicious, vile, wrong,
             corrupt:  Police raided several houses of ill repute.  3
             hostile, unfriendly, antagonistic, belligerent, malevolent,
             malicious, ill-wishing, unkind(ly), harsh, cruel:  The reading
             of the bequests sparked ill will amongst the heirs.  4 harmful,
             hurtful, injurious, detrimental, damaging, pernicious,
             dangerous, adverse, deleterious, baleful, bad, unfavourable,
             destructive, disastrous, catastrophic, ruinous, cataclysmic:  He
             suffered no lasting ill effects from the accident.  5 bad,
             miserable, wretched, disastrous, unfavourable, unpropitious,
             untoward, disturbing, unfortunate, unlucky, inauspicious,
             ominous, unpromising, sinister, unwholesome:  Ill fortune led
             Ulysses to our isle. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. 6
             ill at ease. uncomfortable, discomfited, uneasy, edgy, on edge,
             fidgety, nervous, anxious, disturbed, distressed, troubled,
             awkward, unsure, uncertain:  I felt ill at ease in the presence
             of so august a personage.

             --n.  7 evil, abuse:  Speak no ill of her in my home!  8 harm,
             damage, injury, hurt, mischief, trouble, misfortune, misery,
             affliction, pain, distress, woe, woefulness, discomfort,
             unpleasantness, disaster, catastrophe, cataclysm, calamity,
             adversity, damage, suffering, ruin, destruction:  You will be
             held responsible if any ill befalls the children.  9 injustice,
             inequity, wrong, evil, sin, transgression, abuse, mistreatment,
             maltreatment:  He entered politics hoping to cure some of
             society's ills.

             --adv.  10 badly, adversely, unfavourably, poorly,
             inauspiciously, unfortunately, unluckily:  Don't speak ill of
             the dead.  11 badly, adversely, unfavourably, critically,
             harshly, unkindly:  Please don't think ill of me for failing to
             attend your wedding.  12 unkindly, harshly, unfairly, unjustly,
             improperly, badly, wrongly, wrongfully, unsatisfactorily,
             poorly, malevolently, maliciously:  He insists that he was
             ill-treated when in prison.  13 scarcely, hardly, by no means,
             in no way:  It ill behoves you to criticize other people's
             English.

   ill-advised
             adj.  1 inadvisable, ill-judged, injudicious, ill-considered,
             misguided, unwise, imprudent, inappropriate, unpropitious,
             inexpedient, impolitic, wrong-headed, thoughtless; indiscreet:
             It would be ill-advised to sell your house at this time.  2
             hasty, rash, reckless, impetuous, rash, foolhardy, incautious,
             short-sighted, improvident:  Driving without a seat belt is
             ill-advised.

   illegal   adj.  unlawful, illegitimate, criminal, felonious, outlawed,
             prohibited, interdicted, forbidden, proscribed, wrongful,
             unauthorized, verboten, illicit, Law actionable:  The bookkeeper
             was prosecuted for illegal appropriation of funds.

   illegible adj.  unreadable, unintelligible, indecipherable or
             undecipherable, incomprehensible:  An illegible message was
             scrawled on the wall.

   illegitimate
             adj.  1 See illegal.  2 bastard, natural, fatherless, born out
             of wedlock, born on the wrong side of the blanket, misbegotten:
             Illegitimate children were often offered for adoption in those
             days. 3 irregular, improper, incorrect, non-standard, invalid,
             unauthorized, spurious:  Purists consider the reason is because
             an illegitimate usage.

   ill-founded
             adj.  groundless, baseless, without foundation, unsupported,
             unsubstantiated, empty, unjustified, unproven, uncorroborated,
             unsound, erroneous:  He wasted a great deal of time refuting her
             ill-founded accusations.

   illicit   adj.  1 See illegal.  2 wrong, improper, underhand(ed), secret,
             furtive, clandestine, back-door, Colloq US sneaky:  They grew
             rich on the proceeds of illicit liquor.

   illiterate
             adj.  unlettered, analphabetic; unschooled, untaught,
             uneducated, benighted, ignorant, unenlightened:  She teaches
             illiterate people to read.

   ill-mannered
             adj.  rude, discourteous, impolite, ill-bred, uncivil,
             disrespectful, uncourtly, ungallant, ungracious, indecorous,
             ungentlemanly, unladylike, impudent, insolent, insulting,
             impertinent, brazen:  That ill-mannered oaf didn't even
             apologize for knocking me down.

   illness   n.  sickness, disease, disorder, affliction, ailment, malady,
             complaint, infirmity, disability, indisposition, affection,
             Colloq bug:  His illness is serious but not contagious.

   ill-treat v.  mistreat, maltreat, abuse, misuse, harm, hurt, injure,
             persecute, mishandle:  He is at last being punished for those
             years he ill-treated his wife.

   illuminate
             v.  1 light (up), brighten, lighten, throw or cast or shed light
             on or upon:  She had only a single candle to illuminate her
             sewing.  2 clarify, throw or cast or shed light on or upon,
             enlighten, clear up, elucidate, explain, explicate, reveal:  The
             lectures on Heidegger illuminated his philosophy to some extent.
             3 rubricate, decorate, adorn, embellish, ornament:  The museum
             has the best collection of illuminated manuscripts.

   illumination
             n.  1 lighting, light, brightness, radiance, luminosity,
             incandescence, fluorescence, phosphorescence:  The illumination
             from the fire was barely enough to read by.  2 enlightenment,
             insight, information, learning, revelation, edification,
             instruction, awareness, understanding, clarification:  It is
             astonishing what illumination his lectures brought to his
             audiences.

   illusion  n.  1 deception, delusion, fancy, misconception,
             misapprehension, fallacy, error, mistake, mistaken or false
             impression:  He is labouring under the illusion that he is a
             great pianist.  2 fantasy, day-dream, hallucination, phantasm,
             phantom, chimera, phantasmagoria, mirage, aberration, vision,
             spectre, figment of the imagination, will-o'-the-wisp, ignis
             fatuus:  For years after he died, she had the illusion of seeing
             her father everywhere.

   illusory  adj.  illusive, imaginary, fictional, unreal, untrue,
             fallacious, false, mistaken, imagined, fanciful, fancied,
             hallucinatory, deceptive, misleading, apparent,:  Any financial
             gains that you perceive in the scheme are purely illusory.

   illustrate
             v.  1 instance, exemplify, demonstrate:  Let me illustrate my
             point with the following example.  2 picture, illuminate,
             grangerize; decorate, embellish, emblazon, ornament, adorn:  We
             are looking for an artist to illustrate the book.

   illustration
             n.  1 example, case (in point), instance, sample, specimen,
             exemplar, Colloq for instance:  This film is an illustration of
             the film noir genre.  2 picture, depiction, representation,
             figure:  An illustration of a jet engine appears on page 32.

   illustrious
             adj.  distinguished, famous, noted, renowned, famed, eminent,
             well-known, prominent, important, notable, respected, esteemed,
             venerable, honoured, acclaimed, celebrated, great:  He belongs
             in the same category as other illustrious generals, like
             Kitchener.

   ill will  n.  dislike, animosity, hatred, hate, loathing, abhorrence,
             detestation, malevolence, malice, hostility, enmity, animus,
             antipathy, aversion, rancour, acrimony, spite, venom, vitriol,
             acerbity:  I bear her no ill will for the way she treated me.
             She incurred his ill will by refusing him access to the
             children.

9.5 image...
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   image     n.  1 likeness, representation, picture, sculpture, statue,
             effigy, figure, portrait, simulacrum; icon or ikon, idol, graven
             image, fetish, tiki:  Images of BolЎvar can be seen in every
             town square in Venezuela.  The tribesmen still worshipped golden
             images of their gods. 2 epitome, duplicate, copy, counterpart,
             facsimile, replica, double, twin, Doppelg„nger, clone, Colloq
             spitting image or spit and image, (dead) ringer:  He's the image
             of father. He stared at his image in the mirror.  3 impression,
             concept, conception, perception, idea, perception, notion,
             mental picture:  You are quite different from my image of you.
             4 epitome, representative, model, (typical) example, essence,
             archetype, embodiment, incarnation, personification,
             materialization, reification, corporealization:  For us, she was
             the very image of what a leader should be.  5 figure (of
             speech), trope, metaphor, allusion, simile, symbol:  The poem
             contains images that are obscure unless you know Greek myths. 6
             form, appearance, likeness, guise, semblance, aspect, mould,
             cast:  Man claims to be created in God's image.

   imagery   n.  figurativeness, allusion, symbolism:  Constance's poems are
             filled with ornate imagery.

   imaginary adj.  fictitious, fanciful, fancied, chimerical, imagined,
             fictive, illusory or illusive, visionary, made-up, unreal,
             untrue, mythical or mythic, notional, abstract; legendary,
             mythological:  When he was a boy, he had an imaginary friend
             called Carbonario.

   imagination
             n.  1 mind's eye, fancy; creativity, inventiveness, ingenuity,
             insight, inspiration, vision, imaginativeness, creative
             power(s):  His fertile imagination conjured up all kinds of
             terrifying pictures.  2 thought, thinking, (mental) acuity,
             intelligence, wit:  It doesn't take much imagination to see why
             you don't want to go to school this morning.

   imaginative
             adj.  1 creative, original, clever, ingenious, inventive,
             innovative, inspired, inspiring, enterprising, resourceful:
             Richard is a highly imaginative computer programmer.  2
             fanciful, fantastic, visionary, poetic(al), whimsical,
             contrived, fictitious, fictional:  The imaginative tale of Don
             Quixote sprang from the mind of Cervantes.

   imagine   v.  1 think of, contemplate, picture, envisage, consider,
             ponder, meditate on, envision, visualize, conceive (of),
             conceptualize, create, think up, concoct, devise, Colloq dream
             up, cook up:  I cannot imagine what you are referring to.
             Imagine, if you can, a world without conflict. 2 suppose, guess,
             conjecture, assume, presume, take it, infer, take (it) for
             granted, take it as given, think, fancy, believe, gather,
             surmise, suspect, judge, deem:  I imagine that you won't want a
             drink if you are driving. You are imagining things if you think
             she is trying to undermine your authority.

   imitate   v.  1 mimic, copy, ape, parrot, monkey, emulate, impersonate, do
             an impression of; echo, simulate:  Cruikshank was imitating the
             boss, who walked in at that very moment. His style imitates that
             of Carlyle. 2 copy, mimic, mock, parody, satirize, burlesque,
             caricature, travesty, Colloq spoof, take off, Brit send up:  In
             Hudibras, Samuel Butler imitated the style of the heroic epic.

   imitation n.  1 copying, mimicking, mimicry, aping, parroting, emulating,
             emulation, impersonating, impersonation, impression:  Imitation
             is the sincerest form of flattery.  2 impersonation, parody,
             satirization, burlesque, caricature, mockery, travesty, Colloq
             take-off, Brit send-up:  In his nightclub act, he does scathing
             imitations of celebrities.  3 copy, fake, counterfeit, forgery:
             These are modern imitations of ancient coins.  4 copy, replica,
             replication, reproduction, simulation, facsimile, duplicate,
             duplication, simulacrum:  We keep the original in a safe place
             and put the imitations on display.

             --adj.  5 fake, synthetic, artificial, simulated, sham, ersatz,
             mock, factitious, reproduction, man-made, Colloq phoney or US
             also phony:  It doesn't take an expert to see that this is an
             imitation diamond.

   immaculate
             adj.  1 spotless, stainless, unblemished, pure, clean,
             untarnished, unsullied, unsoiled, snow-white, spick and span,
             dapper, spruce; tidy, neat:  Each morning he donned an
             immaculate uniform.  2 pure, chaste, innocent, virginal,
             virtuous, vestal, pristine, undefiled, untainted, unspoiled,
             unblemished, stainless, unadulterated:  He remained convinced of
             his wife's immaculate reputation.  3 faultless, flawless,
             perfect, errorless, impeccable:  His essay on Gibbon is an
             example of immaculate scholarship.

   immaterial
             adj.  1 unimportant, inconsequential, nugatory, trivial,
             trifling, petty, slight, insignificant, slight, flimsy, light,
             unessential, non-essential, of little account or value:  Whether
             he stays or goes is immaterial to me.  2 airy, incorporeal,
             disembodied, ethereal, ephemeral, evanescent, unsubstantial:
             The concept of immaterial matter, such as a gas, is difficult to
             comprehend.

   immature  adj.  1 premature, undeveloped, unripe, rudimentary, half-grown,
             unformed, unfledged, fledgling, unfinished, young, new, fresh,
             incomplete:  The immature growth in the spring is not hardy
             enough to survive a frost. 2 green, callow, unsophisticated,
             na‹ve, jejune, inexperienced, babyish, childish, childlike,
             puerile, juvenile, raw, Colloq wet behind the ears:  She is a
             bit immature to assume so many responsibilities.

   immeasurable
             adj.  vast, infinite, immense, huge, great, limitless,
             boundless, endless, interminable, unbounded, unlimited,
             measureless, inestimable, measureless, unfathomable;
             innumerable, numberless, uncountable, uncounted, incalculable:
             The tiny ship hurtled through the immeasurable vastness of
             space.  An immeasurable quantity of angels can dance on the head
             of a pin.  He accomplished immeasurable good during his
             lifetime.

   immediate adj.  1 instantaneous, instant, abrupt, sudden, swift;
             spontaneous, instinctive, triggered, unhesitating, unthinking,
             automatic, reflex, knee-jerk:  Why is your immediate reaction
             always to say 'It cannot be done'?  2 direct, nearest, next,
             closest, adjacent, proximate; nearby:  Although he had cancer,
             the immediate cause of death was pneumonia.  Is there a phone
             box in the immediate vicinity? 3 existing, present, current,
             actual, pressing, urgent:  The immediate problem is to find a
             way of getting out of here.

   immediately
             adv.  1 at once, instantly, instantaneously, promptly, right
             away, right now, without delay, unhesitatingly, without
             hesitation, forthwith, this instant, directly, in a wink, in a
             second, in a minute, tout de suite, instanter, Chiefly Brit
             straightaway or straight away, Colloq pronto, in a jiffy, in two
             shakes of a lamb's tail, before you can say 'Jack Robinson', at
             the drop of a hat:  Come here immediately. I shall be there
             immediately.  2 directly, closely, intimately:  These reactions
             are immediately concerned with the temperature.

             --conj.  3 when, as soon as, the moment (that), Brit directly:
             Immediately he heard the news, he hurried to her side.

   immense   adj.  enormous, gigantic, extensive, vast, huge, massive,
             voluminous, tremendous, staggering, stupendous, mammoth,
             colossal, giant, titanic, Cyclopean, jumbo, elephantine,
             Brobdingnagian, Slang US humongous:  Our exit from the cave was
             blocked by an immense boulder.

   immerse   v.  1 plunge, sink, submerge, dip, dunk, duck, inundate:
             Immerse the device in the water before switching it on.  2
             plunge, sink, submerge, bury, absorb, engross, engage, occupy,
             involve:  I immersed myself in my work and never noticed the
             time.

   immigrant n.  newcomer, arrival, settler, Australian migrant; alien,
             foreigner, outlander, outsider:  Her parents were immigrants
             from the Ukraine.

   imminent  adj.  impending, looming, threatening, menacing, at hand, nigh,
             immediate, close (by or at hand), (forth)coming, drawing near or
             close or nigh, momentary:  We face imminent disaster if steps
             are not taken now.

   immoderate
             adj.  excessive, extreme, exorbitant, unreasonable, inordinate,
             extravagant, intemperate; outrageous, preposterous, exaggerated,
             unrestrained, undue:  Their immoderate demands for reparations
             cannot be met.

   immodest  adj.  1 indecent, shameless, shameful, indecorous, titillating,
             revealing; indelicate, improper, wanton, loose, unrestrained,
             provocative, obscene, lewd, smutty, dirty, lascivious, bawdy,
             coarse, Colloq sexy:  The striptease was, to say the least,
             immodest. The streakers will be punished for their immodest
             behaviour. 2 brazen, forward, bold, impudent, impertinent,
             brash, arrogant, insolent, presumptuous, disrespectful, Colloq
             fresh, cheeky:  Carl's immodest demand for a private office was
             ignored.

   immoral   adj.  1 corrupt, bad, wicked, evil, iniquitous, sinful, impure,
             unethical, unprincipled, abandoned, base, wrong, vile, depraved,
             dissolute, degenerate, reprobate, unregenerate, nefarious,
             flagitious, villainous, treacherous, unscrupulous, dishonest:
             Is it immoral to avoid paying one's taxes?  2 immodest,
             debauched, indecent, wanton, libertine, lecherous, lustful,
             libidinous, carnal, concupiscent, salacious, licentious,
             lascivious, lewd, obscene, pornographic, dirty, smutty, filthy:
             He was convicted for living off immoral earnings.

   immortal  adj.  1 undying, eternal, deathless, everlasting, eternal,
             imperishable, sempiternal, never-ending, endless, ceaseless,
             perpetual, timeless, constant, permanent, indestructible:  Did
             the Egyptian pharaohs believe themselves immortal?  2 divine,
             heavenly, godlike:  The immortal wisdom of God guides man.  3
             remembered, celebrated, unfading, famous, renowned, classic,
             lauded, praised, honoured, timeless:  The immortal writings of
             Shakespeare inspire us still.

             --n.  4 Olympian, god or goddess; hero or heroine, legend,
             genius, great:  To be sure, we must consider Bach as one of the
             immortals.

   immortalize
             v.  celebrate, honour, glorify, memorialize, commemorate,
             apotheosize, canonize, beatify, exalt, ennoble, extol:
             Dickens's father was immortalized as Mr Micawber.

   immovable adj.  1 unmovable, fixed, fast, rooted, set, immobile,
             stationary, motionless, stable, riveted, anchored, frozen:  What
             happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?  2
             immutable, unchangeable, unalterable, settled, set, unmovable,
             fixed, inflexible; unshakeable or unshakable, unswerving, firm,
             determined, steadfast, staunch, rigid, dogged, obdurate,
             unyielding, unwavering, resolute, unflinching, adamant(ine),
             stony, impassive, unbending, impassive, emotionless, unmoved:
             Christmas day, which always falls on December 25th, is an
             immovable feast. Despite pleas for mercy, the judge was
             immovable and she was hanged the next day.

   immune    adj.  inoculated, vaccinated; exempt, safe, protected,
             insusceptible or unsusceptible, invulnerable, untouched,
             unaffected:  She never caught smallpox because a mild case of
             cowpox had made her immune. Rick mistakenly thought himself
             immune to Sally's charms.

   immunity  n.  1 exemption, non-liability, invulnerability, protection,
             excuse, release, exclusion, privilege, freedom, indemnity,
             amnesty, exoneration, absolution:  In return for his testimony
             he was granted immunity from prosecution.  2 insusceptibility or
             unsusceptibility, protection, inoculation, vaccination:
             Immunity to a number of diseases is conferred by this one
             injection.

   imp       n.  devil(kin), demon, sprite, evil spirit, hobgoblin, goblin,
             elf, pixie or pixy, leprechaun, puck, brownie, fairy; scamp,
             urchin, gamin, rogue, rascal, mischief-maker, brat:  Sitting on
             my shoulder as I write is a tiny imp that inserts the
             misspellings. Give me a hug, you little imp!

   impact    n.  1 collision, contact, striking, crash, smash, bump,
             colliding, crashing, smashing, bumping:  The impact of the car
             against the stone wall was heard a mile away. 2 effect,
             impression, influence, import, meaning, bearing, force, thrust,
             weight, burden, brunt, repercussions, results, consequences:  It
             is becoming clear that technology is having an adverse impact on
             the environment.

             --v.  3 strike, hit, collide with:  When its orbit decays, the
             satellite will impact the surface of the moon. 4 affect, modify,
             change:  I wonder how the news of the bankruptcy will impact
             share prices.

   impair    v.  weaken, cripple, damage, harm, mar, injure, spoil, ruin:  'I
             understand that leading a wild life can impair your hearing.'
             'What did you say?'

   impairment
             n.  lessening, weakening, damage, harm, injury, flaw,
             imperfection, reduction, vitiation, deterioration, decrease,
             diminution, enfeeblement, debilitation, undermining, worsening,
             marring:  The impairment to my eyesight was caused by reading in
             the dark.

   impale    v.  spear, stab, pierce, skewer, spit, stick, transfix, spike:
             They impaled the heads of their enemies on poles as a warning.

   impart    v.  1 give, cede, lend, bestow, convey, confer, grant, afford,
             accord, contribute:  The dyes impart different colours to the
             ink.  2 communicate, tell, relate, transmit, reveal, divulge,
             disclose, pass on, intimate, confide:  I've had a hard week
             imparting knowledge to bored schoolchildren.

   impartial adj.  fair, just, even-handed, disinterested, neutral,
             unprejudiced, unbiased, objective, equitable:  Judge Leaver can
             be relied on to render an impartial verdict.

   impasse   n.  deadlock, dead end, stalemate, stand-off, block, blockage,
             Colloq blind alley:  Negotiations reached an impasse and the
             meeting broke up.

   impassioned
             adj.  passionate, inspired, spirited, stirring, fervent,
             emotional, fervid, ardent, heated, warm, rousing, aroused,
             vehement, zealous, eager, earnest, enthusiastic, vigorous,
             animated, fiery, inflamed, glowing:  The barrister made an
             impassioned plea for the accused.

   impassive adj.  cool, apathetic, calm, serene, composed, unmoved, cold,
             cold-blooded, reserved, imperturbable, unimpressionable,
             unruffled, controlled, contained, phlegmatic, lackadaisical,
             stoical, unemotional, taciturn, unfeeling, stolid, emotionless,
             uncaring, indifferent, undisturbed, callous, unsympathetic,
             stony, dispassionate, detached, nonchalant, unconcerned,
             insouciant, remote:  I could see nothing in the judge's
             impassive expression to hint at his decision.

   impatient adj.  1 uneasy, nervous, fidgety, agitated, restless, restive,
             unquiet, eager, fretful, agog, chafing, impetuous, athirst,
             Slang itchy, US antsy:  There is a short wait for seats, so
             please don't get impatient.  2 irritable, irascible, testy,
             short-tempered, querulous, waspish, brusque, curt, short,
             hot-tempered, snappish, indignant, demanding:  I don't mean to
             be impatient, but I have been waiting for three hours.

   impeach   v.  1 charge, accuse, arraign, indict, incriminate, implicate,
             inculpate, blame, censure:  They were impeached for crimes
             against the state.  2 (call into) question, challenge, attack,
             disparage, discredit, impugn, deprecate, belittle, asperse, cast
             aspersions on, declaim, slander, malign, vilify:  My daughter's
             character had been impeached by the witness.

   impeccable
             adj.  faultless, flawless, perfect, ideal, pure, correct,
             proper, spotless, immaculate, unblemished, spotless,
             unimpeachable, blameless:  His lectures, though impeccable in
             content and style, lacked fire.

   impede    v.  bar, obstruct, block, thwart, check, hinder, hamper, slow,
             retard, restrain, brake, hold up, delay, foil, confound,
             inhibit, curb, spike, stop:  You can do nothing to impede the
             relentless march of time.

   impediment
             n.  bar, barrier, obstruction, block, check, hindrance,
             encumbrance, restraint, hold-up, hitch, snag, restriction,
             stricture, bottleneck, delay, hang-up, inhibition, curb:  What
             are the impediments to a happy marriage?

   impending adj.  imminent, approaching, (close or near) at hand, close,
             nearing, forthcoming, brewing, to come, in view, in prospect, in
             store, in the offing, on the horizon, in the air; looming,
             threatening, menacing; Colloq Brit on the cards, US in the
             cards:  The impending deadline made us work all the faster. We
             had a feeling of impending doom.

   imperative
             adj.  1 mandatory, compulsory, necessary, required, requisite,
             demanded, obligatory, indispensable, essential, crucial, vital,
             urgent, pressing, exigent:  It is imperative that we catch the
             5.04 to London.  2 imperious, commanding, authoritarian,
             overbearing, peremptory, autocratic, domineering, magisterial,
             lordly, arbitrary, dictatorial, dogmatic, tyrannical, despotic,
             Colloq bossy:  We were all shaken into obedience by her
             imperative tone.

   imperceptible
             adj.  1 invisible, indiscernible, indistinguishable,
             undetectable, obscure, vague, ill-defined; inaudible:  The
             differences between the twins are imperceptible.  2 indistinct,
             unclear, unnoticeable, slight, subtle, inconsiderable,
             inappreciable, minute, tiny, slight, minuscule, infinitesimal,
             microscopic:  Her only response was an imperceptible flicker of
             her eyelid.

   imperfect adj.  wanting, unfinished, undeveloped, incomplete, deficient,
             defective, faulty, flawed, patchy:  This is an imperfect
             translation of the poem.

   imperfection
             n.  flaw, failing, fault, error, defect, blemish, damage;
             inadequacy, insufficiency, deficiency, frailty, weakness,
             foible, shortcoming, peccadillo, shortfall, fallibility,
             infirmity:  We have reduced the price because of tiny
             imperfections in the weave. Imperfections in her character make
             her unsuitable for the job.

   imperial  adj.  1 kingly, kinglike, queenly, queenlike, princely,
             princelike, regal, royal, sovereign:  The imperial court was
             rich and splendid.  2 majestic, royal, regal, lofty, exalted,
             supreme, august, noble, superior, imposing, splendid,
             magnificent, grand, excellent:  Her imperial presence outshone
             all at the ball.

   impermeable
             adj.  impenetrable, impassable, impervious, closed, sealed,
             hermetic:  The floor has been damp-proofed by the insertion of
             an impermeable membrane under the concrete.

   impersonal
             adj.  1 detached, objective, disinterested, fair, equitable,
             dispassionate, unprejudiced, unbiased:  The enforcement of the
             law should be entirely impersonal.  2 formal, stiff,
             strait-laced, wooden, rigid, prim, stuffy, cool, detached,
             unfriendly, cold, mechanical:  Why does my bank manager have to
             be so impersonal?

   impertinence
             n.  insolence, boldness, brazenness, impudence, presumption,
             presumptuousness, brashness, sauciness, pertness, incivility,
             forwardness, impoliteness, discourtesy, disrespect, audacity,
             rudeness, effrontery, Colloq cheek, brass, brassiness, nerve,
             gall, Slang chutzpah:  Why, the impertinence of that waitress to
             call you by your Christian name!

   impertinent
             adj.  presumptuous, insolent, bold, brazen, impudent, brash,
             saucy, pert, uncivil, forward, impolite, discourteous,
             disrespectful, audacious, rude, Colloq cheeky, fresh, brassy, US
             nervy:  That impertinent little upstart had the nerve to ask the
             lady's age!

   impetuous adj.  spontaneous, unpremeditated, impulsive, unplanned, hasty,
             abrupt, precipitate, quick, unthinking, unreasoned, offhand,
             rash, reckless, spur-of-the-moment, unreflective, headlong:
             Don't be impetuous and accept the first offer that comes along.

   impetus   n.  drive, stimulus, push, impulse, goad, thrust, energy,
             momentum, stimulation, incentive, motivation, encouragement,
             inspiration:  Roger's innovative ideas provided the impetus to
             develop new products.

   impious   adj.  irreligious, irreverent, ungodly, sacrilegious,
             blasphemous, profane, unholy, wicked, sinful, iniquitous:  The
             priest said that he would be punished for his impious remarks.

   implacable
             adj.  unappeasable, unmollifiable, unpacifiable, unforgiving,
             intractable, uncompromising, inflexible, inexorable, unyielding,
             unrelenting, ruthless, cruel, pitiless, merciless, hard, rigid,
             unsympathetic, uncompassionate:  Ever since that incident at
             school he has been my implacable enemy.

   implant   v.  1 introduce, instil, insinuate, inject; indoctrinate,
             inculcate, teach, impress, imprint:  They spent months
             implanting that notion in his mind.  2 graft, root, embed,
             inlay:  You must implant the scion nearer the main stem.

             --n.  3 graft, scion, ingraft; insert:  Are they really
             experimenting with brain implants to improve the memory?

   implausible
             adj.  improbable, unlikely, doubtful, dubious, questionable,
             unbelievable, incredible, far-fetched, unconvincing, debatable,
             unreasonable:  He told an implausible tale of having been raised
             by apes.

   implement n.  1 utensil, tool, instrument, apparatus, device, appliance,
             contrivance, mechanism, (piece of) equipment, Colloq gadget,
             contraption:  You need the proper implement for measuring inside
             diameters.

             --v.  2 carry out, execute, accomplish, perform, achieve, (put
             into) effect, bring about, cause, fulfil, realize:  You will
             need our help to implement the plan.

   implicate v.  1 involve, include, associate, embroil, ensnare, entrap,
             enmesh, entangle:  Don't implicate me in your hare-brained
             schemes!  2 incriminate, inculpate, connect, involve, associate,
             suspect, concern:  Wasn't he implicated in that fraud case last
             year?

   implication
             n.  1 involvement, connection, inclusion, association,
             entanglement:  My implication in that affair was minimal.  2
             suggestion, hint, insinuation, innuendo, intimation:  I resent
             the implication that I had anything to do with the murder.  3
             significance, purport, drift, meaning, denotation, conclusion,
             inference, import, connotation, sense, burden, substance,
             essence, pith:  The implication of the article is that the
             government knew about the illegal exports all along.

   implicit  adj.  1 implied, indirect, inferable, understood, unspoken,
             undeclared, tacit, inherent, inferential, latent:  Certain
             provisions are implicit in every legal contract and need not be
             expressed. 2 absolute, unquestioning, unquestioned, unqualified,
             total, sheer, complete, unmitigated, unalloyed, undiluted,
             unlimited, unconditional, unreserved, utter, full, wholehearted:
             I have implicit faith in Nicole's judgement.

   imply     v.  1 suggest, hint (at), intimate, insinuate:  Are you implying
             that I don't know what I'm talking about?  2 connote, allude to,
             refer to, advert to, signify, signal, betoken, denote, indicate,
             mean, express; involve, include, evidence, assume, presume,
             entail:  Silence sometimes implies consent. Discovery of the
             tools implies a more advanced culture.

   impolite  adj.  discourteous, ill-mannered, uncivil, rude, ungracious,
             ungentlemanly, unladylike, pert, disrespectful, saucy, boorish,
             churlish, crude, indecorous, indelicate, unrefined, ill-bred,
             vulgar, coarse:  The waiter was so impolite that I refused him a
             tip.

   imponderable
             adj.  unmeasurable, inestimable, inconceivable,
             incomprehensible, subtle:  There are too many imponderable
             questions to give you a definite answer.

   import    v.  1 introduce, bring in:  We import the raw materials and
             export the finished product.  2 convey, mean, signify, denote,
             imply, betoken:  He was a dictator, in all the senses that word
             imports.

             --n.  3 meaning, sense, denotation, signification, gist, drift,
             thrust, intention, implication, purport, connotation,
             suggestion, allusion, intimation:  It was difficult for me to
             catch the import of her words.  4 importance, significance,
             weight, consequence, moment, substance:  One could see at once
             that she was a personage of some import.

   importance
             n.  1 significance, consequence, import, value, worth, weight,
             account, concern, moment, substance, matter:  How chemicals
             affect the ozone layer is of great importance to everyone. 2
             eminence, distinction, esteem, standing, status, position, rank,
             prominence, pre-eminence, prestige, power, influence, note:  His
             family is of considerable importance in the community.

   important adj.  1 significant, consequential, critical, material, vital,
             urgent, portentous, weighty, grave, substantial, momentous,
             signal:  If it is important, put it in writing.  2 leading,
             prominent, notable, noted, noteworthy, worthy, eminent,
             distinguished, respected, high-ranking, top-level, high-level,
             superior, outstanding, foremost, conspicuous, impressive:  She
             is the most important member of the committee.  3 influential,
             effective, well-connected, powerful, formidable, mighty,
             impressive:  With those important politicians supporting him, he
             might win.

   impose    v.  1 inflict, force, foist:  Stop imposing your standards on
             others.  2 interrupt, interfere, intrude, interpose, insinuate:
             I hope I am not imposing?  3 levy, place, put, exact:  A tax has
             been imposed on entertainment.  4 impose on or upon.  a saddle,
             burden:  He imposes on everyone with his demands for charity.  b
             exploit, take advantage (of), misuse:  I hope I am not imposing
             on your good will in what I ask.

   imposing  adj.  grand, magnificent, impressive, stately, august, majestic,
             effective, commanding:  In his dress uniform, the general was an
             imposing presence at the reception.

   imposition
             n.  1 inflicting, infliction; applying, application, enforcing,
             enforcement, levy, levying, promulgating, promulgation,
             introducing, introduction, placing, placement, laying on:
             People resent the imposition of a curfew.  2 burden, onus,
             weight; intrusion, misuse:  A flat-rate tax is a terrible
             imposition on the poor. Walking the dog is an imposition on my
             time.

   impossible
             adj.  1 hopeless, impracticable, inconceivable, unimaginable,
             unthinkable, unattainable, unsuitable, out of the question,
             unachievable, unrealizable, unworkable, unresolvable,
             unsolvable:  Reading of the cipher is impossible without a key.
             2 absurd, ludicrous, preposterous, ridiculous, illogical,
             unworkable, outrageous, farcical, outlandish, crazy, weird:
             Inventors came up with the most impossible designs for
             aeroplanes.

   impostor  n.  imposter, impersonator, pretender, deceiver, cheat, fraud,
             swindler, trickster, confidence man, shark, charlatan,
             mountebank, hypocrite, Colloq con man, phoney or US also phony,
             tricky Dick, flimflam man, US four-flusher:  It wasn't the bank
             manager but an impostor.

   impotence n.  1 weakness, powerlessness, helplessness, frailty,
             feebleness, enervation, debilitation:  The doctor said that his
             impotence was caused by exhaustion.  2 impotency, inadequacy,
             inefficacy, ineffectualness, ineffectiveness, ineptness,
             incompetence:  Georgiana was frustrated by her impotence in
             dealing with the situation. 3 sterility, infertility:  Eating
             raw eggs and oysters does not cure impotence.

   impotent  adj.  1 weak, powerless, helpless, frail, feeble, enervated,
             debilitated, infirm:  When it came to political influence, I was
             impotent.  2 inadequate, ineffective, ineffectual, inept,
             incompetent:  The attempted robbery was a half-hearted, impotent
             effort.  3 sterile, barren, infertile, infecund:  They never had
             any children because Dixon was impotent.

   impoverished
             adj.  1 destitute, poor, poverty-stricken, penurious, beggared,
             needy, necessitous, impecunious, in sore or bad straits,
             straitened, in distress, badly off, bankrupt, insolvent, ruined,
             Colloq (dead or flat) broke, stony-broke, bad off, pinched, up
             against it, on one's uppers, short, US strapped, wiped out,
             Slang Brit skint:  A series of failed harvests left many farmers
             impoverished.  2 stripped, barren, desolate, wasted, empty,
             depleted, denuded, drained, exhausted:  Two years of drought
             left the land impoverished.

   impracticable
             adj.  1 unworkable, infeasible or unfeasible, impossible,
             unattainable, unachievable:  The new engine design proved
             impracticable because of its high fuel consumption. 2
             unsuitable, unfit, unusable, useless, inapplicable:  As we have
             no electricity, air conditioners are impracticable.

   impractical
             adj.  1 visionary, starry-eyed, unrealistic, romantic, quixotic,
             wild:  Laura's solutions are very creative but quite
             impractical.  2 useless, ineffective, ineffectual, unworkable,
             unavailing, impracticable:  The idea looked good on paper but
             proved impractical when we tried it.

   imprecise adj.  inexact, inaccurate, wrong, inexplicit, indefinite,
             ill-defined, indistinct, vague, hazy, cloudy, blurred, fuzzy,
             woolly, ambiguous:  The readings are imprecise because the
             needle wavers so much.

   impregnable
             adj.  invulnerable, impenetrable, inviolable, unconquerable,
             invincible, unbeatable, indomitable, secure, safe, mighty,
             well-fortified:  The walls of the castle, sixteen feet thick,
             were impregnable.

   impregnate
             v.  1 fertilize, inseminate, fecundate, make pregnant:  The
             female can be impregnated only during one ten-day interval each
             year. 2 imbue, suffuse, permeate, penetrate, pervade, infuse,
             saturate, drench, soak, steep, fill:  The preservative must be
             allowed to impregnate the wood.

   impress   v.  1 affect, touch, move, reach, stir, strike, sway, influence,
             persuade, Colloq grab, get under one's skin:  She was genuinely
             impressed by his sincerity.  2 print, imprint, stamp, mark,
             engrave, emboss:  Before the bowl was placed in the kiln, the
             potter's seal was impressed in its underside. 3 Often, impress
             on or upon. stress, emphasize, urge, bring home (to):  They
             tried to impress on him the gravity of the situation.

   impression
             n.  1 sensation, feeling, sense, suspicion, awareness,
             consciousness, idea, belief, fancy, notion:  I have the
             impression that I have been here before. She gave me the
             impression that she didn't like me. 2 impact, effect, influence:
             Are you concerned about the impression of his speech on the
             crowd?  3 dent, indentation, depression, hollow, mark; stamp,
             impress, brand:  Look here, where the chair has made an
             impression in the carpet.  4 printing, issue, print, copy, run:
             This is the third impression from the original plates.  5
             impersonation, imitation; parody, satire, Colloq take-off, Brit
             send-up:  After dinner, Gerry did his impression of Churchill.

   impressionable
             adj.  suggestible, susceptible, persuadable or persuasible,
             impressible, receptive, responsive:  They seek to enrol students
             who are at an impressionable age.

   impressive
             adj.  evocative, moving, affecting, stimulating, exciting,
             stirring, powerful, provocative, arousing, awe-inspiring,
             awesome, imposing, formidable, portentous, redoubtable:  She has
             many impressive talents.

   imprison  v.  incarcerate, confine, detain, remand, jail or Brit also
             gaol, lock up, intern, shut up, put behind bars, put in or throw
             into irons, put away, Colloq Brit send down, US send up (the
             river):  He was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit.

   imprisonment
             n.  incarceration, confinement, detention, remand, custody,
             Literary durance (vile):  The sentence is imprisonment for not
             less than one year.

   improbable
             adj.  doubtful, dubious, unlikely, questionable, unrealistic,
             far-fetched, remote, implausible, unthinkable, hard to believe
             or imagine, inconceivable, unbelievable, fanciful, incredible,
             ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, crazy, mad, insane, wild, weird,
             peculiar, strange; impossible; Colloq fishy:  It is improbable
             that they will marry. He gave the most improbable excuses.

   improper  adj.  1 wrong, mistaken, erroneous, false, incorrect,
             inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, amiss, faulty, untrue,
             irregular, abnormal:  Sloppy research had led to improper
             conclusions.  2 unfit, unsuitable, inappropriate, inapt,
             inapplicable, infelicitous, incongruous, unsuited, unseemly,
             unbefitting, unfitting, uncalled-for, inapposite, malapropos,
             out of keeping, out of place, incompatible, inopportune:  Do you
             think it improper for shops to open on Sundays? His wedding was
             an improper occasion for comments about his philandering. 3
             indecorous, indecent, indelicate, immodest, unseemly, untoward,
             unbecoming, impolite, suggestive, risqu‚, off colour, obscene,
             corrupt, immoral, sinful, wicked, lewd, lascivious:  Do you see
             anything improper in sex education for children?

   impropriety
             n.  1 improperness, erroneousness, incorrectness, falsity,
             falseness, inaccuracy, inaccurateness, inexactitude,
             inexactness, imprecision, impreciseness, irregularity,
             abnormality:  I fail to see the impropriety in refusing to
             support capital punishment.  2 unfitness, unsuitableness,
             inappropriateness, inaptness, inapplicability, infelicity,
             infelicitousness, incongruity, incongruousness, unseemliness,
             incompatibility, inopportuneness:  The judge criticized the
             impropriety of allowing the child to testify. 3 indecorousness,
             bad or poor taste, indecency, indelicacy, immodesty,
             unseemliness, suggestiveness, immorality, sinfulness,
             wickedness, lewdness, lasciviousness:  In those days, the
             impropriety in wearing a brief bathing costume was thought
             shocking. 4 slip, blunder, mistake, error, gaffe, gaucherie,
             faux pas:  She admitted to many improprieties during her term of
             office.

   improve   v.  1 better, ameliorate, upgrade, uplift, amend, enhance, fix
             up, reform, redeem, rehabilitate, redress, repair, correct,
             rectify, put or set right, emend; modernize, update, refurbish,
             recondition, renovate, repair, overhaul, remodel:  We must
             improve procedures for dealing with small claims. The landlord
             refuses to spend any money to improve the property. 2 develop,
             increase, advance, promote, further, benefit; look up, recover,
             pick up, Colloq give a new lease of or US on life, take a turn
             for the better, US take a new lease on life:  How can I improve
             my chances of winning at snooker? Business has improved
             considerably. 3 convalesce, recuperate, recover, get better,
             mend, rally, (make) progress, gain (strength or ground), revive:
             Mrs Costello is out of intensive care and improving daily.

   improvement
             n.  1 betterment, amelioration; reform, rehabilitation,
             upgrading, enhancement, repair:  The committee is working for
             the improvement of the neighbourhood.  2 recovery, rise,
             increase, gain, advance, upswing, progress; recuperation,
             convalescence:  There was an improvement in share prices after
             release of the trade figures. The patient shows considerable
             improvement. 3 advance, change for the better:  This year's crop
             is an improvement over last year's.

   improvident
             adj.  1 short-sighted, imprudent, wasteful, profligate,
             prodigal, spendthrift, extravagant, lavish, profuse,
             happy-go-lucky, penny wise and pound foolish, uneconomic(al),
             thriftless:  He who is improvident in his youth plans for a
             short life.  2 incautious, unwary, rash, reckless, impulsive,
             impetuous, headlong, heedless, careless, unthinking,
             unthoughtful, unmindful:  The club's present financial straits
             are the result of having an improvident treasurer.

   improvise n.  1 ad lib, extemporize, Colloq play (it) by ear, fake it,
             wing it:  I like a comedian who improvises as he goes along.  2
             invent, concoct, devise, contrive, jury-rig; make do:  We had to
             improvise a mast from parts of the boom. When you have nothing
             to work with, you have to improvise.

   imprudent adj.  indiscreet, impulsive, rash, reckless, hasty, incautious,
             impetuous, improvident, careless, heedless, foolhardy,
             irresponsible, injudicious, ill-judged, thoughtless,
             ill-considered, ill-advised, inadvisable, unwise, inexpedient,
             foolish, mad, crazy, insane, inane, silly, perverse, wrong,
             wrong-headed:  It would be imprudent to go out during the storm.

   impudence n.  impertinence, effrontery, insolence, disrespect,
             presumption, presumptuousness, audacity, shamelessness,
             pertness, sauciness, boldness, brazenness, incivility, rudeness,
             impoliteness, Colloq lip, gall, guff, sauce, mouth, Brit
             backchat, side, US back talk, Slang chutzpah:  He had the
             impudence to suggest that I was too old for the job!

   impudent  adj.  shameless, impertinent, insolent, disrespectful, forward,
             presumptuous, audacious, pert, saucy, bold, brazen, cocky,
             cocksure, arrogant, uncivil, ill-mannered, rude, impolite,
             Colloq fresh, brassy, cheeky:  Asked the simplest question, she
             is always ready with an impudent response.

   impulsive n.  impetuous, emotional, unpredictable, unpremeditated,
             unplanned, spur-of-the-moment, extemporaneous, unconsidered,
             offhand, instinctive, involuntary, spontaneous, quick, sudden,
             precipitate, immediate, snap, rash, headlong, rash, reckless,
             devil-may-care, foolhardy, madcap, wild:  You may say that it
             was impulsive of me to give her all that money, but I love her.

   impure    adj.  1 dirty, soiled, unclean, sullied, tainted, polluted,
             defiled, foul, filthy, feculent, infected, scummy, putrid,
             putrescent, rotten:  The water is impure and not fit to drink.
             2 mixed, alloyed, contaminated, adulterated, debased, unrefined:
             Impure ore contains other substances which are removed during
             processing. 3 unclean, unhallowed, forbidden, disallowed,
             Judaism tref or treif or treifa:  Certain foods are considered
             impure in some religions.  4 unchaste, immoral, sinful, wicked,
             evil, vile, unvirtuous, unvirginal, corrupted, defiled, debased,
             vitiated, degenerate, depraved, loose, wanton, lustful,
             promiscuous, libidinous, dissolute, licentious, obscene,
             prurient, dirty, filthy, lubricious or lubricous, salacious,
             lascivious, lewd, lecherous:  The book was condemned as 'likely
             to encourage impure thoughts'.

   impurity  n.  1 pollution, contamination, defilement, adulteration,
             dirtiness, uncleanness, foulness:  The impurity of the water in
             our rivers is a cause for concern.  2 Often, impurities. dirt,
             contaminant, pollutant, pollution, smut, filth, foreign matter
             or body:  This filter is guaranteed to remove impurities from
             the water.  3 unchastity, immorality, sinfulness, wickedness,
             evil, vileness, corruption, degeneration, depravity, looseness,
             wantonness, lust, lustfulness, promiscuity, promiscuousness,
             libidinousness, dissoluteness, licentiousness, obscenity,
             prurience, dirtiness, filthiness, lubricity, salaciousness,
             lasciviousness, lewdness, lecherousness:  Children ought not be
             exposed to the impurity encountered on everyday television.

   imputation
             n.  charge, indictment, accusation, allegation, challenge,
             censure, blame, reproach, slur, aspersion, attribution,
             ascription, insinuation, implication, innuendo:  I resent the
             imputation that I broke the vase on purpose.

   impute    v.  ascribe, assign, attribute, credit, charge, put or set down
             to; insinuate, imply, suggest, hint at:  The critic imputed
             meanings to the book that the author had never intended.

9.6 inability...
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   inability n.  incapacity, incapability, incompetence, unfitness,
             ineptness, ineptitude, unqualifiedness, impotence:  The
             inability of many school-leavers to perform simple arithmetical
             tasks is deeply worrying.

   inaccessible
             adj.  1 unavailable, unobtainable, unattainable, unreachable,
             unapproachable:  The minister has made himself inaccessible for
             interviews.  2 impenetrable, impassable, out-of-the-way:  The
             tomb lies in a part of the jungle inaccessible except by air.

   inaccurate
             adj.  wrong, incorrect, erroneous, mistaken, inexact, imprecise,
             faulty, flawed, imperfect, amiss, awry, false, fallacious,
             illogical, unsound, Colloq off the mark, off the beam, cold,
             Chiefly US all wet, US (way) off base Slang cock-eyed, full of
             hot air:  Reports of my death were obviously inaccurate.

   inactive  adj.  1 passive, placid, quiet, tranquil, quiescent, serene,
             peaceful, pacific, resting, unmoving, motionless, immobile,
             immobilized, still, inert, lifeless, inanimate, sluggish,
             listless, lethargic, lackadaisical, languid, indolent, lazy,
             torpid, somnolent, idle, slothful, supine:  Although there was
             plenty to do round the house, he remained inactive all summer. 2
             non-functioning, inoperative, dormant; unoccupied, idle,
             unemployed, jobless, out of work, out of a job:  The volcano was
             inactive for a thousand years. These miners have been inactive
             for six months.

   inactivity
             n.  1 passiveness or passivity, placidity or placidness, quiet,
             tranquillity, serenity, peace, peacefulness; motionlessness,
             immobility, stillness, inertia, inertness, lifelessness,
             sluggishness, listlessness, lethargy, languidness, indolence,
             laziness, torpor, somnolence, idleness, slothfulness, sloth:
             She alternates between periods of activity and inactivity.  2
             inaction, quiescence; hibernation, aestivation:  During repairs,
             the reactor will be in a state of inactivity.  Some animals have
             a period of inactivity during certain times of the year.

   inadequate
             adj.  1 insufficient, deficient, not enough, too little, scarce,
             meagre, scanty, skimpy, sparse, (in) short (supply);
             unsatisfactory, imperfect, incomplete, defective, unsuitable,
             disappointing, flawed, faulty:  Funds are inadequate to meet her
             expenses. The terms of the agreement are inadequate. 2
             inadequate to. unsuited to or for, unfit for, unqualified for,
             not up to, unequal to, unworthy of, inapt for, inept for,
             incapable of:  He proved inadequate to the demands of the job.

   inadmissible
             adj.  disallowed, unallowable, unallowed, forbidden,
             unacceptable, prohibited, unsuitable, unsuited, unqualified,
             inappropriate, inapplicable, improper, objectionable,
             exceptionable, incorrect, wrong:  Such evidence is inadmissible
             in court.

   inadvertent
             adj.  1 unintentional, unintended, unpremeditated, accidental,
             unthinking, unwitting, chance; unconscious, unplanned,
             unstudied, undesigned, uncalculated:  She was an inadvertent
             witness to the murder. I assure you that the error was entirely
             inadvertent. 2 careless, inattentive, negligent, heedless,
             unobservant:  Inadvertent commentators failed to see the
             significance of her words.

   inalienable
             adj.  untransferable, intransferable, absolute, inherent,
             unconsignable, sacrosanct, inviolable, non-negotiable,
             unnegotiable, unchallengeable, Law imprescriptible, entailed,
             indefeasible:  People have an inalienable right to life,
             liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

   inane     adj.  silly, asinine, vapid, vacant, vacuous, absurd, fatuous,
             foolish, senseless, nonsensical, unreasonable, preposterous,
             ludicrous, ridiculous, laughable, risible, mad, lunatic, crazy,
             stupid, dumb, idiotic, moronic, imbecilic, Colloq nutty, nuts,
             daft, daffy, screwy, batty, dippy, wacky, cuckoo, loony, goofy,
             Brit bonkers, dotty:  Students seem especially prone to inane
             behaviour.

   inanimate adj.  lifeless, motionless, immobile, unmoving, inactive, inert,
             still, spiritless, soulless, cold, dead, defunct:  He just sits
             there, like an inanimate piece of furniture.

   inapplicable
             adj.  inappropriate, unsuitable, unsuited, inapt, irrelevant,
             unrelated, unconnected, inapposite, beside the point or
             question, extraneous, off the mark, Colloq US off base:  That
             law is inapplicable in your case.

   inappropriate
             adj.  improper, unfitting, unfit, unsuitable, unsuited,
             unbefitting, incompatible, malapropos, ungermane, inapt,
             inapposite, out of keeping, incongruous, infelicitous,
             inopportune, untimely, irrelevant, inapplicable:  Your
             facetiousness was quite inappropriate to such a solemn occasion.

   inarticulate
             adj.  1 disjointed, unconnected, incoherent, incomprehensible,
             jumbled, unintelligible, unclear, illogical, discursive,
             rambling, scrambled, wild, irrational, muddled, mixed-up,
             confused, digressive:  She sat through an inarticulate lecture
             on Joyce's use of the subjunctive. 2 mumbled, garbled, blurred,
             muffled, muttered, faltering, halting, indistinct, unclear,
             unintelligible:  They communicate with each other in
             inarticulate grunts.  3 speechless, tongue-tied, (struck) dumb,
             mute, voiceless:  Ed is inarticulate when it comes to describing
             Vera.

   inattentive
             n.  unobservant, heedless, careless, negligent, neglectful,
             indifferent, uncaring, apathetic, slack, remiss, unconcerned,
             detached, unmindful, distracted, distrait(e), absent-minded,
             abstracted, in a brown study, day-dreaming, oscitant,
             wool-gathering, musing, oblivious, (with one's head) in the
             clouds, in a world of one's own:  It was late and the children
             were getting restless and inattentive.

   inaudible adj.  unheard, imperceptible, indistinct, low, faint, muted,
             quiet, soft, muffled, stifled:  The film was good, although some
             of the dialogue was inaudible.

   inaugurate
             v.  1 initiate, begin, commence, enter upon, start, introduce,
             usher in, institute, launch, originate, set up, get under way,
             get going:  A new programme of health services has been
             inaugurated.  2 install or instal, induct, invest, establish,
             instate:  The President was inaugurated last week.

   inauspicious
             adj.  unpromising, unlucky, unfortunate, unfavourable,
             unpropitious, untoward, ill-starred, ominous, ill-omened,
             ill-fated, portentous, menacing, doomed, sinister, dark, gloomy,
             cloudy, clouded, black:  The middle of a recession is an
             inauspicious time to set up a business.

   inborn    adj.  innate, congenital, inherent, inherited, hereditary,
             inbred, natural, native, constitutional, deep-seated,
             deep-rooted, ingrained, instinctive or instinctual, Technical
             connate:  A gift for music is inborn.

   incandescent
             adj.  glowing, red-hot, white-hot, alight, aflame, flaming,
             burning, fiery, candent, flaring:  Light-bulbs contain an
             incandescent filament.

   incapable adj.  1 Often, incapable of. unable (to), powerless (to),
             incompetent (to), unfit (to), unqualified (to), impotent (to),
             unequal to, not up to:  He seems incapable of completing his
             assignment.  2 incapable of. insusceptible to, resistant to,
             impervious to, ill-disposed to, disinclined to, not open to:  He
             is incapable of dishonesty.

   incapacitate
             v.  disable, cripple, paralyse, lame, wound, maim, impair,
             weaken, enfeeble, enervate, exhaust, devitalize; immobilize,
             inactivate, deactivate, put out of action, indispose:  Severely
             incapacitated in the crash, John cannot walk without the aid of
             crutches. The power plant was incapacitated by one well-placed
             grenade.

   incentive n.  incitement, impetus, encouragement, goad, prod, provocation,
             spur, impulse, enticement, lure, inducement, stimulus,
             motivation, Colloq carrot:  The discount is offered as an
             incentive to buy a new car.

   incidence n.  frequency, rate, degree, extent, occurrence, prevalence;
             quantity, amount, number:  The incidence of heart disease is
             high in Britain.

   incident  n.  1 event, occasion, occurrence, proceeding, circumstance,
             fact, happening, experience, episode:  A curious incident led to
             the discovery.  2 disturbance, scene, affair, upset, commotion,
             fracas, skirmish, set-to, Colloq to-do, do:  The police were
             called because of an incident at the pub next door.

   incidental
             adj.  1 casual, chance, fortuitous, aleatory, random, haphazard,
             serendipitous, unpredictable, accidental, adventitious,
             unplanned, unlooked-for, Colloq fluky:  Any good that came from
             the war was incidental.  2 subordinate, secondary, ancillary,
             minor, lesser, non-essential, unimportant, trivial, negligible,
             inconsequential, insignificant, petty, trifling, paltry:  The
             incidental events were not covered by the press.

   incidentally
             adv.  1 by the way, by the by, apropos (of), parenthetically:
             Incidentally, I won't be able to go the party tonight.  2
             casually, as luck would have it, accidentally, by chance,
             perchance:  In addition to being held for murder, he was
             incidentally charged with possession of an illegal weapon.

   incision  n.  cut, gash, slit, slash:  The surgeon made an incision in the
             abdominal wall.

   incisive  adj.  1 keen, sharp, acute, piercing, perspicacious, perceptive,
             percipient, penetrating, trenchant, canny, shrewd:  Shirley
             offered some incisive observations on the matter.  2 sarcastic,
             biting, mordant, cutting, caustic, sardonic, ironic(al), sharp,
             acid, tart, acrid, acrimonious, bitter, acerbic, cynical,
             stinging, critical:  Your incisive comments are not really
             appreciated, George.

   incite    v.  stimulate, inspire, prompt, move, stir, stir or whip or work
             up, bestir, excite, fire, exhort, agitate, foment, inflame,
             provoke, rally, goad, spur, prick, prod, drive, push, egg on,
             encourage, urge, influence, wake, waken, awaken, rouse, arouse:
             Who was it that incited the crowd to violence?

   incitement
             n.  1 stimulation, instigating, spurring, urging, influencing,
             awakening, wakening, arousing, prodding, prompting, stirring,
             whipping, exciting, firing, exhorting, agitating, fomenting,
             inflaming, firing, provoking, rallying, goading, prodding,
             pricking, needling:  Certain rabble-rousers have been accused of
             incitement of the crowds at the football stadiums. 2 stimulus,
             incentive, inducement, enticement, temptation, impulse,
             motivation, influence, instigation, provocation, inspiration,
             persuasion, exhortation, agitation, fomentation, inflammation,
             arousal, encouragement, excitement:  Greed is a powerful
             incitement to dishonesty.

   incivility
             n.  rudeness, boorishness, coarseness, discourtesy,
             uncourtliness, unmannerliness, indecorum, indecorousness,
             discourteousness, impoliteness, tactlessness, ungentlemanliness,
             bad breeding, ill breeding, bad manners, misbehaviour:  The
             incivility with which the ambassador was treated is
             unforgivable.

   inclement adj.  extreme, intemperate, severe, harsh, rigorous; stormy,
             violent, rainy, squally, blustery, raw, bad, tempestuous:  We
             are expecting inclement weather for the weekend.

   inclination
             n.  1 bow, bowing, bend, bending, nod, nodding, tilt, tilting:
             His tacit sign of recognition was an inclination of his head.  2
             slope, slant, angle, bend, incline, tilt:  The inclination of
             the track is far too steep for such a vehicle.  3 disposition,
             predisposition, tendency, bent, bias, leaning, preference, turn,
             cast, proclivity, propensity, attitude, proneness,
             susceptibility, predilection, partiality, affection, taste,
             liking, desire, velleity:  His inclination in favour of the
             offer is largely instinctive.  4 desire, longing, craving,
             appetite, taste, stomach, sympathy, predilection, penchant,
             fancy, eagerness, enthusiasm, zeal, fervour, ardour:  I have no
             inclination to watch open-heart surgery.

   incline   v.  1 tend, lean, bend, bow, slant, tilt, angle, bank, slope,
             ascend, rise, descend:  The road inclines to the horizontal
             after a curve.  2 dispose, influence, persuade, predispose,
             make, lead, prejudice, bias:  Their accents might incline you to
             think of them as foreigners.  3 tend, lean, gravitate, show
             favour or preference, be attracted to, be biased or prejudiced,
             have a mind; be disposed or predisposed, lean, tend:  I incline
             towards the other candidate. He inclines towards corpulence.

             --n.  4 slope, pitch, grade, gradient, slant, ramp, hill, dip,
             descent, declivity, rise, ascent, acclivity:  The car picked up
             speed going down one incline and slowed going up the next.

   inclined  adj.  1 tending, disposed, predisposed, prone, willing, keen,
             eager, Colloq of a mind:  Though she is inclined to believe she
             has doubts.  2 likely, apt, liable, minded, prone:  He is
             equally inclined to kiss you as kill you.  3 sloping, slanting,
             leaning, bending, tilting, gravitating, bearing, verging:  This
             wall is slightly inclined towards the river.

   include   v.  1 incorporate, embody, comprise, embrace, cover, encompass,
             take in, subsume, comprehend, contain:  Staff changes are
             included in the plan for reorganization.  2 classify,
             categorize, group, file, list, catalogue, tabulate, register:
             Did you include psychology among the social sciences?  3
             involve, count, number, allow for:  Please don't forget to
             include me in the invitation list.

   inclusion n.  incorporation, involvement, counting, numbering, grouping,
             classification:  The inclusion of her name among the culprits
             was an error.

   inclusive adj.  1 comprehensive, general, all-encompassing, wide, broad,
             extensive, full, umbrella, blanket, across the board,
             all-in-one, unified:  We have an inclusive insurance policy that
             covers the entire family.  2 inclusive of. including, embracing,
             comprising, taking in, covering, incorporating, embodying:  Is
             this bill inclusive of service?

   incognito adj.  1 unknown, disguised, concealed, unidentified, in
             disguise, unrecognizable, unrecognized:  I did not tell them who
             I was; I wanted to remain incognito.

             --adv.  2 unrecognizably, in disguise, secretly, on the sly,
             under cover, clandestinely:  Why travel incognito if no one
             knows or cares who you really are?

   incoherent
             adj.  confused, garbled, mixed up, disordered, jumbled, muddled,
             scrambled, rambling, illogical, irrational, wild, unstructured,
             disjoined, disconnected, disjointed, loose, unconnected,
             uncoordinated, unintelligible, inarticulate:  He arrived late
             with an incoherent excuse involving measles, his car, and a
             policeman.

   incombustible
             adj.  non-flammable, non-inflammable, fireproof,
             non-combustible; flame-proof:  She has to wear incombustible
             clothing at her job.

   income    n.  return, revenue(s), receipts, proceeds, profit(s), gain(s),
             takings:  Most of his income is from investments.

   incoming  adj.  1 arriving, entering:  Incoming passengers must pass
             through customs.  2 new, entering:  They are trying to predict
             the likely policies of the incoming government.

   incomparable
             adj.  beyond compare, unequalled, matchless, peerless,
             inimitable, unparalleled, unrivalled, nonpareil, transcendent,
             surpassing, supreme, superior, superlative, unsurpassed,
             unsurpassable:  Her performance as Lady Macbeth was
             incomparable.

   incompatible
             adj.  mismatched, unsuited, discordant, clashing, jarring,
             inconsistent, contradictory, conflicting, uncongenial,
             irreconcilable, incongruous; antithetic, opposed, opposite,
             contrary, antipathetic, antagonistic, hostile:  The colours in
             the carpet are incompatible with those in the curtains.  My
             sister and I are totally incompatible and can never meet without
             arguing.

   incompetence
             n.  inability, incapacity, inadequacy, insufficiency,
             deficiency, ineptitude, inefficiency, uselessness, faultiness:
             The students' failure to perform well is often attributable to
             the incompetence of their teachers.

   incompetent
             adj.  unqualified, unfit, unable, incapable, unskilled,
             unskilful, inept, maladroit, inexpert, awkward, floundering,
             clumsy, bungling, gauche, useless, inadequate, insufficient,
             ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient:  Incompetent managers
             need competent secretaries in order to survive.

   incomplete
             adj.  unfinished, undone, imperfect, undeveloped, deficient,
             defective, unaccomplished, partial, sketchy, crude, rough,
             fragmentary, fragmented, piecemeal:  An incomplete manuscript of
             a new novel was found in his desk.

   incomprehensible
             adj.  unintelligible, unfathomable, impenetrable, deep,
             abstruse, arcane, recondite, indecipherable, undecipherable,
             inscrutable, cryptic, obscure, opaque, dark, occult, perplexing,
             mysterious, mystifying, enigmatic, puzzling, over (someone's)
             head, baffling, unimaginable, inconceivable:  They spoke in
             Swahili, an incomprehensible language to me.

   inconceivable
             adj.  incredible, unbelievable, unthinkable, unimaginable,
             incomprehensible, unheard-of, undreamed of or undreamt of,
             unthought of, impossible, overwhelming, staggering, Colloq
             mind-boggling:  Putting a man on Mars before 2000 is
             inconceivable.

   inconclusive
             adj.  indecisive, unresolved, indefinite, unsettled, open,
             indeterminate, in limbo, Colloq up in the air:  The test results
             are inconclusive, so we must continue our investigations.

   incongruous
             adj.  inconsistent, inharmonious, disharmonious, discordant,
             dissonant, disconsonant, incoherent, incompatible, incongruent,
             conflicting, unbecoming, unseemly, unsuited, unsuitable, unapt,
             inappropriate, misallied, unfitting, unfit, improper,
             malapropos, unmeet, absurd, discrepant, disparate, different,
             divergent, disagreeing, contrary, contradictory, paradoxical,
             out of step, out of keeping, out of line:  That jacket looks
             incongruous with those trousers. It was incongruous to see two
             octogenarians dancing at the disco.

   inconsequential
             adj.  unimportant, insignificant, trivial, trifling, nugatory,
             inconsiderable, inappreciable, negligible, minor, paltry, petty,
             immaterial, slight, lightweight, worthless, Colloq piddling:
             Why dwell on inconsequential details?

   inconsiderate
             adj.  thoughtless, unthoughtful, unthinking, unconcerned,
             uncaring, unmindful, heedless, unheeding, insensitive,
             unsympathetic, tactless, intolerant, rude, ungracious:  How
             could you be so inconsiderate as to work late on my birthday?

   inconsistent
             adj.  1 See incongruous.  2 irregular, capricious, fickle,
             erratic, inconstant, uneven, unpredictable, unreliable,
             undependable, unstable, unsteady, changeable, variable:  Their
             behaviour is so inconsistent that I can't tell what they'll do
             next.

   inconsolable
             adj.  disconsolate, broken-hearted, heart-broken, desolate,
             forlorn, despairing, miserable, wretched, grief-stricken:  They
             are inconsolable over the death of their dog.

   inconspicuous
             adj.  unnoticeable, unnoticed, unobtrusive, unostentatious,
             insignificant, indefinite, indistinguishable, undistinguished;
             modest, unassuming, discreet:  Wearing a grey coat and hat, he
             was quite inconspicuous in the crowd. He played an inconspicuous
             role in the entire affair.

   inconstancy
             n.  changeableness, fickleness, irregularity, mutability,
             variability, unsteadiness, unsteadfastness, capriciousness,
             volatility, mercurialness or mercuriality, inconsistency,
             unreliability; faithlessness, unfaithfulness:  How do you deal
             with inconstancy in one you thought a friend?

   inconstant
             adj.  changeable, mutable, fickle, capricious, mercurial,
             volatile, vacillating, unsteady, unsteadfast, irresolute,
             unreliable, undependable, fluctuating, wavering, erratic,
             inconsistent, flighty, unstable, unsettled, fitful, vague,
             indefinite, variable, moody:  His supporters proved inconstant,
             and he fell from power. The inconstant wind blew their craft
             hither and thither.

   incontinent
             adj.  1 unrestrained, unconstrained, unrestricted, uncontrolled,
             uncontrollable, ungoverned, ungovernable, unbridled, uncurbed:
             She must learn to suppress her incontinent tongue.  2 lecherous,
             libidinous, lascivious, libertine, lustful, lewd, debauched,
             wanton, dissolute, loose, lubricious or lubricous, salacious,
             profligate, obscene, dirty, filthy:  Members of the Hell-Fire
             Club were well known for their incontinent behaviour. 3
             self-soiling, bedwetting, Medicine enuretic:  Some old people
             lose control and become incontinent.

   incontrovertible
             adj.  irrefutable, indisputable, indubitable, undeniable,
             incontestable, unquestionable, sure, certain, definite,
             definitive, established, absolute, positive:  The fingerprint
             was incontrovertible evidence that he had been there.

   inconvenience
             n.  1 disadvantage, discomfort, pain, trouble, bother,
             annoyance, nuisance, awkwardness, disturbance, disruption,
             burden, drawback, hindrance, impediment, difficulty, upset:  How
             are you coping with the inconvenience of walking with crutches?
             2 cumbersomeness, unwieldiness, burdensomeness, onerousness,
             troublesomeness, disadvantageousness, awkwardness,
             inappropriateness, untimeliness:  The delay has led to
             considerable public inconvenience.

             --v.  3 discommode, trouble, incommode, disturb, disrupt, upset,
             put out, bother, annoy, irritate, irk:  Would it inconvenience
             you to meet me at the station?

   inconvenient
             adj.  cumbersome, unwieldy, burdensome, onerous, troublesome,
             bothersome, annoying, irritating, irksome, unsettling,
             disturbing, upsetting, disrupting, disadvantageous, awkward,
             inappropriate; inexpedient, inopportune, untimely, ill-timed:
             Those large boxes of laundry soap are inconvenient because
             they're so heavy. It is inconvenient for me to go to the door
             now.

   incorporate
             v.  embody, include, combine, comprise, embrace, integrate,
             consolidate, unite, amalgamate, assimilate, coalesce, unify;
             merge, mix, blend:  The university incorporates several
             independent colleges. Gently fold in the egg whites,
             incorporating them into the mixture.

   incorrect adj.  wrong, mistaken, inaccurate, untrue, imprecise, inexact,
             erroneous, fallacious, specious; improper, false, faulty:  Your
             method is right but the answer is incorrect. That is the
             incorrect key for this lock.

   incorrigible
             adj.  bad, naughty, villainous, wicked, sinful, hopeless;
             intractable, unchangeable, unalterable, habitual, inveterate,
             incurable, stubborn, hardened, obdurate, inflexible,
             uncontrollable:  When a teenager, Giles was absolutely
             incorrigible. Among other things, he was an incorrigible liar.

   incorrupt adj.  1 moral, upright, righteous, pure, upstanding, honourable,
             good, virtuous, honest, straightforward, straight,
             unimpeachable, incorruptible, undefiled, impeccable, spotless,
             immaculate, faultless, flawless:  Show me one nation run by a
             totally incorrupt government.  2 error-free, correct,
             uncorrupted:  He possesses the only incorrupt manuscript of the
             play.

   increase  v.  1 grow, swell, enlarge, dilate, wax, expand, extend,
             distend, inflate, augment, snowball, enhance, heighten, raise,
             develop, multiply, burgeon or bourgeon, flourish, proliferate,
             spread, broaden, widen, lengthen:  Since you left, my work has
             increased threefold.  2 prolong, advance, further, improve,
             better, strengthen:  The more lottery tickets you buy, the more
             you increase your chances of winning.

             --n.  3 growth, enlargement, expansion, extension, augmentation,
             enhancement, development, multiplication, proliferation, spread:
             The increase in scientific knowledge has been phenomenal.  4
             addition, increment, escalation, inflation, gain, rise, boost:
             Increases in costs are reflected in increases in prices.  5 on
             the increase. waxing, developing, growing, expanding,
             increasing, escalating, on the rise, proliferating, spreading:
             Trade with the Far East will be on the increase next year.

   incredible
             adj.  1 unbelievable, beyond belief, inconceivable,
             unimaginable, unthinkable, improbable, implausible, far-fetched,
             absurd, preposterous, ridiculous, unlikely, impossible,
             unrealistic, unreal, fictitious, mythic(al):  Incredible as it
             may appear, continents move a few inches a year.  2
             extraordinary, astounding, astonishing, amazing, wonderful,
             awe-inspiring, awesome, tremendous, marvellous, prodigious,
             Colloq far-out, US humongous:  The incredible amounts spent on
             arms could be better spent on medical research.

   incredulous
             adj.  disbelieving, unbelieving, dubious, doubtful, sceptical,
             mistrustful, distrustful, suspicious:  We were incredulous when
             we learnt who had won the award.

   increment n.  increase, addition, gain, accrual or chiefly Brit accrument,
             augmentation:  The increment last year barely compensated for
             inflation.

   incriminate
             v.  accuse, charge, blame, implicate, inculpate, indict,
             impeach, involve, entangle, Colloq point the finger at, Chiefly
             US put the finger on, Slang US finger:  The suspect confessed
             and incriminated two others.

   incubate  v.  hatch, brood; nurse, nurture, develop:  How long have you
             been incubating this plan?

   incumbent adj.  1 obligatory, necessary, required, mandatory, compulsory,
             binding, demanding, commanding, prescribed:  As their father,
             you ought to feel it incumbent on you to talk to the children's
             teachers. 2 office-holding:  The incumbent chairman is not
             responsible for his predecessor's mistakes.

             --n.  3 office-holder, official, occupant:  As the incumbent,
             you have a better chance of being re-elected.

   incur     v.  bring upon or on (oneself), draw, attract, arouse, provoke,
             invite, expose (oneself) to, lay (oneself) open to:  For some
             reason he incurred the displeasure of his manager.

   incurable adj.  1 irremediable, terminal, inoperable, fatal, hopeless:
             The doctor told me yesterday that the condition is incurable.  2
             hopeless, inveterate, habitual, incorrigible, dyed in the wool,
             unflagging, relentless, irredeemable; irreparable,
             unrectifiable:  You are an incurable optimist if you think you
             will complete this book by the deadline.

   indebted  adj.  obligated, owing, obliged, beholden, bound, liable,
             responsible:  I am indebted to the Salvation Army for their
             help.

   indecent  adj.  1 indecorous, indelicate, immodest, improper, unbecoming,
             unsuitable, unfit, inappropriate; in bad taste:  When he
             proposed marriage she accepted with indecent haste.  2 unseemly,
             shameless, shameful, offensive, outrageous, repellent,
             repulsive, distasteful, ill-mannered, rude, suggestive, coarse,
             risqu‚, vulgar, blue, obscene, gross, rank, prurient, dirty,
             foul, filthy, pornographic, ithyphallic, scatological,
             salacious, lascivious, licentious, lewd, lubricious or
             lubricous, smutty, vile, degenerate, debauched:  There are
             always a lot of complaints about indecent language on
             television.

   indecision
             n.  hesitation, wavering, indecisiveness, vacillation,
             irresolution, uncertainty, ambivalence, shilly-shally or
             shilly-shallying, fluctuation, tergiversation:  Her indecision
             stems from caution, not ignorance of the issues.

   indecisive
             adj.  1 hesitating, hesitant, wavering, doubtful, vacillating,
             undecided, irresolute, uncertain, of two minds, ambivalent,
             shilly-shallying, wishy-washy, namby-pamby, fluctuating,
             tergiversating:  Why are you so assertive at the office yet so
             indecisive at home?  2 indefinite, indeterminate, undecided,
             inconclusive, open, unsettled, moot, doubtful:  The battle was
             indecisive, with both sides incurring heavy losses.

   indeed    adv.  1 certainly, surely, to be sure, doubtless(ly),
             undoubtedly, undeniably, definitely, positively, absolutely,
             exactly, just so, actually, truly, truthfully, seriously, (all)
             joking aside, in (point of) fact, of course, really, in reality,
             to be realistic, naturally, upon my word, on my honour, on my
             oath, Brit rather, Colloq no kidding:  Indeed, that is the news
             he has been expecting.  2 what is more, still, not to say, as a
             matter of fact, if the truth be known, to say the least:  His
             had been a depressing, indeed miserable childhood.

