ЭЛЕКТРОННАЯ БИБЛИОТЕКА КОАПП
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The Oxford Thesaurus
An N-Z Dictionary of Synonyms


14.0 N
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14.1 nab...
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   nab       v.  catch, capture, arrest, put or place under arrest, seize,
             apprehend, pick up, bring in, take into custody, Colloq pinch,
             collar, run in, nail, Brit nick:  They finally nabbed that cat
             burglar in Hampstead.

   nag°      v.  1 Sometimes, nag at. annoy, irritate, irk, pester,
             criticize, ride, scold, carp (at), upbraid, badger, harass,
             harry, vex, henpeck, torment, hector, pick at, goad, pick on,
             find fault with, berate, nettle, bully, provoke, plague, worry,
             bother, Brit chivvy or chivy or chevy, Colloq needle:  He nags
             her day and night about going on a diet.

             --n.  2 scold, harpy, pest, shrew, virago, termagant, fishwife:
             You certainly can be a terrible nag, can't you?

   nagэ      n.  jade, Rosinante; horse, hack, pony, dobbin, racehorse,
             Thoroughbred, Slang gee-gee, US hayburner, plug, bangtail,
             gee-gee:  That old nag wouldn't be able to clear the fence.

   nagging   adj.  distressing, chronic, continuous, continual, persistent,
             unrelenting, relentless, recurring:  He complains of a nagging
             pain in his shoulder. I have a nagging feeling that I have an
             appointment to be somewhere.

   nail      n.  1 fastener, fastening, spike, pin:  The pieces were held
             together by several nails.  2 fingernail, toenail, claw, talon:
             The detective found some fibres under the victim's nails.  3
             bite one's nails. worry, agonize, fret, lose sleep (over),
             chafe, suffer, Colloq stew (over or about):  Carl is biting his
             nails over the result of his cholesterol test.  4 hard or tough
             as nails.  a tough, vigorous, hardy:  After years of
             mountain-climbing, Ren‚ is as hard as nails.  b cold,
             unsentimental, unsympathetic, unfeeling:  The boss, as hard as
             nails, doesn't care what you sacrifice to get the job done. 5
             hit the nail on the head. be accurate, be correct, be precise,
             be right, put (one's) finger on it:  When you said they were
             fools, you really hit the nail on the head. 6 on the nail.
             immediately, at once, straight or right away, promptly, without
             delay, on the spot, Colloq US on the barrel-head:  He has always
             paid his bills right on the nail.

             --v.  7 attach, secure, join, pin, tack, clinch or clench;
             fasten, fix, focus, rivet, glue:  The door to the mysterious
             room was nailed shut. His eyes were nailed to the pressure
             gauge. 8 See nab, above.  9 hit, strike; punch; shoot:  She
             nailed him with a left hook and he sank like a stone.  10 nail
             down. settle, secure, resolve, complete, conclude, make final;
             finalize:  Let's celebrate: I nailed down the order for 10,000
             air-conditioning units.

   na‹ve     adj.  naive or na‹f, ingenuous, innocent, credulous, childlike,
             born yesterday, unaffected, unsophisticated, inexperienced,
             green, unworldly, unsuspecting, unenlightened, unsuspicious,
             trusting, trustful, gullible, artless, guileless, simple,
             simplistic, simple-minded, unpretentious, unpretending, candid,
             natural:  Is Chatterley na‹ve enough to believe that the
             gamekeeper's meetings with his wife were to discuss fox-hunting?

   na‹vety   n.  naivety, na‹vet‚ or na‹vet‚, ingenuousness, innocence,
             credulity, credulousness, inexperience, (blind) trust,
             gullibility, artlessness, callowness, guilelessness, simplicity,
             unpretentiousness, candour, naturalness, frankness, openness,
             sincerity:  I hope that no one takes advantage of her na‹vety.

   naked     adj.  1 stark naked, unclothed, undraped, bare, exposed,
             stripped, undressed, unclad, uncovered, bared, nude, in the
             nude, Colloq in the altogether, in one's birthday suit, in the
             buff, in the raw, au naturel, in a state of nature, Brit
             starkers, in the nuddy:  The two of them stood there, completely
             naked.  2 unaided, unassisted:  Stars of the seventh magnitude
             or brighter are visible to the naked eye. 3 plain, unadorned,
             unembellished, stark, overt, patent, obvious, conspicuous,
             manifest, sheer, undisguised, unvarnished, unmitigated, evident,
             palpable, unconcealed, in plain sight or view, blatant,
             barefaced, undeniable, glaring, flagrant, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable, unalloyed, unmixed, blunt, unadulterated, pure:
             He told her the naked truth about how he felt.  4 unsheathed,
             unprotected, bare, exposed:  How dare he show a naked sword in
             the presence of the Emperor?!

   name      n.  1 designation, label, appellation, term, tag, style, Colloq
             moniker or monicker, handle:  His name is Chauncy but they call
             him Rusty.  2 reputation; repute, honour, esteem, (high) regard,
             respect, rank, standing, rating, pre-eminence, superiority,
             eminence, notability, prominence, prestige, favour, distinction,
             renown, fame, popularity, celebrity:  She has made a name for
             herself as a clever business executive.  He thinks he has to
             protect his name as a ladies' man. 3 personage, somebody,
             celebrity, star, superstar, hero, VIP, dignitary, luminary,
             Colloq big shot, bigwig, big cheese, big name:  The programme
             included some well-known names in the entertainment world.

             --v.  4 label, tag, style, entitle; call, dub, christen,
             baptize:  They named their book 'The Alien Tongue'. Why would
             people want to name their child 'Quercus'? 5 choose, elect,
             select, delegate, nominate, designate, appoint; identify,
             denominate, pinpoint, specify:  She has been named 'Woman of the
             Year'. I asked her to name our wedding day. She refuses to name
             her attacker. 6 name names. identify, specify, mention, cite:
             In exchange for a lighter sentence, the witness agreed to name
             names.

   nameless  adj.  1 unnamed, innominate, unidentified, anonymous,
             pseudonymous, incognito, unknown, unheard-of, unsung:  How much
             we owe the nameless inventor of the wheel!  2 inexpressible,
             indefinable, unidentifiable, unspecified, unspecifiable:  A
             nameless dread seized him as he entered the cave.  3 ineffable,
             unutterable, unspeakable, unmentionable, abominable, horrible,
             indescribable, repulsive:  Paganism allowed man to sink beneath
             a flood of nameless sensualities.

   namely    adv.  specifically, to wit, that is (to say), id est, i.e.,
             videlicet, viz., scilicet, sc.; for example, for instance,
             exempli gratia, e.g.  or eg or eg.:  We visited three countries,
             namely, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

   nap°      v.  1 doze, nod (off), catnap, Colloq catch forty winks, drop
             off (to sleep), get some shut-eye, snooze, zizz, US catch or log
             a few zees (Z's):  I nap every afternoon.

             --adv.  2 napping. unawares, off guard, unexpectedly, in an
             unguarded moment:  The ball, hit to his backhand, caught him
             napping.

             --n.  3 doze, catnap, siesta, Colloq forty winks, shut-eye,
             snooze, zizz, Brit lie-down:  Take a short nap before dinner.

   napэ      n.  pile, fibre, texture, weave, down, shag:  Choose a carpet
             with a short nap for areas of heavy wear.

   narcotic  adj.  1 soporific, stuporific, hypnotic, sedative, somnolent,
             sleep-inducing, opiate, dulling, numbing, anaesthetic,
             stupefacient, stupefying, stupefactive, tranquillizing, Lethean:
             Most narcotic drugs may be sold only with a doctor's
             prescription.

             --n.  2 drug, soporific, stuporific, hypnotic, sedative, opiate,
             anaesthetic, stupefacient, tranquillizer:  Many doctors are
             reluctant to prescribe narcotics.

   narrate   v.  relate, tell, recount, report, give an account (of), recite,
             rehearse, repeat, review, unfold, chronicle, describe, detail,
             reveal, retail:  She narrated a bone-chilling story of intrigue
             and murder. Please narrate the events leading up to your finding
             the body, Mrs Easton.

   narration n.  1 telling, relating, unfolding, recounting, chronicling,
             recording, describing; report, recital, recitation, rehearsal,
             relation, chronicle, description, portrayal, detailing,
             revelation, story, tale, narrative:  His narration was
             accompanied by nervous gestures. Her narration disagrees with
             her husband's in certain essential respects. 2 reading,
             voice-over:  The narration did not seem to be coordinated with
             the pictures on the screen.

   narrative n.  1 story, tale, chronicle, description, revelation,
             portrayal, account, report, record, history, recital, statement:
             The characterizations were poor, but the narrative was
             fascinating.

             --adj.  2 storytelling, chronicling, anecdotal:  One of her
             long, narrative poems has been published in a collection.

   narrator  n.  reporter, storyteller, raconteur, taleteller, teller of
             tales, anecdotist or anecdotalist, relator, annalist,
             chronicler, describer, author; voice-over:  We sat spellbound
             waiting for the narrator to continue.

   narrow    adj.  1 constricted, slender, slim, thin, restricted,
             straitened, attenuated, narrowed; narrowing, tapering:  We
             squeezed through the narrow passage to freedom.  2 confined,
             confining, limited, cramped, close, meagre, pinched, tight,
             incommodious:  I awoke in a cell so narrow I could scarcely
             move.  3 strict, careful, close, precise, exact, exacting,
             demanding, finicky, finical, sharp, meticulous, scrupulous,
             fussy, rigid, searching, critical:  The suspected forgeries were
             submitted to the narrow scrutiny of several experts. 4
             restricted, limited, circumscribed, proscribed, denotative:  I
             learnt the meaning of charity in its narrowest sense.  5 See
             narrow-minded, below.  6 close, hairbreadth, lucky:  I'd had a
             very narrow escape, for the bullet just grazed my scalp.  7
             stingy, niggardly, parsimonious, miserly, tight, sparing,
             tight-fisted, mean, mercenary Brit mingy, Dialectal near, Colloq
             close:  He was so narrow he barely allowed himself the
             essentials.

             --v.  8 constrict, limit, qualify, reduce, lessen, diminish,
             decrease:  She narrowed her chances of winning by buying only
             one lottery ticket. 9 limit, restrict, focus, confine,
             concentrate, narrow down:  They have narrowed the search for the
             boy to the area near Chester.

             --n.  10 narrows. strait(s), channel, passage:  The vessel
             approached the narrows at dead slow speed.

   narrowly  adv.  1 barely, (only) just, scarcely, hardly, by a hair's
             breadth; by the skin of one's teeth, Colloq by a whisker:  The
             speeding lorry narrowly missed those children.  2 closely,
             carefully, meticulously, scrupulously, searchingly, critically:
             She regarded him narrowly before speaking.

   narrow-minded
             adj.  bigoted, prejudiced, illiberal, narrow, biased,
             opinionated, one-sided, intolerant, non-objective, conservative,
             reactionary, parochial, ultra-conservative, stiff-necked,
             conventional, hidebound, fundamentalist, literal-minded,
             narrow-spirited, mean-minded, mean-spirited, petty,
             pettifogging, small-minded, puritanical, unprogressive,
             old-fashioned, old-fogyish or old-fogeyish, strait-laced, Colloq
             stuffy, US close-minded, square, screed-bound, red-necked:  The
             vote reflected a reasonable balance between broad-minded and
             narrow-minded factions.

   nasty     adj.  1 foul, filthy, dirty, unclean, offensive, disgusting,
             nauseating, revolting, horrible, loathsome, repugnant,
             repellent, vile, odious, obnoxious, objectionable, nauseous,
             sickening, vomit-provoking, fetid or foetid, noisome, mephitic,
             rank, malodorous, rancid, noxious:  The nasty stench of rotting
             vegetation assailed our nostrils.  2 unpleasant, disagreeable,
             unsavoury, painful, objectionable, annoying, untoward, awkward,
             difficult, bad, serious:  Lord Petherbridge had some very nasty
             experiences in the war.  3 obscene, dirty, pornographic, blue,
             smutty, lewd, vulgar, sordid, indecent, licentious, gross,
             coarse, crude, rude, ribald, bawdy, risqu‚, off colour,
             suggestive, Colloq X-rated, raunchy:  The shops are selling some
             rather nasty videos that I don't want the children to watch. 4
             unpleasant, disagreeable, ugly, bad-tempered, vicious, currish,
             surly, abusive, spiteful, irascible, ill-natured, ill-tempered,
             cruel, inconsiderate, rude, churlish, obnoxious, crotchety,
             curmudgeonly, cantankerous, crabbed, cranky, US and Canadian
             mean:  Why is your father so nasty to everyone who wants to go
             out with you? 5 bad, severe, acute, painful, serious; dangerous,
             critical:  I got a nasty shock when I opened the cupboard door.
             That's a nasty wound you have there.

   nation    n.  country, state, land, political entity, polity, domain,
             realm:  The countries of Europe are unlikely to become one
             nation.

   national  adj.  1 nationwide, country-wide, state, governmental, civil;
             public, popular, US federal:  It took years to enact national
             clean-air laws.  2 nationalistic, nationalist, patriotic,
             jingoistic, chauvinistic:  During the war, national feelings ran
             high.

             --n.  3 citizen, subject, inhabitant, resident; native:
             Stephenson left England years ago and is now an Australian
             national.

   nationalistic
             adj.  nationalist, patriotic, jingoist(ic), chauvinist(ic),
             xenophobic, isolationist:  As communications improved,
             nationalistic feelings were eroded.

   nationality
             n.  1 citizenship:  Some countries allow their citizens dual
             nationality.  2 race, nation, ethnic group, ethnos, clan, tribe;
             strain, stock, pedigree, heritage, roots, extraction, bloodline,
             breed:  The country became a melting-pot of myriad
             nationalities.

   native    adj.  1 innate, natal, inborn, natural, inherent, congenital,
             indwelling, inherited, hereditary, in the blood, intrinsic,
             constitutional:  Early in life, Carla demonstrated a native
             ability for music.  2 domestic, local, home-grown; indigenous,
             autochthonous, aboriginal:  The native oysters in this area are
             superb.  3 basic, first, best, original, exclusive:  Can you
             tell that my native language is Hungarian?  4 national, ethnic,
             clan, tribal:  We visited a Dutch town where the people wear
             traditional native dress. 5 aboriginal, provincial, local:  We
             soon fell in with the native custom of taking a siesta.  6 born;
             by birth:  Are you a native Glaswegian?

             --n.  7 aborigine, indigene, autochthon; national, citizen,
             resident, inhabitant:  It is not difficult to distinguish the
             natives from the tourists in London.

   natural   adj.  1 ordinary, common, commonplace, normal, standard,
             regular, usual, customary, unexceptional, routine, habitual,
             typical, everyday; reasonable, logical, reasonable, sensible,
             accepted:  They say that Count Dracula could not die a natural
             death. The natural thing to do in case of attack is to defend
             oneself. 2 normal, ordinary, regular, expected; spontaneous:
             The natural motion of the waves carried the bottle out to sea.
             3 simple, basic, fundamental, real, unartificial, genuine,
             unembellished, unadorned, unpretentious:  She has great natural
             beauty and needs no cosmetics.  4 unstudied, unconstrained,
             candid, frank, spontaneous, unaffected, easy, honest, straight,
             straightforward, artless, guileless, impulsive, unpremeditated,
             unaffected, ingenuous, unsophisticated, unsophistic(al):  His
             kindness is quite natural.  5 See native, 1, above:  She has a
             natural gift for painting.  6 true, real, genuine, actual,
             authentic, bona fide:  That, believe it or not, is his natural
             hair.  7 lifelike, true to life, realistic:  Note the natural
             colours of the sea in this painting by Whistler.  8
             illegitimate, bastard:  He was the duke's natural son and had no
             claim on the estate.  9 consistent, consonant, consequent,
             logical, reasonable, fitting, appropriate, proper, expected, not
             incongruous, understandable:  In the circumstances, it would
             have been natural for her to despise Jonathan. 10 organic,
             organically grown, non-chemical, health:  They eat only natural
             foods, which they grow themselves.

             --n.  11 genius, artist, talent:  When it comes to chess, Boris
             is a natural.  12 Archaic idiot, imbecile, simpleton, fool,
             halfwit:  One would have to be a natural to give money to that
             crook.

   naturally adv.  1 (as a matter) of course, needless to say, to be sure,
             certainly, surely, not unexpectedly, as expected or anticipated,
             obviously, clearly, logically, consequently, as a consequence or
             result:  He treated her badly, so, naturally, she refuses to see
             him again.  2 normally, by nature, by character, really,
             actually, genuinely; inherently, instinctively, innately,
             congenitally:  My hair is naturally curly. He is not aloof, just
             naturally shy.  3 unaffectedly, unpretentiously, easily,
             candidly, openly, simply, plainly, honestly, straightforwardly,
             uncomplicatedly:  If only politicians expressed themselves
             naturally and not pompously.

   nature    n.  1 quality, properties, features, character, personality,
             make-up, essence, constitution, identity, attributes,
             disposition, temperament, complexion:  Only detailed analysis
             will reveal the nature of this compound.  It is not in his
             nature to be envious. 2 universe, cosmos, world, creation,
             environment:  Science fiction deals with phenomena and
             contrivances that defy the laws of nature. 3 scenery,
             countryside, wildness, primitiveness, simplicity:  I often
             enjoyed sitting by the river, communing with nature.  4 kind,
             variety, description, sort, class, category, type, genre,
             species; stamp, cast, mould, feather, kidney, colour, stripe:
             The duties of the position are largely of a ceremonial nature.
             5 by nature. See naturally, 2, above.

   naught    n.  nought, nothing, nil, zero, aught or ought; ruin,
             destruction, disaster, collapse, failure:  All my efforts had
             come to naught.

   naughty   adj.  1 mischievous, impish, puckish, roguish, scampish,
             devilish; frolicsome, playful:  The children would get naughty
             the minute the teacher turned her back to the class. 2
             disobedient, refractory, insubordinate, bad, perverse, wicked,
             fractious, unruly, wayward, unmanageable, ungovernable,
             undisciplined, defiant, obstreperous:  Naughty pupils in this
             school are birched.  3 improper, offensive, vulgar, indecent,
             immoral, risqu‚, off colour, ribald, bawdy, blue, pornographic,
             smutty, lewd, obscene, dirty, Colloq X-rated, raunchy:  The
             teacher caught Keith reading a naughty book.

   nauseate  v.  sicken, disgust, repel, revolt, offend:  Your hypocrisy
             nauseates me. When you get used to it, eating snails no longer
             seems nauseating.

   nauseated adj.  sickened, disgusted, repelled, revolted, offended, sick
             (to one's stomach), queasy, squeamish; seasick, carsick,
             airsick:  They were nauseated when they saw the cadavers. I
             became nauseated by the rocking of the boat.

   nauseous  adj.  nauseating, loathsome, sickening, disgusting, repellent,
             vomit-provoking, offensive, revolting, repugnant, repulsive,
             abhorrent, nasty, foul, unpleasant, stomach-turning, Technical
             emetic:  A nauseous odour emanated from the crypt.

   nautical  adj.  maritime, marine, seafaring, seagoing; naval; boating,
             yachting, sailing; navigational:  Britain has always been a
             nautical nation. One must observe the nautical rules of the
             road.

   navel     n.  Technical umbilicus, omphalos, Colloq belly button:  The
             dancer wore a ruby in her navel.

   navigable adj.  1 passable, traversable, negotiable, unblocked,
             unobstructed, clear:  The Thames is not navigable above
             Lechlade.  2 manoeuvrable, sailable, controllable, steerable,
             yare:  My boat is navigable when under way at about four knots.

   navigate  v.  1 sail, voyage, cruise, journey; cross, traverse:  After
             navigating the Indian Ocean for a month, we reached the
             Seychelles. 2 manoeuvre, handle, sail, guide, pilot, steer,
             direct, skipper, captain, Nautical con:  It was tricky
             navigating through the shoals. Richard has navigated the company
             through rough waters over the years.

   navigation
             n.  pilotage, helmsmanship, seamanship, steersmanship, steering,
             sailing:  The navigation of a small vessel in such a storm is no
             mean task.

   navigator n.  pilot, helmsman, seaman, tillerman, wheelman, steersman,
             skipper:  The navigator without knowledge of local waterways
             must engage a pilot.

   navy      n.  fleet, flotilla, naval force(s), armada, Literary argosy:
             The entire navy sailed across the Channel to Le Havre.

   naysayer  n.  denier, refuser, disdainer, rejecter or rejector; prophet of
             doom, pessimist, sceptic, dissenter, defeatist:  Don't expect
             any encouragement from a naysayer like Raymond.

14.2 near...
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   near      adv.  1 close (by or at hand), not far (off or away), nearby,
             nigh, in or into the vicinity or neighbourhood, within (easy)
             reach:  Draw near and listen to my tale.  2 close to, next to:
             Don't go near the edge!  3 nearly, almost, just about, wellnigh,
             close to being; not quite, virtually:  She was damn near killed
             in the car crash.

             --adj.  4 close, imminent, immediate, impending, looming,
             coming, approaching, forthcoming; in the offing, at hand:  We
             hope to settle the pollution problem in the near future. The
             time is near for me to go. 5 nearby, close, adjacent, next-door,
             close-by, adjoining, abutting, neighbouring, contiguous:  My
             nearest neighbours live a mile away.  6 stingy, mean, niggardly,
             miserly, parsimonious, penurious, cheap, penny-pinching,
             cheese-paring, selfish, close, tight-fisted, close-fisted:  He
             is so near he begrudged me even a cup of tea.  7 close,
             intimate, connected, related, attached:  In case of emergency,
             list the name and address of a near relative.  8 close, narrow,
             hairbreadth:  Although I escaped, it was a near thing.

             --prep.  9 close to, in the vicinity or neighbourhood of, next
             to, adjacent to, within reach of, within a mile of; a stone's
             throw from, not far (away) from:  She wouldn't allow the doctor
             to come near her. I live near the railway.

             --v.  10 approach, draw near or nigh, come close or closer,
             verge on, approximate on, lean towards:  As summer nears, I
             think of going on holiday. The ship neared port. His estimate is
             beginning to near mine.

   nearby    adv.  1 close by, close at hand, not far-off or -away, in the
             vicinity or neighbourhood, within (easy) reach, about, around:
             Hyenas loitered nearby waiting for the lions to leave the kill.

             --adj.  2 close, within reach, handy, accessible, at or to hand,
             adjacent:  Nearby villagers helped put out the fire. We always
             kept a gun nearby because of pirates.

   nearly    adv.  1 almost, not quite, about, approximately, all but, just
             about, virtually, wellnigh, practically, as good as, more or
             less; around, approaching, nearing, barely, hardly, scarcely,
             close to:  We were nearly there but couldn't make it. She was
             nearly ninety when her first book was published. 2 closely,
             identically, exactly, precisely:  Her opinions agree most nearly
             with his. His painting most nearly resembles Picasso's.

   near-sighted
             adj.  1 myopic, short-sighted:  Being near-sighted, I must wear
             spectacles for driving.  2 Chiefly US short-sighted,
             narrow-minded, blinkered, narrow, close-minded, illiberal,
             unthinking, heedless, insular, partial, one-sided, parochial,
             unsophisticated, unimaginative, biased, unobjective,
             opinionated, dogmatic, prejudiced, intolerant, bigoted:  They
             maintain a near-sighted attitude towards associating with anyone
             outside their immediate clique.

   neat      adj.  1 tidy, orderly, clean, uncluttered, trim, spruce, natty,
             fastidious, spick and span, shipshape (and Bristol fashion),
             organized, well-organized, well-ordered, systematic, Brit
             dialect trig, Colloq neat as a pin, Brit dinky:  His room was
             always neat - very odd for a teenager.  2 straight,
             unadulterated, unmixed, undiluted, uncut, unblended, pure; on
             the rocks:  He drinks his whisky neat.  3 unembellished,
             unadorned, unornamented, simple, elegant, graceful, smart,
             uncomplicated, regular, precise, copperplate; calligraphic:  An
             invitation in her neat handwriting awaited my return from
             abroad.  4 deft, adroit, clever, efficient, ingenious, expert,
             practised, skilful, dexterous:  He contrived a neat plan to
             avoid paying taxes.  5 fine, wonderful, marvellous, great,
             splendid, excellent, exceptional, capital, grand, first-class,
             Colloq cool, smashing, keen, nifty, top-notch, A1 or A-1 or
             A-one, Brit top-hole, Chiefly US A-OK or A-okay, Slang swell,
             far-out, boss, Brit topping, US and Canadian spiffy:  She found
             a really neat way to get boys to ask her out. Gordon has a neat
             new car.

   neaten    v.  Often, neaten up. tidy (up), straighten (up or out), clean
             (up), spruce up, (put in) order, Brit dialect trig:  If you
             don't neaten up your room, Mandy, you may not borrow the car.

   nebulous  adj.  vague, hazy, clouded, unclear, obscure, indistinct, fuzzy,
             muddy, ill-defined, shapeless, amorphous, blurred,
             indeterminate, murky, opaque, turbid, dim, foggy, faint, pale:
             He has only the most nebulous idea of what the lecture was
             about.

   necessarily
             adv.  inevitably, unavoidably, inescapably, axiomatically,
             inexorably, ineluctably, irresistibly, incontrovertibly,
             automatically, naturally, (as a matter) of course, as a result,
             certainly, surely, to be sure, like it or not, willy-nilly,
             perforce, of necessity, by definition:  If you accept his
             premise, then you must, necessarily, accept his conclusion. You
             don't necessarily need to be rich to be happy.

   necessary adj.  1 indispensable, essential, required, needed, compulsory,
             requisite, vital, demanded, imperative, obligatory, needful, of
             the essence, important, of the utmost importance, top-priority,
             high-priority, urgent, exigent, compelling, life-and-death or
             life-or-death:  A good diet is necessary for good health. It is
             necessary that you come at once. Take the necessary steps to get
             the job done. 2 inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable,
             ineluctable:  In the circumstances, we find it necessary to ask
             for your resignation.  3 sure, certain, predetermined,
             predestined, fated, inexorable; resulting, resultant:  The
             necessary outcome of the affair was that the child was returned
             to her natural parents.

             --n.  4 See necessity, 1, below.

   necessity n.  1 requirement, essential, necessary, requisite, need,
             prerequisite, basic, fundamental, sine qua non, desideratum,
             constraint:  I was marooned for a year with only the bare
             necessities of life.  We regard honesty as a necessity in a bank
             manager. 2 indispensability, unavoidability, needfulness,
             inexorability:  The necessity for exercise is often met by
             private health clubs.  3 poverty, want, indigence, need,
             destitution, penury, straits, difficulty, difficulties,
             pauperism, neediness:  The extreme necessity of the unemployed
             demands that the government act quickly. 4 urgency, emergency,
             crisis, misfortune, exigency, pinch, extreme, matter of life and
             death:  She has made a virtue of necessity. Electric power is no
             longer a matter of choice but of necessity.

   need      v.  1 require, demand, want, be in want of, call for, have need
             of or for; lack, miss, have occasion for:  This room needs a
             coat of paint. Although she may want more money, she doesn't
             need it. Do you need anything to make you more comfortable?

             --n.  2 necessity, requirement; call, demand, constraint:
             There's no need to shout - I can hear you. There is a need to
             keep this matter confidential. This facility will meet our
             electricity needs for decades. 3 essential, necessary,
             requisite, prerequisite, necessity, basic, fundamental, sine qua
             non, necessary, desideratum:  I am perfectly capable of taking
             care of my family's needs.  4 distress, difficulty, trouble,
             (dire or desperate) straits, stress, emergency, exigency,
             extremity, neediness, needfulness; poverty, penury,
             impecuniousness, destitution, privation, deprivation, indigence,
             beggary:  She was very supportive in his hour of need. The need
             of the people in that district is heart-rending. 5 want, lack,
             dearth, shortage, paucity, scarcity, insufficiency, desideratum:
             The need for medical supplies was most sharply felt in areas
             that were already ravaged by famine.

   needless  adj.  1 unnecessary, non-essential, unessential, unneeded,
             unwanted, useless, uncalled-for, gratuitous, superfluous,
             redundant, excess, excessive, tautological, dispensable,
             expendable, supererogatory, de trop, pleonastic:  He went to a
             lot of needless trouble to change the tyre. It is needless to
             raise further questions. 2 needless to say. naturally, (as a
             matter) of course, obviously, it goes without saying:  Needless
             to say, he will have to resign when this comes to light.

   needy     adj.  poor, indigent, poverty-stricken, destitute, impoverished,
             penniless, impecunious, necessitous, underprivileged, deprived,
             disadvantaged, below the poverty level, in dire straits, in or
             on the way to the poorhouse, in reduced circumstances,
             down-and-out, insolvent, Colloq on one's uppers, dead or flat or
             stony-broke, hard up, strapped, pinched, on the breadline, up
             against it, Brit on the dole, US dead broke, on welfare, on
             relief:  It is not enough to look after needy families only at
             Christmas time.

   negative  adj.  1 contradictory, anti, contrary, dissenting, dissentious,
             disputing, disputatious, argumentative, adversarial,
             adversative, antagonistic, antipathetic, adverse, US adversary:
             He has adopted a very negative attitude towards his job. Few
             negative voices were heard on the issue. 2 pessimistic,
             unenthusiastic, cool, cold, uninterested, unresponsive:  The
             reaction to our offer has been largely negative.  3 nullifying,
             annulling, neutralizing, voiding, cancelling:  The laws are
             mainly negative, listing only things one must not do. 4
             negating, refusing, denying, gainsaying, opposing:  The judge
             came to a negative decision regarding bail.  5 in the negative.
             negatively, 'No':  Asked if she wanted to go, she replied in the
             negative.

   neglect   v.  1 disregard, ignore, slight, pay no attention to, be
             inattentive to, overlook, pass by, spurn, rebuff, scorn,
             disdain, contemn, Colloq cold-shoulder:  Scholars neglected his
             work for years.  2 fail (in), omit; disregard, let slide or
             pass, be remiss (about or in or regarding), abandon, lose sight
             of, forget, shirk:  Have I neglected telling you how much I love
             you? Sybil has neglected her obligations.