             --interj.  3 Is that so!, You don't say!, Really!, By George!,
             By Jove!, (Upon) my word!, My goodness!, Goodness!, Gracious!,
             Mercy!, Good Lord!, Good heavens!, My stars!, Fancy that!,
             Imagine (that)!, Well, I'll be (damned)!, Colloq Brit Blimey!,
             Cor!, Crikey!:  'I've torn up the winning lottery ticket.'
             'Indeed!'

   indefinite
             adj.  1 uncertain, undetermined, undefined, imprecise, inexact,
             inexplicit, unspecified, unsettled, unfixed, unspecific,
             non-specific, vague, general, indeterminate, undecided, sub
             judice:  The time of the meeting was indefinite.  2 vague,
             unclear, obscure, confused, confusing, puzzling, baffling,
             cryptic, bewildering, mystifying, equivocal, ambiguous,
             unspecific, non-specific, inexplicit, inexact, imprecise:  Your
             directions for getting here were too indefinite.  3 ill-defined,
             undefined, blurred, blurry, hazy, indistinct, obscure, dim,
             fuzzy, unrecognizable, indistinguishable:  Indefinite shapes
             loomed in the fog.  4 unlimited, unknown, uncounted,
             uncountable, undefinable, indeterminate, indeterminable,
             unbounded, boundless, immeasurable, incalculable, limitless,
             endless, infinite:  He pondered the indefinite capacities of the
             mind.  5 hesitant, vague, shilly-shallying, vacillating,
             indecisive, undecided, inconstant, wavering, unsure, uncertain,
             Colloq wishy-washy:  She is still indefinite about going to the
             party.

   indelible adj.  ineradicable or uneradicable or non-eradicable, inerasable
             or unerasable or non-erasable, ineffaceable, inexpungible,
             indestructible, uncancellable or non-cancellable, enduring,
             permanent, lasting, fixed, ingrained, inextirpable:  The laundry
             marks are in indelible ink. Irena makes an indelible impression
             on everyone she meets.

   indelicacy
             n.  coarseness, crudeness, roughness, vulgarity, boorishness,
             churlishness, offensiveness, rudeness, immodesty, indecency,
             shamelessness; incivility, indecorum, inelegance, uncourtliness,
             unmannerliness, impoliteness, unrefinement, unseemliness,
             tastelessness, bad or poor taste, grossness:  She refuses to
             comment on the indelicacy of his proposal.

   indemnity n.  1 compensation, repayment, reimbursement, remuneration,
             recompense, consideration, restitution, reparation(s), redress,
             indemnification, return, quid pro quo, restoration, award,
             reward, payment, disbursement, amends, requital, atonement,
             reckoning, quittance:  The victors demanded indemnity for the
             losses they had suffered.  2 insurance, protection, security,
             safety, guarantee, assurance, underwriting, warrant,
             endorsement, certification; exemption, impunity, privilege:  Am
             I covered for indemnity against third-party claims?

   indentation
             n.  notch, dent, nick, cut, score, mark, depression, impression,
             hollow, dimple, pit; Typography indention:  The chair legs had
             left small indentations in the parquet floor.  The indentation
             of each paragraph should be five spaces.

   independence
             n.  1 freedom, liberty, autonomy, sovereignty, self-rule, home
             rule, self-determination, self-government, self-direction,
             autonomy, autarchy:  The colony gained independence from
             Portugal.  2 confidence, self-confidence, self-sufficiency,
             self-reliance, self-assurance:  Edwina asserted her independence
             by taking over the company herself.

   independent
             adj.  1 free, self-governing, autonomous, sovereign:  In 1829
             Greece was acknowledged as an independent state.  2
             unrestrained, unrestricted, unfettered, untrammelled,
             unregulated, uncontrolled, separate(d), unconnected,
             disconnected, unrelated, distinct:  Air is made up of
             independent particles.  3 self-reliant, self-sufficient,
             self-assured, (self-)confident, bold, individualistic,
             competent:  For a six-year-old, he is very independent.  4
             voluntary, non-partisan, spontaneous, unsolicited, unbidden,
             unprejudiced, unbiased, non-aligned, unaligned, disinterested,
             neutral:  Four independent witnesses testified to seeing him at
             the scene of the crime. 5 unlimited, unrestricted, affluent,
             self-sufficient; unearned:  She is a woman of independent means.
             6 unallied, unaffiliated, uncommitted, individualistic,
             undecided:  Independent candidates outnumber those of the two
             main parties in this election. 7 outside, external,
             unaffiliated, non-affiliated, unconnected, disinterested:  An
             independent auditor was engaged to go over the company's books.
             8 independent of. irrespective of, disregarding,
             notwithstanding, ignoring, excluding; exclusive of, except for,
             barring, apart from, besides, beyond, US aside from:  He insists
             on doing things his way, independent of others' feelings.
             Independent of you and me, no one cares what he does.

             --n.  9 individual, nonconformist, maverick, Colloq loner:  He
             is an independent, not affiliated to any political party.

   indestructible
             adj.  durable, long-lasting, everlasting, eternal, endless,
             perennial, permanent, fixed, unchanging, changeless,
             unchangeable, indelible, ineradicable, inextirpable, immutable,
             unalterable, constant, undying, non-perishable, imperishable;
             unbreakable, non-breakable, shatter-proof:  The problem is that
             many plastics are virtually indestructible.

   index     n.  1 guide, directory, list, listing, table of contents,
             catalogue, key, thesaurus:  To find synonyms for a word in this
             book, look first in the index.  2 mark, sign, clue, token, hint,
             pointer, indicator, indication, guide:  An index to his feelings
             can be seen in the way he treats people.  3 index finger,
             forefinger, first finger; pointer, marker, needle, Chiefly Brit
             typography hand, Chiefly US typography fist:  Use an index to
             emphasize important paragraphs.  4 ratio, measure, formula,
             factor:  The cephalic index is the ratio of the width of a skull
             to its length multiplied by 100.

   indicate  v.  1 point out, point to, mark, specify, designate, indicate;
             call or direct attention to, show:  The thermometer indicated
             that the temperature was 22шC. Sally indicated the place where
             the dam would be built. 2 imply, suggest, betoken, manifest,
             signify, bespeak, reveal, evince, evidence, denote:  Measles is
             indicated by the presence of Koplik's spots.  3 suggest, hint,
             imply, intimate; say, express, state, disclose, tell, make
             known, make clear, register, show, display, exhibit:  His frown
             indicated his doubts. She indicated her displeasure in a few,
             well-chosen words. 4 call for, require, demand, need, recommend:
             The doctor advised that a surgical procedure is indicated in
             such cases.

   indication
             n.  1 sign, signal, token, suggestion, hint, intimation,
             inkling, clue, implication, symptom:  A bullet-riddled corpse,
             said the detective, is usually a good indication of foul play. 2
             reading, measure, degree:  The indication on the pressure gauge
             is reaching the danger point.  3 omen, portent, forewarning,
             warning, augury, foreshadowing, foretoken:  Those black clouds
             are an indication that a storm is brewing.  Can't you give us
             any indication of what will become of us? 4 indications.
             evidence, data, clues, signs:  Indications are that she left on
             the last train.

   indicative of
             adj.  signifying, indicating, indicatory of, suggesting,
             suggestive of, hinting (at), symptomatic of, denotative of,
             characteristic of, typical of, typifying:  Repeated stalling is
             indicative of some fault in the fuel.

   indicator n.  pointer, needle; gauge, meter, display:  The indicator reads
             exactly 67шC.

   indict    v.  Often, indict for. charge (with), accuse (with or of),
             arraign (for), incriminate (in or for), inculpate (in or for),
             cite (for or with), denounce (for), blame (for or with); summon,
             summons, subpoena:  She has been indicted for murder in the
             first degree.

   indifference
             n.  1 unconcern, apathy, listlessness, disinterest, coolness,
             nonchalance, insouciance, aloofness, detachment, disregard,
             inattention, pococuranteism or pococurantism, coldness, phlegm,
             stolidity, callousness, insensibility, impassiveness or
             impassivity:  I cannot believe the indifference she showed on
             learning about the tragedy. 2 unimportance, insignificance,
             irrelevance, unconcern, inconsequence, triviality:  Whether I go
             or stay is a matter of indifference to me.  3 dispassion,
             disinterestedness, impartiality, neutrality, objectivity,
             fairness, equitableness, even-handedness:  The judges
             demonstrated their indifference by awarding first prize to a
             novice.

   indifferent
             adj.  1 unconcerned, apathetic, uncaring, listless,
             disinterested, uninterested, cool, nonchalant, lukewarm,
             lackadaisical, Laodicean, dispassionate, insouciant, aloof,
             detached, distant, removed, inattentive, pococurante, cold,
             phlegmatic, stolid, callous, unemotional, uncompassionate,
             insensitive, unfeeling, inconsiderate, unsympathetic,
             insensible, impassive:  Joan remained totally indifferent to
             Charles's attentions.  2 impartial, neutral, just, even-handed,
             objective, fair, equitable, unbiased, unprejudiced,
             non-partisan, non-discriminatory, dispassionate, disinterested:
             The problem is in reaching an indifferent judgement.  3 neutral,
             average, mediocre, fair, undistinguished, uninspired,
             lightweight, passable, middling, ordinary, commonplace,
             everyday, so so, not bad; poor, inferior, not very or
             particularly or especially good, Slang Brit naff:  He is a
             writer of indifferent quality. I held indifferent cards but lost
             little money. 4 unimportant, insignificant, trivial, trifling,
             nugatory, immaterial, inconsequential, minor, inappreciable,
             slight, neither here nor there:  It is indifferent to him where
             she spends her money.

   indigenous
             adj.  1 native, local, autochthonous, endemic, natural,
             aboriginal, original:  The indigenous inhabitants were displaced
             by marauding tribes.  2 innate, inborn, inbred, inherent:  It is
             often difficult to distinguish between man's indigenous and his
             acquired characteristics.

   indigent  adj.  needy, poor, destitute, poverty-stricken, in want,
             penniless, impoverished, penurious, impecunious, necessitous,
             Colloq (dead or flat) broke, stony-broke, hard up, short, on
             one's uppers, Brit skint, US strapped:  The two brothers made
             certain that their indigent parents were well looked after.

   indigestion
             n.  dyspepsia, upset stomach, stomach distress; stomach-ache,
             gastralgia:  A bit of bicarbonate of soda cured my indigestion
             at once.

   indignant adj.  provoked, exasperated, disgruntled, piqued, irked,
             irritated, annoyed, vexed, angry, furious, irate, angered,
             enraged, incensed, wrathful, in high dudgeon, in a temper, in a
             rage, in a pet, Literary wroth, Colloq peeved, riled, in a huff,
             huffy, miffed, mad, livid, sore, US teed off, Slang pissed off:
             Peter was quite indignant to learn that the publisher had lost
             his manuscript.

   indignation
             n.  anger, fury, rage, wrath, exasperation, irritation,
             annoyance, vexation, resentment, Literary ire, choler:  She was
             filled with righteous indignation at the treatment she received.

   indignity n.  insult, affront, outrage, injury, offence, humiliation,
             disrespect, slight, dishonour, snub, obloquy, contumely, scorn,
             reproach, abuse, discourtesy, aspersion, Colloq slap (in the
             face):  The duchess had to suffer the indignity of arrest for
             shoplifting.

   indirect  adj.  1 roundabout, circuitous, circumambient, devious,
             tortuous, zigzag, winding, rambling, roving, wandering, erratic,
             meandering, ambagious, crooked, oblique, twisted, twisting;
             circumlocutory, periphrastic:  In an indirect way she told me
             that I was fired.  2 secondary, incidental, ancillary,
             collateral, accidental, side, subordinate, subsidiary,
             accessory, additional, accidental, adscititious, adventitious:
             An indirect effect of winning the prize was an offer of more
             work.

   indiscreet
             adj.  imprudent, tactless, incautious, impolitic, undiplomatic,
             improvident, injudicious, ill-advised, ill-judged,
             ill-considered, rash, reckless, audacious, bold, temerarious,
             impulsive, hasty, impetuous, thoughtless, insensitive, heedless,
             careless, unthinking, mindless, unwise, na‹ve, foolish,
             foolhardy:  Your reference to her plastic surgery was indiscreet
             to say the least.

   indiscretion
             n.  1 imprudence, tactlessness, improvidence, injudiciousness,
             rashness, recklessness, audacity, boldness, temerity,
             impulsiveness, hastiness, haste, impetuousness, impetuosity,
             thoughtlessness, insensitivity, heedlessness, carelessness,
             na‹vety, foolishness, foolhardiness, folly:  He was guilty of
             indiscretion in talking to the press about the confidential
             report. 2 blunder, error, mistake, slip, lapse, misstep, gaffe,
             faux pas, peccadillo, Colloq boner, Brit bloomer:  He spent much
             of his adult life paying for the indiscretions of his youth.

   indiscriminate
             adj.  1 undiscriminating, unselective, unparticular, uncritical,
             undiscerning, careless, promiscuous, random:  Viola seems
             indiscriminate in her choice of companions.  2 confused,
             haphazard, unorganized, chaotic, disorganized, jumbled,
             disordered, disarranged, scrambled, mixed-up, casual, random,
             unsystematic, unsystematized, uncoordinated, unmethodical,
             wholesale, erratic, Colloq higgledy-piggledy:  The Aztecs were
             victims of indiscriminate slaughter at the hands of the
             conquistadors.

   indispensable
             adj.  1 crucial, vital, essential, urgent, imperative,
             necessary, needed, needful, required, requisite, demanded, in
             demand, called-for, of the essence, important, compelling:  A
             good television manner is indispensable in a national leader
             these days. 2 key, unavoidable, inescapable, ineluctable,
             compulsory, mandatory, sine qua non, obligatory:  Are a black
             bowler and tightly furled umbrella still indispensable to doing
             business in the City?

   indisposed
             adj.  1 ill, ailing, unwell, sick, sickly, unsound, unhealthy,
             in bad health, valetudinarian, out of commission, Colloq on the
             sick-list, (doing) poorly, laid up, in a bad way, not up to
             snuff, off one's feed or Brit also grub, under the weather:
             Madam is indisposed and cannot have tea with you.  2 averse,
             disinclined, loath, unwilling, reluctant, resistant, hesitant:
             The judge was indisposed to leniency in such a serious case.

   indisputable
             adj.  unquestionable, incontrovertible, incontestable,
             irrefutable, undeniable, indubitable, beyond doubt, sure,
             certain, positive, definite, definitive, absolute, fixed:  It
             was indisputable that the outlook was grim. The show was an
             indisputable success.

   indistinct
             adj.  1 faint, dim, obscure, vague, blurred, blurry, filmy,
             hazy, misty, bleary, shadowy, fuzzy, foggy, murky, muddy,
             unclear, indiscernible, illegible, muffled, unintelligible,
             indistinguishable, indeterminate, confused, indefinite:  I could
             barely make out an indistinct figure in the dark. The writing on
             the matchbox was indistinct. 2 indistinguishable, ambiguous, not
             distinct, equivocal, inseparable, ill-defined, undefined,
             nebulous, vague, confused:  The identity of the three brothers
             is indistinct in my mind.

   indistinguishable
             adj.  1 Often, indistinguishable from. undifferentiated (from),
             identical (to), alike, like two peas in a pod, twin,
             inseparable:  He is indistinguishable from his brother. Her
             fingerprints and those found on the dagger are
             indistinguishable. 2 indiscernible, imperceptible, indefinite,
             unclear, indistinct:  His good qualities were indistinguishable
             to me.

   individual
             adj.  1 single, sole, particular, separate, distinct, discrete,
             solitary, lone:  Consider the entire utterance, not just the
             individual words.  2 singular, special, specific, idiosyncratic,
             own, characteristic, distinctive, individualistic, unique,
             peculiar, personal, proper; unitary:  She has her individual
             style of dressing.

             --n.  3 person, human (being), (living) soul, mortal; one,
             party:  In a democracy each individual is entitled to one vote.

   individualist
             n.  independent, freethinker, nonconformist, maverick, loner,
             lone wolf:  Nick is an individualist and seldom agrees with the
             majority.

   individually
             adv.  one at a time, singly, one by one, separately, severally,
             apart:  We must study each of these specimens individually.

   indoctrinate
             v.  train, teach, instruct, school, discipline, drill,
             brainwash, propagandize; inculcate, imbue, instil, implant:  The
             children were indoctrinated to believe that they were members of
             the master race. He indoctrinated them with the idea that they
             were capable of anything.

   indolence n.  laziness, slothfulness, sloth, sluggishness, idleness,
             lethargy, shiftlessness, languor, languidness, lassitude,
             listlessness, torpor, torpidity, inertia, inaction, inactivity,
             faineance, dolce far niente, oscitancy:  After winning the
             lottery, he spent his days in indolence.

   indolent  adj.  lazy, slothful, sluggish, idle, lethargic, shiftless,
             languorous, languid, torpid, inert, inactive, stagnant,
             fain‚ant, listless:  'Peel me a grape', she said in her most
             indolent manner.

   indomitable
             adj.  resolute, resolved, determined, steadfast, staunch,
             persistent, unstoppable, irrepressible, indefatigable, untiring,
             tireless, unflagging, unyielding, unswerving, unwavering,
             unflinching, undaunted, dauntless, fearless, unafraid, intrepid,
             brave, courageous, plucky, mettlesome; unconquerable,
             unbeatable, invincible:  She survived the prison camp by dint of
             indomitable strength of character.

   induce    v.  1 lead, persuade, influence, prevail on or upon, sway, move,
             convince, get, talk into, prompt, incite, instigate, actuate,
             motivate, impel, encourage, inspire, stimulate, nudge, push,
             press, urge, prod, goad, spur, egg on, coax, cajole, lure,
             entice, inveigle, seduce:  He was induced to sell the secret
             plans to the enemy for a large sum. 2 cause, bring about or on,
             produce, give rise to, engender, create, generate, lead to;
             effect, occasion, set in motion:  Some drugs induce a state of
             euphoria.

   inducement
             n.  attraction, lure, incentive, stimulus, enticement, bait,
             encouragement, incitement, provocation, spur, premium,
             consideration, reward, Colloq carrot, Chiefly US come-on:  What
             inducement were you offered to take out that subscription?

   induct    v.  1 install or instal, inaugurate, invest, instate, establish,
             swear in:  Crocker was inducted as president of the lodge last
             night.  2 call up, enlist, conscript, enrol, register, US draft:
             He was inducted into the army at 18.

   indulge   v.  1 Often, indulge in. yield (to), succumb (to), favour,
             gratify, humour, oblige (with), comply (with), minister to,
             cater to, pander to, treat (to), pamper (with):  When it comes
             to chocolates, I indulge myself to the fullest.  We indulge in
             an occasional beer. She indulges his every whim. 2 coddle, baby,
             pamper, cosset, mollycoddle, spoil:  He doesn't believe in
             indulging children.

   indulgence
             n.  1 tolerance, sufferance, understanding, patience, good will,
             allowance, forbearance; acceptance, overlooking:  Genevieve's
             behaviour is testing the limits of Tom's indulgence.  2
             self-indulgence, luxury, extravagance, profligacy,
             self-gratification, self-satisfaction:  A notorious
             pleasure-seeker, his capacity for indulgence is legendary.  3
             treat, luxury, extravagance:  My sole indulgence is vintage
             port.

   indulgent adj.  tolerant, permissive, patient, understanding, forbearing,
             lenient, easygoing, relaxed, liberal, lax, kind, kindly,
             well-disposed, agreeable:  Tony and Hazel are extremely
             indulgent parents.

   industrious
             adj.  sedulous, assiduous, hard-working, diligent, intense,
             conscientious, energetic, dynamic, aggressive, vigorous,
             untiring, tireless, indefatigable, unflagging, persistent,
             pertinacious, dogged, tenacious, US hustling:  The business was
             built up only because she was so industrious.

   industry  n.  1 production, manufacture, trade, commerce, business:
             Competition in the car industry helps keep prices lower.  2
             diligence, assiduity, sedulousness, energy, exertion, effort,
             application, perseverance, persistence, work, labour, toil:  We
             were complimented on our industry by the teacher.  3
             industriousness, energy, activity, vigour, hustle, bustle,
             dynamism, enterprise, earnestness, determination:  The sales
             office is a hive of industry.

   ineffable adj.  1 unutterable, unspeakable, unmentionable, taboo:  In
             certain religions, the name of the deity is ineffable.  2
             inexpressible, indescribable, indefinable or undefinable,
             indescribable or undescribable, beyond description, beyond
             words:  The Royal Hotel had an ineffable air of serene
             affluence.

   ineffective
             adj.  1 unproductive, unfruitful, bootless, idle, vain, useless,
             ineffectual, inefficacious, inoperative, non-functioning,
             inadequate, insufficient, worthless:  The anti-crime measures
             appear to have been ineffective.  2 inefficient, incompetent,
             incapable, unskilled, unskilful, inept, unfit, unproficient:
             The new office manager is totally ineffective.

   ineffectual
             adj.  1 unsuccessful, unavailing, futile, bootless, sterile,
             barren, fruitless, unproductive, ineffective, inefficacious,
             inoperative:  Our efforts to deal with pollution have been
             largely ineffectual.  2 weak, feeble, effete, impotent, tame,
             lame, powerless, inefficient, incompetent, inadequate:  We tried
             to read the inscription by the ineffectual light of a match.

   inefficacious
             adj.  See ineffectual and ineffective.

   inefficient
             adj.  1 ineffective, incompetent, incapable, unqualified,
             inexpert, unskilled, unskilful, unfit, inept, ineffectual,
             deficient:  Poorly paid labour is inefficient labour.  2
             uneconomic(al), wasteful, disorganized, slipshod:  For our
             purposes, the layout of the factory is quite inefficient.

   ineligible
             adj.  unqualified, unacceptable, unfit, unsuited, unsuitable,
             inappropriate, improper:  He is ineligible for benefit as he
             left his job voluntarily.

   inept     adj.  1 clumsy, awkward, bungling, maladroit, ungainly,
             bumbling, gauche, inexpert, unskilled, unskilful, incompetent,
             inefficient:  If he is inept at sailing, he'd better become
             proficient.  2 inappropriate, inapt, unseemly, improper,
             unfitting, unfit, unsuitable, impolitic, undiplomatic,
             injudicious, imprudent, indiscreet, ill-considered, ill-judged,
             ill-advised, unadvised, unadvisable or inadvised, misguided,
             inexpedient, out of place, unwise:  She made some inept comment
             and blushed furiously.

   ineptitude
             n.  1 ineptness, clumsiness, awkwardness, maladroitness,
             ungainliness, gaucherie, incompetence, inefficiency, unfitness,
             unsuitableness:  He displays a remarkable ineptitude for the
             pronunciation of French.  2 inappropriateness, inaptness,
             absurdity, unsuitability, unseemliness:  The ineptitude of her
             comments embarrasses everyone.

   inequality
             n.  1 disparity, difference, discrepancy, unevenness,
             nonconformity, incongruence, incongruity, inconsistency,
             dissimilarity, imbalance:  The inequality between their incomes
             made him resentful.  2 bias, prejudice, partiality, unfairness,
             injustice, inequity:  Why should they have to tolerate any
             inequality of treatment?

   inert     adj.  1 inactive, unreactive, unresponsive, neutral:  Argon,
             xenon, and neon are inert gases.  2 motionless, immobile,
             inanimate, lifeless, still, quiet, quiescent, stationary,
             static:  He was mute and inert: it was like talking to a zombie.
             3 sluggish, slow, torpid, dull, inactive, idle, indolent, lazy,
             slothful, leaden, slack, passive, supine, dormant, otiose,
             listless, languid or languorous:  I contemplated the inert
             bodies sunbathing around the swimming-pool.

   inertia   n.  inertness, inactivity, sloth, sluggishness, torpor,
             dullness, idleness, indolence, laziness, slothfulness,
             passivity, apathy, lassitude, dormancy, listlessness, languor,
             immobility, motionlessness:  Adele finds it difficult to
             overcome her feeling of inertia in the morning.

   inestimable
             adj.  1 incalculable, immeasurable, measureless, untold,
             incomputable; priceless, invaluable, precious:  You have been of
             inestimable help in completing the project on time. 2 countless,
             innumerable, vast, immense, prodigious, boundless, unfathomable,
             infinite, incalculable, immeasurable, measureless, untold,
             incomputable:  An inestimable number of organisms have inhabited
             the earth.

   inevitable
             adj.  unavoidable, inescapable, ineluctable, unpreventable,
             certain, sure, destined, fated, assured, inexorable,
             irrevocable, unchangeable, absolute, ordained, decreed,
             authoritative, incontestable:  The inevitable outcome of war is
             misery for all participants.

   inexact   adj.  imprecise, inaccurate, erroneous, incorrect, wrong, false,
             faulty, indefinite, fallacious, fuzzy, muddled:  This gauge is
             giving an inexact reading.

   inexcusable
             adj.  unjustifiable, unjustified, indefensible, unpardonable,
             unforgivable, intolerable, inexpiable:  Insulting your hostess
             was inexcusable.

   inexhaustible
             adj.  1 limitless, boundless, unlimited, unbounded,
             unrestricted, endless, measureless, indeterminate, infinite,
             incalculable:  The supply of tasteless television programmes
             seems virtually inexhaustible. 2 untiring, tireless,
             indefatigable, unflagging, unfailing, unfaltering, unwearying,
             unwearied:  Bartell is an inexhaustible practical joker.

   inexpensive
             adj.  cheap, economical, low-priced, low-cost, reasonable,
             budget-priced:  What might seem inexpensive to you is very
             costly for me.

   inexperience
             n.  immaturity, innocence, na‹vety, greenness, callowness,
             unsophistication:  I attribute his mistakes to inexperience.

   inexperienced
             adj.  immature, innocent, na‹ve, green, callow, unsophisticated,
             unworldly, unfledged, raw, uninitiated, untrained, unschooled,
             uninformed, unseasoned, Colloq (still) wet behind the ears, born
             yesterday:  Isn't she too inexperienced to take on such a great
             responsibility?

   inexplicable
             adj.  unexplainable, unaccountable, unintelligible, inscrutable,
             puzzling, enigmatic, mystifying, perplexing, confounding,
             baffling, bewildering, incomprehensible:  I find inexplicable
             their refusal to allow freedom of religion.

   inexpressible
             adj.  unutterable, ineffable, unspeakable, indescribable,
             indefinable:  I felt inexpressible joy at seeing my children
             again.

   inextinguishable
             adj.  unquenchable, irrepressible, unsuppressible; enduring,
             undying, imperishable, eternal, everlasting:  The teacher had to
             cope with inextinguishable giggling. Our hopes for freedom were
             inextinguishable.

   inextricably
             adv.  inescapably, ineluctably, unavoidably, irretrievably,
             completely, inseparably, indissolubly, totally, complicatedly,
             intricately:  I found myself inextricably caught up in her
             emotional problems.

   infallible
             adj.  1 unerring, faultless, flawless, perfect, oracular,
             unmistaken:  The infallible logic of computers sometimes defeats
             their users.  2 unfailing, dependable, sure, secure, certain,
             reliable, foolproof:  The vaccination provides infallible
             protection against the virus.

   infamous  adj.  1 notorious, disreputable, ill-famed, stigmatized,
             scandalous, discreditable, dishonourable, ignominious:  So this
             is the infamous house where the murders took place!  2 bad,
             awful, wicked, evil, iniquitous, villainous, heinous, vile,
             abominable, outrageous, execrable, abhorrent, opprobrious,
             despicable, loathsome, detestable, odious, foul, scurvy, rotten,
             atrocious, flagitious, revolting, monstrous, egregious, base,
             low, shameful, disgraceful:  A number of infamous criminals are
             portrayed in the Chamber of Horrors.

   infamy    n.  1 notoriety, ill repute, ill fame, disrepute, shame,
             ignominy, obloquy, disgrace, dishonour, stigma, discredit:  She
             has to suffer the infamy of her husband's treachery.  2
             wickedness, evil, iniquity, villainy, heinousness, vileness,
             abomination, outrage, abhorrence, opprobrium, loathsomeness,
             detestation, hatred, odium, atrocity, revulsion, monstrosity,
             egregiousness, shame, shamefulness, disgrace, disgracefulness:
             The infamy of his profligate behaviour is widely known.

   infancy   n.  1 babyhood, early childhood:  His limp was the result of
             polio, which he had contracted in infancy.  2 beginning(s),
             inception, early or initial, stage(s), commencement, start,
             emergence, dawn, rise:  When psychiatry was in its infancy it
             was marked by a notable lack of success.

   infantile adj.  childish, immature, puerile, babyish, juvenile:  Ben
             behaves in the most infantile way whenever there are girls
             about.

   infatuated
             adj.  fascinated, beguiled, enchanted, bewitched, spellbound,
             charmed, ensorcelled, enraptured, possessed, hypnotized,
             mesmerized, captivated, besotted, taken with, obsessed, smitten,
             enamoured, fond:  Francis is completely infatuated with the girl
             who moved in next door.

   infectious
             adj.  contagious, catching, communicable, transmissible:  There
             is also a highly infectious variety of the disease.

   infer     v.  deduce, derive, draw, conclude, understand, gather, surmise,
             guess, assume:  From the evidence, I infer that you were not at
             home last night.

   inference n.  deduction, conclusion, understanding, surmise, assumption,
             presumption:  If this man's father is my father's son, the
             inference is that this man is my nephew.

   inferior  adj.  1 lower, nether:  We descended into the inferior regions
             of the cavern. The numeral in H2O is called an inferior
             character. 2 lesser, lower, subordinate, secondary, junior,
             minor, unimportant, insignificant, lowly, subservient, humble,
             servile:  He occupies an inferior position in the company.  3
             poor, bad, low-quality, mediocre, indifferent, imperfect,
             defective, second-rate, second-class, substandard, low-grade,
             shoddy, gimcrack, Colloq grotty, junky, crummy or crumby, lousy,
             Slang crappy, Brit naff:  They tried to market an inferior
             product, but it was rejected by consumers.

             --n.  4 subordinate, underling, junior, menial, lackey, flunkey,
             dogsbody, cat's-paw, doormat, stooge, yes-man, lickspittle,
             bootlicker:  She is tired of being treated as an inferior.

   inferiority
             n.  1 unimportance, insignificance, lowliness:  The inferiority
             of his position rankled with him.  2 inadequacy, deficiency,
             insignificance, unimportance, worthlessness:  Do not confuse
             modesty with a sense of inferiority.  3 shoddiness,
             imperfection, mediocrity:  Consumers are not fooled by the
             inferiority of a product for long.

   infernal  adj.  1 hellish, underworld, nether, Hadean:  Virgil was Dante's
             guide in the infernal regions.  2 devilish, diabolic(al),
             demonic(al), demoniac(al), fiendish, satanic, Mephistophelian;
             damnable, damned, execrable, malicious, malevolent, maleficent,
             wicked, evil, iniquitous, flagitious, villainous, heinous, dire,
             sinister, dreadful:  She tells everyone that there is an
             infernal plot against her.

   infertile adj.  sterile, barren, infecund, unproductive, unfruitful,
             non-productive:  The stony, infertile earth yielded only cactus
             and scrub grass.

   infest    v.  invade, plague, beset, overrun, overspread, flood, swarm
             over, inundate, pervade, permeate, penetrate, infiltrate:
             Mosquitoes infested this area before the swamp was drained.

   infidel   n.  unbeliever, heathen, disbeliever, heretic, pagan, agnostic,
             atheist, nullifidian, freethinker:  Thousands of the fanatics
             swarmed over the infidels, slaughtering them mercilessly.

   infidelity
             n.  1 unfaithfulness, faithlessness, treachery, traitorousness,
             disloyalty, perfidy, falseness, apostasy, heresy:  The
             infidelity of his supporters brought about his downfall.  2
             adultery, cuckoldry; affair, liaison, amour, Colloq cheating:
             Infidelity is a common cause of marriage break-up. She forgave
             him his many infidelities.

   infinite  adj.  1 boundless, vast, limitless, unlimited, illimitable,
             endless, interminable, indeterminable, indeterminate,
             inestimable, astronomical, numberless, multitudinous,
             uncountable, uncounted, innumerable, incalculable,
             inexhaustible, immense, enormous, immeasurable, measureless,
             bottomless, unfathomable:  They hurtled through infinite space
             at the speed of light. We do what we can, but our resources are
             not infinite. In his infinite wisdom, God made the garden slug.
             2 eternal, everlasting, perpetual, endless, unending,
             inexhaustible, undying, never-ending:  It is difficult to
             conceive of time as being anything but infinite, without
             beginning or end. With infinite patience she reassembled the
             pieces of the vase.

   infirm    adj.  1 ill, indisposed, debilitated, frail, fragile, weak,
             feeble, weakened, ailing, decrepit, enfeebled, failing, wasted,
             on the decline, sick, sickly, unwell, lame, crippled:  Campbell
             is infirm and unable to travel.  2 shaky, flimsy, wobbly,
             wobbling, doddering, unstable, faltering, vacillating, wavering,
             unsteady, unsteadfast, inconstant, changeable, irresolute:  We
             must find stalwart recruits, recruits who are not infirm of
             purpose.

   infirmary n.  clinic, hospital, sickbay, first-aid station; dispensary,
             Brit nursing home, surgery:  The infirmary is able to deal only
             with emergencies, not with long-term care.

   infirmity n.  1 weakness, feebleness, frailness, frailty, debility,
             decrepitude, sickliness:  At 100, she finally succumbed to
             infirmity, and ceased going out altogether. 2 sickness, ailment,
             disease, malady, affliction, disorder, defect, complaint:  What
             infirmity struck him down?

   inflame   v.  1 arouse, incite, touch off, ignite, enkindle, provoke,
             rouse, excite, impassion, foment, incense, agitate, stir (up),
             fire (up), heat, anger, enrage, madden, infuriate, whip or lash
             up, work up, rile, exasperate, stimulate, animate, move,
             motivate, urge, prod, goad, spur (on), rally, drive:  The
             speakers inflamed the crowd to riot against the police.  2
             aggravate, intensify, deepen, heighten, fan, exacerbate,
             increase, augment, fuel:  She inflamed his dislike of his
             brother into hatred.

   inflamed  adj.  irritated, sore, angry, chafing, chafed, red, swollen,
             heated, hot, fevered, feverish, infected, septic:  The wound
             became inflamed and we had no medicine to reduce the infection.

   inflammable
             adj.  burnable, combustible, flammable:  The plastic foam
             formerly used to stuff furniture is highly inflammable.

   inflammation
             n.  irritation, redness, swelling, sore, infection:  The
             inflammation subsided as the injection took effect.

   inflammatory
             adj.  incendiary, fiery, inflaming, explosive, rousing,
             provocative, rabid, rabble-rousing, passionate, fervent, fervid,
             frantic, frenzied, fomenting, demagogic, insurgent, riotous,
             mutinous, seditious, rebellious, revolutionary, traitorous,
             treacherous:  His inflammatory speeches at the university
             created tension between the students and the administration.

   inflate   v.  1 blow up, balloon, expand, dilate, enlarge, swell, pump up,
             puff up or out, distend:  We inflated two plastic bags to use as
             floats.  2 boost, increase:  The price of the company's shares
             was inflated by rumours of a take-over bid. 3 exaggerate,
             amplify, magnify, blow up:  He tends to inflate to huge
             proportions the small contribution he made to the project.

   inflated  adj.  1 exaggerated, conceited, overblown, grandiose, puffed up,
             overstated, magnified, amplified, overdrawn, smug, egotistic,
             immodest, cocky, vain, self-important, Colloq Brit
             swelled-headed, US swell-headed:  He has an inflated idea of the
             importance of his work.  2 grandiloquent, bombastic, orotund,
             high-flown, pompous, pretentious, extravagant, magniloquent:
             She always talks about her husband in such inflated terms.

   inflexible
             adj.  unbending, stiff, rigid, firm, rigorous, unyielding,
             adamant, severe, Rhadamanthine, inelastic, hard (and fast),
             determined, fixed, obdurate, immovable, intractable, unvaried,
             unvarying, invariable, unchangeable, immutable, obstinate,
             stubborn, obstinate, pigheaded, mulish, dyed in the wool,
             headstrong, refractory, steely, stony, resolute, resolved,
             unadaptable, unaccommodating, uncompliant, uncompromising,
             unshakeable or unshakable:  The committee remain inflexible
             about changing the rules of the club to admit women.

   inflict   v.  impose, apply, visit, administer, levy, force on or upon;
             trouble, afflict:  The new government is seeking ways of
             inflicting more taxes on us. You ought not to inflict punishment
             on such small children.

   influence n.  1 power, pressure, weight, sway, impact, force, effect,
             leverage, potency; hold, control, mastery, ascendancy, Colloq
             pull, clout:  Would you use your influence to see if you can get
             me a job? The boy is under the influence of his tutor. 2
             connections, favour, favouritism, Colloq pull:  He got his
             position through influence, not merit.

             --v.  3 affect, move, change, modify, alter, bias, sway,
             persuade, induce, work on, impress (upon), play or act upon or
             on, incline; bring pressure to bear on or upon, move, motivate,
             manipulate, Brit pressurize, US pressure, Colloq pull strings or
             US also wires:  She was able to influence the minister to drop
             the scheme.

   influential
             adj.  powerful, weighty, strong, forceful, effective, effectual,
             efficacious, instrumental, telling, significant, persuasive,
             dominant, leading, guiding, authoritative, predominant,
             important, substantial, prestigious, significant, controlling:
             He comes from an influential family. What factors were
             influential in reaching your decision?

   inform    v.  1 tell, apprise, advise, communicate, enlighten, notify,
             acquaint, brief; impart, disclose, divulge, reveal, report,
             Colloq tip (off):  I have informed everyone about the storm
             warning.  2 Usually, inform against or on. betray, incriminate,
             implicate, identify, Colloq tell (on), blab (on), rat (on), US
             blow the whistle (on); Slang peach (on), snitch (on), squeal
             (on), put the finger on, sing, name names, Brit nark (on), grass
             (on), split on, US finger:  He informed on his accomplices in
             return for a lighter sentence.

   informal  adj.  1 unceremonious, casual, natural, unstilted, familiar,
             ordinary, everyday, unaffected, unassuming, unpretentious,
             simple, relaxed, free, free and easy, Brit common or garden, US
             garden-variety:  We had an informal dinner in the kitchen.  2
             unofficial, unconventional, unconstrained, casual, everyday,
             simple:  On duty he wore informal clothes - blue jeans and a
             denim jacket.  3 vernacular, colloquial, simple, unaffected,
             ordinary, unpretentious, everyday:  He uses informal language
             devoid of scientific jargon.

   information
             n.  knowledge, data, facts, intelligence, message, word, advice,
             news, tidings, report, communication, Colloq info, low-down,
             Slang dirt, dope, Brit gen, bumf, US poop:  I have little
             information regarding her divorce.

   informative
             adj.  communicative, instructive, educational, edifying,
             revealing, illuminating:  We found his report about the missiles
             very informative.

   informed  adj.  1 intelligent, knowledgeable, enlightened, educated,
             learned, cultured, cultivated:  An informed public is
             democracy's greatest asset.  2 alert (to), aware (of), advised,
             in touch, au fait, briefed, conversant (with), (well-)versed, up
             (on), up to date, Colloq in the know, wise:  Keep me informed as
             to your whereabouts.

   informer  n.  traitor, betrayer, tattle-tale, taleteller, informant, Slang
             stool-pigeon, snitch, squealer, weasel, Brit grass, Chiefly US
             rat, US stoolie, canary, shoo-fly:  According to the informer,
             the secret meeting is scheduled for tonight.

   infrequently
             adv.  rarely, seldom, sporadically, occasionally, now and then,
             irregularly, exceptionally:  They were only infrequently seen in
             public in later years.

   infringe  v.  1 violate, contravene, break, disobey, transgress, overstep:
             Publication of this article has infringed her right to a fair
             trial. 2 infringe on or upon. intrude on, impinge on, trespass
             on, encroach on, invade:  Never let pleasure infringe on the
             domain of duty.

   infringement
             n.  violation, breach, contravention, infraction, disobedience,
             infraction, non-compliance, breaking, transgression:
             Publication without permission constitutes infringement of
             copyright.  The inventor sued the company for patent
             infringement.

   infuriate v.  enrage, anger, madden, incense, make (someone's) blood boil,
             provoke, inflame, work or stir or fire up, rile, arouse, vex,
             pique, gall, annoy, irritate, bother, chafe, agitate, irk,
             nettle, exasperate, raise (someone's) hackles, make (someone's)
             hackles rise, Brit have or get (someone's) blood up, Colloq
             miff, bug, peeve, get under (someone's) skin, get or Brit also
             put (someone's) back up, make (someone) see red, Chiefly US get
             (someone's) Irish or dander up, US burn up, Slang piss (someone)
             off, brown (someone) off, Brit cheese (someone) off:  It really
             infuriated him to see injustice done to anyone.

   ingenious adj.  clever, skilful, skilled, shrewd, cunning, crafty, canny,
             dexterous, adroit, acute, sharp, keen, resourceful, adept, apt,
             smart, gifted, bright, brilliant, talented, deft, handy,
             inventive, Daedalian, creative, imaginative, original, Colloq
             neat, keen, US crackerjack, Slang on the ball:  My friend here
             has come up with an ingenious solution to our problem.

   ingenuity n.  ingeniousness, genius, brilliance, cleverness, skill,
             shrewdness, cunning, craft, art, knack, flair, dexterity,
             dexterousness, adroitness, acuteness, sharpness, keenness,
             resourcefulness, adeptness, aptness, smartness, canniness, gift,
             talent, ability, capability, faculty, deftness, handiness,
             inventiveness, creativity, creativeness, imagination,
             imaginativeness, originality:  She displayed extraordinary
             ingenuity in preparing the case against the plaintiff.

   ingenuous adj.  1 na‹ve, simple, innocent, unsophisticated, childlike,
             suggestible, artless, sincere, genuine, trusting, guileless,
             natural, straight, uncomplicated, (fair and) square, honest,
             fair, just, open, undeceitful, unaffected, undeceptive,
             undissembling, unfeigning, (open and) above-board, Colloq on the
             level:  What ideas have you been implanting into the mind of
             this ingenuous young girl? 2 frank, candid, open, trustworthy,
             honourable, forthright, direct, straightforward, four-square,
             honest, outspoken, blunt, bluff, bold, unreserved, free,
             uninhibited, unabashed:  I shall be ingenuous enough to confess
             that what you heard about me is true.

   ingrained adj.  engrained, deep-rooted, fixed, inveterate, deep-seated,
             fundamental, basic, essential, inherent, inborn, innate, inbred,
             inherited, hereditary, organic, intrinsic, native, natural:  He
             has an ingrained fear of heights.

   ingratiating
             adj.  fawning, grovelling, sycophantic, toadying, toad-eating,
             servile, obsequious, flattering, time-serving, wheedling,
             cajoling, unctuous, oily, buttery, sweet-talking, sugary,
             saccharine, US blandiloquent, Colloq boot-licking, slimy, Brit
             smarmy, US apple-polishing, Slang US brown-nosing:  It is
             Crawley's ingratiating manner that none of us can abide.

   ingratitude
             n.  unthankfulness, ungratefulness, thanklessness,
             unappreciativeness, non-recognition:  Despite the favours they
             had received, they showed their ingratitude by refusing to
             contribute to the fund drive.

   ingredient
             n.  constituent, element, part, component, factor; (pl.)
             makings:  Humour is a necessary ingredient in any working
             relationship.

   inhabit   v.  dwell in, reside in, live in, abide in, occupy, settle;
             locate in, populate, people; colonize:  This bird inhabits
             northern Africa. North America was inhabited by emigrants from
             Europe.

   inhabitant
             n.  resident, dweller, denizen, citizen, tenant, occupant,
             occupier:  The inhabitants of the village refused to pay taxes.

   inhale    v.  breathe in, inspire, draw or suck in:  I stepped outside and
             inhaled the fresh spring air.

   inherent  adj.  intrinsic, indwelling, essential, basic, innate, connate,
             ingrained or engrained, native, congenital, inherited,
             hereditary, inborn, inbred, indigenous, immanent, built-in:  It
             is difficult to tell which characteristics are derived and which
             are inherent.

   inherit   v.  come into, fall or be or become heir to, be bequeathed,
             succeed to, be left, receive, acquire, Colloq come by:  She
             inherited the property when her father died.

   inheritance
             n.  patrimony, heritage, legacy, bequest, birthright; property:
             He came into his inheritance when he was 21.

   inhibit   v.  discourage, repress, frustrate, hold back, bridle, curb,
             control, govern, hinder, restrain, impede, obstruct, interfere
             with, check, prevent, bar, stop:  Her sad look inhibited my
             expression of delight at seeing her again.

   inhibited adj.  reticent, restrained, repressed, reserved, self-conscious,
             shy, abashed, embarrassed, Colloq uptight:  He is much too
             inhibited to appear on television.

   inhibition
             n.  self-consciousness, restraint, constraint, impediment,
             hindrance, bar, barrier, defence, defence mechanism, blockage,
             interference, check, curb, stricture:  Geoff overcame his
             inhibitions and went over to talk with Anne.  She had no
             inhibitions about singing in public.

   inhospitable
             adj.  1 unwelcoming, unreceptive, uninviting, unsociable,
             unsocial, aloof, cold, cool, standoffish, unfriendly, inimical,
             antisocial, hostile, xenophobic:  They were most inhospitable
             and refused to let me in.  2 unfavourable, forbidding, hostile,
             barren, desert, uninviting, uninhabitable:  They were marooned
             on an inhospitable reef in the middle of the Pacific.

   inhuman   adj.  1 inhumane, merciless, cruel, pitiless, ruthless,
             heartless, severe, unsympathetic, unfeeling, unkind, unkindly,
             uncompassionate, cold-blooded, vicious, stony-hearted,
             hard-hearted, callous, insensitive, barbaric, barbarous, savage:
             Many refugees have suffered torture and other inhuman treatment.
             2 animal, bestial, brutal, brutish, fiendish, diabolical,
             demonic:  The spectre, assuming an inhuman form, loomed over
             them.

   initial   adj.  1 original, primary, first; prime, beginning, incipient,
             inaugural, opening, introductory, commencing:  His initial plan,
             to take the children, was vetoed by his wife.  It is best to
             tread cautiously during the initial stages of the programme.

             --v.  2 sign, approve, endorse:  Please initial the clauses of
             the contract that we have changed.

             --n.  3 monogram:  The initial 'M' is on all their towels.

   initiate  v.  1 begin, commence, enter upon or on, originate, introduce,
             set in motion, start, give rise to, get under way, launch, get
             or set going, trigger, set off, actuate, activate, instigate,
             institute, inaugurate:  The programme was initiated last spring
             with much fanfare.  2 admit, accept, introduce:  The new members
             were initiated last night, with due ceremony.  3 teach,
             instruct, train, tutor, drill, coach:  His responsibility is to
             initiate recruits in the rudiments of jungle warfare.

             --n.  4 novice, beginner, new boy or girl, greenhorn, rookie,
             neophyte, tiro or tyro, newcomer, tenderfoot, fledgling,
             apprentice, (raw) recruit, abecedarian, noviciate or novitiate,
             catechumen, Brit fresher or US only freshman, Australian new
             chum:  In the first weeks, initiates are drilled in the basics.

   initiation
             n.  1 beginning, commencement, inauguration, origination, debut,
             introduction, inception, establishment:  April the first is the
             date for initiation of the new system.  2 admittance, admission,
             entrance, induction, enrolment, instatement, investiture,
             ordination, installation; ceremony, rite, ritual:  The
             initiation of new members is scheduled for tomorrow at midnight.

   initiative
             n.  1 first move or step, lead, opening move:  Hogan took the
             initiative by winning the first set.  2 enterprise,
             aggressiveness, drive, ambition, ambitiousness, resourcefulness,
             leadership, dynamism, energy, vigour, hustle, ‚lan, Colloq
             get-up-and-go, pep, snap, zip, zing:  At least she had the
             initiative to get the company back on a profitable basis.

   inject    v.  1 introduce, insert, drive or force (in), shoot (in),
             intromit; inoculate:  The serum is injected into the upper arm.
             The doctor injected me with antibiotics. 2 introduce, insert,
             imbue, instil, bring in, interject, throw in:  Can't you inject
             a little more enthusiasm into your work?

   injunction
             n.  1 prohibition, interdict, interdiction, restriction,
             restraint, US law restraining order:  There is an injunction
             against picketing.  2 order, mandate, directive, command,
             direction, instruction, ruling, dictate, exhortation; warning,
             admonition:  Mother's parting injunction was always to dress
             warmly.

   injure    v.  1 harm, wound, hurt, damage, impair:  He's sure to injure
             himself if he's allowed to play with a knife.  2 wrong, offend,
             abuse, hurt, wound, outrage, slight, insult, affront, mistreat,
             misuse, ill-treat, maltreat:  She starts the arguments yet she
             invariably takes the role of the injured party.

   injurious adj.  1 damaging, harmful, hurtful, bad, deleterious,
             unfavourable, detrimental, unhealthy, insalubrious, pernicious,
             destructive; adverse, ruinous:  Smoking is said to be injurious
             to health.  2 abusive, insulting, scornful, slanderous,
             libellous, defamatory, scandalous, scurrilous, harsh,
             calumnious, disparaging, derogatory, deprecatory, contemptuous,
             denigrating, offensive:  She speaks of her ex-husband in the
             most injurious terms.

   injury    n.  damage, hurt, harm, wound, impairment; wrong, abuse,
             maltreatment, mistreatment, mischief, offence, outrage; mayhem:
             The injury was less painful to his foot than to his self-esteem.

   injustice n.  1 unfairness, favouritism, discrimination, bias, inequality,
             partiality, partisanship, prejudice, bigotry, one-sidedness,
             unjustness, inequity:  Class privilege has always condoned
             injustice.  2 wrong, injury:  You do me an injustice if you
             think me capable of dishonesty.

   inkling   n.  hint, suggestion, glimmering, suspicion, whisper,
             intimation, indication, soup‡on, clue, notion, (faintest or
             foggiest) idea, tip, tip-off:  Can you give me an inkling of
             what you are getting at?

   inmate    n.  prisoner, convict, captive, jailbird or Brit also gaolbird,
             Slang Brit lag; patient, case; inhabitant, occupant, resident:
             The inmates were fed on bread and water in those days. Inmates
             at the sanatorium are well treated.

   innocent  adj.  1 not guilty, guiltless, blameless, honest, (in the)
             clear, unimpeachable, above suspicion, above reproach,
             faultless:  We all believe her innocent of extortion.  2 pure,
             sinless, virtuous, chaste, virgin(al), undefiled, untainted,
             unstained, unsullied, pristine, incorrupt, uncorrupted,
             immaculate, spotless, unblemished, unpolluted:  She is still a
             sweet child, innocent as the day she was born.  3 harmless,
             well-intentioned, safe, innocuous, inoffensive, unobjectionable:
             What began as an innocent stroll became a dangerous expedition.
             4 na‹ve, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unsuspecting, ingenuous,
             unsophisticated, trusting, trustful, gullible, credulous, green,
             inexperienced, childlike, unworldly, guileless, artless, simple,
             open, unartificial, sincere:  Youngsters would arrive in London
             directly from the farm, entirely innocent and unaware of the
             perils of city life.

             --n.  5 infant, babe (in arms or in the wood(s)), child;
             ing‚nue, novice, beginner, newcomer, Colloq greenhorn:  She's
             certainly no innocent when it comes to men.

   innovation
             n.  1 novelty; invention:  The flush toilet was a 19th-century
             innovation.  2 modernization, alteration:  Consumer product
             development is marked by a spirit of tireless innovation.

   innuendo  n.  insinuation, imputation, suggestion, hint, intimation,
             implication, allusion, overtone; reference, animadversion:  I
             resent your innuendo that I know more about the affair than I am
             letting on.

   inoffensive
             adj.  harmless, unobjectionable, innocuous, unoffending,
             neutral, retiring, mild, tame:  Bligh is so inoffensive, how
             could he possibly have upset you?

   inopportune
             adj.  inappropriate, malapropos, ill-timed, untimely,
             inconvenient, unsuited, unsuitable, out of place, unpropitious,
             unfavourable, inauspicious, ill-chosen, unseasonable, unseemly,
             untoward, unfortunate:  Your call came at a most inopportune
             moment, as we were just sitting down to dinner.

   inordinate
             adj.  1 immoderate, unrestrained, intemperate, excessive,
             disproportionate, extravagant, overdone, extreme, exorbitant,
             outrageous, preposterous, unconscionable, unreasonable, undue,
             uncalled-for, unwarranted:  Her inordinate appetite for scandal
             has made her a successful gossip columnist. 2 irregular,
             disorderly, disordered, uncontrolled, unlimited, unregulated,
             unsystematic, erratic, haphazard:  Laws have been passed to
             limit the inordinate hunting of deer.

   inquire   v.  1 Usually, inquire into. search, investigate, probe,
             examine, research, look into, inspect, study, explore, survey,
             scrutinize:  Scientists are inquiring into the causes of the
             greenhouse effect.  2 See enquire.

   inquiry   n.  1 enquiry, investigation, probe, examination, research,
             search, inspection, study, exploration, survey, scrutiny,
             inquest; questioning, querying, interrogation, inquest,
             cross-examination, inquisition:  The police have asked me to
             help them with their inquiry. They are conducting an inquiry
             into the cause of the accident. 2 enquiry, question, query,
             interrogation:  Would you please repeat the inquiry?

   inquisitive
             adj.  1 inquiring, curious, probing, questioning, interested,
             investigative, searching, exploring, analytical:  Children have
             a naturally inquisitive nature.  2 prying, intrusive, Colloq
             snooping, snoopy, nosy or nosey:  Don't be so inquisitive about
             things that don't concern you!

   inroad    n.  1 incursion, raid, attack, invasion, penetration, foray,
             encroachment, forced entry, intrusion:  Our armoured units have
             made an inroad into enemy territory.  2 Often, inroads.
             advance(s), progress, breakthrough:  Have researchers made
             significant inroads into the problem of AIDS?

   insane    adj.  1 mad, demented, psychotic, schizophrenic, schizoid, non
             compos mentis, manic, maniacal, lunatic, deranged, unbalanced,
             psychoneurotic, neurotic, eccentric, crazy, of unsound mind,
             crazed, unhinged, out of one's mind or head, mad as a hatter or
             a March hare, quirky, Colloq round the bend or twist, off one's
             rocker or chump, loopy, loony, certifiable, mental, screwy,
             dotty, cuckoo, not all there, not have all one's marbles,
             off-the-wall, out of it, Brit potty, Slang daft, nutty (as a
             fruit cake), nuts, spaced out, spacy, batty, have bats in one's
             belfry, not right upstairs, barmy (in the crumpet), crackers,
             have a screw loose, schizo, Brit bonkers, US bugs, bughouse,
             loco, crazy as a bedbug, (gone) off the deep end, kooky, kinky,
             out to lunch:  Witney was certified insane and
             institutionalized. You're insane if you think I am going out on
             that ledge. 2 stupid, dumb, dull, silly, asinine, ridiculous,
             idiotic, irrational, absurd, fatuous, ludicrous, foolish,
             nonsensical, irresponsible, reckless, wild, imbecilic, moronic,
             feeble-minded, hare-brained, addle-pated, addle-brained,
             scatterbrained, thimble-witted, attocerebral, Brit gormless,
             Colloq nutty, screwy, crazy:  People in love sometimes do insane
             things.

   insanity  n.  1 madness, lunacy, mental illness or disorder, dementia
             (praecox), psychosis, schizophrenia, (mental) derangement,
             mania; psychoneurosis, neurosis:  Because of the plea of
             temporary insanity he never stood trial for the murders. 2
             folly, foolishness, stupidity, idiocy, imbecility, lunacy,
             absurdity, fatuity, fatuousness, nonsense, senselessness,
             irresponsibility, irrationality, inanity:  What insanity it was
             to think I could win the lottery!

   insecure  adj.  1 uncertain, afraid, unsure, unconfident, nervous,
             worried, anxious, disconcerted, apprehensive, uncomfortable,
             shaky, jumpy, unnerved, fearful:  Harry is beginning to feel
             insecure about his job.  2 unsafe, dangerous, unprotected,
             vulnerable, unguarded, defenceless, undefended, exposed, open:
             The machine-gun position is insecure and will soon be taken.  3
             unstable, shaky, wobbly, precarious, infirm, weak, flimsy,
             frail, rickety, unsubstantial, rocky, unsound, unsteady,
             unreliable, uncertain:  The structure collapsed because the
             footings were insecure.

   insensible
             adj.  1 insensate, unconscious, insentient, numb, benumbed,
             senseless, torpid, anaesthetized, Colloq out, out of it:  She
             was totally insensible for an hour after the blow on the head.
             2 Often, insensible to or of. insensitive, callous, indifferent,
             impervious, impassive, apathetic, cool, unsusceptible;
             unaffected, unmoved, untouched; unaware, deaf, inconsiderate;
             hard-hearted, thick-skinned, unfeeling, emotionless,
             dispassionate, thoughtless, Colloq cloth-eared:  He remained
             wholly insensible to her desires and needs.

   insert    v.  1 introduce, place or put or stick in, intercalate;
             interpolate, interject, interpose:  Please do not insert
             comments of your own.

             --n.  2 insertion, addition, addendum, supplement,
             advertisement, broadside, brochure, tip-in, handbill, circular,
             Colloq Brit advert, US ad, flier or flyer; outsert, wraparound
             or wrapround:  The postage will be higher with this eight-page
             insert.

   inside    n.  1 interior, centre, core, middle, heart; contents; lining,
             backing:  From the outside one could never guess what the inside
             looks like.  Please paint the inside of the cabinet blue. 2
             Usually, insides. bowels, entrails, viscera, gut(s), stomach,
             Colloq innards:  He has had trouble with his insides for years.
             3 inside out. everted, reversed; backwards:  He is wearing his
             pullover inside out.

             --adj.  4 favoured, advantageous, favourable, advantaged,
             privileged, preferred, preferential, propitious, exclusive;
             internal, private, secret, confidential, privy, clandestine:
             She has an inside track to the chairman. He claims to have
             inside information about the successful bidder. 5 internal,
             interior; arranged, prearranged:  The police think it was an
             inside job.

             --adv.  6 fundamentally, basically, at bottom, by nature:
             Despite her gruff exterior, inside she is quite sentimental.  7
             in prison, in jail or Brit also gaol, imprisoned, incarcerated,
             Slang Brit in quod, US up the river:  He'll be inside for
             another five years.

             --prep.  8 within, US inside of:  Because of rain, the party was
             held inside the building.

   insight   n.  perception, percipience, sensitivity, perspicacity,
             perceptiveness, perspicaciousness, discernment, acuteness,
             acuity, acumen, sharpness, understanding, judgement,
             comprehension, vision:  Chambers has brought his considerable
             insight to bear on this complex problem.

   insignificant
             adj.  paltry, trifling, petty, inconsiderable, inconsequential,
             trivial, unimportant, non-essential, minor, negligible,
             nugatory, unessential, niggling, puny, insubstantial,
             unsubstantial , Colloq piddling:  These insignificant
             differences can be ignored. What you and I might do with our
             lives is, in the larger sense, insignificant.

   insincere adj.  hypocritical, dishonest, dissembling, deceptive,
             disingenuous, deceitful, untruthful, false, artificial,
             ungenuine, treacherous, perfidious, faithless, double-dealing,
             duplicitous, two-faced, Janus-faced, lying, mendacious, sly,
             Machiavellian, cunning, crafty, slick, foxy, vulpine, wily,
             artful, evasive, shifty, time-serving, unctuous, slimy,
             slippery, tricky, underhanded, crooked, Colloq phoney or US also
             phony:  From the first act I thought Iago insincere.

   insinuate v.  1 impute, suggest, hint, intimate, imply, whisper, indicate;
             convey, signify:  They insinuated that she married me for my
             money.  2 insert (oneself), inject (oneself), worm or work or
             inveigle or manoeuvre (oneself or one's way); infiltrate,
             intrude:  She insinuated herself into our group uninvited.  3
             inject, infuse, instil, introduce:  Wild imaginings began to
             insinuate themselves into my mind.

   insist    v.  1 demand, require, call for, command, importune, urge,
             exhort, argue, remonstrate, expostulate:  The chairman insisted
             that proper parliamentary procedure be followed.  2 assert,
             state, declare, emphasize, stress, maintain, persist, hold,
             dwell on, vow, avow, aver, asseverate:  He insisted that he
             wanted to see the last act but she insisted on leaving.

   insistent adj.  firm, dogged, emphatic, persistent, tenacious, resolute,
             determined, assertive, uncompromising, unfaltering, unwavering,
             persevering, perseverant, unrelenting, inexorable, stubborn,
             obstinate, unyielding, compelling, urgent, importunate:  The
             judges were insistent that we should follow the rules to the
             letter.

   insolent  adj.  impertinent, impudent, pert, saucy, bold, presumptuous,
             brazen, brash, disrespectful, insulting, contemptuous,
             offensive, rude, crude, uncivil, insubordinate, Colloq fresh,
             brassy, cheeky, Slang Brit smart-arsed or US smart-ass(ed), US
             wise:  That insolent boor had the gall to call her 'Queenie'!

   insolvent adj.  bankrupt, ruined, in receivership, penniless,
             impoverished, destitute, US in Chapter Eleven, Colloq broke,
             wiped out, in the red, on the rocks, (gone) bust, gone to the
             wall, Brit in Queer Street, skint:  A business is insolvent if
             its liabilities exceed its assets.

   inspect   v.  examine, scrutinize, study, scan, survey, vet, check (up
             (on) or out), investigate, pore over; peruse:  The customs man
             inspected every last inch of our luggage.

   inspiration
             n.  1 awakening, arousal, stimulus, revelation, impulse,
             feeling, afflatus, enlightenment, insight, spur, incitement,
             incentive; spirit, energy, ‚lan, passion, ardour, zeal,
             enthusiasm, vigour, gusto, ebullience, sparkle:  Her
             extraordinary eyes gave me the inspiration I needed and I
             finished writing the song in an hour. 2 influence, stimulus,
             stimulation, encouragement, provocation, suggestion, guide,
             education:  Kitchener's life was an inspiration to many a career
             soldier.

   inspire   v.  1 animate, activate, actuate, stimulate, invigorate, stir,
             move, waken, awaken, arouse, rouse, instigate, prompt, rally,
             energize, enliven, vitalize, vivify, galvanize, inspirit,
             excite, spark (off), quicken, kindle, fire, provoke:  It was the
             inflammatory speeches that inspired the crowd to riot.  His
             enthusiasm inspired her to take up writing as a profession. 2
             encourage, strengthen, support, reinforce, buoy (up), uplift,
             boost, affirm, confirm, fortify, buttress:  Your example has
             inspired many young people.

   install   v.  1 instal, invest, instate, initiate, establish, inaugurate,
             induct, institute; place, put, position, introduce, settle:  The
             new bishop will be installed in office next week.  2 instal,
             fit, set up, connect, fix (in place):  I installed our new air
             conditioner myself.

   installation
             n.  1 investiture, instatement, initiation, establishment,
             inauguration, induction, institution, placement, introduction,
             solemnization, swearing-in, consecration, Ecclesiastical
             ordination; crowning, coronation:  Will you attend the
             installation of the new vice-chancellor?  2 fitting, placement,
             connection, positioning:  The plumber will supervise the
             installation of the new heating system. 3 base, post, station,
             depot, camp, establishment:  Military installations all over the
             country are being picketed.

   instance  n.  1 case (in point), example, exemplar, illustration,
             precedent, exemplification, occurrence, event:  The damage to
             the bus shelter is yet one more instance of hooliganism.  2 for
             instance. for example, as an example, say, e.g.; in the event,
             as it happens or happened:  Consider her, for instance: she
             managed to work and raise a family.

   instant   n.  1 moment, point, second, time:  I was thinking of you at the
             very instant the phone rang.  2 moment, second, minute, flash,
             twinkling (of an eye), trice, Colloq jiffy:  I'll be with you in
             an instant, sir.

             --adj.  3 instantaneous, immediate, on the spot, overnight:  His
             novel was an instant best seller.  4 urgent, crying, pressing,
             earnest, imperative, critical, exigent; split-second, direct:
             We have an instant need for a computer specialist.  5
             ready-made, ready-mixed, prepared, ready-to-serve, precooked:
             This is an instant soup - just add hot water to the powder.

   instantaneously
             adv.  instantly, immediately, at once, (right) now, directly,
             forthwith, promptly, this minute or second or instant, without
             delay, tout de suite, instanter, Brit straight away or US right
             away; Colloq pronto, US momentarily:  The results will be beamed
             instantaneously to 176 million people around the world.

   instead   adv.  1 as an alternative or a substitute:  She wanted me to go
             but I stayed instead.  2 instead of. alternatively, preferably,
             in preference to, in place of, in lieu of, rather than, as a
             substitute for; as contrasted with, as opposed to:  Instead of
             going to the cinema we went to the theatre.

   instil    v.  instill, imbue, inculcate, infuse, ingrain or engrain,
             implant; insinuate, impart:  From childhood a sense of justice
             was instilled in us.

   instinct  n.  intuition, feel, feeling, empathy, sensitivity, tendency,
             propensity, leaning, bent, skill, talent, faculty, sixth sense,
             knack, predisposition, capacity, aptitude; subconscious:  She
             has an uncanny instinct for finding the most interesting person
             in a crowd.

   instinctive
             adj.  1 instinctual, intuitive, natural, innate, native, inborn,
             inbred, congenital, constitutional, reflex, visceral,
             intestinal, intrinsic, intuitional, subconscious, Colloq gut:
             She has an instinctive flair for design.  2 immediate,
             involuntary, irrational, mechanical, automatic, spontaneous:
             Harvey took an instinctive dislike to Percy when they met.

   institute n.  1 society, organization, association, league, alliance,
             guild:  They tried to establish an institute for research on
             badgers.  2 See institution, 2.

             --v.  3 establish, found, launch, organize:  The principles of
             sportsmanship were instituted on the playing fields of England.
             4 inaugurate, introduce, initiate, set up, start, begin,
             originate, commence, pioneer:  If you do not pay, we shall be
             obliged to institute proceedings against you.

   institution
             n.  1 establishing, establishment, forming, formation,
             origination, founding, foundation, installation, introduction,
             creation, organization:  Who was responsible for the institution
             of cricket as a national pastime? 2 establishment, institute,
             academy, foundation, university, college, school:  He attended
             an institution of higher learning after leaving the army. 3
             hospital, medical centre, sanatorium or US also sanitarium,
             home, asylum:  They spent their last days in an institution.  4
             custom, tradition, habit, practice, routine, rule, order (of the
             day), code (of practice); doctrine, dogma:  Throwing the
             coxswain into the river after the race has become an
             institution.

   instruct  v.  1 teach, train, tutor, drill, educate, coach, inform, guide,
             edify, prepare, indoctrinate, inculcate:  My parents employed a
             tutor to instruct me in Latin.  2 direct, order, bid, require,
             tell, enjoin, command, importune, charge:  We were instructed to
             tell no one where we were going.

   instruction
             n.  1 Often, instructions. order, direction, brief, briefing,
             directive, guideline, advice, recommendation, rule; information;
             Colloq drill:  The next instruction is to insert the plug into
             the back of the receiver. Follow the instructions carefully. 2
             teaching, education, schooling, training, drill, drilling,
             tuition, guidance, indoctrination, preparation, lessons,
             classes, coaching, tutelage; tutorial:  Where did you receive
             instruction in first aid?

   instructive
             adj.  informative, informational, informatory, educational,
             instructional, helpful, revealing, edifying, enlightening,
             illuminating:  Studying the mistakes of others can be highly
             instructive.

   instructor
             n.  teacher, trainer, tutor, coach, mentor, adviser, educator,
             pedagogue, scholastic, academe, academician, doctor, docent,
             lecturer, professor, Brit master, mistress, don, preceptor, US
             docent:  Charlotte was not spending time with the tennis
             instructor just to improve her backhand.

   instrument
             n.  1 implement, tool, device, apparatus, utensil, appliance,
             contrivance, mechanism, gadget, Colloq contraption, thingumabob,
             thingumajig, thingummy, thingy, whatsit, what's-its-name,
             whatnot, what-d'you-call-it, Brit gubbins, US gismo or gizmo:
             Which instrument should I use to loosen this bolt? The doctor
             extracted the splinter with some sort of instrument. 2 agency,
             means, way, factor, mechanism, instrumentality, wherewithal,
             (prime) mover, catalyst, agent:  Summers refused to be the
             instrument of bringing free people into slavery. 3 contract,
             (legal) document, (written) agreement, pact, compact, paper:
             After the signing, copies of the instruments were exchanged.

   instrumental
             adj.  helpful, useful, utilitarian, contributory, of service,
             supportive, supporting, advantageous, catalytic, conducive,
             beneficial, valuable, significant, important; accessory,
             ancillary:  Your presence will be instrumental in effecting a
             favourable settlement.

   insubordinate
             adj.  disobedient, rebellious, defiant, refractory, mutinous,
             insurgent, insurrectional, insurrectionist, revolutionary,
             seditious, incompliant or uncompliant, uncooperative,
             recalcitrant, contumacious, fractious, unruly, perverse,
             contrary, obstreperous, Colloq Brit stroppy:  The insubordinate
             officers have been court-martialled.

   insubstantial
             adj.  1 unsubstantial, insignificant, meagre, diaphanous, small,
             flimsy, frail, weak, feeble, paltry, puny, slight, thin,
             tenuous, fragile, light, gossamer, wispy, wisp-like, fine:
             Though the spider's thread appears insubstantial, for its weight
             it is enormously strong. 2 illusory, unreal, illusive,
             imaginary, imagined, fanciful, fancied, visionary, immaterial,
             intangible, impalpable, incorporeal, airy, ethereal, spiritual,
             chimerical, phantom, phantasmal, phantasmagorical,
             hallucinatory, fantastic; false:  Through the mist London seemed
             insubstantial, a dream city of vapours rising from the Thames.

   insufferable
             adj.  unbearable, insupportable or unsupportable, intolerable,
             unendurable, impossible:  The babysitter said she refused ever
             again to look after such an insufferable brat.

   insufficient
             adj.  inadequate, deficient, unsatisfactory, meagre, scanty,
             scant, scarce; too little, not enough:  This light is
             insufficient for me to read by. We have insufficient skill to
             play the Brahms concerto.

   insulate  v.  1 detach, separate, isolate, segregate, shelter, preserve,
             set or keep apart, sequester, sequestrate, quarantine:  The rock
             star's aides did their best to insulate her from her screaming
             fans. 2 lag, protect, shield, cushion, wrap, cover:  Insulate
             the pipes to prevent heat loss. Insulate the wire with this
             tape. Nitroglycerine must be insulated from shock.

   insult    v.  1 offend, affront, slight, outrage; abuse, dishonour,
             defame, injure; asperse, slander, libel:  Don't be insulted if I
             arrive late and leave early. You insult her by suggesting that
             she has never heard of Keats.

             --n.  2 offence, affront, indignity, slight, outrage, barb, dig,
             slur, dishonour, abuse, defamation, discourtesy; aspersion,
             slander, libel; Colloq slap (in the face), put-down:  Refusing
             to bow at a Japanese funeral is taken as an insult.

   insurance n.  assurance, surety, indemnity, indemnification, guarantee or
             guaranty, warranty, bond, security, protection, cover:  The cost
             of insurance is higher owing to the increase in crime.

   intact    adj.  whole, entire, perfect, complete, integral, sound,
             unbroken, solid, (all) in one piece, undivided, uncut, together,
             untouched, unreduced, undiminished, unimpaired, inviolate,
             unblemished, unscathed, uninjured, unharmed, undamaged,
             unsullied, undefiled, untainted:  The ancient city has been
             preserved virtually intact.

   intangible
             adj.  impalpable, unperceivable, imperceptible, incorporeal,
             unsubstantial, insubstantial, imponderable, immaterial,
             ethereal, vaporous, airy, evanescent, vague, obscure, dim,
             imprecise, indefinite, shadowy, fleeting, elusive:  The
             architect must deal with intangible ideas of design, how people
             work and live, etc.

   integral  adj.  1 basic, elementary, elemental, fundamental, essential,
             intrinsic:  The rhythm is an integral part of the music.  2 See
             intact.

   integrate v.  combine, unite, blend, bring or put together, assemble,
             merge, amalgamate, join, knit, mesh, consolidate, coalesce,
             fuse; US desegregate:  We must integrate all the parts into a
             coherent whole. Several cultures have been well integrated into
             our community.

   integrity n.  1 honesty, probity, veracity, uprightness, honour,
             rectitude, principle, morality, goodness, trustworthiness,
             decency, virtue, incorruptibility, righteousness:  He is a
             person of unimpeachable integrity.  2 wholeness, entirety,
             unity, togetherness, soundness, completeness, coherence,
             oneness, totality:  Care should be taken not to disturb the
             integrity of the protective film.

   intellect n.  1 rationality, reason, reasonableness, (common) sense,
             understanding, judgement, cleverness, intelligence, mind, Colloq
             brains:  You have the intellect, my boy, but it wants
             developing.  2 See intellectual, 3.

   intellectual
             adj.  1 mental, cerebral:  The greatest minds have brought their
             intellectual powers to bear on the problem. 2 thoughtful,
             thought-provoking, highbrow, academic, bookish, scholarly,
             Colloq brainy:  The professor did not find the subject
             intellectual enough for a dissertation.