             --n.  3 disregard, disrespect, inattention, indifference,
             slighting, unconcern, oversight, heedlessness, neglectfulness,
             carelessness, inadvertence:  We lost business to our competitor
             through simple neglect.  4 negligence, laxity, laxness,
             slackness, neglectfulness, passivity, passiveness, inactivity,
             inaction, dereliction, default, failure, failing, remissness:
             She has been accused of neglect in looking after her children
             properly.

   negligence
             n.  inattention, inattentiveness, indifference, carelessness,
             unconcern, dereliction, failure, failing, heedlessness, laxity,
             laxness, disregard, oversight, omission, inadvertence, neglect,
             remissness, forgetfulness, oscitancy or oscitance:  The car
             crash was attributed to the lorry driver's negligence.

   negligible
             adj.  insignificant, minor, unimportant, trifling, trivial,
             inconsequential, piddling, inappreciable, small, slight, paltry,
             nugatory, worthless, petty, niggling, not worth mentioning or
             talking about:  The differences between the two plans are
             negligible.

   negotiate v.  1 deal, bargain, dicker, haggle, chaffer, palter; discuss,
             debate, mediate, consult, parley, speak, talk, transact, come to
             terms:  A conglomerate is negotiating to buy our company. The
             company asked me to negotiate on our behalf. 2 arrange (for),
             organize, orchestrate, conduct, handle, manoeuvre, manage,
             engineer, work out, settle, get, obtain, bring off or about,
             carry off, accomplish, do, execute, effect, complete, conclude,
             Colloq pull off:  Will you be able to negotiate a loan for the
             car?  3 manoeuvre, clear, get through or past or round or over,
             pass, cross, Colloq make (it (through or past or round or
             over)):  Will you be able to negotiate the barbed-wire fence?

   negotiation
             n.  1 discussion, mediation, arbitration, bargaining, parley,
             parleying, talk, coming to terms:  The disarmament negotiations
             have dragged on for years.  2 deal, bargain, transaction,
             agreement, arrangement, understanding, determination, decision,
             settlement; contract, pact, compact, covenant, concordat,
             treaty:  All parties seem pleased with the final negotiation.

   negotiator
             n.  arbitrator, arbiter, mediator, moderator, diplomat,
             ambassador, go-between, middleman, intercessor, interceder,
             intervener, agent, broker:  An independent negotiator was
             invited to the bargaining table with the union and management
             representatives.

   neighbourhood
             n.  1 locality, area, region, vicinity, vicinage, environs,
             quarter, district, precinct(s), purlieus, locale; surroundings,
             confines:  Houses in the neighbourhood of the blast were
             levelled.  2 in the neighbourhood of. approximately, about,
             around, nearly, practically, close to, almost, more or less,
             Colloq in the ballpark of, in the region of, Brit getting on
             for, not far off, US within an eyelash of, Slang as near as
             dammit to:  The playground will cost in the neighbourhood of
             њ5,000.

   neighbouring
             adj.  nearby, near, around, adjacent (to), surrounding,
             adjoining, contiguous (to), touching, bordering (on), next (to),
             nearest:  Owners of properties neighbouring the nuclear power
             plant worry about radiation. The neighbouring villages will
             participate in the f€te at Long Norton.

   neighbourly
             adj.  friendly, cordial, warm, amiable, agreeable, affable,
             companionable, well-disposed, kindly, kind, well-wishing,
             genial, sociable, social, harmonious, considerate, thoughtful,
             helpful, gracious, courteous, civil:  It was quite neighbourly
             of the Constables to look after our cat.

   neologism n.  neoterism, coinage, neology, nonce-word; blend, portmanteau
             word:  Lexicographers must decide the neologisms to be added to
             their dictionaries.

   nerve     n.  1 courage, coolness, boldness, bravery, intrepidity,
             determination, valour, daring, fearlessness, dauntlessness,
             pluck, mettle, spirit, fortitude, will, tenacity, steadfastness,
             staunchness, firmness, doughtiness, resoluteness, Colloq guts,
             grit, gumption, spunk, US sand, Brit bottle, US moxie , Taboo
             slang balls:  It took a lot of nerve to go back into that
             burning building.  2 effrontery, brazenness, gall, impertinence,
             brass, impudence, insolence, audacity, brashness, presumption,
             presumptuousness, temerity, Colloq cheek, sauce, chutzpah, Slang
             crust:  You have a lot of nerve, talking to your mother that
             way!  3 get on someone's nerves. annoy, irritate, upset:  That
             loud rock music gets on my nerves.  4 nerves. tension,
             nervousness, hysteria, anxiety, fretfulness, stress, worry,
             apprehension, fright, Colloq the jitters, Slang the willies, the
             heebie-jeebies, US the whim-whams:  I had a bad case of nerves
             before learning the doctor's diagnosis.

   nerve-racking
             adj.  nerve-wracking, harrowing, agonizing, distressing, trying,
             vexing, vexatious, troublesome, worrisome, irksome, irritating:
             Waiting for the names of the survivors was the most
             nerve-racking experience of my life.

   nervous   adj.  1 highly-strung, excitable, sensitive, tense, agitated,
             wrought up, worked up, upset, flustered, ruffled, disturbed,
             perturbed, distressed, worried, anxious, troubled, concerned,
             disquieted, edgy, on edge, on tenterhooks, fidgety, fretful,
             uneasy, apprehensive, frightened, fearful, shaky, scared,
             skittish, US on a tightrope, Colloq jumpy, jittery, flappable,
             in a stew, in a dither, in a sweat, in a tizzy, in a flap,
             uptight, Brit nervy, US on pins and needles, Slang strung out:
             Thomas is nervous because he has to give a speech.  2 difficult,
             tense, critical:  There were a few nervous moments before we
             knew if the rope would hold.

   nest      n.  1 roost, perch, eyrie or US also aerie, den, lair:  The
             birds, which mate for life, return to the same nest each year.
             2 snuggery, retreat, refuge, haunt, hideaway, hide-out; resort:
             We have a little nest in the country which we escape to at
             weekends.

   nestle    v.  cuddle (up), snuggle (up), huddle, curl up, nuzzle (up):
             They nestled close together to keep warm.

   net°      n.  1 network, netting, mesh, mesh-work, web, webbing, openwork,
             lattice, lattice-work, trellis, trellis-work, lace-work,
             reticulum, reticle, rete, plexus, grid, grid-work, grille,
             grate, grating, fretwork; sieve, screen, strainer, sifter:  They
             watched the fishermen mending their nets.

             --v.  2 catch, capture, trap, entrap, snare, ensnare, bag:  As I
             bring the fish close to the boat, you net it with this.

   netэ      n.  1 nett, (net) profit, gain, earnings, return(s), Colloq US
             take:  The net for the first quarter was 15 per cent higher than
             last year's.

             --adj.  2 clear, after deductions, after taxes, take-home,
             final, bottom-line:  The tax increase was greater than my salary
             increase, so my net income was lower this year. 3 final, end,
             closing, concluding, conclusive, effective, ultimate:  The net
             result of the advertising campaign was a sales increase of 18
             per cent.

             --v.  4 make, realize, clear, take home, bring in, earn, pocket,
             take in, get:  How much did you net last year - after taxes,
             that is.

   network   n.  1 See net°, 1, above.  2 system, arrangement, structure,
             organization, complex, grid, criss-cross, web, plexus; maze,
             labyrinth, jungle, tangle:  She has developed a worldwide
             network of contacts for her business.  Before transistors, the
             back of a radio was a network of multicoloured wires.

   neurotic  adj.  psychoneurotic, unstable, disturbed, confused, irrational,
             disordered, maladjusted, distraught, overwrought, anxious,
             nervous, obsessive, deviant, abnormal:  Many people are neurotic
             about something.

   neuter    adj.  1 asexual, sexless, epicene:  Worker bees are neuter,
             neither male nor female.

             --v.  2 desex or desexualize, doctor; castrate, emasculate,
             geld, capon or caponize, eunuchize; spay, ovariectomize,
             oophorectomize; Colloq fix, cut, US alter:  We had our cat
             neutered after her first litter.

   neutral   adj.  1 non-belligerent, non-combatant, unaligned, non-aligned,
             unaffiliated, uninvolved, unallied, non-allied, non-partisan,
             impartial, disinterested, indifferent, dispassionate, unbiased,
             uncommitted, noncommittal, aloof, withdrawn, detached, remote,
             removed:  Switzerland has remained neutral during both world
             wars.  2 dull, drab, colourless, achromatic, toneless,
             indeterminate, washed out, pale, indefinite, indistinct,
             indistinguishable, indeterminate, vague, drab, beige, ecru:  A
             neutral wallpaper colour won't clash with the paintings.

   neutralize
             v.  void, annul, cancel (out), nullify, invalidate, negate,
             delete, undo, make or render ineffective, counterbalance,
             counteract, offset, equalize, even, square, compensate for, make
             up for:  The forces on both sides of the sail, being equal,
             neutralize each other.

   never     adv.  1 at no time, not ever, not at any time, on no occasion,
             under no circumstances or condition(s), on no account, not at
             all, Colloq not in a million years, not till hell freezes over:
             You are never to use such language again!  2 in no way, not in
             any way, not in the least, not in any degree, not under any
             condition, not:  Never fear, for I am near.

   nevertheless
             adv.  still, notwithstanding, yet, in spite of that, despite
             that, nonetheless, regardless, be that as it may, for all that,
             even so, but, however, just or all the same, everything
             considered, at any rate, anyway, in any case, in any event, at
             all events, Literary withal:  He said he dislikes sweets;
             nevertheless, he ate a whole bar of chocolate.

   new       adj.  1 novel, original, unique, unusual, different, fresh,
             creative, imaginative, brand-new:  Ruth has a new idea for the
             sales campaign.  2 latest, late, modern, contemporary, modish,
             stylish, fashionable, chic, recent, advanced, up to date,
             brand-new, late-model, Colloq trendy, Slang mod, hip:  MacGregor
             buys a new car every year: it has to be equipped with the newest
             gadgets. 3 fresh, further, additional, supplemental,
             supplementary:  Has the new issue of Verbatim come out yet?  4
             unfamiliar, unknown, strange, different; unique, unheard of:  I
             hear there's a new girl in your office. I want to introduce my
             new friend, Dan Hammond. Every year they discover a new virus. 5
             revitalized, reborn, renewed, rejuvenated, changed, altered,
             redone, restored, redesigned, remodelled:  I saw before me a new
             Marie. They published a new version of the Bible. 6
             inexperienced, green, fresh, callow, unfledged, budding,
             immature, unripe, untrained:  Let us look over the new recruits,
             Sergeant.  7 late, young, recent:  We found newer fossils at
             higher levels.  8 uncharted, unexplored, untrodden, unknown,
             experimental:  Astronomers are breaking new ground in the
             analysis of pulsars.

   newcomer  n.  1 alien, immigrant, foreigner, outlander, stranger, settler,
             colonist, outsider:  The newcomers quickly established
             themselves and became self-sufficient.  2 beginner, amateur,
             novice, proselyte, neophyte, tiro or tyro, initiate, trainee,
             learner, fledgling or Brit also fledgeling, US freshman, Colloq
             greenhorn:  Though experienced in book publishing, he was a
             newcomer to magazine publishing.

   news      n.  1 tidings, word, information, advice, intelligence; rumour,
             talk, gossip, hearsay, dirt, scandal, expos‚, Colloq info,
             low-down, scoop, US scuttlebutt, Slang dope:  What's the latest
             news about the situation in the Middle East?  2 dispatch or
             despatch, report, account, story, communication, bulletin,
             communiqu‚, announcement, information, message, word, statement,
             (press) release, (news)flash:  The news from our correspondent
             contains no mention of finding a cache of arms. 3 newscast, news
             broadcast or telecast, news programme; newsflash:  Please be
             quiet so that I can listen to the news.  4 (good) copy,
             front-page news, (hot) item:  The royal family is always news.

14.3 nice...
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   nice      adj.  1 pleasant, agreeable, amiable, amicable, friendly,
             cordial, warm, gracious, warm-hearted, kind, kindly, outgoing,
             charming, genial, delightful, courteous, polite, refined,
             gentlemanly, ladylike, winsome, likeable, attractive:  They are
             one of the nicest couples I have ever met.  2 good,
             satisfactory, commendable, worthy, worthwhile:  The manager said
             that I had done a nice job in preparing the specifications.  3
             good, fine, superb, superior, attentive, sharp, acute, keen,
             careful, exact, exacting, rigorous; precise, accurate, unerring,
             scrupulous, meticulous, punctilious, discriminating,
             discriminative, perceptive, delicate, fastidious, flawless,
             faultless, subtle, strict, close, small, slight, minute,
             complex, complicated, intricate:  A diamond cutter must have a
             nice eye for detail. It is difficult to maintain nice
             distinctions of meaning among certain words, given that people
             are so careless with their speech these days. 4 delicate,
             subtle, sensitive, exquisite, hair-splitting, over-nice, fine,
             critical, ticklish, dangerous, precarious, perilous, Colloq
             hairy:  The matter of Hong Kong requires some nice political
             negotiations.  5 trim, well turned out, tidy, neat, fine:  Don't
             you want to look nice for your birthday party?  6 nice and -
             pleasantly, delightfully, pleasingly, agreeably, enjoyably,
             gratifyingly, satisfyingly, comfortably:  It's nice and warm by
             the fire.

   niche     n.  1 recess, hollow, alcove, nook:  A small statue of Buddha
             stood in a niche in the wall.  2 place, position, Colloq slot,
             pigeon-hole:  Humphrey has finally found a niche for himself
             working as a tax inspector.

   nick      n.  1 cut, notch, chip, gouge, gash, scratch, dent, indentation,
             flaw, mark, blemish, defect:  Be careful of that nick in the rim
             of the glass.  2 jail or Brit also gaol; police station:  The
             police took him to the nick to help them with their inquiries.

             --v.  3 steal, purloin, take, appropriate, make off with, Colloq
             pinch:  Who nicked my biro?  4 arrest, nab, take in, Colloq
             collar:  Alan was nicked for possession of marijuana.  5 nick
             off. depart, go or run off or away, take off, take to one's
             heels, show a clean pair of heels, beat a (hasty) retreat,
             Colloq scarper, make tracks, beat it:  The cops were coming so I
             nicked off.

   nickname  n.  1 pet name, sobriquet, epithet, agnomen, Colloq moniker or
             monicker, handle:  Her real name is Josephine, but her nickname
             is Dusty.  2 diminutive:  A common nickname for Terence is
             Terry.

   nifty     adj.  1 smart, stylish, modish, chic, spruce:  I borrowed a
             nifty outfit from Grandma for the flapper's costume ball. 2
             healthy, in good form, spry, energetic, agile, quick:  I'm not
             as nifty as I was in 1950.  3 excellent, neat, great, splendid,
             fine, clever, skilful, apt, suitable:  Having a picnic was a
             nifty idea. That was as nifty a bit of bargaining as I 've ever
             seen. 4 satisfactory, satisfying, good, profitable, substantial,
             considerable:  He made a nifty profit on the sale of his house
             in Chelsea.

   niggle    v.  find fault, nag, carp, fuss, cavil, criticize; complain,
             Colloq grouse, Slang bitch, US kvetch:  I do wish she would stop
             niggling when we cannot do anything about the situation.

   niggling  adj.  1 irritating, worrying, worrisome, irksome, vexing,
             vexatious, annoying, troublesome:  There are a few niggling
             matters that I must see my accountant about. 2 petty, nugatory,
             trifling, trivial, fussy, insignificant, unimportant,
             inconsequential, frivolous, Colloq piddling, nit-picking, US and
             Canadian picayune:  Bill always ignores the core of a problem
             and occupies himself with the niggling details.

   night     n.  1 (Stygian or Cimmerian) dark or darkness or blackness or
             gloom; night-time, shades of night, Formal tenebrosity or
             tenebrousness or tenebriousness:  The strange creature slunk off
             into the night.  2 nightfall, gloaming, twilight, dusk,
             eventide, evening, evensong, edge of night, sunset, sundown, end
             of day, vespers:  When night comes, one can hear the frogs
             calling from the pond.  3 night and day. all the time,
             continually, incessantly, unceasingly, continuously, unendingly,
             endlessly, round-the-clock, ceaselessly, non-stop:  Those
             animals keep up their caterwauling night and day.

   nightly   adj.  1 every night, each night, each and every night, night
             after night:  The watchman does his nightly rounds.  2
             night-time, nocturnal, bedtime:  A nightly glass of warm milk
             promotes sound sleep.

             --adv.  3 every night, each night, nights, after dark, after
             sunset; nocturnally:  The bird sings nightly outside my window.

   nightmarish
             adj.  frightening, terrifying, alarming, horrific, horrible,
             dreadful, awful, ghastly, dismaying, agonizing, worrisome,
             exasperating, frustrating, Kafkaesque, Colloq creepy, scary:
             Dealing with officialdom can be a nightmarish experience when
             abroad.

   nil       n.  nothing, zero, nought or naught, aught or ought, Tennis,
             table tennis, etc. love, Cricket duck, US goose-egg, Slang US
             zip:  Oxford United: 4; Queens Park Rangers: Nil.

   nimble    adj.  1 agile, lively, active, light, lithe, limber, spry,
             sprightly, brisk, smart, energetic, rapid, quick, swift, adroit,
             deft, dexterous; nimble-fingered; nimble-footed:  She's as
             nimble as a cat on a hot tin roof.  2 agile, alert, acute,
             nimble-witted, quick-witted, ready-witted, intelligent, keen,
             sharp; smart, brilliant, sparkling, scintillating, coruscating:
             Despite his inability to make decisions, Desmond has quite a
             nimble mind.

   nip°      v.  1 bite, nibble; pinch, snip, clip, cut, snap, tweak, twitch,
             trim, lop, crop, shear; grip, squeeze:  The dog nipped the
             postman's ankle. Nip off the suckers to promote healthy growth
             of the tomatoes. 2 nip in the bud. stop, arrest, check, thwart,
             frustrate, stymie, forestall; quash, squelch, suppress,
             extinguish, put down:  The revolt of the army officers was
             nipped in the bud.

             --n.  3 bite, nibble, morsel, pinch, snip:  The deer had taken
             nips off the tips of the shrubbery.  4 chill, coldness, iciness,
             sharpness, tang, bite:  There's a definite wintry nip in the air
             tonight.

   nipэ      n.  taste, drop, sip, soup‡on, portion, swallow, gulp, mouthful,
             finger, Brit peg, tot, draught, Scots dram, US draft, Colloq
             snort, shot:  I had a few nips of brandy to ward off the cold.

14.4 nobility...
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   nobility  n.  1 nobleness, dignity, grandeur, illustriousness, greatness,
             glory, influence, authority, leadership, distinction, probity,
             integrity, excellence, goodness, character, rectitude,
             righteousness, ethics, honesty, honourableness, decency,
             justness, high-mindedness, magnanimity, prestige, loftiness,
             primacy, significance:  The man's nobility was evident from his
             mien and bearing.  2 rank, position, class, birth, blue blood:
             Their nobility is recognized only at court and in fashionable
             society. 3 the nobility. the gentry, the ‚lite, the aristocracy,
             Colloq the upper crust, the ruling class(es), the Establishment,
             US the Four Hundred:  With a name like Hohenzollern, her family
             must be from the European nobility.

   noble     n.  1 nobleman, noblewoman, aristocrat, patrician, lord, lady,
             peer; gentleman, gentlewoman, Colloq blue blood:  The nobles
             united and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta.

             --adj.  2 high-born, high-class, upper-class, aristocratic,
             titled, high-ranking, lordly, patrician, Colloq blue-blood(ed):
             She came from a noble Austrian family.  3 dignified, eminent,
             distinguished, august, grand, lofty, elevated, illustrious,
             prestigious, pre-eminent, noted, honoured, esteemed, celebrated,
             renowned, acclaimed, respected, venerated:  The noble Knights of
             the Round Table have become legend throughout the world. 4
             upright, righteous, honourable, honest, virtuous, incorruptible,
             chivalrous, staunch, steadfast, true, loyal, faithful,
             trustworthy, true, principled, moral, good, decent,
             self-sacrificing, magnanimous, generous:  The qualities that
             make a noble friend make a formidable enemy.  5 splendid,
             magnificent, imposing, impressive, stately, exquisite, sublime,
             grand, striking, stunning, superb, admirable, elegant, rich,
             sumptuous, luxurious:  The Taj Mahal is probably one of the
             noblest works of man.

   nobody    pron.  1 no one, not anyone, no person:  We had to wait because
             nobody was in the shop when we entered.

             --n.  2 nonentity, unknown, zero, cipher, Colloq nothing:
             Overnight, Tony went from being a celebrity to being a nobody.

   nod       v.  1 greet, acknowledge, recognize:  The maЊtre d'h“tel nodded
             to me as I entered the restaurant.  2 say yes; consent, assent,
             agree, concur, acquiesce:  Asked if she had seen Nick, the
             barmaid nodded. I asked permission to leave the room and the
             teacher nodded. 3 doze (off), nap, drowse, drop off, fall
             asleep:  Exhausted travellers nodded in their chairs waiting for
             their flights to be announced. 4 slip (up), err, make a mistake,
             be mistaken or wrong; be careless or negligent or lax or
             inattentive:  Sometimes, even Homer nods.

             --n.  5 signal, sign, cue, indication, gesture:  I saw him give
             a nod to the barber, who suddenly held a cutthroat razor to my
             throat. 6 approval; consent, acquiescence, concurrence, assent,
             agreement, Colloq OK or okay:  The company has given me the nod
             to open an office in Acapulco.

   nodding   adj.  casual, slight, superficial, distant; incomplete:  I know
             Graham slightly - he's a nodding acquaintance. It was clear that
             the violinist had only a nodding acquaintance with Mozart's
             concerto.

   noise     n.  1 sound, clamour, crash, clap, clash, clangour, din,
             thunder, thundering, rumble, rumbling, outcry, hubbub, uproar,
             hullabaloo, racket, charivari or US and Canadian also shivaree,
             rattle, caterwauling, rumpus, blare, blast, blasting, bawling,
             babel; commotion, bedlam, fracas, tumult, pandemonium, turmoil;
             discordance, dissonance, cacophony; Archaic alarms or alarums
             and excursions, Colloq ruckus, ruction, ballyhoo:  I couldn't
             sleep because of the unbearable noise from the party next door.
             You may call acid rock music, but she calls it noise. 2 sound,
             disturbance:  Did you just hear that strange noise? It's only
             the noise of the crickets.

             --v.  3 Often, noise about or around. circulate, spread, rumour,
             bruit (about):  It is being noised about that John and Marsha
             are getting a divorce.

   noiseless adj.  muted, quiet, soft, hushed, muffled, deadened, dampened,
             damped; silent, mute, still, inaudible, soundless:  We watched
             the noiseless boats gliding past.

   noisy     adj.  loud, deafening, ear-splitting, jarring, grating, harsh,
             piercing, shrill, discordant, unmusical, dissonant, cacophonous
             or cacophonic, resounding, clarion, clamorous, clangorous,
             thunderous, uproarious, blaring, blasting, obstreperous,
             vociferous, boisterous, tumultuous, riotous:  I could hear
             nothing over the noisy aeroplane engines. When she arose to
             speak, the noisy crowd fell silent.

   nominal   adj.  1 titular, in name only, formal, pretended, so-called,
             self-styled, soi-disant, professed, purported, supposed,
             would-be, representational, represented, supposititious;
             proposed, propositional; puppet:  Elliot is the nominal
             chairman, but Foster actually runs the company.  2
             insignificant, trivial, trifling, minor, minuscule, tiny, small,
             insubstantial, minimal, inconsiderable, token:  We charge a
             nominal fee for the analysis if you refuse our recommendation.

   nominate  v.  choose, select, name, appoint, designate, suggest, offer,
             submit, recommend, propose, present, put up or forward; forward;
             Formal put forth:  Baker has been nominated for the presidency.

   nominee   n.  candidate, office-seeker, designee, selectee, appointee,
             assignee:  We must choose a nominee to run in the next election.

   non-aligned
             adj.  uncommitted, non-allied, non-affiliated, unaligned,
             unaffiliated, unallied; neutral, impartial:  There are several
             non-aligned nations that remain independent of the influence of
             the superpowers.

   non-believer
             n.  unbeliever, disbeliever, cynic, doubting Thomas, doubter,
             sceptic, freethinker, agnostic, atheist, nullifidian; infidel,
             heathen, pagan:  During his reign, thousands of non-believers
             were put to the sword.

   nonchalant
             adj.  cool, unexcited, unexcitable, unperturbed, imperturbable,
             undisturbed, untroubled, unflappable, unruffled, dispassionate,
             unemotional, detached, distant, unconcerned, indifferent,
             pococurante, insouciant, uninterested, aloof, blas‚, offhand,
             calm, collected, composed, easygoing, free and easy,
             happy-go-lucky, casual, relaxed, at ease; unenthusiastic,
             apathetic; Colloq laid-back, together:  How can you be so
             nonchalant about important issues that affect all our lives?!

   noncommittal
             adj.  wary, cautious, careful, gingerly, guarded, (playing it)
             safe, circumspect, watchful, prudent, canny, tentative, on
             guard, reserved, cool; precautionary or precautional,
             precautious; Colloq playing it cool, playing it safe, playing it
             or one's cards close to the chest:  The company is still
             noncommittal about the take-over of the American company.

   non-completion
             n.  non-fulfilment, unfulfilment, non-performance,
             incompleteness, deficiency:  We regret the non-completion of the
             work on your house and will refund in full the amount already
             paid.

   non-compliance
             n.  disobedience, nonconformity, non-observance, disregard,
             disregarding, failure, non-cooperation, uncooperativeness,
             unresponsiveness, rejection, refusal, denial:  If you fail to
             provide the records requested by the tax inspector, you can be
             charged with non-compliance.

   nonconformist
             n.  1 nonconformer, renegade, maverick, rebel, radical,
             individualist, heretic, dissenter, dissident, iconoclast, loner,
             exception, anomaly:  In the 1960s, Alastair counted himself
             among the nonconformists who wore unconventional clothes and
             flouted conventional behaviour.

             --adj.  2 nonconforming, renegade, maverick, rebellious,
             radical, individualist(ic), heretical, dissentient, dissident,
             iconoclastic:  Suffragists were ridiculed for their
             nonconformist ideas.

   nondescript
             adj.  indescribable, unclassifiable, unclassified, ordinary,
             common-or-garden variety, common, commonplace, unremarkable,
             colourless, drab, everyday, bland, uninteresting, insipid,
             characterless, undistinctive, unexceptional:  He was wearing
             nondescript clothing and blended into the crowd.

   none      pron.  no one, not anyone, nobody, no person; not one; not any;
             nil:  Of all the people I met, none impressed me more than
             Kathy. I'd give you a sweet if I had one, but I have none. I'd
             even give you money, but I have none.

   non-essential
             adj.  1 non-vital, unessential, unneeded, unnecessary, needless,
             inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant, superfluous,
             dispensable, expendable, gratuitous, uncalled-for, extraneous,
             peripheral, extra, de trop, adventitious, additional,
             supplemental, adscititious, redundant, accessory, subordinate,
             secondary, subsidiary:  The non-essential industries were
             converted to the war effort during the 1940s.

             --n.  2 unessential, inessential, nonentity, cipher, zero,
             nobody; extra, supernumerary, spear-carrier, Colloq nothing,
             Slang US nebbish:  She used him as a lackey, a non-essential
             whom she could dispose of at will.

   nonetheless
             adv.  See nevertheless, above.

   non-event n.  anticlimax, Colloq non-starter, lead balloon, dud, Brit damp
             squib:  Jeremy's party turned out to be the non-event of the
             year.

   non-existent
             adj.  unreal, imaginary, imagined, fictional, fictive, fanciful,
             fancied, mythical, fabulous, fabled, illusory, chimerical,
             delusive:  Although the entire Graeco-Roman pantheon became
             non-existent overnight, its gods and goddesses continue to
             pervade our culture.

   non-flammable
             adj.  non-combustible, incombustible, non-inflammable,
             unburnable; fire-retardant:  The government recently passed
             regulations requiring that non-flammable materials be used in
             upholstered furniture.

   no-nonsense
             adj.  serious, unfrivolous, businesslike, practical,
             non-trivial, untrivial:  Customs officials take a no-nonsense
             approach to drug trafficking.

   nonpareil n.  paragon, model, standard, ne plus ultra, exemplar, ideal,
             Literary nonsuch or nonesuch, Colloq oner, one in a million,
             Brit one-off:  Annabelle was a nonpareil among the artists of
             her day.

   non-partisan
             adj.  1 non-partizan, non-aligned, unaligned, unaffiliated,
             independent, non-committed, uncommitted, neutral, uninvolved,
             free, (sitting) on the fence:  Choose between non-partisan and
             coalition candidates.  2 impartial, even-handed, fair, just,
             objective, unbiased, unprejudiced, equitable, dispassionate,
             disinterested:  One could not find a more non-partisan judge
             than Sir Ronald.

             --n.  3 independent, neutral, mugwump:  I am a non-partisan on
             the subject of privatization of public utilities.

   nonplus   v.  confound, perplex, puzzle, confuse, dismay, baffle, stop,
             check, stun, shock, dumbfound or dumfound, take aback, astonish,
             astound, US faze, Colloq bring up short, flummox, stump:  She
             was nonplussed to learn that Simpson had been arrested.

   non-productive
             adj.  1 unproductive, barren, sterile, infertile, unfertile,
             unfruitful, infecund:  Non-productive land was left
             uncultivated.  2 ineffectual, bootless, ineffective,
             impractical, unavailing, pointless, useless, worthless,
             wasteful, time-consuming, time-wasting:  Executives should spend
             more time working and less in non-productive meetings discussing
             the work to be done.

   nonsense  n.  1 rubbish, drivel, gibberish, gobbledegook or gobbledygook,
             twaddle, trash, babble, balderdash, moonshine, bombast, fustian,
             rodomontade, puffery, flummery, blather or blether, bunkum,
             poppycock, stuff and nonsense, double-talk, jargon, mumbo-jumbo,
             jabberwocky, cackle, gas, palaver, Colloq bunk, piffle, rot,
             bosh, eyewash, hogwash, malarkey, bilge (water), boloney or
             baloney, claptrap, hot air, Brit tosh, Old-fashioned Brit
             gammon, waffle, US apple-sauce, horse feathers, garbage, bushwa;
             Slang crap, tripe, bull, hooey, double Dutch, Taboo slang
             bullshit, horseshit, Brit (a load of old) cobblers:  Watson's
             speech on the benefits of tobacco was unmitigated nonsense.  2
             mischief, clowning, antics, capering, horseplay, pranks, tricks,
             jokes, silliness, foolishness, inanity, frivolity, tomfoolery,
             joking, jesting, waggishness, buffoonery, shenanigans, Colloq
             monkey business, Brit monkey tricks, US monkeyshines:  Keep up
             this nonsense and you'll get into a lot of trouble!

   nonsensical
             adj.  senseless, meaningless, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous,
             laughable, preposterous, irrational, warped, askew, crazy, mad,
             silly, foolish, hare-brained, asinine, idiotic, moronic,
             imbecilic, stupid, dumb, Colloq nutty, screwy, cock-eyed, fool,
             screwball, Slang loony:  What is your nonsensical excuse for
             being late this time?

   non-stop  adj.  1 uninterrupted, continuous, unbroken, direct:  Is this a
             non-stop flight to New York?  2 unending, endless, interminable,
             unceasing, ceaseless, continual, continuous, uninterrupted,
             unbroken, persistent, relentless, constant, unremitting, steady,
             round-the-clock, ongoing, continuing, unhesitating, unfaltering,
             tireless,; regular, habitual:  I told my neighbour that his
             non-stop rock 'n' roll music was driving me mad.

             --adv.  3 unendingly, endlessly, interminably, unceasingly,
             ceaselessly, continually, continuously, uninterruptedly,
             persistently, relentlessly, constantly, unremittingly, steadily,
             round-the-clock, day in and day out, tirelessly; regularly,
             habitually:  He continues to play his hi-fi non-stop.

   nook      n.  1 cranny, recess, niche, alcove, corner, cavity, crevice,
             crack, opening:  Flowers grew from the nooks in the wall.  2
             retreat, hide-out, hideaway, nest; inglenook:  I curled up with
             a book in my nook next to the fireplace.

   noon      n.  twelve o'clock (noon), midday, 1200 hours, noontime, high
             noon, Archaic noontide; noonday:  We sit down to lunch promptly
             at noon. The noon sun is terribly hot in the tropics.

   norm      n.  1 usual, average, mean, normal:  The norm for the day is 12
             degrees Celsius.  2 model, standard, type, pattern, criterion,
             rule, measure, gauge, yardstick, benchmark:  That style of
             window became the norm for many years.

   normal    adj.  1 standard, regular, average, conventional, usual,
             run-of-the-mill, ordinary, routine, universal, general, common,
             customary, natural, typical, conformist, orthodox; healthy:  If
             living in this mess seems normal to you, we clearly have
             different standards. His temperature and pulse are normal. 2
             sane, stable, rational, reasonable, well-adjusted:  After he had
             set fire to his school, Julian's parents began to wonder if he
             was quite normal.

   normalize v.  regularize, standardize, regulate, control; conform:  The
             program is directed at normalizing the codes used in keyboarding
             text.

   nosy      adj.  nosey, curious, inquisitive, prying, meddlesome, spying,
             peeping, eavesdropping, Colloq snooping, snoopy:  Mind your own
             business and don't be so nosy.

   notable   adj.  1 noteworthy, noted, famous, famed, well-known, renowned,
             illustrious, important, prominent, eminent, outstanding, great,
             distinguished, celebrated, acclaimed:  Many notable people
             attended my college.  2 remarkable, different, distinctive,
             singular, unusual, uncommon, pre-eminent, peerless, matchless,
             unmatched, unequalled, unparalleled, extraordinary, conspicuous,
             outstanding, memorable, unforgettable, striking:  She enjoyed a
             notable reputation as a cellist. Last night's notable
             performance was enjoyed by a capacity audience.

             --n.  3 dignitary, personage, worthy, VIP; celebrity, luminary,
             Colloq (big) name, big shot:  Many notables attended the charity
             ball.

   notably   adv.  1 particularly, especially, markedly, noticeably,
             signally, distinctly, remarkably, unusually, uncommonly,
             outstandingly, conspicuously, clearly, obviously, evidently,
             manifestly, specifically, distinctly, curiously, oddly,
             uniquely, strangely, strikingly, shockingly, surprisingly,
             stunningly:  In the temperate zones, the seasons vary notably in
             length.  2 meaningfully, significantly, importantly,
             prominently:  The viruses changed in notably different ways.

   notation  n.  1 note, memorandum, jotting, record, reminder, minute(s),
             abstract, Colloq memo:  I shall make a notation of that in my
             diary.  2 symbols, signs, code, characters, symbolism:  In
             musical notation, a minim represents two beats.

   notch     n.  1 nick, cut, dent, indentation, groove, cleft, score, mark,
             gouge, gash:  For every man he killed, the gunfighter cut a
             notch in the barrel of his gun. 2 step, grade, level, rung, peg,
             degree, stage, gradation:  Gillian's promotion moves her up
             another notch towards the chairmanship.

             --v.  3 nick, cut, dent, indent, groove, score, mark, gash,
             gouge:  You notch the end of the arrow to admit the bowstring.
             4 notch up. gain, win, accomplish, achieve, score, register,
             mark (up):  The All-India cricket team has notched up another
             win.

   notched   adj.  serrate(d), sawtooth(ed), crenellate(d), crenate,
             serriform, pinked, scalloped, zigzag, toothed, dentate,
             denticulate(d), dentiform:  The flower has notched yellow
             petals. The vase was decorated with a notched pattern.

   note      n.  1 See notation, 1, above.  2 message, letter, communication,
             (piece of) correspondence, memorandum, epistle, postcard or
             (postal) card, fan letter, love-letter, billet doux,
             bread-and-butter letter, word, line, thank-you note, Colloq
             memo, US old-fashioned mash note:  She sent Rob a note only last
             week asking him to attend the meeting.  3 comment, commentary,
             remark, observation, explanation, annotation, footnote,
             side-note, marginalia (pl.), gloss, critique, criticism,
             Literary scholium, exegesis, eisegesis, Technical shoulder-note:
             Her notes on insect behaviour are of great interest.  4
             banknote, money, bill, currency, treasury note; promissory note,
             demand note, bill of exchange, letter of credit, (bank) draft,
             note of hand; Colloq folding money:  I found a packet of notes
             dropped by the bank robbers. The bank is holding my note for
             њ10,000. 5 theme, characteristic, motif, element, quality, mood,
             tone, tenor:  There is a note of angry frustration that runs
             through her writing.  6 signal, cue, intimation, hint, inkling,
             suspicion, clue, suggestion, idea, tip, Slang tip-off:  Her
             greeting, though warm, contained a note of suspicion. On that
             note, I decided to leave. 7 heed, attention, notice, regard,
             respect, thought, Colloq US mind:  Note of the prosecutor's
             objection to that line of questioning has been taken. 8 mark,
             consequence, substance, importance, moment, weight, distinction,
             merit, prestige, (high) rank or standing, eminence, prominence,
             repute, reputation, renown:  People of note have been
             entertained at our table.  9 tone, sound; key:  He knows the
             music but gets the notes wrong.  10 notes. jottings,
             impressions, record(s), report, (thumbnail) sketch, (rough)
             draft, outline, synopsis:  The entire account is based on the
             notes she made during the trial.

             --v.  11 notice, observe, perceive, see, mark, think about, give
             thought to, consider, contemplate, study, pay attention to,
             attend to; look into, investigate, check out:  Have you ever
             noted how people try to avoid you because of your bad temper?
             Note how quickly the days seem to grow shorter towards the end
             of summer. A detective has been assigned to note every move the
             suspect makes. 12 record, register, write down, put or set down,
             put on record, jot down, put in writing, chronicle:  The traffic
             warden noted down the number-plate of the car.  13 call
             attention to, remark on or about, mention, report, touch on,
             comment on or about:  The report failed to note the
             disappearance of the murder weapon.

   noted     adj.  respected, eminent, distinguished, illustrious, esteemed,
             acclaimed; well-known, famous, famed, prominent, celebrated,
             notable, popular; notorious:  We are pleased to welcome the
             noted violinist, David Popov. Was it his aunt or his mother who
             ran the noted house of ill repute near Brighton?

   noteworthy
             adj.  notable, exceptional, extraordinary, out of the ordinary,
             unusual, rare, uncommon, singular, unique, different:  Miss
             Byrne has made many a noteworthy contribution to our knowledge
             of local Roman sites.

   nothing   n.  1 naught or nought, nothing at all or whatsoever, no thing,
             not anything, Taboo slang Brit bugger-all, (sweet) Fanny Adams
             or F.A., SFA:  Nothing that you tell me can be held against you
             in court. You may think it important, but I tell you it is
             nothing. 2 cipher, zero, nobody, nonentity:  If it weren't for
             her, he would be nothing.  3 trifle, bagatelle, Colloq peanuts:
             A million is nothing to him.

   notice    v.  1 note, take or make note (of), take notice (of), pay or
             give attention to, attend (to), heed, take heed (of), give heed
             to, mark, remark, mind, observe, perceive, see:  Notice how
             quickly he retracted his remarks when challenged. I waved to
             them, but they didn't notice me. 2 mind, observe, perceive,
             discern, see, detect, make out, identify, recognize, Colloq
             spot:  I noticed signs of illness when I visited her.

             --n.  3 attention, awareness, consciousness, perception,
             observation, cognizance:  Let me bring to your notice the second
             paragraph on page six.  4 regard, consideration, respect,
             observation, attention, note, heed:  They have published many
             books worthy of notice. He considers matters of money beneath
             his notice. 5 notification, announcement, information, advice;
             warning, intimation:  A notice showing the currency exchange
             rates is posted in the bank. The company let Corbett go without
             notice. 6 criticism, critique, review, comment, commentary:  The
             play has enjoyed excellent notices in the London newspapers.  7
             give notice. warn, admonish, notify, announce, advise, inform:
             British Rail gave notice of a curtailment of service to this
             station.  Barry gave notice today of his resignation.

   noticeable
             adj.  1 discernible, perceivable, observable, perceptible,
             recognizable, distinguishable, visible, palpable, manifest,
             distinct, evident, clear, clear-cut, conspicuous, obvious;
             patent, unmistakable or unmistakeable, undisguised, unconcealed:
             Is the scratch noticeable? Wrinkles around the eyes are one of
             the first noticeable signs of ageing. 2 noteworthy, notable,
             significant, signal, remarkable, important, singular,
             exceptional, pronounced, distinct, especial, considerable,
             major:  After the reprimand, there was a noticeable improvement
             in his work.

   notify    v.  1 inform, tell, advise, alert, apprise, warn:  She notified
             us that she might come in late today. They wrote to notify
             shareholders of the new share offer. 2 announce, publish,
             declare, proclaim, give notice of; intimate, hint:  The arrival
             of the first salmon notified to us the change of season.

   notion    n.  1 idea, thought, concept, conception, image, impression,
             general idea, (mental) picture, inkling:  She has a pretty good
             notion of who did it. I haven't the slightest notion of what you
             are talking about. 2 fancy, whim, crotchet, whimsy, caprice,
             impulse, inclination, vagary, conceit, quirk, kink:  She
             suddenly took a notion to fly to New York and left.

   notoriety n.  notoriousness, disrepute, dishonour, disgrace, infamy,
             shame, discredit, scandal, stain, blot, obloquy, ignominy,
             opprobrium:  The notoriety attending his latest escapades
             displeased the prime minister.

   notorious adj.  1 disreputable, dishonourable, disgraceful, infamous,
             shameful, shaming, embarrassing, discreditable, scandalous,
             naughty, flagrant, ignominious, opprobrious:  Charles was yet
             again seen in public with a notorious arms dealer.  2
             celebrated, renowned, famous, well-known, fabled, legendary,
             memorable:  Annie was notorious for riding her horse to victory
             in every event.

   notwithstanding
             adv.  1 nevertheless, nonetheless, despite that, in spite of
             that, yet, anyway:  He was refused permission to go but he left
             notwithstanding.

             --prep.  2 despite, in spite of, regardless of, in the face of,
             against:  Notwithstanding his mother's objections, George
             married Marsha.

             --conj.  3 although, though, even though, despite the fact that:
             The product was almost totally unknown, notwithstanding it had
             been on the market for years.

   nourish   v.  1 feed, sustain, support, maintain, keep, provide for, care
             for, take care of, look after, nurture, nurse:  The child seems
             to be thriving and well nourished.  2 foster, cherish, nurse,
             maintain, harbour, keep, nurture, sustain:  Iago nourished a
             terrible hatred for Othello.  3 strengthen, fortify, encourage,
             promote, stimulate, cultivate, help, advance, aid:  These
             malcontents continue to nourish trouble in the party ranks.

   nourishment
             n.  food, sustenance, nutriment, nutrition, victuals:  You must
             take nourishment to maintain your strength.

   novel     adj.  1 new, unusual, unfamiliar, unconventional, fresh,
             different, original, creative; untested, untried:  I have a
             novel idea for the design of an ultralight aircraft.

             --n.  2 story, tale, narrative, romance; novella, novelette,
             best-seller, Colloq blockbuster:  The members of our company
             board behave like characters out of a novel.

   novelty   n.  1 originality, newness, uniqueness, freshness,
             innovativeness:  We are enthusiastic about the novelty of the
             new sales campaign.  2 gimmick, gimcrack, trifle, gewgaw,
             bauble, knick-knack, toy, trinket, ornament, plaything,
             Brummagem, kickshaw:  New subscribers receive as a premium some
             novelty, like a ball-point pen or a cheap clock.

   novice    n.  beginner, neophyte, newcomer, proselyte, tiro or tyro,
             noviciate or novitiate, learner, amateur, initiate, apprentice,
             trainee, probationer, fledgling or Brit also fledgeling, US
             freshman, Colloq greenhorn, rookie:  She is a mere novice at
             parachuting.

   now       adv.  1 at present, just now, right now, at the present time or
             moment, at this (very) moment or minute or second or instant:
             He's in the shower and cannot come to the phone now.  2 these
             days, nowadays, today, in these times, at the moment, in this
             day and age, under or in the present circumstances or
             conditions, in the present climate, things being what they are,
             contemporarily, any more, any longer; for the time being, for
             the nonce:  What makes you say that the minimum wage is enough
             to live on now? Selling now might bring the highest price. 3 at
             once, immediately, right away, without delay, instantly,
             promptly, Chiefly law instanter, Chiefly Brit straight away:  I
             want you here now - not in five minutes, but now!  4 now and
             then or again. occasionally, from time to time, at times, on
             occasion, sometimes, sporadically, once in a while, every now
             and then or again, randomly, intermittently; infrequently,
             seldom, rarely, once in a blue moon:  There was a power cut now
             and then. He visits his mother only now and then.

             --adj.  5 contemporary, up to date, modern, stylish,
             fashionable, trendy, Colloq in, with it:  Advertisers must
             appeal to the yuppies of the now generation.

   nowadays  adv.  See now, 2, above.

14.5 nub...
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   nub       n.  1 projection, protuberance, knob, boss, lump, bump, knop,
             protrusion, bulge, node, knot; excrescence, swelling,
             tumescence:  Press the small nub on the side to open the door.
             2 essence, core, heart, nucleus, crux, point, gist, pith,
             kernel, nucleus, meat, (sum and) substance, main issue,
             gravamen:  Let's get to the nub of the argument.

   nuclear   adj.  atomic:  He joined the protest march against nuclear
             weapons.

   nucleus   n.  core, heart, centre, kernel, pith, focus, nub:  We already
             have the nucleus of a very good team. The market square was the
             nucleus around which many towns were built.

   nude      adj.  unclothed, undressed, uncovered, au naturel, bare, naked,
             in the nude, stark naked, undraped, without a stitch (on),
             Colloq in the buff, in the altogether, in one's birthday suit,
             Brit starkers, Brit and Australian in the nuddy:  A nude man
             streaked across the football pitch.

   nudge     v.  1 jog, poke, elbow, jab, dig, bump, prompt, shove; prod,
             push, US encourage:  I had to nudge him to stay awake for the
             film's thrilling climax.

             --n.  2 jog, poke, elbow, jab, dig, bump, shove; prod, push,
             encouragement:  Nigel just needs a nudge in the right direction.

   nuisance  n.  1 annoyance, inconvenience, trial, ordeal, burden,
             irritation, irritant, thorn in the flesh or side, difficulty,
             bother, US bur under the saddle, Colloq pain (in the neck or
             rear), headache, hassle, Slang US and Canadian pain in the butt,
             Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse, or US ass:  Having to paint
             the room again was a terrible nuisance.  2 bore, pest, nag,
             tease, tormentor or tormenter:  James has made a nuisance of
             himself by telephoning every fifteen minutes.

   numb      adj.  1 numbed, benumbed, insensible, insensate, dead, deadened,
             without feeling, sensationless, senseless; asleep:  My feet are
             numb from the cold.

             --v.  2 benumb, anaesthetize, drug, deaden, dull, freeze,
             paralyse, immobilize, stun:  The doctor numbed my hand before
             removing the wart. Fear numbed her, and she felt nothing as the
             monster approached.

   number    n.  1 numeral, integer, figure, digit:  The columns of numbers
             were entered in a neat hand.  2 few, handful, crowd, slew, gang,
             bunch, party, bevy, covey, troop, company, platoon, swarm,
             horde, multitude, mob, host, army, mass, hundred, thousand,
             million, billion; several, many, numbers, legions, US and
             Canadian slew(s) or slue(s), Colloq loads, tons:  A number of
             people attended the meeting. An enormous number of viruses could
             fit on the head of a pin. 3 issue; edition, copy:  The fourth
             number of the quarterly is published at the end of the year.

             --v.  4 count, enumerate, compute, calculate, tally, figure
             (up), add (up), include, total, tot (up), reckon, sum (up):  Who
             can number the stars?

   numberless
             adj.  uncountable, uncounted, countless, innumerable,
             incalculable, immeasurable, numerous, untold, myriad, infinite:
             Although seemingly numberless, the number of grains of sand in
             the universe is calculable.

   nuptial   adj.  bridal, matrimonial, wedding, spousal, wedded, marital;
             connubial, conjugal, Literary hymeneal:  The nuptial
             arrangements have been made.

   nurse     n.  1 angel of mercy, Florence Nightingale, Brit sister:  I
             awoke to see two nurses bending over me.

             --v.  2 care for, look after, tend, attend, minister to, treat;
             nurture, foster, coddle, baby, pamper, cherish, preserve, keep
             alive, cultivate, develop:  During his illness, she nursed him
             night and day. We nursed the company along through the first
             year. 3 wet-nurse, suckle, breast-feed, nourish:  Nursing
             mothers must be careful about what they eat.  4 preserve,
             harbour, keep alive, nurture, foster:  She has nursed a grudge
             against him for ten years.

   nutritious
             adj.  healthful, healthy, nutritive, wholesome, life-giving,
             beneficial, salutary, nourishing, alimentary, nutrimental:  Be
             sure you eat a nutritious breakfast every day.

15.0 O
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15.1 oar...
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   oar       n.  1 paddle, scull:  The ancient galleys sometimes had six men
             on each oar.  2 oarsman, oarswoman, bencher, sculler, rower,
             paddler:  With Hanson out because of his back, we'll need a new
             oar for tomorrow's race.

   oasis     n.  1 fertile patch, watering-hole:  In the desert, you cannot
             always be sure whether you are looking at an oasis or a mirage.
             2 haven, refuge, (safe) harbour, sanctuary, retreat, asylum,
             resort, sanctum:  We escaped to the cottage, a tiny oasis away
             from the city's frenetic activity.

   oath      n.  1 vow, avowal, pledge, promise, word (of honour), promise,
             plight, guarantee or guaranty, warrant or warranty, (sworn)
             statement, Archaic troth:  She has taken an oath to tell the
             whole truth.  2 curse, profanity, blasphemous language or
             expression or word, imprecation, malediction, swear-word,
             expletive, four-letter word, obscenity, dirty word:  The door
             slammed on his finger and he muttered a foul oath.

15.2 obedience...
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   obedience n.  compliance, dutifulness, observance, respect,
             respectfulness, tractability, conformity or conformance,
             yielding, conformability, adaptability, agreement, agreeability,
             agreeableness, acquiescence, submissiveness, submission,
             subservience, docility, passiveness, passivity:  The abbot
             demanded unquestioning obedience with regard to every rule of
             the monastic order.

   obedient  adj.  compliant, dutiful, duteous, observant, respectful,
             tractable, yielding, conformable, adaptable, agreeable,
             amenable, acquiescent, submissive, subservient, docile, passive,
             timid, biddable, pliant:  Prunella was always an obedient child.
             All matter and energy is obedient to the laws of physics.

   obeisance n.  deference, respect, respectfulness, homage, submission,
             reverence, honour:  As she entered the chamber, she made
             obeisance to the king.

   obese     adj.  fat, overweight, stout, fleshy, gross, corpulent, heavy,
             plump, portly, tubby, pudgy, chubby, paunchy, rotund,
             pot-bellied, Rare abdominous:  I sat down next to an obese
             person who occupied nearly two chairs.

   obesity   n.  corpulence, plumpness, tubbiness, chubbiness, grossness,
             embonpoint, rotundity, portliness, paunchiness, size, bulk,
             weight, avoirdupois:  Risk factors with respect to heart disease
             include smoking, bad diet, obesity, and family history of heart
             disease.

   obey      v.  1 comply (with), agree (to), consent (to), submit (to),
             abide (by), observe, respect, adhere to, follow, conform (to or
             with), acquiesce (to or in), mind, accept, heed, defer to, yield
             (to), knuckle under (to), give way (to), surrender (to), succumb
             (to), give in (to), truckle to, bow to, bend to, take or accept
             orders from:  Unfortunately, Ogilvy has obeyed his baser
             instincts in making the punishment fit the crime. Everything
             must obey the laws of nature.  Harold obeys Millie's slightest
             whim. 2 discharge, execute, effect, carry out, fulfil, meet,
             satisfy, do, perform; serve, act:  We obeyed the colonel's
             orders to the letter. It is your function to command, mine to
             obey.

   obituary  n.  necrology, death notice, eulogy, necrologue, Colloq obit:
             Mark Twain is one of the few people ever to have read his own
             obituary.

   object    n.  1 thing, tangible, item; reality, entity, fact, phenomenon:
             A number of objects lay on the table. Thoughts may be considered
             as objects of the imagination. 2 focus, target, butt, aim,
             destination, quarry, goal:  The object of my affection has
             married someone else.  3 purpose, end, intention, objective,
             reason, intent, idea, goal:  The object of our visit is to ask
             you a few questions.

             --v.  4 protest (to or against), interfere (with), raise
             objections (to), argue (against), oppose, be against, take
             exception (to), disapprove (of), draw the line (at), complain
             (about), remonstrate (over or about), take a stand (against),
             refuse:  I won't object if you want to bring the wine. Would you
             object to rereading that passage? If they ask me, I cannot
             object.

   objection n.  protest, opposition, exception, argument, challenge,
             interference, demur or demurral or demurrer, question, doubt,
             disapproval, interference, complaint, remonstration,
             remonstrance, stand, refusal, dislike, antipathy:  The meeting
             proceeded without further objection from the audience.  If you
             have no objection, I'd like to leave now. The secretary has
             raised an objection to the method of procedure.

   objective adj.  1 fair, impartial, just, judicious, equitable, neutral,
             disinterested, dispassionate, open-handed, open-minded,
             detached, unbiased, unprejudiced, unbigoted, even-handed,
             uncoloured, unjaundiced:  How can you be objective about the
             guilt or innocence of your own child?

             --n.  2 target, goal, object, aim, purpose, end (in view),
             intent, intention, design, aspiration, ambition, hope:  If we
             capture the flag, we shall have gained our objective. My
             objective is to win the pentathlon.

   objectivity
             n.  impartiality, fairness, fair-mindedness, equitableness,
             equitability, even-handedness, neutrality, disinterest,
             detachment, indifference, dispassion:  The jury's objectivity
             was never in doubt.

   obligate  n.  oblige, pledge, commit, bind; require, compel, constrain,
             force:  I feel deeply obligated to her for her kindness to our
             children.  We are obligated to do what we are told.

   obligation
             n.  1 responsibility, duty, charge, burden, onus;
             accountability, liability, trust; demand, requirement,
             compulsion, Literary devoir:  It was Frank's obligation to get
             the children home safely. Civil servants have an obligation to
             serve the people. I could never fulfil all my obligations. 2
             constraint, requirement, contract, promise, pledge, bond,
             agreement, covenant:  The company is under no obligation to
             replace a product because the customer dislikes its colour. I am
             under an obligation to her for introducing us. 3 debt,
             liability:  Denby may be unable to meet all his obligations.

   obligatory
             adj.  required, demanded, necessary, requisite, compulsory,
             mandatory; incumbent; indispensable, essential:  Has she been
             able to meet all the obligatory qualifications?

   oblige    v.  1 accommodate, indulge, favour, serve, please, cater to,
             gratify:  The hotelier obliged us with every luxury he had to
             offer. Please oblige us by keeping your dog on a lead. 2 make,
             require, demand, force, compel, coerce, bind, obligate:  What
             hold has she over you that obliges you to do her housework?

   obliged   adj.  1 thankful, grateful, appreciative, beholden, indebted,
             obligated:  We are deeply obliged to you for lending us your
             car.  2 bound, required, compelled, forced, made, obligated:
             Under the terms of the agreement, I am obliged to repay the debt
             by May.

   obliging  adj.  accommodating, willing, indulgent, gracious, courteous,
             civil, considerate, polite, agreeable, amenable, kind, kindly,
             helpful, friendly, amiable, neighbourly, supportive:  It was
             very obliging of you to look after my cat while I was gone.

   oblique   adj.  1 slanting, slanted, sloping, aslant, inclined, diagonal,
             inclining, angled, angling, canted, canting, banked, banking,
             cambered, crooked, askew, divergent, diverging, tilted, atilt,
             tilting:  The roof joins the wall at an oblique angle.  2 awry,
             devious, roundabout, indirect, circuitous, circumlocutionary,
             evasive, sly, sidelong, offhand, surreptitious, furtive,
             implied, clandestine, underhand(ed), deceitful, devious,
             deceptive, false:  She made some oblique comments about the
             candidate's wife.

   obliterate
             v.  1 erase, expunge, rub out, efface, eradicate, wipe out,
             delete, dele, strike off or out, strike from, rule out,
             eliminate, write off:  After the scandal, that name was
             obliterated from the roll of honour. 2 annihilate, destroy,
             kill, exterminate, wipe out, eliminate, blot out, eradicate,
             extirpate:  The entrance to the cave was completely obliterated
             by the explosion.

   oblivion  n.  1 blankness, blackness, darkness, obscurity, nothingness,
             nihility, anonymity, extinction, non-existence, void, limbo:
             The rock band enjoyed brief fame, then sank into oblivion.  2
             unawareness, obliviousness, forgetfulness, heedlessness,
             disregard, unconsciousness, insensibility:  I sank back into the
             sweet oblivion of deep sleep.

   oblivious adj.  unaware, unconscious, unmindful, disregardful, insensible,
             insensitive, distant, unconcerned, detached, removed, unfeeling,
             abstracted, absent-minded, forgetful, Lethean:  Many are
             completely oblivious to the plight of the starving millions in
             Africa.

   obnoxious adj.  revolting, repulsive, repugnant, disgusting, offensive,
             objectionable, fulsome, noisome, vile, repellent, nauseous,
             nauseating, sickening, foul, noxious, mephitic, unsavoury,
             execrable, abominable, abhorrent, loathsome, detestable,
             hateful, odious, scurvy, base, obscene, despicable, awful,
             terrible, unpalatable, distasteful, unlikeable, unpleasant,
             nasty, Colloq chiefly Brit beastly:  Mary's obnoxious sister
             even has obnoxious table manners.

   obscene   adj.  1 inelegant, improper, rude, impure, unchaste, shameless,
             shameful, indecent, immodest, off colour, indecorous,
             indelicate, risqu‚, vulgar, immoral, degenerate, amoral,
             dissolute, broad, suggestive, erotic, sensual, ribald,
             debauched, wanton, loose, libertine, bawdy, blue, scabrous,
             coarse, dirty, filthy, smutty, pornographic, libidinous, lewd,
             licentious, lecherous, lustful, goatish, carnal, ruttish,
             lascivious, filthy, salacious, prurient, disgusting, offensive,
             repulsive, foul, abominable, vile, loathsome, gross,
             foul-mouthed, scurrilous, scatological, vile, Literary Cyprian,
             Paphian, Fescennine, thersitical:  In the cinema business,
             'adult' and 'obscene' seem to be synonyms.  2 evil, wicked,
             heinous, atrocious, awful, outrageous, repulsive, shocking,
             repellent, obnoxious, off-putting, objectionable, beastly,
             intolerable, insufferable, unpalatable, distasteful, nauseous,
             nauseating, sickening, execrable, despicable, nasty:  The
             obscene monster dashed the brave warriors to the rocks far
             below.

   obscure   adj.  1 dark, unlit, gloomy, sombre, dismal, murky, dusky,
             black, Cimmerian, tenebrous, dim, faint, blurred, veiled,
             shadowy, subfusc, subfuscous, umbral, shady, hazy, foggy,
             befogged, clouded, nebulous, overcast, cloudy:  The traveller's
             lantern was barely seen in the obscure reaches of the wood. 2
             unclear, uncertain, ambiguous, vague, hazy, doubtful, dubious,
             equivocal, indefinite, indistinct, fuzzy, blurred, confused,
             confusing, Delphic, puzzling, enigmatic, perplexing, baffling,
             mystifying, mysterious, cryptic, incomprehensible, unfamiliar,
             foreign, strange:  The sorcerer muttered some obscure words, and
             a golden horse stood prancing before them. 3 secret, concealed,
             hidden, remote, out-of-the-way, inconspicuous, unnoticeable,
             secluded, unnoticed:  The caped figure scurried down the alley
             and disappeared into some obscure doorway. 4 unknown,
             unheard-of, anonymous, unnamed, insignificant, unimportant,
             inconsequential, humble, lowly, mean, inglorious, inconspicuous,
             undistinguished, unnoticed, unsung, minor, little-known:  Though
             extremely popular, the song was written by an obscure composer.
             5 abstruse, arcane, recondite, esoteric, intricate, complex,
             occult, out of the ordinary, unfamiliar, Colloq far-out:  He is
             an authority on some obscure subject like Coptic calligraphy.