             --n.  3 thinker, intellect, highbrow, mastermind, genius, Colloq
             brain, egghead:  He enjoys associating with intellectuals at the
             university.  4 scholar, academician, professor, savant, sage,
             wise man, guru, polymath, pundit, authority:  The editor of the
             journal is an intellectual who leaves the details of
             administration to her deputy.

   intelligence
             n.  1 intellect, understanding, aptitude, capacity, brainpower,
             cleverness, astuteness, quickness, alertness, keenness,
             brightness, shrewdness, wit, mother wit, (common) sense,
             insight, perspicacity, perception, discernment, discretion,
             percipience, perspicaciousness, wisdom, sagacity, Colloq brains,
             savvy, grey matter, Slang Brit nous:  He may not know anything
             about computer programming but he has the intelligence to learn
             how to do it. 2 information, knowledge, word, data, facts,
             advice, news, tidings, findings, Colloq dope, low-down, info,
             Brit gen, US inside, poop:  Our agents are trying to gather
             intelligence on the Bulgarian situation.

   intelligent
             adj.  bright, smart, clever, discerning, perspicacious,
             perceptive, percipient, understanding, rational, apt, astute,
             quick, quick-witted, keen, sharp, alert, shrewd, canny,
             insightful, gifted, sensible, wise, sage, sagacious,
             enlightened, knowing, aware, knowledgeable, erudite, au fait,
             Colloq brainy, Chiefly US savvy:  She is certainly intelligent
             enough to be first in her class, if only she would study harder.

   intelligentsia
             n.pl.  intellectuals, literati, savants, illuminati,
             masterminds, highbrows, Colloq brains, eggheads, brains trust:
             The government stifled free speech and persecuted the
             intelligentsia.

   intelligible
             adj.  understandable, comprehensible, fathomable, decipherable,
             legible, clear, plain, lucid, unambiguous:  Crowther's notes are
             barely intelligible.

   intend    v.  mean, have in mind or in view, propose, contemplate, design,
             plan, aim, purpose, resolve, determine:  I intend to give him a
             piece of my mind. She is intending to go, but I don't know if
             she will be able to.

   intense   adj.  1 extreme, excessive, severe, strong, great, fierce,
             harsh, acute, powerful, profound, deep:  The intense heat kept
             the firemen at bay.  2 eager, enthusiastic, keen, earnest,
             sincere, heartfelt, deep, passionate, impassioned, ardent,
             zealous, animated, burning, consuming, fervent, fervid,
             perfervid, vehement, frantic, fanatical, frenzied:  I had an
             intense desire to see the culprit brought to justice.  3
             highly-strung or chiefly US high-strung, emotional,
             temperamental, tense, touchy, testy, volatile, hysterical,
             hotheaded, feverish, nervous, (high-)spirited, impetuous,
             impulsive, Colloq uptight:  I appreciate his enthusiasm, but I
             wish Henshawe were a bit less intense about his politics.

   intensify v.  concentrate, focus, sharpen, whet, strengthen, reinforce,
             heighten, escalate, deepen, quicken, emphasize, magnify,
             increase, augment, double, redouble, heat up, Colloq step up,
             Brit hot up:  We must intensify our efforts to effect a
             settlement of the crisis.  The war is intensifying.

   intensity n.  concentration, focus, strength, forcefulness, force, power;
             vigour, energy, vehemence, fervour, zeal, ardour, passion,
             sincerity:  The storm is diminishing in intensity. Political
             partisanship is often attended by great intensity of emotion.

   intensive adj.  concentrated, focused, intensified, comprehensive,
             exhaustive, thorough(-going), all-out:  The police have launched
             an intensive manhunt.

   intent    n.  1 intention, aim, goal, target, purpose, object, objective,
             end, design, plan, idea:  Was it your intent that I should go
             with you? The charge is assault with intent to kill. 2
             inclination, tendency, desire, intending:  The mere intent to
             commit treason is often tantamount to treason.  3 to all intents
             and purposes. virtually, practically, for all practical
             purposes, (almost) as good as, (almost) the same as, more or
             less, in effect:  Telling you that the position was being
             discontinued is, to all intents and purposes, the same as firing
             you.

             --adj.  4 concentrated, focused, fixed, steady, intense,
             determined, earnest, engrossed, absorbed, rapt, steadfast,
             resolute, attentive:  Her intent stare unnerved many of her
             lecturers.  5 bent, set, resolute, committed, decided, firm,
             keen; resolved, eager, firm, determined, zealous, avid,
             enthusiastic,:  If you're intent on going, we won't try to
             change your mind.

   intention n.  aim, purpose, intent, design, goal, end, object, objective,
             target, ambition:  Was it your intention to stay till the fat
             lady sings?

   intentional
             adj.  deliberate, intended, premeditated, meant, wilful,
             designed, planned, preconceived, studied, considered, contrived;
             purposeful, on purpose:  That slur was intentional and not just
             a slip of the tongue.

   intently  adv.  closely, attentively, concentratedly, earnestly, fixedly,
             unflinchingly, determinedly, searchingly, steadily, steadfastly,
             continuously, assiduously, doggedly, unremittingly, eagerly,
             keenly, studiously:  They regarded one another intently across
             the table.

   intercept v.  interrupt, deflect, stop, arrest, check, interfere (with),
             head off, block, impede, cut off, seize, grab, catch, trap:  He
             was intercepted as he was about to board a plane with the
             documents.  Keeler intercepted the ball, preventing a goal.

   intercourse
             n.  1 commerce, traffic, trade, dealings, exchange,
             communication, contact, interaction:  In normal business
             intercourse our paths often cross.  2 sexual intercourse,
             coitus, coition, sexual congress or union, mating, copulation,
             sexual relations, carnal knowledge, making love, lovemaking,
             intimacy, sexual connection, Colloq sex:  The plaintiff admits
             engaging in intercourse with the defendant.

   interest  n.  1 attention, attentiveness, concern, regard, curiosity,
             scrutiny, notice, engagement:  The way the puzzle fitted
             together drew my interest. She examined the books with interest.
             She shows interest in taking a writing course. 2 concern,
             significance, importance, weight, moment, note, consequence:  Of
             what interest is a newly found painting by Tiepolo?  3 Often,
             interests. profit, advantage, benefit, good, avail, worth,
             value, consideration, behalf, behoof:  Is it in our interest to
             sell the business?  4 share, portion, stake, investment, piece,
             cut, percentage, participation, involvement:  I have a small
             interest in an emerald mine.  5 Often, interests. business,
             concern, affair, property; hobby, pastime, diversion, avocation,
             amusement, entertainment, pursuit, relaxation, occupation:  She
             travels abroad to look after her interests. Caroline has many
             interests besides business. 6 (lending) fee or charge,
             percentage, rate, Slang US vigorish:  How much interest would
             the bank charge on a њ40,000 mortgage?

             --v.  7 engage, absorb, engross, attract, draw, catch, capture,
             captivate, hold, fascinate, intrigue, excite, incite, provoke,
             arouse, affect, quicken, infect, animate, kindle, fire:  At that
             time, our daughter was interested only in boys. There is
             something about astronomy that interests me. 8 influence,
             induce, persuade, move, tempt, involve, enrol, enlist, dispose,
             incline, prevail upon, talk into, concern:  Could I interest you
             in investing in my company?

   interested
             adj.  1 Also, interested in. engaged, absorbed, engrossed, drawn
             (to), attracted (by), involved (in), curious (about), fascinated
             (by), keen (on), stimulated (by), responsive (to), concerned
             (about):  We talked about investing in my plastics company, and
             he seemed interested. She has become interested in designing
             jewellery. 2 concerned, involved, non-objective, partial,
             biased, prejudiced, prejudicial, partisan, predisposed:  You
             cannot get an honest appraisal of the painting's value from an
             interested party.

   interesting
             adj.  absorbing, engaging, gripping, riveting, engrossing,
             attractive, compelling, intriguing, provocative, stimulating,
             exciting, inviting, fascinating, enchanting, spellbinding,
             captivating:  Nick has just told me the most interesting story
             about Tony.

   interfere v.  1 meddle, intrude, butt in, intervene, intercede, interpose,
             interrupt, Colloq horn in, put or stick in one's oar or one's
             oar in, poke one's nose in, US kibitz:  Stop interfering in
             things that do not concern you.  2 hinder, impede, hamper,
             block, obstruct, encumber, slow, retard, handicap, set back, get
             in the way of, frustrate, conflict, inhibit, trammel, subvert,
             sabotage:  Allow nothing to interfere with the course of true
             love.

   interference
             n.  1 meddling, intrusion, intruding, intervention, interceding,
             intercession:  This interference in our personal affairs has
             gone far enough.  2 hindrance, impediment, block, obstruction,
             encumbrance, impedance, difficulty, snag, hitch, handicap,
             set-back; frustration, inhibition, conflict, opposition:  The
             lawsuit became an unwelcome interference in the smooth flow of
             our lives.

   interior  adj.  1 inside, internal, inner, inward:  The interior surfaces
             are to be painted white.  2 internal, domestic, civil, national,
             local, home:  We will not accept the interference of foreign
             governments in our interior affairs. 3 inner, private, intimate,
             personal, individual, secret, hidden, veiled:  Some of Hamlet's
             great speeches are in the form of interior monologues, or
             soliloquies. 4 upland, inland, up-country, land-locked:  The
             most beautiful scenery is in the interior part of the country,
             away from the marshy coast.

             --n.  5 inside:  The interior is coated with Teflon.  6 heart,
             centre, middle, core, depths:  This is the story of a journey to
             the interior of the earth.  7 uplands, up-country, heartland,
             hinterland:  The interior is covered with rocks and scrub pine.

   interjection
             n.  exclamation, ejaculation, cry, interpolation, utterance:
             Grammarians regard expressions like 'Hello' and 'Goodbye' as
             interjections.

   interlude n.  interval, entr'acte, intermission, pause, stop, stoppage,
             respite, interruption, break, hiatus, lacuna, gap, halt, wait,
             breathing-space, recess, rest, spell, lull, Colloq let-up:
             There is a ten-minute interlude between the acts.

   intermediary
             n.  go-between, middleman, agent, representative, broker,
             intermediate, third party, mediator, arbitrator, arbiter,
             referee, umpire, judge:  Donaldson acted as intermediary and
             arranged the deal.

   intermediate
             adj.  1 middle, in-between, medial, midway, halfway,
             transitional, intervening, intermediary:  Middle schools cater
             for the age-range intermediate between primary and secondary
             schooling. In sublimation a substance changes from a gas to a
             solid (or vice versa ) , skipping the intermediate liquid state.
             2 See intermediary.

   intermission
             n.  See interlude.

   intermittent
             adj.  irregular, discontinuous, disconnected, sporadic,
             occasional, random, spasmodic, fitful, broken, periodic,
             alternating, cyclic(al), rhythmic(al), pulsating, seasonal,
             on-and-off, on-again-off-again, stop-and-go, stop-go:  Tomorrow,
             intermittent showers in the morning will yield to sunshine.

   internal  adj.  See interior, 1, 2, 3.

   international
             adj.  supranational, global, worldwide, universal,
             intercontinental, cosmopolitan, ecumenic(al) or oecumenic(al);
             foreign:  An international conference is being held on
             disarmament. My father is engaged in international trade.

   interpret v.  1 explain, explicate, clear up, clarify, elucidate,
             illuminate, throw or shed light on, simplify, decipher, decode,
             define, spell out, make sense (out) of, translate, paraphrase:
             Would you interpret this clause of the agreement for me?  2
             understand, construe, take (to mean), read, figure or work out,
             sort out, unravel:  I haven't any idea how to interpret this
             poem.

   interpretation
             n.  1 explanation, clarification, elucidation, simplification,
             decipherment, solution, working-out, unravelling, sorting out,
             decoding, definition, illustration, translation, paraphrasing:
             Sharon's detailed interpretation of the data is quite easy to
             understand. 2 analysis, diagnosis, examination, exegesis,
             explication, reading, construal, inference, understanding:
             These figures are subject to individual interpretation.

   interrogation
             n.  questioning, examination, cross-examination, inquisition,
             investigation, Colloq third degree, grilling:  Caught by the
             rebels, we were subjected to hours of interrogation.

   interrupt v.  1 break in, cut in, intrude in, butt in, interfere in,
             punctuate, disturb, Colloq barge in, chime in, horn in:  He
             keeps interrupting the discussion with his silly remarks.  2
             discontinue, break off, cut off, cut short, interfere with,
             disrupt, suspend, hold up, halt, stop, end, terminate, cease:
             We interrupt this programme to bring you a news bulletin.

   interruption
             n.  1 break, intrusion, disturbance, interference, disruption:
             Please forgive this interruption, but you're wanted on the
             phone.  2 break, gap, interval, lacuna, hiatus, respite, rest,
             pause, pausing, intermission, stopping, stop, suspension,
             cessation, cease, ceasing, surcease, hesitation, Prosody
             caesura, Colloq let-up:  She talked for an hour without
             interruption.

   interval  n.  1 intermission, interlude, entr'acte, break, pause; recess,
             rest (period), period, time, wait, spell, delay, lapse:  The
             play was so bad we left in the interval. After a brief interval,
             the lights came on again. 2 meanwhile, meantime, interim:  He
             returned later but found that in the interval she had changed
             her mind. 3 gap, opening, space, hole, void, lacuna, distance,
             interstice, Architecture intercolumniation:  The interval
             between the columns is exactly three metres.

   intervene v.  1 interfere, intrude, break in, interrupt, intercede,
             meddle, interpose, butt in, Colloq poke one's nose in, horn in,
             put in one's oar, step in:  If I had not intervened you might
             have been killed. She intervened on my behalf. 2 come or go
             (between), pass, elapse:  A week intervened before we saw each
             other again.

   interview n.  1 meeting, (press) conference, discussion, conversation,
             talk, question period, audience:  The reporter phoned to ask for
             an interview.  2 evaluation, appraisal, vetting, assessment:  I
             have a job interview scheduled for tomorrow.

             --v.  3 question, examine, interrogate, sound out, talk with or
             to:  She interviewed the Prime Minister on television last
             night.  4 appraise, evaluate, check (out), vet:  The headmaster
             himself interviews the teachers.

   intimate° adj.  1 close, personal, warm, affectionate, loving, dear,
             bosom, cherished, familiar, intime:  She had a party for
             intimate friends.  2 secret, confidential, private, personal,
             privy, hidden, intime; detailed, penetrating, deep, profound,
             thorough, exhaustive:  In his autobiography he reveals intimate
             particulars of his marriage.  3 sexual; carnal:  It is well
             known that Millie was on intimate terms with her chauffeur.  4
             cosy, informal, snug, friendly, warm, comfortable; intime, …
             deux, t€te-…-t€te, Colloq comfy:  The two of us had an intimate
             dinner at home last night.

             --n.  5 friend, associate, comrade, crony, familiar,
             confidant(e), (constant) companion, Achates, alter ego,
             colleague, confrЉre, Colloq sidekick, chum, pal, Brit and
             Australian mate, US buddy, Slang Brit china (plate), mucker:  He
             and a few of his intimates like to get together now and then for
             a game of snooker.

   intimateэ v.  hint, imply, suggest, insinuate, indicate, refer to, allude
             to, communicate, make known, give (someone) to understand, warn,
             caution, Colloq tip (off):  He intimates that my wife will be a
             widow if I tell the police.

   intimidate
             v.  frighten, scare, alarm, cow, daunt, dismay, abash, appal,
             awe, overawe, browbeat, menace, threaten, terrify, petrify,
             terrorize, tyrannize; Slang have or get (someone) by the short
             and curlies:  You can't intimidate me with your threats!

   intolerance
             n.  bias, prejudice, bigotry, discrimination, partiality,
             illiberality, narrow-mindedness, dogmatism; racism, racialism,
             sexism, classism, ageism, xenophobia:  The government has
             legislated against intolerance of minorities.

   intolerant
             adj.  1 unsympathetic, unforbearing, unindulgent, impatient,
             inconsiderate, inhospitable, uncharitable:  The present system
             seems intolerant of the aged.  2 biased, prejudiced, bigoted,
             discriminatory, partial, illiberal, narrow-minded, parochial,
             provincial, jaundiced, warped, twisted, one-sided, opinionated,
             close-minded; racist, racialist, sexist, classist, ageist,
             xenophobic:  How can some religions be so intolerant of other
             people's beliefs?

   intonation
             n.  accent, accentuation, speech or sound pattern, delivery,
             modulation, articulation, pronunciation, vocalization, pitch,
             tone, inflection:  You can tell the speaker's mood by his
             intonation.

   intoxicate
             v.  1 inebriate, make drunk, addle, stupefy, muddle, befuddle:
             He tried to intoxicate me with his home-made brew.  2 stimulate,
             excite, overwhelm, elate, exhilarate, animate, enliven,
             invigorate, inspirit, thrill, galvanize, electrify, make one's
             head spin, take one's breath away, infatuate, entrance, enchant,
             enrapture, fascinate, bewitch, cast a spell on, ensorcel:  She
             was intoxicated by the atmosphere of the place.

   intoxicating
             adj.  1 alcoholic, spirituous, inebriant:  Do not drink
             intoxicating beverages if you plan to drive.  2 exhilarating,
             invigorating, thrilling, exciting, heady, stimulating,
             electrifying, entrancing, fascinating:  Making a film of the
             life of Lola Montez is an intoxicating idea.

   intrepid  adj.  fearless, brave, bold, daring, dauntless, undaunted,
             steadfast, resolute, courageous, unafraid, plucky, gallant,
             valiant, valorous, doughty, audacious, heroic, manly, manful,
             dashing, adventurous, venturesome, stout-hearted, lion-hearted,
             game:  Quatermain was known to the enemy as an intrepid soldier.

   intricate adj.  1 involved, complicated, convoluted, entangled, tangled,
             knotty, complex, twisted, winding, tortuous, sinuous,
             anfractuous, labyrinthine, elaborate, Byzantine, fancy, ornate,
             rococo, Daedalian or Daedalean or Daedalic, Literary daedal or
             dedal:  The plot was far too intricate and I became confused.  2
             perplexing, puzzling, mystifying, enigmatic:  The code was so
             intricate that even the computer needed hours to decipher the
             message.

   intrigue  v.  1 fascinate, beguile, captivate, attract, absorb, charm,
             pique, interest, titillate, arouse or excite the curiosity (of):
             It intrigues me to watch them put those ships into bottles.  2
             conspire, plot, connive, scheme, manoeuvre:  She was sure that
             everyone was intriguing against her.

             --n.  3 conspiracy, plot, scheme, manoeuvre, collusion,
             stratagem, trickery, chicanery, double-dealing, guile,
             subterfuge, artifice, machination, deception:  Many of those
             close to the government are engaged in intrigue of some kind. 4
             affair, liaison, amour, romance, intimacy; adultery:  We all
             knew about the intrigue he was carrying on with the duke's wife.

   intrinsic adj.  inherent, basic, fundamental, essential, proper,
             elemental, organic, natural, native, inbred, congenital,
             inherited, hereditary, innate, inborn, immanent, indwelling,
             underlying, constitutional; real, true, actual, genuine:  As no
             painting has intrinsic worth, its value is arbitrary.

   introduce v.  1 acquaint, present, make known:  Sandy introduced Gerald
             and Daphne to each other.  2 bring in or up, advance, present,
             broach, put or set forth, put forward, suggest, offer, propose,
             mention:  It was she who introduced the issue of bacteria in
             canned goods.  3 announce, present:  Please introduce the next
             speaker.  4 start, begin, originate, launch, establish, set up,
             pioneer, initiate, usher in, institute, bring out or in, set up,
             organize:  When was paper money first introduced?  5 insert,
             add, interpose, inject, put in, inject, interpolate:  Why
             introduce irrelevant matters into the discussion?

   introductory
             adj.  1 opening, prefatory, preliminary, preparatory, beginning,
             inaugural, initial:  His 'introductory' remarks lasted longer
             than the speeches!  2 primary, basic, fundamental, elementary,
             first, rudimentary:  Take an introductory course before
             enrolling for more advanced study.

   intrude   v.  interfere, break in, interrupt, intervene, push in,
             interpose, butt in, infringe, encroach, obtrude, Colloq horn in,
             barge in:  They want to be alone and you are intruding. Forgive
             me for intruding into your conversation.

   intruder  n.  1 interloper, gatecrasher, uninvited guest, unwelcome
             visitor; trespasser, encroacher, invader, infiltrator, squatter;
             burglar, thief:  The intruders were quickly expelled by the
             guards.  2 meddler, busybody, Colloq snoop(er), Nosy Parker, US
             kibitzer:  You are an intruder into my private affairs.

   intrusive adj.  intruding, interfering, meddlesome, invasive, meddling,
             prying, inquisitive, obtrusive, importunate, officious,
             presumptuous, forward; unwelcome, uncalled-for, unwanted,
             unsought, Colloq nosy, pushy, snoopy:  He said he apologized if
             he was being intrusive.

   intuition n.  instinct, insight, hunch, sixth sense, presentiment,
             premonition, foreboding; perception, perceptiveness,
             percipience, perspicacity, common sense, mother wit:  Intuition
             told me I should find the answer here.

   invalid°  adj.  1 ailing, sick, sickly, ill, infirm, valetudinarian,
             disabled:  His invalid sister is confined to a wheelchair.

             --n.  2 patient, valetudinarian, victim, sufferer, incurable,
             cripple, Chiefly US and Canadian shut-in:  Many invalids have
             claimed complete recovery after a visit to Lourdes.

   invalidэ  adj.  void, null (and void), nullified, annulled, repudiated,
             untrue, false, faulty, erroneous, wrong, spurious; incorrect,
             imperfect, impaired, unsound, untenable, ineffective:  He was
             driving with an invalid licence. Your reasons for quitting
             school are invalid.

   invaluable
             adj.  priceless, valuable, precious, of inestimable or
             incalculable value; irreplaceable, irredeemable; costly,
             expensive, high-priced, dear:  The thieves made off with several
             invaluable paintings.

   invariable
             adj.  1 unchanging, changeless, unvarying, invariant,
             unwavering, constant, steady, stable, regular; fixed, fast, set,
             rigid, uniform, unfailing, unexceptional:  She is invariable in
             her opinion of a woman's right to abortion.  His invariable
             routine calls for a dawn swim, regardless of the weather. 2
             immutable, unchangeable, unalterable, unmodifiable:  The law of
             supply and demand is invariable.  3 permanent, fixed, enduring,
             abiding, eternal, unaltered, unvarying, unchanged, unvaried,
             unaltered, unmodified:  The positions of the stars appear to be
             invariable.

   invasion  n.  1 incursion, raid, foray, intrusion, inroad, encroachment,
             trespass, infiltration; infringement, infraction, transgression,
             violation:  The poachers were charged with invasion of private
             property. Unauthorized publication of that material is an
             invasion of your rights. 2 attack, assault, onslaught,
             aggression, offensive, drive, storming, blitzkrieg:  The
             armoured divisions succeeded in stopping the invasion.

   invent    v.  1 create, devise, contrive, originate, think up, dream up,
             conceive, concoct, make up, imagine, formulate, improvise,
             design, hit upon; coin:  He claims to have invented the
             toothpaste tube.  2 fabricate, make up, concoct, Colloq cook up:
             She invented that story about having been a lion-tamer.

   invention n.  1 creation, origination, contriving, devising, conception,
             contrivance, introduction, development:  The invention of the
             screwdriver has spared many a broken fingernail.  2 creation,
             contrivance, device, gadget, Colloq contraption, US gismo or
             gizmo:  Thomas Edison held patents on a huge number of
             inventions.  3 fiction, figment, story, fantasy, fabrication,
             tale, fable, yarn, fib, tall story or tale, falsification, fake,
             sham, falsehood, lie, prevarication:  Her claim that the
             accident was my fault is a flagrant invention.

   invest    v.  1 venture, lay out, put in, sink:  She was persuaded to
             invest her life savings in unit trusts.  2 devote, allot, spend,
             contribute, supply, provide:  We have invested a lot of time in
             cleaning up local government.  3 install or instal, inaugurate,
             induct, initiate, instate, establish, ordain, swear in, seat:
             He will be invested with the Order of Merit on Tuesday.

   investigate
             v.  enquire or inquire into, examine, study, consider, explore,
             probe, look into, research, scrutinize, analyse, sift (through),
             winnow:  The laboratory is investigating the nature of the
             strange phenomenon.

   investigation
             n.  enquiry or inquiry, examination, study, review, exploration,
             quest, search, probe, research, discovery procedure, scrutiny,
             analysis, inquest, inquisition, interrogation, questioning:  Has
             the investigation turned up any evidence of collusion?

   invigorating
             adj.  stimulating, bracing, rejuvenating, tonic, vitalizing,
             restorative, energizing, vivifying, enlivening, exhilarating;
             fresh, healthful, healthy, salubrious, salutary:  Each morning I
             go for an invigorating walk. The doctor recommended the
             invigorating mountain air.

   invincible
             adj.  1 unconquerable, unbeatable, indomitable, insuperable,
             undefeated, unstoppable:  United look invincible, and are likely
             to retain the cup for a fourth successive season. 2 impregnable,
             invulnerable, impenetrable, indestructible, unassailable:  The
             Romans believed the fortress to be invincible.

   invisible adj.  1 unseeable, imperceptible, undetectable, imperceivable;
             unseen:  The air we breathe is invisible.  2 concealed, hidden,
             disguised, camouflaged, masked, covered, unperceived, veiled,
             indiscernible:  Once the part has been painted, the damage will
             be invisible.

   invitation
             n.  1 summons, request, call, bidding, Colloq invite:  I am
             still waiting for my invitation to their wedding.  2 attraction,
             inducement, allure, allurement, enticement, temptation,
             magnetism, bait, lure, draw, pull:  The possibility of going
             where no man had gone before was too great an invitation to
             ignore.

   inviting  adj.  alluring, tempting, enticing, attractive, beckoning,
             appealing, captivating, engaging, intriguing, irresistible,
             winsome, beguiling, bewitching, entrancing, fascinating,
             tantalizing, seductive:  She gave him an inviting smile but he
             still approached cautiously.

   involuntary
             adj.  unconscious, unintentional, unthinking, impulsive,
             spontaneous, unpremeditated, instinctive, instinctual,
             unwitting; automatic, reflex, mechanical, conditioned,
             uncontrolled, uncontrollable:  When I was struck, my involuntary
             reaction was to strike back at once. At the mention of his name
             she gave an involuntary start.

   involve   v.  1 include, contain, comprise, cover, embrace, incorporate,
             encompass, take in, subsume, embody, comprehend, number among,
             count in:  The survey involved many people from all walks of
             life.  2 imply, entail, suggest, mean, betoken, require,
             necessitate, presuppose:  Enrolling for a course involves doing
             homework as well as attending classes. 3 Often, involve in or
             with. implicate, concern, affect, touch, entangle, draw in;
             incriminate, inculpate; associate with, connect with, catch (up)
             in:  I didn't know that Annette was involved. Are you involved
             in that murder investigation?

   involved  adj.  1 implicated, concerned, affected, interested, active:
             The public enquiry was attended by all involved members of the
             community. 2 tangled, complicated, complex, twisted, snarled,
             convoluted, confused, confusing, intricate, tortuous, elaborate,
             knotty, Byzantine, labyrinthine:  The plot is too involved to be
             followed easily. The involved problems of adolescence cannot be
             treated in a one-day conference. 3 involved with. associated
             with, entangled with, embroiled with, enmeshed with, Colloq
             mixed up with:  Dennis is still very much involved with that
             singer from the Green Dragon.

9.7 irk...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   irk       v.  irritate, annoy, vex, pester, provoke, chafe, nettle,
             exasperate, Colloq needle, miff, aggravate, bug, peeve, rub
             (someone) (up) the wrong way, put out:  It really irks me to
             know that we lost because we didn't practise.

   irksome   adj.  irritating, annoying, vexing, vexatious, chafing,
             nettling, exasperating, bothersome, troublesome, burdensome,
             tiresome, tedious, boring, wearisome, uninteresting, Colloq
             aggravating, pestiferous:  The mosquitoes are particularly
             irksome on muggy, windless evenings.

   irregular adj.  1 uneven, bumpy, lumpy, coarse, rough, unequal,
             unsymmetrical, asymmetric(al), pitted, potholed, jagged, craggy,
             lopsided:  The irregular surface of the road bounced us about in
             the car.  2 sporadic, uneven, random, erratic, unequal, fitful,
             haphazard, unsystematic, unsystematized, disorderly, uncertain,
             unmethodical; occasional, casual:  In the distance I could hear
             the staccato of irregular machine-gun fire. 3 extraordinary,
             unusual, eccentric, abnormal, anomalous, aberrant, unnatural,
             peculiar, queer, odd, weird, bizarre, strange, singular,
             nonconforming, nonconformist, exceptional, unconventional,
             offbeat, uncommon, freakish, Colloq freaky:  Don't you think
             that keeping a Komodo dragon as a pet is somewhat irregular?

   irrelevant
             adj.  inappropriate, inapplicable, impertinent, unrelated,
             alien, inapposite, malapropos, beside the point, inapt,
             non-germane, unconnected, extraneous, neither here nor there,
             out of place, gratuitous, uncalled-for, Colloq out of the blue,
             off the beam, Slang off-the-wall:  The name of the person who
             asked the question is entirely irrelevant.

   irrepressible
             adj.  unrestrainable, irrestrainable, uncontainable,
             uncontrollable, unmanageable, insuppressible or unsuppressible,
             unstoppable, ebullient, buoyant, effervescent, bubbling,
             boisterous:  Nothing could dampen our irrepressible high spirits
             after winning the game.

   irreproachable
             adj.  blameless, unimpeachable, beyond reproach, unreprovable,
             faultless, innocent, above suspicion, impeccable, inculpable,
             honest, pure:  Till now, Forsyth's record in the army has been
             irreproachable.

   irresistible
             adj.  1 irrepressible, unconquerable, indomitable, overpowering,
             unbearable, overwhelming, overriding, unmanageable,
             ungovernable, uncontrollable:  I had an irresistible desire to
             punch him in the nose.  2 unstoppable, inexorable, relentless,
             unavoidable, ineluctable, inescapable:  What happens when an
             irresistible force meets an immovable object?

   irresolute
             adj.  vacillating, wavering, faltering, indecisive, infirm of
             purpose, in or US only of two minds, undecided, hesitant,
             hesitating, shifting, changing, erratic, uncertain, unsure,
             undetermined, unresolved, half-hearted, Colloq wishy-washy:  You
             must act; this is no time to be irresolute.

   irrespective of
             prep.  regardless of, notwithstanding, despite, apart from, in
             spite of, without regard to, ignoring, discounting:  We shall
             carry on irrespective of public opinion.

   irresponsible
             adj.  careless, reckless, devil-may-care, unanswerable,
             unaccountable, non-liable, rash, unruly, wild; unreliable,
             undependable, untrustworthy, weak, feckless, ineffectual:  Cyril
             is too irresponsible to take care of the children by himself.

   irretrievable
             adj.  1 non-retrievable, unretrievable, unrecoverable,
             irrecoverable, unsalvageable, unsavable, lost, irreclaimable:
             The data that was deleted is now irretrievable.  2 irreparable,
             irremediable, uncorrectable, unrectifiable, irredeemable,
             irreversible, irrevocable:  The radiation from the atomic blast
             did irretrievable damage.

   irreverent
             adj.  1 blasphemous, impious, profane, sacrilegious, unholy,
             ungodly, irreligious:  She was reprimanded for her irreverent
             attitude to morning prayers.  2 disrespectful, insulting,
             insolent, rude, discourteous, uncivil, derisive, impudent,
             impertinent, saucy, flippant, mocking, tongue-in-cheek, Colloq
             flip, cheeky:  The prince did not appreciate being the butt of
             the irreverent skit.

   irreversible
             adj.  unreversible, non-reversible, irrevocable, unchangeable,
             unalterable, permanent, fixed, final, unrepealable,
             irredeemable, irretrievable:  Burning, essentially the chemical
             process of rapid oxidation, is irreversible.

   irrevocable
             adj.  irreversible, unchangeable, immutable, changeless, fixed,
             unalterable, settled, unrecallable, irretrievable, irrepealable,
             not undoable; irreparable, permanent, enduring, everlasting:
             The colonel says that his was an irrevocable order. That speech
             did you irrevocable harm.

   irritable adj.  impatient, excitable, testy, touchy, quarrelsome, grouchy,
             fretful, peevish, cross, crabby, crusty, short-tempered,
             petulant, prickly, irascible, moody, temperamental, gruff,
             cantankerous, curmudgeonly, dyspeptic, bad-tempered,
             ill-tempered, ill-humoured, snappy or snappish, grumpy or Brit
             also grumpish, Colloq crotchety, US and Canadian and Irish
             cranky:  Why are you always so irritable before breakfast?

   irritate  v.  annoy, vex, nettle, pester, provoke, bother, anger, enrage,
             chafe, pique, exasperate, ruffle, hector, harass, harry, nag,
             plague, worry, fret, fluster, trouble, pick at or on, Colloq
             needle, get under (someone's) skin, get in (someone's) hair,
             hassle, peeve, get on (someone's) nerves, drive (someone) up the
             wall, get (someone's) hackles up, get (someone's) back up, drive
             (someone) crazy or mad, rub (someone) (up) the wrong way, Brit
             get up (someone's) nose, US burn (someone) up:  All these stupid
             questions are beginning to irritate me.

9.8 island...
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   island    n.  isle, islet, ait, cay, key; atoll; archipelago; Brit dialect
             eyot, holm:  There are actually about 1500 islands in the
             Thousand Islands in the St Lawrence river.

   isolate   v.  separate, segregate, sequester, cloister, detach, cut off,
             send to Coventry, ostracize, maroon, exclude, shut out, bar,
             debar, banish, deport, transport, exile, reject, eject, throw
             out, expel, shun, spurn, avoid, ignore, snub; quarantine; Colloq
             cut, give (someone) the cold shoulder:  You cannot isolate a
             child from the pressures of modern society.

   isolated  adj.  1 lone, solitary, single, singular, unique, anomalous,
             separate, special, particular, individual, exceptional,
             unrelated:  In one isolated case they recommended a suspended
             sentence.  2 alone, separated, segregated, secluded,
             sequestered, cloistered, unconnected, detached, (set) apart,
             removed, cut off, excluded; forlorn, lonely, hermitic(al),
             eremitic(al), anchoretic(al), troglodytic(al), monastic:  Away
             from his friends and family, he felt totally isolated. After his
             wife died, he led an isolated existence. 3 secluded, remote,
             out-of-the-way, off the beaten track, unfrequented, lonely;
             secret, hidden:  For twenty years we lived in that isolated
             shack in the wilderness.

   issue     n.  1 outflow, outgoing, exit, egress, issuance, emanation,
             efflux, debouchment, emergence, outlet:  The river's colour
             changed abruptly at its point of issue into the sea. 2 outcome,
             conclusion, consequence, culmination, result, end, effect,
             consummation, event, climax, Colloq pay-off:  Whatever the
             issue, it has been a brave effort.  3 point, topic, subject,
             matter, affair, problem, question:  That is an issue you should
             take up with the mayor.  4 Usually, major issue. (major or big)
             problem or difficulty, controversy, fight, dispute, cause
             c‚lЉbre:  He turns even walking the dog into a major issue.  5
             printing, edition, version; copy, number:  I have a copy of the
             Sunday issue. See if you can buy an issue of today's paper. 6
             publication, promulgation, issuance, issuing, distribution,
             delivery, dissemination, broadcasting, proclamation,
             circulation:  There will be a special issue of stamps to
             commemorate his death.  7 offspring, child or children,
             descendant(s), progeny, young, scion(s), son(s), daughter(s):
             According to the records, your uncle died without issue, making
             you his sole heir. 8 at issue. in contention, in dispute,
             unresolved, unsettled, uncertain, up in the air, to be decided:
             The point at issue is which system will be the most efficient.
             9 take issue. disagree, argue, contend, dispute, oppose, take
             exception:  I feel that I must take issue with your conclusion.

             --v.  10 proclaim, promulgate, declare, publish, put out, put or
             set forth, announce, circulate, distribute, get out, release,
             deliver, broadcast, disseminate, get out:  The kidnappers have
             issued an ultimatum.  11 emerge, come or go forth, exit,
             emanate, discharge, stream, flow, pour; appear, originate,
             spring, stem, arise:  The play ended, and people issued from the
             theatre. Where Pegasus stamped his foot the Pierian spring
             issued forth.

9.9 itch...
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   itch      v.  1 tickle, tingle, prickle:  These mosquito bites itch
             terribly.  2 desire, crave, hanker, hunger, thirst, yearn, pine,
             wish, want, die:  I am itching to get my hands on whoever told
             you that I was dead.

             --n.  3 tickle, tickling, tingle, tingling, prickle, prickling,
             irritation:  My frustration is like having an itch I can't
             scratch.  4 desire, craving, hankering, hunger, thirst,
             yearning, longing, Colloq yen:  I have a sudden itch to visit
             mother for the weekend.

   item      n.  1 detail, article, point, particular, matter, thing,
             element, component, ingredient:  There's one item I'd like you
             to keep in mind.  2 piece, mention, notice, note, memorandum,
             memo, filler, jotting:  We often publish short items to fill out
             a column.

   itemize   v.  enumerate, list, specify, particularize, detail, document,
             number, record, count, tabulate:  Must I itemize every single
             book in the inventory?

10.0 J
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10.1 jab...
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   jab       v.  1 stab, thrust, poke, dig, prod; plunge; nudge; tap:  The
             doctor jabbed a needle into my arm.  2 punch, hit, strike, belt,
             smack, rap, whack, thwack, cuff, thump, wallop; elbow; Colloq
             clip, sock, slug, biff:  I jabbed him in the jaw with a quick
             left.

             --n.  3 stab, thrust, poke, dig, prod, nudge:  I felt the jab of
             her elbow signalling me to be quiet.  4 punch, belt, smack, rap,
             whack, thwack, cuff, thump, wallop, Colloq clip, sock, slug,
             biff:  A hard jab in the stomach made the bully turn to pudding.

   jabber    v.  1 blether or US only blather, chatter, babble, gibber,
             gabble, prate, prattle, patter, drivel, rattle, Brit natter,
             Scots yatter, Colloq gab, gas, yap, witter:  The couple behind
             me jabbered throughout the entire film.

             --n.  2 See jargon, 2.

   jade      n.  1 nag, hack, Slang Brit screw, US plug:  That old jade
             hasn't won a race in his last ten times out.  2 shrew, harridan,
             nag, hag, drab, witch, crone, hussy, minx, vixen, virago,
             termagant, beldam, slut, slattern, trull, trollop, baggage,
             tart, Slang battle-axe, broad, bitch, old bag, floozie or floozy
             or floosie:  He was married to an expensive jade of a wife.

   jaded     adj.  1 exhausted, weary, tired, dead tired, bone-tired,
             bone-weary, dog-tired, fatigued, enervated, spent, Colloq (dead)
             beat, dead, bushed, fagged, US and Canadian pooped:  The
             nightspot was full of jaded businessmen, who had gone there to
             relax after a heavy day at the office. 2 sated, satiated,
             cloyed, surfeited, glutted, gorged, fed up, sick (and tired) of,
             slaked; dull, bored:  You need a little champagne and caviar to
             reawaken your jaded palate.

   jag       n.  spree, carouse, orgy, bout, Colloq binge, US and Canadian
             toot:  She was terribly hung-over after last night's jag.

   jagged    adj.  rough, uneven, notched, sawtooth, ragged, toothed, spiked,
             indented, denticulate, serrated, chipped:  I cut myself on the
             jagged edge of that broken window.

   jail      n.  1 Brit gaol, prison, lock-up, reformatory, Brit Borstal, US
             penitentiary, reform school, Nautical brig, Slang cooler, clink,
             can, jug, stir, slammer, Brit nick, quod, choky or chokey, US
             calaboose, big house, pen, coop, hoosegow, pokey:  They were
             sent to jail for life.

             --v.  2 imprison, lock up, incarcerate, detain, confine, Brit
             send down, US send up (the river):  He was jailed for 30 days.

   jailer    n.  Brit gaoler, turnkey, guard, Brit warder, governor, US
             warden, Slang screw:  The jailers let us out for exercise for an
             hour each day.

   jam       v.  1 cram, force, push, wedge, stuff, press, ram, squeeze,
             shove, pack, crowd:  We were jammed in so tightly that we
             couldn't move.  2 block, obstruct, congest, fill up, clog, plug,
             stop up:  The toilet is jammed with paper again.  3 slam,
             activate, actuate:  I jammed on the brakes.

             --n.  4 obstruction, blockage, blocking, block, congestion,
             tie-up, bottleneck, stoppage:  She was stuck in a traffic jam
             for an hour.  5 crush, squeeze, crowd, mob, swarm, multitude,
             throng, mass, horde, pack, press:  You wouldn't believe the jam
             of football fans at the cup final!  6 trouble, difficulty,
             predicament, quandary, dilemma, Colloq bind, fix, hole, pickle,
             hot water, (tight) spot, scrape:  Harry helped me out of a jam
             once, and I won't forget it.

   jamboree  n.  gathering, get-together, party, celebration, f€te, festival,
             festivity, carnival, frolic, revelry, spree, carouse, jubilee,
             revels, charivari:  Everyone is invited to the annual jamboree
             in the village square.

   jangle    v.  1 clatter, clash, rattle, clang, clank, crash, ring, jingle:
             The chains jangled as the prisoners marched to their cells.  2
             jar, upset, irritate:  The continuous screaming of the sirens
             jangled my nerves.

             --n.  3 jangling, clatter, clash, rattle, jarring, clang,
             clanging, clank, clanking, crash, clangour, noise, din, racket,
             clamour, dissonance, cacophony, reverberation, Literary stridor:
             I heard the jangle of the rag-and-bone man's cart in the next
             street.

   jar°      n.  crock; receptacle, vessel, container, urn, pot, vase; jug,
             pitcher, ewer, flagon, carafe, bottle, amphora:  We always keep
             some small change in that blue jar.

   jarэ      v.  1 shake, agitate, disturb, stir, shock, jolt, jounce,
             bounce, jog, jerk, jiggle, joggle:  Don't jar the oven or the
             cake will collapse.  2 disagree, conflict, clash, bicker,
             quarrel, wrangle, oppose, discord:  She finds that her emotions
             about her ex-husband are jarring.  3 disturb, upset, disconcert,
             unsettle, disquiet, bother, trouble, vex, gall, offend, take
             aback, irritate, grate, irk, nettle, annoy:  It jars me to think
             that they got off with light sentences.

             --n.  4 shock, start, jolt, surprise:  Seeing Sam after all
             those years gave me quite a jar.

   jargon    n.  1 cant, argot, parlance, idiom, vernacular, slang; patois,
             Creole, dialect, pidgin; Colloq lingo:  In the jargon of
             philately, this is known as a 'first day cover'.  2 blether or
             US also blather, chatter, babble, gibberish, jabber, gabble,
             gobbledegook or gobbledygook, prattle, patter, drivel, cackle,
             jabberwocky, twaddle, (stuff and) nonsense, rubbish, codswallop,
             balderdash, bunk, humbug, palaver, bavardage, Colloq rot,
             garbage, hogwash, bosh, piffle, flapdoodle, chit-chat, gab,
             claptrap, Slang bull, crap:  When I questioned my bank manager
             about the fee, he just gave me a lot of jargon.

   jaundiced adj.  1 coloured, tainted, distorted, twisted, prejudiced,
             opinionated, biased, preconceived, untrustworthy, bigoted,
             partial, unfair, perverted; dishonest, corrupt:  Even the most
             jaundiced view must acknowledge the merits of the plan. 2
             splenetic, cynical, bitter, envious, resentful, jealous,
             hostile, spiteful, unfriendly, disapproving, critical,
             unfavourable, disparaging, denigrating:  I can't say that I
             agree with Cartwright's jaundiced review of the play.

   jaunty    adj.  1 spirited, lively, high-spirited, buoyant, brisk, frisky,
             sprightly, free (and easy), blithe, jovial, happy, jubilant,
             jolly, merry, cheerful, gay:  It is heartening to see those
             pensioners in such a jaunty mood.  2 chic, smart, stylish,
             dashing, debonair, elegant, colourful, spruce, flashy, flash,
             showy, flamboyant, Colloq sporty, natty:  Tipping his hat at a
             jaunty angle, the old boulevardier strolled off, twirling his
             walking-stick.

10.2 jealous...
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   jealous   adj.  1 resentful, bitter, grudging, envious, covetous, green
             with envy, green-eyed:  Brian is jealous of attention paid to
             anyone but himself.  2 distrustful, distrusting, mistrustful,
             mistrusting, suspicious; anxious, insecure, threatened,
             imperilled, vulnerable:  Ken is very jealous of Kathleen. If
             anyone so much as looks at her, he feels jealous.

   jealously adv.  watchfully, carefully, guardedly, protectively, warily,
             vigilantly, scrupulously, zealously, eagerly, attentively,
             anxiously, suspiciously:  Victor jealously keeps all details of
             his business to himself.

   jeer      v.  1 Often, jeer at. mock, laugh or scoff or sneer (at), flout,
             deride, ridicule, make fun of, thumb one's nose at, gibe or
             jibe, chaff, decry, twit, taunt, Colloq rag, bullyrag, roast,
             Brit cock a snook at, Brit and Australian barrack, Slang knock:
             Don't jeer at aromatherapy till you've tried it.

             --n.  2 taunt, gibe or jibe, aspersion, hoot, hiss, boo,
             catcall; derision, ridicule, obloquy:  Just because he was fat,
             Christopher had to suffer the jeers of his classmates.

   jell      v.  1 set, congeal, solidify, harden, coagulate, thicken,
             stiffen, gelatinize:  The mixture won't jell till you add hot
             water.  2 (take) form, take shape, crystallize, materialize,
             come together, be set:  Their plans for the shopping centre have
             not yet jelled.

   jeopardize
             v.  endanger, imperil, threaten, menace, risk, hazard, venture:
             You may jeopardize your freedom if you stand up for your rights.

   jeopardy  n.  Usually, in sometimes at jeopardy. danger, peril; threat,
             menace, risk, hazard, chance, uncertainty, vulnerability,
             exposure, liability:  She put her life in jeopardy by going into
             the lion's cage.

   jerk      v.  1 yank, wrench, pluck, nip, tug, twist, tweak:  I jerked the
             dagger out of his hand, leaving him defenceless.  2 twitch,
             lurch, jolt, jump, start, jig, jiggle, wriggle, wiggle:  The
             creature jerked about convulsively, screaming, then lay still.

             --n.  3 yank, pull, wrench, tug, twist, tweak:  With a sharp
             jerk, he pulled the plaster from the child's leg.  4 lurch,
             jolt, start, bump:  The train stopped with a jerk, throwing me
             off balance.  5 idiot, fool, moron, imbecile, Slang US dope,
             creep, yo-yo, nerd, dweeb:  Why would she want to go out with a
             jerk like that?

   jewel     n.  1 gem, gemstone, brilliant, ornament, bijou, Colloq rock,
             sparkler:  Thieves stole a diamond necklace and an heirloom
             brooch set with precious jewels. 2 treasure, marvel, find,
             godsend, gem, pearl, prize, boon, Colloq catch:  What would you
             do without your secretary - she's an absolute jewel!

   jewellery n.  gems, precious stones, jewels, ornaments, finery,
             bijouterie:  Alexandra keeps her jewellery in a bank vault.

10.3 jiggle...
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   jiggle    v.  1 jog, joggle, jig, shake, agitate, wiggle, wriggle, jerk:
             It's odd to see grown people jiggling about on the dance floor
             like that. Jiggle the key up and down - maybe then you can turn
             it.

             --n.  2 jog, joggle, jig, shake, wiggle, jerk:  I gave the line
             a few jiggles, hoping to attract a fish.

   jilt      v.  throw over, reject, dismiss, drop, discard, desert, break
             (up) with, forsake, abandon, Colloq ditch, dump, brush off or
             give (someone) the brush-off, Chiefly US and Canadian give
             (someone) his or her walking papers:  Angela met Tony and
             promptly jilted Mike.

   jingle    v.  1 tinkle, ring, tintinnabulate, clink, chink, chime:  She
             wore a dozen bracelets, which jingled when she walked.

             --n.  2 tinkle, tinkling, ring, ringing, tintinnabulation,
             clink, clinking, chink, chinking, chime, chiming:  I like to
             feel the jingle of change in my pocket.  3 tune, ditty, melody,
             song, rhyme, verse, doggerel:  The only thing he ever wrote was
             a jingle for a dog-food commercial.

   jingoism  n.  chauvinism, flag-waving, superpatriotism, nationalism;
             hawkishness, warmongering, belligerence, bellicosity:  'Might
             makes right' is a basic tenet of jingoism.

   jinx      n.  1 (evil) spell, curse, evil eye, malediction, voodoo, US and
             Canadian hex:  I felt I had lost at roulette because she had put
             a jinx on me.  2 nemesis, Jonah:  If we don't throw that jinx
             overboard we shall all die.

             --v.  3 curse, bewitch, damn, doom, sabotage, condemn, US and
             Canadian hex:  My career was jinxed from the start.

   jitters   n.pl.  shakes, fidgets, nerves, uneasiness, queasiness,
             nervousness, skittishness, restlessness, apprehension,
             apprehensiveness, Slang heebie-jeebies, willies US whim-whams:
             He always gets an attack of the jitters before an exam.

10.4 job...
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   job       n.  1 work, employment, position, berth, livelihood; career,
             occupation, calling, vocation, appointment, pursuit, field,
             trade, craft, profession, m‚tier, area:  What kind of job is she
             looking for? Harry has a new job.  2 assignment, responsibility,
             concern, chore, task, undertaking, function, duty, role,
             mission, province, contribution, charge:  It is my job to see
             that the machines run properly.  3 task, undertaking, procedure,
             proceeding, affair, operation, project, activity, business,
             matter, chore:  The job of changing the gasket will take only a
             few minutes.  4 problem, difficulty, burden, nuisance, bother;
             toil, grind, drudgery; Colloq headache, pain (in the neck),
             hassle, Slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass:  It was a real
             job getting them to pay for the damage.  5 crime, felony;
             robbery, burglary, Slang US and Canadian caper:  From the modus
             operandi, I'd say that the same gang did that job in Manchester.

             --v.  6 Often, job out. let out, assign, apportion, allot, share
             out, contract, hire, employ, subcontract, farm out, consign,
             commission:  They undertake to do the work, but then they job it
             out to others.

   jog       v.  1 trot, lope, dogtrot, run:  I jog around the reservoir
             every morning for exercise.  2 jar, prod, nudge, arouse, stir,
             stimulate, prompt, activate, shake:  I jogged his memory by
             referring to the time the dog bit him.  3 bounce, shake, jolt,
             joggle, jounce, jerk:  I was being jogged about in the back of
             the van as we sped over the rocky terrain.

   join      v.  1 unite, connect, couple, link, marry, yoke, combine, fasten
             or tie or glue or weld or solder (together), unify:  These two
             pieces should be joined for greater strength.  2 ally or league
             with, associate (oneself) with, team up with, throw (one's lot)
             in with, enlist (in), sign (up) (with), enrol (in), enter:  She
             was invited to join the bridge club.  3 go or be with, associate
             with, accompany, attach (oneself) to, participate with:  Would
             you care to join us for a game of bridge?  4 border (on or
             upon), meet, touch, abut, butt, adjoin, be adjacent (to), extend
             to, verge on, coincide (with), juxtapose, be contiguous or
             conterminous (with), be coextensive (with):  The two properties
             join at the top of the ridge.

   joint     n.  1 seam, union, juncture, connection, junction, intersection:
             The joint won't show after the whole thing's been painted.  2
             Slang dive, dump, US and Canadian honky-tonk:  We went into a
             joint in Soho, looking for some action.  3 roast:  Who carves
             the Sunday joint at your house?

             --adj.  4 shared, mutual, combined, collective, cooperative,
             common, communal, collaborative:  Our aims can only be achieved
             by joint effort.

   jointed   v.  articulated, segmented, sectioned, sectionalized, hinged:
             The stick is jointed so that it can be folded for carrying in
             the pocket.

   joke      n.  1 jest, witticism, quip, bon mot, laugh, wordplay, pun,
             story, anecdote, Colloq gag, wisecrack, one-liner, crack:
             Ronnie comes up with the funniest jokes I have ever heard.  2
             laughing-stock, butt, (fair) game, buffoon:  After that
             incident, he became the joke of the regiment.  3 farce, mockery,
             absurdity, travesty, caricature:  My efforts to play the piano
             became a joke.

             --v.  4 jest, quip, pun, frolic, wisecrack, tease, taunt,
             banter, chaff, fool, Colloq kid, US crack wise:  They joked
             about our predicament. You must be joking if you think I'm going
             to go out with him!

   joker     n.  1 jokester, comedian, comedienne, funny man, humorist,
             jester, comic, clown, wag, wit, punster, droll, zany, merry
             andrew, buffoon, trickster, prankster, Colloq card, gagster, gag
             man, kidder:  Give him a drink and a funny hat and Roger thinks
             he's the greatest joker in the world. 2 US catch, hitch, snag,
             drawback, trap, twist, pitfall, fine or small print, Colloq
             catch-22, no-win situation, Taboo nigger in the woodpile:  The
             joker is that whoever treats the patients catches the disease.

   jolly     adj.  1 merry, cheerful, frolicsome, gay, jovial, joyful,
             sportive, convivial, jocund, jocose, jocular, frisky, coltish,
             playful, festive, jubilant, cheery, exuberant, high-spirited,
             animated:  Everyone was in a jolly mood at her birthday party.

             --v.  2 Often, jolly along. humour, appease, deceive, string
             along, fool, hoax:  They're just jollying him along because they
             want him to invest in their scheme.

   jolt      v.  1 jar, shake (up), jostle, bump, bounce, jerk:  The cart
             jolted over the rough terrain.  2 butt, strike, hit, push,
             nudge, elbow, knock, jab:  He jolted me so hard he actually
             cracked a rib.  3 shock, astonish, astound, amaze, surprise,
             startle, stun, dumbfound or dumfound, stupefy, strike dumb,
             daze, shake (up):  I was jolted to learn that my husband had
             been arrested for murder.

             --n.  4 lurch, jar, jerk, bump, jump, bounce, start:  The train
             started with a jolt that almost knocked me over.  5 blow, shock,
             surprise, bolt from the blue, bombshell:  It was certainly a
             jolt to discover that she had left me.

   jot       v.  1 Usually, jot down. make a note of, write or note (down),
             put or set or take down, record:  Jot down this telephone
             number.

             --n.  2 scrap, grain, (wee) bit, speck, mite, iota, whit,
             particle, tittle, Colloq slightest, US and Canadian tad, smidgen
             or smidgin:  I don't care a jot what she thinks about the
             situation in Central America.

   journal   n.  1 periodical, magazine, gazette, newspaper, paper,
             newsletter, review, tabloid; daily, weekly, monthly,
             fortnightly, quarterly, annual:  The journal contains
             information about every building permit awarded in the entire
             country. 2 diary, chronicle, dossier, record, register, log,
             logbook, minute-book, minutes, documentation, album, scrapbook,
             memoir, almanac, annal, history, yearbook, record book; roll,
             catalogue, list:  He kept a detailed journal of every event in
             his twenty-year exile.

   journalist
             n.  reporter, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, correspondent,
             newsman, newswoman, member of the fourth estate, gentleman or
             lady of the press, stringer; columnist; hack; newscaster,
             anchorman, anchorwoman, commentator, broadcaster, Brit pressman,
             paragraphist; newsreader, Colloq scribe, newsmonger, US and
             Canadian legman, news-hawk, news-hound, news-hen:  Journalists
             crowded round the minister, urging her to make a statement.

   journey   n.  1 trip, voyage, excursion, tour, travel, outing, expedition,
             junket, cruise, jaunt, pilgrimage, peregrination, odyssey, trek:
             Did your wife accompany you on your journey to Tierra del Fuego?
             2 way, passage, passing, transit, transition, progress, course,
             way, trip, route, career:  On your journey through this life,
             Whatever be your goal, Keep your eye upon the doughnut, And not
             upon the hole.

             --v.  3 travel, tour, voyage, go (abroad or overseas), make or
             take a trip, make or wend one's way, make a pilgrimage,
             peregrinate, trek, rove, range, wander, roam, tour, cruise, gad
             (about), gallivant or galivant or galavant:  He journeyed to the
             far corners of the earth seeking an answer to life's mysteries.

   joy       n.  1 pleasure, gratification, satisfaction, happiness,
             contentment, enjoyment, gladness, delight, felicity, elation,
             exaltation, ecstasy, bliss, exhilaration, exultation, rapture:
             We felt indescribable joy at seeing the children safe and sound.
             2 gaiety, cheerfulness, cheer, glee, buoyancy, joviality,
             jollity, jocundity, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilation,
             merriment, light-heartedness, blithesomeness:  Let me wish you
             joy in this holiday season.  3 delight, pleasure, treat,
             blessing, gratification, satisfaction, prize:  A thing of beauty
             is a joy forever.

   joyful    adj.  1 cheerful, happy, buoyant, gleeful, merry, jovial, jolly,
             jocund, joyous, jubilant, gay, light-hearted, blithe,
             blithesome, sunny:  We are delighted that you have all come to
             help us celebrate this joyful occasion. 2 glad, pleased,
             gratified, delighted, happy, elated, ecstatic, exhilarated,
             exultant, overjoyed, jubilant, in heaven, Brit in the seventh
             heaven, US in seventh heaven, Colloq on cloud nine, tickled
             (pink), Brit over the moon:  Mark was joyful at the news that he
             was father of a boy.

   joyless   adj.  1 sad, unhappy, miserable, depressed, dejected, mournful,
             downhearted, downcast, down, despondent, dispirited, melancholy,
             heavy-hearted, cheerless, doleful, grief-stricken, disheartened,
             saddened, crestfallen, wretched, disconsolate, inconsolable,
             morose, heartsick, sorrowful, woeful, woebegone:  It was a
             joyless company that stood at the grave side. The cat died, the
             dog died, and my husband was ill - all in all, a joyless time. 2
             gloomy, depressing, dispiriting, disheartening, dreary,
             lugubrious, cheerless, dismal, bleak, inhospitable, desolate,
             grim, austere, severe:  The shuttered, joyless house loomed out
             of the misty moor ahead.

10.5 judge...
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   judge     n.  1 justice, magistrate, jurist, Isle of Man deemster or
             dempster, Slang Brit beak:  The judge demanded order in the
             court.  2 arbitrator, arbiter, umpire, referee, adjudicator,
             judicator, mediator, moderator:  She served as a judge at Crufts
             dog show last year.  3 connoisseur, expert, authority, arbiter,
             appraiser, evaluator, reviewer, critic, arbiter elegantiarum or
             elegantiae:  Let me be the judge of which work I do best.

             --v.  4 adjudicate, adjudge, arbitrate, decide, find, conclude,
             settle, determine, decree, pass judgement, deem, rule, pronounce
             or pass sentence:  Do you think the jury will judge in Claus's
             favour?  5 assess, evaluate, appraise, estimate, rate, value,
             weigh, measure, review, consider, size up, appreciate:  A
             ballistics expert is required to judge this evidence.  6
             referee, umpire, mediate, moderate, arbitrate:  Mr Farnsworth
             agreed to judge the essay competition.  7 believe, suspect,
             think, consider, suppose, guess, conjecture, surmise, conclude,
             infer:  Palaeontologists judge the age of the specimens to be
             400 million years.

   judgement n.  1 judgment, discretion, discernment, discrimination,
             judiciousness, prudence, wisdom, wit, sagacity, perspicacity,
             clear-headedness, perception, perspicuousness, percipience,
             acumen, intelligence, (good) sense, common sense,
             level-headedness, understanding, shrewdness:  Charlotte's
             judgement is often sought in such matters.  2 decision, ruling,
             verdict, conclusion, determination, opinion, adjudication,
             finding, decree, order; outcome, result, upshot:  The judgement
             of the court is final. It was the judgement of Paris to award
             the golden apple to Aphrodite. 3 criticism, censure,
             disapproval, reproof, condemnation:  They offered a moral, not a
             legal judgement.  4 opinion, view, belief, (way of) thinking,
             mind, perception; sentiment:  In my judgement, she is innocent.
             5 evaluation, valuation, appraisal, estimation, assessment:  One
             critic's unfavourable judgement of a play can spell its doom.

   judicial  adj.  1 legal, judiciary, judicatory, juridic(al); official:
             forensic:  A formal judicial procedure can be quite costly.  2
             critical, analytical, discriminating, distinguishing,
             discerning, keen, sharp, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious,
             differentiating, discriminatory, discriminative, judicious:  Her
             decisions have always been judicial.  3 judgelike, magisterial,
             impartial, fair:  He brought judicial procedures to bear on the
             handling of the problem.

   judicious adj.  sensible, commonsensical, sound, sober, intelligent,
             aware, enlightened, wise, sage, sapient, thoughtful, reasonable,
             rational, sane, logical, discerning, discriminating,
             discriminative, astute, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious,
             well-advised, (well-)informed, prudent, discreet, tactful,
             diplomatic, politic, careful, considered, circumspect:  The
             treasurer was considered not to have made judicious use of the
             club's funds.

   jug       n.  pitcher, ewer, urn, carafe, bottle, flask, decanter, jar:
             She came in from the barn carrying a jug of fresh milk.

   juggle    v.  manipulate, tamper with, falsify, fix, rig, distort,
             misstate, misrepresent, alter, arrange, Colloq doctor, cook:
             The accountant refused a bribe to juggle the company's books.

   juice     n.  1 extract, liquid, fluid:  The recipe calls for the juice of
             one lemon.  2 essence, pith, extract, vigour, force, vitality,
             spirit, strength, power:  He really squeezed the juice out of my
             argument.

   juicy     adj.  1 succulent, moist, lush:  This is a very juicy pear.  2
             interesting, sensational, lurid, colourful, vivid, exciting,
             stirring, thrilling, intriguing, fascinating, provocative,
             suggestive, racy, spicy, risqu‚:  I've got such a juicy piece of
             gossip for you!

   jumble    v.  1 disorder, mix (up), mingle, confuse, confound, muddle,
             shuffle, disarrange, disorganize, tangle, entangle:  I found my
             belongings all jumbled together.

             --n.  2 muddle, tangle, medley, mess; disorder, confusion,
             disarray, chaos, clutter:  My clothes were in a jumble on the
             bed.

   jumbo     adj.  huge, gigantic, enormous, elephantine, immense, oversized,
             king-sized, Colloq US humongous:  Grandad brought us a jumbo box
             of chocolates.

   jump      v.  1 leap, bound, spring, pounce, hurdle, vault, hop, skip;
             caper, cavort, gambol:  Jack, jump over the candlestick! Lambs
             were jumping about in the meadow. 2 start, jerk, wince, flinch,
             recoil:  The sudden noise made me jump.  3 Sometimes, jump over.
             skip (over), omit, pass over or by, bypass, avoid, leave out,
             ignore, disregard, overlook, gloss over:  Jump the boring parts
             and read me the sexy bits.  4 pass, move, leap, skip:  She
             jumped from one subject to another so quickly that I couldn't
             keep track. 5 advance, increase, rise, gain, surge, escalate:
             The cost of living jumped again this month, causing fear of
             inflation.  6 jump at. accept, grab, snatch, swoop up, leap at,
             pounce on:  Most people would jump at the chance to better
             themselves.  7 jump on. attack, swoop down on or upon;
             reprimand, rebuke:  She jumps on anyone who suggests that she
             used influence to get her job.

             --n.  8 leap, bound, spring, pounce, hurdle, vault, hop, skip:
             With one jump the cheetah was upon the gazelle.  9 rise,
             increase, boost, hike, advance, gain, surge, escalation,
             upsurge, increment, elevation:  A jump in the Retail Price Index
             drove share prices lower again yesterday. 10 barricade,
             obstacle, hurdle, fence, rail, obstruction:  My horse cleared
             the first jump easily.  11 start, jerk, spasm, twitch, recoil,
             lurch, jolt:  When they called his name, he gave a little jump.
             12 break, gap, hiatus, lacuna, space, hole, breach, rift,
             interruption:  There's a jump in continuity at the end of the
             fourth chapter.

   jumpy     adj.  nervous, agitated, anxious, jittery, fidgety, restless,
             edgy, on edge, tense, shaky, skittish, fretful, uneasy, queasy,
             restive, panicky:  Do you think he was jumpy because we were
             approaching Count Dracula's castle?

   junction  n.  juncture, union, combination, joining, conjunction, meeting,
             linking, connection, conjoining, intersection, confluence;
             crossroads, interchange:  The train robbery took place at the
             junction of the two railways.

   juncture  n.  1 See junction.  2 point, time, moment, stage, period:  At
             this juncture, suggesting a merger seems premature.

   junior    adj.  secondary, lesser, lower, minor, subordinate, inferior;
             younger:  Thompson has been offered a junior partnership in his
             firm.

   junk      n.  1 rubbish, waste, refuse, litter, debris, scrap; US garbage,
             trash:  A man came to cart away the junk that we had cleared out
             of the garage.

             --v.  2 Colloq discard, throw away, scrap, cast aside, jettison,
             US trash:  We bought a new washing-machine and junked the old
             one.

   junta     n.  junto, cabal, clique, faction, gang, coterie, band, set,
             camarilla:  After the coup, the country was run by a military
             junta.

   jurisdiction
             n.  authority, power, prerogative, dominion, sovereignty, say,
             control, rule, ascendancy, hegemony, influence; province,
             district, area, bailiwick, compass, realm, sphere (of
             influence), reach, clutches, range, orbit:  Tierra del Fuego
             seems a bit far to go just to be outside the jurisdiction of the
             Inland Revenue.

   just      adj.  1 fair, equitable, impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced,
             reasonable, fair-minded, even-handed, neutral, objective:  Do
             you think you can expect a just trial after all that publicity?
             2 upright, righteous, right-minded, honourable, honest, ethical,
             moral, principled, straight, decent, good, upstanding, virtuous,
             lawful:  In our system of law, one must believe that juries are
             basically just. 3 justified, justifiable, well-founded,
             well-grounded, legitimate, valid, reasonable, rightful,
             (well-)deserved, due, fitting, proper; condign:  She has a just
             claim to her father's estate. His punishment was just.

             --adv.  4 only, merely, nothing but, solely, simply, at best, at
             most, no more than:  She said just that and nothing else.  5
             exactly, precisely, perfectly; barely, only just, hardly,
             scarcely, by a hair's breadth, Colloq by the skin of one's
             teeth:  My new car just fits into the garage, with only inches
             to spare.  6 (only or just) now, a moment ago, (very) recently,
             lately:  We have just returned from a holiday in Tenerife.

   justice   n.  1 fairness, impartiality, objectivity, objectiveness,
             equity, equitableness, fair-mindedness, justness,
             even-handedness, neutrality, fair play:  Justice triumphed on
             this occasion, and he was convicted of fraud.  2 the law, the
             police; punishment, prison, imprisonment, incarceration,
             detention:  He is a fugitive from justice.  3 law, right,
             morality, lawfulness, rightfulness, legitimacy, judiciousness:
             His conviction was a miscarriage of justice.  4 See judge, 1.

   justify   v.  vindicate, legitimate, legitimatize or legitimize, legalize,
             rationalize, substantiate, defend, support, uphold, sustain,
             validate, warrant, confirm; excuse, explain, absolve, acquit,
             exculpate:  My worst fears were justified. How can you justify
             owning three cars?

   jut       v.  extend, overhang, project, protrude, stick out, beetle:  The
             balcony juts out over the lake.

   juvenile  adj.  1 young, youthful, under age, minor, teenage(d), immature,
             adolescent, childish, infantile, babyish, puerile,
             unsophisticated:  What could be more juvenile than painting
             graffiti on public buildings.

             --n.  2 youth, boy, girl, adolescent, minor, Law infant:  The
             police have arrested two juveniles for attacking an old lady in
             her own home.

11.0 K
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11.1 keen...
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   keen°     adj.  1 enthusiastic, avid, zealous, devoted, ardent, fervent,
             fervid, earnest, impassioned, passionate, intense, active; agog,
             eager, itching, anxious:  They are keen fans of TV soap operas.
             I was keen to go swimming.  2 sharp, sharpened, razor-sharp,
             razor-like, knife-edged; trenchant, incisive, cutting,
             rapier-like, pointed, mordant, acid, vitriolic, acerbic,
             astringent, biting, acrid, acrimonious, stinging, scorching,
             caustic, searing, withering, virulent, pungent, sarcastic,
             sardonic:  This axe is very keen, so be careful. With his keen
             wit, the playwright answered his severest critics. His play is a
             keen satire on the government. 3 painful, bitter, acute,
             poignant, fierce, grievous, severe, distressing, distressful,
             strong, deep, profound, intense, extreme, heartfelt:  She felt
             keen resentment at the way she had been treated.  4 vivid,
             detailed, specific, unmistaken, unmistakable or unmistakeable,
             distinct:  He has a keen recollection of seeing the suspect on
             the bus.  5 sharp, acute, sensitive, penetrating,
             discriminating, fine:  The bloodhound has an extremely keen
             sense of smell.  6 intelligent, sharp, acute, perceptive,
             perspicacious, percipient, sensitive, discerning, astute, smart,
             bright, discriminating, discriminative, quick(-witted), shrewd,
             clever, canny, cunning, crafty, wise:  Philip has a keen
             understanding of what is required of him.  7 keen on or about.
             fond of, enamoured of, devoted to, interested in:  Alan is
             almost as keen on Mary as on his stamp collection.

   keenэ     v.  1 weep, wail, moan, lament, mourn, grieve; bewail, bemoan:
             Finnegan's widow still keens over him.

             --n.  2 dirge, elegy, knell, lament, lamentation, Requiem,
             monody, threnody, thanatopsis, epicedium , Scots and Irish
             coronach:  The keens could be heard throughout the
             neighbourhood.

   keep      v.  1 retain, hold, hang on to, preserve, conserve, have, save,
             maintain, control:  The difficulty is not in making money but in
             keeping it.  2 hold, have, take care or charge of, mind, tend,
             care for, look after, guard, keep an eye on, watch over,
             protect, safeguard; maintain, feed, nourish, victual, board,
             nurture, provide for, provision:  Would you keep this parcel for
             me until I return? They keep chickens and ducks. 3 accumulate,
             save (up), amass, hoard (up), husband, retain, preserve, put or
             stow away:  My brother has kept all the toys he ever had.  4
             maintain, store, preserve:  I keep woollen things in a cedar
             chest.  5 Often, keep on or at. continue, carry on, persist
             (in), persevere (in); prolong, sustain:  How did you keep going
             after Elsa's death? She kept at it all night long. Keep on
             working till I tell you to stop. 6 keep to, abide by, follow,
             obey, mind, adhere to, attend to, pay attention to, heed,
             regard, observe, respect, acknowledge, defer to, accede (to),
             agree (to):  Only a stickler would keep the letter of such a
             law.  7 stay, remain:  Keep off the grass. Keep to the left.  8
             support, finance, provide for, subsidize, maintain:  He kept a
             mistress in Chelsea.  9 confine, detain; imprison, incarcerate,
             jail or Brit also gaol:  The police have kept him overnight.  10
             celebrate, observe, solemnize, memorialize, commemorate:  We
             always kept Easter at my mother's house in the country.  11
             last, be preserved, survive, stand up, stay fresh:  Eggs keep
             longer in the refrigerator.  12 harbour, maintain, safeguard,
             keep dark:  Can you keep a secret?  13 keep from. prevent, keep
             or hold back, restrain, (hold in) check, restrict, prohibit,
             forbid, inhibit, disallow, block, obstruct, deny, curb, deter,
             discourage:  How can I keep my plants from dying while I'm away?
             14 keep in.  a keep or hold back, repress, suppress, stifle,
             smother, muzzle, bottle up, withhold, conceal, hide, shroud,
             mask, camouflage:  She keeps in her true feelings. He could
             hardly keep in the tears.  b confine, shut in or up, coop up,
             detain; fence in:  Keith thought the teacher kept him in after
             school because she liked him.

             --n.  15 upkeep, maintenance, support, room and board,
             subsistence, food, sustenance, living:  He works hard to earn
             his keep.  16 donjon, tower, dungeon:  He was imprisoned in the
             keep of the castle for twenty years.

   keeper    n.  custodian, guardian, guard, warden, caretaker; warder,
             nurse, attendant, Brit minder:  The keepers are very strict
             about not letting people feed the animals. How come they let you
             out without your keeper?

   keepsake  n.  memento, souvenir, token, reminder, remembrance, relic:  The
             locket is a keepsake from those happy days in Antibes.

   keg       n.  cask, barrel, butt, hogshead, tun, puncheon:  We bought a
             keg of beer for the party.

   kernel    n.  1 grain, seed, pip, stone; nut, meat, US nut-meat:  Try to
             extract the walnut kernel without breaking it.  2 centre, core,
             nucleus, heart, essence, quintessence, substance, gist, pith,
             nub, quiddity:  Let's get down to the kernel of the problem.

   key       n.  1 latchkey, skeleton key, passkey, opener:  Have you lost
             your car keys again? You will need a key to open the air valve
             on the radiator. 2 clue, cue, guide, indication, indicator,
             explanation:  The key to his behaviour can probably be found in
             the way his mother treated him in his childhood. 3 pitch, tone,
             timbre, level, tonality, frequency:  The song was originally
             written in the key of C.  4 legend, explanation, description,
             explication, clarification, translation:  A key to the symbols
             appears on every other page.  5 mood, tenor, tone, humour,
             style:  In this passage there is a change to a more sombre key.

             --adj.  6 important, essential, vital, necessary, crucial,
             critical, main, pivotal:  Automatic reversal is a key feature of
             this cassette player. Roderick is a key man in the company.

   keystone  n.  necessity, crux, linchpin, basis, principle, foundation,
             cornerstone:  Predestination was the keystone of his religion.

11.2 kick...
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   kick      v.  1 boot, punt:  The basic aim in soccer is to kick the ball
             into the back of the net. 2 recoil, backlash, rebound:  The
             shotgun kicked when I fired it.

             --n.  3 punt, drop-kick:  His kick sent the ball down the field.
             4 recoil, backlash, rebound:  That gun has quite a kick!

   kickback  n.  rebate, refund, share, compensation, commission, percentage,
             reward; bribe, pay-off, Colloq chiefly US payola, US plugola:
             We get a kickback on every computer sold. Some disc jockeys were
             accepting kickbacks for playing particular records.

   kidnap    v.  abduct, capture, seize, carry off, Slang snatch:  He was
             kidnapped by guerrillas and held prisoner for over two years.

   kill      v.  1 execute, slay, murder, assassinate, do away with, put to
             death, cause the death of, liquidate, dispatch or despatch, take
             (someone's) life, finish (off), put an end to, write 'finis' to,
             silence, kill off, administer the coup de grѓce, eliminate, put
             (someone) out of (his or her) misery, exterminate, extinguish,
             obliterate, eradicate, destroy, annihilate, massacre, slaughter,
             decimate, butcher, (of animals) put down, put to sleep, Slang do
             in, bump or knock off, hit, polish off, snuff (out), take for a
             ride, US waste, rub out, ice, fit with concrete overshoes or a
             wooden kimono:  He was the third police officer to be killed
             this year.  2 destroy, ruin, devastate, ravage, wreak or work
             havoc (up)on, kill off:  The entire orange crop was killed by
             the sudden frost.  3 muffle, neutralize, deaden, damp, silence,
             nullify, dull, absorb, smother, stifle, suppress, still:  This
             padding should kill the noise of the motor.  4 exhaust, tire
             (out), fatigue, weary, Colloq fag (out):  Pushing that mower all
             day nearly killed me.  5 hurt, pain, torment, torture:  These
             shoes are killing me.  6 quash, suppress, defeat, veto, cancel:
             The tobacco interests campaigned to kill the bill to ban smoking
             in public places. 7 consume, use up, spend, while away, occupy,
             fill, pass, idle:  While waiting, I killed time doing a
             crossword puzzle.