             --v.  6 cover, conceal, hide, veil, shroud, cloak, mask, screen,
             disguise, keep from:  Her link with military intelligence was
             obscured from her family.  7 dim, bedim, cloud, becloud, dull,
             shroud, shade, adumbrate, overshadow, darken, obfuscate, block,
             eclipse:  The street lamp was obscured by trees.

   obscurity n.  1 dimness, darkness, gloom, murk, murkiness, duskiness,
             dusk, blackness, faintness, blurriness, shade, shadow, haze,
             fog, cloudiness, nebulousness:  The two of them vanished into
             the obscurity of the night.  2 abstruseness, ambiguousness,
             intricacy, complexity, unintelligibility; mystery, arcanum,
             secret, esoterica (pl.):  Can he truly believe that he has
             fathomed all the obscurities of Scripture? 3 insignificance,
             unimportance, ingloriousness, inconspicuousness, anonymity,
             namelessness, limbo:  After a fleeting surge of popularity, punk
             rock sank into obscurity.

   obsequious
             adj.  low, cringing, toadying, toadyish, sycophantic(al),
             sycophantish, unctuous, truckling, grovelling, crawling,
             fawning, deferential, ingratiating, menial, flattering, servile,
             slavish, subservient, submissive, abject, mealy-mouthed, slimy,
             Colloq boot-licking, Chiefly Brit smarmy, Taboo slang
             brown-nosing, Brit arse-kissing, arse-licking, US ass-licking,
             ass-kissing:  He is surrounded with obsequious followers who
             cater to his every whim.

   observable
             adj.  perceptible, perceivable, noticeable, discernible,
             recognizable, detectable, visible, apparent, distinct, evident,
             manifest, plain, obvious, clear, explicit, transparent, patent,
             tangible, unmistakable or unmistakeable:  A marked change in
             public sentiment became at once observable.

   observance
             n.  1 observation, observing, obedience, obeying, compliance,
             complying, conformity, conforming, adherence, adhering, keeping,
             accordance, regard, recognition, recognizing, respect,
             respecting, heed, heeding, attention:  Observance of the rules
             by everyone makes for a happier community.  2 ceremony,
             celebration, ceremonial, practice, rite, ritual, service,
             performance, form, custom, convention, tradition, formality,
             usage, habit, wont, institution:  Almost all the fine arts
             derived their origin from religious observances.  3 observation,
             examination, inspection, scrutiny, looking, watching:  His
             observance of the passing scene was chronicled in his diary.

   observant adj.  1 watchful, alert, attentive, vigilant, on the lookout, on
             the qui vive, on guard, wide awake, regardful, mindful, aware,
             keen, keen-eyed, sharp-eyed, eagle-eyed, perceptive, sharp,
             shrewd:  Hannay was observant of all who passed him on the way
             to the train.  How very observant of you to spot the man in the
             crowd! 2 Usually, observant of. obedient (to), compliant (with),
             respectful (of), heedful(of), attentive (to or of), conformist
             (to), adherent (to):  One must be always be observant of the
             rules of the road.

   observation
             n.  1 watching, examination, scrutiny, inspection, viewing,
             survey, surveillance; notice, discovery, attention, awareness:
             The police put the house under 24-hour observation. The smuggled
             weapon escaped the guard's observation. 2 comment, remark, note,
             reflection, opinion, sentiment, point of view, impression,
             feeling, commentary, criticism; utterance, word, announcement,
             pronouncement, proclamation, declaration:  She made a number of
             trenchant observations concerning life in Britain today.

   observe   v.  1 obey, abide by, comply with, be heedful of, attend to,
             conform to, regard, keep, follow, adhere to, respect, pay
             attention to:  We observed the prohibition against swimming.  2
             watch, look at, examine, monitor, scrutinize, study, regard,
             view, inspect, pore over, contemplate, consider , Colloq check
             (out or up on), check over, size up, Slang case:  The
             naturalists went to the Arctic to observe the polar bears.  3
             see, mark, notice, look, perceive:  Observe how swiftly the skin
             forms pustules when this substance is applied. 4 Sometimes,
             observe on or upon. comment (on or upon), remark (on or upon),
             mention, say, note, refer (to), make reference to, animadvert on
             or upon or to; state, declare:  It is impolite to observe on
             others' manners. He couldn't help observing to his cell-mate how
             easy it would be to escape. 5 celebrate, keep, solemnize,
             respect, keep holy, mark, commemorate, memorialize, remember,
             recognize:  We always observe the sabbath.

   observer  n.  witness, eyewitness, spectator, viewer, onlooker, beholder,
             watcher, looker-on; non-participant:  UN observers reported that
             the battle was over.

   obsess    v.  haunt, harass, plague, bedevil, torment, take over,
             preoccupy, dominate, control, grip, possess, hold:  He was
             obsessed by the conviction that he could design a successful
             flying machine.

   obsession n.  fixed idea, id‚e fixe, fixation, conviction, preoccupation,
             prepossession, passion, mania, phobia, Colloq hang-up, thing:
             Thoughts of death became his constant obsession.

   obsessive adj.  haunting, harassing, tormenting, dominating, controlling,
             possessing, all-encompassing, passionate, unshakeable or
             unshakable:  She has an obsessive fear of heights.

   obsolescent
             adj.  fading, waning, on the wane, declining, dying, on the way
             out, on the decline, going or passing out of use or fashion or
             style:  Much of yesterday's newest slang is obsolescent today.

   obsolete  adj.  out of date, out of fashion, out-dated, pass‚, out, dead,
             outmoded, old, antiquated, antediluvian, ancient, superannuated,
             dated, archaic, old-fashioned, d‚mod‚; unused, disused,
             discarded, superseded, extinct, Colloq old hat:  The expression
             'tickety-boo' is obsolete. He plays his 78-rpm records on an
             obsolete gramophone.

   obstacle  n.  impediment, hindrance, obstruction, hurdle, hitch, catch,
             snag, stumbling-block, barrier, bar, check:  The obstacles in
             the road prevented our proceeding further. One must often
             overcome many obstacles before achieving success.

   obstinacy n.  obstinateness, stubbornness, doggedness, tenacity,
             persistence or persistency, mulishness, pigheadedness,
             wilfulness, contrariness, perverseness, perversity,
             cantankerousness, recalcitrance, uncooperativeness,
             rebelliousness, contumacy, contumaciousness, refractoriness,
             intractability, intransigence, pertinacity, pertinaciousness,
             obduracy, fixedness, stolidity, inflexibility, firmness, Archaic
             frowardness, Colloq Brit bloody-mindedness:  His obstinacy and
             narrow-mindedness made it impossible to work in any cooperative
             way with him.

   obstinate adj.  stubborn, dogged, tenacious, persistent, mulish, perverse,
             headstrong, pigheaded, single-minded, wilful, strong-willed,
             self-willed, contrary, recalcitrant, uncooperative, rebellious,
             contumacious, refractory, intransigent, pertinacious, obdurate,
             fixed, inflexible, stony, adamant, set, unmoving, immovable,
             inexorable, intractable, unchangeable, resolute, steadfast,
             unyielding, persevering, stiff, rigid, hard, Archaic froward,
             Colloq Brit bloody-minded:  The obstinate man does not hold
             opinions - they hold him.

   obstreperous
             adj.  vociferous, clamorous, noisy, loud, raucous, riotous,
             uproarious, tumultuous, boisterous, rowdy, rumbustious,
             tempestuous, unruly, disorderly, unmanageable, uncontrollable,
             uncontrolled, unrestrained, irrepressible, out of control,
             undisciplined, roisterous, wild, turbulent, Colloq rambunctious,
             Brit mafficking:  The party was getting rough and some of the
             guests a bit too obstreperous.

   obstruct  v.  1 block, bar, check, prevent, stop (up), arrest, halt, clog,
             make impassable; bring to a standstill:  The vein is obstructed
             by a large blood clot. A clogged drain is obstructing the water.
             2 hamper, slow, impede, interfere with, retard, hinder,
             interrupt, delay, stay, stall:  An overturned truck obstructed
             traffic on the motorway.  3 preclude, prevent, debar, block,
             prohibit, forbid, stop, stand in the way of:  They are
             manoeuvring to obstruct her from taking over the company.

   obstruction
             n.  1 obstacle, barrier, bar, check, stumbling-block, hindrance,
             impediment, hurdle, hitch, snag, catch, bottleneck, limitation,
             constraint, restriction:  The fallen trees created an almost
             impassable obstruction.  2 checking, stopping, cessation,
             proscription, forbidding, forbiddance; hindering, impeding,
             limiting, halting, slowing:  The obstruction of the bill's
             passage can be blamed on the Tories.

   obtain    v.  1 get, procure, acquire, come by, come into (the) possession
             of, secure, get hold of or one's hands on, grasp, capture, take
             possession of, seize; buy, purchase:  She has been unable to
             obtain the job she wants. You can obtain that kind of soap at
             the supermarket. 2 earn, gain:  We talked to the manager about
             obtaining an increase in wages.  3 prevail, be in force, be in
             vogue, exist, subsist, have (a) place, be prevalent, be
             established, be customary, apply, be relevant, relate:  A
             different set of regulations obtains here.

   obtrude   v.  thrust (oneself) forward or forth, intrude, impose
             (oneself), force (oneself):  The best writers never obtrude
             between the reader and the story.

   obtrusive adj.  interfering, intrusive, meddling, officious, meddlesome,
             importunate, forward, presumptuous, forceful, Colloq pushy:  She
             found him somewhat obtrusive - always giving advice when she
             least needed it.

   obtuse    adj.  1 rounded, unpointed, blunt:  When mature, the leaves
             become more obtuse.  2 dull, insensitive, unfeeling,
             imperceptive, thick-skinned, stolid, thick, dense, doltish,
             cloddish, thickheaded, dull-witted, dim-witted, slow-witted,
             (mentally) retarded, boneheaded, lumpish, loutish, oafish,
             simple, simple-minded:  Luke is a bit too obtuse to get the
             point of the story.

   obvious   adj.  clear, plain, apparent, patent, perceptible, evident,
             self-evident, clear-cut, manifest, palpable, (much) in evidence,
             conspicuous, open, visible, overt, ostensible, pronounced,
             prominent, glaring, undeniable, unconcealed, unhidden, unsubtle,
             distinct, simple, bald, bald-faced, straightforward, direct,
             self-explanatory, indisputable, unmistakable or unmistakeable:
             There are obvious flaws in the fabric. The reason you were
             refused seemed obvious to me.

   obviously adv.  clearly, plainly, apparently, patently, evidently, simply,
             certainly, of course, undeniable, unmistakably or unmistakeably,
             indubitably, doubtless(ly):  You are obviously the right person
             for the assignment.

15.3 occasion...
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   occasion  n.  1 time, moment, circumstance, incident, occurrence,
             opportunity, chance, opening, advantage:  I took the occasion of
             the inquiry to leave town.  2 reason, cause, call,
             justification, ground(s), warrant, provocation, prompting,
             impulse, stimulus, incitement, inducement:  Tom gave David no
             occasion to doubt his honesty.  3 event, function, happening,
             affair, observance, commemoration, ceremony, celebration, gala,
             party,:  Grandpapa's ninetieth birthday was a great occasion.
             This hall is saved for important occasions. 4 on occasion. See
             occasionally, below.

             --v.  5 give rise to, bring about, cause, bring on, effect,
             prompt, provoke, evoke, call forth, elicit, call up, induce,
             impel, create, generate, engender, produce, make (for):  An
             increase in the inflation rate occasions a decrease in the value
             of money.

   occasional
             adj.  1 intermittent, irregular, periodic, random, sporadic,
             infrequent, casual, incidental:  They staged occasional raids on
             the arsenal. He works as an occasional farm hand. 2 additional,
             extra, spare, supplementary, incidental, auxiliary, accessory:
             We bought a few occasional chairs in case we have company.  3
             special, particular, ceremonial, ritual:  She writes occasional
             verses for memorial services.

   occasionally
             adv.  sometimes, on occasion, (every) now and then, from time to
             time, at times, (every) now and again, once in a while, every so
             often, periodically, intermittently, sporadically, irregularly,
             off and on:  We go up the Lake District for a weekend
             occasionally. Trevor occasionally drops in at the local pub for
             a beer.

   occult    adj.  1 secret, dark, concealed, private, privy, hidden,
             obscure, veiled, obscured, shrouded, vague, abstruse, shadowy,
             mystical, mysterious, cabbalistic, esoteric, recondite, arcane:
             Printing was kept an occult art for generations.  2 magical,
             mystical, alchemic(al), unexplained, unexplainable,
             inexplicable, puzzling, baffling, perplexing, mystifying,
             mysterious, incomprehensible, inscrutable, indecipherable,
             impenetrable, unfathomable, transcendental, supernatural,
             preternatural, mystic:  They dress in odd clothes and
             participate in occult rituals at peculiar times of the day and
             night.

             --n.  3 Usually, the occult. the supernatural, the unknown, the
             black arts; arcana, cabbala or cabala or kabbala; cabbalism or
             cabalism or kabbalism, occultism, sorcery, witchcraft, black
             magic:  Keith has studied the occult for many years.

   occupant  n.  resident, inhabitant, occupier, tenant, lessee, leaseholder,
             renter, owner, householder, indweller, dweller, denizen, lodger,
             roomer, boarder; addressee; incumbent:  The occupant of the flat
             upstairs is rarely home.

   occupation
             n.  1 job, position, post, situation, appointment, employment,
             vocation, line (of work), career, field, calling, trade, m‚tier,
             craft, skill, profession, business, work:  Claverton pursued his
             occupation as a miniaturist for some fifty years. 2 possession,
             tenure, occupancy, rule, control, suzerainty, subjugation,
             subjection, oppression, bondage:  Terrible atrocities were
             committed while the land was under the occupation of the
             Mongols. 3 conquest, seizure, appropriation, take-over:
             Francisco Pizarro was responsible for the occupation of Peru.

   occupy    v.  1 capture, seize, take possession of, conquer, invade, take
             over, overrun, garrison, dominate, hold:  Rebel forces had
             occupied the capital and toppled the governor.  2 live or reside
             or dwell in, tenant, be established or ensconced or situated in,
             establish or ensconce or situate oneself in, inhabit, be settled
             in or into, settle in or into, take up residence in, make one's
             home in, move in or into; be located in:  She occupies a
             luxurious flat in Belgravia.  3 engage, busy, absorb,
             monopolize, hold, take up or over, catch, grab, seize, grip;
             divert, amuse, entertain, distract, beguile, preoccupy, hold
             (someone's) attention, interest, engross, involve:  Other
             matters occupied my attention last Sunday. While one man was
             keeping the shopkeeper occupied, the other man was robbing the
             till. 4 fill (in or up), take up, cover, extend over, consume,
             use (up), Colloq eat up:  The car occupies more garage space
             than I thought it would. Housework occupies very little of my
             time.

   occur     v.  1 happen, take place, arise, come about, befall, come to
             pass, chance, appear, surface, materialize, develop, become
             manifest, manifest itself, Colloq transpire, crop up, come off,
             turn up:  We reported to the police all that had occurred. What
             occurred to make you late this time? 2 occur to. dawn on,
             strike, hit, come to, suggest itself to, cross (someone's) mind,
             enter (someone's) head, be brought to (someone's) attention:
             Has it occurred to you that she might not like opera?

   occurrence
             n.  1 happening, event, incident, phenomenon, affair, matter,
             experience:  Earthquakes are frequent occurrences in California.
             2 existence, instance, manifestation, materialization,
             appearance, development:  The occurrence of mutations
             diversifies the species.  3 frequency, incidence, rate;
             likelihood, chance:  What is the recorded occurrence of typhoons
             in the South China Sea?

   ocean     n.  1 (deep blue) sea, (bounding) main, high seas, the deep,
             Davy Jones's locker, the depths, Colloq the briny, the drink:
             The sails filled, and our tiny craft was swept out into the open
             ocean. 2 Often, oceans. flood, abundance, multitude, profusion,
             plethora, Colloq scads, loads, tons, lots, oodles, gobs,
             zillions:  The direct mail campaign yielded oceans of responses.

   oceanic   adj.  marine, pelagic, thalassic; salt-water, deep-water,
             aquatic, maritime, sea, ocean:  These creatures are chiefly
             oceanic, coming ashore only to breed.

15.4 odd...
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   odd       adj.  1 strange, peculiar, unusual, uncommon, different,
             unexpected, unfamiliar, extraordinary, remarkable, atypical,
             untypical, exotic, out of the ordinary, unparalleled,
             unconventional, exceptional, unique, singular, individual,
             anomalous, idiosyncratic, rare, deviant, outlandish, uncanny,
             queer, curious, bizarre, weird, eccentric, funny, quaint,
             fantastic, freak, abnormal, freakish, Colloq offbeat, screwy,
             kinky, freaky, Slang Brit barmy, bent, rum, US and Canadian
             kooky or kookie:  Ebenezer is an odd name for a dog. Where did
             you get that odd hat? I cannot account for his odd behaviour. 2
             occasional, casual, part-time, irregular, random, sporadic,
             discontinuous, disconnected, various, varied, miscellaneous,
             sundry, incidental:  After being made redundant, he worked at
             odd jobs for a year or so. The odd shower can be expected during
             the afternoon. 3 leftover, surplus, remaining, unused, spare,
             superfluous, extra:  After the patterns were cut, we were
             allowed to take the odd scraps of fabric. 4 uneven, unmatched,
             unpaired:  This gallery has an odd number of columns.

   oddity    n.  1 peculiarity, strangeness, unnaturalness, curiousness,
             incongruity, incongruousness, eccentricity, outlandishness,
             extraordinariness, unconventionality, bizarreness, weirdness,
             queerness, oddness, unusualness, individuality, singularity,
             distinctiveness, anomalousness, anomaly, Colloq kinkiness, US
             and Canadian kookiness:  What caught my attention was the oddity
             of the clothes worn by the students. 2 peculiarity, curiosity,
             rarity, freak, original, phenomenon, character, eccentric,
             nonconformist, fish out of water, odd bird, rara avis, misfit,
             square peg in a round hole, maverick, Colloq card, crank,
             weirdie or weirdo, oner, Brit odd fish, US and Canadian kook,
             oddball, screwball:  The townspeople thought Albert an oddity,
             but we knew he was a genius. 3 peculiarity, irregularity,
             anomaly, idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, deviation, quirk,
             mannerism, twist, kink, crotchet:  I suppose people all have
             their own oddities when it comes to food.

   odds      n.pl.  1 chances, likelihood, probability:  The odds are that
             Janet will finish the job in time.  2 edge, advantage, lead,
             superiority:  We have won before against greater odds.  3
             difference, inequality, disparity, unevenness, discrepancy,
             dissimilarity, distinction:  It makes no odds who you are, you
             may not go in there.  4 at odds. at variance, at loggerheads, at
             daggers drawn, at sixes and sevens, at cross purposes, at each
             other's throats, in disagreement, in opposition, on bad terms,
             not in keeping, out of line, inharmonious, conflicting,
             clashing, disagreeing, differing:  Teenagers have been at odds
             with their parents since time immemorial.  5 odds and ends.
             oddments, fragments, debris, leftovers, leavings, remnants, bits
             (and pieces), particles, shreds, snippets, scraps, rubbish,
             litter, Colloq Brit odds and sods:  We managed to pack
             everything into boxes except for a few odds and ends.

   odour     n.  1 smell, scent, aroma, bouquet, fragrance, perfume,
             redolence; stench, stink, fetor or foetor:  The air was filled
             with the odour of orange blossoms. The odour of rotting
             vegetation assailed our noses. 2 air, breath, hint, suggestion,
             atmosphere, spirit, quality, flavour, savour, aura, tone:  She
             would never allow the odour of scandal to touch her family.

15.5 off...
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   off       adv.  1 away, out, elsewhere:  His secretary said that he'd gone
             off for the weekend.  2 distant, away, afar, far-off:  The
             U-boat was a mile off. Christmas is only a month off.

             --adj.  3 incorrect, wrong, inaccurate, in error, mistaken,
             misguided, misled, off the mark:  I'm afraid you're off on the
             question of the best way to approach him. 4 mad, insane, crazy,
             eccentric, touched (in the head), Colloq dotty, dippy, nutty,
             potty:  Underwood's aunt is slightly off.  5 remote, distant,
             improbable, unlikely:  He went to the station on the off chance
             that she would be on the midday train. 6 off work, at leisure,
             idle, free, open; on holiday:  Can you get the day off tomorrow
             to go on a picnic with me?  7 sour, mouldy, bad, rotten, rancid,
             turned, high:  The cream smells a bit off.  8 bad, unpropitious,
             disappointing, unsatisfactory, disheartening, displeasing,
             slack, slow, substandard, below par, below average, quiet:  It
             has been an off year for the local football team.  9 cancelled,
             postponed:  The meeting is off till next week.  10 situated,
             fixed, supplied:  Is he really that well off? She was much worse
             off when they were married.

   offbeat   adj.  strange, eccentric, bizarre, weird, peculiar, odd, queer,
             unconventional, unorthodox, Bohemian, idiosyncratic, unusual,
             unexpected, outr‚, outlandish, deviant, novel, innovative,
             Colloq kinky, way-out, far-out, off-the-wall, freaky, weirdo:
             Jasper's offbeat, satirical humour has made him a popular
             comedian.

   off colour
             adj.  1 unwell, ill, off form, out of sorts, queasy, sick, run
             down, awful, seedy, Colloq under the weather, poorly, Slang
             lousy, rotten:  I have been feeling off colour since eating that
             fish.  2 indelicate, risqu‚, ribald, bawdy, indecent,
             suggestive, broad, indelicate, inelegant, improper,
             inappropriate, unseemly, blue:  My mother does not tolerate
             off-colour remarks at the dinner table.

   offence   n.  1 violation, breach, crime, felony, misdemeanour,
             infraction, transgression, trespass, wrong, wrongdoing, sin,
             peccadillo, misdeed, fault, infringement, malefaction;
             dereliction, lapse, slip, error:  He was accused of offences
             against the rights of others. Some regard the splitting of an
             infinitive an offence against the Queen's English. 2 give
             offence. incur displeasure, create annoyance or irritation or
             resentment or pique, evoke indignation or anger; slight, injure,
             hurt, harm, offend, insult, outrage, Colloq put (someone) down:
             He denied that he meant to give offence in his criticism of the
             play. 3 take offence. take umbrage, feel displeasure or
             annoyance or resentment or pique or indignation, be angered or
             enraged:  Why should you take offence at what a fool says?

   offend    v.  1 hurt (someone's) feelings, affront, insult, slight, snub,
             give offence, hurt, pain, displease, disgruntle, chagrin,
             humiliate, embarrass; pique, fret, gall, vex, annoy, irritate,
             nettle, needle, rankle, provoke, ruffle, outrage, rile, anger ,
             Colloq miff, put (someone's) back up, put (someone's) nose out
             of joint, tread or step on (someone's) toes, put (someone) out,
             rattle:  I hope you weren't offended by my saying that you could
             do with losing some weight. 2 disgust, sicken, turn (someone's)
             stomach, nauseate, repel, repulse, revolt, Colloq turn (someone)
             off:  I, for one, am offended by seeing explicit sex on
             television.

   offender  n.  criminal, malefactor, lawbreaker, outlaw, wrongdoer,
             culprit, miscreant, transgressor, sinner, evil-doer, Slang
             crook:  I don't know if they apprehended the offender.

   offensive adj.  1 antagonistic, hostile, contentious, quarrelsome,
             attacking, aggressive, threatening, provocative, combative,
             martial, belligerent, warlike, bellicose:  The minute the enemy
             made an offensive move, we attacked.  2 insulting, rude,
             disrespectful, uncivil, insolent, discourteous, impolite,
             unmannerly, impertinent, impudent, objectionable, displeasing:
             Nigel has been asked to leave because of his offensive
             behaviour.  3 disgusting, unsavoury, unpalatable, nauseating,
             nauseous, noisome, noxious, obnoxious, repugnant, repulsive,
             repellent, revolting, abominable, foul, loathsome, vile,
             sickening, fetid or foetid, rank, malodorous, mephitic, putrid,
             putrescent, putrefying, rancid, rotten:  An offensive stench
             emanated from the stagnant pond.

             --n.  4 attack, offence:  At last, our team was on the
             offensive.  5 attack, onslaught, drive, assault, offence, push:
             The offensive to capture the arsenal will be launched at dawn
             tomorrow.

   offer     v.  1 proffer, propose, tender, bid:  They offered twice what I
             had paid for it. She offered to buy my old car. 2 make
             available, present, tender, put on the market, sell, put up for
             sale, put up, furnish:  The supermarket is offering lettuce at
             half price.  3 proffer, provide, submit, put forward or forth,
             advance, tender, extend, make; suggest:  Can you offer a
             suggestion for improving office efficiency? He offered to forget
             the whole thing if I paid him њ1000. 4 volunteer, present
             oneself, step or come forward:  I offered to help with her
             luggage.

             --n.  5 proposal, bid, tender, offering:  She said she would
             double any offer we have already had for the painting. 6
             proposal, presentation, proffer, proposition:  The company said
             they could entertain no offers past the deadline.  My offer to
             lend the money was contingent on being repaid.

   offering  n.  sacrifice, oblation, contribution, donation, gift, present:
             They made offerings to the gods in order to propitiate them.

   offhand   adj.  1 offhanded, casual, informal, nonchalant, cool, distant,
             aloof, easygoing, blas‚, unceremonious, relaxed, easy, smooth,
             unconcerned, insouciant, light-hearted, uninterested,
             superficial, cursory, cavalier, careless:  His offhand reaction
             shows that he doesn't care as much about her as we thought. 2
             curt, brusque, abrupt, perfunctory, ungracious, glib, smooth:
             When asked when he expected to pay, he gave an offhand reply.  3
             extempore, impromptu, unpremeditated, unstudied, extemporaneous,
             informal, off the cuff, ad lib:  She rose to make some offhand
             comments about the accomplishments of the guest of honour.

             --adv.  4 extempore, impromptu, extemporaneously, informally,
             off the cuff, ad lib, on the spur of the moment, at the drop of
             a hat:  That was a pretty good speech considering it was made
             offhand.  5 casually, informally, incidentally, by the way,
             offhandedly, by the by, parenthetically, in passing, en passant,
             cursorily, superficially:  Offhand, I'd say that the two of them
             deserve each other.

   office    n.  1 business, organization, department, firm, house,
             establishment, company, corporation:  Whenever I'm travelling, I
             always try to phone the office once a day. 2 commission,
             department, branch; section, division:  He was with the overseas
             office for years.  3 workplace, offices; room, area:  Our new
             office is completely air-conditioned. My office is next to the
             board room. 4 duty, obligation, responsibility, charge,
             commission, service, employment, occupation, position, post,
             appointment, assignment, chore, task, job, place, berth, work,
             role, function, purpose, part, bit, Colloq thing, Slang shtick:
             He was appointed to the office of Minister of Health. In her
             office as Minister of Finance, she wields great power. 5
             offices. indulgence, intermediation, auspices, support,
             advocacy, aegis, help, aid, intercession, mediation, patronage,
             favour, backing, backup:  She appealed to the police chief's
             good offices to allow her to visit her son.

   officer   n.  1 (public) official, dignitary, office-holder, public
             servant, office-bearer, (political) appointee, (government)
             agent, bureaucrat, functionary, commissioner, administrator,
             manager, director; apparatchik:  He was stopped by customs
             officers who demanded to search his baggage. The bailiff is an
             officer of the court. 2 policeman, policewoman, police officer,
             officer of the law, constable, Old-fashioned catchpole, US
             lawman, peace officer, G-man, T-Man, Colloq gendarme, Slang cop,
             copper, fuzz, US dick, narc, Brit Old Bill, tec:  The officer
             standing at the door was there to serve a writ.

   official  adj.  1 authorized, legitimate, lawful, legal, authentic, bona
             fide, proper, true, accredited, valid, documented, licensed,
             sanctioned, endorsed, certified, verified, recognized, accepted:
             I won't believe I've won till I hold the official notification
             in my own hands. 2 ceremonial, formal, solemn, ritualistic,
             ceremonious, pompous, stiff, proper, seemly, decorous:  She has
             to make an acceptance speech at the official dinner.

             --n.  3 See officer, 1, above.

   officiate v.  preside, direct, manage, chair, conduct, oversee, head (up),
             run, lead, supervise, superintend; umpire, referee, judge,
             adjudicate, moderate, mediate:  Who will officiate at the annual
             meeting? Dennis has been invited to officiate at the football
             match on Saturday.

   officious adj.  dictatorial, intrusive, intruding, meddlesome, meddling,
             obtrusive, forward, bold, interfering, aggressive, insistent,
             persistent, demanding, importunate:  Hamish is one of those
             officious little men who are always ready to give unasked-for
             advice.

   offset    v.  1 compensate, counterbalance, countervail, counterpoise,
             counteract, balance (out), equalize, even (out or up), square,
             cancel (out), neutralize, nullify, make up (for), atone (for),
             redress; recompense, repay, make amends or restitution, make
             good, reimburse, indemnify:  The votes from the Centre offset
             those lost to the Far Left. How are you going to offset losses
             resulting from pilferage by shop assistants?

             --n.  2 compensation, counterbalance, counteraction, check,
             equalizer, neutralizer:  The bank manager considered the money
             owed to the company as sufficient offset for the money owed by
             it.

   offshoot  n.  1 branch, spur; shoot, limb, bough, twig, stem, appendage,
             sucker, sprout, sprig, tendril, scion:  There is an offshoot of
             this road that goes up the hill. The offshoots are trained to
             grow along the arms of the espalier. 2 descendant, relation,
             relative, kin, kindred, offspring, scion, heir:  One offshoot of
             the family later emigrated to the United States.  3 outgrowth,
             development, branch, spin-off; by-product, derivative:  An
             offshoot of the company manufactures optical instruments. The
             sale of gravel for concrete is an offshoot of our mining
             operations.

   offspring n.  (Often used as plural) child, progeny, issue, seed,
             youngster, brood, young, successor, heir:  None of the earl's
             offspring ever amounted to much.

   often     adv.  frequently, regularly, much, many times, usually,
             habitually, commonly; ordinarily, again and again, over and over
             again, time after time, repeatedly, time and (time) again, in
             many cases or instances, on numerous occasions, day in (and) day
             out, continually, Literary oftentimes, oft:  How often do you
             visit your mother? We often went to the seaside for our summer
             holiday. She was often warned not to go too near the edge.

15.6 ogle...
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   ogle      v.  1 leer, eye, make eyes at, Colloq give (someone) the glad
             eye, give (someone) the once-over, make sheep's eyes at:  The
             old lecher is always ogling the pretty young secretaries.  2
             gape, gaze, goggle, gawk, stare, Slang Brit gawp or gaup:  We
             took turns ogling the rings of Saturn through the telescope.

             --n.  3 leer, stare, gape, goggle, oeillade, Colloq once-over,
             glad eye:  They all crowded round the paper for an ogle at the
             pin-ups.

   ogre      n.  ogress, monster, giant, fiend, demon, troll, man-eater,
             bogey, bogeyman, bugbear, spectre, Minotaur, Cyclops, Gorgon,
             Caliban; brute, sadist, villain, cad, scoundrel:  The ogre
             chased Jack to the beanstalk. The persistent ogre of poverty
             threatened him all his life.

15.7 oil...
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   oil       n.  1 lubricant, grease, lubricator, unguent:  A little oil will
             stop that squeak.  2 fuel:  Miraculously, the lamp burned for
             eight days with only one day's supply of oil.

             --v.  3 lubricate, grease:  Oil the bearings or they will burn
             out.

   oily      adj.  1 greasy, oleaginous, fat, fatty, adipose, pinguid,
             sebaceous, soapy, saponaceous, buttery, butyraceous, lardaceous;
             slippery, slimy, slithery, smooth, unctuous:  The cars slid
             about as the tyres failed to grip the oily surface.  2 glib,
             smooth, unctuous, servile, obsequious, sycophantic,
             ingratiating, flattering, hypocritical; suave, urbane,
             sophisticated, Colloq smarmy:  Sarah found Curtis's approach
             sickeningly oily.

   ointment  n.  unguent, balm, salve, emollient, embrocation, demulcent,
             pomade, pomatum, petrolatum; lotion, cream:  A little ointment
             will keep the sore moist till it heals.

15.8 OK
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   OK        interj.  1 O.K.!, Okay!, Fine!, Yes!, Definitely!, Agreed!, Very
             well!, All right!:  'Would you have dinner with me?' 'OK!' 'I
             think you ought to leave.' 'OK!'

             --adj.  2 satisfactory, acceptable, correct, suitable, all
             right, fine, good, in order:  Is it OK if I go the cinema
             tonight? That dress is OK to wear to the dance. 3 adequate,
             mediocre, fair, middling, passable, tolerable, Colloq so so,
             pretty good, not bad, not great:  The film was OK, I suppose.  4
             well, healthy; sound, in good condition, in fine fettle, fine,
             all right:  Now that he's on the proper medication, Sam is OK.
             The mechanic assured me that my car would be OK.

             --v.  5 approve, sanction, ratify, authorize, endorse, support,
             agree to, allow, consent to, agree to, Colloq give the go-ahead
             or green light to, give the thumbs up or the nod to,
             rubber-stamp:  A department head must OK your expense account
             before you can be reimbursed.

             --n.  6 approval, sanction, ratification, authorization,
             endorsement, agreement, support, permission, consent:  You need
             an OK from the security guard to enter the restricted area.

             --adv.  7 all right, satisfactorily, well (enough), adequately:
             She can get along OK without me.

15.9 old...
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   old       adj.  1 elderly, ageing, aged, advanced in years or age,
             long-lived, past one's prime, grey, full of years, getting on
             (in years), hoary, superannuated, Colloq over the hill, past it:
             Bill is too old to continue working in the mine.  2 ancient,
             antiquated, antediluvian, fossil, prehistoric, Noachian,
             obsolete, antique, outdated, out of date, old-time, dated,
             archaic, stale, out-moded, pass‚, Literary Ogygian:  The
             archaeological dig has turned up some interesting old artefacts.
             3 time-worn, decayed, dilapidated, ramshackle, disintegrated,
             crumbling, shabby, worn out, dusty, broken-down, tumbledown,
             disused, unused, cast off, cast aside:  They have torn down the
             old mill near the river.  4 long-standing, well-established,
             enduring, lasting, age-old, time-honoured:  It is hard to see an
             old friendship die.  5 former, olden, bygone, early, primordial,
             primitive:  In the old days, it took a week to travel from
             London to Edinburgh.  6 previous, preceding, prior, former,
             quondam, erstwhile, one-time, ex-:  The West End was my old
             stamping-ground when I lived in London.  7 experienced, veteran,
             practised, (well-)versed, knowledgeable, proficient,
             accomplished, adept, skilled, expert, old-time:  Charles is an
             old hand at steam engines.  8 dear, beloved, loved, esteemed,
             valued, precious, well-known, intimate, close, familiar:
             Penelope is an old friend of the family's.

   old-fashioned
             adj.  antiquated, antique, pass‚, out-moded, out-dated,
             unfashionable, stale, out-dated, dated, out of date, tired,
             old-time, obsolete, obsolescent, dead, superseded, replaced,
             disused, out, old-fangled, old hat:  Whoever thought we would
             see the day when miniskirts were old-fashioned?

15.10 omen...
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   omen      n.  portent, augury, sign, token, foretoken, indication,
             harbinger, forewarning, premonition, foreshadowing, writing on
             the wall, prognostic, presage:  Solar eclipses were once
             regarded as omens, sometimes good, sometimes bad.

   ominous   adj.  1 foreboding, threatening, fateful, dark, black, gloomy,
             lowering or louring, menacing, sinister; unpropitious,
             unfavourable, ill-omened, ill-starred, unpromising,
             star-crossed, inauspicious:  With ominous solemnity, the judge
             placed a black cloth square on his head before passing the death
             sentence. 2 minatory, warning, admonitory, cautionary:  The
             whispering had taken on ominous overtones.  3 portentous,
             prophetic, oracular, vaticinal, predictive, prognostic, augural,
             mantic, sibyllic, meaningful, premonitory, foreshadowing,
             foretelling, foretokening, indicative:  Virtually everything was
             regarded as ominous in ancient times.

   omission  n.  1 non-inclusion, omitting, leaving out or off, excluding,
             eliminating, dropping, skipping; exclusion, exception, deletion,
             elimination, excision:  The omission of your name from the list
             was a mistake. Allowing for inadvertent omissions, the inventory
             is complete. 2 failure, default, neglect, dereliction,
             oversight, shortcoming, negligence:  She is being punished for
             her innocent omission in failing to notify the police while he
             is at liberty despite his deliberate commission of a crime.

   omit      v.  1 leave out, exclude, skip, except, pass over; delete,
             erase, cancel, eradicate, edit out, strike (out), dele, cut
             (out), cross out, obliterate:  She was offended because he
             omitted any mention of all that she had contributed. 2 neglect,
             disregard, fail, forget, overlook, let slide, ignore:  I omitted
             to tell you that your sister telephoned yesterday.

15.11 once...
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   once      adv.  1 once upon a time, formerly, (at) one time, on a former
             occasion, previously, before, in days gone by, in olden days, in
             the (good) old days, long ago, some time ago, years or ages or
             aeons ago, in days of yore:  Your hair is as long as mine once
             was. He was once a famous film star. That once revered leader
             has fallen. 2 one time, on one occasion, a single time:  He has
             visited his family only once in all these years.  3 once and for
             all. finally, positively, definitely, decidedly, conclusively,
             for good:  We must settle the itinerary once and for all before
             we can make the bookings. 4 once in a while. occasionally,
             (every) now and then, now and again, at times, sometimes,
             periodically, from time to time, at intervals, sporadically:  We
             go to the theatre once in a while.

             --conj.  5 (if) ever, as soon as, at any time:  Once the bus
             comes, you'd best get on it straight away.

             --n.  6 at once.  a immediately, straight away, right away,
             directly, without delay, promptly, instantly, post-haste; in a
             wink, in the twinkling of an eye, in a minute or moment or
             second or split second, in no time (at all), before you can turn
             around, before you can say 'Jack Robinson', in a trice, Colloq
             in a jiffy, in two shakes of a lamb's tail:  Watson, come here
             at once. I'll be there at once.  b together, at the same time,
             simultaneously, at a stroke, in the same instant, in the same
             breath, Colloq at one go, at a go, in one go:  You cannot be in
             two places at once.

   oncoming  adj.  1 advancing, arriving, coming, nearing, approaching,
             onrushing, imminent:  He swerved and just managed to avoid the
             oncoming lorry.

             --n.  2 onset, beginning, nearing, arrival, advance, approach:
             With the oncoming of spring, the birds returned.

   one       adj.  1 single, lone, solitary, individual, sole, only:  The one
             time I kissed Margie it was heaven.  2 unified, united,
             inseparable, joined, undivided, one and the same, identical,
             equal, at one, harmonious, in unison, whole, entire, complete:
             When he went into a trance, he felt one with his God.  3 a
             particular, a certain, a given, a specific:  I recall one
             occasion when she brought all her dogs into work.

             --pron.  4 a person, an individual, a man or a woman, everybody,
             everyone, anybody, anyone; people; Possibly offensive man:  One
             ought to treat others as one would like to be treated. One
             cannot be too careful these days.

             --n.  5 joke, story, anecdote, chestnut, one-liner; limerick,
             rhyme, ditty, song; bromide:  Have you heard the one that
             begins, 'There was a young man from Loch Ness'?

   one-sided adj.  1 partial, biased, partisan, prejudiced, bigoted, unfair,
             unjust, inequitable, close-minded, narrow-minded, intolerant:
             His is a one-sided view of the problem.  2 lopsided, unbalanced,
             unequal, unequalized, uneven, disproportionate, Slang cock-eyed:
             The swelling on his left cheek made Tom's face look very
             one-sided.  3 unilateral, independent, exclusionary, exclusive:
             They made a one-sided decision to halt production of nuclear
             weapons.

   ongoing   adj.  1 continuing, continued, continuous, continual, ceaseless,
             unbroken, uninterrupted, constant, perpetual, non-stop,
             relentless, persistent, unending, endless, interminable,
             running:  There has been an ongoing dispute with the museum over
             the authenticity of the sculpture. 2 developing, evolving,
             growing, successive, unfolding, progressing, progressive:
             Rather than come to a hasty decision, we decided to monitor
             ongoing developments.

   onlooker  n.  spectator, observer, looker-on, eyewitness, witness,
             watcher, viewer; bystander, passer-by:  She was merely an
             onlooker, not a participant. Onlookers reported that the driver
             had run away from the accident.

   only      adj.  1 sole, single, solitary, lone, one and only, exclusive:
             He is the only one who can identify the murderer.

             --adv.  2 solely, just, exclusively, alone:  He has a face that
             only a mother could love. They have been here only twice. She
             gets her own way only because she has a tantrum if anyone
             crosses her. Harry was correct in one respect only. 3 merely,
             simply, barely, at best, at worst, at most, just, purely, not or
             no more than, not or no greater than:  She is only seventeen. I
             received your note only today. Don't get excited, it's only a
             small present.

             --conj.  4 but, however, on the other hand, on the contrary,
             contrariwise:  The flowers are lovely, only they have no scent.

   onset     n.  1 attack, assault, onrush, onslaught, charge, strike, hit,
             raid, storming, sally, sortie:  These troops had to bear the
             brunt of the onset.  2 beginning, start, outset, initiation,
             inauguration, commencement, inception, dawn, birth, origin,
             genesis, appearance, debut:  We must leave before the onset of
             the monsoon season. The sudden onset of a new policy will throw
             the ministers into a panic.

   onward    adj.  forward, advancing, progressive, progressing, moving
             onward or forward:  They resumed their onward march, laying
             waste to the countryside as they went.

   onwards   adv.  onward, forwards or forward, ahead, in front, on, forth:
             They marched onwards through the dismal valley. From this day
             onwards afternoon visiting hours will be from two to four
             o'clock.

15.12 ooze
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   ooze      n.  1 slime, muck, mud, mire, silt, sludge, sediment, slush,
             Colloq goo, gunk, guck, Slang US glop, goop:  I stepped into the
             bog and the ooze rose over the tops of my shoes.

             --v.  2 exude, weep, seep, secrete, bleed, leak, drain, trickle;
             emit, discharge:  Sap continues to ooze from the gash in the
             tree.

15.13 opacity...
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   opacity   n.  1 opaqueness, darkness, murkiness, dimness, obscurity,
             impermeability, impenetrability:  The opacity of the lens
             increases automatically in the presence of sunlight. 2
             obscurity, density, impenetrability, unintelligibility,
             indefiniteness, vagueness, reconditeness, abstruseness,
             ambiguity, equivocation, mystification:  For centuries
             scientists were unable to penetrate the opacity of the question
             of what occurred when substances burned. 3 stupidity, dullness,
             denseness, thickness, obtuseness:  A light finally dawned
             through the thick opacity of his brain.

   opalescent
             adj.  opaline, iridescent, nacreous, pearly, lustrous:  The sea
             was opalescent in the moonlight.

   opaque    adj.  1 dark, murky, dim, turbid, muddy, cloudy, obscure,
             obscured, obfuscated, black, impermeable, impenetrable, clouded,
             non-transparent, untransparent, non-translucent, hazy, blurred,
             blurry, smoky:  Solar eclipses should be viewed directly only
             through special opaque glass. 2 unclear, vague, indefinite,
             obscure, unfathomable, unplumbable, baffling, mystifying,
             ambiguous, equivocal, impenetrable, cryptic, enigmatic,
             puzzling, perplexing, mysterious, elusive, abstruse, arcane,
             recondite:  Despite years of study, the inscriptions on the tomb
             have remained opaque to scholars. 3 unintelligent, dense, thick,
             dull, obtuse, stupid, dull-witted, stolid, thickheaded,
             dunderheaded, dunderpated, slow, doltish, backward, cloddish:
             He was too opaque to notice the jeers of his colleagues.

   open      adj.  1 ajar, gaping, agape, unfastened, unlocked, unbarred,
             unbolted, unlatched, unclosed:  Come on in - the door is open.
             2 yawning, agape, uncovered, revealed, unsealed, exposed, bare:
             Her uncle escaped by hiding for three nights in an open grave.
             3 unwrapped, unsealed, unfastened:  The package was open and the
             contents gone.  4 free, accessible, public, available;
             obtainable; unrestricted, unobstructed, unencumbered or
             unincumbered, unimpeded, unhindered, unhampered, unregulated,
             unconditional, unqualified:  The parks are open to all. We were
             allowed open access to the library stacks. 5 unprotected,
             unenclosed, unsheltered, bare; uncovered, exposed:  They spent a
             week in an open boat before being rescued. The roof can be
             retracted, leaving the interior completely open to the sky. 6
             unsettled, unagreed, unsigned, unsealed, unclinched,
             unestablished, unconcluded, undecided, pending:  As far as I am
             concerned, the deal is open till the contract is signed. 7
             undecided, unsettled, unresolved, debatable, arguable,
             problematic, moot, US up in the air:  Whether they should get
             married is a question that will remain open until he returns
             from abroad. 8 unscheduled, unbooked, unspoken for, unreserved,
             uncommitted, free, unpromised:  The doctor has an hour open at
             noon on Friday.  9 clear, unobstructed, wide open, uncluttered,
             roomy, spacious, extensive, expansive; treeless, uncrowded,
             unfenced, unenclosed; ice-free, navigable, unblocked, passable:
             We travelled through open country for days. In the spring the
             shipping lanes will again be open. 10 available, unfilled,
             vacant, untaken:  There are not many jobs open in this part of
             the country.  11 receptive, open-minded, flexible, amenable,
             persuasible or persuadable, pliant, willing, responsive:  The
             management is open to suggestions for improving its products and
             services. 12 exposed, public, well-known, widely known,
             unconcealed:  That they are living together is an open secret.
             13 evident, obvious, conspicuous, manifest, clear, unconcealed,
             unequivocal, plain, palpable, apparent, patent, downright, out
             and out, blatant, flagrant, glaring, brazen:  He operates with
             open disregard for the law.  14 generous, liberal, charitable,
             unreserved, open-handed, liberal, munificent, magnanimous,
             big-hearted, beneficent, bounteous, unselfish, unstinting,
             humanitarian, altruistic:  They are quite open when it comes to
             giving to charity.  15 unreserved, candid, frank, outspoken,
             straightforward, forthright, direct, honest, sincere, guileless,
             artless, fair:  He found it difficult to be open with his wife.
             16 free, unrestrained, unconstrained, uninhibited, unreserved,
             unrestricted:  They have an open marriage, each aware of the
             other's affairs.  17 unfolded, extended, spread (out),
             outstretched, outspread:  She ran into my open arms.  18 liable,
             subject, susceptible, exposed, inclined, predisposed, disposed:
             These fraudulent shipping documents may well leave the captain
             open to prosecution for barratry. 19 unprotected, undefended,
             unfortified, exposed:  With the invaders at the gates, Paris was
             declared an open city.

             --v.  20 begin, start, initiate, commence, get under way,
             inaugurate, launch, put in or into operation, activate, get
             going, set in motion; establish, set up; Colloq get or start the
             ball rolling, get or put the show on the road, kick off:  The
             minister opened the proceedings with an interminable speech.
             Jeremy is planning to open a restaurant in Pebble Lane. The show
             opens in Manchester next week. 21 unlock, unbar, unlatch,
             unbolt, unfasten; uncover; uncork, unseal; undo, untie, unwrap;
             pull out:  Open the door. Open the box. Open the bottle. Open
             your present.  He opened the drawer. 22 unblock, clear,
             unobstruct, unclog, unstop:  They had to dig up the yard to open
             the drain. The new law has opened the way for increased exports.
             23 disclose, unveil, uncover, expose, display, show, exhibit,
             reveal, divulge, bring to light, communicate, bring out,
             unbosom, explain, present, announce, release, publish, air, make
             known, advertise:  The wonders of the language were opened to me
             by my first dictionary.  24 expand, spread (out), stretch out,
             open up or out, unfurl, extend:  The flag opened to the breeze.
             25 present, offer, furnish, provide, afford, yield, reveal,
             uncover, raise, contribute, introduce:  Expansion of technology
             opens new business opportunities every day.

   opening   n.  1 break, breach, rent, rift, cleft, crack, crevice, fissure,
             cranny, chink, pit, gap, split, slit, slot, aperture, hole,
             orifice, separation:  Flowers grew from openings in the wall.  2
             opportunity, chance, occasion, toe-hold, foothold, Colloq break,
             toe or foot in the door, Brit look-in:  I was waiting for an
             appropriate opening to make my presentation.  3 job, position,
             opportunity, vacancy:  Is there likely to be an opening in the
             art department of your company? 4 beginning, commencement,
             start, birth, origin, outset, onset, inauguration, launch,
             send-off, initiation, presentation, debut; vernissage, US
             start-off, start-up:  The opening of the autumn social season
             was marked by Malcolm's birthday party. Aren't you going to the
             opening at the museum tonight?

   openly    adv.  1 brazenly, brashly, flagrantly, unabashedly, unashamedly,
             unreservedly, boldly, audaciously, flauntingly:  She has openly
             defied the direct orders of her employer.  2 frankly,
             unreservedly, plainly, forthrightly, candidly, directly,
             outright, freely, outspokenly:  The man admitted openly that he
             had stolen the plans for the missile.

   operable  adj.  workable, practicable, serviceable, usable, functional,
             fit, operational, in working order or condition:  Aircraft
             engines that rely on oxygen for burning fuel are not operable
             where the air is too thin.

   operate   v.  1 go, run, perform; work, function, serve, act:  This watch
             operates even under water. The drug operates to reduce blood
             pressure. 2 manage, run, direct, conduct, control, carry on,
             ply, manipulate, handle; US drive:  Katherine has been operating
             as an antiques dealer for years.  It is unsafe to operate this
             machinery without goggles.

   operation n.  1 function, functioning, working, running, performance,
             action, motion, movement:  The operation of the internal
             combustion engine is very simple.  2 manipulation, handling,
             direction, running, control, management, managing; manoeuvring:
             The operation of the aircraft is under the control of the
             captain.  3 undertaking, enterprise, venture, project, affair,
             deal, procedure, proceeding, (day-to-day) business, transaction:
             Who will be in charge of the operation while the president is
             abroad? 4 Often, operations. action, manoeuvre, mission, task,
             campaign, exercise:  The generals directed military operations
             from positions close to enemy lines. 5 in or into operation.
             functioning, operative, in effect, in force, operating,
             operational, functional, effective, efficacious:  Is the factory
             in operation yet? The new regulations went into operation last
             week.

   operative adj.  1 See operation, 5, above.

             --n.  2 worker, hand, employee; craftsman, craftswoman, artisan,
             mechanic, machinist:  We hired two more lathe operatives today.
             3 private detective, (private) investigator, Colloq private eye,
             sleuth, Brit sleuth-hound, US P.I., gumshoe, Slang (private)
             dick, US shamus, eye:  Our operatives reported that Jones had
             been seen in the company of a known enemy agent. 4 espionage or
             intelligence agent, counter-espionage or counter-intelligence
             agent, spy, counter-spy, undercover agent or man, (FBI or CIA)
             agent, US G-man, Colloq US company man, member of the firm:  We
             had an operative at the top level of the NKVD.

   operator  n.  1 (bus or taxi or train) driver; worker, operative,
             manipulator, practitioner:  These operators are required to take
             safety courses.  2 director, administrator, manager, supervisor,
             superintendent:  Shaughnessey is the operator of a roofing
             business in Tring.  3 machinator, faker, fraud, manipulator,
             manoeuvrer, Colloq finagler, wise guy, Slang smooth or slick
             operator, smoothie, wheeler-dealer, big-shot, big-time operator,
             Chiefly US and Canadian big wheel:  Claude is a cunning operator
             who always gets what he goes after.

   opinion   n.  1 belief, judgement, thought, sentiment, (point of) view,
             viewpoint, conviction, way of thinking, perception, idea,
             impression, notion, conception, theory, id‚e re‡u; mind:  It is
             my opinion that sickness benefits ought to be increased.  In her
             opinion all men are chauvinists. 2 evaluation, estimation,
             estimate, appraisal, appreciation, impression:  Myra has a very
             low opinion of Ray's taste in architecture.

   opinionated
             adj.  1 stubborn, pigheaded, obstinate, doctrinaire, inflexible,
             dogmatic, single-minded, cocksure, obdurate, dictatorial,
             dogged, mulish, bull-headed, overbearing:  Felix is too
             opinionated to change his mind even if he knows he is wrong. 2
             prejudiced, biased, bigoted, one-sided, jaundiced, coloured,
             partial, partisan:  You can count on Joan for an opinionated
             view of social values.

   opponent  n.  antagonist, adversary, disputant, contestant, competitor,
             contender, rival, foe, enemy; the opposition:  He may be my
             opponent in the chess competition, but we are the best of
             friends.

   opportune adj.  1 favourable, advantageous, auspicious, good, felicitous,
             happy, propitious, beneficial, helpful, fortunate, lucky,
             profitable:  As I need money, and you have it to invest, our
             meeting is most opportune. 2 timely, well-timed, seasonable,
             apt, appropriate, germane, pertinent, convenient, fitting,
             suitable, becoming:  If this is not an opportune time to bring
             up the matter of the money you owe me, just say so.

   opportunistic
             adj.  expedient, selfish, taking advantage, exploitive or
             exploitative, unprincipled, Machiavellian, opportunist:  Don't
             you agree that it was opportunistic of him to inform on his own
             brother for a reward?

   opportunity
             n.  chance, occasion, opening, possibility, moment, time, Slang
             break:  She has taken advantage of every opportunity to vilify
             her ex-employers.

   oppose    v.  1 resist, counter, object (to), defy, take a stand against,
             withstand, resist, combat, contest, attack, counter-attack,
             fight, grapple with, contend with or against:  If it comes to
             that, we must oppose force with force.  2 check, bar, obstruct,
             block, hinder, impede, stop, slow, curb, restrain, inhibit,
             interfere with, restrict, prevent, obviate, preclude, thwart,
             foil, frustrate:  Labour seeks to oppose the privatization of
             industry.  3 match, offset, counterbalance, contrast, pit or set
             against, play off (against), set off:  What can they call upon
             to oppose the power of the Devil?

   opposed   adj.  Often, opposed to. against, in opposition (to), opposing,
             in conflict (with), antipathetic, conflicting, contrary (to), at
             variance (with), antithetical (to), hostile (to), inimical (to),
             opposite (to), contrasting:  Harvey is among those opposed to
             abortion. All those who are opposed to the motion raise your
             hands.

   opposing  adj.  opposite, conflicting, contrary, antithetical,
             antagonistic, antipathetic, hostile, inimical, contrasting,
             rival, contradictory, incompatible, irreconcilable, dissident,
             discrepant:  Those with opposing views will be heard from later.

   opposite  adj.  1 facing, vis-…-vis, en face:  The sniper was on the roof
             of the building opposite.  2 opposing, conflicting, contrary,
             contrasting, contradictory, antithetical, differing, different,
             divergent, diverse, antagonistic, inconsistent, irreconcilable:
             William and his wife hold diametrically opposite political
             views.

             --n.  3 reverse, converse, contrary, antithesis:  Whatever you
             tell teenagers to do, their first reaction is to do the
             opposite.

   opposition
             n.  1 hostility, antagonism, unfriendliness, resistance,
             counteraction, disapproval, objection, conflict, defiance,
             contrast, antipathy, adversity, Colloq flak:  There is strong
             opposition to plans for an amusement arcade.  2 competition,
             opponent, adversary, competitor, antagonist, enemy, foe, rival,
             other side:  We must overcome the opposition in order to win.  3
             in opposition. competing, competitive, antagonistic, hostile,
             conflicting, in conflict, antithetic(al), opposed, at daggers
             drawn, in deadly embrace:  Although they agree on some points,
             the parties are in opposition on others.

   oppress   v.  1 burden, afflict, trouble, weigh down, overload, encumber,
             wear (down), press, weary, overburden, overwhelm, Brit
             pressurize, US pressure:  He was oppressed by the heavy burden
             of responsibility.  2 crush, repress, put down, suppress,
             subjugate, tyrannize (over), subdue, overpower, enslave,
             persecute, maltreat, abuse, harry, harass, trample underfoot,
             ride roughshod over:  The Russian serfs had been oppressed for
             centuries before they finally rose up against tyranny.

   oppression
             n.  repression, suppression, subjugation, subjection, tyranny,
             despotism, enslavement, persecution, maltreatment, abuse,
             torment, torture, hardship, injury, pain, anguish, injustice:
             People who have not known oppression cannot imagine the agonies
             suffered by the oppressed who once were free.

   oppressive
             adj.  1 burdensome, overpowering, overwhelming, onerous, heavy,
             cumbersome, exhausting, racking, unbearable, intolerable,
             agonizing, unendurable, harsh, brutal, severe, tyrannical,
             repressive; dispiriting, depressing, disheartening,
             discouraging, grievous, distressing, dolorous, miserable,
             harrowing, wretched:  The conquerors resorted to oppressive
             measures to keep the people subjugated. 2 suffocating, stifling,
             stuffy, close, airless, unventilated, uncomfortable:  The
             atmosphere in the tiny cell quickly became oppressive, and a
             couple of people fainted.

   oppressor n.  bully, tyrant, taskmaster, taskmistress, despot, autocrat,
             persecutor, slave-driver, dictator, overlord, iron hand,
             scourge, tormentor, torturer, intimidator:  The citizens finally
             banded together and overthrew their oppressors.

   optimistic
             adj.  sanguine, positive, cheerful, buoyant, bright, hopeful,
             expectant, confident, bullish, idealistic, Pollyannaish:  We
             have every reason to be optimistic that the venture will
             succeed.

   optimum   n.  1 best, finest, most favourable, ideal, perfection, model,
             paragon, exemplar:  In all work, the optimum is difficult to
             achieve.

             --adj.  2 best, finest, most favourable, ideal, perfect,
             choicest, optimal, first-rate, first-class, sterling, prime,
             capital, excellent, exceptional, superlative, extraordinary,
             unique, peerless, unequalled, unexcelled, unsurpassed:  These
             instruments keep the chamber at the optimum temperature.  After
             months of training, Guy is in optimum condition to win the
             marathon.

   option    n.  1 choice, selection, alternative, recourse, opportunity, way
             out:  There are fewer employment options open to the uneducated.
             2 choice, privilege, election, opportunity, chance:  Investors
             pay for the option to buy at a fixed figure if the price of the
             shares goes up.

   optional  adj.  voluntary, discretionary or discretional, elective,
             facultative, free, spontaneous, uncoerced, unforced,
             non-compulsory, uncompulsory, non-mandatory, unmandatory,
             non-requisite, unrequisite:  Life insurance is optional for
             those who have our hospitalization policy.

   opulent   adj.  1 wealthy, affluent, rich, prosperous, well-to-do, well
             off, comfortable, Colloq flush, well-heeled, loaded, rolling in
             it, made of money, in clover, on Easy Street, Brit on velvet, US
             in velvet, in the chips:  Timothy was fortunate in having met
             and wed an opulent widow.  2 luxurious, lavish, sumptuous:  That
             poor little rich girl was raised in the most opulent of
             surroundings.  3 abundant, copious, bountiful, plentiful,
             prolific, profuse, plenteous:  We enjoyed a most opulent harvest
             this year.

   opus      n.  work, composition, production, oeuvre, creation; magnum
             opus:  Her most important opus will be performed at the Albert
             Hall next week.

15.14 oracle...
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   oracle    n.  1 prophet, sibyl, seer, soothsayer, augur, fortune-teller,
             diviner, prognosticator, US reader (and adviser or advisor),
             Cassandra, Nostradamus; authority, guru, mastermind, mentor,
             wizard:  He insists on consulting his oracle before making any
             final decision.  2 prophecy, augury, prediction, divination,
             advice, prognostication, answer, message, divine utterance:
             According to the oracle, the travellers would survive the perils
             of the journey.

   oral      adj.  spoken, said, verbal, uttered, voiced, vocal, vocalized,
             enunciated, pronounced, articulated, word-of-mouth, viva voce:
             Tomorrow James must make an oral presentation of his plan to the
             entire staff.

   oration   n.  speech, declaration, address, lecture, recitation,
             discourse, monologue, declamation; valedictory, eulogy, homily,
             panegyric; Colloq spiel:  Bentley delivered a long oration on
             the future of the economy.

   oratory   n.  public speaking, speech-making, eloquence, rhetoric, way
             with words, command of the language, fluency, glibness,
             grandiloquence, magniloquence, declamation; elocution, diction,
             enunciation, articulation, address; Colloq gift of the gab:  The
             crowds who thronged to hear Churchill's oratory were seldom
             disappointed.

   orb       n.  sphere, ball, globe:  The golden orb of the sun sank into
             the sea.

   orbit     n.  1 circuit, course, path, track, revolution, circle, round,
             cycle:  The earth's orbit round the sun is elliptical.