             --n.  8 game, prey; quarry:  The lioness allowed her cubs to eat
             part of the kill.  9 death, killing, end, finish, deathblow,
             coup de grѓce; termination, denouement or d‚nouement,
             conclusion:  She wants to be in at the kill.

   killer    n.  1 murderer, assassin, slayer, cutthroat, butcher,
             exterminator, Bluebeard, (Jack the) ripper, Slang US torpedo,
             hit man, triggerman, gunsel, hooligan, gunfighter, iceman,
             hatchet man:  What are the statistics on the number of killers
             who are not caught?  2 Slang old-fashioned bee's knees, US
             humdinger, doozy, killer-diller (from Manila), lallapalooza or
             lollapalooza, lulu, daisy, dilly:  The new show at the Odeon is
             a killer.

   killing   n.  1 murder, carnage, butchery, execution, slaughter,
             bloodshed, death, massacre, genocide, liquidation, mass murder
             or destruction, decimation, extermination, blood bath,
             manslaughter; slaying, homicide, fatality:  The killing of
             dissidents must stop. There has been another killing in the
             park. 2 coup, bonanza, success, windfall, stroke of luck, gain,
             profit, Colloq Brit bomb:  They've made a killing on the Stock
             Exchange.

             --adj.  3 devastating, ruinous, destructive, punishing,
             exhausting, debilitating, fatiguing, tiring, enervating,
             difficult, arduous:  How can you keep up the killing pace of
             having two jobs?

   killjoy   n.  spoilsport, damper, dampener, grouch, grump, malcontent,
             pessimist, cynic, prophet of doom, Cassandra, Colloq wet
             blanket, sourpuss, US party pooper, gloomy Gus, picklepuss:  Go
             to the dance and stop being such a killjoy!

   kin       n.  1 family, relative(s), relation(s), kindred, kinsfolk or US
             and Canadian kinfolk, kinsman, kinswoman, stock, clan,
             blood-relation(s), blood-relative(s):  We might have the same
             name, but he's no kin of mine. Grandmother says that too many
             people are thoughtless of their kin these days.

             --adj.  2 related, akin (to), kindred, consanguineous,
             consanguine, cognate, agnate:  One often forgets that all men
             are kin.

   kind°     adj.  friendly, kindly, nice, congenial, affable, approachable,
             amiable, obliging, accommodating, amicable, well-disposed,
             courteous, good, good-natured, benevolent, well-meaning,
             well-wishing, thoughtful, well-intentioned, generous,
             big-hearted, humanitarian, charitable, philanthropic, gentle,
             understanding, sympathetic, considerate, lenient, tolerant,
             indulgent, compassionate, kind-hearted, gracious, warm,
             warm-hearted, cordial, tender-hearted, affectionate:  It was
             kind of you to stop and help us. I never thought of him as a
             kind man.

   kindэ     n.  1 sort, type, variety, style, genre, species, class, breed;
             brand, make:  What kind of tree is the cypress? Do we always
             have to have the same kind of breakfast cereal? 2 nature,
             character, manner, description, sort, persuasion, stripe,
             feather, kidney:  What kind of person is she? Today's students
             are of a totally different kind.

   kindle    v.  ignite, light, set alight, set fire to, set afire, inflame,
             fire, foment, incite, instigate, provoke, prompt, prick, goad,
             spur, whip up, stir (up), work up, excite, agitate, shake up,
             jolt, arouse, rouse, (a)waken, inspire, inspirit, stimulate,
             animate, enliven, energize, innervate, galvanize:  Kindling a
             fire in the rain is not easy. The wholesale pillaging kindled a
             feeling of deep resentment among the native population.

   kindly    adj.  1 See kind.

             --adv.  2 cordially, graciously, obligingly, amiably, amicably,
             politely, genially, courteously, thoughtfully, considerately,
             hospitably, agreeably, pleasantly:  He very kindly invited me in
             for a cup of tea.  3 please, be so kind as to, be good enough
             to:  Would you kindly pass the salt?

   kindness  n.  1 friendliness, kind-heartedness, warm-heartedness,
             graciousness, goodness, good-naturedness, good-heartedness, good
             will, benevolence, benignity, humaneness, humanity, decency,
             tenderness, gentleness, kindliness, charity, charitableness,
             generosity, philanthropy, beneficence, compassion, sympathy,
             understanding, thoughtfulness, consideration, cordiality,
             hospitality, warmth, geniality, indulgence, tolerance, patience:
             We shall always appreciate the kindness shown to us by our hosts
             during our visit. 2 favour, good deed or turn, service, act of
             kindness; generosity, assistance, aid:  She did me a great
             kindness in introducing me to you. How can I repay your
             kindness?

   kindred   adj.  1 close, associated, united, allied, analogous, like,
             similar, matching, parallel, common, related; akin:  Because we
             both like sports, Samantha's interests are kindred to mine. 2
             related, consanguineous, consanguine, cognate, agnate:
             Linguists regard the Romance languages as kindred tongues.

             --n.  3 See kin, 1.

   king      n.  prince, crowned head, majesty, sovereign, monarch, ruler,
             regent, Colloq Brit royal:  In former times, the king had power
             of life and death over his subjects.

   kingdom   n.  1 realm, empire, sovereignty, principality, monarchy:  He
             sought a suitable wife throughout the kingdom.  2 field, area,
             domain, province, sphere (of influence), territory, bailiwick,
             Colloq turf:  The operating theatre is the surgeon's kingdom.

   kink      n.  1 twist, crimp, tangle, knot, wrinkle, curl, coil, curlicue,
             crinkle:  Those kinks wouldn't occur if you had coiled the rope
             properly.  2 pang, twinge, stab, spasm, cramp, stitch, tweak,
             crick:  I have a kink in my neck from constantly looking down.
             3 difficulty, complication, flaw, hitch, snag, defect,
             imperfection, distortion, deformity:  There were several kinks
             that had to be ironed out before the plan was presented to the
             board. 4 crotchet, quirk, whim, caprice, fancy, vagary,
             eccentricity, idiosyncrasy:  He would win more support if he rid
             himself of certain kinks in his thinking.

   kinky     adj.  1 outlandish, peculiar, odd, queer, quirky, bizarre,
             crotchety, eccentric, strange, idiosyncratic, different,
             offbeat, unorthodox, capricious, irregular, erratic,
             unconventional, unique, freakish, weird, fantastic, whimsical:
             This school is not interested in kinky notions of education.  2
             perverted, unnatural, deviant, degenerate, warped, abnormal,
             depraved:  There is a rumour that they engage in kinky sex.  3
             crisp, frizzy, frizzed, frizzled, curly, crimped, wiry; knotted,
             tangled, twisted:  He has kinky red hair.

   kinship   n.  1 consanguinity, (blood) relationship, (family) ties,
             (common) descent, lineage, flesh and blood:  At that time,
             several of the royal houses of Europe were connected by kinship.
             2 connection, correspondence, parallelism, relationship,
             similarity, association, agreement, alliance; affinity:  There
             is a clear kinship among the Germanic languages. She felt a
             kinship with other adopted children.

   kiss      v.  1 osculate, peck, Colloq smack, smooch, neck, Old-fashioned
             spoon, canoodle:  I kissed her on the cheek. A young couple were
             kissing on the park bench. 2 touch, brush, graze:  The cue-ball
             barely kissed the black, toppling it into the pocket.  3 kiss
             goodbye. bid adieu, say farewell to, give up, relinquish,
             abandon, forsake, desert, renounce, repudiate, forget (about),
             dismiss, disregard, ignore:  With those marks, you can kiss
             goodbye to any thought of winning a scholarship.

             --n.  4 osculation, peck, Colloq smack, smooch, US and Canadian
             buss, Slang Brit smacker:  He ran over and gave me a big hug and
             a kiss.

   kit       n.  apparatus, gear, equipment, paraphernalia, appurtenances,
             rig, accoutrements or US also accouterments, tackle, trappings,
             supplies, furnishings; instruments, tools, utensils, implements:
             Did you bring your tennis kit? The model aeroplanes were built
             from kits. The plumber left his tool kit behind.

   kitchen   n.  kitchenette, cookhouse; scullery, pantry, larder; Nautical
             galley, Brit caboose:  He was in the kitchen getting dinner
             ready.

   kittenish adj.  coy, seductive, flirtatious, coquettish, sportive,
             playful:  Barbara tends to get a bit kittenish when she's with
             men.

   kitty     n.  pot, pool, collection:  Has he contributed anything to the
             kitty?

11.3 knack...
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   knack     n.  genius, intuition, talent, gift, talent, facility, skill,
             aptitude, bent; ability, flair, dexterity, capacity, adroitness,
             proficiency, skilfulness:  He has an uncanny knack for saying
             the wrong thing. When it comes to gourmet cooking, Peggy
             certainly has the knack.

   knife     n.  1 blade:  This knife couldn't cut through warm butter.

             --v.  2 stab, pierce, slash, cut, wound:  There was a struggle,
             and one youth was knifed in the chest.

   knit      v.  1 join or fasten or weave (together), interweave, interlace,
             interconnect, intertwine, link, bind, unite, tie (up or
             together), consolidate, combine, compact:  He was the first king
             to succeed in knitting together the diverse elements of the
             empire. 2 grow (together), heal, mend, join:  The broken bones
             will knit in about a month.  3 furrow, contract, wrinkle, knot,
             crease:  He knit his brow and sighed.

   knob      n.  boss, stud, protuberance, projection, protrusion, handle:
             Turn the knob, then pull the drawer open.

   knock     v.  1 strike, hit, rap, thwack, whack, thump, bang, tap:  Knock
             on the door. He knocked the man on the head with his
             walking-stick.  2 Colloq criticize, deprecate, carp or cavil at,
             disparage, put down, run down:  Don't knock something till
             you've tried it.  3 knock about or around.  a wander, roam,
             ramble, rove, travel, gad about:  She's going to knock about the
             world for a bit before settling down. b associate with, consort
             with:  He was only knocking about with some of the boys.  c
             discuss, debate, talk over, Colloq kick about or around:  I have
             a business proposition that I want to knock around with you. d
             beat (up), maltreat, mistreat, maul, manhandle, batter, abuse,
             hit, strike:  He's been known to knock his wife about.  4 knock
             down.  a raze, demolish, destroy, level, wreck, lay in ruins,
             throw or pull down:  They knocked down those beautiful old
             houses and erected an ugly office block in their place. b fell,
             floor, cut down:  As soon as he got up, McCloskey knocked him
             down again.  5 knock off.  Colloq a stop work(ing), quit, go
             home, clock off or out, terminate, lock up, close down:  I think
             I'll knock off for a few hours' rest.  b steal, pilfer, thieve,
             rob, Colloq lift, Brit pinch, Slang Brit nick, US knock over:
             Two men in balaclavas knocked off the bank in the High Street.
             c See kill, 1.  d make quick or short work of, complete, finish,
             bring to an end, Colloq polish off:  He knocked off that book in
             a week.  e US copy, imitate:  They knock off expensive items,
             then sell them for much less than the originals. 6 knock out.  a
             knock or render unconscious, floor, prostrate, trounce, whip,
             Slang flatten, K.O.  or kayo:  The smart money says that the
             challenger will knock out the champion in the third round. b
             overwhelm, overcome, daze, stagger, astound, astonish, bewilder,
             stun, Colloq bowl over, blow (someone's) mind, Slang Brit knock
             for six:  She'll really knock them out in that dress!  7 knock
             up.  a knock or put together, improvise:  I think I can knock up
             something quickly that will pass muster.  b arouse, (a)waken,
             wake up:  They knocked me up at dawn to go to work.  c Slang
             impregnate, get with child, make pregnant:  Her boyfriend
             knocked her up and then refused to marry her.

             --n.  8 blow, rap, tap, thump, pounding, hammering:  I was woken
             by a knock on the wall from my neighbour.  9 blow, punch, jab,
             smack, thwack, whack, right, left, cuff, Colloq clout, bop,
             biff, conk:  He gave me a knock on the nose, and it started to
             bleed.  10 slap (in the face), censure, criticism, condemnation,
             slur, insult:  My latest novel took quite a few knocks from the
             reviewers.

   knock-off n.  Colloq US imitation, copy, simulation, replica, facsimile,
             duplication:  This cheap knock-off of a њ1000 watch is selling
             for њ50.

   knockout  n.  1 coup de grѓce, Slang K.O., kayo:  Carnera won by a
             knockout in the first round.  2 success, sensation, triumph,
             Colloq hit, winner, smash, smash hit, stunner:  She looks a
             knockout with her new hairstyle.

   knoll     n.  hillock, hummock, mound, barrow, hill, elevation, rise:  We
             climbed to the top of the knoll where we had a better view of
             the house.

   knot      n.  1 snarl, gnarl, tangle; tie, bond:  I cannot loosen this
             knot.  2 collection, assemblage, aggregation, congregation,
             crowd, cluster, bunch, gathering, company, band, gang, crowd,
             throng:  A small knot of people were standing in front of my
             painting.

             --v.  3 fasten, tie, bind, secure, lash, tether, affix, fix,
             attach:  I knotted the rope around his neck.

   know      v.  1 understand, comprehend, be familiar with, grasp, be
             acquainted with, be versed or skilled in:  Do you know anything
             about nuclear physics? I know Italian fairly well. She knows how
             to dance the tango. 2 recognize, identify, recall, remember,
             recollect:  I know him from somewhere.  3 be sure or certain or
             positive:  I knew I was right! I just know I'm going to win the
             first prize.  4 distinguish, separate, discern, differentiate,
             recognize, identify:  Charles doesn't know right from wrong.  5
             be aware or conscious or cognizant of, be informed or advised
             of, have knowledge of:  He knows that he cannot fire her because
             she knows too much.

   knowing   adj.  1 conspiratorial or conspiratory, secret, private;
             significant, meaningful, eloquent, expressive; shrewd, canny,
             artful, sly, wily, crafty:  She gave him a knowing wink.  2
             wise, clever, shrewd, (well-)informed, knowledgeable or
             knowledgable, aware, expert, qualified, astute, perceptive,
             intelligent, sagacious:  Harold is quite knowing about horses,
             why not ask him?

   knowledge n.  1 knowing, awareness, apprehension, cognition, grasp,
             understanding, discernment, consciousness, conception, insight:
             Miles's knowledge of history is extensive.  2 facts,
             information, data, intelligence:  They had no knowledge of any
             defections to the enemy.  3 acquaintance, acquaintanceship,
             familiarity, appreciation, conversance, expertise, experience,
             adeptness, proficiency:  Has he any knowledge of their work on
             the DNA molecule?  4 schooling, education, scholarship,
             instruction, learning, erudition:  A little knowledge is a
             dangerous thing.

   knowledgeable
             adj.  1 knowledgable, aware, au fait, au courant, up to date,
             (well-)informed, (well-)acquainted, cognizant, familiar,
             enlightened, expert, knowing, Colloq in the know:  She is
             knowledgeable about events in eastern Europe.  2 well-educated,
             erudite, learned, cultured, well-read, intelligent,
             sophisticated, worldly, wise, sage, sagacious:  Professor Evans
             is one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met.

11.4 kowtow
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   kowtow    v.  Often, kowtow to. genuflect (before), salaam (to), prostrate
             oneself (before), bow (down) (to or before), pay court to,
             scrape before, cringe before, fawn (before), grovel (before),
             toady ((up) to), pander to, truckle ((up) to), dance attendance
             on, Colloq butter up, Slang suck up to, play up to, shine up to,
             Taboo slang US brown-nose:  He kowtows to anyone who he thinks
             may be of use to him.

11.5 kudos
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   kudos     n.  praise, acclaim, glory, fame, renown, honour, plaudits,
             applause, laudation, acclamation, accolade:  They got a lot of
             kudos out of funding a new opera-house.

12.0 L
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12.1 label...
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   label     n.  1 identification, identifier, ID, mark, marker, earmark,
             tag, ticket, sticker, stamp, imprint, hallmark, brand, Brit
             docket:  The label shows the weight, composition, and price of
             the contents.  A proper shipping label should show both source
             and destination. 2 name, denomination, designation, appellation,
             nickname, epithet, sobriquet, classification, characterization,
             description:  It is difficult to give a label to the kind of
             novels she writes.  3 trade mark, trade name, brand, logo, mark:
             Many supermarket chains market products under their own label.

             --v.  4 identify (as), mark, tag, earmark, ticket, stamp,
             hallmark, imprint, brand, Brit docket:  In those days, every
             liberal was labelled a communist. Prepared food packages must be
             labelled with their ingredients. 5 name, denominate, designate,
             call, term, dub, classify, categorize, pigeon-hole, class,
             characterize, describe, portray, identify, Colloq US peg:  We
             cannot label Voltaire either spiritualist or materialist.

   laborious adj.  1 arduous, burdensome, onerous, strenuous, gruelling,
             back-breaking, Herculean, exhausting, taxing, tiring, fatiguing,
             wearying, wearisome, toilsome, difficult, tough, hard, uphill,
             stiff:  Few realize how laborious farm work can be.  2
             painstaking, detailed, careful, thorough, diligent, scrupulous,
             exhaustive, steady, steadfast, relentless, unrelenting, dogged,
             assiduous, sedulous, persevering, persistent, untiring,
             tireless, indefatigable, unremitting:  After laborious research
             the virus was finally identified.  3 industrious, hard-working,
             dogged, determined, unwavering, obstinate, stubborn, unflagging,
             obdurate:  He made a laborious effort to get ahead.  4 laboured,
             strained, forced, ponderous, overworked:  The book contains some
             of the most laborious prose ever written.

   labour    n.  1 toil, (hard) work, travail, exertion, effort,
             laboriousness, strain, drudgery, pains, industry, slavery,
             donkey-work, Colloq sweat, grind, elbow-grease, Brit swot:  They
             know the labour involved in building a road.  2 employees,
             workers, wage-earners, labourers:  A meeting between labour and
             management is scheduled for today.  3 effort, task, job, chore,
             undertaking:  Raising funds for the museum was a labour of love.
             4 travail, childbirth, parturition, labour pains, contractions,
             delivery:  She went into labour at midnight, and the twins were
             born just after four.

             --v.  5 work, toil, travail, drudge, strain, strive, struggle,
             slave, Colloq sweat, grind, Brit peg away (at), swot:  We
             laboured hard to get where we are today.  6 dwell on, overdo,
             overemphasize, harp on, overstress, strain, Colloq belabour:  I
             heard you the first time, so don't labour the point.  7 labour
             under. be burdened or troubled or distressed by, be deluded or
             deceived by, be disadvantaged by, suffer, endure:  He is
             labouring under a misapprehension. She labours under the
             impression that she will not be affected by a lack of education.

   laboured  adj.  1 strained, forced, difficult, hard, laborious, heavy:
             His breathing became laboured.  2 overdone, excessive,
             overwrought, ornate, elaborate, overworked, over-embellished,
             contrived, affected, artificial, unnatural:  Her writing style
             is very laboured and much too stiff.

   labourer  n.  worker, workman, hand, blue-collar worker, working man,
             manual worker, drudge, Colloq Brit navvy:  Get some labourers to
             clear away that rubble.

   labyrinthine
             adj.  labyrinthian, maze-like, mazy, tortuous, sinuous, winding,
             convoluted, complicated, confusing, perplexing, puzzling,
             enigmatic, baffling, confounding, complex, Daedalian or
             Daedalean or Daedalic, daedal, intricate, Byzantine, twisted,
             gnarled, snarled, tangled, knotted, knotty, Gordian:  The plot
             was so labyrinthine that the audience was unable to follow it.

   lace      n.  1 lace-work, tatting, openwork, filigree, mesh, web,
             webbing, net, netting, network:  She wore a collar of handmade
             lace.  2 shoelace, shoestring, bootlace, cord, string, thong,
             tie, lacing:  They made me remove my belt, tie, and laces before
             locking me in a cell.

             --v.  3 thread, weave, string, twine, interweave, intertwine:
             First lace the cord through the eyelets, then draw it tight.  4
             spike, fortify, strengthen:  I saw her lace my punch with vodka,
             so I didn't drink it.  5 lace into.  a attack, assault, beat,
             assail, thrash, belabour, fall on or upon, set upon, pounce on
             or upon, lay into, Colloq light into:  The brothers laced into
             one another with a fury.  b berate, scold, revile, attack,
             upbraid, castigate, rant or rave at:  She really laced into me
             for being an hour late for dinner.

   lacerate  v.  gash, cut, slash, tear, rip, claw, mangle; wound, rend,
             hurt:  My feet were lacerated by the sharp stones. She suffered
             a lacerating attack from him for forgetting to pass on the
             message.

   lack      n.  1 want, deficiency, dearth, absence, scarcity, shortage,
             need, insufficiency, paucity, deficit, inadequacy:  We suffered
             from a severe lack of water. The orchestra is experiencing a
             serious lack of talent at the moment.

             --v.  2 want, need, require, be deficient in, be or fall short
             of, be without:  He lacks the votes needed to win. Simon lacks
             the ability to paint any better.

   lackadaisical
             adj.  1 lethargic, languorous, languid, listless, lazy,
             sluggish, spiritless, idle, indolent, inactive, slothful,
             fain‚ant:  She's much too lackadaisical to go out and get a job.
             2 unenthusiastic, dull, apathetic, insouciant, uncaring,
             unconcerned, indifferent, blas‚, cold, cool, lukewarm, tepid,
             unexcited, phlegmatic, unemotional, unexcitable, uninterested,
             unimpressed, uninspired, unmoved, pococurante:  How can you
             explain the government's lackadaisical attitude towards the
             greenhouse effect?

   lacklustre
             adj.  drab, dull, lustreless, flat, dingy, colourless, dismal,
             dreary, unexciting, boring, prosaic, tiresome, tedious,
             wearisome, uninteresting, two-dimensional, insipid, vapid,
             bland, unimaginative, thick, slow, dense, Colloq wishy-washy,
             blah:  He gave a very lacklustre performance as Shylock. She has
             been leading a lacklustre life since John left.

   lad       n.  boy, young man, fellow, schoolboy, youth, juvenile,
             youngster, hobbledehoy, stripling, (street) urchin, (street)
             Arab, gamin, Colloq guy, (little) shaver, kid, US sprout:  Round
             up a few of the lads for a game of football.

   ladylike  adj.  well-bred, well-born, aristocratic, noble; refined,
             respectable, cultured, polished, elegant, mannerly, gracious,
             genteel, courteous, polite, courtly, dignified, proper, correct,
             decorous:  I cannot believe that Mrs Gibson did not behave in a
             ladylike way.

   lag       v.  1 fall behind, linger, loiter, delay, straggle, trail, hang
             back, dally, dawdle, inch or poke along:  If you lag behind too
             far, you'll never catch up.  2 diminish, decrease, slacken,
             abate, slow (down or up), flag, wane, ebb, falter, fail, let up,
             fall (off or away), ease (up), lighten:  Contributions to the
             fund are lagging. Military preparations are lagging.

   laggard   n.  straggler, idler, dawdler, loiterer, slouch, sluggard,
             loafer, snail, loller, Colloq Brit slowcoach , US slowpoke:  As
             a young boy he was always the laggard, dragging along behind
             everyone else.

   lair      n.  1 den, burrow, hole, nest, tunnel, cave, hollow, covert:  We
             cautiously approached the lair of the man-eating tiger.  2
             hide-out, hideaway, retreat, hiding-place, refuge, asylum,
             sanctuary, Colloq hidey-hole or hidy-hole:  Oliver will not
             emerge from his lair before tea-time.

   laissez-faire
             n.  laisser-faire, laissez-faireism, free enterprise,
             non-intervention, non-interference, freedom, free trade,
             individualism, laissez-aller or laisser-aller, deregulation,
             decontrol, laxness:  The government's policy of laissez-faire
             has spurred business on.

   lambaste  v.  1 beat, whip, scourge, flog, lash, maul, horsewhip, cane,
             birch, thrash, bludgeon, trounce, drub, pummel, batter,
             belabour, cudgel:  Terry threatened to lambaste anyone who
             interfered.  2 censure, rebuke, scold, reprimand, chide,
             admonish, reprove, upbraid, berate, scold, revile, attack,
             castigate, flay, Colloq dress down, get on (someone's) back,
             rake or haul over the coals, US call down, Slang chew or bawl
             out:  The press lambasted the company for its unfair employment
             policies.

   lame      adj.  1 crippled, disabled, handicapped, hobbled, limping,
             incapacitated, impaired, halting, halt, spavined, Colloq US
             gimpy:  The mare was found to be lame after the previous day's
             hunting.  2 feeble, weak, flimsy, thin, unconvincing,
             unpersuasive, awkward, clumsy, poor, ineffective, Colloq
             half-baked:  Refusing to go because you have a headache sounds
             like a pretty lame excuse to me.

   lament    v.  1 mourn, bemoan, bewail, wail, weep (over), grieve (for or
             over), keen (over), sorrow (for or over):  A year later, and she
             is still lamenting the death of her hamster?!

             --n.  2 lamentation, moaning, mourning; keen, dirge, elegy,
             knell, Requiem, monody, threnody, thanatopsis, epicedium, Scots
             and Irish coronach:  Laments for Kitty's late husband were heard
             throughout the village.

   lamentable
             adj.  deplorable, wretched, miserable, terrible, distressing,
             awful, regrettable, pitiful, despicable, intolerable,
             unfortunate:  The hall was left in a lamentable state after the
             party. His death was presaged by a lamentable series of events.

   lamentation
             n.  mourning, grieving, moaning, weeping, wailing, crying,
             sobbing, lamenting:  The lamentation went on far into the night.

   lampoon   n.  1 burlesque, caricature, satire, parody, pasquinade or
             pasquil, squib, Colloq take-off, Brit send-up:  The students
             published a hilarious lampoon of the teaching staff.

             --v.  2 burlesque, caricature, satirize, parody, pasquinade or
             pasquil, mock, ridicule, squib, US skewer, Colloq take off, put
             or run down, Brit send up:  The cows we hold most sacred are
             often lampooned by irreverent cartoonists.

   lance     n.  1 spear, pike, javelin, assegai; lancet:  He transfixed the
             knight with his lance, and claimed victory in the joust.

             --v.  2 pierce, stab, puncture, prick, incise, open, slit:  The
             boil must be lanced at once to draw out the poison.

   land      n.  1 earth, (solid) ground, terra firma:  After weeks in an
             open boat, Captain Bligh was relieved to have land under his
             feet again. 2 dirt, earth, soil, turf, sod, loam, mould:
             Trumble tilled the land as his ancestors had done for
             generations.  3 property, grounds, real property or realty or US
             and Canadian also real estate, acreage; estate:  How much land
             goes with the house?  4 fatherland, motherland, nation, country,
             homeland, native land:  The land of our fathers flowed with milk
             and honey.

             --v.  5 arrive, alight, light, touch or come or go down, splash
             down, settle on or upon, come to rest, berth, dock, disembark,
             debark, go ashore, deplane, dismount:  The plane was forced to
             land on the water. We land at dawn.  6 catch, capture, take
             captive, Colloq bag:  He was unable to land the shark unaided.
             7 Colloq get, secure, obtain, win, acquire:  He finally landed a
             job with his father-in-law. Sadie finally landed a millionaire!

   landing   n.  1 touchdown, alighting, splashdown, docking:  The fog made
             landing quite dangerous.  2 disembarkation, deplaning, arrival:
             After landing, passengers proceed through passport control.  3
             landing-place, dock, pier, jetty, wharf, quay:  We walked onto
             the landing to watch the ship come in.

   landlady  n.  1 proprietor or proprietress, lady of the house, mistress,
             manager or Brit manageress, hostess:  My landlady owns three bed
             and breakfasts.  2 See landlord, 2, below.

   landlord  n.  1 host, publican, proprietor, innkeeper, hotelier, manager,
             restaurateur, Boniface:  Landlord! Two pints of your best
             bitter!  2 landlady, landowner, householder, (property) owner,
             lessor, Brit freeholder:  My landlord has raised my rent
             claiming that his expenses have increased.

   landmark  n.  1 feature, guide, guidepost; identification:  The tower
             serves as a landmark for those seeking the castle.  2
             turning-point, watershed, milestone, monument:  His essay
             remains a landmark in philosophical thought.

             --attributive 3 critical, crucial, pivotal, important, historic,
             significant, precedent-setting, momentous, notable, noteworthy,
             major:  This stands out as a landmark decision in the annals of
             criminal law.

   landscape n.  prospect, view, scene, aspect, vista, countryside:  Here and
             there the landscape is dotted with spinneys.

   language  n.  1 speech, tongue, idiom, parlance, dialect, idiolect,
             patois, jargon, cant, argot, vernacular, Colloq lingo:  How many
             languages do you speak?  2 communication, intercourse,
             interaction:  Karl von Frisch studied the language of the bees.
             3 jargon, lingua franca, vocabulary, terminology, vernacular,
             Colloq lingo:  In medical language, a head cold is called
             'coryza'.  4 wording, words, phrasing, phraseology, style,
             diction:  Guarantees, insurance policies, and other such things
             should be written in simple language.

   lanky     adj.  thin, loose-jointed, lank, lean, gaunt, gangling, rangy,
             long-legged:  They recruited three tall, lanky youths for the
             basketball team.

   lap°      v.  1 Often, lap up. lick up, tongue; sip, drink:  In a moment,
             the cat had lapped all the cream from the saucer.  2 wash,
             splash, ripple, plash, purl:  The water rose till it was lapping
             at the doorstep.  3 lap up.  a consume, drink, eat:  The dog
             lapped up every last scrap of food.  b accept, believe, credit,
             fall for, Colloq swallow (whole), buy:  She lapped up Felix's
             sob story and invited him in at once.

   lapэ      n.  1 circuit, orbit, ambit, circle, tour, trip, revolution:
             She runs four laps round the track every day for exercise.  2
             flap, fold, lappet, projection, lapel, overlap:  This lap hides
             the zip.

             --v.  3 overlap, fold, enfold, envelop, wrap:  Lap the fabric so
             as to cover the seam.

   lapse     n.  1 slip, error, mistake, fault, failing, oversight, blunder,
             shortcoming, omission, Formal lapsus, Colloq slip-up, fluff,
             goof:  Apart from a brief lapse, the child behaved very well.
             Owing to a lapse, your payment was not credited. 2 gap, break,
             interval, intermission, interruption, pause, lacuna, hiatus,
             Prosody caesura, Colloq hold-up:  Listeners in Scotland
             experienced a lapse in transmission, for which we apologize. 3
             decline, lowering, fall, deterioration, drop, diminution,
             descent:  There has been a serious lapse in church attendance.

             --v.  4 decline, lower, fall, drop, diminish, sink, slip, slump,
             subside, deteriorate:  Despite the doctor's best efforts, he
             lapsed into a coma.  5 run out, expire, be discontinued, become
             void, terminate, end, cease, stop:  Your option to sell the
             shares at the offering price lapses on Friday. 6 pass, elapse,
             go by, slip away:  Three months had lapsed since she last saw
             him.

   large     adj.  1 big, great, broad, stout, heavy, thickset, chunky,
             stocky, heavy-set, brawny, husky, sturdy, hefty, muscular,
             strapping, burly, solid, weighty, corpulent, fat, obese, rotund,
             portly, adipose, beamy, overweight:  Two large gentlemen came up
             and offered to help me find the door.  2 big, generous,
             bountiful, charitable, eleemosynary, philanthropic, open-handed,
             magnanimous, munificent, unselfish, big-hearted, large-hearted,
             substantial, considerable, ample, beneficent, liberal; goodly,
             kind, good; Colloq tidy:  We have to thank Mr Wilson for large
             donations to our Christmas fund. 3 big, huge, ample, enormous,
             gigantic, immense, colossal, monumental, massive, mammoth,
             Brobdingnagian, gargantuan, elephantine, monstrous, staggering,
             sizeable, substantial, wide, broad, capacious, extensive, Colloq
             jumbo, US humongous, ginormous:  The house has a large dining
             room. Supertankers are the largest ships afloat.

             --adv.  4 big, prominently, overwhelmingly, imposingly,
             eminently, pre-eminently:  The problem looms large in the
             history of biology.

             --n.  5 at large.  a free, unfettered, at liberty, on the loose,
             unconfined, unrestrained:  One of the robbers is still at large.
             b generally, mainly, in general, chiefly, as a whole, in a body,
             altogether, in the main:  The people at large support reductions
             in taxes.

   largely   adv.  chiefly, mainly, as a rule, by and large, generally, in
             general, to a great extent, mostly, in great part, in great
             measure, in the main, on the whole, pretty much, essentially, at
             bottom, basically, fundamentally:  The voters are largely in
             favour of keeping the present government.

   largesse  n.  largess, gifts, alms, grants, bonuses, endowments, presents,
             contributions, donations, hand-outs; support, subvention, aid,
             subsidy, charity, philanthropy, generosity, munificence, bounty,
             liberality, open-handedness:  The church depends on the largesse
             of its members.

   lark      n.  1 frolic, spree, escapade, caper, fling, romp, adventure,
             revel, jape, game, antic, horseplay, shenanigans, mischief,
             prank, practical joke:  The boys say they took the horse just as
             a lark.

             --v.  2 Often, lark about. frolic, caper, romp, revel, play,
             sport, cavort, gambol, Colloq skylark:  We spent a lot of time
             larking about after our exams.

   lascivious
             adj.  1 lustful, randy, lecherous, licentious, lewd, prurient,
             salacious, libidinous, erotic, sensual, lubricious or lubricous,
             ruttish, goatish, hircine, satyr-like, wanton, Cyprian,
             debauched, Slang horny, hot:  I wouldn't let that lascivious old
             man near my daughter.  2 pornographic, obscene, blue, lurid,
             indecent, smutty, dirty, Fescennine, filthy, vile, ribald,
             bawdy, gross, coarse, offensive:  He said that such lascivious
             novels should be banned and certainly not read in schools.

   lash°     n.  1 whip, scourge, cat-o'-nine-tails, cat, quirt, knout,
             bull-whip, thong; rope's end:  The bosun gave him twenty of the
             best with his lash.  2 stroke, blow, strike, slash, cut:  Few
             could stand up after five lashes with his whip.

             --v.  3 flog, beat, thrash, switch, whip, scourge, horsewhip,
             lambaste, flail, smite, thwack, Colloq whack:  Any boy was
             liable to be lashed for the most trivial misdemeanour.  4 lash
             out. attack, flay, lambaste, belabour, punish; criticize,
             berate, scold:  She often lashes out at her critics quite
             virulently.

   lashэ     v.  fasten, tie, bind, secure, rope, fix, strap, make fast:  His
             crew lashed Odysseus to the mast as they sailed past the land of
             the Sirens.

   lass      n.  girl, young woman, miss, mademoiselle, schoolgirl,
             Old-fashioned maiden, maid, damsel, demoiselle; Scots lassie,
             Irish colleen:  He has married a young lass from Arbroath.

   lasso     n.  1 lariat, rope, SW US reata or riata:  The cowboy tossed the
             lasso round the calf's neck.

             --v.  2 rope:  He lassoed steers to practise for the rodeo.

   last°     adj.  1 hindmost, rearmost, aftermost; final:  I was the last
             person to board the plane.  2 latest, newest, most recent or up
             to date:  What was the subject of his last novel? During the
             last week I have seen seven films. 3 final, concluding,
             terminal, ultimate, terminating:  The last train to London
             leaves at eleven. She was the last speaker of Cornish. 4
             definitive, conclusive, decisive, closing:  That is my last word
             on the subject.

             --adv.  5 behind, at or in the end, in or at the rear, after:
             My horse always seems to come in last.

             --n.  6 end, termination, finish:  That was the last we ever saw
             of Charlie.  7 at last. finally, eventually, ultimately, at
             length:  At last we shall see the results of our work.

   lastэ     v.  1 continue, endure, survive, keep on, persist, remain, stay,
             abide, carry on, hold out, Colloq go the distance:  He wouldn't
             last a day in my job.  2 wear, stand up, endure, survive:  This
             shirt has lasted through innumerable washings.

   last°     n.  mould, matrix, form, model, pattern:  These shoes were not
             made on the same last as those.

   lasting   adj.  permanent, enduring, durable, everlasting, long-term,
             undying, eternal:  She made a lasting contribution to
             ophthalmology.

   late      adj.  1 tardy, delayed, overdue, behindhand, dilatory,
             unpunctual; belated, US past due:  He was even late for his own
             wedding. Better late than never.  Your mortgage payment is late
             again. 2 recent, last, new, fresh, current, up to date:  Have
             you got a copy of a late edition of today's newspaper?  3
             deceased, departed, dead; former, past, ex-, recent, previous,
             preceding, old (See also 5., below.):  Here is a song by the
             late, great Bing Crosby. He has a meeting with Lord Pamby, late
             chairman of United Oxidation. 4 of late. See 5., below.

             --adv.  5 recently, lately, previously, formerly, once,
             heretofore, in recent or former time(s), of late, latterly (See
             also 3., above.):  They are dining tonight with Sir Keith, late
             of Scotland Yard.  6 till or at an advanced hour or time:  I was
             up late last night. She married late.  7 tardily, unpunctually,
             belatedly:  We arrived too late for the first act.  8 recently,
             lately:  As late as a week ago they were still holding the job
             open for her.

   lately    adv.  See late, 5.

   latest    adj.  1 See last°, 2.  2 fashionable, current, modern, up to the
             minute, Colloq in:  She drives the latest model.

             --n.  3 most recent or up-to-date or modern development or news
             or example:  What's the latest? Have you seen the latest in
             scuba gear?

   lather    n.  1 suds, froth, foam:  He spread lather on his face and began
             to shave.  2 sweat; dither, fuss, pother, flutter, Colloq tizzy,
             state, flap:  He got into a real lather when he missed the
             train.

             --v.  3 soap (up); foam, froth:  The barber lathered my chin
             thoroughly.  4 thrash, beat, belabour, maul, drub, flog, whack,
             pummel, buffet, whip, flail, lash:  If he dared to swear, his
             father would lather him.

   laud      v.  praise, commend, celebrate, sing or speak or sound the
             praises of, honour, acclaim, extol, glorify, promote, advance,
             recommend, exalt:  Bramble's paintings have been lauded by
             leading art critics the world over.

   laudable  adj.  praiseworthy, meritorious, creditable, admirable,
             outstanding, excellent, noteworthy, notable, commendable,
             estimable, creditable:  He has made a laudable effort to keep up
             in his work.

   laudatory adj.  laudative, praiseful, eulogistic, panegyric(al),
             encomiastic(al), complimentary, favourable:  None of the
             laudatory comments made in the introduction was true.

   laugh     v.  1 titter, giggle, snigger, snicker, chuckle, chortle,
             guffaw, split one's sides, Colloq break or crack up, roll on the
             floor, go into hysterics, roar with laughter, hoot:  Whenever he
             wore his hat, they couldn't stop laughing.  2 Often, laugh at.
             a deride, ridicule, mock (at), jeer (at), make a mockery of,
             poke fun (at), make fun or sport (of), make an ass or a fool
             (out) of, tease, taunt, pull (someone's) leg, satirize,
             pasquinade or pasquil, parody, lampoon, jest (at), joke (about),
             scoff (at), scorn, Colloq Brit take the mickey out of, US roast:
             They laughed when I sat down - I didn't know the chair was
             broken. Why did the other children laugh at you? b laugh away or
             off, spurn, dismiss, brush aside, minimize, shrug off, reject,
             ignore, disregard, deny, belittle, Colloq pooh-pooh:  He laughed
             off his injury and insisted on continuing to work.

             --n.  3 titter, giggle, snigger, snicker, chuckle, chortle,
             guffaw, horse laugh:  She would do anything for a laugh.

   laughter  n.  laughing, tittering, giggling, sniggering, snickering,
             chuckling, chortling, guffawing:  Children's laughter filled the
             air.

   launch    v.  1 start (off), set in motion, set or get going, begin,
             embark upon or on, initiate, inaugurate:  The council is about
             to launch a scheme for dockside development.  The attack was
             launched at dawn. 2 originate, establish, organize, set up,
             found, open, start:  Robson is talking about launching a new
             company.  3 shoot, fire, discharge, hurl, throw, sling, pitch,
             fling, catapult, send, dispatch or despatch:  The enemy launched
             ground-to-air missiles against our planes.  4 float, set afloat:
             Two frigates will be launched today.

             --n.  5 inauguration, start, initiation, opening:  The launch of
             the offensive is scheduled for noon tomorrow.  6 boat, skiff,
             tender, motor boat, runabout, gig, dinghy:  The launch will
             shuttle passengers between the pier and the cruise ship.

   launder   v.  1 wash, clean, scrub, cleanse:  The chambermaid laundered
             three shirts for me.  2 legitimize, legitimatize, legitimate,
             legalize:  The money from heroin was being laundered through
             several car dealerships.

   laurels   n.pl.  honour(s), distinction(s), fame, awards, tributes,
             rewards, acclaim, acclamation, glory, renown, celebrity,
             popularity, reputation; successes, accomplishments:  With no new
             fields to conquer, he is resting on his laurels.

   lavatory  n.  water-closet, WC, toilet, bathroom, Colloq Brit the Gents,
             the Ladies('), Men's (Room), rest room, privy, Chiefly military
             or institutional latrine; Nautical head; Brit (public)
             convenience, US equipment, outhouse; Colloq (little) boys' or
             girls' room, powder-room, Brit loo, lav, US can; Slang Brit bog:
             Our new house has two upstairs bathrooms and a downstairs
             lavatory.

   lavish    adj.  1 profuse, abundant, liberal, copious, plentiful,
             prolific, opulent:  He wore a silk tunic with lavish gold
             embroidery.  2 generous, liberal, open-handed, unstinting,
             bountiful, unsparing, unselfish, effusive, free:  She showered
             the most lavish gifts on her children.  3 extravagant, wasteful,
             exaggerated, prodigal, improvident, excessive, unreasonable,
             immoderate, profligate, uncurbed, unrestrained, intemperate:
             The council was accused of lavish overspending on the civic
             centre.

             --v.  4 squander, waste, throw away, dissipate, spend, expend,
             sink:  We lavished a fortune on the gardens.  5 shower, bestow,
             thrust, heap, pour:  Granny always lavished gifts on us.

   law       n.  1 rule, regulation, ordinance, statute, act, enactment,
             by-law, measure, edict, decree, order, directive, injunction,
             command, commandment, canon, mandate, ukase:  They have a law
             that forbids smoking on aeroplanes.  2 corpus juris, (legal)
             code, constitution, rules and regulations, charter, Law equity:
             The law must be applied equally to all citizens.  3 principle,
             proposition, theory, theorem, formula, axiom, deduction,
             corollary, postulate, conclusion, inference:  Not every
             observable phenomenon obeys the laws of physics.

   lawful    adj.  1 legal, licit, legitimate, de jure, constitutional, just,
             rightful, valid, proper:  I am the lawful heir.  2 permissible,
             allowable, justifiable, authorized, allowed, permitted:  It is
             not lawful to let your dog foul the footpath.

   lawless   adj.  1 anarchic(al), anarchistic, chaotic, unruly, unregulated:
             There was a lawless period between the revolution and the
             establishment of government. 2 illegal, illicit, unlawful,
             criminal, felonious, larcenous, dishonest, corrupt, venal,
             Colloq crooked:  Holding a demonstration without a permit is a
             lawless act.  3 villainous, nefarious, wicked, sinful,
             flagitious, iniquitous, treacherous:  He was once a member of a
             lawless motor-cycle gang.

   lawn      n.  sward, greensward, turf, sod, green:  I lay back on the lawn
             and gazed at the sky.

   lawyer    n.  counsel, advocate, member of the bar, legal practitioner,
             Brit solicitor, barrister, Queen's or King's counsel, bencher,
             US attorney(-at-law), counselor(-at-law), Slang US mouthpiece:
             We have turned the case over to a lawyer.

   lax       adj.  1 loose, slack, casual, slipshod, easygoing, careless,
             negligent, permissive, weak, indulgent, flexible, relaxed:  Law
             enforcement has always been lax in that city.  2 imprecise,
             undefined, indefinite, non-specific, unspecific, vague,
             shapeless, amorphous, general, broad, inexact, hit-or-miss,
             careless, untidy, Colloq sloppy:  His ideas about tactics are
             too lax for a military man.

   lay°      v.  1 place, put (down), set (down), position, deposit; spread:
             Lay the cloth on the table, then lay the book on top of it.  2
             set, arrange:  The table was laid for four.  3 Often, lay down.
             establish, build, construct:  Before I can argue my case, I must
             lay a firm foundation of trust.  4 stake, bet, wager, gamble,
             hazard, risk:  I'll lay ten to one that you won't be able to
             move that crate.  5 destroy, suppress, exorcize:  Did Edward
             ever succeed in laying that ghost of a rumour that haunted his
             career for so long? 6 present, offer, submit, set or put forth,
             advance, bring or put forward, set out:  We have laid our
             proposal before the board.  7 charge, impute, direct, lodge,
             prefer, aim, attribute, ascribe:  There is no justification for
             laying the blame on Leonard.  8 copulate (with), couple (with),
             have (sexual) intercourse (with), sleep (with), lie (with), bed,
             go to bed (with), mate (with), have sex (with), go all the way
             (with), service, Slang screw, shack up (with), Brit roger, Taboo
             fuck.  9 lay bare. expose, reveal, uncover, disclose, divulge,
             bring to light, show, unveil, lift the veil from:  She laid bare
             the most intimate details of their relationship.  10 lay down.
             stipulate, require, demand, insist on, dictate:  She laid down
             the conditions on which he could return home.  11 lay hold of.
             seize, grab, snatch, nab, catch or get hold of, get:  I have
             been trying to lay hold of that book for weeks.  12 lay in. See
             19 (a), below.  13 lay into. attack, assault, set about, assail,
             lambaste, belabour:  We laid into the gang and gave them a sound
             drubbing.  14 lay it on. exaggerate, overstate, embroider:
             Don't believe what Frank tells you - he really lays it on pretty
             thick sometimes. 15 lay low. See 18 (c), below.  16 lay off.  a
             suspend; dismiss, discharge, fire, let go, cashier, drum out of
             the corps, Colloq (give the) sack, (give the) axe, kick out,
             (give the) boot, boot out, give (someone) his or her walking
             papers:  Fifty workers were laid off because business was slack.
             b let up, quit (it), stop (it), cease, desist, leave off, leave
             alone, Colloq knock (it) off, cut (it) out, come off (it):  I
             wish you'd lay off for a while and stop bothering me. You must
             lay off phoning your mother twice a day. 17 lay on.  a provide,
             cater (for), supply:  The company laid on quite a Christmas
             party.  b impose, charge, assess; demand, require:  In addition
             to enforcing payment of back taxes, they laid on a penalty of 20
             per cent. 18 lay out.  a design, plan, outline, sketch, arrange,
             set up:  The art department laid out the advertisements for the
             new campaign.  b advance, disburse, spend, expend, pay, give,
             contribute, Colloq shell out, ante up, kick in with, fork out:
             The salesmen often lay out the money for their expenses and are
             then reimbursed. c lay low, floor, prostrate, knock down or out,
             strike or cut down, flatten, fell, strike down, Colloq knock for
             six, kayo or K.O.:  He laid out the challenger with a blow to
             the solar plexus.  19 lay up.  a lay in, amass, accumulate, save
             (up), hoard, preserve, store, keep, put away, put by:  We laid
             up a supply of canned goods for the winter.  b hospitalize,
             incapacitate, disable, confine to bed, keep indoors:  She has
             been laid up with a virus all week.

   layэ      adj.  1 secular, non-clerical, laic, non-ecclesiastical:  He
             served as a lay preacher for many years.  2 amateur,
             non-professional, non-specialist:  Members of the lay public did
             not immediately understand the dangers of the greenhouse effect.

   lay°      n.  ballad, song, air, refrain, strain, melody; poem, ode,
             lyric, rhyme, ballade:  Macaulay wrote a book entitled Lays of
             Ancient Rome .

   lazy      adj.  1 indolent, slothful, dilatory, idle, shiftless, inactive,
             listless, fain‚ant, otiose, slack, lax, lethargic:  He's so lazy
             and so rich that he pays someone just to walk his dog. 2 slow,
             languid, easy, easygoing, sluggish, slow-moving, languorous:
             The hot lazy summer days were whiled away fishing.

12.2 lead...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   lead      v.  1 conduct, escort, usher, guide, show the way, pilot, steer:
             If you lead, I'll follow.  2 cause, influence, prompt, bring,
             incline, induce, persuade, move, dispose, convince:  What led
             you to suspect the butler?  3 head (up), direct, govern,
             command, supervise, superintend, preside (over), take the lead,
             take or assume command (of), manage, captain, Colloq skipper:
             The orchestra would like you to lead. Who is going to lead the
             men into battle? Nicole leads a weekly discussion group on
             alcoholism. 4 come or be or go first, excel, surpass, exceed,
             precede, be ahead (of), outstrip, distance, outrun, outdo:  They
             lead the world in the production of sugar.  5 live, experience,
             spend, pass; while away:  He is leading a life of ease on the
             French Riviera.  6 be conducive to, create, engender, cause,
             contribute to, result in, bring on or about, produce:  Your
             stubbornness can lead only to frustration.  7 lead astray. lead
             on, mislead, misguide, misdirect, deceive; fool, decoy,
             hoodwink, Colloq bamboozle:  She might have been led astray by
             that wolf in sheep's clothing.  8 lead off. start (off or in or
             out or up), begin, commence, get going or moving, get under way,
             initiate, inaugurate, Colloq kick off:  The proceedings will
             lead off with the national anthem. Who is going to lead off the
             singing? 9 lead on.  a See 7, above.  b lure, entice, seduce,
             beguile, inveigle, tempt:  They led me on with offers of a huge
             salary.  10 lead up to.  a prepare or pave or clear (the way),
             do the groundwork or spadework, precede:  The events leading up
             to the overthrow of the government may never be known. b
             approach, broach, bring up, present, introduce, work up or round
             or around to, get (up) to:  I should lead up to the subject
             delicately, if I were you.

             --n.  11 front, vanguard, van, lead or leading position or
             place, advance or advanced position or place:  The horse that he
             had bet on was in the lead coming down the home straight. 12
             advantage, edge, advance, supremacy, margin, priority, primacy,
             pre-eminence:  She has the lead over all her competitors. Our
             team had a two-point lead at half-time. 13 direction, guidance,
             leadership, precedent, example, model, exemplar, pattern,
             standard:  We decided to follow his lead.  14 tip, clue, hint,
             suggestion, cue, intimation; prospect, possibility, potential;
             Colloq tip-off:  Barry is following up some leads for a new job.
             The advertisement produced some new sales leads. 15 leash,
             tether, restraint, cord, chain:  The dog fetches his lead
             himself when he wants to go out.  16 protagonist, hero or
             heroine, leading or starring role or part, leading or lead actor
             or actress, leading lady or man, male or female lead, principal;
             prima donna, diva, prima ballerina, premiЉre danseuse, premier
             danseur:  She has the lead in the new production of Giselle .
             17 wire, cable, Brit flex:  Connect this lead to the power
             source.

             --adj.  18 leading, foremost, first; main, chief, principal,
             premier, paramount:  The lead climber fell when the rope broke.
             The lead story in today's paper is about an American take-over
             bid for the longest-standing British car-manufacturing company.

   leaden    adj.  1 heavy, onerous, ponderous, dense, burdensome:
             Exhausted, he dragged his leaden feet to the next meeting.  2
             heavy, dull, numbing, oppressive:  I was happy to escape the
             leaden atmosphere of the theatre.  3 grey, dull, dingy, gloomy,
             glowering, lowering, dreary, dismal, oppressive, dark, sullen,
             sombre:  The leaden sky seemed to forebode disaster as he fled
             across the moor. 4 inert, lifeless, listless, sluggish,
             inanimate, inactive, lethargic, languid, languorous, torpid,
             spiritless, stagnant, static, dormant, soporific, sleepy:  The
             refugees trudged along at a leaden pace.

   leader    n.  1 chief, head, commander, ruler, superior, director,
             chairman, chairwoman, chairlady, chairperson, chieftain,
             captain, commandant, principal, Colloq boss, bossman, kingpin,
             big cheese, number one, numero uno, Brit gaffer, Chiefly US Mr
             Big, Slang US the man:  The police can identify the leader of
             the gang. The leader of the assembly is elected for a year. 2
             bandmaster, band leader, director, US and Canadian conductor,
             bandleader, concert-master:  The leader tapped his baton for
             silence.

   leadership
             n.  direction, guidance, management, directorship,
             administration, supervision, command, regulation, control,
             operation, influence, initiative; governorship, superintendence,
             running:  The company made huge profits under Katherine's
             leadership. The leadership of the country at this time was in
             the hands of the privileged class.

   leading   adj.  1 important, influential, chief, prime, cardinal,
             foremost, paramount, primary:  A leading politician hinted today
             that interest rates might go down soon. 2 best, outstanding,
             pre-eminent, greatest, supreme, peerless, matchless, unequalled,
             unrivalled, unsurpassed:  He was the leading writer of his time.

   leaflet   n.  folder, circular, brochure, handbill, bill, booklet,
             advertisement, US and Canadian throw-away, flier or flyer,
             Colloq Brit advert:  The candidate gave out leaflets urging us
             to vote for him.

   leafy     adj.  green, verdant, bosky, woody, shady, shaded, arborescent:
             We lay beneath the leafy bowers and dreamed of summers past.

   league    n.  1 confederation, association, alliance, combination,
             coalition, federation, confederacy, guild, society, fraternity,
             union, band, fellowship, club:  The teams in the south favour
             forming a football league of their own. 2 in league (with).
             allied (with), united (with), associated (with), leagued (with),
             federated (with), collaborating (with), conspiring (with), in
             collusion (with), Colloq in cahoots (with):  The suspects are
             said to be in league with saboteurs.

             --v.  3 ally, unite, associate, band, combine, collaborate, join
             (forces), conspire, collude:  Did most people league with the
             rebels or the official government?

   leak      n.  1 leakage, leaking, discharge, trickle, escape, seepage,
             seeping, oozing, exudation:  We have to stop leaks of
             radioactive waste from power plants.  2 hole, fissure, crack,
             chink, crevice, aperture, opening, puncture, cut, break, split,
             gash, rent, tear, gap, flaw:  There was a leak in the balloon
             and it began to descend.  3 disclosure, revelation:  The press
             knew about his defection because of a security leak.

             --v.  4 escape, discharge, spill, trickle, drip, seep, ooze,
             exude, extravasate:  Oil was leaking out through a hole in the
             container.  5 disclose, divulge, let slip, release, give away
             (the game), make known or public, let (something or it) be
             known, Colloq spill the beans (about); let the cat out of the
             bag:  Someone as yet unidentified leaked the scandal to a
             reporter.  6 leak out. transpire, become known, come out, be
             revealed:  Their secret relationship has leaked out.

   lean°     adj.  1 thin, slim, slender, rangy, spare, wiry, lanky, lank,
             skinny, angular, bony, raw-boned, gaunt, gangling, gangly,
             spare, meagre, skeletal, scraggy, scrawny, haggard, emaciated,
             pinched, wasted, shrunken, macilent:  He has the lean leggy
             build typical of a runner.  2 unfruitful, unproductive, barren,
             infertile, poor, meagre, scanty, bare, arid, sparse,
             impoverished:  The Kanes tried for years to eke a living from
             the lean soil.  3 impoverished, destitute, needy,
             poverty-stricken, penurious, indigent, necessitous, hard, bad,
             difficult:  The Depression was a lean period for most people.

   leanэ     v.  1 rest (against or on or upon), be held up or supported by:
             She leant her head on his shoulder.  2 incline, slant, tilt,
             bend, tip:  Isn't that pole leaning over too much?  3 Often,
             lean towards. favour, gravitate towards, tend towards, be
             disposed towards, prefer, show a preference for, incline
             towards, be or lean on the side of, be biased towards, be
             (prejudiced) in favour of:  She leans towards conservatism when
             it comes to morality.  4 lean on.  a rely on, depend on, count
             on, believe or trust in, pin one's hopes or faith on or upon:
             You can lean on me if you need help.  b pressure, bring pressure
             to bear on, intimidate, threaten, cow, terrorize, terrify,
             scare, frighten, warn, menace, endanger, imperil, Brit
             pressurize:  Sometimes the gang would lean on a shopkeeper who
             refused to pay for 'protection'.

   leaning   n.  bent, inclination, bias, prejudice, favouritism, partiality,
             predilection, liking, taste, preference, penchant, sympathy,
             tendency, tendentiousness:  The judges' leanings in favour of
             short-haired dogs are well known.

   leap      n.  1 spring, bound, jump, vault (into); hurdle, clear, hop
             over, skip over, negotiate:  He leapt into the saddle. Superman
             leaps tall buildings at a single bound. 2 jump, cavort, gambol,
             dance, frisk, caper, frolic, romp, prance, curvet:  He leapt for
             joy at the news that he had won first prize.  3 jump, rush,
             hasten, form hastily, accept (prematurely or without question):
             The speaker kept leaping from one subject to another. Don't leap
             to conclusions about her strange behaviour. 4 leap at. jump at,
             accept, be eager for, move quickly, take:  I leapt at the chance
             to apply for a scholarship.

             --n.  5 spring, bound, jump, vault, hurdle, hop, skip:  With one
             leap I was on the other side.  6 jump, increase, (up)surge,
             rise, upswing, growth, escalation:  The figures show a leap in
             inflation for the month.  7 by leaps and bounds. rapidly,
             quickly, swiftly, speedily:  The plans for the new theatre are
             progressing by leaps and bounds.

   learn     v.  1 Often, learn of. find out, discover, hear (of), chance or
             hit upon, understand, gather, have revealed to one; determine,
             ascertain, uncover:  I learned today that you are leaving. I
             learned of your plans yesterday. 2 be taught, be instructed in,
             master, become proficient (in), acquire knowledge (of):  I
             learned German at school.  3 understand, see the light, get the
             picture, Colloq catch on, get the idea, get it, Brit twig:  No
             matter how often they are told, some people never learn.  4
             memorize, commit to memory, learn by heart:  Bolton was told to
             learn his part by the next day.

   learned   adj.  (well-)informed, erudite, knowledgeable, au fait,
             cultured, intellectual, highbrow, (well-)educated, scholarly,
             academic, scholastic, lettered, experienced, skilled, practised,
             accomplished, expert, literate, well-read, (well-)versed,
             (well-)trained, (well-)grounded:  The consultants to the
             encyclopedia are all learned people.

   learner   n.  student, pupil, scholar, trainee, apprentice, novice, tiro
             or tyro, abecedarian, beginner, initiate, neophyte:  Learners of
             English as a second language will benefit from this book.

   learning  n.  knowledge, erudition, culture, scholarship, lore,
             information, wisdom:  You have the advantage of being able to
             draw on centuries of learning.

   lease     n.  1 rental agreement or contract, sublease, sublet:  A new
             ten-year lease will be signed tomorrow.

             --v.  2 rent (out), let (out), sublet (out), sublease (out),
             charter (out), hire (out):  They leased their home to us for the
             summer. We arranged to lease their boat for the weekend.

   leave°    v.  1 go (away or off), depart, set off, be off, get away or
             off, retire, retreat, withdraw, decamp, (make an) exit, run, be
             gone, bid (someone or something) goodbye, say goodbye or adieu
             (to), take (one's) leave (of), quit, desert, pull out, check
             out, fly, Colloq push or shove off, take off, skedaddle, flit,
             disappear, do a disappearing act, pull up stakes, up-anchor,
             Slang beat it, scram, vamoose, split, Brit beetle off, do a
             bunk, do a moonlight flit, hop it, Taboo slang Brit bugger off:
             Please leave at once. May I leave the room? She left him alone.
             2 go or run off, deviate from:  The car left the road and hit a
             tree.  3 forget, mislay, lose:  I left my car keys somewhere in
             the house.  4 abandon, desert, take leave of, wash one's hands
             of, turn one's back on; quit, resign from, give up, renounce,
             drop (out of):  She left him because he mistreated her. I left
             school at sixteen.  5 make, render, cause to be or become or
             remain:  The beauty of the place left me speechless.  6
             bequeath, will, hand down, devise, demise, transfer:  Her aunt
             left some valuable paintings to my wife.  7 entrust, commit,
             assign, cede, relinquish, give over or up, consign, resign:
             They are leaving all the responsibility to me.  8 cause or allow
             to remain, have as a remainder, yield, give:  Seven from eleven
             leaves four.  9 leave off. stop, cease, desist, forbear, give
             up, refrain from, discontinue, abstain (from), renounce:  He
             won't leave off gossiping about her.  10 leave out. omit,
             disregard, ignore, neglect; count out, reject, exclude,
             eliminate, bar, except:  You left out the best part. Don't leave
             me out of the fun!

   leaveэ    n.  1 permission, authorization, consent, freedom, liberty,
             licence, sanction, dispensation:  Who gave you leave to borrow
             my car?  2 furlough, leave of absence, time off, sabbatical,
             recess, holiday, vacation:  I am overworked and badly in need of
             some leave.  3 departure:  He took his leave of us at last.

   lecherous adj.  lewd, lascivious, salacious, libidinous, sensual,
             lubricious or lubricous, lustful, concupiscent, licentious,
             prurient, dirty-minded, filthy-minded, carnal, goatish, hircine,
             randy, libertine, wanton, profligate, depraved, degenerate,
             decadent, dissolute, Slang horny:  The lecherous villain dared
             to proposition my wife.

   lecture   n.  1 speech, address, talk, discourse, disquisition, treatise,
             dissertation, paper, lesson, instruction, sermon, declamation,
             harangue, diatribe, philippic, screed:  The preacher delivered a
             lecture on the evils of drink.  2 reproof, reprimand, rebuke,
             criticism, censure, reproach, scolding, upbraiding, chiding,
             berating, tongue-lashing, remonstration, Colloq dressing-down,
             telling-off, Slang Brit wigging, US and Canadian chewing-out:  I
             had to listen to another lecture about staying out late.

             --v.  3 make or deliver or give a speech or address or talk,
             discourse; sermonize, hold forth, moralize, pontificate, orate,
             preach, declaim, expound, go on about, harangue:  She lectures
             on Chinese art of the 18th century. He insists on lecturing to
             everyone he meets. 4 reprove, reprimand, rebuke, reproach,
             scold, upbraid, berate, chide, tongue-lash, remonstrate with,
             rail at, fulminate against; admonish, warn; Colloq dress down,
             tell off, send (someone) away or off with a flea in his or her
             ear, Slang Brit wig, US and Canadian chew out:  She is always
             lecturing me about keeping my room tidy.

   ledge     n.  shelf, projection, step, mantel or mantle, mantelpiece or
             mantlepiece, overhang, sill:  We stood on a small ledge of rock
             unable to move.

   leer      v.  1 ogle, eye:  He leers at every pretty girl.

             --n.  2 ogle, the eye, Colloq once-over, Slang glad eye:  She
             was repelled when he gave her a leer.

   leery     adj.  suspicious, sceptical, dubious, doubtful, doubting,
             distrustful, wary, cautious, chary, careful:  I was very leery
             of his story.

   leeway    n.  space, elbow-room, room, play, scope, slack, latitude, wide
             berth; freedom:  We allowed him some leeway to make changes in
             the manuscript.

   left      adj.  1 left-hand, sinistral, Nautical port, (formerly)
             larboard, Heraldry sinister:  In most countries, the driver sits
             on the left side.  2 leftist, left-wing, progressive, liberal,
             socialist(ic), pink; radical, communist(ic), red:  The party's
             platform has become a bit too left for my taste.

             --n.  3 left side or hand or fist, Nautical port, port side,
             (formerly) larboard:  The fort is on the left as you enter the
             bay. The champion has a powerful left.

   left-handed
             adj.  1 clumsy, awkward, gauche, fumbling, maladroit,
             cack-handed:  He has a left-handed way of doing things.  2
             insulting, disparaging, derisive, uncomplimentary, insulting,
             paradoxical, ambiguous, questionable, dubious, doubtful:
             Calling her piano-playing 'not bad' was a left-handed
             compliment.

   leftover  n.  1 Usually, leftovers. remainder(s), remnant(s), rest,
             residue, residuum, balance, surplus, excess, superfluity,
             overage; scrap(s), leavings, crumbs, odds and ends, debris or
             d‚bris, refuse, waste, rubbish, rubble, detritus, Archaic orts:
             I'm just having leftovers for dinner tonight.

             --adj.  2 remaining, residual, extra, excess, unused, uneaten:
             Save some of the leftover ice-cream for later.

   leg       n.  1 limb, member, Colloq pin, peg, stump, Slang gam:  I have a
             touch of arthritis in my left leg.  2 support, brace, prop,
             upright, standard, column, pillar:  One of the legs of this
             table is about to collapse.  3 part, portion, segment, stretch,
             stage, section, length, lap:  The first leg of my journey passed
             without incident.  4 a leg up. boost, assistance, push, help,
             helping hand, advance, support, US and Canadian assist:  Let me
             give you a leg up over the wall. Gordon might give you a leg up
             in getting a job. 5 leg it. run, hurry, hasten, scurry, Colloq
             scoot, skedaddle:  He legged it down the street to catch the
             bus.  6 not a leg to stand on. defenceless, unsupported,
             insupportable or unsupportable, indefensible, unjustifiable,
             untenable, invalid:  She insists she's right, but she hasn't got
             a leg to stand on.  7 on one's or its last legs. decrepit,
             failing, exhausted, dying, worn out, run-down, falling apart or
             to pieces, broken-down, the worse for wear; dilapidated,
             rickety, shabby, ramshackle, crumbling, tumbledown:  George
             looked as if he was on his last legs. My car is on its last
             legs. 8 pull (someone's) leg. tease, mock, jeer at, taunt, gibe,
             make fun of, chaff, guy, fool, deceive, Chiefly Brit twit,
             Colloq rib, kid, rag:  We were just pulling his leg, but he took
             it seriously.  9 shake a leg.  a hurry (up), hasten, rush,
             Colloq get going or moving or cracking, look alive or lively:
             You'll have to shake a leg to catch that train.  b dance, trip
             the light fantastic (toe), Slang hoof it, US cut a rug:  What do
             you say we go out and shake a leg tonight?  10 stretch one's
             legs. (take or go for a) walk, (take some) exercise:  After
             sitting for so long, I have to stretch my legs.

   legal     adj.  1 lawful, licit, statutory, acceptable, permissible,
             permitted, admissible, authorized:  The police officer was found
             to have exceeded his legal authority.  2 legitimate, proper,
             right, rightful, sound, constitutional, authorized, Slang legit:
             I question whether his business is legal. Who is the legal heir?
             3 judicial, juridical, judiciary, forensic:  The case is without
             legal precedent.

   legalistic
             adj.  narrow(-minded), disputatious, contentious, litigious,
             literal, strict, niggling, hair-splitting, cavilling, quibbling,
             Jesuitical, pettifogging, nice, fine, subtle, Colloq
             nit-picking:  Her argument is legalistic and ignores the spirit
             of the law.

   legend    n.  1 epic, saga, myth, story, (folk) tale, romance, narrative,
             fable, tradition, fiction, Scandinavian Edda:  There are scores
             of legends woven into the cultural fabric of our lives. 2
             celebrity, phenomenon, tradition, wonder, luminary, personage,
             somebody:  Someone said that Rudolph had become a legend in his
             own mind.  3 key, table of symbols, code, explanatory note:
             Refer to the legend for explanations of symbols used in the map.
             4 motto, slogan, inscription, caption, title:  The legend reads,
             'Dieu et mon droit'.

   legendary adj.  1 fabled, storied, traditional; heroic, epic, mythic:
             Legendary tales have been identified in every culture.  2
             fanciful, imaginary, fabulous, mythical, romantic, fictional:
             Was King Arthur a real person or a legendary figure?  3 famous,
             celebrated, noted, famed, well-known, renowned, illustrious,
             immortal, prominent, eminent, great, acclaimed, noteworthy:
             Irena became known for her legendary dinner parties.

   legible   adj.  readable, decipherable, clear, understandable, plain,
             distinct:  The handwriting is legible, but I don't know what
             language it's in.

   legitimate
             adj.  1 valid, proper, right, rightful, authorized, legal,
             genuine, real, true, authentic:  Which one of them was the
             legitimate Anastasia?  2 lawful, licit, legal, by law, de jure,
             statutory:  Bonnie Prince Charlie claimed to be the legitimate
             ruler of Scotland.  3 commonsensical, sensible, reasonable,
             proper, correct, acceptable, valid, logical, justifiable, just,
             fair:  The question is perfectly legitimate and deserves a
             proper answer.

             --v.  4 legitimize, legitimatize, legalize, authorize, sanction,
             warrant, validate, certify:  By signing before two witnesses,
             she legitimated her will.

   leisure   n.  1 spare or free time, time (off), liberty, freedom,
             opportunity:  How many people these days have the leisure to do
             what they like?  2 holiday, vacation, respite, relief, rest,
             recreation, relaxation, ease, breathing-space, quiet,
             tranquillity, repose, US military rest and recreation, R and R:
             Everyone needs a few days of leisure now and then.  3 at
             leisure.  a unoccupied, inactive, retired, resting, free, on
             holiday or chiefly US and Canadian vacation; at liberty,
             available, unemployed:  I have been at leisure for a year now.
             b Often, at one's leisure. at one's convenience, when
             convenient, unhurriedly, in one's own time:  I shall mow the
             lawn at my leisure.

             --adj.  4 recreational:  The 'leisure industry' is booming with
             theme parks opening throughout the country. 5 free, unoccupied,
             non-working, unencumbered, idle, holiday, vacation:  How do you
             usually spend your leisure time?

   leisured  adj.  wealthy, rich, affluent, prosperous, moneyed or monied,
             well-to-do, leisured:  Yachts of that size are strictly for the
             leisured classes.

   lend      v.  1 make a loan of, loan, advance:  The bank agreed to lend me
             the money for a boat.  2 impart, furnish, bestow, give, confer,
             contribute, add:  The silk scarf lends cachet to the whole
             outfit.  3 lend itself to. suit, fit, be fitted or appropriate
             or suitable (to or for), be applicable or adaptable (to or for):
             The book lends itself well to film adaptation.

   length    n.  1 extent, measure, span, reach, size, magnitude, dimension,
             measurement:  What is the length of a piece of string? The pool
             is 25 metres in length and 15 metres in width. 2 duration,
             stretch, term, period, space:  What length of time did he spend
             in prison?  3 at full length. fully, completely, to the fullest
             extent:  They were stretched out at full length on the floor.  4
             at length.  a finally, at (long) last, eventually, after a
             (long) time or while, ultimately; in the long run:  At length,
             the doctor emerged from his office.  b for a long time,
             interminably, for ages:  He read to her at length, till she
             dozed off.  c in depth, thoroughly, completely, exhaustively,
             extensively, to the fullest or greatest extent, in detail:  I
             haven't the time to go into the story at length just now.

   lengthen  v.  make longer, extend, elongate; stretch, drag out, draw out,
             prolong, protract, expand, continue:  I need to lengthen the
             skirt an inch. The ten-minute interview lengthened into an hour.
             They lengthened the playing field.

   lengthy   adj.  long, over-long, long-drawn(-out), protracted; endless,
             interminable, prolonged, long-winded, wordy, prolix, verbose,
             garrulous, talkative, loquacious, boring, dull, tedious:  He
             underwent a lengthy operation for removal of the clot. She
             launched into a lengthy description of the life cycle of a frog.

   lenient   adj.  gentle, kind, kindly, easy, sparing, merciful, tender,
             humane, tender-hearted, kind-hearted, indulgent, permissive,
             forgiving, easygoing, tolerant, patient, compassionate,
             forbearing, understanding, magnanimous, generous, charitable:
             Do you think they were lenient in their treatment of prisoners
             caught while escaping?

   lesson    n.  1 exercise, drill, reading, lecture, recitation; assignment,
             homework, task:  The pupils are having an English lesson at the
             moment. You must finish your lessons before you can go out and
             play. 2 class, session; instruction, teaching, tutoring,
             schooling; practice:  I take piano lessons on Tuesday
             afternoons.  3 example, exemplar, model, guide, maxim, paragon,
             message, deterrent, discouragement; warning, admonition; moral,
             precept:  Norman's punishment should be a lesson to you.  4
             punishment, chastisement, chastening, castigation, scolding,
             chiding, rebuke, reprimand, reproof:  If she does that again,
             I'll give her a lesson she won't forget in a hurry!

   let°      v.  1 allow (to), permit (to), sanction (to), give permission or
             leave (to), authorize (to), license (to), suffer (to):  Don't
             let him go alone. Let George do it.  2 cause (to), arrange for,
             enable (to):  Let me know if you have any difficulty. Let me
             help you. Let the police know of any crime. 3 Sometimes, let
             out. rent (out), hire (out), lease (out), charter (out);
             contract (out), subcontract (out), farm (out), job (out):  Mrs
             Finney lets rooms by the week. Much of the work is let out to
             people who work at home. 4 let down. disappoint, fail,
             frustrate; disenchant, dissatisfy, disillusion:  He promised to
             be here at nine, but he let me down.  5 let in. admit, allow in;
             include, take in, receive, welcome, induct, install or instal:
             I'll just open a window and let in some fresh air. I wouldn't
             want to be a member of a club that would let in someone like me.
             6 let off.  a pardon, forgive, excuse, release, discharge, let
             go:  They let him off with only a severe reprimand.  b
             exonerate, absolve, clear, acquit, vindicate, Slang let off the
             hook:  When the real culprit confessed, she was let off.  c
             detonate, explode, detonate, discharge, fire, set off:  Don't
             let off those fireworks so near the haystack.  d emit, give out
             or off, release, throw off or out, let loose, exude:  Some
             plastics let off an awful smell when they burn.  7 let on.  a
             confess, admit, disclose, divulge, reveal, expose, let it be
             known, let out, say, tell, give away, let slip, betray; leak:
             I'll never let on that you are to blame.  b feign, affect,
             pretend, fake, (put on an) act, simulate, dissemble,
             dissimulate:  He let on that he had a bad leg and couldn't play
             in the match, when in fact he just wanted to go away for the
             weekend. 8 let out.  a See 7 (a), above.  b (let) loose,
             liberate, (set) free, release, let go, discharge:  He served
             three years before being let out. Let the cat out, will you. c
             emit, give vent to, produce:  She let out a scream that could
             have woken the dead.  d end, stop, break up, finish, close,
             terminate:  When does school let out for the Christmas holidays?
             9 let up. decrease, abate, ease (up), slacken, diminish, lessen,
             mitigate, subside, moderate:  Perhaps we can still go if the
             rain lets up soon.  10 let up on. ease up on, slack off on:  He
             didn't let up on haranguing us for an hour.

   letэ      n.  hindrance, impediment, obstruction, obstacle:  People can
             now cross the border without let or hindrance.

   let-down  n.  disappointment, disillusionment, disenchantment:  She had
             practised so hard that losing was all the more of a let-down.

   lethal    adj.  deadly, fatal, mortal:  The lethal blow was delivered by a
             blunt instrument.

   lethargic adj.  1 lethargical, sluggish, slow, dull, heavy, lazy,
             indolent, phlegmatic, slothful, idle, languid, languorous,
             listless, fain‚ant, inactive, torpid, stuporous, comatose;
             indifferent, apathetic:  They were so lethargic that they did
             absolutely nothing about it. 2 weary, tired, fagged out,
             fatigued, enervated, weak, exhausted, drowsy, sleepy, somnolent:
             I have a bad cold and feel very lethargic.

   lethargy  n.  1 sluggishness, sloth, dullness, heaviness, laziness,
             indolence, phlegm, idleness, languidness, languor, listlessness,
             dolce far niente, inactivity, inertia, torpor, stupor;
             indifference, apathy:  After taking the medicine, a feeling of
             lethargy overtook me.  2 weariness, tiredness, fatigue,
             weakness, exhaustion, drowsiness, sleepiness, somnolence:  The
             strident persistence of my alarm clock dragged me out of my
             lethargy.

   letter    n.  1 character, symbol, sign:  Epsilon is a letter in the Greek
             alphabet.  2 missive, epistle, communication, note, line,
             message, dispatch or despatch; correspondence:  Write me a
             letter when you get there.  3 letters. literature, the
             humanities, belles-lettres, the classics; erudition, culture,
             the world of letters, learning, scholarship:  He is a widely
             known man of letters.  4 to the letter. precisely, literally,
             exactly, accurately, strictly, sic, thus, letter for letter,
             literatim, word for word, verbatim:  The document has been
             copied to the letter.