             --v.  2 revolve, go round, circle, encircle, turn:  The earth
             orbits the sun in a year. Electrons orbit the nucleus of an
             atom.

   ordeal    n.  trial, test, tribulation(s), hardship, affliction,
             trouble(s), suffering, distress, anguish, nightmare, misery,
             grief, misfortune, adversity, tragedy, disaster:  She never
             fully recovered from her ordeal at the hands of the kidnappers.

   order     n.  1 organization, arrangement, grouping, disposition, form,
             structure, categorization, systematization or systemization,
             classification, codification, disposal, layout, array, sequence,
             Colloq set-up:  The order of the library is of crucial
             importance if we are to find anything. 2 organization,
             uniformity, regularity, system, pattern, symmetry, harmony,
             tidiness, orderliness, neatness:  Some believe that there is an
             order of things in the universe, others that the universe tends
             to chaos. 3 category, class, caste, level, kind, sort, rank,
             group, scale, importance, hierarchy, position, status, degree,
             Colloq pecking order:  Gregory's musical talents are of a very
             high order.  4 command, direction, directive, instruction,
             commandment, dictate, mandate, edict, behest, request, demand,
             ukase, decree, fiat, proclamation, pronouncement,
             pronunciamento; rule, regulation, law, ordinance, statute,
             requirement:  The police have issued an order to surrender all
             hand guns.  5 procedure, proceeding(s), discipline, conduct:
             The order of the meeting was breached by some rowdies.  6
             condition, state (of affairs):  Please leave everything in the
             order in which you found it.  7 purchase order, request,
             requisition, commitment, commission, instruction:  We received a
             large order for office furniture.  8 calm, peace, peacefulness,
             tranquillity, quiet, serenity, law and order, discipline,
             lawfulness:  After a brief commotion, order was restored.  9
             brotherhood, fraternity, sisterhood, sorority, fellowship,
             sodality, association, organization, society, guild, sect,
             company, community, lodge, body, knighthood:  One of her
             ancestors was a Knight of the Teutonic Order.  10 in order.  a
             neat, clean, tidy, shipshape, orderly, (well-)organized, ready,
             prepared, arranged:  Is everything in order for the wedding
             tomorrow?  b fitting, suitable, appropriate, correct, right,
             apt, called-for; required, demanded, needed:  I think that an
             apology is in order for the way you behaved.  11 in order that.
             so (that), with the aim or purpose that, to the end that:  We
             invited him in order that you might meet him.  12 in order to.
             to, for the purpose of:  In order to get there, you have to
             drive up the hill.  13 out of order.  a disordered,
             non-sequential, out of sequence, non-alphabetical, disorganized,
             unorganized, in disorder:  The cards in this catalogue are out
             of order and I cannot find anything. b unseemly, out of place,
             improper, uncalled-for, unsuitable, indecorous, Colloq chiefly
             Brit not cricket:  Your remark about her religion was completely
             out of order.  c out of commission, broken, in disrepair,
             non-functioning, non-functional, not working, broken-down,
             inoperative, out of kilter or Brit also kelter, Colloq (gone)
             haywire, kaput, bust(ed), US out of whack, on the fritz, shot;
             Slang on the blink, Brit wonky, gone phut:  The telly is out of
             order again.

             --v.  14 direct, command, instruct, charge, tell, bid, require,
             enjoin; demand, ordain; force, make:  The sergeant ordered the
             men to run around the drill field with full packs. The council
             ordered that garden rubbish should be packed in special bags. 15
             requisition, ask for, send (away) for, call for, apply for,
             reserve, engage, commission, contract for; purchase, buy:  Have
             you ordered breakfast for tomorrow? Let's order a take-away from
             the Chinese restaurant. 16 organize, systematize, arrange,
             classify, categorize, codify, lay out, sort (out), straighten
             (out or up):  The bottles were ordered in neat rows along the
             wall.

   orderly   adj.  1 in (good) order, (well-)organized, neat, shipshape,
             tidy, arranged, methodical, systematic, systematized or
             systemized, harmonious, symmetrical, regular, uniform:  Before
             you leave, make sure that your room is orderly.  2 well-behaved,
             disciplined, decorous, law-abiding, well-mannered, peaceable,
             tranquil, mannerly, polite, courteous, civil, civilized,
             non-violent:  Everyone left the burning theatre in an orderly
             fashion.

             --n.  3 assistant, adjutant, attendant, messenger; menial,
             servant; nurse's aide; Brit military batman; US candystriper;
             Slang US and Canadian gofer:  An orderly arrived with dispatches
             from the general. She has a job as a hospital orderly.

   ordinarily
             adv.  usually, normally, as a rule, commonly, generally, in
             general, customarily, routinely, typically, habitually, by and
             large, for the most part:  Ellie is ordinarily at her desk by
             nine o'clock.

   ordinary  adj.  1 usual, normal, expected, common, general, customary,
             routine, typical, habitual, accustomed, traditional, regular,
             everyday, familiar, set, humdrum:  This wine is quite good for
             ordinary drinking. Just display ordinary good manners when you
             meet the queen. 2 common, conventional, modest, plain, simple,
             prosaic, homespun, commonplace, run-of-the-mill, everyday,
             average, unpretentious, workaday, mediocre, fair, passable, so
             so, undistinguished, unexceptional, unremarkable, uninspired,
             pedestrian, bourgeois, peasant, provincial, unrefined, Colloq
             Brit common or garden, US common-or-garden variety,
             garden-variety:  They bought a rather ordinary house in an
             inferior neighbourhood.

             --n.  3 standard, norm, average, status quo, convention,
             expected:  Saint-Gaudens' architectural designs are far from the
             ordinary.  4 out of the ordinary. extraordinary, unusual,
             uncommon, strange, unfamiliar, different, unexpected,
             unconventional, curious, eccentric, peculiar, rare, exceptional,
             original, singular, unique, odd, bizarre, weird, offbeat,
             outlandish, striking, quaint, picturesque:  She was looking for
             a gift that was a little out of the ordinary, so I suggested a
             pet tarantula.

   organ     n.  1 device, instrument, implement, tool; member, part,
             element, unit, component, structure, Technical process:  The
             eye, come to think of it, is a truly miraculous organ.  2
             medium, vehicle, voice, mouthpiece, forum, publication, paper,
             magazine, newsletter, house organ, newspaper, annual,
             semi-annual, quarterly, monthly, fortnightly, weekly,
             hebdomadal, daily, journal, periodical:  The official organ of
             the Society is published in Abergavenny.

   organic   adj.  1 living, natural, biological, biotic, animate, breathing:
             Though coal may seem to be a mineral, it is organic, for it was
             formed from plants. 2 basic, elementary, essential, innate,
             inborn, natural, native, ingrained, primary, fundamental,
             visceral, constitutional, inherent, structural, integral:  The
             organic differences between the styles of writing are obvious.
             3 organized, systematic, coherent, coordinated, integrated,
             structured, methodical, orderly, consistent:  The various
             elements of the painting blend into an organic whole.

   organism  n.  living thing, structure, body; being, creature:  It is the
             work of natural scientists to classify all kinds of organisms.

   organization
             n.  1 organizing, structuring, assembling, assembly, putting
             together, coordination, systematizing, systematization,
             classifying, classification, categorizing, categorization,
             codifying, codification:  The organization of the school
             timetable took hours to complete.  2 structure, pattern,
             configuration, design, plan, scheme, order, system, organism,
             composition, arrangement, constitution, make-up, grouping,
             framework, format, form, shape:  One must consider the
             organization as a whole, not merely its constituent elements. 3
             body, system, institution, federation, confederacy,
             confederation, society, group, league, coalition, conglomerate,
             combine, consortium, syndicate, organism:  The organization is a
             coherent structure made up of an enormous number of disparate
             elements.

   organize  v.  1 structure, coordinate, systematize, systemize, order,
             arrange, sort (out), classify, categorize, codify, catalogue,
             group, tabulate, pigeon-hole, standardize:  These files ought to
             be organized so that you can find something when you need it. 2
             form, found, set up, establish, institute, start, begin, create,
             originate, initiate, put together, build, develop, US pull
             together:  In 1969, we organized a company to publish reference
             books.

   orgy      n.  1 bacchanalia, bacchanal, Saturnalia, Dionysia, debauch,
             carousal, carouse, spree, revel, party, Colloq binge, bender,
             drunk, bust, Slang jag, US and Canadian toot, tear:  The
             journalist represented the earl's party as a wild orgy.  2
             overindulgence, splurge, spree, fling, Slang US bender:  Trying
             to lift himself out of depression, Roger went on a spending
             orgy.

   orient    n.  1 east:  Harriet is in the orient on business.

             --adj.  2 Literary oriental, eastern:  The grass was sown with
             orient pearls.

             --v.  3 adjust, adapt, acclimatize or acclimate, habituate,
             accommodate, condition, accustom, familiarize, feel one's way,
             assess, get one's bearings, Colloq orientate:  It is a new job
             and she needs a few days to orient herself.

   orientation
             n.  1 placement, bearings, attitude, alignment, lie, placing,
             situation, layout, location, position, positioning, arrangement,
             set-up:  The orientation of the buildings is such that the
             windows face south. 2 introduction, training, initiation,
             briefing, familiarization, assimilation, acclimatization,
             preparation, instruction:  The orientation of the new employees
             is scheduled for next week.  We were given orientation lectures.

   origin    n.  1 source, derivation, rise, fountain-head, foundation,
             basis, base, well-spring, fount, provenance, Chiefly US
             provenience:  The origins of many English words are unknown.  2
             creation, genesis, birth, birthplace, cradle, dawning, dawn,
             origination, start, beginning, commencement, outset, launch,
             launching, inception, inauguration:  The origin of the notion of
             democracy can be traced to ancient Greece. 3 Often, origins.
             parentage, ancestry, extraction, descent, lineage, pedigree,
             genealogy, stock, heritage:  We have traced our family's origins
             back to the Middle Ages.

   original  adj.  1 initial, first, earliest, primary, beginning, starting,
             basic:  The original report made no mention of any missing
             jewellery.  2 native, indigenous, autochthonous, aboriginal,
             primordial, primeval, primitive:  At first, we could find only
             slight traces of the original inhabitants.  3 master, actual,
             primary, authentic, true, genuine, real, basic; prototypic(al),
             archetypal, source:  I have the original document and my lawyer
             has a copy.  4 creative, novel, innovative, unique, imaginative,
             unusual, inventive, ingenious; firsthand, fresh, underived,
             unprecedented:  The film is based on a highly original story by
             Daphne du Maurier.  The author has some original insights into
             Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia.

             --n.  5 prototype, archetype, source, model, pattern; master:
             The original hangs in the National Gallery.  6 eccentric,
             nonconformist, individualist, Colloq case, card, character, Brit
             queer fish:  True to his reputation as an original, Wilde
             sauntered down the Strand with a lily in his hand.

   originality
             n.  creativeness, creativity, inventiveness, ingenuity,
             innovativeness, innovation, novelty, newness, unorthodoxy,
             unconventionality, cleverness, daring, resourcefulness,
             independence, individuality, uniqueness, nonconformity:  One
             must admire Dali for his originality.

   originally
             adv.  in or at or from the beginning, (at ) first, from the
             first, initially, to begin with, at or from the outset, at or
             from the start, in the first place or instance, Colloq from the
             word go, from day one:  Originally, we were to have gone in
             Patrick's car.

   originate v.  1 create, bring about, engender, give birth to, beget,
             conceive, initiate, inaugurate, start, begin, introduce, launch,
             found, set up, institute, establish, invent, coin, devise,
             pioneer, design, contrive, concoct, mastermind, compose,
             organize, formulate, form, generate, produce, develop, evolve:
             Wasn't it the Chinese who originated free public health schemes?
             2 arise, rise, begin, start, come, spring, stem, flow, issue,
             emerge, emanate, proceed, grow, develop, evolve, derive, result:
             Where did the idea of the democratic form of government
             originate?

   ornament  n.  1 enhancement, embellishment, adornment, decoration,
             ornamentation, gingerbread, trimming, garnish, garnishment,
             frill, embroidery, beautification, accessory; frippery;
             knick-knack, furbelow, bauble, gewgaw, Slang US tchotchke:  We
             spent a pleasant afternoon putting ornaments on the Christmas
             tree. The ornaments on the mantelpiece needed dusting.

             --v.  2 decorate, embellish, enhance, adorn, trim, garnish,
             embroider, elaborate, beautify, accessorize, deck (out), dress
             up:  The cabinet is ornamented with ormolu fittings in the
             Empire style.

   ornamental
             adj.  decorative, beautifying, adorning, garnishing,
             embellishing:  Nothing in the house is ornamental, everything is
             functional.

   ornate    adj.  elaborate, florid, overdone, laboured, rococo, baroque,
             gingerbread, arabesque, fancy, lavish, rich, flowery, busy,
             fussy, frilly, intricate; high-flown, euphuistic, Ossianic,
             bombastic, pompous, pretentious, affected, grandiose, fulsome,
             highfalutin or hifalutin, grandiloquent, flamboyant:  Louis
             Quinze style is far too ornate for my tastes. We find his
             writing, with its contorted artificialities, far too ornate to
             appeal to the modern reader.

   orthodox  adj.  conformist, accepted, authoritative, authorized,
             recognized, received, official, standard, prevailing, prevalent,
             common, regular, popular, ordinary, doctrinal, established,
             traditional, traditionalist, accustomed, conventional,
             customary, conservative:  The orthodox view is that he was
             killed by an assassin acting on his own.

15.15 oscillate...
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   oscillate v.  fluctuate, vibrate, waver, see-saw, swing, sway; vacillate,
             equivocate, shilly-shally, hem and haw, tergiversate:  The
             needle is oscillating between the 'Safe' and 'Danger' marks.  I
             wish he'd stop oscillating and make up his mind.

   ostensibly
             adv.  outwardly, externally, superficially, patently,
             ostensively, demonstrably, apparently, evidently, seemingly;
             clearly, plainly, manifestly, conspicuously, obviously,
             patently, noticeably, prominently:  Ostensibly, he was visiting
             his aunt, but we all know he went to see Stella.

   ostentation
             n.  show, display, exhibition, exhibitionism, showing off,
             pretension, pretentiousness, flaunting, flashiness, flourish,
             flamboyance, parade, window-dressing:  His clothes are elegant
             without ostentation.

   ostentatious
             adj.  showy, boastful, braggart, vaunting, vain, vainglorious,
             flaunting, pretentious, flamboyant, theatrical, Colloq flash:
             It's terribly ostentatious of Lady Penny to wear her diamond
             tiara to the disco.

   ostracize v.  blackball, blacklist, banish, exile, boycott, isolate,
             segregate, exclude, excommunicate, snub, shun, avoid, Chiefly
             Brit send to Coventry, Colloq cut, cold-shoulder, give (someone)
             the cold shoulder:  Marcus has been ostracized at the club ever
             since the court case.

15.16 otherwise
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   otherwise adv.  1 if not, or else, under other circumstances, in another
             situation, on the other hand:  I learned something about you
             tonight that otherwise I should never have guessed. 2
             differently, in another manner or way:  You may travel unless
             the doctor advises otherwise.

15.17 out...
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   out       adv.  1 outside, outdoors, in or into the open air:  If you go
             out take an umbrella.  2 away (from), abroad, elsewhere, not
             (at) home, gone (from), gone away (from), absent (from):  She
             was out of the house when I phoned.  3 in or into the open, to
             or into public notice, for all to see, out of the closet:
             Everything will be brought out at the trial.  4 revealed,
             exposed, visible, discernible, manifest, in sight, in view:  Are
             the stars out tonight?  5 short, minus, missing, in default, out
             of pocket:  He is out the њ2000 he invested in a Welsh diamond
             mine.  6 free, at liberty, at large, loose, unconfined:  They
             let Matilda out after she served her sentence.  7 completely,
             thoroughly, effectively, entirely:  I was tired out after that
             long swim.

             --adj.  8 unconscious, senseless, insensible, Colloq out cold,
             out like a light:  He has been out for almost an hour.  9 dated,
             out-dated, out-moded, pass‚, old-fashioned, antiquated, old hat,
             d‚mod‚, obsolete, unfashionable:  Longer skirts were out in the
             mid-1960s.  10 outlying, distant, far-off, peripheral:  He was
             planning to travel to the outer reaches of his empire.  Let's
             sail to some of the out islands. 11 exhausted, gone, finished,
             ended; over, completed:  Our food was out. Rescue came before
             the day was out.  12 inaccurate, incorrect, wrong, at fault,
             faulty, off, wide of the mark:  Your figures are out by a factor
             of four.  13 unacceptable, forbidden, prohibited, not allowed,
             Colloq not on:  Smoking is out in the dining room.  14
             extinguished, unlit; off, doused; inoperative, non-functioning,
             out of order or commission, unserviceable, broken:  Make certain
             that all camp-fires are completely out. The light is out in the
             corridor.

             --n.  15 alibi, excuse, escape, loophole, evasion:  She used
             your visit as an out to avoid calling on her mother.

   out-and-out
             adj.  complete, unmitigated, unalloyed, undiluted, pure, utter,
             perfect, consummate, outright, total, downright, unqualified,
             thorough, thoroughgoing, through-and-through, dyed in the wool:
             She was an out-and-out fool to turn down his marriage proposal.

   outburst  n.  outbreak, eruption, explosion, blow-up, flare-up,
             fulmination; upsurge, surge, outpouring, welling (forth),
             upwelling, outflow(ing), rush, flood, effusion, effluence or
             efflux; fit, access, attack, spasm, paroxysm, seizure, tantrum:
             Another outburst like that, young man, and you'll be sent home.

   outcast   n.  pariah, exile, reject, persona non grata, leper,
             untouchable, expatriate, refugee, displaced person, DP, evacuee:
             In 1946, Europe swarmed with outcasts, the detritus of the war.

   outcome   n.  result, consequence, end (result or product), after-effect,
             effect, upshot, sequel, development, outgrowth, aftermath, wake,
             follow-up, Medicine sequela (usually pl. sequelae), Colloq
             pay-off, bottom line:  One outcome of the new safety regulations
             will be higher fares.  We eagerly awaited the outcome of the
             race.

   outcry    n.  protest, protestation, decrial, complaint, indignation,
             uproar, vociferation, clamour, clamouring, commotion, outburst,
             noise, hullabaloo, howl, howling, hoot, hooting, boo, booing,
             hiss, hissing:  The public outcry against terrorism was heard
             round the world.

   outdo     v.  exceed, surpass, excel, transcend, beat, outstrip, outshine,
             top, cap, trump, overcome, defeat, outweigh:  Their prices are
             lower because they outdo us in cheapness of labour.

   outdoor   adj.  outside, out of doors, alfresco, open-air:  Both of them
             enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and bicycling.

   outfit    n.  1 gear, rig, equipment, equipage, apparatus, accoutrements
             or US also accouterments, paraphernalia, trappings, tackle,
             tack, utensils:  His mountain-climbing outfit turned out to be
             extremely expensive.  2 clothes, costume, ensemble; attire,
             garb, clothing, dress; Colloq get-up, togs:  She was wearing a
             very weird outfit that attracted a lot of stares.  3 firm,
             concern, business, organization, company, (military) unit,
             corporation; party, set, group; Colloq set-up:  I joined the
             outfit when it consisted of only a hundred people.

             --v.  4 fit (out or up), equip, kit out, provision, stock,
             accoutre or US also accouter, rig (out or up), supply, furnish:
             The shop is prepared to outfit anyone for anything from a walk
             in the country to an African safari or an Arctic expedition.

   outgoing  adj.  1 departing, retiring, ex-, former, past, emeritus,
             leaving, withdrawing:  It is our custom to honour the outgoing
             president with a banquet.  2 genial, friendly, amiable, cordial,
             warm, expansive, approachable, affable, accessible, amenable,
             easygoing, amicable, sociable, congenial, extrovert, familiar,
             informal, communicative:  Because of his outgoing attitude,
             Keith gets along well with most people.

   outing    n.  jaunt, junket, excursion, trip, expedition, tour, ride,
             Colloq spin:  This year, the annual church outing will again be
             to Torquay.

   outlandish
             adj.  unfamiliar, strange, odd, queer, offbeat, peculiar,
             curious, exotic, foreign, alien, unknown, unheard-of, different,
             exceptional, extraordinary, quaint, eccentric, bizarre, outr‚,
             weird, fantastic, unusual, singular, unique; freakish,
             grotesque, barbarous; Colloq far-out, camp(y), kinky:  Those
             youngsters wear the most outlandish hair-dos you have ever seen.

   outlast   v.  survive, outlive; outwear; weather:  Considering her
             condition, it seems doubtful that she will outlast her husband.

   outlaw    n.  1 criminal, gangster, robber, desperado, bandit, highwayman,
             brigand, footpad, picaroon, pirate, fugitive (from justice or
             the law), renegade, US road-agent:  In Westerns, the sheriff
             always wins out over the outlaws.

             --v.  2 forbid, disallow, ban, interdict, bar, exclude,
             prohibit, proscribe:  Some countries have outlawed prostitution,
             but with little effect.

   outlay    n.  expense, cost, expenditure, spending, disbursement, payment:
             The city council refused to approve the outlay for a new
             swimming-pool.

   outlet    n.  1 way out, exit, egress, loophole, relief, escape, escape
             hatch, vent, opening, release, safety-valve, discharge:  There
             seemed to be no outlet for his anger but to throw the cushion at
             her. The main outlet of the Great Lakes is the St Lawrence
             river. 2 retailer, shop, store, market:  The company is having
             difficulty finding outlets that will stock its products.

   outline   n.  1 profile, silhouette, contour, periphery, boundary,
             footprint:  This outline is of the desk area occupied by the
             keyboard and monitor. 2 pr‚cis, synopsis, r‚sum‚, summary,
             digest, abstract, conspectus, survey, overview, run-down,
             recapitulation, review, (thumbnail) sketch, skeleton, (overall)
             plan, layout, framework, draft, scenario:  O'Brien presented an
             outline of what his company planned to do after the take-over.

             --v.  3 trace, draft, sketch, rough out, profile, block (out),
             plan (out), lay out, define, delineate:  None of the divers was
             particularly enthusiastic about the procedure outlined for
             bringing up the wreckage.

   outlook   n.  1 view, position, point of view, viewpoint, prospect,
             perspective, slant, angle, standpoint, attitude, opinion:  His
             outlook on the situation in the Middle East is bound to be
             somewhat biased. 2 prospect, forecast, expectation(s):  What is
             the outlook for the value of the pound sterling over the next
             year?

   outlying  adj.  distant, far-off, far-flung, outer, outermost,
             out-of-the-way, remote, far-away, peripheral, furthest or
             farthest:  In those days it took weeks for the news to reach the
             outlying parts of the empire.

   out-of-the-way
             adj.  1 untravelled, unfrequented, isolated, lonely, outlying,
             obscure, hidden, secluded, inaccessible:  She now lives in some
             out-of-the-way village in the Himalayas.  2 unusual, odd,
             peculiar, extraordinary, far-fetched, remarkable, outr‚,
             exceptional, outlandish, strange, rare, uncommon, exotic,
             unheard-of, unconventional, queer, weird, bizarre:  His latest
             book is a treatise on some out-of-the-way subject.

   outpouring
             n.  effusion, outflow, flow, outburst, flood, deluge, torrent,
             spate, emanation, spouting, spurt, gushing, efflux, effluence,
             outrush, tide, cascade, cataract, Niagara, Technical
             debouchment:  We scarcely expected such an outpouring of grief
             at her death.  This writing appears to reflect the outpourings
             of his soul.

   output    n.  1 production, result, yield, crop, harvest:  Nobody was
             quite ready for such a massive output.  2 productivity,
             achievement, efficiency:  Job insecurity has diminished her
             output.

             --v.  3 put out, produce, generate, create, manufacture, yield,
             achieve:  Our new laser printer outputs about ten pages a
             minute.

   outrage   n.  1 violence, atrocity, inhumanity, barbarism, enormity, evil,
             barbarity, savagery, brutality, malignity, malefaction,
             wrongdoing, evil-doing, maltreatment, abuse, cruelty, injury,
             harm, damage:  Wherever there is war there is misery and
             outrage.  2 resentment, affront, bitterness, indignation, hurt,
             shock, anger, wrath, ire:  The minister felt outrage at being
             given a parking ticket.  3 insult, indignity, slight:
             Contributors to the charity considered it an outrage that the
             fund-raisers should keep so much of the money.

             --v.  4 offend, insult, affront, vex, displease, distress,
             nettle, chafe, infuriate, anger, enrage, madden, make one's
             blood boil, raise (someone's) hackles, rile:  He was outraged to
             discover that the wretch had proposed to his daughter. 5
             violate, desecrate, defile, do violence to, injure, harm, abuse,
             damage:  Such deeds outrage human feelings.  6 rape, violate,
             ravage, ravish, deflower, attack:  He seized the unhappy girl
             and outraged her.

   outrageous
             adj.  1 excessive, extravagant, immoderate, exorbitant,
             enormous, unreasonable, preposterous, shocking, extreme,
             unwarranted, exaggerated, unconscionable, inordinate,
             intolerable, disgraceful, shameful, scandalous:  The prices at
             that restaurant are absolutely outrageous.  2 vicious, cruel,
             heinous, atrocious, barbaric, inhuman, abusive, beastly,
             horrible, horrid, horrendous, iniquitous, villainous, wicked,
             evil, egregious, flagrant, grievous, infamous, execrable,
             abominable, grisly, hideous, monstrous, vile, unthinkable, foul,
             awful, unspeakable, appalling, offensive, indecent:  The
             captives suffered the most outrageous treatment at the hands of
             their conquerors. 3 indecent, offensive, immoral, rude,
             indelicate, obnoxious, profane, obscene, dirty, filthy, lewd,
             salacious, foul, smutty, scatological, pornographic,
             objectionable, repellent, repulsive, nauseating, nauseous,
             nasty, gross, revolting, shocking, repugnant, disgusting,
             fulsome, perverted, depraved, dissolute, degenerate, dissipated,
             debauched, profligate; explicit, unrestrained; foul-mouthed,
             thersitical, insulting; unseemly, inappropriate, indecorous,
             improper, naughty, appalling, embarrassing; Literary Fescennine,
             US shy-making:  The sermon denounced the outrageous films,
             books, magazines, and television programmes to which children
             are exposed. Warren sometimes says the most outrageous things.

   outr‚     adj.  unconventional, unusual, extravagant, bizarre, weird,
             strange, odd, peculiar, grotesque, outlandish, freakish,
             out-of-the-way:  The attention of the media was turned upon the
             singer's outr‚ behaviour on stage.

   outright  adj.  1 unqualified, total, unreserved, unrestricted, full,
             complete, unconditional, unequivocal, clear, direct, definite,
             unmistakable or unmistakeable:  The duke is the outright owner
             of the property.  2 undisguised, unmitigated, utter, consummate,
             pure, out-and-out, all-out, sheer, absolute, stark, bald,
             thorough, arrant, thoroughgoing, through-and-through, downright,
             direct, definite, unmistakable or unmistakeable:  Her outright
             refusal to provide further help was met with dismay.

             --adv.  3 directly, at once, immediately, instantaneously,
             instantly, then and there or there and then, straight or right
             away, on the spot, right off:  One passenger was killed
             outright, the other died later in hospital.  4 completely,
             entirely, exactly, precisely, totally, in toto, utterly, baldly,
             starkly, consummately, purely, thoroughly, directly,
             unhesitatingly, quite, absolutely, explicitly, categorically,
             straightforwardly, plainly, openly, forthrightly, unequivocally,
             unambiguously, candidly:  I wish that Henry wasn't so reticent
             and would say outright what he means. 5 unrestrictedly,
             unqualifiedly, unreservedly, unconditionally:  The duke owns the
             property outright.

   outset    n.  beginning, start, inauguration, inception, first, Colloq
             kick-off:  Had you let them know who you were at the outset,
             this wouldn't have happened.

   outside   n.  1 exterior, face, facing, shell, skin, case, casing,
             surface, front; fa‡ade:  What is that on the outside of the box?
             The outside of the house is painted white. 2 aspect, appearance,
             look, demeanour, face, front, fa‡ade, mien, mask, disguise,
             false front, pretence:  One cannot tell what people are really
             like from the outside they present to the world. 3 extreme,
             limit, most, maximum, utmost, best, worst, longest:  At the
             outside, you shouldn't pay more than half your income for
             housing. I'll wait for her for an hour at the outside. 4 the
             world at large:  We had to bring in someone from the outside to
             complete the work.

             --adj.  5 exterior, external, out of doors, outdoor:  They have
             added an outside swimming-pool to the house.  6 maximum,
             maximal, highest, best, worst, greatest, most, largest, longest,
             furthest or farthest:  What was their outside estimate for
             replacing the roof? The outside time for driving here from
             London is about an hour. 7 private, home, cottage, secondary,
             peripheral, independent, freelance:  Her outside job pays more
             than her regular work.  8 unlikely, remote, faint, Colloq slim:
             He has an outside chance of beating the world record.  9
             foreign, alien, outward; unconnected, excluded, uninvolved,
             disinvolved, independent, separate, different:  I'm worried that
             Phil might be subject to outside influences.  An outside
             contractor is doing the work.

             --adv.  10 outdoors, out of doors:  Perhaps you'd like to step
             outside to discuss the matter further?

   outsider  n.  non-member, non-initiate, foreigner, alien, outlander,
             stranger, newcomer, guest, visitor, trespasser, interloper,
             intruder, squatter, invader, Colloq gatecrasher:  The others
             always treated Peter as an outsider. Why do I feel an outsider
             in my own home?

   outskirts n.pl.  periphery, edge, environs, outer reaches, vicinity,
             border(s), suburb(s), exurb(s), general area or neighbourhood,
             purlieus, fringes, vicinage, faubourg(s):  The university is on
             the outskirts of the city.

   outsmart  v.  outwit, outfox, out-think, outmanoeuvre, outmanipulate,
             outplay, steal a march on, get the better or best of, trick,
             dupe, hoodwink, fool, deceive, hoax, gull, make a fool of;
             swindle, cheat, defraud, cozen, Colloq put one over on, pull a
             fast one on, take in, make a monkey (out) of, bamboozle, con,
             Brit nobble, Slang slip or put one or something over on
             (someone):  'I have been outsmarted by bigger fools than you!',
             Mr White shouted.

   outspoken adj.  candid, frank, open, free, direct, unreserved, unreticent,
             straightforward, forthright, explicit, specific, plain-spoken,
             plain-speaking, unequivocal, unceremonious, unambiguous,
             unsubtle, uninhibited, unshrinking, blunt, bold, brusque, brash,
             undiplomatic, tactless, crude:  Linda was always quite outspoken
             in her opinions of her neighbours.  Her outspoken observations
             are a fruitful source of gossip.

   outstanding
             adj.  1 prominent, eminent, renowned, famous, famed,
             unforgettable, memorable, celebrated, distinguished, special,
             choice, noteworthy, notable, noted, important, conspicuous,
             exceptional, excellent, superior, first-class, first-rate,
             superb, remarkable, extraordinary, marvellous, sensational,
             Colloq smashing, super:  Liszt was the outstanding
             pianist-composer of his time.  2 unsettled, on-going,
             unresolved, unpaid, due, owed or owing, receivable or payable;
             remaining, leftover:  The company has a few outstanding debts.

   outstrip  v.  overcome, surpass, outdo, outperform, outshine, outclass,
             better, beat, transcend, best, worst, exceed, excel,
             outdistance, overtake, top, cap, put in the shade, eclipse:
             Bannister again outstripped everyone in the race.

   outward   adj.  external, exterior, outer, outside, outlying, manifest,
             obvious, evident, apparent, visible, observable; superficial,
             surface, extrinsic, skin-deep, shallow, pretended, false,
             ostensible, formal, physical, bodily, fleshly, carnal, mundane,
             worldly, secular, temporal, terrestrial, material,
             non-spiritual:  She gave every outward sign of being the
             bereaved widow. Whatever outward trappings money may buy, A
             man's true wealth lies deep inside.

   outwardly adv.  externally, apparently, visibly, superficially,
             ostensibly, evidently, seemingly, on the surface, to all
             appearances, to all intents and purposes:  Though the town was
             outwardly quiet, we had a feeling of ominous foreboding.

   outwards  adv.  outward, outside, away, out, without:  The towns of the
             early twentieth century centred on the railway station and
             radiated outwards.

   outweigh  v.  overcome, outbalance, overbalance, overweigh, tip the
             scales, preponderate (over), surpass, prevail (over), override,
             take precedence (over), compensate (for), make up for:  His
             feeling for his wife outweighed all else in his life.

   outwit    v.  See outsmart, above.