             --v.  5 inscribe, write, spell (out):  She carefully lettered
             the caption under the picture.

   lettered  adj.  literate, literary, (well-)educated, erudite, scholarly,
             learned, well-informed, enlightened, knowledgeable,
             (well-)versed, well-read, cultured, cultivated:  He was greatly
             influenced by the lettered men of his time.

   let-up    n.  cease, stop, stopping, ceasing, cessation, surcease, break,
             interruption, pause, intermission, suspension, time out or off;
             moderation, lessening, abatement, diminution, relief,
             hesitation, respite, relaxation:  I was nagged without let-up
             about getting the work done by the end of the month.

   level     adj.  1 even, smooth, plane, uniform, plain, flat, flush,
             straight, true:  The plaster is not level enough to apply the
             wallpaper.  2 horizontal; prone, supine:  Make sure the playing
             field is level. Try to keep the body level when doing this
             exercise. 3 uniform, constant, steady, consistent, invariable,
             unvarying, unalterable, unchanging, unfluctuating; very:  I did
             my level best to warn him, but he wouldn't listen.  4 parallel,
             even, equal, equivalent, consistent:  The top floor of my house
             is level with the roof of the one across the street. The problem
             arises because wages are not level with inflation. 5 up (on),
             informed (about or on), up to date (on or with), au fait (with),
             au courant (with):  He does his best to keep level with what is
             going on in the world.  6 even, tied, equal, neck and neck:  The
             scores are level. So at half-time, it's level pegging between
             Arsenal and Liverpool. 7 See level-headed, below.

             --v.  8 level off, even, smooth (out), flatten (out):  The
             concrete is levelled by dragging a straight-edge over it.  9
             destroy, demolish, raze, lay waste, devastate, knock down, tear
             down, pull down, wreck, bulldoze:  The building was levelled in
             a matter of minutes.  10 aim, point, draw a bead, direct, train,
             focus:  He levelled his gun at her and she screamed.  11 level
             with. be or play fair with, be honest or straight with, be open
             or frank or straightforward with, Colloq be upfront with:  I am
             going to level with you - I find you very difficult to work
             with.

             --n.  12 plane, horizontal, elevation, height; altitude:  The
             windows are at the same level.  13 floor, storey:  On which
             level is Mr Stone's office?  14 plane, position, status,
             standing, rank, stage:  She functions at a higher level, both
             administratively and intellectually.  15 on the level. straight,
             straightforward, honest, direct, sincere, square, open,
             above-board, Colloq upfront, on the up and up, US
             straight-shooting:  You haven't been on the level with me about
             your plans for the company.

   level-headed
             adj.  (well-)balanced, sensible, sane, reasonable,
             commonsensical, level, unruffled, undisturbed, unperturbed,
             imperturbable, even-tempered, composed, calm, cool, collected,
             tranquil, serene, unflappable, poised, relaxed, self-possessed:
             Even when she was a teenager, Fran was quite level-headed.

   levity    n.  light-heartedness, lightness, frivolity, frivolousness,
             flippancy, trivialization, triviality, facetiousness:  Politics
             is a weighty business and should not be treated with levity.

   lewd      adj.  lascivious, salacious, lecherous, lustful, licentious,
             carnal, goatish, hircine, satyric(al), ruttish, concupiscent,
             libidinous, lubricious or lubricous, indecent, offensive, wild,
             debauched, obscene, smutty, crude, dirty, foul, filthy, rude,
             pornographic, prurient, gross, dissolute, Fescennine, bawdy,
             ribald, scurrilous, raw, blue, erotic, suggestive, unchaste,
             unvirtuous, Colloq randy, Slang hot, horny:  He is said to have
             chronicled the lewd goings-on at the Hellfire Club.

12.3 liability...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   liability n.  1 answerability, responsibility, burden, onus,
             accountability:  Who bears the liability for the company's
             losses?  2 obligation, debt, indebtedness, arrear(s), debit:
             Outstanding shares are treated as a liability of the
             corporation.  3 disadvantage, drawback, hindrance, impediment,
             encumbrance, snag, hitch, barrier, obstacle, obstruction,
             burden, onus:  Her biggest liability is her inability to read.
             4 exposure, susceptibility, vulnerability:  The insurer's
             liability is spread amongst many underwriters.

   liable    adj.  1 likely, apt, prone, inclined, disposed:  She is liable
             to want payment for her contribution.  2 answerable,
             responsible, accountable, obligated, blameable, blameworthy, Law
             actionable:  An owner is liable for damage done by his dog.  3
             exposed, susceptible, vulnerable, open, subject:  Certain kinds
             of plants are more liable to disease.

   liaison   n.  1 connection, communication, contact, linkage, affiliation,
             relationship, relations:  Liaison between the ministries is
             improving.  2 contact, intermediary, link, tie, medium,
             go-between, agent:  She acts as liaison between the heads of
             research and manufacturing.  3 (love) affair, amour,
             relationship, affaire d'amour, affaire de coeur, intrigue,
             romance, entanglement, flirtation:  David's wife soon found out
             about his liaison with the girl in the typing pool.

   liar      n.  fabricator, prevaricator, perjurer, falsifier, teller of
             tales, false witness, Ananias, Baron von MЃnchhausen, Colloq
             fibber:  He's a liar if he says he saw me that night - I was ill
             in bed.

   libel     n.  1 defamation, vilification, denigration, denunciation,
             deprecation, depreciation, belittlement, disparagement,
             derogation, disgrace, ill repute, dishonour, obloquy, shame,
             humiliation, mortification:  His entire conversation is a
             perpetual libel on his acquaintances.  2 slander, calumny, lie,
             falsehood, prevarication, untruth, misrepresentation, aspersion,
             innuendo, insinuation, slur, smear, blot, stain, smirch, stigma:
             For years he suffered the libels circulated by his ex-mistress.

             --v.  3 defame, vilify, denigrate, denounce, deprecate,
             depreciate, belittle, disparage, derogate, disgrace, dishonour,
             shame, humiliate, mortify:  He claims to have been libelled by
             an article in the newspaper.  4 slander, calumniate, lie about,
             misrepresent, asperse, insinuate, slur, smear, malign, stain,
             blacken, discredit, besmirch, stigmatize, traduce, vilify, Rare
             vilipend, Colloq chiefly US bad-mouth:  There is often a fine
             line between libelling a person and exercising freedom of
             speech.

   liberal   adj.  1 generous, bountiful, free, open-hearted, open,
             open-handed, bounteous, charitable, philanthropic, munificent,
             magnanimous, big, big-hearted, unstinting, unselfish, unsparing;
             lavish, abundant, ample, large, handsome, plentiful, copious:
             Lady Browning is a liberal benefactor of our cause. Thank you
             for your liberal contributions. 2 progressive, libertarian,
             reformist, humanistic, left (of centre), latitudinarian,
             non-partisan, unaligned or non-aligned, individualistic, South
             African verligte:  The liberal voters found little to attract
             them in the latest election. 3 free, not literal, flexible,
             lenient, loose, broad, open, disinterested, impartial,
             dispassionate, fair, broad-minded, open-minded, unprejudiced,
             unbigoted, unjaundiced, unopinionated, tolerant:  Judge Reid is
             known for his liberal interpretation of the law.

             --n.  4 progressive, libertarian, reformer, progressivist,
             latitudinarian, independent, freethinker, leftist, left-winger,
             South African verligte:  They think of themselves as liberals,
             not as conservatives.

   liberalize
             v.  1 broaden, widen, extend, expand, stretch, enlarge:  The
             purpose of the law is to liberalize the functions of solicitors.
             2 loosen, ease, slacken, relax, modify, change, moderate,
             soften:  The police really ought to liberalize the parking
             regulations in this area.

   liberate  v.  1 (set) free, release, set at liberty, disenthral,
             emancipate, manumit, deliver, enfranchise, (let) loose, let go,
             let out, let off:  When the enemy retreated, the army liberated
             the prisoners of war. After her divorce, she felt like a
             liberated woman. 2 steal, pilfer, purloin, take, appropriate:
             She was caught liberating some books from the library.

   liberation
             n.  freeing, liberating, deliverance, emancipation,
             enfranchisement, enfranchising, delivery, rescue, rescuing,
             release, releasing, loosing, unfettering, unshackling,
             unchaining:  The liberation of the prisoners occurred on May
             Day, 1945.

   libertine n.  1 lecher, reprobate, profligate, rake, rakehell, rou‚,
             debaucher, womanizer, seducer, fornicator, adulterer, debauchee,
             whoremonger, philanderer, Don Juan, Lothario, Casanova, Colloq
             wolf, lady-killer, (old) goat, dirty old man:  He fancied
             himself a libertine, but women shunned him like the plague.

             --adj.  2 licentious, lecherous, reprobate, profligate, rakish,
             rakehell, philandering, dissolute, immoral, degenerate,
             depraved, debauched, decadent, dirty, filthy, amoral, wanton,
             lewd, lascivious, prurient, lubricious or lubricous, salacious,
             Paphian, libidinous, ruttish, goatish, hircine, satyric(al),
             carnal, bestial, Colloq randy, Slang horny:  A paragon of
             prudery to his family, Viscount Guarnier secretly led a life of
             wild, libertine abandon.

   liberty   n.  1 freedom, independence, self-determination, autonomy,
             self-rule, self-government, self-direction, sovereignty:  People
             have always been willing to die for their liberty.  2 right,
             freedom, franchise, carte blanche, privilege, prerogative,
             licence, leave, permission, authorization:  I was given the
             liberty to go where I pleased.  3 freedom, licence, initiative,
             exemption, exception, privilege:  On a strict diet, she allowed
             herself no liberties whatever.  4 at liberty. free, uninhibited,
             unfettered, unconstrained, unrestricted, unrestrained,
             liberated:  I was at liberty to do as I pleased.  5 take a
             liberty or the liberty or often liberties. be unrestrained or
             presumptuous or bold or uninhibited or overfamiliar or forward
             or aggressive or impudent or impertinent or audacious or
             improper; display or exercise boldness or impropriety or
             presumption or presumptuousness or indecorum or unseemliness or
             boldness or arrogance:  She thought he was taking liberties in
             asking her to dance. I took the liberty of asking her to
             accompany me.

   licence   n.  1 leave, permission, liberty, authorization, authority,
             entitlement, dispensation, right, carte blanche, freedom,
             latitude, free choice, privilege, charter:  Merely being
             eighteen does not give you licence to do exactly as you please.
             2 permit, certificate, credential(s), paper(s):  Bring along
             your driving licence.  3 disregard, deviation, departure,
             nonconformity, non-compliance, divergence:  Such grammatical
             abnormalities are an exercise of poetic licence.

   license   v.  1 authorize, allow, permit, certify, sanction, approve,
             commission:  The government once had the power to license books
             for publication.  2 certify, document, accredit, entitle,
             validate, enable, empower:  Whoever licensed him to drive a car
             made a grave mistake.

   lie°      v.  1 prevaricate, fabricate, misrepresent, invent, commit
             perjury, perjure or forswear oneself, Colloq fib:  If he says
             that I ate the last cake, he's lying.

             --n.  2 falsehood, untruth, falsification, misrepresentation,
             fiction, invention, prevarication, fib, fabrication, Colloq
             story, cock-and-bull story, (tall) tale, whopper, US fish story,
             fish tale:  His claim of having been attacked was found to be a
             lie.

   lieэ      v.  1 recline, stretch out, be prostrate or recumbent or prone
             or supine:  I'm going to lie down for a nap before dinner.  2
             rest, repose; can be found, be, be situated:  The book is lying
             on the table. The land lies on the Berkshire-Surrey border. 3
             rest, repose, be, reside, dwell, abide, remain, belong:  The
             responsibility lies with you.  4 press, burden, weigh, rest, be:
             The onus for the crime lies heavily on him.  5 lie low. hide,
             remain concealed or in hiding, keep out of sight, Colloq Brit
             lie doggo:  You'd better lie low till the affair is forgotten.

             --n.  6 lie of the land. state, status, condition, situation,
             atmosphere, mood, spirit, temper, character:  You ought to
             determine the lie of the land before submitting your proposal.

   life      n.  1 existence, entity, being; sentience, viability:  Who can
             imagine the possible forms of life in the universe?  2
             existence, survival, living, subsistence, sustenance:  Certain
             nutriments are necessary to life on earth.  3 existence, living,
             way of life, lifestyle:  What kind of life does he lead? I enjoy
             country life.  4 existence, lifetime, time; duration:  She did
             much during her short life. The life of a light-bulb depends on
             how often it is switched off and on. 5 person, mortal, human
             (being), individual, soul:  The new drug might save millions of
             lives.  6 biography, autobiography, memoir(s), (life) story:  He
             has written a life of Mozart.  7 soul, spirit, spark of life,
             vital spark, moving spirit, life-force, ‚lan vital; lifeblood;
             animation, vitality, liveliness, sprightliness, vivacity,
             sparkle, dazzle, dash, ‚lan, vigour, verve, zest, flavour,
             pungency, freshness, effervescence, brio, flair, vim, energy,
             exuberance, enthusiasm, Colloq pep, zing, get-up-and-go:  We
             must breathe some life into these people. Eva is always the life
             of the party. 8 obsession, preoccupation, passion, fixation,
             compulsion:  Model railways are his life.  9 bounce, resilience,
             spring, elasticity:  There's no life in this old tennis ball.

   lifeless  adj.  1 dead:  I stared at the lifeless body of the man.  2
             unconscious, inanimate, insensate, inert, unmoving, dead,
             insensible:  At the news of the accident, she sank, lifeless, to
             the floor.  3 dull, boring, tiresome, heavy, lacklustre, torpid,
             tedious, flat, stale, uninteresting, colourless, uninspiring,
             vapid, wooden:  The production was a success apart from Ellen's
             lifeless performance as Portia. 4 barren, desert, desolate,
             bare, sterile, bleak, empty, uninhabited, unoccupied, dreary,
             waste:  We gazed at the lifeless landscape of the moon.

   lifelike  adj.  authentic, realistic, natural, true to life, real,
             faithful, graphic, vivid:  She painted a very lifelike picture
             of her cat.

   lift      v.  1 raise, elevate; hoist, heave (up):  She lifted her eyes to
             the heavens. The pallbearers lifted the coffin to their
             shoulders. 2 Often, lift up. exalt, raise, elevate, uplift,
             boost, upgrade, promote, advance; improve, ameliorate, better,
             dignify, enhance, ennoble, enshrine, deify, immortalize:  His
             unusual talents lifted him up from the ranks of ordinary
             mortals.  3 discontinue, end, terminate, stop:  The siege was
             lifted after six months.  4 withdraw, cancel, confiscate, take
             away, rescind, void, annul:  They charged him with driving while
             intoxicated and lifted his licence. 5 rise, disappear,
             dissipate, vanish:  When the fog lifted, I saw that we were
             about to run aground.  6 steal, appropriate, pilfer, pocket,
             thieve, take, purloin; plagiarize, copy, Colloq pinch, crib,
             liberate, Slang Brit nick, Old-fashioned half-inch:  He went
             into the supermarket and lifted a bottle of scotch. This passage
             was lifted from my book in its entirety.

             --n.  7 ride:  She looked tired so I gave her a lift home.  8 US
             and Canadian elevator:  Take the lift to the tenth floor.  9
             encouragement, boost, stimulus, inducement, inspiration,
             reassurance, cheering up, Colloq shot in the arm:  Winning first
             prize has given Susan the lift she needed to continue with her
             writing.

   light°    n.  1 illumination, brightness, daylight, lamplight,
             candlelight, firelight, gaslight, torchlight, starlight,
             moonlight, sunlight; gegenschein, counterglow:  There is just
             enough light for me to read the label.  2 lamp, light-bulb,
             torch, beacon, lantern, candle, flare, headlight or headlamp,
             street-light or street lamp, US and Canadian flashlight:  I saw
             a light in the distance. Someone turned off the lights.  3
             radiance, radiation, luminescence, glare, gleam, glow,
             reflection, luminosity, shine, sparkle, scintillation,
             incandescence, phosphorescence, fluorescence:  The light of the
             full moon shone through the window.  4 daybreak, dawn, sunrise,
             US sun-up:  We leave at first light.  5 clarification,
             enlightenment, insight, understanding, elucidation,
             simplification, explanation:  After an hour's talk with his
             lawyer, he finally saw the light and confessed. Can you shed a
             little light on this problem, Robyn? 6 window, window-pane:  The
             west wall has three windows of six lights each.  7 match,
             lighter, spill, taper, fire, flame, ignition:  Can you give me a
             light for my cigarette?  8 highlight:  Note the chiaroscuro
             effect from the lights and shadows in the drawing. 9 bring to
             light. reveal, unearth, find, uncover, unveil, discover, expose,
             disclose, make known:  A vital fact has recently been brought to
             light.  10 come to light. be revealed, be unearthed, be
             uncovered, be unveiled, be discovered, be exposed, be disclosed,
             appear, come out, turn up, transpire, develop, evolve, emerge:
             The truth about her parents has finally come to light.  11 Brit
             in the light of or US in light of. considering, in view of, in
             consideration of, taking into account, keeping or bearing in
             mind:  In the light of his condition, he has decided to pull out
             of the competition. 12 shed or throw (some, a little) light on.
             explain, elucidate, simplify, clarify:  Perhaps you could throw
             some light on the reason why she refuses to leave the house.

             --adj.  13 (well-)illuminated, bright, alight, (well-)lit,
             (well-)lighted, shining, luminous, effulgent, brilliant,
             beaming, incandescent, phosphorescent, fluorescent:  The
             lightest room in the house is the kitchen.  14 pale, light-hued:
             Put the light blue chair over here.

             --v.  15 ignite, set alight, set or put a match to, kindle;
             burn, touch off, set fire to, fire:  It's getting chilly, so
             you'd better light the fire. When the bomb was in place, they
             lit the fuse. 16 illuminate, light up, lighten, brighten:  Take
             this candle to light your way to the bedroom.  17 turn on,
             switch on, put on:  Light the lamps.  18 light up. lighten,
             brighten, cheer up, liven up:  The moment she walked in, the
             whole room lit up. Her face lit up when she saw him.

   lightэ    adj.  1 lightweight, portable:  I bought some light garden
             furniture.  2 underweight, skinny, slight:  Isn't Ted a bit
             light for his height?  3 faint, dim, obscure, indistinct,
             unclear, faded, imperceptible:  There is a very light pencil
             mark on the paper.  4 faint, gentle, mild, slight, delicate,
             insignificant:  A light breeze rippled the surface of the pool.
             5 dainty, graceful, delicate, gentle, slight:  He felt the light
             brush of her lips on his.  6 not weighty, frivolous,
             unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, inconsiderable,
             trivial, trifling, evanescent, unsubstantial, slight,
             superficial:  The party was a very light affair.  7 nimble,
             agile, active, swift, spry, lithe, sprightly, lightsome,
             light-footed, limber, lissom or lissome:  When dancing, he may
             be light on his feet, but he's not very light on mine. 8
             simple-minded, light-headed, scatterbrained, rattle-brained,
             bird-brained, feather-brained, hare-brained, flighty, giddy,
             dizzy, silly, inane, foolish, frivolous, empty-headed, vacant,
             vacuous, shallow, superficial:  Featherstone is a bit too light
             in the head to be a good manager.  9 cheerful, happy, gay,
             sunny, merry, light-hearted, happy-go-lucky, easygoing, joyful,
             jovial, jolly:  No‰l has written another light drawing-room
             comedy.  10 easy, not burdensome, endurable, bearable,
             tolerable, supportable, undemanding, effortless, untaxing,
             moderate:  After my surgery, I was able to resume light duties
             at the office.  The tax on such a small income is very light.
             You should take some light exercise every day. 11 amusing,
             entertaining, witty, diverting:  The book hasn't much substance,
             but it makes good light reading.  12 make light of. dismiss,
             write off, shrug off; trivialize; ridicule:  The teacher made
             light of my attempts to play the concerto.

             --v.  13 alight, land, come or go down, descend, settle;
             deplane, disembark or debark, detrain, dismount:  The bird was
             so tame it lighted on my finger.  14 light into. attack, assail,
             lambaste, assault, pounce or fall on or upon, beat, belabour;
             abuse, tongue-lash, harangue, upbraid, scold, berate, Colloq
             lace into; Slang clobber:  He really lit into the challenger in
             the third round. Her mother lit into her for not doing her
             homework. 15 light on or upon. chance or happen or stumble or
             hit on or upon, come across, encounter, find, meet up with:  She
             claimed she lit upon the formula when reading some ancient
             hieroglyphics.

   lighten°  v.  1 illuminate, brighten, light up:  Opening the curtains
             would lighten up the room.  2 cheer (up), brighten, gladden,
             shine; smile:  Her face lightened when he said he would be home
             for the holidays.

   lightenэ  v.  disencumber, disburden, relieve, alleviate, reduce, lessen,
             mitigate:  To lighten my load, I had left my suitcase at the
             hotel.

   like°     adj., adv.  1 similar (to), akin (to), allied (to), parallel (to
             or with), comparable (to or with), equivalent (to), equal (to),
             identical (to), cognate (with), analogous (to), corresponding
             (to), correspondent (to), close (to), homologous (to or with),
             of a piece (with), (much) the same (as), along the same lines
             (as), not unlike:  We hold like opinions. Her opinions are like
             mine. Her pies are like the ones my mother used to bake.
             Problems like this give me a headache. Opposite charges attract,
             like charges repel. 2 in the mood for, disposed to:  Do you feel
             like a walk in the park? He felt like going with me.

             --adv.  3 as if, as though:  He ran like mad.

             --prep.  4 similar to, identical to or with:  Her daughter looks
             like her. He makes her feel like a perfect fool. 5 in the same
             way as, in the manner of, similarly to:  Sometimes she acts like
             a maniac. The jacket fits him like a glove.  He laughed like a
             drain. He treats his mother like a child. 6 such as, for
             example, for instance, e.g., that is (to say), i.e., in other
             words, namely, to wit, viz.:  Mistletoe grows on various trees,
             like oaks and birches.

             --n.  7 match, equal, peer, fellow, opposite number,
             counterpart, twin:  It is doubtful that we shall see his like
             again.  8 same or similar kind or sort or ilk or type or kidney
             or breed or mould or cast or strain:  The book deals with music,
             literature, theatre, painting, and the like.

   likeэ     v.  1 be fond of, approve of, appreciate, be partial to, have a
             fondness or liking for, have a weakness for, take to, delight
             in, take pleasure in, derive or get pleasure from, delight in,
             find agreeable or congenial, feel attracted to, be or feel
             favourably impressed by, relish, love, adore, adulate, Colloq
             take a shine to, Slang go for, dig, get a kick out of, US get
             off on, groove on, get a bang or a charge out of:  She likes a
             day at the seaside. He likes chocolate ice-cream.  I think she
             likes me. 2 Usually, would or should like. prefer, want, wish,
             ask:  I would like you to try to get to work on time in future.
             I'd like a drink.

             --n.  3 Usually, likes. preference, partiality, predilection,
             liking:  We all have our different likes and dislikes.

   likeable  adj.  likeable, genial, amiable, congenial, pleasant, simpatico,
             agreeable, pleasing, attractive, appealing, nice, friendly,
             winning, charming, engaging, good-natured, winsome:  He is
             likeable enough, but not my ideal son-in-law.

   likelihood
             n.  probability, strong or distinct possibility, good chance:
             We must consider the likelihood that she will refuse to go.

   likely    adj.  1 probable, liable, expected:  Three o'clock is the likely
             arrival time.  2 probable, conceivable, reasonable, credible,
             plausible, tenable:  It seemed likely that Holmes would solve
             the case.  3 fitting, able, suitable, probable, seemly, meet,
             right, proper, qualified, acceptable, appropriate, apposite;
             favourite, odds-on, favoured, promising:  Peters is the likely
             man for the job.  4 disposed to, apt to, inclined to, liable to:
             It's likely to rain. You're likely to think me mad, but I have
             my reasons for going.

             --adv.  5 probably, undoubtedly, indubitably, no doubt, in all
             probability, Colloq like as not:  You would most likely say that
             I am wrong. He will very likely win the election.

   liken     v.  compare, equate, match, juxtapose:  How can you liken him to
             Mahatma Gandhi?

   likeness  n.  1 similarity, resemblance, correspondence, analogy,
             agreement, parallelism:  The artist has caught her likeness in
             the second painting.  2 copy, replica, facsimile, duplicate,
             reproduction, model, representation, portrait, painting,
             picture, drawing, photograph, sculpture,statue, statuette,
             image, simulacrum, icon or ikon:  He sells miniature likenesses
             of the Eiffel Tower to tourists.  3 appearance, face, figure,
             image:  The premier's likeness appears on posters throughout the
             country.

   likewise  adv.  1 similarly, in the same or like manner or way:  Penny is
             sitting quietly and you should do likewise.  2 as well, too,
             also, furthermore, further, besides, in addition, moreover, to
             boot:  There are many ways to take exercise and, likewise, many
             ways to avoid it.

   liking    n.  1 affinity, fondness, affection, love, partiality, bias,
             preference, bent, predilection, predisposition, inclination,
             appreciation, penchant; eye, appetite, soft spot, weakness:  He
             has a liking for good claret and beautiful women.  2 taste,
             pleasure, fancy, preference:  The chef will prepare the steak to
             your liking.

   limbo     n.  in limbo. up in the air, consigned to oblivion, in abeyance,
             suspended, hanging (fire), neither here nor there, Colloq on
             hold, treading water, holding one's breath, US in a holding
             pattern, on the shelf, on the back burner:  My career is in
             limbo till I learn the result of the interview.

   limit     n.  1 Sometimes, limits. extent, bound(s), end, limitation,
             check, curb, restriction, restraint:  Is there no limit to how
             far you will go to get your own way?  2 Often, limits. border,
             edge, end, extent, boundary, bound(s), (boundary or border or
             partition) line, frontier, perimeter, periphery:  That row of
             poplars marks the limit of the property to the east.  3 Often,
             limits. area, territory, confines, zone, region, quarter,
             district, precinct(s):  Stay outside the three-mile limit. We
             have jurisdiction only within city limits. 4 the limit.  a the
             end, the last straw, the straw that broke the camel's back, all
             (that) one can take, enough, too much, Colloq it:  Your
             presumption is the absolute limit - you can't seriously expect
             me to lend you money. b outrage, joke, surprise, Colloq caution:
             Wasn't Nigel the limit in that hat!?

             --v.  5 check, curb, bridle, restrict, restrain, hold in check:
             We must limit spending on arms. The shackles limited my
             movements.  6 restrict, confine, delimit, narrow, focus, guide,
             channel:  Please limit your questions to the subject at hand.  7
             set, define, determine, fix:  The bank manager has limited my
             overdraft to half what it was.

   limited   adj.  1 circumscribed, restricted, fixed, predetermined; small,
             little, reduced, minimal:  The theatre seats a limited number of
             people. She was awarded limited access to the children. 2
             narrow, restricted, restrictive, meagre:  Few original ideas
             presented themselves to his limited imagination.

   limitless adj.  unrestricted, unrestrained, unconfined, unbounded,
             boundless, extensive, vast, immense, enormous, unlimited,
             illimitable; interminable, unceasing, incessant, undefined,
             immeasurable, innumerable, numberless, countless, myriad,
             unending, perpetual, everlasting, eternal:  Dickens possessed a
             seemingly limitless capacity for characterization.  In the
             depths of space exist limitless numbers of stars. God's love is
             limitless.

   limp°     v.  1 hobble, stagger, totter, dodder, falter:  He limped slowly
             along the road.

             --n.  2 hobble, hobbling, stagger, staggering, totter,
             tottering, dodder, doddering, falter, faltering, claudication,
             Slang US gimp:  He was easy to recognize at a distance because
             of his limp.

   limpэ     adj.  1 flaccid, flabby, lax, slack, soft, drooping, relaxed,
             unstarched, unstiffened, soft, flexible, pliable, floppy, loose:
             The banners hung limp in the still, sultry air.  2 exhausted,
             tired, fatigued, worn out, spent, enervated, wasted,
             debilitated, weak, feeble, frail:  He felt limp with exhaustion
             after the day's hiking.  3 weak, feeble, ineffective,
             ineffectual, flimsy, half-hearted, lukewarm, spineless,
             thewless, namby-pamby, Colloq wishy-washy Slang gutless:  Having
             to visit her grandmother seemed a pretty limp excuse to me.

   line°     n.  1 mark, pencil-mark, pen-mark, rule, score; stroke,
             underline, underscore; diagonal, slash, virgule, shilling-mark,
             solidus, separatrix, oblique:  The lines on this paper are very
             faint. Draw a red line under your name. A line separates the
             numerator from the denominator. 2 strip, belt, stripe, band,
             border, edge, edging:  Do you see that line of trees? Put a
             heavy black line round the obituary notices. 3 wrinkle, crease,
             crinkle, furrow, crow's-foot:  He has many lines on his face.
             The palmist said I have a long lifeline. 4 border, borderline,
             frontier, limit, boundary; demarcation, threshold:  We crossed
             the line into Italy. I don't mind cooking dinner, but I draw the
             line at washing the dishes. There is a fine line between genius
             and insanity. 5 outline, silhouette, contour, figure, profile:
             The line of the skirt is too straight.  6 row, rank, column,
             file, train, parade, cortege or cortЉge, procession, Brit queue,
             Colloq Brit crocodile, tailback:  I stood in line for six hours
             for tickets. The line wound all the way round the block. 7
             field, area, activity, forte, speciality or chiefly US and
             Canadian also specialty, specialization, business, profession,
             occupation, (line of) work, job, vocation, pursuit, trade,
             calling, employment, Colloq racket, game:  Saying that he was a
             computer programmer, he asked me my line.  8 note, word, card,
             postcard, letter, US postal card:  Drop me a line when you get
             there.  9 course, direction, path, way, route, road, track,
             procedure, tack, policy, strategy, tactic(s), approach, plan:
             What line will our competitors take to win the account? I
             adopted the line of least resistance. 10 information, data,
             word, lead, clue, hint:  Interpol is trying to get a line on
             where he might be found.  11 cord, string, thread, twine, yarn,
             strand, filament, rope, cable, hawser:  The anchor line became
             entangled. Hang the clothes out on the line. 12 track, railway
             or US and Canadian also railroad:  The accident on the southern
             line is delaying all the trains.  13 telephone, wire, cable:  We
             have three lines at the office. He tried all day to get you on
             the line. 14 front (line), vanguard, formation:  These men have
             been in the line for weeks. Captain Hughes was given command of
             a ship of the line. 15 ancestry, descent, stock, lineage,
             succession, family, parentage, extraction, heritage, genealogy:
             She comes from a long line of horsewomen.  16 assortment, stock,
             merchandise, offerings, goods, brand, make, type, kind, variety:
             What line of lawnmower do you distribute?  17 Often, lines.
             part, role, speech, script, words, Theatre US sides:  I know my
             lines by heart for the school play. She has one line in the
             third act. 18 story, (sales) pitch, blarney, Colloq spiel, song
             and dance, Slang con:  He handed her a line about being lonely,
             but she soon found out why. 19 in or into line.  a aligned, in
             alignment, true, straight, in a row, plumb:  Bring the balusters
             for the railing in line.  b in agreement, in accord, in
             accordance, in conformity, in step, in harmony, US lined up:  We
             are bringing the staffing requirements into line with the
             council's recommendations. c Usually, into line. under or in
             control:  Were you able to bring the other board members into
             line?  20 in line for. ready for, short-listed for, on the short
             list for, up for, being considered for, under consideration for,
             a candidate for, in the running for:  We all think she's in line
             for a promotion.

             --v.  21 rule, inscribe, score, underline, underscore:  If you
             use lined paper, your writing wouldn't be so wavy.  22 edge,
             border, fringe:  Millions lined the streets for the parade.  23
             line up.  a organize, prepare, ready, assemble, set up, put or
             set in place, develop, formulate, arrange (for), coordinate:
             Everything is all lined up for the big event.  b arrange for,
             secure, get (hold of), obtain, contract for; uncover, dig up,
             acquire, engage, hire, sign (up), contract with, hire, employ:
             We lined up an excellent after-dinner speaker.  c queue (up),
             form a line, get in line, form ranks or columns:  Hundreds of us
             lined up for meals three times a day.  d align, array,
             straighten, order:  These paragraphs should line up. Line up the
             troops for inspection at 0600.

   lineэ     v.  1 interline, cover, face; ceil:  The coat is lined with fur.
             2 line one's pockets. accept bribes, graft, US sell out, Colloq
             US be on the take:  He was secretly lining his pockets during
             his years on the council.

   lineage   n.  1 extraction, ancestry, family tree, pedigree, descent,
             stock, bloodline, parentage, genealogy:  She has spent a lot of
             time tracing the lineage of the village's families. 2 forebears,
             forefathers, foremothers, family, people, clan; descendants,
             succession, progeny, offspring:  Does Debrett list his lineage?
             Peerages were confined to the lineage of the person ennobled.

   linen     n.  Often, linens. bedclothes, bed linen(s), sheets and
             pillowcases; table linen(s), napery, tablecloths and napkins;
             bath linen(s), towels and wash-cloths:  The soiled linen is sent
             to the laundry.

   linger    v.  1 Sometimes, linger on. stay (behind), remain, tarry,
             loiter, persist, hang on, endure, persevere, survive, Colloq
             hang or stick about or around:  The smell of tobacco lingered
             for hours after he had gone. He lingered on for a day, then died
             from his wounds. 2 pause, dawdle, dally, lag, idle:  She
             lingered for a moment at the jeweller's window.  3 Often, linger
             on or over. dwell on, elaborate, harp on, labour:  I shall not
             linger over the details of the crime.  4 procrastinate, dither,
             shilly-shally, temporize:  You must stop lingering and decide
             today.

   lingering adj.  1 long, persistent, protracted, remaining:  I was left
             with the lingering feeling that I had forgotten to tell her
             something. 2 slow, long-drawn-out, gradual:  She died a
             lingering, painful death.

   lingo     n.  jargon, argot, cant, patois, pidgin, Creole, parlance,
             vernacular, dialect, idiom, language, talk, speech; gobbledegook
             or gobbledygook, gibberish, mumbo-jumbo:  In medical lingo, he
             is suffering from coryza - in other words, a cold.

   link      n.  1 tie, bond, coupling, connector, vinculum; element,
             constituent, component:  A chain is no stronger than its weakest
             link.  2 connection, tie-up, tie-in, relation, relationship,
             association, affiliation, interdependence:  What is the link
             between her arrival and his sudden departure?  He thinks he's
             identified the missing link.

             --v.  3 Often, link up. couple, join, fasten (together), unite;
             concatenate:  They linked arms to form a barrier.  4 connect,
             tie (up or in or together), associate, relate, identify with:  I
             cannot help feeling that this murder links up with the others.

   liquid    n.  1 fluid, liquor, juice, solution:  Mixing these two liquids
             could be dangerous.

             --adj.  2 fluid, flowing, running, runny, fluent, liquefied,
             watery, molten, melted:  Her hair was the colour of liquid gold.
             3 bright, shining, brilliant, clear, transparent, translucent,
             limpid:  The surface of the lake gleamed like liquid sunshine.
             4 convertible; solvent, profitable:  Government bonds are
             regarded as liquid assets. The company remains liquid despite
             losses.

   liquor    n.  1 spirits, alcohol, (strong) drink, intoxicants, John
             Barleycorn, schnapps, whisky or US and Irish whiskey, demon rum,
             moonshine, US white lightning, white mule; Colloq booze,
             pick-me-up, hard stuff, fire-water, juice, mother's ruin (=
             'gin'), US Kickapoo mountain joy juice; Slang rot-gut, Chiefly
             US and Canadian hooch or hootch, US sauce, red-eye, mountain
             dew:  I don't drink liquor, but I will have some tea.  2 liquid,
             fluid, extract, broth, stock, distillate, concentrate, infusion:
             After poaching the fish, pour off the liquor and save it.

   list°     n.  1 listing, roster, roll, rota, catalogue, directory,
             register, index, record, schedule, muster, slate, beadroll,
             laundry list, shopping list, inventory, file, tabulation;
             bibliography, liber veritatis, catalogue raisonn‚:  Select what
             you need from this list.

             --v.  2 catalogue, register, index, record, note, itemize,
             enumerate, schedule, tabulate, chronicle, book, enter, enrol:
             Those eligible to vote are listed in this computer printout.

   listэ     v.  1 lean (over), tilt, slant, heel (over), tip, careen, cant,
             incline:  The ship suddenly listed to starboard and I was thrown
             onto the deck.

             --n.  2 lean, tilt, slant, heel, tip, cant, slope, inclination:
             The leak caused a severe list to port.

   listen    v.  1 hear, pay attention (to), attend, lend an ear (to), prick
             up one's ears, keep one's ears open, Archaic hark (to), hearken
             or US also harken (to):  I was listening to the radio when you
             phoned.  2 obey, heed, mind, pay attention (to), do as one is
             told:  You wouldn't be in this trouble if you'd listened to me.

   listless  adj.  sluggish, lethargic, weary, weak, enervated, spent,
             languid, lifeless, heavy, phlegmatic, unemotional, impassive;
             unenthusiastic, indifferent, apathetic, unconcerned, lukewarm,
             tepid, cool, uncaring, insouciant; pococurante, Laodicean:  She
             was just over an illness and feeling quite listless.

   litany    n.  1 prayer, invocation, supplication, petition:  The monks
             trudged through the streets, chanting their litany.  2
             recitation, recital, enumeration, listing, list, cataloguing,
             catalogue, inventorying, inventory:  We had to sit through an
             interminable litany of the names of contributors to the fund.

   literal   adj.  1 word-for-word, verbatim, line-for-line,
             letter-for-letter, literatim, exact, precise, faithful, strict:
             In a literal translation the spirit of the original is often
             lost.  2 denotative, etymological, semantic, dictionary,
             lexical, basic, essential, pure, simple, simplistic, real,
             objective, true, genuine, bona fide, unvarnished, unadulterated,
             unembellished, simple-minded, uncomplicated, unbiased,
             unprejudiced, Colloq honest-to-goodness, honest-to-God:  'Female
             parent' may be the literal definition of mother, but it doesn't
             convey the emotional and connotative senses of the word. 3
             prosaic, matter-of-fact, colourless, dull, down-to-earth,
             literal-minded, unimaginative, humdrum, boring, tedious:  His
             literal approach to everything spoils the conversation for those
             who have any spirit.

   literally adv.  1 word for word, verbatim, line for line, letter for
             letter, literatim, faithfully, strictly, exactly, precisely,
             closely; thus, sic:  Generally cordon sanitaire means 'buffer
             zone', but literally it means 'sanitary line'.  2 actually,
             truly, in fact, really:  When I said he'd spilled the beans, I
             meant it figuratively, not literally.

   literary  adj.  1 erudite, well-read, cultured, learned, bookish,
             scholarly, lettered, cultivated, refined, educated; literate:
             Her latest book has been scorned by the literary ‚lite.  2
             written, formal, scholarly, pedantic, learned, academic,
             scholastic, school-marmish:  His writing contains literary words
             rarely heard in ordinary conversation.

   literature
             n.  1 writing(s), letters, belles-lettres, creative writing(s):
             These works are representative of the literature of the period.
             2 information, facts, data, publicity; propaganda; brochures,
             pamphlets, hand-outs, handbills, leaflets, circulars:  As a
             member, you will be sent literature about future events.  They
             print subversive literature.

   litigant  n.  litigator, party, plaintiff, appellant, suitor, petitioner,
             suer, defendant, appellee, accused:  The judge suggested that
             the litigants settle out of court.

   litigation
             n.  lawsuit, suit, action, case, legal remedy:  The costs of
             litigation are extremely high.

   litter    n.  1 rubbish, debris, refuse, fragments, odds and ends, US and
             Canadian trash, Colloq junk:  The room was strewn with food
             wrappers, cigarette butts, and other litter. 2 brood, issue,
             offspring, young:  Note the differences in the young of the same
             litter.  3 stretcher, palanquin or palankeen, sedan chair:  The
             potentate was borne in on a litter carried by four huge Nubians.

             --v.  4 clutter, strew, scatter:  The streets were littered with
             bricks and broken glass.

   little    adj.  1 small, short, slight, tiny, minute, diminutive,
             miniature, mini, baby, doll-sized, undersized, dwarf, midget,
             pygmy, elfin, toy, bantam, petite, wee, infinitesimal,
             minuscule, Lilliputian, teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy-weensy,
             itty-bitty, itsy-bitsy, microscopic:  I live in a little house.
             A little red-faced man suddenly appeared.  They sat drinking
             coffee out of little white cups. 2 young, small, youthful:  You
             are asking a lot from a little boy.  3 small, sparse, skimpy,
             meagre, scant, insufficient, inadequate, not enough, scanty,
             barely or hardly any:  A little crowd gathered round us. You
             will get little help from her. There's too little milk for us to
             make custard. 4 short, brief:  We had only a little time
             together before he was sent overseas.  5 trifling, trivial,
             small, minor, petty, paltry, insignificant, inconsiderable,
             unimportant, inconsequential, negligible:  He seemed to consider
             my safety of little importance. He does a little business on the
             side. You are too concerned about little things. 6
             small(-minded), petty, picayune, mean, ungenerous, illiberal,
             cheap, narrow(-minded), unimaginative, shallow:  What is going
             on in his cunning little brain?

             --adv.  7 seldom, rarely, hardly ever, scarcely:  I travel very
             little these days.  8 (but or only) slightly, barely, hardly,
             scarcely, no, not any, not much:  She arrived with little more
             than what she was wearing.  9 scarcely, hardly:  Little does he
             care whether he wins his wager.

             --pron.  10 bit, dab, dollop, particle, spoonful, taste,
             thimbleful, speck, spot, scrap, crumb, particle, Colloq smidgen
             or smidgin:  If you could spare me a little of your time, I'd be
             grateful.

   live      adj.  1 living, breathing, animate, viable, existent; material,
             physical, tangible, real, actual, palpable:  She said she'd
             rather be a live beggar than a dead countess. My cat brought me
             a live mouse into the house the other day. 2 energetic, lively,
             spirited, vigorous, active, dynamic, busy; current,
             contemporary:  Our new advertising agency seems to have some
             live ideas. The other party made nuclear disarmament a live
             issue in the election. 3 burning, glowing, flaming, alight,
             red-hot, white-hot:  A live coal popped out of the grate onto
             the carpet.  4 loaded, explosive, unexploded, combustible:
             Builders have dug up a live bomb in London.  5 charged,
             electrified:  Don't touch a live wire or you'll get a shock.

             --v.  6 breathe, exist; function:  There has never lived a more
             gifted scholar. She lives as a recluse.  7 survive, persist,
             last, persevere, endure; spend, continue, live out, complete,
             end, conclude, finish:  He lived out his days happily in
             Torquay.  8 reside, dwell, be; abide, stay, remain, lodge, room:
             He normally lives in Acton, but at the moment he's living with
             his mother in Kent. 9 subsist, get along, survive, fare:  Many
             old-age pensioners complain that they have barely enough to live
             on.

   lively    adj.  1 full of life, vigorous, energetic, vivacious, spirited,
             brisk, spry, active, animated, frisky, sprightly, agile, nimble,
             perky, chirpy, bouncy, buoyant, gay, cheery, cheerful, Colloq
             chipper, full of pep, peppy:  His speech sparked off a lively
             discussion. The carriage was drawn by a pair of lively horses. 2
             strong, intense, vivid, keen, pointed, eager, energetic, active:
             She takes a lively interest in current affairs.  3 active, busy,
             bustling, stirring, eventful, swarming, teeming; astir, alive:
             We joined the lively crowd at the antiques fair. The streets
             near the square were lively with people rushing to and fro. 4
             vivid, bright, gay, cheerful, glowing, brilliant, gorgeous,
             rich:  Some lively colours in the upholstery and curtains would
             brighten up the sitting-room.

   liven     v. Often, liven up.  1  brighten, cheer, enliven, perk up:  You
             need some fresh paint to liven up the outside of the house.  2
             invigorate, stimulate, energize, inspirit, activate, animate,
             fire, stir (up), put (some) life into, enliven, perk up, Colloq
             pep up:  We need a good dance band to liven up the place in the
             evenings.

12.4 load...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   load      n.  1 weight, burden; onus, pressure, encumbrance, millstone,
             cross, albatross, responsibility, care, anxiety, worry, trouble:
             He put down his load and rested. Seeing her safe is a load off
             my mind. 2 shipment, consignment, cargo, weight:  That load is
             too heavy for the van.

             --v.  3 pack, pile, stack, heap, fill, lade, stuff, cram, jam,
             squeeze:  Load all the boxes you can in the truck.  4 Often,
             load down. weigh down, burden, encumber, saddle with, overwhelm:
             I was loaded down with too many responsibilities.

   loaded    adj.  1 overloaded, overwhelmed, burdened, laden, weighted
             (down), filled (up), chock-full, chock-a-block, stuffed, jammed,
             packed, crowded, brimming, brim-full, crammed:  A fully loaded
             lorry has overturned near exit 5. The train was loaded with
             commuters. 2 charged, primed, ready:  Be careful - the gun is
             loaded.  3 charged, tricky, manipulative, insidious, prejudiced,
             prejudicial, trap, devious:  'When did you stop beating your
             wife?' is what anybody would call a loaded question. 4 rich,
             wealthy, affluent, moneyed, well-to-do, well off, Colloq flush,
             well-heeled , US in the chips, Slang rolling in it:  I hear that
             her new husband is really loaded.  5 drunk:  He was loaded
             before he even went to the party.

   loaf°     n.  1 brick, cake, block, chunk; lump, cube:  We could do with
             an extra loaf of bread.  2 head, sense, brains, Colloq noggin,
             noodle, block, bean, Brit noddle, Slang Brit chump:  Use your
             loaf!

   loafэ     v.  1 lounge (about or around), loiter, idle, laze, lie about or
             around, take it easy, vegetate, watch the grass grow, Colloq US
             lallygag or lollygag, Slang Brit skive, Military scrimshank, US
             goof off, US military gold-brick, Taboo slang US fuck off, fuck
             the dog:  There are always some youngsters loafing about in the
             park.  2 loaf away. waste, fritter away, idle away:  He loafs
             away all his time watching the telly.

   loafer    n.  idler, layabout, wastrel, shirker, flѓneur, ne'er-do-well,
             tramp, vagrant, Old-fashioned lounge lizard, slugabed, Colloq
             lazybones, Brit drone, US bum, (ski or tennis or surf) bum,
             Slang Brit skiver, Military scrimshanker, US military gold brick
             or gold-bricker, Taboo slang US fuck-off:  Why did she marry
             that good-for-nothing loafer?

   loan      n.  1 advance, allowance, credit, accommodation:  We needed a
             loan to pay for Melissa's education.

             --v.  2 lend, advance, allow, credit:  The bank loaned us enough
             money to buy a car.

   loath     adj.  loth, unwilling, reluctant, averse, disinclined,
             indisposed:  I was loath to tell my wife where I had been.

   loathe    v.  detest, hate, despise, abhor, abominate, execrate, shrink or
             recoil from, shudder at:  I love broccoli but loathe
             cauliflower.

   loathing  n.  hatred, abhorrence, aversion, hate, odium, detestation,
             antipathy, repugnance, horror, revulsion:  She treated her
             critics with loathing.

   loathsome adj.  detestable, abhorrent, odious, hateful, disgusting,
             execrable, abominable, despicable, contemptible, noisome,
             offensive, horrible, repulsive, repugnant, nauseating,
             sickening, revolting, nasty, vile:  Without warning, the
             loathsome beast attacked me. She died shortly of a loathsome
             disease.

   lob       v.  1 loft, toss, pitch, shy, heave, fling, chuck, hurl, throw:
             She lobbed the ball high in the air over the net.

             --n.  2 toss, throw, bowl, pitch, hit, US fly:  I misjudged the
             slow lob and swung too soon.

   lobby     n.  1 foyer, entrance-hall, vestibule, entry, US entry-way;
             reception (room or area), waiting-room, corridor, hall, hallway:
             We were to meet in the main lobby of the arts centre.  2
             special-interest group, pressure group, lobbyist:  A powerful
             lobby has been formed to influence farming legislation.

             --v.  3 (bring) pressure (to bear), (exert) influence, persuade,
             pull strings or wires, put one's weight behind, sway, press,
             push, promote, urge, Brit pressurize:  Environmentalists are
             lobbying for a ban on fluorocarbons.

   local     adj.  1 neighbourhood, neighbouring, nearby, close by;
             adjoining:  She works for a local butcher. The law affects only
             the local area. 2 provincial, regional, district, state, county,
             shire, municipal, city, town, village, neighbourhood;
             restricted, limited, specific, particular, peculiar:  Clean
             water is a general, not a local problem.

             --n.  3 resident, native, townsman, townswoman, townsperson:
             The locals all voted against the proposition.  4 neighbourhood
             pub:  He stopped in at his local on the way home.

   locale    n.  site, location, spot, place, setting, venue, neighbourhood,
             situation, locality:  We moved the locale of the film to Spain.

   locate    v.  1 situate, place, site, position, set (up), fix, pinpoint,
             establish, settle, base:  Where is your office located? We
             located our warehouse close to the railway. 2 find, come across,
             discover, unearth, lay or put or get one's hand(s) or finger(s)
             on, chance or hit upon, turn up, track down:  Where can I locate
             a good piano player?

   location  n.  1 site, place, locale, spot, setting, situation, position:
             We have just moved to a new location.  2 finding, discovery,
             laying or putting or getting one's hand(s) or finger(s) on,
             unearthing, turning up, tracking down:  The location of the
             other half of the coin became an obsession with him.

   lock°     n.  1 padlock, hasp, bolt, latch, bar, hook, clasp, catch:  Why
             put a lock on the door if there is nothing worth stealing
             inside? 2 hold; control, power, sway, authority, command,
             supervision:  The bureau has a complete lock on the issue of
             licences.

             --v.  3 Often, lock up. padlock, bolt, latch, bar, secure, seal:
             Lock the doors before leaving for the day.  4 clasp, entangle,
             engage, join, entwine, close; clutch, grasp, grapple:  For six
             hours the knights were locked in battle.  5 lock away. See lock
             up or away, below.  6 lock in.  a secure, retain, fix, plant,
             implant, stabilize:  What does the maker mean by 'the flavour is
             locked in'?  b commit, oblige, constrain, bind:  We are locked
             in to the promises we made to our employees.  c lock up or away,
             confine, restrain, coop up:  You'd better lock in the dogs
             before you leave.  7 lock on. fix on or upon, track, follow,
             pursue, keep track of:  Our sights are locked on the target.  8
             lock out. exclude, shut out, close out, keep out, bar, debar:
             During the strike, the management locked out all employees.  9
             lock up or away. confine, jail or Brit also gaol, imprison, coop
             up, incarcerate, detain, impound, put behind bars, restrict,
             cage:  They threatened to lock him up and throw away the key.

   lockэ     n.  tress, curl, ringlet:  As a love token, she sent him a lock
             of her hair.

   lodge     n.  1 hunting-lodge, cabin, chalet, cottage, house; gatehouse,
             shelter, hut:  I have a small lodge in the mountains.  2 branch,
             chapter:  He belongs to the Manchester lodge of the Masons.

             --v.  3 reside, live, dwell, abide, stay, stop, room, occupy
             rooms:  For years they lodged together at 221B Baker Street.  4
             accommodate, board, put up, billet, quarter, house, take in;
             shelter, harbour:  Mrs Mulrooney is lodging a student in her
             spare room. Her house cannot lodge more than three. 5 stick,
             wedge, catch, deposit, become stuck or wedged or fixed or caught
             or deposited, embed itself, become embedded:  I've got an apple
             pip lodged in one of my back teeth.  6 register, enter, record,
             submit, bring forward, set forth or out, file:  We lodged a
             complaint against our neighbours because of the noise.

   lodging   n.  Often, lodgings. accommodation(s), shelter, quarters, rooms,
             apartment, housing, house, dwelling, dwelling-place, residence:
             I found a night's lodging in Cranberry Street.

   lofty     adj.  1 tall, high, elevated, towering, soaring:  The lofty
             skyscrapers of New York always impress visitors on first sight.
             2 exalted, majestic, imposing, grand, magnificent, noble, regal,
             imperial, blue-blooded, thoroughbred, aristocratic, magisterial,
             august, stately, venerable, distinguished, dignified, elevated,
             eminent, celebrated, honoured, honourable, respected, renowned,
             famous, prominent, illustrious, notable, leading, pre-eminent,
             sublime, immortal:  He is heir to one of England's loftiest
             peerages.  3 elevated, honourable, superior, exalted, noble:
             Public servants should adhere to lofty principles of morality.
             4 grand, grandiose, haughty, arrogant, disdainful,
             condescending, contemptuous, scornful, supercilious,
             contumelious, patronizing, superior, overweening, vainglorious,
             pompous, snobbish, Colloq high and mighty, snooty, uppity, Brit
             uppish, Slang snotty, Brit toffee-nosed:  Her lofty attitude
             made her unpopular with the voters.

   logic     n.  1 reasoning, deduction, dialectics, ratiocination,
             inferential or scientific reasoning:  Mill defined logic as the
             science of proof, or evidence.  2 (good or common) sense, sound
             judgement, wisdom, presence of mind:  According to Disraeli,
             England was not governed by logic.  3 reasonableness,
             intelligence, judiciousness, practicality, rationality:  Your
             logic is valid, but you are forgetting the human factor.

   logical   adj.  1 syllogistic(al), inferential, deductive, inductive:  Her
             argument follows basic logical criteria.  2 reasonable,
             plausible, sensible, sound, valid, intelligent, judicious,
             practical, rational, wise, proper:  Is it logical to assume that
             people will believe you?  3 well-organized, sound, coherent,
             consistent, sensible, rational, reasonable, well-reasoned,
             well-thought-out:  The proposal is set forth in a logical
             fashion, from premise to conclusion.

   lonely    adj.  1 single, solitary, sole, lone, one; unaccompanied, alone:
             The lonely survivor of the crash struggled out of the jungle.
             She walked for miles, lonely and desolate. 2 desolate,
             uninhabited, deserted, barren:  Robinson Crusoe's world was a
             lonely place.  3 friendless, lonesome, abandoned, outcast,
             forsaken; solo, hermit-like, eremitic(al), reclusive, secluded,
             retiring, withdrawn, unsocial:  He felt lonely in the strange
             city. She leads a lonely existence with only her cat for
             company.

   lonesome  adj.  1 alone, forsaken, friendless, rejected, unpopular,
             unwelcome, outcast, deserted, abandoned, estranged:  She was
             terribly lonesome and homesick before meeting Patrick.  2 See
             lonely, 2.

   long°     adj.  1 extensive, extended, elongate(d), large, great, big:
             That is a very long snake!  2 lengthy, prolonged, protracted;
             extensive, extended, sustained:  I waited for a long time.

   longэ     v.  wish, crave, want, yearn, desire, hunger, fancy, covet,
             dream of, hanker, eat one's heart out:  I am longing for a good
             roast beef dinner. I long to see you once more.

   longing   n.  craving, wish, yearning, hunger, fancy, desire, hankering,
             Colloq yen:  I have a longing to be home again.

   look      v.  1 Usually, look at. see, observe, consider, contemplate,
             regard, view, survey, inspect, scrutinize, study, scan; pay
             attention, attend, notice, watch, witness; Literary behold,
             Slang US eyeball:  Look at what you've done! Look at the way I
             do it.  2 seem (to be), appear (to be):  That looks like a
             useful utensil. You certainly look healthy.  3 face, front (on),
             overlook, look out on:  The house looks over the sea at the
             back.  4 look after. care for, take care of, be responsible for,
             attend, mind, watch, serve, wait on, nurse, protect:  Rose will
             look after your house while you're away. I need someone to look
             after me. 5 look down on or upon or US at. disdain, despise,
             contemn, scorn, disparage, derogate, spurn, sneer, misprize,
             Colloq turn one's nose up at, look down one's nose at:  They
             look down on anyone with less money.  6 look for.  a seek,
             demand, require:  We aren't looking for the same things in a
             person.  b hunt for, forage for, search for:  I am looking for a
             cup to match my set.  c expect, hope, anticipate, count on,
             reckon on:  I am looking for a better school report next term.
             7 look forward to.  a anticipate, await, wait for:  I am looking
             forward to Sunday's match.  b expect, count or rely on or upon:
             We were looking forward to your help.  8 look into. examine,
             study, investigate, inspect, delve into, dig into, probe,
             scrutinize, explore, go into, research, check (out), check into:
             I shall have to look into the matter.  9 look out. be careful,
             be alert, be vigilant, be on the qui vive, be watchful, watch
             out, beware, pay attention, be on guard:  If you don't look out,
             you'll bang your head.  10 look over. look at, examine, read,
             scan, study, check (out or over), Slang US eyeball:  I haven't
             had a chance to look over the material you gave me.  11 look up.
             a seek, search for, hunt for, try to find, track or run down:  I
             meant to look up the etymology of 'picnic'.  b get in touch
             with, (tele)phone, ring (up), visit, call on, call up, look or
             drop in on, go to see:  I looked up a friend of mine when I was
             in Chicago.  c improve, get better, pick up, show improvement,
             progress, gain, make headway or progress:  He was pleased to see
             that business was looking up.  12 look up to. admire, regard
             highly, respect, esteem, honour, revere, extol, worship,
             idolize, venerate:  The boy really looks up to you.

             --n.  13 gaze, glance:  Her look was inviting. He gave me a
             dirty look. Let me have a look at you. 14 looks, appearance,
             aspect, bearing, manner, air, demeanour; expression,
             countenance, face, mien:  I just didn't like the look of the
             man. He had a nasty look.

   look-alike
             n.  twin, double, exact or perfect likeness or match, clone,
             Colloq spitting image or spit and image; doppelg„nger; Slang
             (dead) ringer:  She is such a perfect look-alike of Princess
             Di's that people follow her in the street.

   lookout   n.  1 guard, sentry, sentinel, watchman:  The lookout reported
             that the fort was surrounded by Cochise's braves. 2 alert, qui
             vive; guard, watch:  Be on the lookout for shoplifters.  3
             responsibility, worry, concern, problem, difficulty, Colloq
             headache:  How he wastes his free time is his lookout, how he
             spends his working time is ours.

   loom      v.  1 appear, emerge, take shape or form, materialize, surface,
             arise:  A huge figure loomed out of the fog.  2 menace, impend,
             threaten, overshadow, tower, dominate, hang or hover over:
             Count Dracula's dark castle loomed over us.  3 loom large.
             dominate, predominate, play a big or an important role or part:
             Sales to children loom large in your predictions.

   loop      n.  1 hoop, noose, ring, circle, bow, eye, eyelet, coil, whorl,
             Nautical bend:  I caught my toe in a loop of rope and fell on
             the deck.

             --v.  2 twist, coil, wind, tie, circle, curl, entwine, turn,
             ring, Nautical bend:  Loop the thread round the crochet hook and
             pull it through.

   loophole  n.  outlet, way out, means of escape, escape, subterfuge,
             pretext, evasion, quibble, Colloq dodge:  They couldn't
             prosecute him because he found a loophole in the law.

   loose     adj.  1 unattached, unconnected, disconnected, detached, free,
             unsecured, unfastened, movable:  I have a loose tooth. The
             vacuum cleaner will pick up any loose bits. 2 unconfined,
             untied, unfettered, released, freed, unshackled, unchained;
             free, at liberty, at large, on the loose, untrammelled:  In
             Pamplona, they allow loose bulls to run through the streets to
             the arena. 3 unconfining, free-flowing, flowing, baggy, slack,
             hanging:  That skirt is loose on you since you lost weight.  4
             disordered, disorganized, unbound, untied, messy; strewn or
             spread or tossed or thrown about or around, scattered (about or
             around), in disorder, in disarray, dispersed:  On the desk was a
             loose pile of papers.  5 rambling, disconnected, unstructured,
             unconnected, discontinuous, non-specific, unspecific,
             indefinite, imprecise, inexact, inaccurate, free, broad, rough,
             offhand, casual, careless, untidy, sloppy, slapdash, general,
             vague:  He gave a loose description of his assailant. A loose
             translation does not convey the flavour of the original. 6 lax,
             relaxed, negligent, careless, sloppy:  Discipline has been quite
             loose around here lately.  7 wanton, dissolute, debauched,
             immoral, promiscuous, abandoned, fast, libertine, profligate,
             licentious, lewd, perverted, corrupt:  She was quickly gaining a
             reputation for being a loose woman.

             --adv.  8 break loose. escape, flee:  The boy broke loose from
             my grasp and ran to greet his mother.  9 hang or stay loose.
             relax, stay or keep calm or cool, cool off or down, sit back,
             take it easy:  Hang loose and everything will be all right.  10
             let or set or turn loose. discharge, let go (with); emit, give
             out (with), fire:  They let him loose after questioning. She let
             loose a stream of invective like a fishwife.

             --v.  11 let go, (set) free, release, let or set or turn loose;
             liberate, deliver:  Ten thousand balloons were loosed in the
             celebration.  12 untie, undo, unfasten, let go, disengage,
             relax, ease, loosen, slacken;, cast off:  Loose these ropes,
             please.  13 let go, let fly, fire, discharge, shoot, unleash,
             deliver:  We loosed a devastating barrage at the enemy.

   loosen    v.  1 loose; undo, unfasten, unhook, unbutton, unlace, untie,
             unbind, unbuckle; unscrew:  Quick! Loosen his collar!  2 weaken,
             detach, separate, sever, break or cut (apart):  The vibration
             has loosened the rivets.

   loot      n.  1 booty, spoils, plunder, prize, haul, Slang swag, boodle:
             They divided up the loot amongst the gang.

             --v.  2 plunder, sack, ransack, rob, pillage, despoil, raid,
             ravage, maraud, Rare depredate:  The soldiers looted every house
             in the city.

   lop       v.  Often, lop off. chop off, trim, top, head, crop, prune,
             dock, clip, trim, snip off, shear off, cut off, pare, shorten,
             hack off, amputate:  Lop the lower branches off close to the
             trunk.

   lopsided  adj.  1 uneven, askew, one-sided, awry, unsymmetrical,
             asymmetrical, unequal, crooked, unbalanced, irregular, Colloq
             cock-eyed:  That lopsided bookcase is the sole product of Ed's
             cabinet-making class. 2 uneven, unequal, one-sided, biased,
             disproportionate, unfair, warped, twisted:  Four against two -
             I'd call that lopsided, wouldn't you?

   lord      n.  1 master, monarch, ruler, sovereign:  Harry considers
             himself lord of all he surveys.  2 noble, nobleman, peer,
             aristocrat; earl, duke, count, viscount, baron:  He was made a
             lord in recognition of his achievements.  3 The or Our Lord.
             God, the Almighty, God Almighty, the Creator, the Supreme Being,
             Christ, Jesus, Jehovah:  The Lord moves in mysterious ways his
             miracles to perform.

             --v.  lord it over. domineer, swagger, be overbearing, Colloq
             boss (around), act big, pull rank:  He lords it over everyone in
             the office.

   lore      n.  1 folklore, beliefs, culture, tradition(s), mythology,
             myths, mythos, ethos, teaching(s), doctrine, wisdom:  According
             to their lore, the American Indians go to the Happy Hunting
             Ground when they die. 2 knowledge, learning, erudition:  He was
             acquainted with medical lore through his reading.

   lose      v.  1 mislay, misplace, displace, part with; suffer the loss of,
             be deprived of:  I lost my pen. He lost a leg in the war.  2
             forfeit, yield:  He says he lost the rent money gambling.  3
             give up, yield, capitulate, admit defeat, succumb, bow to, be
             defeated or conquered, suffer defeat, be beaten or overcome or
             worsted or bested, Colloq lose out:  It was a good game, but we
             lost.  4 waste, let slip, squander, dissipate, fritter or trifle
             away, run out of; consume, use (up), expend, spend:  We lost a
             lot of time waiting for him to decide.  5 elude, evade, escape,
             throw or shake off, give the slip:  I managed to lose the
             sinister-looking man who was shadowing me.

   loser     n.  also-ran, misfit, failure, fiasco, non-starter, Colloq flop,
             dud, washout, bummer, lead balloon, lemon, born loser, Brit damp
             squib, Brit and Australian no-hoper, US clinker, nebbish,
             schlemiel or schlemihl or shlemiel, schlimazel or shlimazel or
             shlimazl, schnook, sad sack:  Dick is a real loser and will
             never amount to anything. His idea for a company newsletter was
             a loser.

   loss      n.  1 deprivation, bereavement, privation, denial, sacrifice,
             forfeiture, disappearance:  We must be constantly vigilant to
             watch for any loss of our liberty.  2 diminution, erosion,
             reduction, impoverishment, depletion, shrinkage:  New policies
             are in place to stem the loss of parkland.  3 disadvantage,
             detriment, harm, impairment, injury, damage:  I don't regard
             Wentworth's resignation as any great loss.  4 waste, wastage,
             wasting, squandering:  The loss of time was owing to a train
             delay.  5 defeat, set-back, disadvantage, disappointment,
             failure, downfall, collapse, breakdown, ruin; drubbing,
             trouncing:  His loss is my gain.  6 Often, losses. debit(s),
             liability (liabilities), negative cash flow:  The company wrote
             off the losses.  7 Often, losses. death, dying, passing, demise,
             destruction, extermination, extinction, annihilation:  The loss
             from disease was overwhelming. What losses did they suffer in
             the battle?

   lost      adj.  1 gone, departed, vanished, strayed; missing, mislaid,
             misplaced, irrecoverable:  They found my lost dog. The airline
             told me that my bag was lost.  2 wasted, misspent, gone by the
             board, squandered, down the drain, spent, exhausted, Colloq out
             of the window:  The new arrangement is resulting in a lot of
             time lost. I watched another lost opportunity slip by. 3
             confused, baffled, perplexed, puzzled, mystified, bewildered,
             confounded, adrift, helpless, disoriented, at sea, astray:  I am
             totally lost when it comes to high finance.  4 forgotten,
             bygone, extinct, past, obsolete, vanished, buried:  Good writing
             needn't be a lost art.  5 dead, extinct, departed, fallen, late:
             We held a memorial service for our lost comrades.  6 destroyed,
             demolished, devastated, ruined, wrecked, irreparable,
             unsalvageable, irreclaimable, irremediable:  After the expos‚ in
             the newspaper, his name was consigned to the limbo of lost
             reputations. 7 damned, cursed, accursed, abandoned, corrupt,
             fallen, wanton, unchaste, dissolute:  Unrepentant sinners are
             lost souls.  8 hopeless, distraught, distracted, desperate,
             frantic, frenzied:  He had the lost look of a cornered fugitive.

   lot       n.  1 collection, batch, consignment, assortment, group,
             portion, set, quantity, grouping, apportionment:  They are
             expecting a new lot of furniture this afternoon.  2 luck,
             fortune, destiny, fate, kismet, plight, doom, end:  It seems to
             be my lot to stay in the same place all my life.  3 lottery,
             drawing, raffle, drawing lots or straws:  The winner will be
             decided by lot.  4 share, portion, division, interest, part,
             allotment, assignment, apportionment, ration, allowance:
             Marguerite was bequeathed the house, while my lot included the
             paintings. 5 a lot or lots.  a a good or great deal:  You have a
             lot of nerve! I'd give a lot to be able to paint like you. He
             got into a lot of trouble. b much, loads or a load, mountains or
             a mountain, tons or a ton, barrels or a barrel, stacks or a
             stack, piles or a pile, heaps or a heap, masses or a mass,
             oceans , Colloq oodles, scads, US gobs:  She has lots of money.
             c many, myriad, numerous, countless, reams, infinite or an
             infinity, quantities or a quantity, enormous numbers or an
             enormous number, Colloq oodles, scads, loads, tons, masses,:
             There are lots of fish in the sea.  6 the lot. everything,
             Colloq the whole kit and caboodle, all:  I'll give you a fiver
             for the lot.

   lotion    n.  cream, liniment, balm, salve, ointment, embrocation,
             unguent, pomade:  The doctor said to rub in some of this lotion
             twice a day.

   lottery   n.  raffle, sweepstake, drawing, pool, Brit tombola:  I've never
             known anyone who won anything in the national lottery.

   loud      adj.  1 deafening, ear-splitting, booming, blaring, stentorian,
             thundering, thunderous, sonorous, noisy, clamorous, piercing,
             fortissimo:  The hi-fi is so loud I can't hear myself think. A
             loud crash came from the kitchen. 2 tawdry, garish, flashy,
             gaudy, tasteless, extravagant, showy, ostentatious, Colloq
             splashy, snazzy, jazzy:  He was wearing a check suit and the
             loudest shirt and tie I had ever seen.

   lounge    v.  1 idle, loaf, laze, loll, languish, vegetate:  After dinner,
             we lounged till midnight, sipping port.

             --n.  2 sitting-room, salon, front room, parlour:  Mother
             insisted that we entertain visitors in the lounge.  3 lobby,
             foyer, waiting-room, reception (room), vestibule:  I was waiting
             in the lounge when the doctor returned.  4 cocktail lounge,
             (lounge or saloon) bar:  We went into the lounge and ordered a
             drink.  5 sofa, couch, divan, studio couch, day-bed, settee,
             settle, love-seat, chaise longue; causeuse, t€te-…-t€te; US and
             Canadian Davenport:  The psychoanalyst has a lounge on which you
             lie while talking to him.

   lour      v.  1 lower, darken, threaten, menace, loom:  The clouds loured:
             she suddenly began to feel afraid.  2 lower, frown, scowl,
             glower; sulk, pout, mope:  He said nothing, but loured at me
             from beneath his beetled brow.

   lousy     adj.  1 awful, terrible, mean, contemptible, low, base, hateful,
             detestable, despicable, vile, wretched, miserable, scurvy,
             dirty, vicious, Colloq rotten:  Telling tales to the teacher was
             a lousy thing to do.  2 bad, poor, awful, terrible, inferior;
             low-quality, shoddy, shabby, inferior, miserable, second-rate,
             wretched:  We had lousy seats for the theatre last week. The
             dealer seems to have sold you a really lousy car. 3 pedicular,
             pediculous, Brit lice-infested, lice-ridden, US louse-infested,
             louse-ridden:  Even lice are lousy - they have their own
             parasites.  4 lousy with. alive with, overloaded with, swarming
             with, teeming with, Colloq crawling with, knee-deep in:  In five
             minutes the place was lousy with cops.

   lovable   adj.  loveable, adorable, darling, dear, cherished, likeable,
             attractive, engaging, cute, fetching, taking, alluring,
             endearing, appealing, winsome, sweet, tender, cuddly,
             affectionate, charming, enchanting:  She has the most lovable
             little baby boy.

   love      n.  1 warmth, affection, attachment, fondness, tenderness,
             devotion, attraction, friendship, amity, regard, admiration,
             fancy, adoration, adulation, ardour, passion, fervour, rapture,
             infatuation:  Her love for him grew over the years.  2 liking,
             delight, enjoyment, pleasure, fondness, attraction,
             predilection, bent, leaning, proclivity, inclination,
             disposition, weakness, partiality, preference, taste, relish,
             passion:  In his retirement, Charles has developed a love for
             golf.  3 darling, beloved, sweetheart, sweetie, sweet, honey,
             dear one, dearest, angel, turtle-dove, true-love, light of one's
             life, lover, paramour, mate, intended, betrothed; girlfriend,
             inamorata, lady-love, young lady, fianc‚e; boyfriend, beau,
             inamorato, suitor, swain, young man, fianc‚, Archaic leman,
             tally, US POSSLQ (= 'Person of the Opposite Sex Sharing Living
             Quarters'), Colloq girl, woman, guy, man:  Let me tell you
             something, my love. Come live with me and be my love. 4
             sympathy, tenderness, concern, charity, care, solicitude,
             affinity, rapport, harmony, brotherhood, sisterhood,
             fellow-feeling:  He has great love for his fellow human beings.
             5 love affair.  a amour, liaison, affair, romance, relationship,
             affaire de coeur, intrigue:  He's been having a love affair with
             his secretary.  b passion, mania, Colloq thing:  George allows
             nothing to interfere with his love affair with tennis.  6 make
             love (to) or (with). embrace, cuddle, caress, fondle, have
             sexual intercourse, Archaic take, know, Colloq neck, pet,
             canoodle, romance, have sex, make the beast with two backs, US
             and Canadian make out; Taboo slang screw, fuck, hump, bang, Brit
             roger, bonk:  He still makes love to his wife even though they
             are both in their eighties.

             --v.  7 cherish, admire, adore, be in love with, lose one's
             heart to, worship, idolize, dote on, treasure, be infatuated
             with, think the world of, adulate, hold dear, like, Colloq be
             hung up on, be crazy or nuts or wild or mad about, have a crush
             on:  Only after ten years of friendship did she discover that
             she loved him. 8 delight in, take pleasure in, derive pleasure
             or enjoyment from, relish, be partial to, have a passion or
             preference or taste for, be attracted to, be captivated by, be
             fond of, like, enjoy, appreciate, value, Colloq get a kick from
             or out of, be wild about, be thrilled by, US get a bang or
             charge from or out of:  She loves chocolates. I just love your
             new dress! Love me, love my dog.

   love letter
             n.  billet-doux, Archaic mash note:  She saved all his love
             letters.

   lovely    adj.  1 good-looking, pretty, handsome, attractive, comely,
             fair, fetching, engaging, captivating, alluring, enticing,
             bewitching, ravishing, gorgeous, beautiful, beauteous,
             pulchritudinous:  Larry has two lovely daughters. The house has
             a lovely view of Lake Windermere. 2 satisfying, satisfactory,
             agreeable, enjoyable, gratifying, nice, pleasing, pleasant,
             pleasurable, engaging, delightful:  What a lovely way to spend
             an evening!

   lover     n.  See love, 3, above.

   low°      adj.  1 short, squat, little, small, stubby, stumpy, stunted;
             low-lying:  The terrain has many low shrubs, not more than two
             feet tall.  2 inadequate, insufficient, deficient, down, short,
             sparse, scanty, scant, limited:  The air in the tyres is a bit
             low. Our water supply ran low.  3 coarse, unrefined, indelicate,
             improper, naughty, risqu‚, indecent, unseemly, vulgar, crude,
             common, rude, offensive, gross, ill-bred, lewd, obscene, ribald,
             bawdy, scurrilous, smutty, pornographic, dirty:  The old
             burlesque acts were characterized by their low humour.  4 weak,
             frail, feeble, debilitated, enervated, sickly, unhealthy,
             infirm, shaky, decrepit, ill, sick:  He's very low and sinking
             fast.  5 ineffectual, ineffective, weak:  Her resistance to
             disease is low. I have a low pain threshold.  6 miserable,
             dismal, wretched, abysmal, sorry, abject, destitute:  I seem to
             have reached a low point in my career.  7 humble, poor,
             low-born, lowly, base, inferior, base-born, plebeian,
             proletariat, ignoble:  He rose from those low beginnings to a
             peerage.  8 unhappy, depressed, dejected, sad, gloomy,
             melancholy, miserable, despondent, disconsolate, blue, downcast,
             down, glum, wretched, morose, crestfallen, broken-hearted,
             heart-broken, tearful, lachrymose, sorrowful, mournful,
             heavy-hearted:  I felt low for weeks after the death of my
             kitten.  9 inferior, second-rate, poor, bad, not up to par,
             worthless, shoddy, shabby, mediocre, substandard:  Their
             products are of low quality.  10 inferior, lower, lesser, small,
             smaller:  Play a low card.  11 low-cut, d‚collet‚, revealing,
             Colloq US low and behold in the front and vie de BohЉme in the
             back:  Gilda wore a low, strapless black satin evening gown.  12
             base, vile, abject, contemptible, despicable, mean, menial,
             servile, ignoble, degraded, vulgar, foul, dastardly, depraved,
             nasty, sordid:  That was a low trick he played telling on his
             friends. I didn't know that anyone could sink to such a low
             level. 13 quiet, hushed, soft, subdued, gentle, muted, muffled,
             stifled, indistinct, whispered, murmured, murmurous:  Her low
             voice was sweet.  14 unfavourable, critical, adverse:  She has a
             rather low opinion of his singing.

   lowэ      v.  moo, bellow; bawl:  The lowing herd moved slowly into the
             pasture.

   low-down  n.  information, intelligence, data, the facts, inside story,
             Colloq info, dope, dirt, Brit bumf:  I have the low-down on the
             scandal.

   lower°    v.  1 drop, reduce, decrease, mark down, discount, lessen,
             diminish, downgrade, cut, slash:  Prices on all goods have been
             lowered.  2 let or move or bring or put down, drop:  The
             drawbridge was lowered and the knights rode across. They lowered
             the coffin into the grave. 3 cut or lop off, cut or take down,
             reduce, diminish, crop, trim:  We lowered the hedge by a foot.
             4 abase, debase, degrade, discredit, shame, disgrace, demean,
             belittle, humble, humiliate; stoop, deign, condescend:  I
             wouldn't lower myself to so much as speak to him.  5 turn down,
             quieten, moderate, modulate, soften, tone down:  He lowered his
             voice to a whisper.

             --adj.  6 further or farther down:  My mother has a flat on a
             lower floor of the building.  7 earlier:  These primitive
             amphibians are from the Lower Carboniferous.  8 lower case.
             small, minuscule:  Use capitals for the first letters and lower
             case for the rest in these names.

   lowerэ    v.  See lour, above.

   lowly     adj.  See low°, 7, above.

   loyal     adj.  faithful, true, dependable, devoted, trustworthy, trusty,
             steady, steadfast, staunch, trusted, reliable, stable,
             unswerving, unwavering, dedicated, constant, patriotic:  Give me
             twelve men loyal and true and we shall rout the enemy.

   loyalty   n.  faithfulness, fidelity, dependability, devotedness,
             devotion, allegiance, patriotism, trustworthiness,
             steadfastness, staunchness, firmness, resolution, resolve,
             reliability, stability, dedication, constancy:  I hope that we
             can rely on the loyalty of everyone in your unit, Colonel.

12.5 luck...
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   luck      n.  1 fortune, chance, destiny, fate, accident, fortuity,
             serendipity; fluke, stroke of luck, US happenstance:  Luck
             brought us together.  2 good fortune, (good) break:  It takes a
             lot of luck to get the kinds of roles you want as an actor. 3
             chance(s), success rate, fortune(s):  I hope that my luck
             improves soon.

   lucky     adj.  1 fortunate, blessed, favoured, charmed:  She was very
             lucky to get the job.  2 providential, timely, opportune,
             propitious, favourable, auspicious, advantageous, convenient,
             fortuitous:  It was lucky that you were at the swimming pool to
             save her.

   ludicrous adj.  ridiculous, laughable, absurd, farcical, nonsensical,
             preposterous, incongruous, asinine, foolish, silly, zany, crazy,
             comical, risible; funny, facetious, droll, waggish, jocular,
             witty, jocose:  The explanations of the new tax laws have been
             carried to ludicrous extremes. You can count on Billy to come up
             with some ludicrous prank on April Fools' Day.

   lug       v.  drag, tug, tow, haul, heave; carry, tote, transport:  You're
             mistaken if you think I'm going to lug that case round
             everywhere.

   luggage   n.  baggage, bags, gear, impedimenta, paraphernalia, things,
             belongings:  When I arrived in Torremolinos, I found my luggage
             was missing.

   lukewarm  adj.  1 tepid, room temperature, warm:  I like my bath-water
             lukewarm.  2 cool, indifferent, half-hearted, chill, chilly,
             phlegmatic, unresponsive, unenthusiastic, nonchalant,
             lackadaisical, apathetic, insouciant, Laodicean, unmoved, US
             half-baked, Colloq laid-back:  My ideas for improving efficiency
             continued to receive a lukewarm reception from the board.

   lull      n.  1 pause, respite, interlude, intermission, interval, break,
             hiatus, interruption, stop, halt, lapse, delay, Literary
             caesura, Colloq let-up:  After a brief lull, the hurricane
             resumed in all its ferocity.  2 quiet, quiescence, hush, calm,
             calmness, stillness, silence, peace, peacefulness, tranquillity:
             There was a lull, then the noise of the artillery again
             shattered the night.

             --v.  3 soothe, calm, quiet, hush, pacify, mollify,
             tranquillize:  Do not let her sweet words lull you into a sense
             of false security.  I was lulled to sleep by the crickets and
             the bees.

   lumber    n.  1 odds and ends, junk, clutter, jumble, rejects, white
             elephants; rubbish, litter, Chiefly US trash:  The small room
             off the kitchen is for lumber.  2 timber, wood, beams, planks,
             boards, wood:  I have ordered the lumber for building the
             garage.

             --v.  3 encumber, burden, load, overload, saddle, impose upon,
             land:  We have been lumbered with looking after our neighbours'
             six cats.

   luminous  adj.  1 shiny, shining, bright, brilliant, lighted (up), lit
             (up), illuminated, radiant, alight, resplendent, lustrous,
             gleaming, shimmering, glistening, sparkling, dazzling,
             refulgent, effulgent:  The moon shone with a luminous beauty.  2
             glowing, aglow, luminescent, incandescent, phosphorescent,
             fluorescent:  He had a watch with luminous hands.  3 clear,
             lucid, perspicuous, percipient, perspicacious, penetrating,
             discerning, perceptive, clear-eyed, clear-headed, keen, acute,
             sharp, explicit, incisive, specific, express; understandable,
             intelligible:  His latest novel provides another example of his
             luminous style.

   lump°     n.  1 mass, piece, gob, gobbet, clod, chunk, clot, wad, clump,
             hunk, nugget; cube, wedge, cake:  There was a lump of earth was
             clogging the drain. May I have two lumps of sugar, please? 2
             bump, growth, swelling, protuberance, protrusion, prominence,
             bulge, excrescence, tumescence, nodule, knob; wen, cyst, boil,
             carbuncle, blister, wart, corn:  You ought to see a doctor about
             that lump on your foot.

             --v.  3 Often, lump together. combine, join, consolidate,
             collect, bunch, group, unite, mass, aggregate, blend, mix, throw
             or put together:  Don't lump me together with everyone else,
             without even asking my opinion.

   lumpэ     v.  Usually, lump it. allow, tolerate, suffer, put up with,
             bear, stand, brook, endure:  I'm afraid you'll just have to lump
             it, whether you like it or not.

   lumpy     adj.  chunky, bumpy, uneven, granular, grainy:  Mix the batter
             till it is no longer lumpy.

   lunacy    n.  1 madness, insanity, dementia, craziness, derangement,
             psychosis, mania:  Formerly, it was believed that lunacy
             fluctuated in accordance with the phases of the moon. 2 folly,
             foolishness, bad or poor judgement, illogicality, illogic,
             senselessness, ridiculousness, irrationality, foolhardiness,
             stupidity:  It would be sheer lunacy to confess to something you
             did not do.

   lunge     n.  1 thrust, jab,, strike:  He was impaled by the first lunge
             of the sword.  2 dive, plunge, rush, leap, jump, spring, pounce:
             I made a lunge for the knife but missed.

             --v.  3 dive, plunge, charge, pounce, dash, bound, jump; thrust,
             stab, strike, hit, jab, cut:  He lunged at her with his machete.

   lurch°    n.  leave in the lurch. desert, abandon, forsake; drop, jilt:
             He left her in the lurch, waiting at the church.

   lurchэ    n.  1 stagger, sway, pitch; list, tilt, toss:  The man gave a
             sudden lurch, knocking the vase from my hands.

             --v.  2 stagger, sway, stumble; roll, tilt, veer, pitch, list,
             heel, wallow:  He lurched into the room, a dagger protruding
             from his back. The ship lurched dangerously in a heavy sea.

   lure      v.  1 tempt, attract, induce, coax, inveigle, seduce, draw in,
             entice, lead on, decoy, charm, persuade, allure, catch:  She
             lured me into the trap of believing that she loved me.

             --n.  2 bait, decoy, attraction, temptation, inducement, magnet,
             siren song, charm, US drawing card, Slang come-on:  Too many
             na‹ve people fall for the lure of easy money.

   lurid     adj.  1 sensational, vivid, shocking, startling, graphic,
             melodramatic:  The tabloids delight in a lurid scandal.  2
             ghastly, horrid, horrifying, horrendous, gory, grisly, gruesome,
             macabre, revolting, disgusting, appalling, frightful, terrible,
             awful:  Every lurid detail of the massacre was shown on TV.  3
             pale, ashen, sallow, wan, pallid, ghastly, baleful:  From the
             lurid shade of his skin, I could see he had some horrible
             affliction. 4 glaring, fiery, flaming, burning, aglow, glowing,
             glowering:  The burning city cast a lurid light in the sky.

   lurk      v.  skulk, slink, prowl, steal, sneak, hide, (lie in) wait, lie
             low:  The muggers were lurking in the shadows, waiting for a
             victim.

   luscious  adj.  delectable, delicious, mouth-watering, tasty, toothsome,
             savoury, appetizing, rich, sweet, epicurean, ambrosial,
             palatable, pleasant; succulent, juicy, Colloq scrumptious,
             yummy:  My grandmother used to make the most luscious pies and
             tarts.

   lush      adj.  1 luxuriant, thick, lavish, flourishing, verdant, green,
             dense, overgrown, thick, exuberant:  The walls were covered with
             a lush growth of ivy.  2 juicy, succulent, mouth-watering,
             fresh, moist, ripe:  We ate lush pears that we picked straight
             from the tree.  3 palatial, extravagant, elaborate, luxurious,
             opulent, sumptuous, Colloq ritzy, plush:  The bridal suite is
             the lushest accommodation they offer.

   lust      n.  1 sensuality, libido, libidinousness, sexuality,
             lustfulness, concupiscence, sexual appetite, Slang horniness:
             The nouveaux riches spend much of their time and money
             satisfying their lust. 2 desire, drive, energy, voracity,
             avidity, avidness, ambition, ravenousness:  Henry has an
             infectious enthusiasm and lust for life.

             --v.  3 lust after. desire, crave, hunger or thirst or hanker
             for or after, ache for:  Barney was lusting after the barmaid at
             The Two Magpies.

   lustful   adj.  libidinous, carnal, concupiscent, licentious, lewd,
             prurient, lascivious, salacious, Colloq horny, randy:  On her
             way to work she was forced to endure daily the lustful calls of
             the construction workers.

   lustre    n.  1 sheen, gleam, glow, gloss, luminosity, luminousness,
             radiance:  A good waxing should restore the lustre to the table.
             2 glory, renown, brilliance, celebrity, honour, distinction,
             fame, illustriousness:  Winning first prize lent a little lustre
             to his tarnished reputation.

   lustrous  adj.  glossy, shiny, shined, polished, burnished:  French
             polishing gives the furniture a lustrous finish.

   lusty     adj.  1 vigorous, healthy, strong, energetic, robust, hale and
             hearty, lively; buxom:  The sailors were accompanied by a couple
             of lusty young women.  2 vigorous, substantial, strong, husky,
             powerful:  He sang in a lusty voice.

   luxuriant adj.  1 abundant, profuse, copious, lush, rich, bounteous,
             overflowing, full, luxurious:  Her luxuriant hair hung down to
             her waist.  2 lavish, full, rank, prolific, thriving, rife,
             exuberant, lush, abounding, plenteous, abundant, superabundant,
             dense, fruitful, teeming:  The luxuriant orange groves are
             yielding a bumper crop this year.  3 ornate, elaborate,
             decorated, fancy, rococo, baroque, flowery, frilly, florid,
             overdone, flamboyant, showy, ostentatious, gaudy, garish, Colloq
             flashy:  The elders disapproved of the luxuriant ornamentation
             of the churches.

   luxuriate v.  1 Often, luxuriate in. wallow in, swim in, bask in, indulge
             in, delight in, relish, revel in, enjoy oneself, savour,
             appreciate, like, love:  She luxuriates in her new-found wealth.
             2 live in luxury or comfort, be in the lap of luxury, have a
             good or great or marvellous time, take it easy, enjoy oneself,
             live the life of Riley, live off the fat of the land, Colloq
             have the time of one's life, have a ball, US live high off the
             hog:  Their postcard says that they are luxuriating on Capri for
             a week.

   luxurious adj.  1 opulent, sumptuous, grand, extravagant, lavish,
             magnificent, splendid, de luxe, fancy; epicurean, gourmet;
             Colloq swanky, swank, ritzy, plush, posh:  We had a luxurious
             room overlooking the sea and ate the most luxurious meals. 2
             self-indulgent, voluptuous, voluptuary, sybaritic, hedonistic,
             pampered:  We lived a truly luxurious life for two years till
             the money ran out.

   luxury    n.  1 opulence, splendour, sumptuousness, grandeur,
             extravagance, magnificence, richness, luxuriousness:  I cannot
             describe the overwhelming luxury of the maharaja's palace.  2
             indulgence, self-indulgence, hedonism, sybaritism,
             voluptuousness:  He had been living a life of luxury in Tahiti.
             3 security, confidence; gratification, satisfaction, enjoyment,
             pleasure, delight, comfort:  He has the luxury of knowing that
             his dog will be well looked after. 4 frill, extravagance, extra,
             indulgence, non-essential, expendable, treat:  He showered her
             with luxuries from the finest shops.

12.6 lying...
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   lying     n.  1 prevarication, fibbing, mendacity, mendaciousness,
             falsification, untruthfulness, perjury; dishonesty, deceit,
             duplicity:  She was accused of lying while under oath.

             --adj.  2 untruthful, false, mendacious, hypocritical,
             dishonest, deceitful, deceptive, duplicitous, treacherous,
             perfidious:  Whoever told you they had found the solution is a
             lying scoundrel.

   lyric     adj.  1 melodic, song-like, musical, melodious, lyrical:  Lyric
             drama is no longer fashionable.  2 personal, subjective,
             individual, idiosyncratic; sentimental, rhapsodic:  He expresses
             his own feelings in the lyric poems.  3 sweet, dulcet, graceful,
             silvery, lilting, mellifluous, mellow, light:  This song sounds
             best when sung by a lyric tenor.

             --n.  4 lyrics. libretto, book, words:  Ira Gershwin wrote the
             lyrics for much of George Gershwin's music.

   lyrical   adj.  1 See lyric, 1, above.  2 enthusiastic, ecstatic,
             encomiastic, rapturous, rhapsodic, effusive, impassioned,
             emotional, ebullient, exuberant, panegyrical:  He waxed lyrical
             whenever he spoke of his children.

13.0 M
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13.1 macabre...
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   macabre   adj.  grim, ghastly, grisly, gory, gruesome, grotesque,
             ghoulish, fiendish, dread, eerie, fearsome, frightful,
             frightening, terrifying, terrible, dreadful, dire, morbid;
             deathly, deadly, deathlike, ghostly, cadaverous:  He told a
             macabre story of how they survived by resorting to cannibalism.
             The crypt had a macabre eeriness about it.

   machiavellian
             adj.  deceitful, cunning, shrewd, crafty, wily, foxy, scheming,
             tricky, perfidious, nefarious, treacherous, sneaky:  Mr Williams
             has concocted a truly machiavellian plan for getting the
             pensioners to move out.

   machination
             n.  plotting, scheming, intriguing, manoeuvring, designing,
             manipulating; plot, scheme, intrigue, manoeuvre, design,
             stratagem, ruse, trick, trickery, artifice, dirty trick(s),
             wile, manipulation, ploy, tactic(s), move, gambit:  He escaped
             from the machinations of his enemies. Must you resort to such
             machinations merely to get them to listen?

   machine   n.  1 mechanism, device, apparatus, contrivance, appliance,
             instrument, implement, tool, utensil, gadget, Colloq
             contraption, US gismo or gizmo:  What kind of machine is used to
             make a corkscrew?  2 engine, motor, prime mover, vehicle; car,
             automobile, motor car, US auto:  We used to get into the machine
             and go for Sunday picnics.  3 organization, system, ring, gang,
             cabal, clique, party, faction:  The entire council is run by a
             political machine.

             --v.  4 shape, make, manufacture:  In this department we machine
             the castings to a tolerance of one ten-thousandth of an inch.

   machismo  n.  masculine pride or arrogance, manliness, virility,
             masculinity, grit, Colloq guts, Slang balls:  He is just trying
             to impress you with his machismo.

   macho     adj.  manly, masculine, virile, proud, arrogant:  He's afraid
             his macho image will be destroyed if he admits to enjoying
             ballet.

   mad       adj.  1 insane, deranged, crazy, crazed, demented, lunatic,
             unhinged, delirious, out of one's mind or head, psychotic,
             maniacal, (mentally) unbalanced, mentally ill, of unsound mind,
             non compos mentis, Chiefly Brit daft, Colloq out of one's head,
             touched (in the head), screwy, cuckoo, mental, certifiable,
             having a screw loose, dotty, cracked, mad as a March hare, mad
             as a hatter, not all there, off-the-wall, stark raving mad,
             Chiefly Brit potty, US nutty as a fruit cake; Slang nuts, loony,
             goofy, loopy, crackers, batty, off one's rocker or trolley,
             bananas, Brit round the bend or twist, twisted, off one's chump,
             barmy or balmy, bonkers, US out to lunch, bughouse, bugs, crazy
             as a bedbug or a coot, loco, wacky, out of one's tree, meshuga:
             You're mad if you think I'm going in there with that lion.  2
             foolish, silly, childish, immature, puerile, wild, nonsensical,
             foolhardy, madcap, heedless, senseless, absurd, imprudent,
             unwise, indiscreet, rash, ill-advised, ill-considered, reckless,
             extravagant, irrational, fatuous:  I did many mad things when I
             was a student. Hitching to Inverness is a mad idea. 3 wild,
             ferocious; rabid:  Have they caught that mad dog yet?  4
             furious, angry, infuriated, incensed, enraged, irate, fuming,
             berserk, irritated, provoked, wrathful, exasperated, Literary
             wroth:  Will you get mad if I ask you a question? Please don't
             be mad with me - I wrecked your car. 5 like mad. madly,
             feverishly, in a frenzy, frenziedly, desperately, excitedly,
             violently, wildly, hysterically, furiously; enthusiastically,
             fervently, ardently; Colloq like crazy:  He's been running about
             like mad trying to find her.  6 mad (about or for). crazy,
             infatuated, ardent, enthusiastic, eager, avid, zealous,
             passionate, fervent, fervid, keen, fanatical, wild, Colloq
             hooked, Brit dotty, Slang nuts:  She's absolutely mad about
             cricket.

   madden    v.  1 infuriate, anger, enrage, incense, provoke, inflame,
             excite (someone) to (a) frenzy or rage, make (someone's) blood
             boil, raise (someone's) hackles, make (someone) see red, get
             (someone's) back up, drive someone crazy, Literary raise
             (someone's) ire, Colloq drive (someone) up the wall, Brit drive
             (someone) round the bend or twist, US tick (someone) off, burn
             (someone) up, tee (someone) off, bug, drive (someone) up the
             wall:  Their getting away with something like that maddened us
             all.  2 irk, vex, pique, exasperate, irritate:  He has the
             maddening habit of affecting a lisp.  3 bait, badger, torment,
             plague, bedevil, US rile, hassle:  The dog was maddened into
             attacking anything that moved.

   madly     adv.  1 insanely, hysterically, dementedly, wildly,
             distractedly, frenziedly:  The patient keeps screaming madly,
             day and night.  2 foolishly, stupidly, inanely, ridiculously,
             ludicrously, idiotically, absurdly, irrationally, senselessly:
             The king madly spurned the proffered aid and was soundly
             defeated.  3 furiously, wildly, ferociously, fiercely,
             energetically, desperately, like mad, vehemently, feverishly,
             excitedly, fanatically, violently, impetuously:  He dashed about
             madly trying to get help.  4 excessively, extremely,
             desperately, intensely, passionately, wildly, ardently,
             fervently, fervidly, exceedingly:  She was madly in love with
             George.

   madman    n.  madwoman; lunatic, psychopath, psychotic, maniac, Colloq
             crackpot, psycho, loony, screwball, US kook, Slang nut, nutcase,
             Brit nutter:  I am working like a madman to finish the book by
             the deadline.

   madness   n.  1 insanity, lunacy, mania, dementia, psychosis, mental
             illness:  That form of madness is called schizophrenia.  2
             craziness, lunacy, folly, foolishness, nonsense, senselessness,
             ridiculousness, pointlessness, illogicality, illogic,
             illogicalness, impracticality, preposterousness, futility:  He
             soon realized the madness of trying to stem the tide of public
             opinion.

   magazine  n.  1 periodical, journal, publication:  We publish a quarterly
             magazine about language.  2 arsenal, ammunition or munitions
             dump, armoury:  Saboteurs infiltrated the camp and blew up the
             magazine.

   magic     n.  1 witchcraft, sorcery, wizardry, black magic, necromancy,
             black art, voodoo, obeahism, devilry or deviltry, diabolism,
             demonolatry, occultism; sortilege, theurgy, white magic; spell:
             As the magic began to work, he slowly changed into a horrible
             ghoul. 2 legerdemain, conjuring, prestidigitation, sleight of
             hand, illusion, hocus-pocus, trickery:  He performs tricks of
             magic, including sawing a woman in half.  3 enchantment, allure,
             allurement, charm, bewitchment, spell, witchery, witchcraft,
             wizardry, glamour, fascination, magnetism, ensorcellment:  She
             worked her magic on every man she met.

             --adj.  4 magical, miraculous:  The magic ointment made her
             young again.  5 necromantic, occult, mystic, shamanistic,
             theurgical:  Using a magic spell, she turned him into a toad.  6
             magical, enchanting, entrancing, bewitching, fascinating,
             hypnotic, mesmerizing, entrancing, spellbinding, charming,
             magnetic, ensorcelling:  The music had a magic effect on them.

   magician  n.  1 conjuror or conjurer, illusionist, wizard, sorcerer,
             sorceress, magus, necromancer, enchanter, enchantress, Merlin,
             Houdini, Circe, witch, warlock; thaumaturge, theurgist:  The
             court magician changed the pebbles into precious stones by a
             wave of his wand. 2 marvel, miracle-worker, virtuoso, wizard,
             genius, master, Colloq whiz:  Mary Lou Williams is a magician on
             the boogie-woogie piano.

   magnetic  adj.  attractive, attracting, engaging, captivating,
             enthralling, seductive, alluring, entrancing, bewitching,
             beguiling, arresting, spellbinding, irresistible, charismatic,
             winning, winsome, inviting:  Because of Amy's magnetic
             personality, men flock about her.

   magnetism n.  attraction, draw, appeal, allure, magic, lure,
             attractiveness, charm, pull, seductiveness, irresistibility,
             drawing power, charisma, duende, likeableness, sex appeal:
             JFK's personal magnetism won him millions of votes.

   magnification
             n.  enlargement, amplification; build-up, strengthening,
             enhancement, aggrandizement, raising, elevation, increase,
             expansion, heightening, glorification, ennoblement:  The
             microdot can be read only at a magnification of 260X. The
             advertising agency worked on the magnification of the
             candidate's record of achievement.

   magnificent
             adj.  great, excellent, splendid, superior, superb, marvellous,
             glorious, grand, fine, impressive, imposing, awe-inspiring,
             impressive, brilliant, commanding, august, noble, majestic,
             regal, distinguished, elegant, exalted, sublime, outstanding;
             sumptuous, resplendent, opulent, rich, luxurious, lavish:  She
             lives in a magnificent country house.

   magnify   v.  1 enlarge, expand, amplify, inflate, increase, augment,
             exaggerate, heighten, build up, boost, dramatize, aggravate,
             worsen, exacerbate; overstate, Colloq blow up, make a mountain
             out of a molehill:  Tiny errors in the beginning are magnified
             later on. I fear that he has magnified its importance out of all
             proportion. 2 enlarge, blow up:  They had to magnify the
             photograph to read the registration number of the stolen car.

   magnitude n.  1 greatness, size, extent, bigness, immensity, enormousness,
             dimensions:  You cannot imagine the magnitude of the
             unemployment problem in our area. 2 importance, significance,
             consequence, note:  This is a matter of sufficient magnitude to
             warrant a board meeting.

   maid      n.  1 girl, maiden, lass, miss, nymphet, nymph, wench, damsel,
             mademoiselle, demoiselle, Scots lassie; virgin, virgo intacta:
             A lovely young maid was milking the cow.  2 housemaid,
             maidservant, domestic, chambermaid, lady's maid, Archaic or
             literary abigail, Brit daily, Archaic colloq Brit tweeny:  When
             she rang, the maid brought in the tea.  3 old maid. spinster,
             bachelor girl:  She never married and now is an old maid.

   maiden    n.  1 See maid, 1, above.

             --adj.  2 virgin, virginal, undefiled, intact, chaste, (virgo)
             intacta; unmarried, unwed:  His maiden aunt was visiting for the
             weekend.  3 inaugural, first, initial, Colloq US shakedown:  The
             Titanic sank on her maiden voyage.

   mail      n.  1 post, correspondence; letters:  Has the mail arrived?

             --v.  2 post, send, dispatch or despatch:  Please mail this
             letter tonight.

   maim      v.  cripple, mutilate, lame, disable, incapacitate, wound, wing,
             impair, hamstring, put out of action or commission; injure,
             harm, damage:  Their daughter was badly maimed in the fire.

   main      adj.  1 chief, primary, prime, (most) important, principal,
             cardinal, paramount, first, foremost, leading, pre-eminent,
             predominant, predominating, dominant, ranking, major;
             outstanding:  The main cause of traffic deaths is drunken
             driving. In Britain, the main street of a town is called 'the
             High Street'. We arrived late and missed the main entertainment.
             2 largest, biggest, greatest, strongest:  The main part of the
             strike force landed in Normandy.  3 necessary, essential, basic,
             particular, fundamental, critical, crucial, vital:  Economic
             recovery is the main thrust of our programme for reform.  4
             sheer, brute, utter, pure, out-and-out, absolute, mere, plain:
             He lifted that block by main force!

             --n.  5 pipe, duct, channel, line, pipeline, water or gas main,
             Brit (electric) cable, mains, power (supply), conduit:  Water
             reaches the city through a huge underground main.  6 strength,
             power, might, effort, energy, vigour:  With all his might and
             main he tried to move the stone blocking the cave. 7 in the
             main. See mainly, below.

   mainly    adv.  in the main, chiefly, principally, predominantly,
             generally, above all, on the whole, in general, mostly, most of
             all, effectively, essentially, at bottom, first and foremost,
             for the most part, largely, by and large, primarily,as a rule,
             usually, all in all, on balance, for all practical purposes, in
             the long run:  We are concerned mainly with safety. The tourists
             are mainly from Italy.

   mainstay  n.  main or chief or principal support, anchor (to windward),
             sheet anchor, bulwark, buttress, linchpin, main or greatest
             strength:  David remains the mainstay of the sales force.

   maintain  v.  1 continue, preserve, persevere in, keep going, persist in,
             keep (up), carry on, retain, perpetuate, prolong, sustain,
             uphold:  Sarah maintained friendly relations with her
             ex-husband. Try to maintain your composure. 2 look after, take
             care of, care for, preserve, (keep in) service, keep up, keep in
             repair; nurture, support:  It is expensive to maintain a vintage
             car. Allison maintains an ancient aunt in Piddlington. 3 hold,
             state, say, declare, claim, assert, allege, testify, contend,
             aver, avow, announce, proclaim, vouchsafe, profess, insist (on),
             affirm:  Despite evidence to the contrary, he maintains that he
             is innocent.  4 defend, stand by, keep, fight for; take up the
             cudgels for, make a case for, advocate, champion, take or make a
             stand for, plead for, back (up), support, vindicate, justify,
             Colloq go to bat for:  He maintained his ground in the face of
             virulent attacks.

   maintenance
             n.  1 upkeep, care, preservation, conservation, support,
             sustention, sustentation:  I can no longer afford the
             maintenance of a large country estate.  2 continuation,
             continuance, perpetuation, prolongation, persistence,
             maintaining:  His maintenance of an untenable position will lose
             him votes.  3 upkeep, livelihood, subsistence, support,
             allowance, living, sustenance, stipend, subvention,
             contribution, alimony, keep:  How much maintenance does he pay
             to his ex-wife and children?

   majestic  adj.  1 regal, dignified, grand, imperial, royal, noble, lordly,
             lofty, elevated, exalted, glorious, magnificent, monumental,
             impressive, striking, imposing, awesome, splendid, marvellous,
             kingly, queenly, princely:  With majestic ceremony, the
             procession entered the cathedral.  2 pompous, supercilious,
             disdainful, superior, arrogant, haughty, magisterial, imperious,
             grandiose, affected:  She dismissed him with a majestic wave of
             her hand.

   major     adj.  1 larger, greater, bigger, main, chief, important:
             Henderson grabbed the major portion of the credit.  2 vital,
             important, critical, crucial, principal, foremost, paramount,
             primary, prime, main, big, biggest, pre-eminent, notable,
             noteworthy, significant, outstanding, dominant, dominating;
             serious, grave, worst:  The major problem in commercial kitchens
             is sanitation.

   majority  n.  1 bulk, preponderance, mass, more than half, the better or
             best part, the greater part or number, lion's share:  The
             majority of shares were bought by existing shareholders.  2
             adulthood, maturity, seniority, womanhood, manhood:  They reach
             their majority in 1997.

   make      v.  1 build, assemble, construct, erect, put together, set up,
             fashion, form, mould, shape, frame, create, originate,
             fabricate, manufacture, produce, put out, forge, contrive,
             devise:  She makes her own dresses. They make TV sets here. The
             Colossus of Rhodes was said to be made of bronze. 2 cause,
             compel, force, impel, coerce, provoke, urge, exhort, press,
             pressure, require, command, order, induce, persuade, prevail
             upon, insist upon, oblige, Brit pressurize:  The devil made me
             do it.  3 bring about, occasion, cause, give rise to:  The new
             regulation is going to make trouble for you.  4 make out or up,
             draw (up), create, write, sign, frame:  I made a new will
             leaving everything to my children.  5 produce, cause, create,
             generate:  The engine made a funny noise, then died.  6 enact,
             pass, frame, establish, institute:  He thinks that laws were
             made to be broken.  7 earn, return, reap, garner, take in, get,
             procure, gather, clear, realize, gross, net, pocket, get,
             acquire, obtain, receive; win, gain, Slang US pull down:  Has
             her invention made money? He makes a good living out of his
             shop. He made њ25 playing poker. 8 amount to, constitute,
             represent, add up to, total, come to:  He knows how many beans
             make five. Three and two do not make four.  One singer does not
             make an opera. 9 change, turn, alter, modify, transform,
             convert; transmute, mutate, metamorphose:  He made her into a
             star. The alchemists tried to make base metal into gold. 10
             become, be, change or turn or grow into, perform as:  I think
             Quentin will make a brilliant surgeon one day.  11 serve as or
             for, be suitable for, be, prove to be, turn out to be, turn
             into, become:  This cut of meat will not make a good roast.  12
             fetch, realize, earn, return:  The locket made њ1000 at the
             auction.  13 score, earn, secure:  The West Indies made 654 in
             their first innings.  14 reach, arrive at, attain, get (to),
             win, achieve, accomplish; come in, Brit be placed, US place:
             Fran might make first place in the marathon.  15 prepare,
             arrange, rearrange, tidy (up), neaten (up):  You have made your
             bed, now you will have to lie on it.  16 record, arrange, fix,
             decide (on or upon), agree (to):  I made an appointment to see
             the doctor.  17 prepare, fix, cook:  I made what you like for
             dinner.  18 deliver, present:  Janet made a good speech.  19
             traverse, cover, do, travel, navigate:  We cannot make more than
             100 miles a day over this terrain.  20 do, go, travel or move
             at, move:  His old banger could hardly make 40 m.p.h.  21 judge,
             think, calculate, estimate, reckon, gauge, suppose:  What do you
             make of Sidney's new book?  22 establish, set up, organize:  We
             made our headquarters in the farmhouse.  23 appoint, name,
             select, choose, elect, vote (in as), designate, authorize,
             commission, delegate, depute, deputize, assign, sanction,
             approve, affirm, certify, confirm:  They made him their leader.
             24 seduce, make it with:  Kenneth tried to make Sharon last
             night.  25 make as if or as though. pretend, feign, act as if or
             as though, affect, make a show or pretence of, give the
             impression of:  He made as if to strike me.  26 make away. run
             off or away, flee, fly, make off, abscond, take to one's heels,
             decamp, beat a (hasty) retreat, Colloq run for it, make a run
             for it, beat it, clear out, cut and run, skedaddle, take off,
             cut out, skip (town), make tracks, US fly the coop, Slang scram,
             vamoose, US hightail it, take a (run-out) powder:  Taking the
             jewels, he made away as fast as he could run.  27 make away
             with. steal, rob, filch, pilfer, purloin, walk away or off with,
             Colloq borrow, liberate, boost, Slang pinch, hook, swipe, rip
             off, lift, US boost:  That boy has made away with my cherry
             tarts!  28 make believe. pretend, fancy, play-act, dream,
             fantasize, imagine, act as if:  We used to make believe we were
             grown-ups.  29 make do. get by or along, cope, scrape by or
             along, manage, muddle through, survive, Colloq make out:  We
             have to make do on the pittance Randolph gets from the
             university.  30 make for.  a head for or towards, aim for, steer
             (a course) for, proceed towards, be bound for:  After this is
             done, I am making for the nearest pub.  b assault, attack, set
             upon, charge, rush (at), pounce upon, fall upon or on, go for,
             lunge at, storm, assail:  The big fellow was making for me with
             a knife when the lights went out. c promote, contribute to, be
             conducive to, favour, facilitate:  Good fences make for good
             neighbours.  31 make good.  a make up (for), pay (for),
             compensate for, recompense (for), repay, offset, make
             restitution for, settle, square, rectify, put to rights, set
             right, remedy, correct, restore:  He agreed to make good any
             losses.  b succeed, prosper, flourish, thrive, Colloq make it:
             In later life he made good as a property developer.  c fulfil,
             carry out, Colloq deliver (the goods):  She made good on her
             promise to return my book.  32 make it.  a succeed, prosper,
             triumph, win, make good, Colloq make the grade:  Do you think
             she will make it as a doctor?  b arrive, get (somewhere), show
             up, appear, turn up:  They are hoping to catch the 5:03 to
             Ipswich but I doubt if they will make it. 33 make known. tell
             of, impart, disclose, reveal, divulge, mention, communicate,
             announce, declare, promulgate, publish, let slip, Colloq tip
             off:  She made known her demands.  34 make much of.  a
             exaggerate, overstate, colour, hyperbolize, Colloq make a big
             deal of, blow up:  He made much of his new title.  b coddle,
             cosset, baby, pamper, dote on, flatter, toady (up) to, cajole,
             humour, indulge, Colloq butter up:  Henry makes much of his
             grandchildren.  35 make off. See make, 26, above.  36 make off
             with. See make, 27, above.  37 make out.  a see, discern,
             descry, espy, detect, discover, distinguish, perceive:  I made
             out a dim figure in the gloom.  b complete, fill in, Brit fill
             up, US and Canadian fill out:  I made out an application for the
             job.  c draw (up), write (out or down), record, Colloq US cut:
             Please make out a list of your complaints. Make out the cheque
             to me, personally. d understand, fathom, comprehend, figure out,
             perceive, follow, grasp, see, decipher, read:  She mumbles so, I
             cannot make out what she's saying. Can you make out this name? e
             suggest, imply, hint, insinuate, indicate, impute, intimate,
             make to appear, pretend, make as if or as though, represent;
             present, show, demonstrate, establish:  She tried to make out
             that I was a fool. He made out a strong case for dog licensing.
             f get on, survive, manage, fare, thrive, succeed:  How are you
             making out in your new house?  38 make over.  a do over,
             remodel, redecorate, alter:  We are making over our kitchen.  b
             transfer, hand over, sign over, convey, assign, turn over:  The
             property has been made over to me.  39 make up.  a complete,
             fill out, finish (out), flesh out:  We need another player to
             make up the team.  b compose, form, constitute, be comprised of:
             The gang is made up of ex-convicts.  c hatch, invent, concoct,
             devise, create, construct, dream up, originate, coin, compose,
             Colloq cook up:  He made up that story about the murder.  d be
             reconciled, make peace, settle amicably, come to terms, bury the
             hatchet:  The litigants have kissed and made up.  e construct,
             build:  The shack is made up of scrap boards.  40 make up for.
             compensate, redress, make good, atone, make amends:  How can I
             make up for all the bad things I said about you?  41 make way.
             move aside, clear the way, allow to pass, make room or space:
             Make way for the Lord High Executioner!

             --n.  42 kind, brand, style, sort, type, mark:  Foreign makes of
             car currently dominate the market-place.  43 on the make.
             aggressive, assertive, go-ahead, enterprising, vigorous,
             energetic, Colloq pushy:  The book is about a young man on the
             make in today's financial world.

   makeshift adj.  1 temporary, stopgap, expedient, emergency, temporary,
             jury-rigged, improvised, tentative, stand-by, slapdash:  We were
             able to fashion a makeshift rudder out of an oar.

             --n.  2 stopgap, expedient, improvisation, substitute:  The
             heater broke down and we had to get along with a makeshift.

   make-up   n.  1 cosmetics, maquillage, greasepaint, Colloq warpaint:  Do
             you think I am wearing too much make-up?  2 constitution,
             character, cast, disposition, personality:  There is not an
             ounce of sympathy in Janet's make-up.  3 constitution,
             arrangement, construction, composition, format, configuration,
             build, form:  What is the chemical make-up of the plastic?

   male      adj.  masculine, man's; virile, manly, manful; Archaic spear:
             His is bound to be a male point of view.

   malignant adj.  1 virulent, pernicious, deadly, fatal, toxic, poisonous,
             harmful, life-threatening:  The tumour proved to be malignant.
             2 malign, malevolent, evil, malicious, pernicious, vicious,
             invidious, spiteful, bitter, hateful, venomous:  The expos‚ was
             full of malignant insinuations.

   man       n.  1 gentleman, male, fellow, Colloq guy, chap, Brit bloke,
             squire, Slang gink, geezer, US gazabo:  Have you met the man she
             is going to marry?  2 people, human beings, mankind, mortals,
             Homo sapiens, humanity, humankind, the human race:  Man wants
             but little here below.  3 valet, manservant, gentleman's
             gentleman, servant, retainer, houseboy, houseman:  Humberson
             sent his man round with a note.

             --v.  4 staff, people, crew; cover:  Who will man the office
             while I am away?

   manacle   n.  1 manacles. shackles, fetters, handcuffs, gyves, chains,
             irons, Colloq cuffs, Slang bracelets, Brit darbies:  The
             manacles are cutting into his wrists.

             --v.  2 shackle, fetter, handcuff, restrain, put or throw or
             clap in irons, chain, Colloq US cuff:  The manacled prisoner was
             led away.  3 confine, inhibit, restrain, curb, check, control,
             hamper:  They felt manacled by the nine o'clock curfew.

   manage    v.  1 handle, administer, run, supervise, look after, watch
             over, direct, head, oversee, superintend, direct, preside over,
             be in charge (of), take care of, control; rule (over), govern,
             regulate:  Mr Grant manages the glove department.  2 handle,
             cope or deal with, control, govern, manipulate:  Will you be
             able to manage such a frisky horse?  3 conduct, carry on, carry
             out, bring off, control, undertake, take care of, look after,
             handle:  Is she old enough to manage her own affairs?  4
             succeed, function, make do, make it, shift (for oneself), get
             along or by or on, make out, muddle through, survive:  Will you
             be able to manage from here on?

   manageable
             adj.  controllable; tractable, compliant, amenable, docile,
             tameable, tame, trainable, teachable, manipulable, submissive:
             Keep your spending within manageable limits. The dog is quite
             manageable.

   management
             n.  1 managing, control, supervision, manipulation, handling,
             direction, directing, directorship, administration, government,
             conduct, governance, operation, running, superintendence,
             command, guidance, stewardship:  The management of the company
             is in your hands.  2 administration, executive(s), bosses,
             directors, board (of directors), directorate, Colloq (top)
             brass:  The management believes that you are the right person
             for the job.

   manager   n.  supervisor, superintendent, director, executive, head,
             proprietor, overseer, foreman, forewoman, administrator, Chiefly
             Brit manageress , US straw boss, Colloq boss, chief:  The
             position of manager entails a lot of responsibility.

   mandatory adj.  compulsory, obligatory, requisite, required; essential,
             commanded, demanded, necessary, needed:  The wearing of safety
             belts in cars is mandatory.

   mangle    v.  destroy, mutilate, butcher, deform, disfigure, spoil, mar,
             ruin, wreck; cut, hack, lacerate, chop (up), crush, damage,
             cripple, maim:  Don't you hate the way they mangle the English
             language? His hand was badly mangled in the accident.

   mangy     adj.  scruffy, dirty, sleazy, wretched, miserable, repulsive,
             sorry, squalid, slovenly, unkempt, filthy, dingy, seedy, poor,
             shabby, mean, low, ignominious, base, abject, odious,
             disreputable, moth-eaten, contemptible, despicable, nasty,
             scurvy:  The mangy beggar turned out to be our agent in
             Calcutta.

   manhandle v.  maul, paw, rough up, batter, beat (up), pummel, abuse,
             mistreat, maltreat, ill-treat, trounce, belabour, Slang knock
             about or around, clobber:  His captors manhandled him into a car
             and drove off.

   man-hater n.  misanthrope, misanthropist:  He says he prefers to live
             alone because he's a man-hater.

   manhood   n.  1 masculinity, manliness, manfulness, virility, Colloq
             machismo:  He felt that looking after the children at home
             somehow compromised his manhood. 2 bravery, pluck, boldness,
             determination, resolution, fortitude, grit, spirit, force, US
             intestinal fortitude, Colloq guts:  He joined the army to test
             his manhood.

   mania     n.  1 rage, craze, passion, obsession, compulsion, urge,
             fascination, preoccupation, furore or US furor, yearning,
             craving, desire, cacoethes, Colloq fad, yen:  By that time, the
             hula hoop mania had died down. She has a mania for collecting
             apostle spoons. 2 madness, lunacy, insanity, dementia,
             derangement, hysteria, Technical manic disorder:  The
             psychiatrists diagnosed his problem as a mania.

   maniac    n.  1 madman, madwoman, lunatic, psychopath, psychotic, Colloq
             crackpot, Slang nut, Brit nutter, loony, US kook:  In former
             times, maniacs were scorned and maltreated.  2 fanatic, fan,
             enthusiast, zealot, Slang freak, fiend:  Since his retirement,
             he has become a golf maniac.

   maniacal  adj.  1 manic, maniac, insane, lunatic, mad, demented, deranged,
             hysterical, mentally ill, of unsound mind, non compos mentis,
             psychotic:  He had to be hospitalized because of his maniacal
             behaviour.  2 hysterical, berserk, wild, crazy, Slang loony:
             His maniacal outbursts frightened us.

   manifest  adj.  1 apparent, clear, evident, obvious, plain, patent,
             blatant, conspicuous, unmistakable or unmistakeable,
             discernible, recognizable, comprehensible, distinct, palpable,
             definite, explicit, unambiguous, unquestionable, indubitable,
             indisputable:  He lost his job because of his manifest
             dishonesty.

             --v.  2 show, demonstrate, exhibit, evince, reveal, disclose,
             display, betray; express, declare:  Fitzsimmons had been
             manifesting signs of dissatisfaction with his assignment. 3
             prove, corroborate, substantiate, attest:  His distaste for
             cauliflower was manifested by the look on his face.

   manifestation
             n.  display, exhibition, demonstration, show, disclosure,
             appearance, exposure, presentation, sign, indication, mark,
             expression, example, instance; declaration, avowal, publication,
             announcement:  The police feared that the crime wave was a
             manifestation of civil unrest. The first manifestation of
             thought is speech.

   manifestly
             adv.  evidently, clearly, obviously, plainly, apparently,
             patently, unmistakably or unmistakeably, palpably,
             unquestionably, indubitably, undoubtedly, indisputably:  The
             treaty is manifestly to England's advantage.

   manifold  adj.  diverse, diversified, multifarious, varied, various,
             assorted, multiplex, miscellaneous, sundry, many-sided, many
             different, Literary divers; many, numerous, multitudinous:  I
             have manifold reasons for wishing you to stay.

   manipulate
             v.  1 manage, handle, control, manoeuvre, orchestrate,
             choreograph, influence, use, exploit, play on, utilize:  He
             knows how to manipulate people to make them do what he wants.  2
             handle, control, operate, direct, work, use, employ, negotiate:
             The controls can be manipulated to make the robot imitate human
             motion. 3 rig, falsify, juggle, tamper with, doctor, Colloq
             cook, Chiefly Brit fiddle:  He's been manipulating his expense
             account for years.

   manly     adj.  manful, virile, courageous, bold, brave, intrepid,
             valorous, valiant, dauntless, fearless, plucky, daring,
             venturesome, stout-hearted, resolute, stable, steadfast,
             unflinching, unwavering, unshrinking, chivalrous, gallant,
             noble, heroic; masculine, male, Colloq macho, red-blooded:
             Emerson characterized the English as manly rather than warlike.

   manner    n.  1 way, mode, style, technique, procedure, method, fashion;
             means, approach:  Her incisive manner of reporting is widely
             admired.  2 air, behaviour, mien, demeanour, bearing,
             deportment, comportment, conduct, attitude, aspect:  His manner
             is overbearing and dictatorial.  3 manners. etiquette, decorum,
             (good) form, politeness, proprieties, protocol, politesse,
             civility, ceremony, social code, social graces, formalities,
             niceties, amenities, social conventions; behaviour, conduct:
             Can't you teach him some manners?

   mannered  adj.  artificial, contrived, stilted, stiff, affected,
             insincere, pompous, pretentious, posed, unnatural, hypocritical,
             Colloq phoney or US also phony, pseudo, highfalutin or
             hifalutin, la-di-da or lah-di-dah or la-de-da, hoity-toity, on
             one's high horse, high-hat, uppity or Brit uppish:  Alice's
             speech is too mannered for anyone to feel close to her.

   mannerism n.  quirk, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, trait, characteristic,
             habit:  She has the irritating mannerism of pulling on her ear
             lobe.

   manoeuvre n.  1 move, stratagem, tactic, trick, gambit, ploy, subterfuge,
             ruse, dodge, artifice, device, wile, d‚marche; strategy, plan,
             plot, scheme, intrigue, machination:  That manoeuvre will never
             work on a clever woman.  2 exercise, operation, drill, war-game,
             operation, kriegspiel, training:  We were out on manoeuvres for
             a week.

             --v.  3 manipulate, contrive, plot, scheme, machinate, intrigue,
             trick, devise, engineer, finesse, manage, Colloq finagle,
             wangle:  His manoeuvred his way out of going on that mission.  4
             manipulate, operate, run, drive, guide, navigate, jockey:  She
             manoeuvred the car into a surprisingly tiny space.

   mantle    n.  1 cloak, cape, wrap, shawl, pelisse, pelerine:  Over his
             armour he wore a mantle embroidered with his bearing.  2
             covering, cover, sheet, veil, blanket, screen, cloak, shroud,
             pall, canopy, curtain:  A mantle of snow lay on the ground.

             --v.  3 cover, clothe, envelop, surround, encircle, shroud,
             veil, screen, obscure, cloak, conceal, hide, mask, wrap,
             disguise:  The mountains were brilliantly mantled and capped
             with snow.

   manual    n.  handbook, vade-mecum, enchiridion; directions, instructions,
             guide:  Follow the manual carefully to avoid mistakes.

   manufacture
             v.  1 make, (mass-)produce, construct, build, assemble,
             fabricate, put together, turn out, create, originate:  The
             company manufactures windscreen wipers.  2 concoct, create,
             contrive, invent, make up, fabricate, think up, US and Canadian
             create out of or from whole cloth, Colloq cook up:  She
             manufactured that tale about being an orphan.

             --n.  3 making, (mass) production, construction, building,
             assembly, fabrication, turning or putting out, putting together,
             creation, origination:  The manufacture of durable goods
             increased .02% in the last quarter.

   manufacturer
             n.  maker, producer, industrialist, fabricator:  Manufacturers
             of computers usually buy components from specialized firms.

   many      adj.  1 numerous, multitudinous, myriad, profuse, innumerable,
             numberless, uncountable:  Many people have an irrational fear of
             spiders.  2 diverse, multifarious, varied, various, assorted,
             sundry, Literary divers:  There are many kinds of courage.

             --pron., (n.)  3 horde(s), crowd(s), lot(s), swarm(s),
             throng(s), mass(es), profusion, multitude(s), abundance, plenty,
             shoal(s), flock(s), drove(s), torrent(s), flood(s), number(s),
             score(s), hundred(s), (thousand(s), etc.); Colloq ton(s), scads:
             A great many will turn out to vote next week. Many are picked
             but few are chosen.

   mar       v.  1 damage, ruin, mutilate, deface, spoil, scar, disfigure:
             The surface of the table was marred by a deep scratch.  2
             damage, wreck, ruin, impair, harm, hurt, blight, blot, taint,
             stain, tarnish:  She claims that her reputation was marred by
             the article.

   march     v.  1 parade, step, stride, strut, tread, pace, walk:  They
             marched from Baxter Street to the Town Hall.

             --n.  2 parade, procession, demonstration, cortege or cortЉge,
             walk:  The march was organized to protest against the
             government's nuclear arms policy. 3 walk, trek, slog, hike:  We
             had a long march ahead of us to get to Hastings.

   margin    n.  1 edge, border, perimeter, periphery; rim, lip, side, brink,
             verge:  Leave a one-inch margin at the left side of the page.
             Trees grew at the margin of the pond. 2 limit(s), bound(s),
             boundary (line), border, frontier, line, partition line:  These
             streets form the margin of the inner city.  3 allowance, play,
             leeway, latitude, scope, freedom, room, space; compass:  These
             calculations do not provide much of a margin for error.

   marginal  adj.  1 borderline, minimal, small, slight, negligible,
             insignificant, tiny, infinitesimal:  There are marginal
             differences in policy on this issue.  2 borderline, on the edge,
             disputable, questionable, doubtful, dubious:  His qualifications
             for the job are marginal.

   marine    adj.  1 maritime, nautical, naval, seafaring, seagoing,
             ocean-going, sea:  Marine commerce has declined during recent
             decades.  2 maritime, sea, oceanic, aquatic, salt-water,
             pelagic, thalassic:  Many groups are concerned about the
             conservation of marine life.

   mark      n.  1 spot, stain, blemish, smear, smudge, trace, impression,
             dent, nick, scratch, pock-mark or pock, streak, line, Brit
             splodge, US splotch:  One of the children had made a mark on the
             newly painted wall.  2 sign, symbol, insigne, emblem, device,
             hallmark, earmark, fingerprint, badge, characteristic, token,
             brand, stamp, label, identification, indication, feature,
             attribute, trait, quality, property:  This work bears the mark
             of true genius.  3 standard, criterion, norm, yardstick, level,
             measure:  I'm afraid your son's work has not come up to the
             mark.  4 rating, grade, grading:  I'd give her a low mark for
             originality but high marks for technique.  5 influence,
             impression, effect:  Her innovations have left their mark on all
             music composed since 1900. 6 target, goal, objective, aim,
             purpose, end, object:  Her criticisms fell wide of the mark.  7
             marker, indicator, guide, signpost, landmark:  The next mark, a
             bell-buoy, should be left to port.  8 consequence, importance,
             note, noteworthiness, notability, distinction, eminence,
             dignity, prestige, standing, account:  Granada was a place of
             little mark as compared with Cordova.  9 make one's mark.
             succeed, get ahead, triumph, distinguish oneself, attain
             distinction, bring honour upon oneself, acquit oneself, bring
             credit to oneself, have an effect, Colloq make it big, make the
             grade:  Randolph has made his mark in the world of scholarship.

             --v.  10 Sometimes, mark up. spot, stain, blemish, smear,
             smudge, streak, dent, trace, pock-mark, nick, scratch, cut,
             chip, pit, bruise:  That glass has marked the finish on the
             table.  11 signify, specify, indicate, designate, identify,
             tick, label:  Mark your choice with an 'X' next to the
             candidate's name.  12 pay attention to, attend (to), pay heed
             to, note, notice, take notice of, watch, see, look at, observe;
             respect, mind, heed, obey:  Mark the way she swings the golf
             club. Mark my words or you'll be sorry. 13 brand, stamp,
             identify, characterize, distinguish:  His music is marked by
             long atonal passages.  14 correct; grade, evaluate, assess,
             appraise:  The teachers are busy marking exam papers.  15 mark
             down.  a write (down), record, register, make (a) note of, note
             (down):  Mark down these numbers in your book.  b decrease,
             reduce, devalue, devaluate, cut, slash, discount:  We marked
             down the prices for a quick sale.  16 mark up.  a See 10, above.
             b increase, raise, hike, up:  Prices were marked up to keep pace
             with inflation.

   marked    adj.  noticeable, conspicuous, decided, pronounced,
             considerable, remarkable, significant, signal, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable, prominent, obvious, patent, evident, apparent:
             There is a marked improvement in your work.

   market    n.  1 market-place, exchange, Stock Exchange:  There are some
             excellent buys on the market.  2 shop, store, bazaar,
             supermarket, Chiefly US superstore:  If you are going to the
             market, please buy some milk.  3 demand, customer base, call:
             The market for computers is still growing rapidly.

             --v.  4 sell, merchandise, retail, vend, peddle, hawk, make
             available, furnish; trade (in), buy and sell, deal in:  We
             market these computers worldwide.

   maroon    v.  abandon, cast away, desert, strand, forsake; isolate,
             seclude:  They were marooned on a desert island.

   marriage  n.  1 matrimony, wedlock:  Their marriage has lasted over forty
             years.  2 nuptials, wedding:  The marriage took place at noon.
             3 association, alliance, confederation, federation, affiliation,
             connection, coupling, union, merger, amalgamation, integration,
             Colloq hook-up:  Would a marriage of the companies benefit the
             shareholders?

   marry     v.  1 wed, join in matrimony or wedlock, become man and wife,
             Colloq get hitched or spliced, tie the knot:  They married and
             lived happily ever after.  2 match (up), go or fit together,
             fit; unite, unify, bond, weld, fuse, put together, couple, join,
             link; league, affiliate, ally, amalgamate, combine:  The marble
             head, found in London, married perfectly with the torso, found
             in Crete. The best qualities of each earlier model are married
             in this new product.

   marsh     n.  swamp, bog, fen, slough, quagmire:  The marsh teems with new
             life in the spring.

   martial   adj.  1 warlike, belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, militant:
             We had no suspicion of their martial intentions. He is an expert
             in the martial arts. 2 military, soldierly, courageous, brave,
             valorous, valiant, stalwart, staunch, stout-hearted:  The speech
             was intended to rouse the soldiers' martial spirit.

   marvel    v.  1 wonder (at), gape (at), be awed or amazed (by), be agog or
             astonished (at), gape (at):  We marvelled at the way the homing
             pigeons found their way home.

             --n.  2 wonder, miracle, phenomenon:  Tammy was a marvel at
             fixing electrical equipment.

   marvellous
             adj.  wonderful, astonishing, amazing, astounding, surprising,
             remarkable, extraordinary, phenomenal, glorious, splendid,
             superb, excellent, spectacular, breathtaking, miraculous,
             unbelievable, incredible, sensational, mind-boggling,
             unparalleled, Colloq terrific, great, fantastic, fabulous,
             smashing, Slang far-out, crazy, wild, groovy, super, out of this
             world, fantabulous, Brit spot or bang on, US marvy:  It was a
             marvellous show, and Renfrew is a marvellous actor.

   mask      n.  1 false face, domino:  She wore a mask, and I don't know who
             she was.  2 disguise, guise, camouflage, show, semblance,
             pretence, cover, cover-up, false colours, false flag,
             concealment, cloak, fa‡ade, veil:  He wormed his way into her
             confidence under the mask of friendship.

             --v.  3 disguise, camouflage, cover (up), conceal, hide,
             obscure, veil, screen, shroud:  She was unable to mask her true
             feelings for him.

   masquerade
             n.  1 masked ball, masquerade ball, costume party, ballo in
             maschera, bal masqu‚:  He went to the masquerade as Lorenzo di
             Medici.  2 disguise, deception, pose, dissimulation, bluff,
             subterfuge, false show, outward show, fakery, imposture,
             play-acting, false front, cover-up, camouflage, Colloq act,
             front, Slang put-on:  How long will she continue her masquerade
             as a wealthy widow?

             --v.  3 Usually, masquerade as. pretend (to be), pass oneself
             off (as), impersonate, simulate, pose (as), imitate, mimic:  He
             is a conservative masquerading as a liberal to garner votes.

   mass      n.  1 pile, heap, mountain, load, stack, mound, bunch, bundle,
             lot, batch, quantity, hoard, store, collection, accumulation,
             aggregation, agglomeration, congeries, assortment, miscellany,
             assemblage, conglomeration:  There was a mass of boulders at the
             bottom of the cliff.  2 abundance, quantity, profusion, volume,
             multitude, horde, host, mob, crowd, throng, drove(s), herd(s),
             swarm(s), legion(s), score(s), number(s), Colloq bunch(es),
             ton(s), mountain, piles, bags, barrels, oodles, lots, oceans,
             loads, scads, US mess, slew(s):  A mass of bills awaited my
             return from a trip abroad. Masses of people greeted us at the
             airport. 3 block, concretion, chunk, lump, hunk, nugget:  A mass
             of sludge was clogging the valve.  4 majority, best or better or
             greater part, bulk, body, preponderance, almost all, lion's
             share:  The great mass of the votes was still uncounted.  5
             dimension, size, magnitude, bulk, bigness, massiveness,
             enormousness, immensity:  The very mass of the elephant made it
             a hard target to miss.  6 the masses. the common people, the
             (common) herd, the proletariat, the plebeians, hoi polloi, the
             lower class(es), the man or woman in the street, Brit the man or
             woman on the Clapham omnibus, A. N. Other, US John Q. Public,
             John or Jane Doe or Roe:  The taxes became burdensome and the
             masses rebelled.

             --v.  7 amass, pile or heap up, gather:  Thunderclouds began to
             mass over the mountains.  8 aggregate, accumulate, collect,
             assemble, congregate, meet, get or come together, gather,
             forgather or foregather, throng, convene, flock together, rally,
             group, cluster, marshal, muster, mobilize:  Thousands of people
             massed in front of the embassy. The massed bands made a
             tremendous noise.

   massacre  n.  1 slaughter, slaughtering, carnage, annihilation,
             annihilating, blood bath, killing, execution, extermination,
             exterminating, butchery, butchering, (mass) murder, murdering,
             slaying, liquidation, pogrom, genocide:  The massacre of
             millions of innocent people followed the coup.

             --v.  2 slaughter, annihilate, kill, execute, exterminate,
             butcher, murder, slay, liquidate, destroy, eliminate,
             obliterate, eradicate, put to the sword, decimate, Colloq mow
             down, Slang bump off:  It was their policy to massacre all the
             men and take captive all the women and children.

   massage   n.  1 rub-down, rub, manipulation, kneading:  I felt really
             relaxed after the massage and steam bath.

             --v.  2 rub down, manipulate, knead, palpate:  She gently
             massaged my temples with her fingertips.  3 manipulate, handle,
             manoeuvre, Colloq finagle, Brit fiddle:  He massaged the figures
             to make it look as if the company was solvent.

   massive   adj.  big, large, oversized, huge, bulky, enormous, hulking,
             immense, gigantic, towering, mammoth, colossal, titanic, vast,
             tremendous, prodigious, mountainous, gargantuan, Brobdingnagian,
             Cyclopean, elephantine, jumbo, stupendous, mighty, weighty,
             ponderous, Literary massy, Colloq walloping, whopping, monster,
             Brit whacking (great), US ginormous, humongous:  They built a
             massive wall round the city. Massive beams support the roof.

   master    n.  1 owner, head, chief, leader, chieftain, commander, lord,
             governor, director, controller, employer, manager, overseer,
             supervisor, superintendent, taskmaster, slave-driver, principal,
             sovereign, monarch, ruler, Colloq lord high muck-a-muck,
             Pooh-Bah, kingpin, big fish, boss, skipper, Brit gaffer, US
             king-fish, the man, big fish, big boss, bossman; Slang US big
             cheese, big wheel, Mr Big, chief or head honcho:  He is master
             of all he surveys. Decisions about punishment are referred to
             the master. 2 expert, authority, genius, craftsman, adept,
             maestro, mastermind, past master, old hand, virtuoso, ace,
             professional, Colloq pro, wizard, Chiefly Brit dab hand, US
             crackerjack; Slang US maven or mavin:  He is a master in the art
             of chicanery.  3 teacher, tutor, instructor, guide, leader,
             guru, swami:  She studied under the master for years.

             --adj.  4 adept, ingenious, expert, masterful, masterly,
             skilful, skilled, proficient:  After twenty years, he became a
             master craftsman.  5 overall, controlling, principal, main,
             prime, basic, chief:  Only the leader knows the master plan for
             conquering the planet.  This is the master switch that turns off
             all the power. 6 main, biggest, principal, owner's:  The master
             bedroom had a bathroom en suite.

             --v.  7 learn, grasp, become expert in, know inside out and
             backwards, know, understand:  He claims to have mastered the art
             of levitation.  8 control, overcome, repress, suppress, subdue,
             bridle, check, quell, get the better of, Colloq get a grip on:
             You must learn to master your emotions.

   masterful adj.  1 masterly, adept, expert, excellent, superior, superb,
             adroit, exquisite, superlative, supreme, consummate,
             accomplished, peerless, matchless, first-rate, proficient,
             dexterous, deft, skilful, skilled, Colloq crack:  She gave a
             masterful performance of Bruch's violin concerto.  2
             authoritarian, dictatorial, tyrannical, despotic, arbitrary,
             domineering, imperious, overbearing, arrogant, dominating,
             autocratic, high-handed, magisterial, overweening, self-willed,
             Colloq bossy:  I dislike Ian's masterful attitude, always
             telling everyone what to do.

   mastermind
             v.  1 plan, devise, conceive, think up, engineer, design,
             generate, create, manage, organize, develop, work up or out:  It
             was probably Fu Manchu who masterminded this diabolical plot.

             --n.  2 planner, contriver, conceiver, creator, architect,
             genius, mind, intellect, Colloq brain(s):  it would take a
             mastermind to get even a pass mark on that exam.

   masterpiece
             n.  master-work, magnum opus, chef-d'oeuvre, tour de force,
             jewel, work of art, work of genius, piЉce de r‚sistance:  Among
             his many fine paintings, I consider this his masterpiece.

   match     n.  1 equal, equivalent, peer, equivalent, fellow, mate;
             parallel, replica, copy, double, twin, look-alike, facsimile,
             counterpart:  When it comes to punning, Crosby has finally met
             his match.  2 contest, competition, game, meet, tourney,
             tournament, bout, duel, rivalry, trial:  The match was between
             the top-seeded players.  3 marriage, betrothal, alliance,
             combination, compact, contract, partnership, union, affiliation:
             It was a match made in heaven.  4 prospect, candidate:  With his
             inheritance, he's considered a good match.

             --v.  5 match up, join, marry, unite, link, combine, put
             together, pair up or off, juxtapose, conjoin:  However did you
             manage to match names and faces? Glynis matched them up at the
             dinner table. 6 equal, be equivalent (to), resemble, compare
             (with), tie, measure up (to), compete (with), vie (with), rival:
             His skill on the flute will never match hers.  7 fit, go with,
             suit, accord, agree, harmonize, go (together), coordinate,
             blend, correspond:  Who will notice that your socks match your
             tie? Your eyes don't match.

   matching  adj.  1 corresponding, homologous, comparable, equivalent,
             complementary:  Birds' wings and fishes' fins are matching
             parts.  2 analogous, like, corresponding, identical:  He wore a
             pink jacket and matching shoes. She bought a set of matching
             luggage.

   matchless adj.  unique, original, peerless, unequalled, without equal,
             inimitable, unmatched, incomparable, unparalleled, beyond
             compare:  Stefania has a contralto voice of matchless quality.

   mate      n.  1 companion, associate, colleague, fellow, chap, co-worker,
             comrade, crony, ally, friend, alter ego, Colloq chum, pal, US
             buddy, cohort, Slang Brit cully, china:  After work, my mates
             and I stop off for a beer or two (or three ) .  2 spouse,
             partner, helpmeet, helpmate, consort, husband or wife, better
             half, Colloq hubby, old man or lady or woman, lord and master,
             US bride, Slang trouble and strife (= 'wife'):  He scarcely
             seems a worthy mate for the winner of a Miss World contest. 3
             fellow, twin, counterpart, parallel, one of a pair:  Have you
             seen the mate to this sock anywhere?

             --v.  4 pair (up), match (up), marry, wed, join, unite, couple,
             link (up):  People should be free to mate with whom they wish.
             5 breed, couple, copulate, pair (up):  The zoo was able to get
             the rhinoceroses to mate. A lion was mated with a tiger to
             produce a tigon. 6 match (up), fit (together), synchronize,
             join:  I cannot get these gears to mate.

   material  n.  1 substance, matter, stuff, fabric:  It is hard to tell what
             material this is made of.  2 cloth, fabric, textile, stuff:
             This material is too sheer for a dress.  3 constituents,
             elements, components:  We import the raw materials and make the
             finished product here.  4 information, data, facts, statistics,
             figures, documents, documentation, papers, notes, resources,
             means, research, apparatus, supplies:  I have not yet gathered
             enough material for the article.

             --adj.  5 physical, tangible, concrete, solid, real,
             substantive, substantial, palpable, corporeal, bodily:  It was
             many years before scientists could persuade people that air is a
             material substance. 6 consequential, important, significant,
             serious, substantial:  How could one horseshoe nail be material
             in the outcome of a battle?  7 worldly, earthly, mundane,
             temporal, non-spiritual, secular, lay, materialistic:  He
             ponders the abstract, not the base, material things of everyday
             life.

   materialistic
             adj.  expedient, money-oriented, possession-oriented, greedy,
             Slang yuppy:  He's very materialistic and only married her for
             her money.

   materialize
             v.  1 appear, turn up, become visible, become manifest, be
             revealed, take shape or form, form, emerge:  A hulking shape
             began to materialize out of the fog.  2 happen, come to pass,
             take place, occur, become manifest or real, be realized, become
             an actuality, be actualized:  The dream of a united Europe is
             finally materializing.

   materially
             adv.  substantially, palpably, significantly, seriously,
             essentially, basically, considerably, greatly, much, in the long
             run, at bottom:  I doubt that his criticism will materially
             affect the success of the play.

   maternal  adj.  motherly, warm, nurturing, caring, understanding,
             affectionate, tender, kind, kindly, devoted, fond, doting;
             maternalistic:  Her interest in him is strictly maternal.

   maternity n.  1 motherhood, parenthood, pregnancy:  Maternity brings about
             great changes in a woman's life.  2 parenthood, motherhood:  The
             maternity of the child was not questioned until the hospital
             revealed that there had been a mix-up in the nursery.

   mathematical
             adj.  arithmetical; precise, exact, rigorous:  He went about his
             plans with mathematical precision.

   matrimonial
             adj.  marital, marriage, wedding, conjugal, nuptial; married,
             wedded, connubial:  She obtained a court injunction banning him
             from the matrimonial home. They enjoy matrimonial bliss.

   matter    n.  1 material, substance, stuff, sum and substance:  Some
             yellowish matter oozed out of the wound. It is a question of
             mind over matter. 2 situation, issue, question, affair,
             business, subject, topic, condition, thing, fact, concern;
             occurrence, episode, incident, event, occasion, proceeding:  It
             was a matter of life and death. His loss of face is not a matter
             that need involve you. 3 problem, difficulty, trouble,
             complication, worry, upset, dilemma, quandary, enigma, puzzle:
             What is the matter?  4 content, essentials, pith, context,
             theme, argument, purport, implication; signification, meaning,
             meaningfulness, import, importance, significance, moment,
             weight, consequence:  Pay attention to the matter in his speech,
             not his manner. It is of little matter to me whether you go or
             not. 5 amount, sum, quantity, question:  It was only a matter of
             a few pennies' difference.

             --v.  6 be important or of importance, count, be of consequence,
             make a difference, mean something:  What you think matters a
             great deal.

   matter-of-fact
             adj.  straightforward, direct, forthright, sober, factual,
             unimaginative, unartistic, prosaic, unpoetic, dry, dry-as-dust,
             dull, boring, tiresome, flat, mundane, lifeless, featureless,
             unvarnished, colourless, unembellished, unadorned:  The report
             contained a matter-of-fact description of the events.

   mature    adj.  1 adult, grown (up), full-grown, fully grown, of age,
             fully fledged, full-fledged, fully developed, matured,
             experienced, knowledgeable, sophisticated:  At twenty-two, she
             is mature enough to be on her own.  2 ripe, ready, ripened,
             mellow, aged,' seasoned:  A good wine, like fruit, should not be
             consumed till it is mature.  3 complete, matured, perfect,
             perfected, polished, refined, ready, fully developed,
             consummated:  Our plans are not yet mature.

             --v.  4 grow up, age, develop, come of age; Brit be one's age,
             US act one's age:  Has he matured sufficiently to be trusted
             alone in the house for the weekend? I wish he'd mature a bit
             more. 5 ripen, mellow, age, season; maturate:  Fruit that has
             matured on the plant tastes best.  6 develop, perfect, refine,
             polish, maturate, bring to fruition:  Their plans for major
             changes in company structure have not yet fully matured.

   maturity  n.  1 adulthood, majority, full growth or development:  Maturity
             is as much a state of mind as a matter of age.  2 ripeness,
             readiness, mellowness; maturation:  Different wines need ageing
             for different periods to attain maturity.  3 readiness,
             perfection, completion, fullness, consummation, operability,
             applicability; maturation:  Their plans were brought to
             maturity.

   maudlin   adj.  sentimental, (over)emotional, mawkish, romantic; tearful,
             lachrymose, weepy, teary(-eyed); Colloq mushy, slushy, Brit
             soppy, US soupy:  He gets maudlin thinking about his childhood
             in the countryside.

   maxim     n.  saying, proverb, axiom, aphorism, adage, byword, saw,
             apophthegm or apothegm, epigram, motto, slogan; mot, witticism;
             clich‚, truism:  Her maxim is, 'What you don't know, can't hurt
             you'.

   maximize  n.  1 increase, broaden, improve, magnify, augment, add to,
             expand, build up, enlarge:  He maximizes his chances for winning
             by betting on several numbers.  To compete, you must maximize
             your productivity. 2 inflate, overplay, overdo, overstate,
             exaggerate, oversell, make much of, overstress, (over)colour,
             enhance, embroider (on), embellish, elaborate, magnify:  Roland
             tends to maximize his role while minimizing others'.

   maximum   n.  1 most, utmost, uttermost, greatest, peak, extreme,
             extremity, pinnacle, top, highest, (upper) limit:  Turn the
             volume up to the maximum.  2 zenith, pinnacle, peak, limit,
             apex, acme, apogee, climax, crest, high(est) point, top, summit:
             Her career reached its maximum in the 1930s.