15.18 oval...
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   oval      adj.  egg-shaped, ovoid, ovate, oviform, obovoid, obovate;
             elliptical, ellipsoid(al):  His mother's picture hung in an oval
             frame over the mantel.

   ovation   n.  applause, acclamation, acclaim, plaudits, cheers, cheering,
             clapping, laudation, praise, kudos, Colloq (big) hand:  At the
             conclusion of the concerto, the pianist was given a standing
             ovation.

   over      prep.  1 above, on, upon, on top of, atop (of):  She spread a
             tarpaulin over the boat to protect it.  2 more than, greater
             than, upwards or upward of, in excess of, (over and) above,
             (over and) beyond; exceeding:  Of the 2000 people questioned in
             our survey, over half said they think prunes are funny. The
             thieves took over њ50,000-worth of paintings. 3 across, to or
             from or on the other side of; beyond:  The children crossed over
             the river to play in the woods on the other side. 4 for, during,
             in or over or during the course of, through, throughout:  Over
             the next week she will be working in the Paris office.  5 (all)
             through, throughout, (all) about, all over:  We travelled over
             the entire country in the course of our holiday.  Have you gone
             over the manuscript I left with you?

             --adj.  6 done (with), finished, terminated, concluded, ended,
             past, settled, closed, at an end, over with:  I'm afraid it's
             all over between us, Carrie.

             --adv.  7 to, onto, past, beyond, across:  This room looks out
             over the sea.  8 remaining, as a remainder, as surplus,
             outstanding:  When we finished eating, there wasn't much left
             over.  9 (once) again, once more, one more time:  This pot will
             have to be cleaned over again.  10 down, to the ground or floor:
             You almost knocked over the lamp.

   overall   adj.  total, complete, comprehensive, all-inclusive, inclusive,
             whole, entire, all-embracing, blanket:  The overall cost,
             including materials and labour, came to more than I had
             expected.

   overawe   v.  overwhelm, intimidate, cow, daunt, awe, bully, hector,
             browbeat, dominate, domineer, frighten, scare, terrify,
             disconcert, discomfit, upset, abash:  The children were overawed
             by their father's slightest sign of displeasure.

   overbearing
             adj.  repressive, domineering, bullying, imperious, officious,
             high and mighty, high-handed, overweening, magisterial, lordly,
             authoritarian, wilful, despotic, dogmatic, autocratic,
             tyrannical, dictatorial, peremptory, arbitrary, assertive,
             arrogant, cavalier, haughty, superior, supercilious,
             pretentious, Colloq bossy, pushy, hoity-toity, highfalutin or
             hifalutin, snooty, Slang snotty:  His temper was harsh and
             severe, his manner haughty and overbearing.

   overcast  adj.  cloudy, clouded, sunless, moonless, starless, murky, grey,
             louring or lowering, dull, dark, darkened, dreary, sombre,
             gloomy, dismal, threatening, menacing:  The sky was overcast
             this morning, but the sun is now beginning to shine through.

   overcome  v.  1 beat, defeat, conquer, overpower, subdue, worst, best,
             triumph over, win (out) (over), prevail (over), overthrow,
             overwhelm, vanquish, get the better or best of, whip, drub,
             rout, break, subjugate, suppress, crush, master, Colloq lick:
             If we do not overcome these temptations, they will overcome us.
             The superior force easily overcame the tiny group of defenders.

             --adj.  2 beaten, defeated, overwhelmed, subdued, worsted,
             bested; affected, speechless, swept off one's feet, rendered
             helpless, overpowered, moved, influenced, at a loss (for words),
             Colloq bowled over:  The victim's parents were overcome with
             grief when the casualty list was published. Colin was too
             overcome to speak at the award presentation.

   overconfident
             adj.  1 brash, arrogant, cocksure, cocky, brazen, hubristic,
             swaggering, audacious, overbearing, vainglorious, Colloq pushy:
             It is harmful for a sportsman's morale to be overconfident of
             winning. 2 heedless, foolhardy, thoughtless, short-sighted,
             hasty:  Rock-climbers should not be overconfident and rely
             entirely on their ropes.

   overcritical
             adj.  supercritical, hypercritical, captious, carping, niggling,
             cavilling, querulous, fault-finding, finicky, fussy,
             hair-splitting, difficult, fastidious, harsh, severe, demanding,
             exacting, small, small-minded, US and Canadian picayune, Colloq
             picky, nit-picking, pernickety or US also persnickety:  You
             should not be overcritical of Maddy - she's only a child.

   overcrowded
             adj.  jammed, packed, congested, populous, over-populous,
             jam-packed, overpopulated; swarming, crawling, choked, packed to
             the gunwales:  The planet is becoming overcrowded. We squeezed
             into an already overcrowded train.

   overdo    v.  1 carry to excess, overindulge, be intemperate, go or carry
             to extremes, overact, exaggerate, carry or go too far,
             overreach, not know when to stop, paint the lily, gild refined
             gold, out-Herod Herod, Colloq go overboard, do to death, lay it
             on thick, lay it on with a trowel; go off the deep end:
             Exercise a little judgement and try not to overdo it.  2
             overwork, do too much, overtax, exhaust, fatigue, overload,
             overburden, Colloq bite off more than one can chew, burn the
             candle at both ends:  Don't overdo it or you'll feel the results
             tomorrow.

   overdue   adj.  late, tardy, behindhand, behind, unpunctual, belated, US
             past due:  As it is now December, payment is long overdue. I've
             got an overdue library book to return.

   overeat   v.  gorge, binge, gormandize, stuff oneself, overindulge,
             guzzle, feast, wolf down, overfeed, do the gavage, Colloq pack
             away, Brit pig, US pig out:  People not only overeat but they
             tend to eat the wrong foods.

   overgrown adj.  covered, overrun, overspread, luxuriant, weedy, abundant:
             The walls are all overgrown with ivy.

   overhang  v.  1 jut (out), beetle, bulge (out), project (out), protrude,
             stick out, loom (out), extend (out), hang (out) over:  The
             balcony overhangs the sea.  2 impend, threaten, menace, imperil,
             loom:  His life was overhung by the threat of blackmail.

             --n.  3 ledge, projection, bulge, protrusion, extension:  A
             swallow nested under the overhang of the roof.

   overhaul  v.  1 overtake, pass, gain on or upon, draw ahead of, catch up
             with, get ahead of, outstrip, outdistance, leave behind, lap:
             We overhauled the ketch and were beginning to close on the yawl
             when the squall hit us. 2 renovate, refurbish, recondition,
             rebuild, restore, repair, service, adjust, patch (up), mend, fix
             (up):  The car engine needs to be thoroughly overhauled.

             --n.  3 reconditioning, overhauling, refurbishing, rebuilding,
             renovation, servicing, adjustment, mending, fixing (up):  The
             overhaul of the die-stamping machine will require two months to
             complete.

   overhead  adv.  1 (up) above, (up) in the air or sky, high up, on high,
             aloft, skyward:  The aeroplanes passed overhead at dawn.

             --adj.  2 elevated, raised, upper:  The crane travels on an
             overhead track.

             --n.  3 Brit overheads, US overhead. (basic or fixed) costs,
             operating cost(s), expense(s), outlay, disbursement(s), running
             cost(s), expenditure(s), maintenance, cost(s) of doing business:
             One way to increase profits is by reducing overheads.

   overjoyed adj.  delighted, ecstatic, elated, happy, rapturous, euphoric,
             jubilant, thrilled, cock-a-hoop, transported, Colloq tickled
             pink, in seventh heaven, on cloud nine, Brit over the moon:  We
             were overjoyed to hear your news and to receive the invitation
             to your wedding.

   overlap   v.  1 lap (over), overlie, overlay, shingle, Technical
             imbricate, strobilate:  Note how the upper tiles overlap the
             lower to keep the rain out.  2 coincide, correspond, intersect:
             Our work shifts overlap by four hours.

             --n.  3 lap, flap, overlay, fly (front) or Brit flies,
             imbrication:  The overlap conceals the buttons that close the
             skirt on the side.

   overload  v.  1 weigh down, burden, overburden, load (up), overtax, saddle
             with, tax, strain, impede, handicap, oppress, encumber, cumber,
             overcharge:  They overloaded me with so much work that I'll
             never finish.

             --n.  2 surcharge, overcharge, overburden, dead weight,
             oppression, handicap, tax, load, encumbrance, impediment,
             hindrance:  We had to hire extra people at Christmas to help
             deal with the overload.

   overlook  v.  1 miss, slip up on, omit, neglect, slight, disregard, fail
             to notice, ignore, pass over, leave out, forget, Colloq pass up:
             You overlooked an error on the first page.  2 blink at, wink at,
             let go (by), let pass, let ride, turn a blind eye to, shut
             (one's) eyes to, pretend not to notice, take no notice of,
             ignore, disregard, forgive, pardon, excuse, permit, allow,
             forget about, write off, condone, make allowances (for), let
             bygones be bygones, gloss over:  I shall overlook your slowness
             if you will work late to compensate for it. 3 front on (to),
             face, give upon, command or afford a view of, look out on or
             over, have as a vista or view:  My room overlooks the lake.

   overly    adv.  excessively, too, exceedingly, immoderately,
             disproportionately, unduly, inordinately, extraordinarily, very,
             Colloq damned:  She seemed overly anxious for us to leave.

   overpower v.  1 overcome, overwhelm, beat, vanquish, conquer, defeat,
             crush, put down, worst, best, prevail, master, quell, subdue,
             subjugate:  The thugs easily overpowered the elderly couple and
             took their money. 2 overcome, overwhelm, dumbfound or dumfound,
             daze, stagger, amaze, stun, stupefy, nonplus, strike, Colloq
             floor:  I was quite overpowered by the grandeur of the house.

   overpowering
             adj.  overwhelming, irresistible, powerful, telling, compelling,
             unendurable, unbearable, oppressive:  They presented an
             overpowering argument against the use of asbestos as an
             insulator.

   overrate  v.  overvalue, make too much of, exaggerate the worth or value
             of, attach too much importance to, overprize, assess too highly:
             They insist that his value to the company is overrated and that
             he should be dismissed.

   overreact v.  exaggerate, make much ado about nothing, make too much of
             (something), make a mountain out of a molehill, lose all or
             one's sense of proportion, blow (up) out of (all) proportion:
             I'd say that she overreacted by leaving him because he forgot
             her birthday.

   overriding
             adj.  dominant, dominating, predominant, predominating,
             compelling, prevailing, primary, prime, most important,
             overruling, overwhelming, paramount, preponderant, principal,
             cardinal, main, chief:  His overriding reason for buying the
             larger dictionary was that it made a better doorstop.

   overrun   v.  invade, defeat, attack, ravage, destroy, overwhelm, conquer,
             harry, vandalize, plunder, maraud, scourge, despoil, sack,
             strip, pillage, storm, Colloq blitz:  Within a week the armies
             had overrun the country and captured the capital city.

   overseas  adv.  abroad:  Did you serve overseas during the war?

   oversee   v.  direct, manage, watch (over), keep an eye on, administer,
             superintend, run, supervise, operate, manipulate, handle,
             control:  We employed Gertrude to oversee our offices in
             Frankfurt.

   overseer  n.  superintendent, supervisor, manager, foreman, forewoman,
             superior, Colloq boss, chief, super, Brit gaffer, US straw boss,
             (head or chief) honcho:  Simon is too hard a taskmaster to be
             overseer of that sensitive operation.

   overshadow
             v.  1 dominate, outshine, eclipse, dwarf, diminish, minimize,
             put in or throw into or leave the shade, steal the limelight
             from, tower over or above, excel:  The Crown, overshadowed by
             the great barons, turned for aid to the Church. 2 spoil, blight,
             ruin, mar, take (all) the pleasure from, put a damper on, take
             the edge off, impair, take the enjoyment out of:  The news from
             the east overshadowed everyone's spirits at the party.

   oversight n.  1 omission, inadvertence, neglect, laxity, laxness, fault,
             failure, dereliction, error, mistake, blunder, carelessness,
             heedlessness:  It was owing to an oversight by a clerk that the
             flight booking was not made. 2 supervision, superintendence,
             surveillance, management, direction, guidance, administration;
             charge, care, custody, keeping, hands, protection, auspices:
             The matter of expenses must be left to the oversight of the
             committee established to deal with such things.

   overstate v.  exaggerate, magnify, hyperbolize, embroider, overstress,
             colour, make (too) much of, overdraw, overemphasize, stretch,
             enlarge, inflate, blow up:  They might have overstated the
             problem by asking for a 24-hour police guard.

   overstep  v.  exceed, transcend, surpass, go beyond:  Again Hortense has
             overstepped the bounds of propriety by inviting herself to the
             reception.

   overt     adj.  apparent, evident, plain, clear, obvious, manifest,
             clear-cut, unconcealed, patent, open, visible, observable,
             public:  Moving the troops to the border may be considered an
             act of overt hostility.

   overtake  v.  1 catch (up with or to), reach, draw level or even with,
             overhaul, gain on or upon, move by or past, pass, leave behind,
             outstrip, outdistance:  The express train overtakes the local
             one at Amersham.  2 come upon, seize, catch (unprepared),
             befall, strike, hit, overwhelm:  The weaknesses of old age
             overtook the actress before she could finish writing her
             memoirs.

   overthrow v.  1 defeat, beat, rout, conquer, overpower, master, bring
             down, depose, oust, overwhelm, unseat, unhorse, topple,
             overturn, dethrone, thrash, worst, best:  The new leader was
             overthrown by the partisans in two weeks. Cotswold Rangers
             overthrew Kent United in last night's match at Hurley.

             --n.  2 defeat, rout, conquest, deposing, ousting, unseating,
             toppling, overturn, overturning, downfall, end, ruin, fall,
             collapse, destruction, suppression, quashing, crushing,
             subjugation, US ouster:  The overthrow of the military regime
             was followed by weeks of rioting and looting.

   overtone  n.  undertone, connotation, hint, suggestion, innuendo,
             insinuation, intimation, indication, implication:  Do I detect
             overtones of regret now that you are finally leaving?

   overture  n.  Often, overtures. approach, advance, offer, proposal,
             proposition, tender:  While they were winning, they rejected all
             peace overtures.

   overturn  v.  1 turn over, knock down or over, tip over, capsize, up-end,
             upset, turn turtle, turn upside down, turn topsy-turvy, invert:
             The tanks overturned when they tried to drive past the huge
             concrete barriers. On his first day as a waiter, he overturned
             the soup in a guest's lap. 2 bring down, overthrow, throw over,
             upset, depose, unthrone, unseat, oust, eject:  The dictatorship
             was overturned and the country returned to being a democratic
             republic.

             --n.  3 overturning, overthrow, unseating, ousting, toppling,
             fall, destruction, ruin, defeat, US ouster:  Could the overturn
             of the present regime be effected without force of arms?

   overwhelm v.  1 overpower, overcome, overtax, devastate, stagger, crush,
             defeat, destroy, subdue, suppress, quash, quell, conquer, beat,
             bring down, prostrate, weigh down, oppress:  Overwhelmed by
             grief, she dissolved into tears.  2 inundate, overcome, engulf,
             submerge, flood (over); deluge, swamp, bury, immerse:  A feeling
             of terror suddenly overwhelmed me as I watched my safety rope
             fray and break. In only a few hours the rising waters had
             completely overwhelmed the house. 3 overcome, stagger, astound,
             astonish, dumbfound or dumfound, shock, stun, bewilder, confuse,
             confound, nonplus, surprise, take aback, Colloq bowl over, knock
             off one's feet or pins, blow one's mind, discombobulate, Brit
             knock for six:  We were overwhelmed by the friendly reception
             that awaited our return.

   overwhelming
             adj.  1 overpowering, uncontrollable, irresistible, devastating,
             unendurable, unbearable, crushing, burdensome, formidable:  He
             had an overwhelming sense of shame for what he had said.  2
             awesome, awe-inspiring, stupefying, astounding, astonishing,
             staggering, bewildering, mind-shattering, prodigious,
             mind-boggling, Colloq mind-blowing:  When I first went to live
             in London, I found its sheer size totally overwhelming.

   overwork  v.  1 overexert, overstrain, overburden, oppress, overtax,
             overload, overuse:  We were so overworked that the quality had
             to suffer.  2 slave (away), burn the midnight oil, lucubrate:
             She insisted on overworking in order to get the project finished
             on time.

             --n.  3 overexertion, overstrain, strain:  I was ready to drop
             from overwork.

   overwrought
             adj.  1 tense, nervous, jittery, jumpy, fidgety, touchy, in a
             dither or twitter, all a-twitter, overexcited, on edge,
             over-stimulated, frantic, frenetic, distracted, Brit strung up,
             US strung out, Colloq (all) worked up, edgy, in a tizzy, wound
             up, uptight:  They were quite overwrought worrying about the
             children's safety.  2 overworked, ornate, elaborate, baroque,
             rococo, florid, flowery, fussy, ostentatious, busy, gaudy,
             garish:  Some of the Victorian houses were characterized by
             overwrought gingerbread decoration. A few of his poems are
             overwrought and difficult to digest.

15.19 owe...
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   owe       v.  1 be in debt to, be indebted to, be beholden to:  It must be
             a good feeling not to owe anyone any money at all.  2 owing to.
             because of, on account of, thanks to; through, as a result of,
             resulting from, Colloq due to:  Owing to my schedule, I cannot
             stay the night. The higher tides are owing to the positions of
             the sun and moon.

   owner     n.  possessor, holder; proprietor, proprietress:  The papers
             have been returned to their rightful owner. Who is the owner of
             the property?

16.0 P
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16.1 pace...
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   pace      n.  1 step, stride:  Please walk forward two paces.  2 rate (of
             speed), tempo, speed, velocity, Colloq clip:  We were proceeding
             at a pace of five miles per hour.

             --v.  3 walk, stride, tread; traverse:  Alistair paced up and
             down nervously, waiting for word from the surgeon. 4 measure,
             gauge or gage, judge, rate, estimate, determine, reckon, figure,
             compute:  I was trying to pace myself to conserve some energy
             for a sprint finish.

   pack      n.  1 parcel, package, packet, bundle, bale, backpack, knapsack,
             rucksack, haversack, kitbag, kit, duffle or duffel bag:  The
             stranger hoisted his pack onto his shoulder and loped off.  2
             load, lot, bunch, multitude, heap, pile, accumulation, mass,
             amassment, mess, barrel, peck:  She told the jury a pack of
             lies.  3 group, collection, assembly, assemblage, congregation,
             gathering, crowd, number, throng, horde, mass, crew, gang, body,
             lots, loads, band, company, party, set, flock, herd, drove, mob,
             swarm, bevy, covey, circle, coterie, clique:  A huge pack of
             people were waiting at the stage door for the star to emerge. 4
             deck:  We ought to have two packs of cards for bridge.

             --v.  5 Often, pack in or into. package, bale, bundle, compact,
             crowd, cram, jam, fill, stuff, squeeze, ram, press, wedge, tamp:
             They packed us into the train like sardines. I packed as much as
             I could into the short time I had left. 6 pack it in. stop,
             cease, end, finish, quit, wind up, terminate, give up, call it a
             day, Colloq chuck:  Edward finally packed it in because they
             were giving him too much trouble. 7 pack off. dismiss, send off
             or away, bundle off or out, hustle off or out or away, get rid
             of, drive off or away, order off or away or out, send (someone)
             about his or her business:  At the beginning of the war, Sally's
             mother packed her off to America to stay with her aunt. 8 pack
             up.  a get or gather together, put away, store:  Pack up your
             troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile.  b quit,
             stop, break down, fail, give out, stall, die, give up the ghost,
             Colloq conk out, have had it:  After three days crossing the
             desert, the engine finally packed up.

   package   n.  1 packet, parcel, box, container, case, carton, bundle:  I
             am donating a package of clothing to the relief fund.  2
             combination, unit, package deal:  Included in the package from
             the car dealer are several luxury features.

             --v.  3 wrap, pack, containerize, carton, case, encase, enclose,
             include; combine, unite, coupled, incorporate:  More and more
             merchandise comes packaged in plastic these days.  A special
             sponge is packaged with the cleaning liquid.

   packed    adj.  filled, full, loaded, crowded, stuffed, jammed, crammed,
             brim-full, chock-a-block, chock-full, jam-packed, overloaded,
             overflowing, loaded or filled to the gunwales, up to there,
             bursting, groaning, swollen, replete, Colloq wall-to-wall:  The
             gallery was packed with the soprano's relatives, who cheered
             every note. The publicity for the show promised a packed
             programme of mirth and merriment.

   packet    n.  1 package, parcel, pack, batch:  We found a packet of your
             old love-letters in a trunk in the lumber room. 2 loads, lot(s),
             great deal, fortune, mint, Colloq bundle, pretty penny, pile(s),
             tidy sum, king's ransom, Brit bomb:  He lost a packet on that
             property when they built a sewage plant alongside it.

   pact      n.  agreement, treaty, bargain, alliance, contract, compact,
             concord, covenant, concordat, entente, understanding,
             arrangement, deal:  The companies entered into an illegal pact
             not to compete in the same markets.

   pad       n.  1 cushion, pillow, wad, wadding, stuffing, padding, filling,
             filler:  Wrap a soft cotton pad over the wound to protect it.  2
             writing-pad, note-pad, memo pad, block (of paper), jotter, US
             filler:  You'd best take a pad with you to make notes at the
             lecture.  3 flat, apartment, room(s), home, place, quarters,
             Colloq hang-out, Brit digs or diggings, Slang US flop:  A few
             friends are crashing at my pad while they're in town.

             --v.  4 cushion, wad, stuff, fill; upholster:  The chair seats
             are padded with foam rubber, but the arms are bare. 5 Sometimes,
             pad out. expand, inflate, stretch, dilate, lengthen, protract,
             extend, blow up, flesh out, puff up, augment, spin out, amplify:
             He pads his weekly newspaper column with trivia in order to fill
             the space.

   paddle    n.  1 oar, sweep, scull:  A 'crab' occurs when you catch the
             water with the paddle blade on the return stroke.

             --v.  2 row, scull, oar:  Deftly she paddled the canoe over to
             the pier.  3 wade:  The children were paddling at the water's
             edge.  4 spank, paddywhack, thrash, beat, whip, flog:  Dad
             threatened to paddle me if he caught me playing hookey again.

   paddy     n.  rage, (fit of) temper, fit, tantrum, Colloq Brit paddywhack
             or paddywack, wax:  She was in a proper paddy when she found out
             what you'd done.

   pagan     n.  1 heathen, unbeliever, idolater, polytheist, infidel,
             Gentile:  He joined the religion of the pagans and worshipped
             the golden calf.

             --adj.  2 heathen, infidel, idolatrous, polytheistic,
             heathenish, Gentile:  Many churchmen condemned Renaissance
             scholars for their interest in pagan and pre-Christian writers.

   page°     n.  1 leaf, folio, side, sheet, verso or recto:  On which page
             does the index begin?  2 episode, phase, period, time, stage,
             point, era, epoch, age, chapter:  The early 1940s were among the
             darkest pages in Britain's history.

             --v.  3 paginate, folio, number:  Roman numerals were used in
             paging the preface to the book.

   pageэ     n.  1 attendant, page-boy, servant, errand-boy, messenger, Brit
             foot-boy, US bellman, bellhop, Offensive used of an adult
             bellboy:  Please have a page deliver this message to Mr
             Simmonds.

             --v.  2 announce, summon (forth), send for or after, call, call
             for, call out:  They are paging your wife now to give her your
             message.

   pageant   n.  spectacle, display, grandeur, tableau, show, parade,
             procession, ceremony, formality, ritual, event, affair,
             extravaganza, presentation, gala:  The children stage a medieval
             mystery play as a part of the annual Christmas pageant.

   pageantry n.  pomp, ceremony, display, magnificence, extravagance,
             panorama, showiness, show:  The pageantry of the Oberammergau
             passion play should be experienced at least once.

   pain      n.  1 hurt, suffering, discomfort, soreness, ache, aching, pang,
             spasm, smarting, cramp:  I feel the pain in my back from lifting
             that box.  2 anguish, agony, affliction, distress, grief, woe,
             suffering, misery, travail, wretchedness, despair, torment,
             tribulation, trial, torture, dolour, discomposure, ordeal,
             disquiet:  No one who has not experienced it can imagine the
             pain of losing a child. 3 irritation, vexation, annoyance,
             bother, nuisance, pest, Colloq pain in the neck, headache, drag,
             bore, Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass:  What a pain
             it is that you have forgotten your keys again! David can really
             be a pain when he goes on about the book he's writing. 4 pains.
             effort, trouble, exertion, toil, labour:  She went to great
             pains to make our stay comfortable.

             --v.  5 hurt, distress, grieve, wound, injure; trouble, depress,
             sadden, sorrow, cut to the quick:  It pained us to learn of Mrs
             McArthur's illness.

   painful   adj.  1 hurting, grievous, hurtful, sore, distressing,
             distressful, excruciating, torturous, agonizing, smarting,
             stinging, aching, achy, throbbing, burning, piercing, stabbing,
             sharp, tender, sensitive, raw, bitter, Formal nociceptive:  The
             bullet caused a painful wound in the knee. Mother's arthritis
             can be quite painful at times. 2 vexing, vexatious, annoying,
             harassing, irritating, irksome, aggravating, galling,
             exasperating, unpleasant, afflictive, harrowing, worrisome,
             worrying, troubling, disquieting, disturbing, distressing:
             Fighting in the front lines was a painful experience for Rupert.
             3 painstaking, laborious, careful, rigorous, arduous, assiduous,
             sedulous, diligent, earnest, conscientious, meticulous,
             scrupulous, detailed, thorough, thoroughgoing, exacting,
             demanding:  A great deal of painful research went into
             discovering the cause of yellow fever.

   painfully adv.  agonizingly, distressingly, disagreeably, unpleasantly,
             unfortunately, sadly, woefully, lamentably, ruefully, unhappily:
             I became painfully aware that much of the relief destined for
             the poor never reached them.

   painkiller
             n.  anodyne, analgesic, anaesthetic, sedative, palliative:  When
             he wrenched his back, the doctor gave him a painkiller so that
             he could walk.

   painless  adj.  trouble-free, easy, simple, comfortable, effortless,
             Colloq easy as 1, 2, 3 or as ABC, easy as pie, a piece of cake,
             pushover, child's play, Slang cinch, no sweat:  The procedure
             for assembling the bicycle is relatively painless.

   painstaking
             adj.  See painful, 3, above.

   paint     n.  1 colour, tint, dye, colouring, pigment, stain:  I bought
             the paint and brushes, and started work on the kitchen walls. 2
             coating, coat, surface; enamel:  The rust has come through the
             paint here and there.  3 make-up, cosmetics, maquillage,
             greasepaint, Colloq warpaint, face:  Sheila is in her room
             putting on some paint before we go out.

             --v.  4 depict, portray, picture, show, represent, delineate,
             render, draw, limn, characterize, describe:  Whistler painted a
             portrait of my grandmother. Correspondents painted a very grim
             picture of the plight of the hostages. 5 coat, brush, apply,
             cover, daub:  The doctor painted the area with some medication
             that soothed the pain. 6 colour, tint, dye, stain, decorate:  We
             are planning to paint the nursery pale blue.  7 paint the town
             red. make merry, carouse, revel, go on a spree, go out on the
             town, Colloq whoop it up, live it up, (go on a) pub-crawl, step
             out, Slang make whoopee, go on a bender or drunk or binge, booze
             it up:  Saturday nights a few of the boys would go out and paint
             the town red till the wee hours.

   pair      n.  1 couple, twosome, two of a kind, set of two, matched set,
             duo, dyad, twins, double, doublet; brace, span, yoke, team,
             tandem:  A pair of silver candelabra disappeared during the
             party.

             --v.  2 match (up), mate, pair off or up, team (up), put
             together, partner, twin, double, join, unite, yoke; wed, marry,
             join in wedlock or in holy matrimony:  Pair these gloves for me,
             would you? Husbands may not pair off with wives for the next
             dance.

   pal       n.  1 friend, consort, comrade, alter ego, crony, companion,
             amigo, playmate, classmate, Colloq chum, sidekick, mate, Chiefly
             US and Canadian buddy:  Jim left a little while ago with a few
             of his pals.