             --adj.  3 maximal, greatest, most, utmost, uttermost,
             superlative, supreme, paramount, extreme, highest, top, topmost,
             climactic, crowning:  The maximum amount that I can afford for a
             car is њ2000.

   maybe     adv.  perhaps, possibly, Literary perchance, Archaic or dialect
             mayhap, Archaic peradventure:  We could go and see a film
             tonight, or maybe have a meal somewhere.

   mayhem    n.  maihem, violence, havoc, destruction, disorder, devastation,
             chaos; fracas, commotion, confusion:  Someone screamed 'Fire!',
             and the ensuing mayhem was unbelievable.

   maze      n.  labyrinth, complex, intricacy, twistings and turnings,
             convolutions:  His application has been lost in the maze of
             bureaucratic bungling.

13.2 meadow...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   meadow    n.  field, meadow-land, pasture, pasture land, Archaic or
             literary lea, mead:  The entire meadow was dotted with little
             puffy clouds of white sheep.

   meagre    adj.  1 scanty, scant, poor, paltry, inadequate, skimpy,
             scrimpy, sparse, spare, insufficient, bare, puny, piddling,
             trifling, pathetic, exiguous, Colloq measly:  Angela scraped out
             a meagre living as a shop assistant. The meagre supplies
             wouldn't last another day. 2 spare, skinny, scrawny, bony,
             emaciated, gaunt, thin, lean, bare-boned, (half-)starved,
             underfed, undernourished, starving:  The meagre faces of the
             survivors told of their ordeal.  3 spare, plain, bare-boned,
             unadorned, unembellished, unelaborate, unelaborated, simple,
             simplified, oversimplified, bare, inadequate, deficient,
             undetailed, indefinite, non-specific, general, broad, loose,
             vague:  The police have only a meagre description to go on.  4
             unfruitful, infertile, barren, deficient, poor, unproductive:
             This land is too meagre to provide the people with a living.

   meal      n.  1 food, repast, victuals, nourishment, spread, collation,
             refection; dinner, supper, breakfast, lunch, luncheon, Brit tea:
             Meals will be served in the main dining room.  2 make a meal of.
             overdo, overplay, go overboard, go or carry to extremes, carry
             or go too far, do to excess:  Perkins is bound to make a meal of
             the slightest thing.

   mealy-mouthed
             adj.  mincing, reticent, reluctant, hesitant, equivocal,
             equivocating, ambiguous, indirect, unwilling to call a spade a
             spade, euphemistic, roundabout, vague, circumlocutory,
             periphrastic, hypocritical, deceitful, artful, slick, oily,
             unctuous:  All you'll get from that mealy-mouthed hypocrite is
             platitudinous twaddle.

   mean°     v.  1 intend, design, purpose, plan, aim, have in mind,
             contemplate, have in view; want, wish, expect, hope; be
             motivated by, have as justification:  I did mean to phone you
             but had no time. I am sure she meant nothing by her remark. 2
             denote, signify, indicate, note, specify, designate, represent,
             betoken, signal, carry, convey, drive at, refer to, allude to,
             communicate, express, bring out, get over or across; imply,
             suggest, connote, intimate, hint (at):  What does 'canicular'
             mean? It depends on what you mean by 'liberty'.  The footprints
             meant that someone had already been here. 3 portend, show,
             foretell, foreshadow, promise, presage, augur, herald:  Those
             clouds mean that it will soon rain.  4 carry or have the weight
             or significance or importance of:  Money means little to someone
             in her circumstances.

   meanэ     adj.  1 stingy, miserly, tight, close, cheap, parsimonious,
             penurious, stinting, niggardly, penny-pinching, tight-fisted,
             close-fisted, mercenary, uncharitable, ungenerous,
             mean-spirited, unaccommodating, small, petty, Colloq near,
             money-grubbing, measly, Brit mingy:  He is far too mean to buy
             anyone a Christmas present. It seems rather a mean contribution
             to the fund, given his wealth. 2 lowly, low, base, inferior,
             abject, menial, servile, degraded, degenerate, undignified,
             ignoble, plebeian, proletarian, modest, humble, common:  He rose
             to a position of great power in spite of his mean background.  3
             disgraceful, run-down, poor, sorry, miserable, scruffy, seedy,
             scurvy, shabby, squalid, wretched, vile, mangy, sordid,
             contemptible, dismal, dreary, abysmal:  They live in very mean
             circumstances.  4 unkind, malicious, cruel, unaccommodating,
             disobliging:  It was very mean of you to steal that toy from the
             baby.  5 cantankerous, churlish, nasty, hostile, ill-tempered,
             bad-tempered, sour, unpleasant:  That mean old lady would never
             even talk to us.  6 excellent, wonderful, marvellous, great,
             exceptional, effective, skilful, skilled, Slang far-out, US bad:
             The saxophonist in that combo is one mean cat.

   mean°     n.  1 average, middle, norm, (happy) medium:  We are attempting
             to achieve the mean between the two extremes.  2 by all means.
             a absolutely, definitely, certainly, surely, assuredly, of
             course, positively:  By all means, do tell us what you think is
             wrong.  b in any event, at all events, no matter what, without
             fail, at any cost, in any case:  By all means, you must do what
             you think is right.  3 by means of. by dint of, via, through, by
             way of, with the help or aid of, employing, using, utilizing:
             She gained access to her victims by means of the telephone
             directory.  We entered by means of the front door. 4 means.  a
             instrument, agency, method, process, technique, mode, manner,
             way(s), approach, course, procedure, avenue, medium, vehicle:
             If you can find the means, then get the job done at once.  b
             resources, funds, money, wherewithal, capital, finances,
             backing, support:  I wanted to go to Australia to see my
             brother, but I simply didn't have the means. c substance,
             wealth, property, position, financial stability:  She is a woman
             of considerable means.  5 by no means. by no manner of means, in
             no way, not at all, definitely or absolutely not, on no account,
             not conceivably, not in one's wildest dreams or fantasies, not
             by any stretch of the imagination, Colloq no way, US no way
             Jos‚:  This is sometimes but by no means always the case. He is
             by no means a great artist.

             --adj.  6 middle, centre, intermediate, medial, medium, median,
             average, middling:  The mean temperature for the year has
             increased.

   meander   v.  1 wander, ramble, zigzag, snake, wind, twist, turn; stroll,
             amble, rove, Colloq mosey, Brit swan around or about:  The river
             meandered with a mazy motion through the meadows. We meandered
             through the forest.

             --n.  2 Often, meanders. meandering(s), turn(s), turning(s),
             twist(s), twisting(s), winding(s), curve(s), curving(s),
             loop(s), looping(s), bend(s), coil(s), zigzag(s), convolutions;
             tortuosities, flexuosities, anfractuosities:  We followed the
             river's meanders till we came to the ruined church.

   meandering
             adj.  wandering, roundabout, circuitous, sinuous, tortuous,
             winding, serpentine, indirect, flexuous, curvy, crooked,
             convoluted, labyrinthine, mazy, anfractuous:  The meandering
             road followed the river through the valley.

   meaning   n.  1 sense, import, content, signification, denotation,
             message, substance, gist:  The meaning of the word 'lucid' is
             clear.  2 purport, implication, drift, spirit, connotation,
             significance, intention:  You understand my meaning, so I need
             not explain.  3 interpretation, explanation:  What is the
             meaning of my dream about being attacked by my philodendron?

   meaningful
             adj.  1 significant, important, consequential, serious, sober,
             deep, substantial, pithy, substantive, telling, weighty, valid,
             relevant:  Tired of casual encounters, he was ready for a
             meaningful relationship.  2 suggestive, pregnant, tell-tale,
             pointed, sententious, significant, expressive, eloquent:  She
             gave him a meaningful look.

   meaningless
             adj.  1 empty, hollow, vacuous, unsubstantial, absurd, silly,
             foolish, fatuous, asinine, ridiculous, preposterous,
             nonsensical:  He gave some meaningless excuse for having
             forgotten the appointment.  This gibberish is entirely
             meaningless to me. 2 ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious,
             bootless, unavailing, to no avail, trivial, nugatory, trifling,
             puny, paltry, worthless, not worth anything or a straw or a rap,
             valueless, inconsequential, unimportant, of no moment,
             insubstantial, vain, pointless, senseless, purposeless,
             undirected, irrelevant, insignificant:  Considering the enemy
             forces, anything we could do would be meaningless.

   means     n.  See mean°, 4, above.

   meantime  n., adv.  See meanwhile, below.

   meanwhile n.  1 interim, meantime, interval:  In the meanwhile, you could
             study for the exam.

             --adv.  2 in the meanwhile, meantime, in the meantime, in the
             interim, for the moment, temporarily, for now, for the time
             being, during the interval, in the intervening time:  Ruth was
             watching TV; meanwhile George was washing up.

   measly    adj.  sparse, scant, scanty, meagre, paltry, pathetic, skimpy,
             puny, piddling, miserly, niggardly, miserable, beggarly, stingy,
             Colloq Brit mingy:  'Nouvelle cuisine' is the name given to a
             restaurateur's design to serve decorative, but measly, portions.

   measure   n.  1 amount, quantity, magnitude, amplitude, size, bulk, mass,
             extent, reach, dimension, scope, proportions, range, spread;
             capacity, volume; width, length, breadth, height; weight:  It is
             difficult to calculate the measure of an irregularly shaped
             object. 2 scale, gauge or technical gage, yardstick, rule, US
             litmus test:  I cannot determine the length without a proper
             measure.  3 system, standard, criterion, rule, method;
             barometer, Richter scale:  The measure by which ice-cream is
             sold ought to be weight, not volume. What sort of measure do you
             apply when judging character? 4 assessment, evaluation,
             valuation, appraisal, value, gauge or gage, rank, rating,
             measurement, stamp, estimation:  It is not easy to get the
             measure of a man who wants to marry your daughter. 5 quota,
             allotment, ration, share, amount, degree, proportion, quantity,
             allowance; portion, part:  He was accorded a measure of freedom
             in choosing the method for getting the job done. She has had her
             measure of praise. 6 Often, measures. step(s), procedure,
             proceeding, action, course (of action), plan, method, means,
             avenue, tactic(s), way, direction, approach, technique:  They
             took measures to ensure that it never happens again.  7 bill,
             resolution, legislation, act, statute, law; plan, proposal:  A
             measure to change the speed limit is before the council.  8
             bound, limit, end, extreme, extent, limitation, moderation,
             control, constraint, restraint:  Drug trafficking has gone
             beyond all measure in some countries.  9 beat, rhythm, cadence,
             metre, time; melody, tune, bar, theme, motif:  The ambassador
             entered, and the band played in stately measures.  10 for good
             measure. to boot, in addition, additionally, as a dividend, into
             the bargain, besides, as or for a bonus, moreover, furthermore:
             The job includes a company car and, for good measure, free
             medical insurance.

             --v.  11 rank, rate, gauge or gage, meter, weigh, calculate,
             reckon, compute, calibrate, determine, ascertain, figure out or
             up, assess, appraise, estimate, evaluate, judge, value; survey,
             find out:  We must measure the effect of the new safety
             regulations on our equipment budget. Public acceptance of the
             new product may be difficult to measure. 12 proportion, pace,
             adapt, gauge, relate, tailor, fit, adjust, regulate, control:
             Teachers should measure homework assignments according to
             pupils' available time. Measure your words when speaking to
             young children. 13 measure off or out. mark off or out, limit,
             delimit, fix, pace off or out, lay off:  Now measure off exactly
             122.5 metres due north.  14 measure out. mete out, dole out,
             ration (out), parcel out, apportion, allot, share out, assign,
             allocate; give out, deal out, distribute, issue, pass out, hand
             out, dispense, disperse, spread around or about:  The relief
             workers measured out food and water to the victims of the
             famine. 15 measure up (to).  a meet, equal, fulfil, match,
             reach, attain:  The first eleven have not measured up to their
             coach's expectations.  Will they ever measure up? b qualify
             (for), be suitable (for), be equal to, be fit or fitted for, be
             adequate (to), be up to, Colloq make the grade, come up to
             scratch, be up to snuff, US cut the mustard:  If Clive gets the
             assignment, are you sure that he'll measure up? No one else
             measures up to the job.

   measured  adj.  1 slow, regulated, unhurried, leisurely, stately,
             majestic, dignified, sedate, solemn:  The silent procession
             moved through the streets at a measured pace. 2 careful,
             cautious, prudent, calculated, studied, considered, deliberate,
             systematic, sober, intentional, planned, regulated,
             premeditated, well-thought-out, reasoned:  He planned the murder
             with the same measured deliberation he used in writing computer
             programs. 3 rhythmic(al), regular, cadenced, steady, uniform,
             even, monotonous:  The measured marching of the soldiers echoed
             through the night.  4 precise, regulated, exact, predetermined,
             modulated, quantified; clockwork:  A measured amount of each
             ingredient is automatically added at each stage of the
             manufacturing process.

   measurement
             n.  1 measuring, reckoning, gauging or gaging, ascertainment,
             determination, assessment, estimation, appraisal, evaluation,
             valuation, judgement, calculation, computation, mensuration,
             commensuration; metage:  The measurement of astronomical
             distances can only be approximate.  2 dimension, extent, size,
             amount, magnitude, amplitude; length, breadth, height, width,
             depth; area; volume, capacity; weight, tonnage; (elapsed) time,
             period; (square or cubic) footage, (square) yardage, mileage,
             acreage,:  I need the measurements of the room to order the
             fitted carpet.

   meat      n.  1 flesh; food, nourishment, sustenance, viands, victuals,
             nutriment, provisions, provender, comestibles, edibles,
             eatables, Colloq eats, chow, grub:  She's turned vegetarian and
             won't touch meat in any form.  2 pith, core, heart, marrow,
             kernel, vital part, essence, gist, substance, basics,
             essentials, crux:  The sub-plot seems to swamp the real meat of
             the play.

   mechanical
             adj.  1 automatic, automated, machine-driven; machine-made:
             Early mechanical toys are sometimes quite intricate. This is a
             mechanical, not a hand-crafted device. 2 automatic, reflex,
             involuntary, instinctive, routine, habitual, unconscious,
             perfunctory, machine-like, robot-like:  Good manners ought to be
             mechanical. Blinking is a mechanical reaction to bright light. 3
             impersonal, distant, cold, matter-of-fact, unfeeling,
             insensible, ritualistic, lifeless, spiritless, dead, inanimate,
             unanimated, unemotional, unartistic, mechanistic, colourless,
             uninspired, business-like:  The girl at the check-out gave us a
             mechanical smile.

   mechanism n.  1 device, appliance, contrivance, apparatus, instrument,
             machine:  This mechanism will detonate the bomb at the right
             moment.  2 machinery, workings, works, structure, system,
             organization, arrangement:  Astrophysicists can offer only an
             imperfect account of the mechanism of the universe. 3 way,
             means, method, procedure, approach, technique, medium, process,
             agency:  We shall use every mechanism at our disposal to have
             the case heard by a different judge. 4 materialism,
             mechanicalism, physicalism, logical positivism, identity theory,
             monism:  His notions of mechanism reject the idea of
             free-thinking individualism.

   meddle    v.  interfere, intrude, butt in, pry, intervene, interlope,
             tamper, snoop, Rare intermeddle, Colloq stick or poke one's nose
             in, have a or one's finger in the pie, kibitz:  Why are you
             always meddling in things that don't concern you?

   mediator  n.  arbitrator, arbiter, referee, umpire, judge, negotiator,
             intermediary, go-between, middleman, moderator, liaison,
             intercessor, interceder, conciliator, appeaser, peacemaker:  To
             avoid a lawsuit, they agreed to allow a mediator to settle their
             differences.

   medicinal adj.  healing, remedial, therapeutic, curative, restorative,
             sanative; medical, iatric(al), Medicine roborant, analeptic,
             alexipharmic:  The doctor prescribed a medicinal ointment for
             the rash.

   medicine  n.  medication, medicament, remedy, drug, pharmaceutical,
             prescription, Archaic physic; nostrum, panacea, cure-all:  There
             is no medicine that can cure your affliction.

   mediocre  adj.  middling, indifferent, ordinary, commonplace, average,
             medium, everyday, US garden-variety, run-of-the-mill,
             pedestrian, undistinguished, uninspired, unimaginative,
             unexceptional, tolerable, fair, not (that or too) good, not bad,
             second-rate, third-rate, inferior, poor, Brit common-or-garden
             variety, US garden-variety, Colloq so so, fair to middling,
             nothing to brag or to write home about, no great shakes:  It was
             a mediocre play, and we couldn't be bothered to sit through it.

   meditate  v.  1 reflect, think, muse, ponder, study, ruminate, cogitate,
             contemplate, cerebrate, be lost in thought, be in a brown study:
             Please don't interrupt me while I'm meditating.  2 Often,
             meditate on or upon. consider, contemplate, mull over, reflect
             on or upon, ponder on or over, chew over, plan, scheme, devise,
             design, conceive, frame, think up, have in mind:  She was
             meditating revenge, while I was meditating on how to discourage
             her.

   meditative
             adj.  thoughtful, pensive, contemplative, reflective, studious,
             cogitative, excogitative, abstracted, rapt, engrossed, lost or
             deep in thought, ruminative, brooding:  She suddenly stopped
             talking and became meditative, looking at me with a curious
             expression.

   medium    adj.  1 average, middle, mid, medial, median, normal, standard,
             usual, everyday, ordinary; mid-sized:  His wife has an estate
             car of medium size - nothing extravagant.  2 See mediocre,
             above.

             --n.  3 average, middle, mid-point, compromise, centre, mean,
             norm, mediocrity:  Instead of going to extremes, try for the
             happy medium.  4 atmosphere, environment, ambience or ambiance,
             milieu:  The air serves as a medium of sound. The light is
             refracted as it passes into a denser medium. 5 means, method,
             mode, approach, instrumentality, device, mechanism,
             intermediation, technique, contrivance, agency, expedient, way,
             course, route, road, avenue, channel, conveyance, vehicle:
             Latin and Greek were the media of the scholarship, the science,
             and the theology of the Middle Ages. Television is a powerful
             advertising medium.

   medley    n.  mixture, assortment, combination, miscellany, m‚lange,
             collection, conglomeration, agglomeration, hotchpotch or US and
             Canadian hodgepodge, olio, blend, gallimaufry, omnium gatherum,
             pastiche, pot-pourri, salmagundi, olla podrida, mishmash,
             jumble, mess, farrago, stew, goulash, Colloq mixed bag:  The
             programme consisted of a medley of show tunes.

   meek      adj.  1 modest, humble, submissive, unassuming, unambitious,
             unpretentious, mild, bland, patient, deferential, shy, retiring,
             lowly:  The meek shall inherit the earth.  2 tame, timid, weak,
             docile, compliant, submissive, yielding, acquiescent, docile,
             unaggressive, non-militant, tractable, manageable, subdued,
             repressed, spiritless, suppressed, broken, Colloq wimpish:  The
             people are meek and will not offer any resistance to such
             dictatorial government.

   meet°     v.  1 encounter, come across, chance on or upon, happen on or
             upon, stumble on or into, see, Colloq run across or into, bump
             into:  Guess who I met in the park this morning!  2 Often, meet
             with. rendezvous (with), get together (with); convene, assemble,
             gather, collect, forgather or foregather, congregate:  I met
             with the mysterious stranger as arranged. The board meets at
             9.00 am. 3 make the acquaintance of, be introduced to, first
             encounter, come across, find:  Where did you meet your wife?  4
             link up, join, come together, unite, adjoin, abut, touch,
             intersect:  The horizon is where the sky meets earth.  5 answer,
             deal with, handle, satisfy, fulfil, take care of, dispose of,
             heed, observe, carry out; gratify, pay, settle, defray,
             liquidate:  Will these precautions meet the requirements of the
             Department of the Environment? The police advised the parents
             not to meet the kidnapper's demands. 6 meet with. encounter, be
             met by, experience; undergo, endure, suffer, have, go through:
             All our efforts met with little or no response. Gary met with an
             accident yesterday.

             --n.  7 competition, contest, meeting, match, tourney,
             tournament; muster, rally:  The track meet was won by our team.

   meetэ     adj.  fitting, suitable, appropriate, proper, fit, congruous:
             It is meet to offer praises to God.

   meeting   n.  1 appointment, engagement, rendezvous, encounter,
             assignation, tryst, Slang US meet:  She arranged a meeting with
             her ex-husband.  2 assembly, convention, conference, gathering,
             congress, conclave, session, congregation, convocation, US
             caucus, Colloq get-together:  Nominations for next year's
             officers will be presented at the next meeting. 3 convergence,
             converging, confluence, joining, union, junction, conjunction,
             intersection:  The earliest settlement was at the meeting of the
             two rivers.  4 See meet, 7, above.

   melancholy
             adj.  1 sad, morose, depressed, unhappy, dejected, despondent,
             blue, downhearted, glum, gloomy, woeful, woebegone, lugubrious,
             disconsolate, downcast, dispirited, low-spirited, cheerless,
             crestfallen, chap-fallen, forlorn, heartbroken, mournful,
             sorrowful, miserable, dismal, Colloq down in the mouth, (down)
             in the dumps, low:  Harold has been melancholy ever since Lucy
             left.

             --n.  2 sadness, sorrow, misery, woe, gloom, unhappiness, blues,
             moroseness, depression, dejection, dejectedness, despondence,
             despondency, downheartedness, glumness, gloominess, woefulness,
             lugubriousness, disconsolateness, dispiritedness, cheerlessness,
             mournfulness, sorrowfulness, miserableness, dolour, anguish:
             Getting Harold's mind off his problems may relieve his
             melancholy.

   mellow    adj.  1 soft, juicy, luscious, delicious, rich, sweet,
             flavourful, full-flavoured, ready, ripe, mature, ripened, aged:
             She set before us a dish of mellow peaches. Amontillado sherry
             is noted for its mellow taste. 2 musical, melodious, full, pure,
             rich, sweet, dulcet, mellifluous, euphonious, vibrant:  Her
             voice was low, mellow, and suggestive.  3 soft, softened,
             subtle, muted, pastel:  The mellow shades of this painting would
             fit well into the d‚cor.  4 easygoing, genial, gentle,
             good-natured, easy, cordial, friendly, warm, amiable, agreeable,
             pleasant, cheerful, happy, jovial, felicitous:  Patrick seems to
             have become more mellow with age.

             --v.  5 mature, ripen, age, season, sweeten, develop, improve
             (with age), soften:  Frank has mellowed since taking up golf.

   melodious adj.  sweet(-sounding), dulcet, tuneful, euphonious, harmonious,
             melodic, lyrical, musical, mellifluous, mellisonant, silvery,
             golden:  I agreed with her father that Sylvia has a most
             melodious voice.

   melodramatic
             adj.  sensational, sensationalistic, dramatic, stagy,
             theatrical, emotionalistic, (over-)sentimental,
             (over-)sentimentalized, overdrawn, overworked, overwrought,
             overdone, exaggerated, blood-and-thunder, histrionic, Colloq
             hammy, US schmaltzy, hokey:  The slightest thing that happened
             to him he blew up with melodramatic effect to elicit Maria's
             sympathy.

   melody    n.  1 song, tune, air, strain, measure, theme, refrain:  Isn't
             that the melody from Mimi's aria in La BohЉme ?  2 tunefulness,
             melodiousness, euphoniousness, euphony, harmony, musicality,
             sweetness:  The older music seems to be marked by so much more
             melody than rock 'n' roll.

   melt      v.  1 soften, thaw, liquefy, fuse, dissolve, liquidize,
             deliquesce:  You'd better eat that ice-cream before it melts.  2
             soften, thaw, mollify, assuage, touch, move, disarm, mellow:
             The look on the child's face melted his icy reserve.  3 Usually,
             melt into. blend, fade, merge, disappear, dissolve, shrink:  As
             soon as the police arrived, Phyllis tried to melt into the
             background. 4 melt away. disappear, dissolve, vanish, evaporate,
             go away, fade, pass, decline, decrease, shrink, dwindle,
             diminish:  When the company began to make a profit, all his
             previous reservations melted away.

   member    n.  colleague, associate, fellow:  I am going to propose Fred as
             a member of the club.

   memento   n.  1 souvenir, keepsake, remembrance, relic, trophy, token:  I
             kept his medals as a memento of our time together.  2 mementos.
             memorabilia:  There will be an auction of war mementos next
             week.

   memoir    n.  1 account, report, reportage, narrative, essay,
             dissertation, disquisition, paper, journal, record, biography,
             life:  They found her memoir about life in the jungle very
             exciting.  2 memoirs. autobiography, reminiscences,
             recollections, memories, diary, confessions, letters, life
             story; annals, history, account(s), record(s), chronology:  She
             was reading the memoirs of Henry Kissinger.

   memorable adj.  unforgettable, catchy, never-to-be-forgotten, noteworthy,
             notable, remarkable, significant, important, worthy, momentous,
             eventful, historic, illustrious, celebrated, great:  His first
             book contains many memorable and quotable passages.

   memorandum
             n.  note, record, minute, reminder, message, Brit chit or
             chitty, Colloq memo:  Send a memorandum reminding them of the
             meeting.

   memorial  adj.  1 commemorative:  A memorial plaque will be dedicated to
             him tomorrow.

             --n.  2 monument, marker, plaque, cenotaph, statue, memento,
             remembrance, reminder, souvenir:  Let this serve as a memorial
             to those who died in the wars. Wreaths were laid at the foot of
             the memorial.

   memorialize
             v.  honour, commemorate, pay homage or respect or tribute to,
             remember, eulogize, celebrate, mark:  His life, devoted to
             botany, is memorialized in these beautiful gardens.

   memorize  v.  learn by heart or rote, commit to memory, learn word for
             word, retain; remember:  He memorized the entire Rime of the
             Ancient Mariner .

   memory    n.  1 recall, recollection, retention:  My memory of the
             incident is very vivid. She has a poor memory for faces. 2
             recollection, reminiscence, thought:  The interviewer was
             drawing on grandfather's memories of the 1920s.  3 remembrance,
             honour, homage, respect, tribute, celebration:  He wrote a
             sequence of poems in memory of a dear friend.

   menace    v.  1 threaten, intimidate, daunt, terrorize, terrify, cow,
             bully, frighten, scare, alarm:  The loan sharks menaced him when
             he refused to pay.

             --n.  2 threat, danger, peril, hazard, risk:  The sunken wreck
             is a menace to navigation.  3 intimidation, scare, threat,
             warning, commination:  According to law, a menace alone does not
             constitute an injury.

   menacing  adj.  threatening, looming, impending, ominous, frightening,
             terrifying, intimidating, minacious, minatory or minatorial,
             louring or lowering; dangerous, perilous, hazardous, risky,
             chancy:  Menacing storm clouds scudded across the darkening sky.

   mend      v.  1 repair, fix, patch (up), rectify, correct, remedy,
             restore, rehabilitate; heal:  When will you get round to mending
             the roof?  2 correct, improve, better, ameliorate, reform,
             revise, rectify, set or put right, emend:  When are you going to
             mend your ways?  3 heal, improve, recover, convalesce,
             recuperate, get better:  It took me a few months to mend after
             the accident.

             --n.  4 repair, patch:  You can hardly see where the mend is.  5
             on the mend. recovering, recuperating, convalescing,
             convalescent, improving:  The good news is that father is on the
             mend after his attack.

   menial    adj.  1 lowly, servile, humble, subservient, base, low, mean,
             slavish, demeaning, degrading, ignoble; routine, unskilled:  He
             took a number of menial jobs to pay for his daughter's wedding.
             2 servile, fawning, grovelling, toadying, sycophantic,
             obsequious, cringing, time-serving, flattering, snivelling,
             Colloq boot-licking, Taboo slang brown-nosing:  His insecurity
             makes him surround himself with menial hangers-on.

             --n.  3 lackey, flunkey, serf, slave, underling, minion, Brit
             fag, Colloq Brit dogsbody, skivvy, US gofer:  He works as one of
             the menials in the hotel kitchen.  4 toady, sycophant, yes-man,
             lickspittle, leech, parasite, time-server, Colloq bootlicker,
             Taboo slang brown-nose(r):  The film star was attended by a
             retinue of menials, all anxious to keep in her favour.

   mental    adj.  1 intellectual, cognitive, cerebral, perceptual, rational,
             conceptual, theoretical, noetic, abstract:  The boy staggered us
             with his ability to perform rapid mental arithmetical
             calculations. 2 lunatic, mad, crazy, psychotic, demented,
             mentally ill, unstable, unbalanced, deranged, disturbed, daft,
             certifiable, Slang off one's rocker, nutty, batty, balmy or
             barmy, loony, screwy, bonkers, crackers, nuts, bananas, loco:
             My great-aunt has gone a bit mental in her old age.

   mentality n.  1 intelligence, brain, capacity, intellect, wit, sense,
             judgement, acuity, acumen, I.Q., rationality, understanding:
             I'd say that Frank is a man of average mentality.  2
             inclination, attitude, bent, mind-set, disposition, frame of
             mind, temperament, outlook, view:  The news betrays little about
             what is actually happening, but much about the mentality of the
             leadership. They criticized Britain's 'island mentality'.

   mention   v.  1 speak or write about, refer to, allude to, touch on or
             upon, make mention (of), bring up or in, introduce, broach, call
             or direct attention to, note, name, cite, acknowledge; point
             out, indicate, make known, adduce, report, quote:  Sergeant
             Payne was mentioned in dispatches from the front. He mentions
             the works of Conrad in support of his thesis. 2 divulge, reveal,
             intimate, disclose, impart, suggest, animadvert on or upon, hint
             (at), imply, insinuate:  Did he mention that Liz was present?

             --n.  3 reference, allusion, note, naming, citation, mentioning,
             Colloq cite:  There was a mention of you in the newspaper today.
             4 recognition, tribute, acknowledgement, kudos, praise:  She won
             no prize but came in for an honourable mention.  5 announcement,
             reference, referral, remark:  The speaker's mention of the
             conference reminded me of something.

   mercantile
             adj.  commercial, business, trade, marketing, market:  The book
             dealt with the mercantile affairs of the Hanseatic League.

   mercenary adj.  1 money-oriented, grasping, greedy, acquisitive, covetous,
             predatory, avaricious, venal, Colloq money-grubbing:  She
             objected that the 'financial world' ought to be renamed the
             'mercenary world'. 2 venal, bribable, corrupt, bought, Colloq US
             on the take:  They found themselves a mercenary judge and the
             indictment was quashed.

             --n.  3 hireling, legionnaire, soldier of fortune:  The highly
             trained task force was made up entirely of mercenaries.

   merchandise
             n.  1 goods, commodities, products, stock, staples, produce:
             The merchandise you ordered was shipped yesterday.

             --v.  2 trade, deal in, traffic in, market, distribute, retail,
             (buy and) sell, promote, advertise:  We are merchandising the
             new product line via direct mail.

   merchant  n.  1 dealer, retailer, seller, shopkeeper, store owner, trader,
             tradesman or tradeswoman, vendor:  High Street merchants are
             complaining about a decline in sales.  2 pedlar, hawker;
             (travelling) salesman, (sales) representative, commercial
             traveller, huckster, door-to-door salesman, US old-fashioned
             drummer, Colloq (sales) rep:  His work as an itinerant merchant
             took him away from home most of the week. 3 distributor,
             wholesaler, jobber, broker, agent, forwarder; businessman,
             merchant prince, mogul, tycoon, magnate, industrialist, US
             baron:  She comes from a family of steel merchants.

   merciful  adj.  compassionate, sympathetic, forgiving, kind, kindly,
             clement, kind-hearted, forbearing, sparing, lenient, tender,
             humane, liberal, mild, tender-hearted, soft-hearted, gracious,
             generous, magnanimous, benignant, beneficent, charitable,
             thoughtful, considerate, indulgent, big:  She begged the
             governor to be merciful and to spare her life.

   merciless adj.  cruel, pitiless, ruthless, heartless, unmerciful,
             inhumane, inhuman, brutal, savage, barbarous, barbaric,
             barbarian, crude, rude, rough, harsh, tough, callous, hard,
             hard-hearted, illiberal, tyrannical, stony-hearted, cold,
             severe, unsparing, insensitive, indifferent, unsympathetic,
             unforgiving, ungracious, malevolent, thoughtless, uncharitable,
             inconsiderate, unmoved, unbending, inflexible, relentless,
             unrelenting, inexorable:  Their captors proved to be utterly
             merciless. The merciless sun beat down on the desert outpost.

   mercy     n.  compassion, pity, forbearance, quarter, tolerance, sympathy,
             favour, forgiveness, kindness, kindliness, leniency, tenderness,
             humanity, humaneness, liberality, kind-heartedness,
             tender-heartedness, soft-heartedness, graciousness, generosity,
             magnanimity, benignity, beneficence, charity, thoughtfulness,
             consideration, indulgence:  May the Lord have mercy on your
             soul. We could expect no mercy from that slave-driver.

   mere      adj.  bare, basic, scant, stark, sheer; absolute, unmixed, only,
             just, nothing but, pure (and simple), unmitigated, undiluted:
             She was a mere slip of a girl. We need something more to go on
             than mere hearsay evidence.

   merely    adv.  1 only, simply; basically, purely, essentially,
             fundamentally, at bottom:  I was merely going to ask if you'd
             like to go to the cinema.  2 only, no more than; barely,
             scarcely, simply, solely, entirely:  She was merely the
             scullery-maid. We can't unlock the safe merely on your
             authority.

   merge     v.  combine, coalesce, unite, join, amalgamate, consolidate,
             pool, blend, mix, mingle, commingle, fuse:  If we merge our
             companies, we shall save on overhead costs.

   merger    n.  combination, coalescence, union, merging, amalgamation,
             consolidation, coalition, pooling, blending, mixing, mingling,
             commingling, fusing, fusion:  A merger of the two firms might
             result in a monopoly.

   merit     n.  1 worth, worthiness, value, excellence, quality, virtue,
             good, goodness:  Philip's plan has a good deal of merit.  2
             Often, merits. assets, strong point, advantage, rights and
             wrongs:  What exactly are the merits of his approach over mine?
             The case should be tried on its own merits.

             --v.  3 earn, deserve, warrant, rate, have a right or claim to,
             be entitled to, be qualified for, be worthy of:  What gave you
             the idea that you merited any special consideration?

   meritorious
             adj.  honourable, laudable, praiseworthy, commendable,
             creditable, admirable, estimable, excellent, exemplary,
             outstanding:  Penny has won the company award for meritorious
             service five months in a row.

   merriment n.  jollity, joviality, merrymaking, revelry, gaiety, high or
             good spirits, mirth, mirthfulness, joyfulness, felicity,
             jubilation, festivity, exhilaration, buoyancy, exuberance,
             cheer, cheerfulness, glee, fun, hilarity, enjoyment, happiness,
             blithefulness, blithesomeness, frolicking:  Everyone joined in
             the merriment at the office party.

   merry     adj.  1 cheerful, happy, gay, cheery, jolly, jovial, in high or
             good spirits, mirthful, joyful, joyous, hilarious, jubilant,
             rejoicing, festive, exhilarating, exuberant, vivacious,
             convivial, buoyant, gleeful, blithe, blithesome, carefree,
             light-hearted, delighted:  Didn't we have a merry old time at
             the Christmas party!  2 make merry. revel, celebrate, carouse,
             frolic:  The guests made merry till the wee hours of the
             morning.

   mesh      n.  1 mesh-work, network, netting, net, web, webbing, lattice,
             lattice-work, screen, screening, interlacing, lace-work, grid,
             grate, grating, grater, sieve, strainer, trellis, trellis-work,
             decussation, Technical rete, reticle or reticule or graticule,
             reticulation, plexus, plexure, reticulum; interstice:  The mesh
             of the hammock broke and I fell to the ground.  2 Often, meshes.
             grip, clutches, grasp, toils, web, trap, entanglement, tangle,
             complex, complexity, intricacy:  Her papers were lost in the
             meshes of the filing system.

             --v.  3 catch, entangle, enmesh, grab, trap, entrap, snare,
             ensnare, involve:  I became meshed inextricably in the
             complexities of her life.  4 engage, fit (together), dovetail,
             knit, enmesh, match, interlock:  After they were aligned, the
             gears meshed perfectly.

   mess      n.  1 chaos, disorder, disarray, disorganization, shambles,
             muddle, disarrangement, clutter, hotchpotch or US also
             hodgepodge, litter, tangle, jumble, confusion, mishmash;
             untidiness:  Would you help me clean up this mess? Drugs have
             made a mess of her life. 2 concoction, mixture, medley,
             miscellany, hash, gallimaufry, farrago, olio, olla podrida,
             pot-pourri, smorgasbord or sm”rg†sbord, kedgeree:  They
             presented us with a huge mess of things from which we must
             select what we want. 3 predicament, difficulty, plight, pinch,
             trouble, dilemma, quandary, imbroglio, Colloq foul-up, stew,
             fix, hot water, (pretty or fine) kettle of fish, pickle, jam,
             Slang screw-up, Brit balls-up, can of worms, US snafu:  You have
             got yourself into a fine mess this time!

             --v.  4 mess about or around (with).  a potter, fool (around),
             dally, busy oneself, fiddle about or around, play:  He enjoys
             messing about in boats.  b philander, trifle, toy, flirt,
             seduce, sleep around, fool around, run around:  She doesn't want
             him to mess about with other women.  5 mess up.  a disarrange,
             disarray, dishevel, tousle, Colloq US muss (up):  He always
             messes up my hair when he kisses me.  b ruin, destroy, make a
             shambles of, wreck, bungle, botch, foul up, Colloq make a hash
             of, Slang muck up:  Making that one little mistake messed up his
             whole career.  c dirty, clutter up, make untidy, turn upside
             down, pull to pieces, upset:  The police messed up my whole
             house looking for the pistol.  6 mess with. interfere in or
             with, intervene, meddle with or in, intrude in, butt in or into,
             tinker with, tamper with, get involved in or with:  They ought
             to learn not to mess with things that don't concern them.

   message   n.  1 communication, bulletin, report, communiqu‚, news,
             dispatch or despatch, information, word, intelligence, tidings;
             note, missive, letter, memorandum:  The message reached us by
             carrier pigeon.  2 speech, address, presentation, statement,
             declaration:  His message was delivered via television to people
             everywhere.  3 idea, point, import, meaning, essence,
             implication:  The message that he isn't liked around here still
             hasn't penetrated his thick skull.

   messenger n.  envoy, emissary, legate, nuncio, intermediary, go-between;
             page, errand-boy, errand-girl, messenger-boy, messenger-girl,
             courier, runner, dispatch-rider, Pheidippides, Mercury, Hermes;
             herald, harbinger; Colloq US gofer:  If you don't like the
             message, don't take it out on the messenger.

   Messiah   n.  deliverer, liberator, emancipator, saviour, rescuer:  They
             believe in a Messiah who will release them from earthly bondage.

   metaphor  n.  figure (of speech), allusion, analogy, analogue, reference,
             image, trope, symbol; simile, parabole; metonymy, symbolism,
             imagery:  When she said she was blue, she was using 'blue' as a
             metaphor.  Poetry is rife with metaphor.

   metaphoric
             adj.  metaphorical, non-literal, allusive, analogic(al),
             analogous, figurative, symbolic, referential, parabolic(al),
             metonymic, metonymous, tropological:  I meant 'filthy' in a
             metaphoric, not a literal, sense.

   mete      v.  Usually, mete out. deal (out), apportion, distribute, dole
             (out), allot, assign, allocate, parcel out, share (out), ration
             (out), measure out, dispense, hand out, give out, pass out,
             Colloq dish out:  Punishment was meted out to those who deserved
             it.

   meteoric  adj.  1 brief, short-lived, temporary, transitory, transient,
             ephemeral, evanescent, impermanent, fleeting, momentary, swift,
             overnight:  She enjoyed a meteoric rise as a singer, but after
             two years at the top she disappeared without a trace. 2
             brilliant, dazzling, flashing, spectacular, sensational:  His
             meteoric career was launched in 1974.

   method    n.  1 way, means, procedure, approach, route, avenue, road,
             mode, manner, technique, process, routine, modus operandi; plan,
             scheme, programme, course, routine, practice, pattern, system,
             methodology; Colloq US M.O.:  What method was used to arrive at
             the answer?  2 arrangement, order, system, structure,
             organization, design, pattern, orderliness, neatness,
             regularity, discipline:  There is a discernible, underlying
             method to what seems superficially chaotic.

   methodical
             adj.  organized, ordered, systematic, structured, businesslike,
             orderly, neat, tidy, regular, routine, balanced, disciplined,
             painstaking, meticulous, deliberate, paced, laborious, plodding,
             laboured:  The weaver resumed his methodical throwing of the
             shuttle, back and forth, back and forth.

   meticulous
             adj.  careful, precise, accurate, exact, fastidious, scrupulous,
             thorough, particular, painstaking, punctilious, fussy, finicky,
             demanding, strict, critical, exacting, perfectionist:  His work
             is noted for its meticulous attention to detail.

   metropolis
             n.  capital, (capital) city; metropolitan area, urban sprawl,
             megalopolis, municipality:  Street crime has become a problem in
             every major metropolis.

13.3 microbe...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   microbe   n.  micro-organism, microzoon, germ; bacterium, virus, Colloq
             bug:  Only recently has science learnt that diseases are caused
             by microbes.

   midday    n.  noon, noontime, twelve (o'clock) noon, US high noon:  By
             midday, the temperature had reached 34ш Celsius.

   middle    adj.  1 central, centre, halfway, mid, midway, mean, medial,
             Technical mesial:  We had reached the middle stage of our
             journey. Her index finger and middle finger are almost exactly
             the same length.

             --n.  2 centre, mid-point, midst, halfway point; heart,
             bull's-eye:  He lives in the middle of the city. The arrow found
             the very middle of the target. 3 midriff, waist, mid-section,
             stomach:  She wore a red sash round her middle.

   midst     n.  middle, centre, mid-point, halfway point:  In the midst of
             life we are in death. They live in a fairy-tale chѓteau in the
             midst of beautiful Breton countryside. This proved a welcome
             boost in the midst of a difficult election campaign.

   midwife   n.  accoucheur or accoucheuse:  Most babies in the world are
             delivered by midwives.

   might     n.  1 strength, power, energy, force, muscle, potency, Literary
             puissance:  I hit my attacker with all my might. Might doesn't
             always make right. 2 influence, authority, weight, sway,
             dominion, ascendancy, superiority, mightiness, capability,
             capacity, power, effect, effectiveness, Colloq clout:  It was
             not till the 20th century that the might of the United States
             was felt outside its borders.

   mighty    adj.  1 powerful, strong, potent, influential, dominant,
             predominant, ascendant, weighty, doughty, authoritarian,
             autocratic, indomitable:  The pen is mightier than the sword. He
             should have thought twice before challenging such a mighty
             opponent. 2 strong, muscular, powerful, robust, strapping,
             sturdy, brawny, burly, well-built, able-bodied, hardy, Colloq
             husky, hefty:  The smith a mighty man was he, With large and
             sinewy hands.  3 big, large, huge, grand, great, enormous,
             gigantic, tremendous, towering, monumental, prodigious, massive,
             bulky:  The giant plucked a mighty tree from the earth and flung
             it across the sea.

             --adv.  4 very, extremely:  It was mighty nice of you to visit
             me here in the Ozarks.

   migrant   n.  1 wanderer, rover, drifter, gypsy, nomad, itinerant,
             transient, migrator, wayfarer, bird of passage, peregrinator,
             traveller; vagrant; Colloq US wetback:  The townspeople were
             having difficulty finding accommodation for the migrants.

             --adj.  2 transient, migratory, itinerant, peripatetic,
             drifting, nomadic, travelling, gypsy, floating; vagrant:  The
             farmers depend on migrant workers to bring in the harvest.

   migrate   v.  1 go, move, travel, settle, resettle, relocate, move house;
             emigrate, immigrate, expatriate:  During the potato famine, many
             migrated from Ireland to America.  2 wander, roam, voyage, rove,
             drift, range:  Some say that the American Indians migrated
             across the Bering land bridge from Asia.

   mild      adj.  1 placid, peaceful, calm, tranquil, bland, mellow,
             inoffensive, gentle, serene, good-natured, affable, amiable,
             kind, kindly, equable, easygoing, temperate, non-violent,
             conciliatory, indulgent, merciful, forgiving, compassionate,
             lenient, forbearing, peaceable, pacific, passive, submissive,
             yielding, tractable, meek, unassuming, modest, quiet, subdued:
             Judge Leaver is known for his mild disposition.  2 clement,
             balmy, warm, fair, pleasant, temperate, placid, moderate:  We've
             had a succession of mild winters here.  3 bland, soothing,
             lenitive, mollifying, demulcent, emollient, gentle, calming,
             softening:  The doctor recommended a mild laxative.

   milieu    n.  environment, climate, surroundings, environs, background,
             ambience or ambiance, sphere, setting, atmosphere, medium,
             element, precincts:  The British Library was the perfect milieu
             in which to pursue his research and writing.

   militant  adj.  1 aggressive, combative, pugnacious, belligerent, hostile,
             contentious, antagonistic, offensive, truculent, fierce,
             ferocious, warlike, bellicose, martial, jingoistic, hawkish:
             Those who have experienced war are not likely to be militant.  2
             warring, fighting, combatant, combating, embattled; at war, up
             in arms:  The militant members of the council refused to discuss
             terms.

             --n.  3 fighter, aggressor, combatant, belligerent, warrior,
             soldier:  Anyone who experiences the hardships of a long strike
             may think twice before being a militant.

   military  adj.  1 martial, soldierly, naval, army, fighting, service:  The
             military machine was poised to strike.

             --n.  2 (armed) services or forces, army, navy, air force,
             military establishment, soldiery:  The military will oppose any
             reductions in spending for arms.

   militate  v.  1 Usually, militate against. discourage, work or go or
             operate against, foil, counter, countervail, cancel (out),
             reduce (possibility of), prevent, hinder, resist, oppose:  His
             poor prison record militates against his early parole.  2
             Usually, militate for or in favour of. be on the side of,
             favour, further, promote, help, aid:  The same reasoning that
             militated in favour of lower taxes then persists today.

   milk      v.  drain, bleed, extract, tap, exploit, wring, draw off or out,
             withdraw:  The comic milked the joke for yet another laugh. The
             taxman is milking me dry.

   milksop   n.  sissy or Brit also cissy, coward, weakling, namby-pamby,
             mollycoddle, cry-baby, nancy (boy), dastard, poltroon, caitiff,
             (little) Lord Fauntleroy, poltroon, Archaic caitiff, US
             milquetoast, Colloq chinless wonder, Brit mother's or mummy's
             boy, US mama's boy, pantywaist, Slang pansy:  We want men, not
             milksops, in the Marines.

   mill      n.  1 grinder, quern, crusher, roller:  In many parts of the
             world, corn is still ground by hand in a stone mill. 2 plant,
             factory, works, workshop, shop, foundry:  This mill turns out
             rolled steel.  3 been through the mill. experienced,
             knowledgeable, sophisticated, toughened, hardened, seasoned,
             battle-scarred, Colloq been through the wringer, in the know:
             He's been through the mill and knows what to expect.  4
             run-of-the-mill. average, unexceptional, ordinary, common,
             unremarkable, everyday, basic, simple, Brit common-or-garden
             variety, US garden-variety:  Critics found her voice pleasant
             but rather run-of-the-mill.

             --v.  5 grind, crush, comminute, powder, pulverize, grate,
             granulate, pound, triturate, masticate, bray; crunch, mince:
             Flour milled to a very fine consistency is more suitable for
             pastries than for breads. 6 mill about or around. meander,
             wander, walk, stroll, amble, move about or around, crowd,
             throng, swarm:  There were quite a few people milling about our
             stand at the trade fair.

   mimic     v.  1 imitate, ape, copy, simulate, mirror, echo:  The image in
             the mirror mimicked every move I made.  2 reproduce, duplicate,
             copy:  This frieze mimics one on the Parthenon.  3 mock,
             ridicule, satirize, caricature, parody, make fun of, lampoon,
             impersonate, Colloq take off:  It is rude to mimic your elders.

             --n.  4 impersonator, imitator, impressionist, caricaturist,
             parodist, Colloq copycat:  Professor Eidolon, the greatest mimic
             in the world, is here to entertain you!

             --adj.  5 imitative, imitation, mock, simulated, mimetic, sham,
             make-believe, pretend(ed); fake, counterfeit, feigned:
             Naumachia is the name given to the mimic sea battle staged in
             ancient Rome.

   mincing   adj.  effeminate, dainty, delicate, niminy-piminy, foppish,
             dandyish, over-dainty, affected, put-on, pretentious, precious,
             Brit twee, Colloq la-di-da or lah-di-dah or la-de-da:  His
             mincing speech sets my teeth on edge.

   mind      n.  1 intelligence, intellect, wit, wits, mentality, brain,
             brains, brainpower, sense, sagacity, wisdom, perception,
             percipience, reason, astuteness, insight, shrewdness, sapience,
             Colloq grey matter:  There is nothing wrong with your son's
             mind, Mr Field; he just doesn't want to apply it to school work.
             2 memory, recollection; remembrance:  Keep in mind what I am
             about to tell you.  3 aptitude, head, perception, capacity,
             brain:  She has a great mind for dates - for figures of all
             kinds.  4 intellect, intellectual, sage, genius, thinker, Colloq
             brain:  There is no doubt that your daughter is one of the great
             minds of all time. 5 intention, disposition, temper,
             temperament, humour, fancy, tendency, bent, inclination, bias,
             persuasion:  I was of a mind to let him have his own way.  6
             opinion, sentiment, attitude, (point of) view, feeling,
             judgement, belief, viewpoint, position:  She has a mind of her
             own. To my mind, the process could be greatly speeded up. 7
             feeling, position, will, wish, desire, plan(s):  Won't you
             change your mind and stay to dinner?  8 attention, thoughts,
             concentration, thinking:  Try to keep your mind on your work.  9
             bear or keep in mind. remember, do not forget or overlook,
             recall, retain, be aware or cognizant or mindful of, consider:
             Bear in mind that the post office is closed tomorrow.  10 give
             someone a piece of one's mind. castigate, scold, rebuke,
             reprimand, rail at, reprove, reproach, chastise, upbraid,
             berate, read (someone) the riot act, Colloq tell off, dress
             down, haul or rake over the coals, skin alive, US bawl out;
             Slang give someone hell, US chew out:  This time my father
             really gave the maЊtre d'h“tel a piece of his mind. 11 in or of
             two minds. vacillating, undecided, ambivalent, uncertain,
             shilly-shallying, unsure, wavering:  Sam was in two minds about
             ordering a new computer.  12 know one's (own) mind. be decided
             or resolved, be firm or resolute, be sure or certain or
             positive, be (self-)assured or (self-)confident, be in touch
             with oneself:  He knows his own mind when it comes to his
             career.  13 make up one's (own) mind. decide, choose, conclude,
             form an opinion; determine, consider, weigh, judge, deem:  Sally
             hasn't yet made up her mind about marrying Jan. Let her make up
             her own mind. 14 out of one's mind. insane, mad, crazy:  You're
             out of your mind if you think I'll go swimming in that
             shark-infested bay!

             --v.  15 object to, resent, take offence at, be offended by,
             dislike, be troubled or annoyed by, care, have any objection to,
             disapprove of, be bothered or affronted by:  Do you mind not
             smoking? Yes, I mind very much. Would you mind moving your car,
             you're blocking the drive. 16 heed, attend to, pay attention to,
             obey, listen to, make or take note of, mark, note:  Please mind
             what your mother says.  17 watch, be careful of, take care with,
             be cautious of:  Mind your head at that low doorway!  18 watch
             over, take care of, care for, look after, sit with, babysit,
             guard, keep an eye on or out for, have or take charge of,
             attend:  Suzie is minding the children so that we can get some
             work done.  19 never mind. ignore, disregard, forget, pay no
             attention to, do not think twice about, do not give a second
             thought to, erase or obliterate or cancel from the mind, slough
             off:  Never mind what that naughty boy calls you!

   minder    n.  1 child-minder, babysitter, sitter, nanny, nurse, governess:
             The minder will put the children to bed.  2 bodyguard, escort,
             protector:  Arthur hired an ex-fighter as his minder.

   mindful   adj.  Often, mindful of. aware, alert, attentive to, alive,
             conscious, heedful, conscientious, watchful, vigilant, on the
             qui vive, on the lookout, circumspect, cautious:  I am ever
             mindful of the way you like things done. She was always mindful
             of keeping the plants well watered.

   mindless  adj.  1 stupid, asinine, thick, thickheaded, obtuse, idiotic,
             imbecilic, moronic, thoughtless, witless, senseless, brainless,
             feeble-minded, fatuous, addle-brained, addle-pated,
             feather-brained, Colloq Brit gormless:  Many of the programmes
             on television are mindless twaddle.  2 inattentive, unthinking,
             thoughtless, unaware:  He plunged into the pool, mindless of any
             of the perils that awaited him.

   mine      n.  1 pit, excavation, lode, vein; colliery, coalfield:  My
             father worked in a mine from the age of 14.  2 source,
             mother-lode, vein, store, storehouse, supply, deposit,
             depository or depositary, repository, reserve, hoard, treasure
             trove, reservoir, well-spring; abundance, fund, gold-mine,
             wealth, treasury:  This encyclopedia is a rich mine of
             information.

             --v.  3 excavate, dig, quarry, extract, scoop out or up, remove,
             unearth; derive, extract, draw:  He claims to have mined coal in
             Wales and gold in South Africa.  Analysis shows this ore was
             mined in Pennsylvania. 4 ransack, search, rake through, scour,
             scan, read, survey, look through, probe:  Several directories
             were mined to compile our list of sales prospects.

   mingle    v.  1 mix, blend, intermingle, commingle, intermix, combine,
             amalgamate, merge, compound, marry, join, unite:  The stories
             cleverly mingle gravity and levity, the mundane and the magical.
             There was loud applause, mingled with a few chuckles and gasps.
             2 mix, socialize, associate, join, circulate, fraternize,
             hobnob, consort, go, spend time, Colloq hang about or around or
             out, rub shoulders, Brit pal up, US pal around:  I asked Fred to
             mingle with the guests and make them feel at home.

   miniature adj.  small, small-scale, little, tiny, diminutive, minute, wee,
             minuscule, mini, microscopic, micro, midget, dwarf, bantam,
             baby, pygmy,pocket, Lilliputian, US vest-pocket, Colloq minimal:
             This miniature TV fits in the palm of your hand.

   minimal   adj.  least, smallest, minutest, littlest, tiniest, slightest;
             minimum, nominal, token:  As a house plant, the cactus requires
             minimal attention. There is a minimal charge for service.

   minimize  v.  1 reduce, shrink, lessen, diminish, prune, abbreviate, pare
             (down), cut (down), curtail, abridge, shorten, decrease, minify:
             Our stringent safety measures minimize the chance of an
             accident.  2 belittle, de-emphasize, downplay, play down, make
             little or light of, disparage, decry, deprecate, depreciate,
             misprize or misprise, devalue, devaluate, undervalue, underrate,
             underestimate, US talk down:  Being modest, she minimizes her
             role in the organization.

   minimum   n.  1 least, lowest, nadir:  The hotel offered the minimum of
             comfort for the maximum price.

             --adj.  2 minimal, nominal, reduced, minutest, littlest, least,
             slightest, lowest:  What is the minimum deposit the travel agent
             will accept? He refused to make even the minimum effort needed
             to save himself.

   minister  n.  1 cleric, clergyman, clergywoman, ecclesiastic, pastor,
             vicar, priest, father, reverend, churchman, divine, parson,
             preacher, man or woman of the cloth, evangelist, missionary,
             dean, curate, cur‚, abb‚, chaplain, Colloq padre, Slang US
             military sky pilot, Holy Joe:  The marriage was performed by a
             visiting minister.  2 envoy, delegate, legate, diplomat,
             ambassador, emissary, plenipotentiary, minister plenipotentiary,
             envoy extraordinary, minister resident, consul, agent, charg‚
             d'affaires, Brit cabinet officer or member:  The minister
             himself signed the treaty.

             --v.  3 Usually, minister to. attend (to or on or upon), wait
             on, care for, look after, see to, accommodate; serve, supply,
             aid, help, assist, support:  In his last days, she ministered to
             him in every way.

   ministry  n.  1 priesthood, sacred calling, the church, the pulpit, the
             cloth; religion, holy orders:  Burt retired from the ministry to
             write tracts.  2 clergy, clergymen or clergywomen, clericals,
             the cloth, church elders or elders of the church:  During his
             regime, the ministry exercised great influence on the
             government. 3 department, office, bureau, agency:  Military
             affairs are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence.

   minor     adj.  1 lesser, smaller, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary:
             The minor planets are bodies orbiting the sun in the asteroid
             belt. 2 insignificant, obscure, inconsequential, unimportant,
             trifling, trivial, negligible, inconsiderable, slight, petty,
             paltry, small, Colloq small-time, one-horse, Brit two a penny,
             US minor-league, bush-league, penny-ante, two-bit, picayune:  It
             is a minor matter to me whether you stay or go. She is only a
             minor player in this game.

             --n.  3 child, youngster, youth, stripling, teenager,
             adolescent, schoolboy, schoolgirl, boy, girl, lad, laddie, lass,
             lassie, Law ward, infant:  At your age, you are still a minor in
             the eyes of the law.

   minstrel  n.  bard, troubadour, balladeer, jongleur, skald or scald,
             minnesinger, Meistersinger:  The medieval minstrels wandered the
             countryside, entertaining as they went.

   mint      n.  1 (small) fortune, lot, king's ransom, millions, billions,
             Colloq bundle, pile, heap, wad(s), packet, pot(s), loads, ton,
             Slang Brit bomb, US (big) bucks:  He lost a mint at roulette
             last night. She made a mint on her inventions.

             --v.  2 make, coin, produce, earn:  Special commemorative coins
             were minted to celebrate the Coronation.

   minute°   n.  1 instant, second, split second, flash, moment, before you
             can say 'Jack Robinson', blink or wink or twinkling of an eye,
             coup d'oeil, trice, Colloq one sec, two secs, bat of an eye,
             shake, jiffy, tick, Brit half a mo, two shakes (of a lamb's
             tail):  I'll be with you in a minute.  2 minutes. log, record,
             journal, transcript, notes, summary, r‚sum‚, proceedings,
             transactions, memorandum:  Have you the minutes of the last
             meeting?  3 up to the minute. latest, newest, modern, up to
             date, trendy, fashionable, smart, all the rage, in vogue,
             stylish, in style, in fashion, … la mode, Colloq in, with it,
             hep or hip, hot, cool, US now:  She always wears the most
             up-to-the-minute clothes.

             --v.  4 record, transcribe, take down, write down, note, make
             (a) note of, document, log:  We need someone to minute the
             meeting.

   minuteэ   adj.  1 small, little, tiny, tiniest, minuscule, miniature, wee,
             infinitesimal, microscopic, micro, diminutive, mini, baby,
             pint-sized, bantam, Lilliputian, Colloq teeny, teensy(-weensy),
             itty-bitty, itsy-bitsy:  The minute furniture in the doll's
             house was made entirely by hand. 2 unimportant, petty,
             insignificant, least, slight, mere, meagre, trifling, trivial,
             minor, small, little, Colloq piddling, US picayune:  The
             painting was a perfect copy, down to the minutest detail.

   miraculous
             adj.  marvellous, wonderful, wondrous, incredible, unbelievable,
             inexplicable, unexplainable, extraordinary, spectacular,
             amazing, astounding, astonishing, mind-boggling, remarkable,
             phenomenal, fantastic, fabulous; magical, supernatural,
             preternatural, superhuman, Colloq out of this world, Slang
             far-out, crazy:  Langley has made a miraculous recovery from
             yellow fever.

   mire      n.  1 swamp, bog, fen, marsh, quagmire, morass, slough, Brit
             dialect sump:  The horse stumbled into the mire and began to
             flounder.  2 mud, ooze, muck, slime, dirt:  I had to wade
             through muck and mire to get to your front door.

             --v.  3 enmire, bog down, become entangled or tangled, become
             enmeshed or meshed, become involved:  Sorry I'm late; I got
             mired in a problem at the office.  4 dirty, soil, begrime,
             muddy, befoul, besmirch, sully, tarnish, smear, blacken, defile,
             smudge:  My boots were badly mired. The scandal badly mired his
             reputation.

   mirror    n.  1 looking-glass, glass, speculum, reflector:  She stared at
             her reflection in the mirror, wondering whether she should grow
             her hair. 2 reflection, reproduction, picture, representation,
             replication, (mirror) image:  Language is the mirror of society,
             reflecting every social change.

             --v.  3 reflect, reproduce, represent, depict, repeat, echo,
             send back:  The calm lake mirrored the moonlight. The people's
             misery was mirrored in their faces.

   mirth     n.  merriment, merrymaking, jollity, gaiety, fun, laughter,
             amusement, frolic, frolicking, joviality, joyousness, revelry,
             rejoicing, glee, high spirits, mirthfulness, hilarity, buoyancy,
             Formal jocundity:  Life without mirth is a lamp without oil.
             Christmas is a time for mirth.

   misalliance
             n.  m‚salliance, mismarriage, mismatch, mismatchment, bad match,
             mismating:  No one is surprised that John and Marsha's
             misalliance has ended in divorce.

   misanthrope
             n.  misanthropist, mankind-hater; man-hater, woman-hater,
             misogynist; loner, hermit, recluse, anchorite or anchoret,
             Colloq lone wolf:  The longer he lived and the more he learned
             of his fellow-man, the more of a misanthrope he became.

   misanthropic
             adj.  man-hating; antisocial, unsocial, unfriendly, egocentric,
             egoistic:  In his misanthropic moods, Joel disdains human
             company.

   misappropriate
             v.  1 embezzle, steal, filch, expropriate, pocket, Formal
             peculate, defalcate:  He was found guilty of misappropriating
             club funds.  2 misapply, misuse, pervert, misemploy:  The money
             intended for the health service was misappropriated for the war
             effort.

   misbehave v.  disobey, behave badly or improperly, be bad or naughty or
             mischievous, Colloq carry on, act up, Slang raise hell, raise
             Cain:  The teacher sent for me because Robyn misbehaved in
             class.

   misbehaviour
             n.  naughtiness, badness, misconduct, misdemeanour(s),
             disorderliness, disobedience, delinquency, disorderly conduct,
             rowdyism:  She was severely reprimanded for persistent
             misbehaviour in class.

   miscalculate
             v.  misjudge, err, misevaluate, misestimate, misreckon,
             miscompute, miscount, misappreciate, misread; underestimate,
             undervalue, underrate; overestimate, overvalue, overrate:  She
             miscalculated the effect of her resignation.

   miscarriage
             n.  failure, abortion, collapse, breakdown, failing,
             mismanagement, non-fulfilment, defeat, non-success, frustration:
             Her acquittal was a miscarriage of justice.

   miscarry  v.  abort, fail, fall through, break down, go wrong, founder,
             come to nothing or naught or nought, go awry, come to grief, go
             amiss, misfire, go up or end up in smoke, perish, die:  The plan
             to steal the crown jewels miscarried.

   miscellaneous
             adj.  varied, heterogeneous, diverse, mixed, diversified,
             divers, motley, sundry, assorted, various, varying,
             multifarious, multiform, many-sided, multiplex, manifold:  A
             large part of the exhibition is devoted to miscellaneous
             paintings and prints from his early period.

   miscellany
             n.  mixture, assortment, variety, medley, diversity, mixed bag,
             job lot, rag-bag, m‚lange, pot-pourri, gallimaufry, motley,
             hotchpotch or US and Canadian hodgepodge, salmagundi, olio, olla
             podrida, smorgasbord or sm”rg†sbord, odds and ends, omnium
             gatherum, hash, mess, Brit lucky dip, jumble, US grab-bag:  A
             miscellany of household goods was contributed for the jumble
             sale.

   mischief  n.  1 misbehaviour, naughtiness, impishness, elfishness or
             elvishness, roguishness, rascality, devilry or deviltry,
             mischievousness, playfulness, devilment, badness, Colloq monkey
             business, shenanigans, Brit monkey tricks or US monkeyshines:
             That boy is always up to some mischief.  2 harm, injury, damage,
             detriment, trouble, hurt, wrong, difficulty, disruption,
             destruction, misfortune, evil:  He didn't realize the mischief a
             casual remark could do. She was accused of malicious mischief
             when she punctured his car tyres.

   mischievous
             adj.  1 naughty, impish, roguish, rascally, devilish, elfish or
             elvish, puckish, scampish, frolicsome, playful, sportive:  Tying
             his cousin's shoelaces together was a mischievous prank and not
             malicious. 2 harmful, injurious, hurtful, damaging, pernicious,
             detrimental, destructive, deleterious, dangerous, spiteful,
             malicious, vicious, malign, baleful, baneful, noxious, wicked,
             evil, bad:  The government regards as mischievous the detention
             of any Foreign Office personnel.

   misconceive
             v.  misunderstand, misconstrue, misjudge, mistake, misapprehend,
             misinterpret, misread, get or have the wrong idea, get or have
             (hold of) the wrong end of the stick:  He has misconceived the
             purpose in banning firearms.

   misconception
             n.  false or wrong notion or idea, misunderstanding,
             misconstruction, misconstrual, misjudgement, miscalculation,
             misapprehension, mistaken belief, error, mistake, delusion:  The
             confused wording of the warranty could result in a misconception
             of one's rights.

   miscreant n.  1 villain, wretch, mischief-maker, scamp, rascal, criminal,
             evil-doer, felon, malefactor, rogue, reprobate, scoundrel,
             wrongdoer, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, blackguard,
             hooligan, ruffian, hoodlum, thug, rowdy, Archaic knave, caitiff,
             varlet, rapscallion, Colloq crook, roughneck, scallywag or
             scalawag, Slang hood, Brit mug, rough, Australian larrikin, US
             baddy, bad actor:  The police have apprehended the miscreant who
             had been attacking passers-by.

             --adj.  2 villainous, wretched, mischievous, rascally, criminal,
             felonious, corrupt, malefic, malevolent, evil, depraved, base,
             nefarious, iniquitous, vicious, unprincipled, ne'er-do-well,
             reprobate, scoundrelly, wicked:  The miscreant terrorists may be
             hiding in Greece.

   misdeed   n.  Often, misdeeds. offence, crime, felony, wrongdoing,
             misdoing, transgression, misdemeanour, fault, misconduct, sin,
             trespass, wrong, peccadillo:  Who will punish him for his
             misdeeds now that he is safe in Argentina?

   misdirect v.  misguide, misadvise; misaddress:  He misdirected us by
             saying the lavatory was downstairs. The letter, misdirected, was
             returned.

   miser     n.  skinflint, hoarder, niggard, penny-pincher, pinchpenny,
             cheese-parer, Scrooge, Colloq cheapskate, US tightwad:  For that
             old miser, charity begins and ends at home.

   miserable adj.  1 wretched, unhappy, depressed, woeful, woebegone, sad,
             dejected, forlorn, disconsolate, despondent, heartbroken,
             sorrowful, broken-hearted, mournful, desolate, desperate,
             despairing, downhearted, melancholy, glum, low-spirited, gloomy,
             dismal, lachrymose, tearful, Colloq Brit cut up:  Tanya is
             miserable because no one invited her to go to the dance.  2
             unpleasant, inclement, inconvenient, untoward, bad,
             unfavourable, awful, terrible, adverse, Colloq rotten, lousy:
             The weather was miserable throughout the weekend.  3 inadequate,
             unworthy, poor, deplorable, contemptible, bad, despicable,
             sorry, pitiful, pathetic, lamentable, Colloq rotten, lousy:
             That was the most miserable play I have ever had the misfortune
             to sit through. 4 squalid, wretched, bad, abject, deplorable,
             shabby, mean, vile, shameful, scurvy, awful, disgraceful,
             contemptible:  He lives in a cellar in the most miserable
             conditions.

   miserly   adj.  stingy, penurious, niggardly, penny-pinching,
             parsimonious, mean, cheap, cheese-paring, tight, tight-fisted,
             close, close-fisted, mercenary, avaricious, greedy, covetous,
             Colloq money-grubbing, Brit mingy, US chintzy:  Flynn is too
             miserly to lend you a penny.

   misery    n.  1 unhappiness, distress, discomfort, wretchedness, woe,
             sadness, melancholy, sorrow, dolour, heartache, grief, anguish,
             anxiety, angst, depression, despair, desperation, desolation,
             despondency, gloom:  Worn out by grief and misery, she collapsed
             into a chair.  2 squalor, poverty, destitution, privation,
             indigence, penury, wretchedness, sordidness:  The misery of
             those slums is unbelievable.  3 hardship, suffering, calamity,
             disaster, curse, misfortune, ordeal, woe, trouble, catastrophe,
             trial, tribulation, adversity, burden, affliction:  She cannot
             bear the twin miseries of illness and poverty.  4 spoilsport,
             damper, killjoy, dampener, Job's comforter, grouch, grump,
             malcontent, pessimist, cynic, prophet of doom, Cassandra, Colloq
             wet blanket, sourpuss, US party pooper, gloomy Gus, picklepuss:
             How can you stand living with such a misery?

   misfire   v.  1 fail, abort, miscarry, go wrong, fizzle (out), fall
             through, Colloq flop, come a cropper, Brit go phut, US go pfft
             or phft:  The plan to take over the conglomerate misfired when
             the shares soared in price.

             --n.  2 miscarriage, failure, fizzle, dud, Colloq abort, flop:
             After two misfires, we gave up trying to buy a time-share in the
             Algarve.

   misfit    n.  oner, eccentric, individual, nonconformist, maverick, square
             peg in a round hole:  People regard him as one of society's
             misfits and tend to steer clear.

   misfortune
             n.  1 bad luck, ill luck, ill fortune, hard luck, infelicity,
             adversity, loss:  He had the misfortune to marry the wrong
             woman.  2 accident, misadventure, mishap, calamity, catastrophe,
             mischance, disaster, contretemps, tragedy, blow, shock; reverse,
             stroke of bad luck, Colloq bad news:  With the death of his
             father, then his illness, then the loss of his business, one
             misfortune followed another.

   misgiving n.  apprehension, mistrust, worry, concern, anxiety, qualm,
             scruple, disquiet, hesitation, doubt, question, uncertainty,
             suspicion, unease, uneasiness, discomfort; dread, premonition,
             foreboding, Colloq funny feeling:  I had grave misgivings about
             driving all that way on my own.

   misguided adj.  misled, wrong, misdirected, foolish, unreasonable,
             erroneous, mistaken, misplaced, imprudent, unwise, impolitic,
             ill-advised, fallacious, uncalled-for, labouring under a
             misapprehension, wide of the mark, Colloq off (the mark),
             barking up the wrong tree:  Her helpfulness is often misguided,
             ending in disaster for all concerned.

   mishandle v.  1 abuse, mistreat, maltreat, ill-treat, beat (up),
             brutalize, maul, molest, injure, hurt, harm, handle or treat
             roughly, manhandle, Colloq knock about or around:  The poor
             child was mishandled by her parents.  2 mismanage, bungle,
             botch, misconduct, mangle, mess up, muddle, wreck, ruin,
             destroy, Colloq muff, make a mess or hash of, Slang screw up,
             bugger up, Taboo fuck up:  Forster mishandled the deal so badly
             that it cost the company millions.

   mishap    n.  See misfortune, 2, above.

   mishmash  n.  mess, medley, hash, gallimaufry, farrago, pot-pourri,
             jumble, pastiche, mixture, salmagundi, hotchpotch or US and
             Canadian hodgepodge, tangle, omnium gatherum, m‚lange, olio,
             olla podrida, goulash, stew:  His paper is nothing more than a
             mishmash of other people's ideas.

   misinform v.  misguide, mislead, misadvise, misdirect, delude, deceive,
             dupe, defraud, fool, gull, lead astray, throw someone off the
             scent, Colloq con, slip or put something over on someone, pull a
             fast one on, US give (someone) a bum steer, throw someone a
             curve:  If you think you have a right to compensation, you've
             been misinformed.

   misinformation
             n.  disinformation, misintelligence; red herring, false trail,
             false scent:  When we uncover an enemy agent in our midst, we
             allow him to collect misinformation.

   misinterpret
             v.  misunderstand, mistake, misconstrue, misconceive, misread,
             misjudge, misapprehend, Slang screw up, bugger up:  He
             misinterpreted what I said and stepped off the ledge.

   mislay    v.  misplace, lose, mislocate; misfile:  I have mislaid my
             reading spectacles.

   mislead   v.  misinform, lead astray, misguide, misdirect, throw off the
             scent or track, pull the wool over someone's eyes, fool, outwit,
             bluff, hoodwink, trick, humbug, bamboozle, deceive, dupe, gull,
             cozen, Colloq con, take in, lead up the garden path, flimflam,
             slip or put or pass one over on, Slang take, US give someone a
             bum steer:  I was misled into believing that she loved only me.
             He is misleading you if he says that the shares will soon
             increase in value.

   mismatched
             adj.  mismated, ill-matched, ill-mated, incompatible, unfit,
             inappropriate, unsuited, unsuitable, incongruous, misallied,
             disparate, uncongenial, inconsistent, inharmonious, discordant:
             With her interest in art and his in football, they made a
             mismatched pair.

   misprint  n.  error, mistake, erratum, typographical error, printer's or
             printing error, Brit literal, Colloq typo:  We cannot publish a
             book containing so many misprints.

   misrepresent
             v.  distort, twist, pervert, garble, misstate, mangle, falsify,
             belie, disguise, colour:  In his report, he misrepresented
             everything I said.

   miss°     v.  1 skip, forgo, absent oneself from, be absent from, fail to
             keep; avoid, evade, escape, dodge, Colloq pass up:  I missed my
             dentist's appointment. I missed school because my grandmother
             was ill. 2 long for, yearn for, pine for, feel nostalgia for, be
             nostalgic for or about, want, need, wish for:  I miss those long
             summer evenings by the lake.  3 misunderstand, misinterpret,
             misconstrue, misapprehend, fail to understand or perceive,
             mistake:  You have completely missed the point.  4 Sometimes,
             miss out (on). pass up, omit, leave out, slip up (on), overlook,
             let slip (by), let pass, pass over, disregard, ignore:  You can
             be sure that Frobisher would never miss a free meal.

             --n.  5 omission, oversight, slip, failure, mistake, error,
             blunder, Colloq slip-up:  A miss is as good as a mile.

   missэ     n.  Ms., girl, lass, lassie, maid, maiden, young lady, young
             woman, schoolgirl, mademoiselle, nymphet, teenager, virgin,
             spinster, old maid, Brit bachelor girl, Irish English colleen,
             Literary nymph, Archaic demoiselle, damsel, Colloq old-fashioned
             gal, US coed, Valley girl, bachelorette, Slang teeny-bopper,
             groupie, Chiefly Brit bird, Old-fashioned US bobby-soxer:  She's
             a pretty young miss, isn't she?

   misshapen adj.  distorted, twisted, contorted, crooked, deformed,
             crippled, malformed, grotesque, awry, warped, gnarled,
             ill-proportioned, ill-made, monstrous, Technical acromegalic:
             The misshapen bell-ringer in The Hunchback of Notre Dame was
             named Quasimodo.

   missile   n.  projectile, brickbat; guided missile, ballistic missile:
             Bottles, stones, and other missiles were thrown at the police
             during the riot.

   mission   n.  1 task, duty, function, purpose, job, office, work,
             assignment, errand, charge, business, commission, undertaking,
             pursuit, activity, aim, objective:  He accepted the mission to
             convert the natives to Christianity.  2 calling, occupation,
             vocation, trade, line (of work), profession, m‚tier:  It has
             become my mission in life to see that you learn how to do sums.
             3 delegation, legation, deputation, commission, committee,
             group, ministry:  She has been sent on a governmental trade
             mission to Botswana.

   missionary
             n.  evangelist, preacher, minister, proselytizer:  During the
             19th century, many missionaries were dispatched to spread the
             faith in Africa.

   missive   n.  letter, communication, message, dispatch, note, line,
             postcard, card, epistle:  I have just received a missive from
             great-aunt Cecilia that took me an hour to read.

   misspent  adj.  wasted, squandered, idle, dissipated, thrown away,
             profitless, prodigal:  Proficiency at billiards is a sign of a
             misspent youth.

   misstatement
             n.  1 falsification, misreport, misquotation, miscitation,
             distortion, misrepresentation, misconstruction,
             misinterpretation, perversion, lie, falsehood, untruth,
             fabrication:  The prosecutor's indictment is a misstatement of
             the charges against the defendant. 2 solecism, error, mistake,
             gaffe, faux pas, slip of the tongue, lapsus linguae, blunder,
             Slang howler, Brit bloomer, US and Canadian blooper:  For an
             educated man his speech is sprinkled with too many grammatical
             misstatements.

   misstep   n.  1 false step, blunder, mistake, error, bad or wrong or false
             move, trip, stumble, slip:  One misstep meant a fall into the
             abyss.  2 indiscretion, mistake, lapse, faux pas, oversight,
             error, gaffe, Colloq slip-up, Slang howler, Brit bloomer, US and
             Canadian blooper, goof:  Her misstep was telling her fianc‚'s
             mother that she had formerly been an artist's model.

   mist      n.  1 fog, haze, smog, (low-hanging) cloud, vapour; drizzle,
             Brit dialect mizzle:  I could scarcely make out the road in the
             mist.

             --v.  2 Usually, mist up or over. cloud (up or over), becloud,
             fog, befog, dim, blur, film, steam up:  The mirror in the
             bathroom had misted up when I was having a shower.

   mistake   n.  1 misconception, misapprehension, error, fault,
             miscalculation, misjudgement, blunder, botch, fumble, bad move,
             misstep, slip, erratum, gaffe, faux pas, Colloq boo-boo,
             clanger, muff, howler, Brit boob, bloomer, US blooper, goof,
             goof-up, flub:  Giving Aston a salary rise was a mistake.  2
             indiscretion, misstep, false step, wrong move:  It was a mistake
             not to stand up when she entered.

             --v.  3 misunderstand, misinterpret, misjudge, misconstrue, take
             the wrong way, get wrong, misread, misapprehend:  The fool
             mistook my remark as a compliment.  4 mistake for. mix up with,
             misidentify as, confuse with, take for:  In the dark, she
             mistook him for her husband.

   mistaken  adj.  1 (all or completely) wrong, amiss, incorrect, in error,
             wide of the mark, in the wrong, inaccurate, out of order, Colloq
             barking up the wrong tree, off, (way) off the beam, on the wrong
             track, US full of hot air, Slang full of it (= Taboo 'full of
             shit'), US all wet:  I may be mistaken, but I thought I saw your
             wife with Lord Cholmondley.  2 erroneous, faulty, false,
             fallacious, misinformed, incorrect, wrong, inaccurate, flawed,
             warped, distorted, twisted, misguided, Slang cock-eyed:  You
             have a mistaken impression of me.

   mistreat  v.  abuse, maltreat, ill-use, ill-treat, misuse, damage,
             manhandle, harm; hurt, injure, molest, maul, rough up,
             brutalize:  He was found guilty of mistreating his dogs. She was
             mistreated by her husband for years.

   mistreatment
             n.  abuse, maltreatment, ill use, ill-treatment, brutalization,
             misuse; manhandling, molestation, mauling, roughing-up, rough
             handling, battery, assault:  This mistreatment of employees must
             stop at once. The children complained of their parents'
             mistreatment.

   mistress  n.  1 lover, girlfriend, live-in lover, kept woman, concubine,
             inamorata, paramour, Literary odalisque, Archaic doxy, Colloq US
             alternative other, POSSLQ (= 'Person of the Opposite Sex Sharing
             Living Quarters'):  She was the mistress of a leading
             politician.  2 schoolmistress, instructress, governess;
             headmistress:  She had a rewarding career as a mistress in a
             girls' school in Lancashire.

   mistrust  v.  1 suspect, distrust, be suspicious of, doubt, be or feel
             wary or suspicious or doubtful of or about, have (one's) doubts
             about, question, have reservations; beware; Slang be or feel
             leery of or about:  He has not done anything specifically bad,
             but I mistrust his motives.

             --n.  2 suspicion, distrust, doubt, scepticism, wariness,
             reservation, chariness, misgiving(s), uncertainty, unsureness,
             apprehension, apprehensiveness:  Is there nothing I can say to
             dispel your mistrust of me?

   misty     adj.  cloudy, foggy, hazy, murky; fuzzy, dim, blurred, blurry,
             unclear, indistinct, vague, dark, opaque, shadowy, obscure,
             unintelligible:  It is very misty, so drive carefully. I have
             only the mistiest idea of what you mean.

   misunderstand
             v.  misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misapprehend, get
             (it or it all) wrong, get the wrong idea (about), misread,
             misjudge, miscalculate, miss the point (of):  He understood your
             words but misunderstood your meaning.

   misunderstanding
             n.  1 misconception, misconstruction, misinterpretation,
             misapprehension, misreading, misjudgement, miscalculation, wrong
             idea, wrong or false impression, mistaking, Technical
             parasynesis:  Misunderstanding of the law is no excuse for
             flouting it.  2 disagreement, discord, dispute, argument,
             difference, dissension, controversy, quarrel, rift, Colloq
             falling out:  We had a slight misunderstanding about who was to
             pay the restaurant bill.

   misuse    n.  1 misapplication, misusage, misappropriation, misemployment,
             diverting, diversion, perverting, perversion:  He was accused of
             the misuse of public funds for his personal gain. 2 misusage,
             abuse, corruption, solecism, malapropism, barbarism,
             catachresis, ungrammaticality, infelicity:  His misuses of
             English have made him a laughing-stock.  3 See mistreatment,
             above.

             --v.  4 abuse, misapply, misemploy, misappropriate; pervert:  I
             broke the knife blade misusing it as a screwdriver. He was
             accused of misusing the courts to his own ends. 5 See mistreat,
             above.

   mitigate  v.  moderate, temper, reduce, abate, lessen, decrease, relieve,
             ease, ease up (on), relax, alleviate, remit, assuage, allay, let
             up (on), slacken, slacken up (on), tone down, lighten, appease,
             palliate, mollify, calm, tranquillize, soothe, placate, quiet or
             chiefly Brit quieten, still, soften, dull, blunt, take the edge
             off, US lighten up (on):  The pain was mitigated by taking
             aspirin. The relief organizations did their best to mitigate the
             effects of the disaster.

   mitigating
             adj.  extenuating, justifying, excusatory, palliating,
             vindicating, qualifying:  Were there mitigating circumstances in
             her taking the money?

   mix       v.  1 mingle, combine, intermingle, blend, incorporate, put
             together, merge, unite, alloy, commingle, amalgamate, coalesce:
             Mix the ingredients to a creamy consistency.  2 socialize,
             fraternize, consort, hobnob, go round or around or about
             (together), get together, keep company, join (with), associate
             (with), Colloq hang out or about or round or around (with):  The
             Hatfields and the McCoys do not mix very well, so you'd best
             invite them separately. 3 mix in. add, stir in, combine, fold
             in:  Mix in the chocolate at the very end.  4 mix up.  a See
             mix, 1, above.  b confuse, confound, bewilder, muddle, perplex,
             puzzle, fluster, upset; addle, disturb; Colloq US and Canadian
             discombobulate:  She mixed me up so that I cannot decide what to
             do.  c snarl, ensnarl, tangle, entangle, scramble, jumble:  The
             treasures were all mixed up with the rubbish at the church sale.
             d confuse, interchange, exchange:  Have they mixed up our room
             keys again?  5 mix up in. involve, implicate, include, connect,
             draw or drag into:  Wasn't Wilcox mixed up in that scandal last
             year?  6 mix up with. confuse, mistake, misidentify, confound;
             interchange, exchange:  I think you must have me mixed up with
             somebody else. The porter mixed up my bag with someone else's.

             --n.  7 mixture, blend, compound; amalgam, combination, alloy,
             assortment, distribution:  Was this cake made from a mix or from
             scratch? The centre party has a good mix of liberals and
             conservatives.

   mixed     adj.  1 hybrid, half-bred, mongrel, interbred, cross-bred;
             impure, tainted, adulterated:  This horse has mixed blood.  2
             confused, muddled; varied, various, diverse; conflicting,
             contradictory, opposing, clashing, opposite:  He had mixed
             feelings about ending his relationship with her.  3 mixed up in
             or with. involved, connected, associated:  Wasn't she mixed up
             in that scandal last year? He doesn't want his children mixed up
             with people who take drugs.

   mixture   n.  1 assortment, amalgam, amalgamation, medley, combination,
             mingling, intermingling, composite, blend, jumble, mix,
             miscellany, m‚lange, mess, mishmash, hotchpotch or US and
             Canadian hodgepodge, gallimaufry, farrago, olio, olla podrida,
             hash, pot-pourri, ragout, goulash, omnium gatherum, salmagundi:
             The design is an unfortunate mixture of many incompatible
             styles.  2 mixing, amalgamation, amalgamating, combining,
             mingling, intermingling, combination, blend, blending,
             association, associating, compound, compounding, synthesis,
             interweaving, merging, merger, fusion, fusing, alloy, alloying:
             The mixture of household ammonia and bleach creates noxious
             fumes.

   mix-up    n.  confusion, mess, muddle, hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge,
             tangle, jumble, Colloq botch, mishmash, foul-up, Slang US
             screw-up, snafu , Taboo slang Brit balls-up:  The mix-up in the
             files is due to a computer malfunction.

13.4 moan...
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   moan      n.  1 complaint, lament, lamentation, groan, wail, moaning,
             grievance:  Disregard his moans about money - he has plenty.

             --v.  2 complain, lament, groan, wail, bewail, grumble, bemoan,
             deplore, whine, whimper, Colloq grouse, gripe, beef, bitch, Brit
             whinge:  She's always moaning about the way people take
             advantage of her.  3 sigh, mourn, weep, sorrow, cry, wail, keen,
             grieve, sob, snivel, bawl, mewl, pule, ululate:  The women, all
             in black, moaned and tore their hair as they neared the coffin.

   mob       n.  1 horde, host, press, throng, crowd, pack, herd, swarm,
             crush, jam, multitude, mass, body, assemblage, collection,
             group:  The mob surged forward, hurling sticks and stones at
             anyone in uniform. 2 rabble, riff-raff, proletariat, populace,
             the masses, great unwashed, hoi polloi, canaille, bourgeoisie,
             lower classes, scum (of the earth), dregs of society:  The mob
             cheered when the king was beheaded.

             --v.  3 crowd (round or around), jostle, throng, surround,
             beset, clamour over, swoop down on or upon:  Thousands of
             screaming teenagers mobbed the singer.

   mobbed    adj.  crowded, packed, thronged, congested, teeming, swarming,
             full, filled:  They tried to leave by the emergency exit, but
             that was mobbed, too.

   mobile    adj.  1 movable, non-stationary, unstationary, unfixed,
             travelling, portable, transportable:  A mobile display was
             designed for industrial fairs.  2 motorized, mechanical,
             transportable, movable:  They live in a mobile home. The mobile
             library comes round every Wednesday. 3 expressive, sensitive,
             animated, plastic, flexible, US facile:  Her mobile face at once
             reflected her thoughts.  4 agile, versatile, nimble, quick,
             alert, active, responsive:  You need your wits about you to keep
             up with Randolph's mobile mind. 5 ambulatory, ambulant:  After
             the artificial joint surgery, Keith was once again completely
             mobile.

   mobilize  v.  assemble, marshal, conscript, enrol, enlist, organize,
             muster, levy, rally, activate, call up, prepare, ready, US
             draft:  A huge army was mobilized, virtually overnight.

   mock      v.  1 deride, ridicule, make fun of, tease, taunt, tantalize,
             jeer (at), gibe (at), thumb one's nose at, chaff, laugh at, poke
             fun at, make sport of, guy, scorn, flout, abuse, defy, scoff
             (at), sneer (at), disdain, disparage, decry, Archaic fleer (at),
             Colloq rag, rib, kid, put (someone) on, Brit take the mickey out
             of, cock a snook at:  He was taken in for questioning only
             because he mocked a police officer. Jealousy is the green-eyed
             monster that mocks the meat it feeds on. 2 ape, mimic, imitate,
             caricature, lampoon, satirize, parody, burlesque, travesty,
             Colloq spoof, take off, Brit send up:  The political cartoonist
             mocks governments daily on the pillory of his pen.

             --adj.  3 substitute, artificial, simulated, fake, synthetic,
             imitation, false, forged, ersatz, sham, feigned, counterfeit,
             fraudulent, bogus, make-believe, pretend, Colloq phoney or US
             also phony, pseudo:  By means of a mock car accident they
             demonstrated how to rescue victims. Mock turtle soup, though
             good, does not taste like real turtle soup.

   mockery   n.  1 ridicule, derision, disdain, taunting, disparagement,
             abuse, scorn, contempt, contumely, decrial:  John was expelled
             for his mockery of the headmaster.  2 semblance, imitation,
             impersonation; caricature, parody, burlesque, travesty, lampoon,
             satire, pasquinade, farce; miscarriage; Colloq spoof, take-off,
             Brit send-up:  That wasn't a trial, it was a mockery of justice.
             3 disappointment, joke, laugh, absurdity:  It is a mockery to
             speak of that wretched sadist and humanity in the same breath.

   mode°     n.  1 way, manner, method, approach, form, course, fashion,
             procedure, technique, system, wise, modus operandi, methodology,
             standard operating procedure, SOP:  What mode of teaching
             foreign languages do you use?  2 status, condition, state,
             configuration, set-up:  The computer is now in printing mode.

   modeэ     n.  fashion, style, look, vogue; trend, rage, craze, Colloq fad:
             We went to the ball dressed in the mode of the 1920s.

   model     n.  1 representation, replica, mock-up, maquette, scale model,
             working model, miniature, dummy, image, likeness, facsimile,
             copy:  This is a model of the house he is planning.  2 original,
             mould, archetype, prototype, pattern, paragon, ideal, exemplar,
             example, standard:  When the wax model is finished, we cast it
             in bronze using the cire perdue process. Their government was
             established after the Roman model.  3 ideal, paragon, exemplar,
             epitome, beau id‚al, cream, crЉme de la crЉme, ne plus ultra,
             nonpareil, nonsuch or nonesuch:  He is the very model of what a
             father should be.  4 subject, sitter, poser:  Dali's wife served
             as his model for many paintings.  5 mannequin; dummy:  She is
             tall and thin enough to be a fashion model. May I see the hat
             that is on that model in the window? 6 design, kind, type,
             style, version; variety, sort, form, fashion, configuration;
             brand, mark:  I'm intending to trade my car in for a newer
             model.

             --v.  7 fashion, mould, shape, form, sculpt, carve (out), make,
             fabricate, produce:  She modelled these figures out of fine
             clay.  8 pose in, display, show (off), wear, Colloq sport:  She
             makes a fortune modelling swimwear.  9 model after or on.
             imitate, copy, pattern on or after, emulate, follow:  Architects
             often used to model public buildings after the temples on the
             Acropolis.

             --adj.  10 copy, imitation, facsimile, representative,
             miniature:  He enjoys building model aeroplanes.  11 ideal,
             exemplary, perfect, archetypal, unequalled, consummate,
             inimitable:  Oliver has been a model student.

   moderate  adj.  1 temperate, calm, reasonable, cool, judicious, rational,
             balanced, unexcessive, modest, sober, sensible, commonsensical,
             controlled, deliberate, steady:  In view of the conflicting
             interests expressed, the council has adopted a moderate policy
             regarding parking. 2 centre, middle-of-the-road, non-radical,
             non-reactionary:  Bella's political outlook is said by some to
             be moderate.  3 fair, middling, average, ordinary, medium,
             middle, modest, mediocre, unexceptional, Colloq fair to
             middling:  They have a good range of clothing, all sold at very
             moderate prices.

             --n.  4 middle-of-the-roader, non-radical, non-reactionary,
             centrist:  Where do the moderates stand on the issue of
             constitutional reform?

             --v.  5 abate, calm, mollify, soothe, ease, relax, alleviate,
             mitigate, soften, dull, blunt, cushion, relieve, reduce, lessen,
             remit, slacken, diminish, decrease, defuse, temper, Colloq let
             up (on):  He would get along better if he moderated the violence
             of his reactions and learned to relax. 6 mediate, arbitrate,
             referee, judge, chair, supervise, preside (over), coordinate,
             run, regulate, manage, direct:  Professor Gill will moderate the
             panel discussion.

   moderately
             adv.  somewhat, rather, quite, fairly, pretty, comparatively,
             slightly, passably, more or less; to some extent, within reason,
             to a certain extent, to a degree, to some degree, in some
             measure, in moderation, within limits; temperately; Colloq sort
             of, kind of:  Clifford is moderately well off. It was a
             moderately hot day.

   moderator n.  mediator, arbiter, arbitrator, judge, referee, umpire;
             Chiefly US chair, chairperson, chairman, chairwoman, chairlady,
             presiding officer, president, coordinator, (discussion) leader;
             anchorman, anchorwoman; master of ceremonies, toastmaster, Brit
             compЉre, Colloq emcee, MC:  Lady Felicia was chosen as the
             moderator of next year's panel.

   modern    adj.  up to date, current, contemporary, today's, new, fresh,
             novel, brand-new, up to the minute, present-day, latest,
             new-fashioned, newfangled; … la mode, modish, in vogue,
             fashionable, in fashion, stylish, in style, chic, Chiefly Brit
             flavour of the month, Slang trendy, in, with it, mod, hip, hot:
             Elaine has little patience with modern electronic gadgets.

   modernize v.  renovate, streamline, redo, redecorate, refurbish,
             refurnish, update, do over, rejuvenate, refresh, revamp,
             redesign, remodel, refashion, remake:  We installed air
             conditioning when we modernized our offices.

   modest    adj.  1 unassuming, unpresuming, humble, unpretentious,
             unobtrusive, reserved, retiring, diffident, shy, bashful,
             demure, coy, shame-faced, self-effacing, self-conscious,
             reticent, reluctant, timid, meek, timorous, Rare verecund:
             Caroline is quite modest about her accomplishments.  2 humble,
             simple, plain, ordinary, unpretentious, homely, lowly,
             unexceptional, unostentatious; inconspicuous, unobtrusive:  They
             live in a modest little cottage.  3 moderate, limited,
             understated, unimportunate, unexaggerated, reasonable, sensible,
             constrained, restricted, restrained:  The workers' demands seem
             modest enough.

   modicum   n.  bit, trifle, jot, jot or tittle, atom, scintilla, spark,
             particle, iota, speck, grain, whit, scrap, shred, snippet,
             sliver, fragment, splinter, morsel, crumb, ounce, dram, drop,
             dash, spot, touch, tinge, hint, suggestion, Colloq smidgen or
             smidgin:  One must exercise a modicum of judgement in affairs of
             the heart.

   modify    v.  1 adjust, adapt, change, transform, alter, revise, amend,
             redo, remake, remould, reshape, reconstruct, reform, revamp,
             refashion, remodel, rework, reword, reorient, reorganize:  They
             are modifying the car to increase its performance. He should
             modify his views on censorship. 2 reduce, decrease, diminish,
             lessen, moderate, temper, soften, lower, abate, tone down,
             modulate; qualify, limit, restrict:  The severity of the winter
             is modified by our proximity to the sea. We shall have to modify
             our demands.

   modulate  v.  adjust, regulate, set, tune, balance, temper, moderate,
             modify; lower, tune or tone or turn down, soften:  Modulate the
             volume to suit the size of the auditorium. Please modulate your
             voice - everyone can hear you!

   mogul     n.  magnate, tycoon, baron, mandarin, Colloq big shot, big gun,
             big cheese, Pooh Bah, bigwig, big wheel, big (White) Chief, big
             Daddy, hotshot, VIP, big noise, nabob, Slang US Mr Big:  In the
             old days, he was one of the moguls in Hollywood.

   moist     adj.  1 damp, wettish, dampish, dewy, dank, humid, clammy,
             muggy, steamy, misty, foggy:  During the monsoon everything
             becomes so moist that your clothes never seem to dry. 2 damp,
             wet, rainy, drizzly, soggy, moisture-laden:  The moist climate
             keeps Ireland green.  3 tearful, teary, misty, lachrymose:
             Every eye in the theatre was moist at the end of that scene.

   molest    v.  1 annoy, irritate, vex, disturb, pester, badger, needle,
             provoke, nettle, tease, harass, harry, worry, hector, irk,
             bother, gall, chafe, roil, torment, plague, beleaguer:  For
             weeks people on the beach have been molested by green flies.  2
             accost, meddle with, interfere with, annoy, abuse, bother,
             attack, ill-treat, maltreat, manhandle; paw:  The police are
             looking for a man who has been molesting girls in the park.

   moment    n.  1 instant, second, minute, half a second, two seconds,
             flash, twinkling, blink or wink of an eye, twinkling of an eye,
             trice, Colloq jiffy, shake, two shakes (of a lamb's tail),
             before you can say 'Jack Robinson', Brit mo, half a mo, tick:
             I'll be with you in a moment, Madam.  2 instant, time, second,
             minute, hour, point (in time), juncture, stage:  At that very
             moment, the phone rang.  3 importance, weight, consequence,
             significance, import, gravity, seriousness, prominence, concern,
             note, interest, consideration:  What you decide to do is of no
             great moment.

   momentary adj.  fleeting, temporary, ephemeral, evanescent, impermanent,
             fugitive, passing, transitory, brief, short-lived, quick, short,
             hasty:  The medicine afforded only momentary relief from the
             pain.

   momentous adj.  important, weighty, consequential, significant, grave,
             serious, decisive, crucial, critical, vital, pivotal,
             portentous, charged, laden, fraught, of concern:  The Augustan
             Age was a momentous period in Latin literature.

   momentum  n.  energy, force, drive, strength, impetus, power, inertia,
             impulse, thrust, push:  The car's momentum carried it over the
             cliff. Her encouragement has given me the momentum needed to
             carry on.

   monarch   n.  1 ruler, sovereign, potentate, crowned head; queen, king,
             empress, emperor, tsar or czar:  Mary was the monarch of
             Scotland from 1542 to 1567.  2 ruler, sovereign, chief, lord,
             master, owner, Colloq boss:  He is monarch of all he surveys.

   monarchy  n.  1 kingdom, empire, domain, dominion, principality; state,
             nation, country:  According to Gibbon, a hereditary monarchy
             presents the fairest scope for ridicule. 2 monocracy, autocracy,
             absolutism, royalism, monarchism, sovereignty, totalitarianism,
             authoritarianism; despotism, tyranny:  Those who are
             discontented with monarchy call it tyranny.

   monastery n.  abbey, cloister, priory, friary, charterhouse, hospice,
             Buddhism vihara, Hinduism ashram, Tibetan Buddhism lamasery:  In
             later life he retired to a monastery to contemplate the world.

   monetary  adj.  pecuniary, cash, money, fiscal, financial, capital;
             numismatic, Technical nummular, nummary:  Monetary shortages
             result from the government's tightening its hold on the economy
             by raising interest rates.

   money     n.  1 currency, legal tender, medium of exchange, specie, (hard)
             cash, ready money, banknotes, paper money, Brit notes, US bills,
             coin(s), change, small change, Derogatory (filthy) lucre, pelf,
             Colloq shekels, Brit lolly, readies, US folding money, cold
             (hard) cash, US and Canadian and Australian shin-plasters; Slang
             loot, dough, bread, spondulicks or spondulix, boodle, readies or
             the ready, moolah, Brit rhino, US (long) green, greenbacks,
             mazuma, wampum, simoleons, bucks, scratch, gelt, kale, cabbage,
             lettuce, spinach:  He makes daily rounds to collect the money
             from the launderettes he owns. 2 resources, wealth, fortune,
             funds, capital, wherewithal, affluence, means, (liquid) assets,
             riches; Slang bundle:  All the family money is invested in
             long-term bonds.  3 gain, profit, net, Colloq take, percentage,
             Slang rake-off:  How much money does the shop take in at the end
             of the day?  4 in the money. rich, wealthy, affluent, moneyed or
             monied, well off, well-to-do, prosperous, Colloq flush, in
             clover, in or on Easy Street, Slang loaded, well-heeled, rolling
             in it or in money or in dough, filthy rich, stinking rich, fat:
             They have been in the money since their uncle died.

   mongrel   n.  cur, mutt, cross-breed, mixed breed, hybrid, half-breed,
             Technical bigener; lurcher:  There is little chance of that
             mongrel winning a prize in the dog show.

   monitor   n.  1 watchdog, supervisor, sentinel, guard, guardian,
             custodian; Brit invigilator, prefect, Rare prepositor or
             praepostor; US proctor:  The government has appointed a
             committee to monitor oil prices.  2 (television) screen,
             cathode-ray tube screen, CRT, display, Chiefly Brit visual
             display unit, VDU:  Do you prefer an amber, green, or
             black-and-white monitor?

             --v.  3 watch, oversee, observe, check (out or up on), audit,
             supervise, superintend, scan, examine, study, follow, keep an
             eye on, survey, keep track of, track, trace, record, Brit vet:
             Before a drug is approved, it must be monitored through
             thousands of tests.

   monk      n.  brother, religious, coenobite, monastic, Loosely friar:  He
             was accepted into the Benedictine order, also called the black
             monks.

   monkey    n.  1 simian, ape, primate, Colloq monk:  The monkeys' antics
             forever delight the children.  2 fool, ass, laughing-stock,
             butt, victim, target, (fair) game, Colloq goat, Slang sucker:
             The teacher should not have made a monkey out of Hubert in front
             of his classmates. 3 imp, devil, mischief-maker, rascal, scamp,
             rapscallion:  She's a real little monkey: you wouldn't believe
             what she got up to this morning.

             --v.  4 mimic, mime, imitate, impersonate, copy, ape, duplicate:
             He monkeys everything you do.  5 Usually, monkey around or about
             (with). fool around (with), play (with), fiddle (about or
             around) with, meddle (with or in), interfere (with or in), mess
             (about or around) (with), tinker (with), tamper (with), Colloq
             US screw around (with):  Stop monkeying around with that switch
             or the light will fuse.  Colin is always monkeying around in
             class.

   monograph n.  treatise, dissertation, disquisition, essay, paper:
             Entwhistle's monograph is the definitive work on Hawthorne.

   monolithic
             adj.  massive, huge, enormous, monumental, imposing, colossal,
             gigantic, giant; featureless, uniform, undifferentiated,
             characterless; rigid, impenetrable, invulnerable, unbending,
             inflexible, solid, stolid, intractable, immovable:  These
             monolithic international conglomerates, assembled with the aid
             of junk bonds, staffed by yuppies, and controlling markets worth
             hundreds of billions, resemble the monolithic glass towers that
             house them.

   monopolize
             v.  corner (the market in), control, dominate, own, Slang hog:
             Till recently, one company monopolized the telephone business in
             the US.

   monotonous
             adj.  boring, tedious, dull, tiresome, humdrum, sleep-inducing,
             soporific, wearisome, wearying, tiring, monotonic, repetitious,
             prosaic, banal, dry, dry-as-dust, uninteresting, dreary,
             colourless, unexciting, run-of-the-mill, ordinary, commonplace,
             routine, uneventful, everyday, mechanical, banausic, Colloq
             ho-hum:  Working in an assembly line became monotonous, so I
             took a job in advertising.

   monster   n.  1 beast, fiend, ogre, giant, dragon, brute, demon, troll,
             bogeyman:  Why are so many children's fairy tales populated by
             monsters?  2 monstrosity, (living) abortion, mutant, mutation,
             freak, deformity, lusus naturae, eyesore, horror, miscreation,
             missing link:  Monsters of every description were the main
             features of circus sideshows for centuries.

             --adj.  3 See monstrous, 3, below.

   monstrosity
             n.  1 See monster, 2, above.  2 monstrousness, heinousness,
             horribleness, horridness, hideousness, awfulness,
             nightmarishness, dreadfulness, frightfulness, horror,
             hellishness, ghoulishness, fiendishness, barbarity:  The
             monstrosity of the concentration camps was not widely known till
             after the war.

   monstrous adj.  1 awful, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrendous,
             horrifying, hideous, ugly, nightmarish, dreadful, heinous,
             grisly, gruesome, disgusting, nauseous, nauseating, repulsive,
             repellent, revolting, frightful, grotesque, hellish, ghoulish,
             freakish, fiendish, barbaric, barbarous, savage, inhuman,
             merciless, ruthless, brutal, brutish, beastly:  How could anyone
             treat another human being with such monstrous cruelty! 2
             outrageous, shocking, scandalous, atrocious, appalling, wicked,
             villainous, evil, vile, insensitive, cruel, base, debased,
             shameful, shameless, infamous, disgraceful, nefarious,
             egregious, foul, vicious, flagitious, loathsome, depraved:  It
             is monstrous to suggest that money could compensate for the loss
             of a child. It was a monstrous trick to make him think he had
             failed the exam when he'd got the top mark. 3 gigantic, giant,
             huge, vast, enormous, colossal, monster, gargantuan, jumbo,
             immense, tremendous, titanic, prodigious, massive, towering,
             elephantine, mammoth:  They are planning to build a monstrous
             shopping mall in the town centre.

   monument  n.  1 marker, cairn, memorial, tablet, shrine, commemoration;
             sepulchre, gravestone, tombstone, headstone, tomb, mausoleum,
             cenotaph:  Many monuments have been established in memory of
             those who died in the war. 2 testimony, testimonial, testament,
             token, witness, record, evidence, example, exemplar:  The book
             will survive as a lasting monument to her scholarship.

   monumental
             adj.  1 staggering, awe-inspiring, outstanding, prominent,
             stupendous, vast, awesome, epoch-making, historic,
             history-making, memorable, lasting, permanent, unforgettable,
             significant, notable, noteworthy, impressive, marvellous,
             prodigious, wonderful, wondrous, spectacular, magnificent,
             grand, striking, glorious, enduring, classic:  This work is a
             monumental contribution to linguistic theory.  2 massive, huge,
             gigantic, enormous, prodigious, colossal, immense, vast,
             tremendous:  These monumental stones, each as big as a house,
             were dragged from a quarry hundreds of miles away. 3
             commemorative, memorial:  A monumental obelisk will be raised to
             mark the battle.  4 egregious, catastrophic, calamitous, huge,
             enormous, awful, abject, terrible, unforgivable, unbelievable,
             monstrous, Colloq whopping:  Announcing our plans in advance
             could prove to be a monumental blunder.

   mood      n.  1 humour, attitude, inclination, disposition, nature,
             temper, frame of mind, spirit, atmosphere, sense, feeling:  The
             mood of the people is rebellious. She's in a bad mood.  2 in the
             mood. ready, willing, eager, keen, (well-)disposed, inclined,
             sympathetic, minded:  I'm not in the mood for a film tonight,
             but I am in the mood to go dancing.

   moody     adj.  1 sullen, melancholy, blue, sad, unhappy, dejected,
             depressed, crestfallen, downcast, despondent, chap-fallen, in
             the doldrums, downhearted, gloomy, glum, moping, mopy, mopish,
             sulky, sulking, morose, brooding, broody, heavy-hearted, dour,
             cheerless, dismal, desolate, disconsolate, lugubrious,
             disheartened, saturnine, Colloq down in the mouth, (down) in the
             dumps, out of sorts, US off (one's) feed:  He's been moody the
             past few days, and I don't know how to cheer him up. 2 testy,
             crotchety, short-tempered, abrupt, short, curt, impatient,
             crabby, crusty, huffy, huffish, crabbed, cantankerous,
             curmudgeonly, ill-humoured, ill-tempered, cranky, petulant,
             waspish, temperamental, snappish, snappy, irritable, peevish,
             cranky, touchy, piqued; in a (fit of) pique, in high dudgeon:
             If I were you, I shouldn't ask her for a favour today as she's
             very moody. 3 fickle, volatile, capricious, mercurial, unstable,
             fitful, flighty, unsteady, changeable, erratic, uneven,
             inconstant, undependable, unreliable, unpredictable:  Being
             artists, they are moody, and there's no telling if they will
             want to be interviewed today.

   moonshine n.  1 moonlight, moonbeams:  Her hair reflected silver in the
             moonshine.  2 (stuff and) nonsense, rubbish, taradiddle, humbug,
             drivel, twaddle, balderdash, blather or blether, Colloq hot air,
             claptrap, pack of lies, con, bosh, gas, eyewash, hogwash, bunk,
             guff, piffle, hokum, rot, malarkey, bilge (water), tripe, (the
             old) song and dance, line, Brit tommy-rot, US apple-sauce,
             razzmatazz, jive, Slang crap, bull, hooey, Brit tosh, US
             garbage, BS, Taboo slang horseshit, bullshit:  He fed her a load
             of moonshine about owning a big yacht.  3 poteen, Colloq chiefly
             US and Canadian hooch or hootch, white lightning, white mule,
             home-brew, bootleg:  Government agents raided a still that
             produced 100 gallons of moonshine a day.

   moor°     n.  heath, moorland, wasteland, No. Eng. and Scots fell:  The
             police pursued the escaped prisoner across the moor, but they
             lost him.

   moorэ     v.  secure, tie up, make fast, dock, berth, (drop) anchor; fix:
             The vessel was soon moored and the passengers disembarked. The
             huge aerial is moored by cables.

   moot      adj.  1 debatable, arguable, undecided, undetermined,
             controversial, doubtful, disputable, open to debate, at issue,
             indefinite, problematic(al), questionable, open (to question or
             to discussion), confutable, confuted, contestable, contested,
             unsettled, unresolved, up in the air, unconcluded:  Whether he
             would be found innocent was still a moot point.

             --v.  2 bring up or forward, introduce, broach, put forward,
             proffer, posit, propound, advance, submit, suggest:  It has been
             mooted that she was with the victim just before the murder.

   moral     adj.  1 ethical; right, good, pure, honest, proper, upright,
             honourable, decent, moralistic, respectable, high-minded,
             virtuous, upstanding, righteous, principled, scrupulous,
             incorruptible, noble, just:  She is one of the most moral people
             I have ever met.  2 ethical, moralizing, moralistic:  Questions
             of right and wrong are a subject for moral philosophy.  It is a
             moral, not a legal, issue.

             --n.  3 lesson, homily, teaching, point, message; aphorism,
             maxim, precept, apophthegm or apothegm, adage, saw, proverb,
             epigram, motto, slogan:  The moral of the story is, 'Do unto
             others before they do unto you'. 4 morals. behaviour, conduct,
             mores, belief, habit(s), custom(s), practice(s), principle(s),
             scruples, ethics, ideals, standards; probity, morality,
             rectitude, integrity:  For this appointment, we require a person
             of the highest morals.

   morale    n.  dedication, spirit(s), unity, esprit de corps, disposition,
             attitude, confidence, self-confidence, self-esteem:  The team's
             morale improved after they won their first game in five weeks.

   morality  n.  1 ethics, morals, ethicalness, moralness, principle(s),
             mores, integrity, propriety, standards, ideals; honesty, right,
             rightness, righteousness, rectitude, justice, fair play,
             fairness, decency, uprightness, integrity:  Morality should not
             be conditioned by expediency.  2 behaviour, conduct, habit(s),
             custom(s):  Are you suggesting that utilitarianism is a guide
             for morality?

   morass    n.  1 bog, marsh, swamp, fen, quagmire, slough, marshland,
             moorland, No. Eng. and Scots moss:  The land not under
             cultivation was morass or forest.  2 entanglement, confusion,
             muddle, mess, quagmire, tangle, quicksand:  It took years to
             extricate the company from the legal morass of the bankruptcy
             courts.

   moratorium
             n.  halt, hiatus, suspension, stay, respite, freeze, delay,
             waiting-period, postponement:  The arts commission requests a
             six-month moratorium on sales to foreign purchasers.

   morbid    adj.  1 unhealthy, unwholesome, disordered, unsound, sick,
             pathological, pathogenic:  Inhalation of fumes containing lead
             has caused this morbid condition.  2 grim, ghoulish, macabre,
             monstrous, ghastly, grotesque, grisly, gruesome:  At an early
             age, Glynis exhibited a morbid interest in cadavers.  Spare me
             the morbid details - please! 3 gloomy, lugubrious, glum, morose,
             sombre, blue, sad, melancholy, despondent, depressed, dejected,
             downcast:  With Charley again in one of his morbid moods, we can
             anticipate another cheerless visit.

   moreover  adv.  furthermore, further, besides, not only that, more than
             that, what is more; to boot, into the bargain, in addition,
             additionally, as well, too:  She was pleased that I had brought
             some wine - it was, moreover, her favourite burgundy.

   moribund  adj.  1 dying, in extremis, at death's door, failing, fading,
             with one foot in the grave, half-dead, breathing one's last,
             expiring, on one's last legs, on one's deathbed:  Apparently
             moribund for weeks, he suddenly revived when he saw her. 2
             ending, declining, obsolescent, weak, on the way out, waning, on
             the wane, dying out; stagnating, stagnant:  At the time, the
             Ottoman Empire was already moribund.

   morning   n.  1 forenoon, a.m., dawn, daybreak, sunrise, Literary morn,
             Archaic cock crow, day-spring, morrow, Chiefly US sun-up:  The
             meeting will be at nine o'clock in the morning.

             --adj.  2 matutinal, matinal, a.m., forenoon:  I prefer a
             morning meeting.

   morsel    n.  1 mouthful, bite, gobbet, spoonful, forkful, chew, taste,
             sample, nibble, bit, drop, dollop, soup‡on:  She delicately ate
             tiny morsels of the banana.  2 bit, crumb, fragment, scrap,
             sliver, splinter, shard or sherd, shred, remnant, particle,
             atom, speck, whit, fraction, grain, granule, pinch, piece,
             Colloq smidgen or smidgin:  There wasn't the slightest morsel of
             evidence to connect me with the crime.

   mortal    adj.  1 human; transitory, temporal, transient, ephemeral:  It
             finally dawned on him that the king was mortal, like other men.
             2 physical, bodily, corporeal, corporal, fleshly, earthly,
             worldly, perishable:  Her mortal remains are buried at Bognor
             Regis.  3 deadly, fatal, lethal, terminal, destructive,
             disastrous:  The admiral lay dying from a mortal wound.  4
             relentless, implacable, unrelenting, bitter, sworn, deadly,
             unremitting, unappeasable, unceasing:  Halifax was the mortal
             enemy of despotism.  5 abject, extreme, awful, great, enormous,
             intense, terrible, inordinate, dire:  Giles lived in mortal fear
             of offending his mother.

             --n.  6 human (being), man, woman, person, soul, individual,
             creature, earthling:  The novel depicts a lifestyle far removed
             from that of ordinary mortals. We mortals have nothing to fear
             from intergalactic aliens.

   mortify   v.  1 humiliate, shame, humble, embarrass, abash, chagrin,
             rebuff, crush, discomfit, deflate, bring down, degrade,
             downgrade, reduce, chasten, subdue, suppress, make someone eat
             humble pie, teach someone his or her place, Colloq put down:
             She was mortified to learn that she had been disqualified.  2
             punish, castigate, discipline, control, subdue, subjugate:
             Repentance was considered insufficient penance, so the
             flagellants mortified the flesh with scourges. 3 gangrene,
             fester, necrose, putrefy, rot, decompose, decay, putresce:
             After a fortnight, the flesh mortifies and falls away.

   mother    n.  1 dam, materfamilias, (female) parent, Old-fashioned or
             formal or jocular mater, Formal progenitrix; matriarch, Colloq
             ma, old lady, old woman, Brit mummy, mum, US mom, mommy, mama,
             mamma, maw, mammy, mam:  He runs crying to his mother whenever
             anyone teases him.  2 source, origin, genesis:  Necessity is the
             mother of invention.  3 nourisher, nurturer, nurse:  Poverty was
             the mother of anarchy.

             --adj.  4 native, natural, innate:  She has the mother wit to
             know better.

             --v.  5 nurture, nourish, nurse, care for, look after, protect,
             shelter, watch over, take care of:  She mothered me when I
             needed her, and I won't desert her now.  6 pamper, baby, coddle,
             spoil, indulge, fuss over, overprotect:  You mother the child
             too much.

   motif     n.  theme, idea, topic, subject, concept, leitmotif; pattern,
             figure, refrain, device, ornament, decoration, element,
             convention:  The painter repeats the motif throughout his
             pictures in much the same way that a composer repeats a bar of
             music.

   motion    n.  1 movement, moving, change, shift, shifting, action, going,
             travelling, travel, progress, passage, transit; activity,
             commotion, stir, agitation, turmoil, turbulence:  One could
             barely sense the slow motion of the train. The leaves of the
             aspen appear to be in constant motion. 2 mobility, movability,
             motility:  I could feel the motion gradually returning to my
             numbed limbs.  3 gait, bearing, carriage, tread, walk, step:
             The machine works with alternate upward and downward motions.  4
             gesture, gesticulation, signal, sign:  She made a motion for me
             to come nearer.  5 proposal, suggestion, proposition,
             recommendation, offering, submission:  A motion must be seconded
             by a member in good standing.

             --v.  6 gesture, gesticulate, beckon, signal, sign, wave:  The
             cashier motioned to me and I went over to the window.

   motivate  v.  prompt, activate, move, inspire, incite, induce, actuate,
             stimulate, provoke, influence, encourage, occasion, bring about,
             cause; excite, egg (on), urge, prod, spur, galvanize, goad,
             rouse, arouse, stir (up), wheedle, coax, persuade, cajole,
             tempt, push, impel, drive, instigate:  The biggest problem is
             motivating students to apply themselves to academic subjects.

   motive    n.  1 inducement, incentive, motivation, stimulus, motivating
             force, stimulation, incitement, influence, cause, reason,
             rationale, grounds; attraction, lure, enticement, goad, spur,
             urge, prod:  It is thought that jealousy was his motive for
             murder.  2 purpose, aim, intention, intent, object, objective,
             goal, end, arriЉre pens‚e (= 'hidden motive'); ambition, desire;
             Colloq angle:  I asked the chairman what his motive was in
             trying to expand the company.

             --adj.  3 driving, impelling, propelling, propulsive, moving,
             kinetic, activating, operative:  The motive power used in the
             ultra-light aircraft is provided entirely by the pilot's
             pedalling.

   mottled   adj.  dappled, brindled, marbled, streaked, splodgy or US
             splotchy, blotched, blotchy, freckled, spotted, spotty, patchy,
             speckled, flecked, sprinkled, spattered, splashed, streaky,
             stippled, pied, piebald; multicoloured, variegated,
             particoloured, Colloq splodged or US splotched:  Do you like
             that mottled effect on the wallpaper?

   motto     n.  maxim, proverb, saying, adage, saw, aphorism, apophthegm or
             apothegm, gnome, slogan, byword, catchword, battle-cry, guide,
             moral, principle, rule, precept:  The motto of the Order of the
             Garter is Honi soit qui mal y pense, 'Shame on whoever thinks
             ill of it'.

   mould°    n.  1 form, cast, matrix, die; template or templet, pattern,
             form:  He broke the mould to prevent the casting of a duplicate
             statuette.  2 form, shape, pattern, format, structure, build,
             construction, design, arrangement, organization, configuration,
             kind, brand, make, line, type, stamp, cut:  Was man made in the
             same mould as his God, or vice versa?  3 character, nature,
             stamp, type, kind, kidney, ilk, sort:  Grandpa said that he
             wouldn't want someone of her mould in the family.

             --v.  4 shape, form, make, work, fashion, configure, sculpture
             or sculpt, model, knead, construct: carve, cut:  The artist
             moulded the original design in clay.  5 forge, cast, stamp,
             die-cast:  These beads are moulded from solid gold.  6
             influence, shape, form, affect, make, control, direct, guide,
             lead:  The speech-writer's job is to mould the language to fit
             his client's ideas. The candidate is trying to mould public
             opinion in his favour.

   mouldэ    n.  mildew, fungus, blight, smut:  A mild solution of bleach
             will clean that mould off the bathroom tiles.

   mould°    n.  soil, earth, loam, topsoil, dirt, humus:  Add some rich
             mould to the house-plants periodically and they will flourish.

   mouldy    adj.  aged, ancient, outdated, old-fashioned, antediluvian,
             unused, stale, decayed, decaying, carious, mildewed, mouldering,
             musty; spoilt or spoiled, rotten, rotting, putrid, putrescent,
             putrefying, rancid, rank, decomposed, decomposing, mucid:
             Digging about in the files, he unearthed some mouldy old plans
             of the house. All the food in the fridge had gone mouldy while
             they were away.

   mound     n.  1 hillock, rise, hummock, hill, hump, bank, elevation,
             knoll, knob, swell, dune, slope, tor, Chiefly W US and Canadian
             butte,:  We stood on a high mound from which we could see for
             miles.  2 heap, pile, stack, Archaeology tumulus, tell, barrow,
             (kitchen) midden:  Excavation of the mound yielded scores of
             Iron Age artefacts.

   mount     n.  1 See mountain, 1, below.

             --v.  2 climb (up), go up, ascend, scale, clamber up, make one's
             way up:  We mounted the ladder to the roof. The speaker mounted
             the dais.  3 rise (up), arise, soar, fly (up), rocket (upwards):
             With the salmon in its grasp, the eagle mounted to the sky.  4
             climb or get or clamber up on, bestride, straddle, bestraddle:
             The gunfighter mounted his horse and rode off.  5 (put on)
             display, (put on) exhibit, put on exhibition, present, install
             or instal, stage, prepare, ready, put on, put in place, set up;
             arrange, coordinate, compose, organize, set in motion, launch:
             The gallery will mount a show of John's sculpture next spring.
             They have mounted a major advertising campaign for their face
             cream. 6 frame, mat or matt, set off:  This print should be
             mounted using an olive green paper.  7 increase, wax, rise,
             escalate, intensify, swell, expand, grow, mount up, multiply,
             pile up, build up, accumulate:  Complaints have been mounting
             against the vulgar language heard on prime-time TV.

             --n.  8 backing, setting, support, mounting, background, set,
             arrangement, backdrop, scene:  This style of mount sets off the
             ruby to its best advantage.  9 horse, steed, charger, palfrey:
             Her mount was a grey mare.

   mountain  n.  1 height, elevation, mount, eminence, prominence, peak, alp,
             tor, summit, No. Eng. and Scots fell, Scots and Irish English
             ben:  Her favourite sport is climbing mountains.  2 heap, pile,
             stack, mound, accumulation, abundance, mass, Colloq ton(s),
             heaps, piles, stacks:  I have a mountain of laundry to do.

   mountainous
             adj.  1 craggy, alpine, Himalayan:  It was very slow going
             through the mountainous parts of the country.  2 huge, towering,
             high, steep, enormous, immense, formidable, mighty, monumental,
             prodigious, staggering:  Their tiny craft was almost engulfed by
             the mountainous seas.

   mourn     v.  grieve (over), lament, sorrow (over), bemoan, bewail, keen,
             weep for or over, regret, rue, deplore:  We all mourned the loss
             of a great leader. After his death, the nation mourned for a
             month.

   mournful  adj.  1 sad, sorrowful, dismal, melancholy, blue, afflicted,
             doleful, dolorous, grief-stricken, rueful, forlorn, woebegone,
             sombre, lugubrious, funereal, joyless, dispirited, cheerless,
             unhappy, downhearted, heavy-hearted, disconsolate, heartbroken,
             inconsolable, despondent, desolate, despairing, heartsick,
             overcome, prostrate:  The mournful crowd filed past the bier to
             pay their last respects.  2 deplorable, sorrowful, grievous,
             distressing, upsetting, tragic, saddening, disheartening,
             depressing, lamentable, catastrophic, calamitous, disastrous:
             The mournful news of the great loss of life in the explosion was
             broadcast round the world.

   mourning  n.  1 grief, lament, grieving, lamentation, sorrowing, keening,
             weeping, wailing:  The Highlanders are wont to mingle a degree
             of solemn mirth with their mourning. 2 bereavement, loss,
             anguish, sorrow, misery, grief, sadness, woe, woefulness,
             melancholy, heartache, despondency, despair, desolation:  In
             China people wear white as a sign of mourning.  3 black, widow's
             weeds, sackcloth and ashes:  It was customary at that time to
             spend at least one month in mourning.

   mousy     adj.  1 mousey, mouse-coloured, dun, grey, greyish-brown,
             brownish-grey, brownish, brown, dull, lustreless, lacklustre,
             drab, flat, plain, colourless:  Her lank, mousy hair hung down
             over her shoulders.  2 timid, cowering, timorous, shy,
             self-effacing, diffident:  Adrian is far too mousy to ask for an
             increase in salary.

   mouth     n.  1 lips; maw, jaws, oral cavity, Technical stoma, Slang trap,
             kisser, muzzle, gob, chops, yap, US bazoo:  I want to hear that
             you don't love me from your own mouth.  2 opening, aperture,
             doorway, door, gateway, gate, access, entrance, inlet, entry,
             entry-way, way in, entr‚e; passage, passageway, way, orifice;
             exit, way out, vent, outlet, outfall, Technical debouchment or
             debouchure, debouch or d‚bouch‚, embouchure:  We stood at the
             mouth of the cave. An enormous delta formed at the mouth of the
             river. 3 bragging, boasting, braggadocio, empty or idle talk,
             bombast, rodomontade, fustian, Slang claptrap, hot air, gas:
             The fellow is all mouth and no action.  4 disrespect, impudence,
             insolence, sauciness, rudeness, impertinence, pertness,
             boldness, audacity, presumptuousness, brashness, flippancy,
             Colloq lip, cheek, backchat, sauce, freshness, US sass, back
             talk:  He'd better not give me any of his mouth or I'll have his
             guts for garters. 5 grimace, pout, moue, face:  She made a mouth
             when I said she couldn't go.  6 down in or at the mouth.
             dejected, despondent, sad, sorrowful, unhappy, melancholy, blue,
             crestfallen, dispirited, disheartened, downcast, Colloq (down)
             in the dumps, broken up:  He was very down in the mouth after
             seeing the results of the laboratory tests.

             --v.  7 utter, say, speak, pronounce, announce, enunciate,
             articulate, voice, sound, express, vocalize; declaim, orate:  He
             mouthed each word with excruciating care. Who wants to hear some
             pompous fool mouthing platitudes?

   mouthful  n.  morsel, bite, spoonful, forkful, lump, chunk, gob, hunk:  He
             took a mouthful of food.

   mouthpiece
             n.  1 embouchure; bit:  I need a new mouthpiece for my clarinet.
             2 spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson, agent, representative,
             intermediator, mediator, delegate:  He is always quoted through
             his mouthpiece, never directly.  3 lawyer, attorney, Slang US
             shyster:  A good mouthpiece could get me out of this fix.

   movable   adj.  moveable, floating, variable, changeable, unfixed;
             portable, transportable, transferable or transferrable:  Easter
             Sunday is a movable feast and has no fixed date on the calendar.
             Recent developments have produced computers that are smaller
             than an attach‚ case and easily movable.

   move      v.  1 shift, stir, budge, make a move, go; proceed, advance,
             progress:  It is difficult to move in a strait-jacket. The train
             is moving at a rate of sixty miles an hour. Don't move - I have
             a gun. 2 move house, move out, remove, move away, relocate,
             decamp, depart, change residence, emigrate, go or make off,
             transfer, Colloq take off (for), pull up stakes, Brit up sticks,
             Slang US split (for):  When did you say you were moving to
             London?  3 shake (up), disturb, stir (up), agitate, affect,
             touch:  We moved heaven and earth to find a proper place for her
             to stay.  4 affect, touch, stir, shake up, agitate, hit (hard),
             upset, strike, smite, disturb, ruffle, disquiet, have an (or a
             profound) effect (on), make a (deep) impression (on):  The
             pictures of starving children moved everyone.  5 provoke,
             arouse, excite, stir up, lead, rouse, stimulate:  At the end of
             the film, when she died, I was moved to tears.  6 arouse, rouse,
             provoke, actuate, lead, prompt, spur, motivate, influence,
             impel, prod, remind, inspire, make:  His mention of families
             moved me to ask when he had last seen his father. 7 propose, put
             forward or forth, forward, advance, submit, suggest, advocate,
             propound:  The question of budget was moved at the last meeting.

             --n.  8 change, change-over, relocation, transfer, shift,
             removal:  My supervisor suggested a move to a different
             department.  9 manoeuvre, device, trick, caper, dodge, ploy,
             stratagem, artifice, ruse, action, act, deed, Colloq gimmick:
             Getting Diana to invite Colin was a very good move.  10 turn,
             time, opportunity:  I have had my turn, now it's your move.  11
             gesture, gesticulation, action, motion, stirring:  One move and
             you're a dead man!  12 get a move on.  a get moving, begin,
             start, commence, get going, get under way, get started, stir or
             bestir oneself, Colloq get or start the ball rolling, get the
             show on the road, break the ice, get cracking, step on it or the
             gas:  He doesn't usually get a move on till noon.  b hurry,
             hasten, make haste, rush, run:  Get a move on down to the
             supermarket before it closes.  13 on the move.  a travelling, in
             transit, on the way, on one's way, on the road, on the go,
             moving:  She is always on the move and it is difficult to catch
             her.  b on the go, working, on the run, busy, occupied:  I have
             been on the move since six this morning.  c proceeding,
             progressing, advancing, moving ahead, succeeding, on the go:  It
             looks as if the industry is again on the move after a brief
             decline.

   movement  n.  1 repositioning, move, motion, relocation, moving,
             migration, shift, transfer, flow, displacement:  Population
             movement increased dramatically in the Middle Ages.  2 action,
             activity, move, moving, stir, stirring:  There was a sudden
             movement in the bushes.  3 gesture, gesticulation, move,
             flicker, sign, signal; manoeuvre, change of attitude or
             position:  Only the slightest upward movement of his eyebrow
             indicated his surprise. Every little movement has a meaning all
             its own. 4 mechanism, works, workings, moving parts, machinery,
             action, gears, Colloq innards:  Technically, the movement of a
             watch does not include the escapement.  5 campaign, crusade,
             drive; front, faction, party, group, wing:  The 1960s saw many
             successes for the civil rights' movement in America. 6 change,
             activity, action, shift, advance or decline, increase or
             decrease, upward or downward movement, stirring; development,
             progress:  Shares displayed little movement in today's trading.
             7 drift, trend, tendency, course, swing:  They have noted a
             growing movement towards religious fundamentalism.

   movie     n.  1 motion picture, film, moving picture, silent (picture),
             talking picture, Colloq talkie, flick:  Her grandfather was one
             of the first actors in silent movies.  2 Usually, movies.
             picture show, cinema, flicks, Colloq big or large screen, silver
             screen:  Why don't we go to the movies instead of watching
             television tonight?

   moving    adj.  1 touching, poignant, emotive, affecting, stirring,
             heart-rending, emotional, telling, effective, impressive,
             striking, compelling; pathetic, exciting, thrilling, inspiring,
             inspirational, impelling, persuasive:  He related a moving story
             of his years in various concentration camps. 2 active, mobile,
             unfixed, unstationary, motile, going, operating, working, in
             motion, on the move:  Be careful not to touch any of the moving
             parts inside the clock.

   mow       v.  1 cut (down), scythe, trim, shear:  You don't need to mow
             the lawn so much during a dry spell.  2 mow down. annihilate,
             kill, massacre, butcher, slaughter, exterminate, liquidate,
             eradicate, wipe out, cut down, cut to pieces, destroy, decimate:
             The first platoon was mowed down by machine-gun fire.

13.5 muck...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   muck      n.  1 ordure, manure, dung, excrement, faeces, droppings; guano:
             The muck is saved for use as fertilizer.  2 dirt, filth, bilge,
             slime, sludge, ooze, scum, sewage, mire, mud, feculence, Colloq
             gunge, gunk, US grunge:  Give me a chance to get the muck off my
             shoes.

             --v.  3 muck about. fool around, waste time, idle, loiter, mess
             around or about:  She told me to stop mucking about and get a
             job.  4 muck up. ruin, wreck, destroy, make a mess of, botch,
             mess up, bungle, Colloq screw up, Slang bugger up, make a muck
             of:  She's mucked up her own life, and, given the chance, she'll
             muck up mine.

   mud       n.  muck, ooze, slime, mire, clay, sludge, silt, dirt, US and
             Canadian gumbo or gombo:  The mud came up to my ankles.

   muddle    v.  1 bewilder, confuse, confound, mystify, baffle, mix up,
             disorient, befuddle, perplex, bemuse, puzzle, befog:  I am
             totally muddled by your explanation of differential calculus.  2
             confuse, mix up, jumble, scramble, entangle, tangle, mess up,
             disorder, disarrange, disorganize, bungle, mismanage, Colloq
             muff:  My financial affairs got hopelessly muddled when I
             changed banks.  3 muddle through. (barely) manage, cope, make
             it, scrape through or along, contrive, make do, get by, get
             along:  We were just muddling through when James was offered
             this wonderful job.

             --n.  4 mess, confusion, mix-up, jumble, tangle, disorder,
             hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge, mishmash, chaos, disaster,
             Colloq stew, Slang US screw-up, snafu, Taboo slang Brit
             balls-up:  A lot of muddles, mix-ups, and misunderstandings
             ensued.

   muddy     adj.  1 fouled, befouled, muddied, mud-spattered, dirty, grubby,
             grimy, soiled, mud-caked, slimy, mucky, miry; oozy, squelchy,
             squashy, boggy, fenny, marshy, swampy; Formal feculent; Colloq
             squishy, squushy:  Take off those muddy boots before you come
             into the house. The walk up to the house has become all muddy in
             the rain. 2 confused, unclear, vague, obscure, dull, dim, fuzzy,
             muddled, addled, mixed-up:  Greg has only a muddy idea of what
             you're talking about.  3 drab, subdued, blurred, dingy, flat,
             murky, mat, washed out:  The colours in her paintings look very
             muddy to me.

             --v.  4 obscure, dull, dim, confuse, mix up, befog, cloud:  His
             explanation muddied the issue rather than clarifying it.  5
             dirty, soil, begrime, smirch, besmirch, spatter, bespatter:  A
             passing car muddied my new skirt.

   muffle    v.  1 Often, muffle up. wrap, swathe, swaddle, cloak, envelop,
             cover (up), enfold, shroud, enshroud, conceal, protect:  Make
             sure your neck is muffled when you're out in that icy wind.  2
             deaden, silence, suppress, stifle, subdue, damp, dampen, mute,
             hush, quiet, tone down, still:  A few more thicknesses of
             flannel will muffle the noise of the motor.

   muffler   n.  scarf, boa; shawl, wrap:  Wrap this muffler round your neck
             for added warmth.

   mug       n.  1 jug, tankard, stein, toby (jug), pot, beaker, cup:  The
             relief workers passed round mugs of hot coffee to the homeless.
             2 face, visage, features, countenance, Slang puss, kisser, mush,
             Brit clock, dial, Archaic phiz or phizog, US pan:  The ex-boxer
             has a mug that only a mother could love.  3 fool, duffer,
             simpleton, dupe, gull, innocent, Colloq chump, mark, soft or
             easy touch, Brit muggins, Slang sucker:  The mug thought he had
             found a full wallet.

             --v.  4 make a face or faces, grimace:  Here are some pictures
             of the twins mugging for the camera.  5 attack, set upon, rob,
             assault; garrotte, throttle:  Anyone who walks through the park
             at night risks getting mugged.  6 mug up (on). study, Formal
             lucubrate, Colloq cram, burn the midnight oil, get up (on), Brit
             swot, bone up (on):  I have to mug up on my Latin for tomorrow's
             examination.

   muggy     adj.  humid, damp, sticky, sultry, oppressive, clammy, steamy,
             close, stuffy, moist, soggy:  It was so muggy that every night
             the bedlinen was completely soaked.

   mull      v.  Usually, mull over. ponder, consider, study, think (over or
             about), cogitate (on or over or about), con, evaluate, turn
             over, weigh, deliberate (on or over), reflect (on), muse (on),
             review, examine, contemplate, meditate (on), chew over, ruminate
             (on or over),:  I have been mulling over your suggestion that I
             should join the navy.

   mum       adj.  1 silent, mute, close-mouthed, quiet, tight-lipped:  She
             swore she would keep mum about where the money was hidden.

             --n.  2 Mum's the word. Don't tell a soul, Keep silent, Keep
             secret, Keep quiet, Keep (something) to oneself, Keep
             (something) under one's hat, Say nothing, Tell no-one, Play
             dumb:  He told who stole the bell, but mum's the word.

   mumble    v.  murmur, mutter, say inarticulately, utter indistinctly,
             swallow one's words:  He mumbled the name of the person who had
             shot him, but she didn't catch it.

   mumbo-jumbo
             n.  1 gibberish, nonsense, rubbish, gobbledegook or
             gobbledygook, drivel, humbug, bunkum, double-talk, rigmarole or
             rigamarole, jabberwocky, blather or blether, poppycock, Colloq
             eyewash, rot, tommy-rot, hogwash, bilge, bosh, bull, malarkey,
             claptrap, piffle, US hooey, moonshine, bunk Slang bull, crap,
             Brit tosh, Taboo slang bullshit:  Before he would give me the
             cheque, the lawyer made me sign something full of legal
             mumbo-jumbo. 2 spell, incantation, chant, formula, charm,
             abracadabra, hocus-pocus, rite, ritual, conjuration, magic:  She
             had to sit through all the mumbo-jumbo of her husband's
             investiture.

   munch     v.  chew, crunch, masticate, champ, chomp, scrunch:  He just sat
             there munching peanuts.

   municipal adj.  civic, civil, metropolitan, urban, city, town, village,
             borough, parish, Brit council:  Voting takes place in the
             municipal elections next week.

   municipality
             n.  city, metropolis, town, village, borough, district,
             township; suburb, exurb:  The recreational facilities offered by
             the municipality are in need of refurbishing.

   murder    n.  1 homicide, manslaughter, regicide, patricide, matricide,
             parricide, fratricide, sororicide, uxoricide, infanticide;
             killing, slaying, assassination:  In many countries, murder is a
             crime punishable by death.  2 slaughter, butchery, genocide,
             massacre, liquidation, decimation, extermination, eradication,
             wiping out, murdering, slaying, killing, bloodshed, carnage:
             Their wanton murder of thousands of prisoners of war has been
             proven.

             --v.  3 kill, slay, assassinate, put to death, end the life of,
             put away or down, put out of one's misery, wipe out, destroy,
             butcher, massacre, liquidate, exterminate, eradicate,
             annihilate, extinguish, slaughter, lay low, Slang eliminate,
             bump off, knock off, do in, polish off, blow away, US rub out,
             waste, ice, take for a ride, fit with a concrete overcoat or
             with concrete overshoes, snuff (out):  The drug dealers were
             murdered, one by one, by a rival gang.  4 spoil, ruin, mar,
             destroy, wreck, kill, mangle, butcher, mutilate:  She murdered
             the song by singing it far too fast.

   murderer  n.  murderess, killer, slayer, assassin, homicide, cutthroat,
             liquidator, executioner, butcher, Slang hit man:  The police
             have arrested someone they are certain is the murderer.

   murderous adj.  1 fatal, lethal, deadly, deathly, mortal, destructive,
             devastating, sanguinary, bloody, brutal, savage, bloodthirsty,
             barbarous, fell, cruel, inhuman:  The tolling of the bell
             signalled that the murderous deed had been done. 2 killing,
             strenuous, stressful, difficult, arduous, exhausting, hellish,
             harrowing, rigorous, intolerable, unbearable:  You cannot keep
             up such a murderous pace, without any rest, and remain healthy.

   murky     adj.  dark, gloomy, threatening, dim, clouded, cloudy, overcast,
             grey, dismal, dreary, bleak, sombre, grim, funereal, shady,
             shadowy:  I could barely make out her face in the murky corner
             of the chapel.

   murmur    n.  1 undercurrent, undertone, background noise or sound,
             rumble, rumbling, mumble, mumbling, drone, droning, buzz,
             buzzing, murmuration, murmuring, hum, humming, whispering,
             Formal susurration or susurrus:  They spoke in low voices,
             barely audible above the murmur of the mourning doves. 2
             muttering, complaining, complaint, grumble, grumbling, Colloq
             grousing, grouse:  We have heard not any murmurs since everyone
             had an increase in salary.

             --v.  3 mumble, mutter, whisper:  He murmured into her ear
             something about being pleased to see her. 4 complain, grumble,
             mutter, moan, lament, wail, Colloq grouse:  Employees will
             always find something to murmur about.

   muscular  adj.  sinewy, brawny, burly, powerful, powerfully built,
             strapping, rugged, husky, robust, athletic, sturdy,
             well-muscled, broad-shouldered:  We all envied Nick's muscular
             physique.

   muse      v.  cogitate, meditate, reflect, contemplate, ruminate, think
             over, think about, consider, chew over, deliberate, revolve,
             weigh, evaluate, study, mull over, brood (over), ponder; be
             absorbed (in thought), be in a brown study, dream, day-dream, be
             in a trance or reverie:  Asked for a decision, Michael mused for
             a while before answering.

   mushy     adj.  1 soft, pulpy, squashy, doughy, squidgy, spongy; swampy,
             boggy, miry; Colloq squishy, squushy, squashy:  The peach was
             overripe and mushy. The bottom of the pond is all mushy and
             feels awful when you stand up. 2 mawkish, maudlin, sentimental,
             romantic, saccharine, sugary, syrupy, Colloq corny, sloppy,
             gooey, slushy, Brit wet, Slang schmaltzy:  She cried three
             handkerchiefs-full over the mushy parts of Gone With The Wind .

   musical   adj.  tuneful, melodic, harmonious, lilting, lyrical, melodious,
             mellifluous, dulcet, euphonious:  Many modern compositions,
             while technically competent, are not as musical as the
             old-fashioned pieces.

   must      v.  1 ought (to), should, have to, be obliged or obligated to,
             be compelled or forced to, be required to:  I must get this work
             done before lunch-time. Must you go? Yes, I must.

             --n.  2 necessity, requisite, requirement, obligation, sine qua
             non, essential:  Patience is an absolute must in this job.

   muster    v.  1 call or come together, assemble, convoke, convene,
             collect, mobilize, rally, round up, gather, marshal, summon
             (up):  Within a month he had mustered a force of thousands to
             fight the invaders. I mustered up enough courage to ask Joan out
             to dinner.

             --n.  2 rally, assembly, assemblage, convocation, meet, meeting,
             convention, congress, round-up, turnout, gathering,
             congregation, aggregation, aggregate:  We attended the annual
             muster of bagpipe marching bands.  3 pass muster. come up to
             scratch, make the grade, measure up, be acceptable, Colloq come
             or be up to snuff:  Are you sure that your new design will pass
             muster with the art director?

   musty     adj.  1 mouldy, damp, mildewed, mildewy, sour, rancid, spoilt,
             decayed, rotten, putrid, fetid or foetid, fusty, stale:  Open
             the windows to get rid of that musty odour.  2 stale,
             old-fashioned, antiquated, antediluvian, ancient, out of date,
             bygone, pass‚, old hat, obsolete, archaic, tired, hoary, worn
             out, trite, clich‚d, stereotypical:  I've heard all those musty
             jokes of his a thousand times before.

   mutation  n.  1 change, changing, alteration, altering, modification,
             modifying, transformation, transforming, metamorphosis,
             metamorphosing, transmutation, transmuting, transfiguration,
             transfiguring, evolution, evolving, variation, varying:  For
             years he studied the mutation of the sweet pea.  2 variant,
             variation, deviation, deviant, mutant, anomaly, departure:  The
             mutations exhibited marked differences over the generations.

   mute      adj.  1 silent, dumb, speechless, voiceless, wordless,
             tight-lipped, taciturn, tacit, reserved, quiet, Colloq mum:
             Though I persisted in asking his name, he remained mute.  2
             unspoken, unsaid, tacit, silent:  The stain on the floor was a
             mute reminder of the crime.

             --v.  3 deaden, silence, muffle, stifle, dampen, damp, subdue,
             suppress, quiet or Brit also quieten, hush, soft-pedal, turn
             down, tone down:  The carpet muted her footsteps as she crept up
             behind him.

   mutilate  v.  1 maim, disfigure, mangle, cripple, lame, butcher, disable;
             dismember, amputate, hack off, cut off, lop off, tear off, rip
             off:  Formerly, the hands of thieves were mutilated as an
             example to others. 2 spoil, mar, ruin, damage, deface,
             vandalize, destroy:  As the book had been mutilated, he had to
             buy the library a replacement.

   mutinous  adj.  1 rebellious, revolutionary, subversive, seditious,
             insurgent, insurrectionary:  The mutinous crew was finally
             subdued and clapped in irons.  2 recalcitrant, refractory,
             contumacious, obstinate, defiant, insubordinate, disobedient,
             unruly, unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrollable:  Whenever we
             told Clare to work harder at school she became mutinous.

   mutiny    n.  1 revolt, rebellion, revolution, subversion, subversiveness,
             insurgency, insurgence, insurrection, uprising:  The crew are
             threatening a mutiny.

             --v.  2 rebel, rise up (against), strike, revolt; disobey,
             subvert, agitate (against):  The crew of the Bounty mutinied and
             set Captain Bligh adrift.

   mutter    v.  1 mumble, murmur, grunt:  He was muttering something to
             himself that I didn't catch.  2 grumble, complain, Colloq
             grouch, grouse, Brit chunter:  She has been muttering about cuts
             in the postal service ever since I can remember.

   mutual    adj.  1 reciprocal, reciprocated, requited, interactive,
             complementary:  I love her and I hope that the feeling is
             mutual.  2 common, communal, joint, shared:  Gerald is our
             mutual friend.

13.6 mysterious...
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   mysterious
             adj.  1 puzzling, enigmatic, baffling, insoluble, unsolvable,
             bewildering, confounding, confusing, perplexing, mystifying,
             weird, bizarre, strange, uncanny, curious:  A mysterious force
             makes the saucer rise off the ground and fly at incredible
             speeds. 2 cryptic, arcane, secret, inscrutable, covert, hidden,
             furtive, unclear, dark, concealed, occult, inexplicable,
             incomprehensible, mystic(al), unknown, unfathomable, mystical,
             recondite, abstruse:  It is mysterious how the agency
             accomplishes its ends.

   mystery   n.  1 puzzle, enigma, conundrum, riddle, question:  How he
             escaped from the locked room is a mystery.  2 obscurity,
             secrecy, indefiniteness, vagueness, nebulousness, ambiguity,
             ambiguousness, inscrutability, inscrutableness:  The identity of
             the beautiful lady in the green dress is shrouded in mystery. 3
             detective story or novel, murder (story), Colloq whodunit:
             Joel, who once fancied himself an intellectual, now reads
             nothing but mysteries.

   mystical  adj.  1 allegorical, symbolic(al), mystic, cabbalistic, arcane,
             unrevealed, secret, occult, supernatural, esoteric,
             other-worldly, preternatural, cryptic, concealed, hidden,
             clandestine, private, veiled, ineffable, mysterious:  A mystical
             spirit dwells in the raven that sits on his shoulder.  2 See
             mysterious, 2, above.

   mystify   v.  fool, hoax, humbug, confuse, confound, mix up, bewilder,
             stump, puzzle, baffle, Colloq bamboozle, stump, flummox, Slang
             beat:  We were totally mystified by the unfamiliar symbols on
             the wall.

   mystique  n.  mystery, magic, charisma, aura, inscrutability,
             supernaturalism, preternaturalism, strangeness:  She has a
             certain mystique about her.

   myth      n.  1 legend, fable, allegory, parable, tradition, saga, epic,
             (folk) tale, story, mythos; history:  The ancient myths have
             provided sources for much of modern literature.  2 fable, lie,
             (tall) tale, fib, prevarication, fiction, untruth, falsehood,
             fabrication, cock-and-bull story, Colloq whopper:  He told her
             some myth about his being a multimillionaire and she believed
             it.

   mythical  adj.  1 mythic, mythological, fabled, legendary, traditional,
             folkloric, storied, romantic, fairy-tale, story-book;
             allegorical, symbolic, parabolic(al):  Campbell has demonstrated
             astounding similarities amongst the mythical tales of unrelated
             cultures. 2 mythic, fanciful, imaginary, fictitious,
             make-believe, made-up, chimerical, untrue:  When she was about
             seven, my daughter had a mythical friend named Theodosia.

   mythology n.  (body of ..) myths, folklore, tradition, lore, stories,
             mythos:  After only one generation, an extraordinary mythology
             has been created about Marilyn Monroe.