             --v.  2 pal (up) with or about or US around (with). associate
             (with), be or become friendly or friends (with), be or get or
             become on friendly or intimate terms (with), go (around or
             about) with, fraternize (with), consort (with), spend time
             together or with, keep company (with), Colloq hang out or about
             or around (with), knock about or around (with):  Fiona and
             Isabel palled up last year. Do you still pal about with Timothy?

   palace    n.  mansion, castle, stately or palatial home or residence,
             manor (house), (country) estate, chѓteau, palazzo, villa:  After
             the wedding, they went to the prince's palace and lived happily
             ever after.

   palatial  adj.  luxurious, de luxe, magnificent, splendid, stately,
             sumptuous, opulent, majestic, magnificent, grand, elegant,
             palatine, Slang posh, ritzy, swanky, classy:  After winning the
             pools, they moved into a palatial house in Belgravia.

   palaver   n.  1 nuisance, procedure, red tape, to-do, rigmarole or
             rigamarole, Colloq song and dance, bother, nonsense, business,
             carry-on, performance:  He lost the certificates, so she now has
             to go through all the palaver of getting new ones. 2 chatter,
             babble, jabber, (empty or small) talk, blather or blether,
             gossip, prating, prattle, prattling, palavering, Brit natter,
             nattering, Scots clishmaclaver, Colloq jawing, hot air, Colloq
             Brit witter, wittering:  There is so much palaver at the annual
             meeting that nothing important ever gets said. 3 parley, talk,
             conference, discussion, colloquy, conversation, confabulation,
             meeting, get-together, round table, powwow, Colloq confab,
             huddle, chin-wag:  The annual palaver of the regional general
             managers is scheduled for next week.

             --v.  4 chatter, babble, jabber, blather or blether, gossip,
             prattle, prate, chit-chat, gabble, Brit natter, witter, Colloq
             jaw, chin-wag, US and Canadian shoot the breeze, Slang yack,
             yackety-yack:  Peter and I were palavering outside the
             supermarket when Sophie came along. 5 confer, consult, discuss,
             parley, talk, converse, powwow, meet, get together, sit down
             (together), confabulate, negotiate, Colloq confab, huddle, chew
             the fat or the rag:  Management and union representatives will
             palaver tomorrow.

   pale°     adj.  1 colourless, white, wan, sallow, waxen, livid, ashen,
             ashy, pallid, bloodless, whitish, pasty, whey-faced, washed out,
             anaemic, blanched, drained, ghostly, ghastly, peaky or peakish,
             peaked, cadaverous:  If you had been through an ordeal like
             that, you'd look pale, too. 2 faint, light, dim, washed out,
             pastel:  She was wearing a pale green evening gown tonight.  3
             feeble, weak, flimsy, meagre, enfeebled, ineffective,
             ineffectual, puny, insignificant, paltry, lame, poor,
             inadequate, half-hearted, tame, spiritless, whey-faced, empty,
             sterile, lifeless, uninspired, anaemic, Colloq half-baked:  The
             sequel was a pale imitation of the original film.

             --v.  4 blanch, blench, dim, whiten:  He paled when they told
             him of the car crash.  5 diminish, lessen, fade (away),
             decrease, abate:  The works of most modern writers pale in
             comparison with those of the Elizabethans.

   paleэ     n.  1 paling, palisade, picket, upright, post, stake:  The pales
             are attached to horizontal rails to form a fence.  2 boundary,
             limit(s), restriction, bounds, border(s), confines:  Nothing is
             outside the pale of the imagination of a great novelist.  3
             beyond the pale. improper, irregular, unseemly, unsuitable,
             indecent, unacceptable, inadmissible, forbidden, anathema,
             disallowed, prohibited, verboten, interdicted; US unusual,
             bizarre, peculiar, outr‚, weird, abnormal, strange:  The
             committee have found your behaviour to be beyond the pale,
             Frances, and we demand your resignation.

   pall°     n.  1 shroud, covering, mantle, cloth, veil:  A black velvet
             pall covered the coffin.  2 gloomy or melancholy or sombre or
             grave or depressing air or mood or atmosphere; damper, cold
             water, Colloq wet blanket:  The recently uncovered scandals have
             cast a pall over his successes in office.

   pallэ     v.  1 Often, pall on or upon. bore, tire, weary, jade, irk,
             irritate, sicken:  His position lost all its charm when the work
             began to pall on him. 2 sate, satiate, cloy, glut, surfeit,
             gorge:  I had reached the point where even the finest foods
             began to pall me.

   paltry    adj.  trifling, trivial, petty, small, insignificant, worthless,
             pitiful, pathetic, pitiable, puny, sorry, wretched, miserable,
             inconsequential, inconsiderable, unimportant, meagre, mean,
             beggarly, base, low, contemptible, Colloq piddling, Brit
             twopenny, twopenny-halfpenny, mingy, US penny-ante, Slang Mickey
             Mouse:  Despite his wealth, his charitable contributions are
             paltry. We all recognize Denison for the paltry pedant he is.

   pamper    v.  baby, coddle, cosset, (over)indulge, spoil, mollycoddle,
             cater to, pet, Rare cocker, Irish cosher:  The Simpsons pamper
             their children far too much.

   pamphlet  n.  booklet, brochure, tract, essay, folder, leaflet, circular;
             handbill, bill, notice, bulletin, advertisement, hand-out, ad,
             Brit advert, US flyer, throw-away:  He was arrested for printing
             a pamphlet that denounced the government's repression of free
             speech. Yesterday we received our sixteenth pamphlet promoting
             replacement windows.

   pan       n.  1 saucepan, frying-pan, skillet, pot, casserole, US spider:
             Melt a teaspoonful of butter in the pan, add the mixture, and
             stir briskly over a medium heat. 2 face, visage, mien, fa‡ade,
             Slang kisser, mug, puss:  The worst part of Alf's not working is
             that I have to look at his ugly pan all day. 3 depression,
             indentation, concavity, cavity, hollow, pit, hole, crater:  In a
             rain-shower, the pans fill with water and the desert blooms.

             --v.  4 wash, separate, sift:  For years prospectors have panned
             for gold in these hills.  5 criticize, censure, find fault, put
             down, reject, flay, excoriate, Brit hammer, Colloq knock, roast,
             slate, Slang Brit rubbish, US trash:  The critics panned the
             play and it closed after a week.  6 pan out. succeed, thrive,
             prosper, flourish, fare well, make it; work out, turn out,
             result, come out, end (up), conclude, culminate, eventuate:
             Your grandiose plans for irrigating the Sahara didn't pan out,
             either! How did the election pan out?

   panache   n.  flourish, dash, ‚lan, ‚clat, chic, sophistication, savoir
             faire, savoir vivre, flamboyance, verve, style, cultivation,
             (good) taste, flair, smartness, boldness, self-assurance,
             swagger, vigour, liveliness, spirit, brio, gusto, zest,
             animation, enthusiasm, energy:  Whatever needs to be done, you
             can count on Irena to carry it off with panache.

   pandemonium
             n.  bedlam, chaos, turmoil, disorder, tumult, frenzy, uproar,
             Brit furore or US furor, confusion:  Pandemonium reigned after
             the first bomb struck.

   pander    v.  1 Usually, pander to. satisfy, gratify, humour, indulge,
             fulfil, bow to, yield to, truckle to, cater to:  She is tired of
             pandering to his every wish.  2 procure, pimp, solicit:  I
             didn't believe he would sink so low as to pander for his
             business clients.

             --n.  3 panderer, pimp, procurer, solicitor, whoremonger, White
             slaver, Slang flesh-pedlar or US also flesh-peddler or
             flesh-pedler, Brit ponce, mack:  The word pander is an eponym
             for Pandarus, who acted as a sycophantic go-between for Troilus
             in Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde .

   pane      n.  panel, sheet, glass, window-pane, light, quarrel,
             bull's-eye:  Ring up the glazier and have that pane replaced in
             the door.

   pang      n.  1 pain, stab, ache, pinch, twinge, stitch, spasm:  I felt a
             sharp pang of hunger.  2 qualm, hesitation, scruple, misgiving,
             remorse, regret, contrition, contriteness, self-reproach,
             mortification, guilt, anguish, discomfort, malaise:  Does Claire
             feel the slightest pangs for treating him badly?

   panic     n.  1 terror, alarm, fear, fright, dread, horror, dismay,
             consternation, hysteria; anxiety, apprehension,
             apprehensiveness, nervousness:  As the speeding car veered
             towards us, a feeling of panic gripped me.

             --v.  2 be terrified or alarmed or fearful or frightened or
             terror-stricken or terror-struck, dread, fear, lose one's nerve;
             frighten, scare; Colloq go to pieces, fall apart, Brit lose
             one's bottle:  I panicked, turned the wheel the wrong way, and
             crashed the car into a tree. Gregory panics at the slightest
             sign of danger. 3 frighten, scare, alarm, terrify, unnerve:
             Something panicked the horses and one kicked out his stall door.

   panic-stricken
             adj.  panic-struck, terrified, alarmed, horrified, aghast,
             terror-stricken or terror-struck, panicky, frenzied, in a
             frenzy, hysterical, besides oneself with fear or terror,
             fearful, afraid, scared (stiff), petrified, horror-struck or
             horror-stricken, frightened or scared out of one's wits,
             appalled, stunned, stupefied, perturbed, unnerved, nervous,
             distressed, upset, jittery, jumpy, (all) worked up, Colloq in a
             cold sweat, in a flap, in a tizzy, Taboo slang scared shitless,
             shitting green:  At the news of the leak at the nuclear plant,
             hundreds of panic-stricken people fled from the area.

   panoramic adj.  sweeping, commanding, extensive, comprehensive, wide,
             overall, scenic, far-reaching, all-embracing, far-ranging,
             all-encompassing, inclusive, bird's-eye, general:  This room
             affords a panoramic view of the sea-coast.

   pant      v.  1 gasp, huff (and puff), blow, heave, breathe hard, wheeze:
             He was panting when he came into the room, having run up the
             stairs.  2 Usually, pant for or after. crave, hanker after,
             hunger or thirst for or after, yearn for, ache for, want,
             desire, covet, wish for, long or pine or sigh for, have one's
             heart set on, die for, be dying for, Colloq have a yen for, give
             one's eye-teeth or right arm for:  Margery was the girl that all
             the boys panted after when we were ten.

   pants     n.pl.  1 In Britain (men's) drawers, small-clothes, smalls,
             drawers, underpants, boxer shorts, trunks, undershorts,
             Y-fronts, briefs, Colloq smalls; (women's) knickers,
             camiknickers, panties, drawers, bloomers, pantalettes, tights,
             pantihose, undies:  The baby was dressed in a frilly dress and
             matching pants.  2 In US: trousers, slacks, breeches, (Oxford)
             bags, knickerbockers, flannels, shorts, Bermuda shorts or
             Bermudas, pedal pushers, bell-bottoms, peg-tops, hip-huggers,
             (blue) jeans, dungarees, denims, Trade Mark Levis, Scots trews;
             Scots and No. Eng. breeks, US knickers, Colloq cut-offs:
             Americans who go into British shops asking for a pair of pants
             are embarrassed to be offered only underwear.

   paper     n.  1 newspaper, tabloid, daily, weekly, journal, gazette,
             publication, periodical, newsletter, organ, Colloq rag, sheet:
             She is feature editor of a paper in Manchester.  2 Often,
             papers.  a document(s), instrument, legal papers, form,
             certificate, deed, ownership papers; credential(s),
             identification:  Bring the papers to my office for signing. His
             papers are not in order. Many people lost their papers during
             the war. b docket, files, dossier, record(s), archive(s):  Your
             papers seem to have disappeared from our office.  3 stationery,
             letterhead, writing-paper, letter-paper, notepaper; foolscap;
             scrap or US also scratch paper; wrapping paper; gift-wrapping,
             gift-wrap; wallpaper:  She wrote to me on the most beautiful
             engraved paper. We buy our Christmas paper from a museum shop. 4
             article, composition, essay, assignment, report, thesis, study,
             tract, analysis, critique, exegesis, treatise, dissertation,
             disquisition, manuscript, MS or ms, autograph, holograph,
             typescript, script, speech:  Adelaide will present her paper at
             the meeting of the Royal Academy this year.

             --v.  5 (hang) wallpaper, line; post, distribute:  The entire
             area was papered with posters announcing the meeting.

   par       adj.  1 standard, normal, average, expected:  A success rate of
             two per cent is par for these candidates.

             --n.  2 level, rank, standing, scale, standard:  How can you
             place yourself on a par with her as a tennis player?  3 above
             par. above average, superior, outstanding, excellent,
             exceptional; choice, select, prime:  Since I stopped taking that
             medication, I've been feeling above par. I am pleased to
             announce that the test results were above par for the school as
             a whole. 4 at par. average, level, even, equal, equivalent,
             standard; par value:  The shares are selling at par, or below
             their true market value.  5 below or under par.  a below
             average, substandard, inferior, second-rate, mediocre, middling,
             not up to par, poor, inadequate, unsatisfactory, wanting, bad,
             wretched, miserable, awful, terrible, Colloq lousy, not up to
             snuff or scratch:  Ian's goal-keeping has been below par all
             season.  b ill, sickly, unhealthy, unwell, not (very) well, not
             oneself, not in good or the best shape, in bad shape, Brit off
             form, off colour; Colloq under the weather, poorly, not up to
             snuff:  I was feeling below par.  6 up to par. all right,
             adequate, average, satisfactory, good enough, passable,
             acceptable, Colloq OK or okay, up to scratch or snuff, fair to
             middling:  If your game had been up to par, Davis would not have
             won.

   parable   n.  allegory, fable, lesson, morality tale:  When we first read
             Aesop's Fables we didn't know they were parables.

   parade    n.  1 procession, march, train, file, promenade, cortЉge,
             column; entourage:  They held a parade to celebrate the
             soldiers' safe return from the war. 2 exhibition, (ostentatious)
             display, show, spectacle, array, pomp, splash:  She often makes
             a parade of her knowledge of architecture.  3 promenade, walk,
             (pedestrian) way, mall, esplanade:  Let's meet in the Parade
             when you have finished shopping.

             --v.  4 march, pass in review, promenade, walk, file:  The
             generals saluted smartly as the troops paraded past.  5 strut,
             flaunt, show (off), brandish, wave, vaunt, display, air:  Why
             does he feel it necessary to parade every new girlfriend in
             front of all the neighbours?

   paradise  n.  1 heaven, City of God, Zion, Elysium, Elysian Fields, happy
             hunting-grounds, Abraham's bosom, heavenly kingdom, Promised
             Land, Celestial City, New Jerusalem, Avalon, Valhalla,
             Hesperides, Isles or Islands of the Blessed, seventh heaven:
             People all have their own ideas of paradise, but everyone agrees
             it's a nice place to be. 2 heaven on earth, (Garden of) Eden,
             (land of) Goshen, Utopia, Shangri-La, Land of Beulah:  Early
             settlers of California thought it a paradise.  3 bliss,
             happiness, rapture, heaven, delight, blessedness, ecstasy,
             seventh heaven, joy, dreamland, nirvana:  Being with you has
             been sheer paradise.

   paradox   n.  contradiction, self-contradiction, incongruity,
             inconsistency, absurdity, ambiguity, enigma, puzzle, mystery,
             quandary, problem, dilemma:  Can you explain away Zeno's paradox
             of Achilles and the tortoise?  The paradox was that although it
             was Edward's fifth birthday, he was 20 years old.

   paradoxical
             adj.  contradictory, self-contradictory, conflicting,
             oxymoronic, impossible, improbable, incongruous, illogical,
             inconsistent, absurd, ambiguous, confusing, equivocal,
             enigmatic, puzzling, baffling, incomprehensible, bewildering,
             perplexing, mysterious, problematic:  It would be true, though
             it might sound paradoxical, to say that the Norman Conquest made
             England Saxon.

   paragon   n.  epitome, archetype, model, prototype, quintessence, pattern,
             standard, exemplar, ideal, beau id‚al, criterion:  He had
             previously regarded Michael as a paragon of virtue and was
             deeply shocked by the revelations.

   parallel  adj.  1 similar, corresponding, congruent, analogous,
             analogic(al), correspondent, like, matching, homologous,
             coordinate, equivalent, coequal, proportional, proportionate,
             pari passu, mutatis mutandis, in proportion, uniform;
             contemporary or cotemporary, contemporaneous or cotemporaneous:
             The situation in Northern Ireland could be compared with a
             parallel situation in Lebanon.

             --n.  2 analogue, match, homologue, equivalent, complement,
             counterpart, equal, coequal:  Campbell found many parallels
             among the legendary heroes of other cultures. 3 analogy,
             parallelism, equivalence, complementarity, relationship,
             kinship, correspondence, resemblance, likeness, similarity,
             symmetry, equality, coequality, parity, correlation; proportion,
             balance, equiponderance, equipoise, counterbalance, offset:  One
             can draw parallels between the human arm, the fish's fin, and
             the bird's wing. By way of parallel, consider the flood in the
             Bible and that in the Gilgamesh epic.

             --v.  4 correspond to or with, match, equate to or with, be
             likened to, correlate to or with, compare with or to, imitate,
             repeat, echo, iterate, reiterate, duplicate, follow, agree with;
             keep pace with, conform (to), balance, set off, offset, even off
             or up, be accompanied by, coincide with, Colloq jibe with:  In
             many respects, your attitudes towards life parallel mine when I
             was your age. A decrease in the rate of inflation supposedly
             parallels a rise in interest rates.

   paralyse  v.  1 immobilize, inactivate, deactivate, transfix; halt, stop:
             The stroke paralysed his entire left side. As the thing
             approached, the children became paralysed by fear. 2 deaden,
             numb, freeze, anaesthetize, benumb, render insensible:  This
             injection will paralyse your thumb so that we can operate on it.
             3 disable, cripple, incapacitate, disenable:  His left leg was
             paralysed in the accident.

   paramount adj.  pre-eminent, chief, supreme, dominant, main, predominant,
             cardinal, first, prime, primary, principal, essential, vital,
             requisite, basic:  The company feel that the independence of
             researchers is paramount.  It is of paramount importance that
             you study trigonometry before calculus.

   paramour  n.  lover, love, inamorato or inamorata, amorist, mistress,
             gigolo, concubine, cicisbeo, kept woman, Colloq flame,
             sugar-daddy, US POSSLQ (= 'Person of the Opposite Sex Sharing
             Living Quarters'), Slang fancy man or woman:  At eighty, she
             liked to reminisce about her many paramours.

   paraphernalia
             n.  usually pl equipment, apparatus, accessories, outfit,
             appliances, utensils, gear, rig, material(s), mat‚riel, things,
             tackle, equipage, accoutrements, effects, chattels, possessions,
             belongings, appurtenances, trappings, property, baggage,
             impedimenta, supplies, stuff, Colloq junk, Brit rubbish,
             clobber, Slang crap, Taboo slang US shit:  Bring along your
             scuba paraphernalia. It took us a month just to pack up all the
             paraphernalia we had in the flat.

   paraphrase
             n.  1 rephrasing, rephrase, rewording, restatement, rewriting,
             rewrite, rehash, rendition, rendering, version, Technical
             paraphrasis:  The editor wanted a revision, not merely a
             paraphrase of the original.

             --v.  2 rephrase, reword, restate, rewrite, explicate, explain:
             Please paraphrase the specialized jargon to make it
             understandable to non-professionals.

   parasite  n.  leech, hanger-on, Colloq freeloader, sponger or sponge,
             bloodsucker, cadger, scrounger or scrounge, barnacle, jackal,
             hyena or hyaena:  That parasite lives off Gemma's money and has
             never worked a day in his life.

   parcel    n.  1 package, packet, carton, box, container, case:  We are
             sending food parcels to the needy.  2 portion, plot, plat, lot,
             piece, section, tract:  We have bought a small parcel of land
             and plan to build on it next year. 3 lot, group, batch,
             collection, pack, bundle, set:  She gathered a parcel of
             drawings and published them as a travel sketchbook.

             --v.  4 Often, parcel out. apportion, allot, deal (out), dole
             (out), mete (out), hand out, distribute, share (out), divide,
             Colloq divvy (up):  Before he died he parcelled out his fortune
             amongst his grandchildren.

   parch     v.  dry (out or up), desiccate, dehydrate, exsiccate; scorch,
             sear, burn, bake; shrivel (up), wither:  The earth was parched
             by the unrelenting sun.

   pardon    n.  1 forgiveness, forgiving, amnesty, remission, release,
             reprieval, absolution, indulgence, excuse, excusal, allowance,
             overlooking, condonation, exoneration, exculpation:  Should
             there be any pardon for crimes against humanity?

             --v.  2 forgive, remit, release, reprieve, absolve, indulge,
             allow, overlook, let off, excuse, condone, exonerate, exculpate:
             There are some crimes that ought not be pardoned.

   pare      v.  1 trim, peel, skin, shave (off), shuck; decorticate,
             excoriate:  Pare the apples and then grate them coarsely.  2
             Often, pare down. reduce, diminish, decrease, cut (back or
             down), curtail, slash (back), lower, lessen:  Since his illness,
             Bob has pared down his time at the office.  We'll have to pare
             our prices to stay competitive in the present climate.

   parent    n.  1 father or mother, progenitor, progenitrix, procreator,
             begetter, materfamilias or paterfamilias; foster-parent,
             stepmother or stepfather, guardian, Colloq old lady or old man,
             Brit old-fashioned or facetiousmater or pater:  Most teenagers
             clash with their parents sooner or later.  2 source, origin,
             originator, well-spring, fountain-head, root:  The liturgy of St
             James is undoubtedly the parent of the Armenian Rite.

   parentage n.  lineage, ancestry, line, family, extraction, descent,
             origin, pedigree, stock, birth, strain, bloodline, heritage,
             roots:  As he was separated from his mother at birth, he knows
             nothing of his royal parentage.

   parenting n.  (of children) rearing, upbringing, raising, nurturing:
             Brian and Betty take their parenting very seriously.

   parity    n.  1 equality, equivalence, consistency, uniformity, par,
             likeness, similarity, analogy, congruity, similitude,
             conformity, congruence:  The ministers agreed that they would
             observe parity of power amongst themselves at the conference. 2
             proportion, parallelism, analogy, balance, correspondence:  We
             are trying to maintain parity between the Deutschmark and the
             pound sterling.

   park      n.  1 garden, green(s), common(s), preserve, reserve,
             greensward, parkland, woodland, estate, Chiefly Brit
             reservation:  Twice a day he strolls through the nearby park.  2
             Brit car park, US and Canadian and New Zealand parking-lot:  I
             shall meet you in the car park at the railway station.

             --v.  3 leave, put, deposit, store:  It is illegal to park in
             this street.

   parlance  n.  way or manner of talking or speaking, fa‡on de parler,
             phrasing, phraseology, speech, wording, language, idiom,
             dialect, jargon, Colloq lingo:  In the parlance of the yuppies,
             that's a ballpark figure.

   parley    n.  1 conference, discussion, dialogue, palaver, deliberation,
             meeting, colloquy, colloquium, confabulation, powwow, talk(s),
             Colloq huddle, confab:  The issue will be decided at the
             executive council's parley.

             --v.  2 confer, discuss, palaver, deliberate, talk (over),
             negotiate, deal, Colloq huddle:  Would Sitting Bull parley with
             General Custer?

   parliament
             n.  1 Parliament. Houses of Parliament, House of Lords and House
             of Commons, Westminster, the House, Mother of Parliaments:  The
             new health bill got its second reading in Parliament today.  2
             legislature, council, congress, diet, council, assembly, Upper
             and Lower House or chamber:  The United States parliament
             consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

   parliamentary
             adj.  formal, ordered, orderly, procedural, conforming,
             conformist, US according to Roberts Rules of Order:  The debate
             must follow parliamentary procedure.

   parlour   n.  living-room, Old-fashioned or Brit drawing-room, Chiefly
             Brit sitting-room, reception (room), lounge:  She invited us
             into the parlour where tea was laid out.

   parlous   adj.  perilous, risky, precarious, uncertain, dangerous,
             hazardous, difficult, ticklish, awkward, Colloq chancy, iffy,
             Slang hairy:  These are parlous times in the Middle East.

   parochial adj.  regional, provincial, narrow, local, insular, isolated,
             limited, restricted, narrow-minded, petty, short-sighted,
             hidebound, conservative, conventional, illiberal, bigoted,
             prejudiced, intolerant, one-sided, partial, biased, stubborn,
             opinionated, dogmatic, rigid, stiff, stiff-necked, immovable,
             intractable, unchangeable, unchanging, close-minded,
             unsophisticated, unworldly, uncultivated, uncultured:
             Uneducated and untravelled, Mr Shriver maintained a very
             parochial view of the world.

   parody    n.  1 burlesque, lampoon, satire, caricature, mockery, mimicry,
             Colloq take-off, spoof, Brit send-up:  The more serious the
             intent of the original author's work, the easier it is to write
             a parody of it. 2 travesty, mockery, feeble or poor imitation,
             distortion, perversion, corruption, debasement:  The Inquisition
             was a parody of justice and of religion.

             --v.  3 burlesque, lampoon, satirize, caricature, mock, mimic,
             ape, ridicule, deride, laugh at, poke fun at, guy, scoff at,
             sneer at, rib, tease, twit, roast, pillory, make a
             laughing-stock (of), make sport of, make fun of, make a monkey
             (out) of, Archaic fleer, Colloq take off, spoof, kid, Brit send
             up:  Swift parodied English political figures and policies of
             the day in Gulliver's Travels .

   paroxysm  n.  fit, convulsion, spasm, throe, seizure, spell, outburst,
             eruption, explosion, Colloq flare-up:  At the sight of George
             dressed as Madame Pompadour Melissa rolled on the floor in a
             paroxysm of hysterical laughter.

   parrot    n.  1 imitator, mimic, Colloq copycat:  She never has an
             original idea of her own: she's a mere parrot of others'
             fashions and fancies.

             --v.  2 imitate, mimic, ape, copy, echo, repeat, reiterate:
             Mick doesn't understand the issues and just parrots what he
             hears on TV.

   part      n.  1 piece, portion, division, allotment, share, percentage,
             participation, interest; parcel, fragment, scrap, shard; some:
             I bought a part of the company when it was available. I want no
             part of the deal now. 2 portion, component, factor, constituent,
             element, ingredient:  A part of her problem is that she doesn't
             speak Japanese.  3 role, function, duty, responsibility, share;
             say, voice, influence, participation, involvement, business:
             Every man must do his part. Don't thank me! I had no part in
             your getting the contract. 4 role, character:  He plays the part
             of Tweedledum in the school play.  5 side, interest, cause,
             behalf, faction, party:  Which part did you support in the
             argument? No explanation has been offered on either part. 6
             neighbourhood, quarter, section, district, region, area, corner,
             vicinity, vicinage, Colloq neck of the woods:  I come from the
             same part of the country as you.  7 piece, portion, segment,
             section; department, division, component, unit:  Which part of
             the turkey do you prefer? In which part of the company do you
             work? 8 for the most part. mostly, generally, usually, mainly,
             in the main, by and large, on the whole, chiefly, principally,
             essentially, for all practical purposes, to all intents and
             purposes, in most cases or instances:  The shops are for the
             most part closed on Sunday.  9 in part. partly, partially, to
             some extent or degree, in some measure, relatively,
             comparatively, somewhat:  He is himself in part responsible for
             the present state of affairs.  10 on the part of (someone) or on
             (someone's or one's) part. by, on or US also in behalf of, (as)
             for, as regards, as far as (someone) is concerned, in the name
             of, for the sake of, in support of:  Tyrannical acts on the part
             of the king were not condoned. For my part, I want nothing to do
             with it. 11 take (a) part (in). participate (in), join (in), be
             (a) party to, play a part or role (in), be involved (in or
             with), associate oneself (with), have or take a hand in, partake
             (of), contribute (to):  Why insist that she take part in your
             nefarious plot? People began to sing, but she didn't feel like
             taking part.

             --v.  12 separate, part company, split up, go his or her (or
             their) separate way(s), break up, say or bid goodbye (or adieu,
             etc.); leave, depart, go (away or off):  We parted on the best
             of terms.  13 separate, divide, put or pull apart, put asunder:
             I saw a pale hand part the curtains for a brief moment. A fool
             and his money are soon parted. 14 part with. give up, yield,
             relinquish, release, sacrifice, forgo, renounce, forsake, let
             go, surrender:  I doubt that you'll persuade Rover to part with
             his bone.

             --adj.  15 partial, fractional, limited:  Ronald is a part owner
             of the company.

   partake   v.  1 Usually, partake in. share (in), participate (in), take
             (a) part (in), enter (in or into):  We share each other's
             burdens and partake in each other's joys.  2 Usually, partake
             of.  a receive, get, have a share or portion or part (of),
             share:  We were invited to partake of a meagre repast.  b evoke,
             suggest, hint at, intimate, imply, possess or have the quality
             of:  Greater knowledge often partakes of insolence.

   partial   adj.  1 incomplete, fragmentary, not total or whole, imperfect:
             They were able to afford only a partial restoration of the
             house.  There will be a partial solar eclipse at noon. 2
             prejudiced, biased, partisan, inclined, influenced, one-sided,
             jaundiced, unfair, discriminatory:  It will be difficult to find
             a judge who is not partial.  3 partial to. in favour of,
             predisposed to, fond of, having a soft spot or weakness for,
             having a liking or taste or predilection for, having a fondness
             for, feeling an attraction or affinity to or toward(s), finding
             enjoyment in:  She used to be partial to punk rockers. I am
             partial to Scotch beef.

   partiality
             n.  1 prejudice, bias, inclination, favouritism, predilection,
             predisposition, leaning, preference:  The losers of the contest
             accused the judges of partiality.  2 preference, taste, relish,
             liking, fondness, appreciation, fancy, love, eye, weakness, soft
             spot, penchant; fetish or fetich:  Alas, my wife has acquired a
             partiality for emeralds.

   partially adv.  partly, in part, to some extent or degree, to a limited or
             a certain extent or degree, not totally or wholly or entirely,
             restrictedly, incompletely, in some measure, relatively,
             comparatively, moderately, (up) to a (given or certain) point,
             somewhat:  Jon found the meal only partially satisfying and
             ordered another bread pudding.

   participant
             n.  1 participator, partaker, sharer, party, contributor, prime
             mover:  The chief participants in the recent terrorist attack
             are in custody.

             --adj.  2 Usually, participant in or of. participating,
             partaking, sharing:  As a shareholder, he will be participant in
             the profits.

   participate
             v.  Often, participate in. take part (in), share (in), partake
             (in or of), join (in), engage (in), get or become involved (in),
             be or become associated (with), enter (in or into), contribute
             (to):  We invited her to join the group, but she refuses to
             participate.  I would like to participate in the venture.

   particle  n.  atom, molecule, scintilla, spark, mote, suggestion, hint,
             suspicion, gleam, bit, crumb, jot, tittle, whit, mite, speck,
             dot, spot, iota, grain, morsel, shred, sliver, scrap, Colloq
             smidgen or smidgin:  There isn't the slightest particle of
             evidence linking them with the murder.

   particular
             adj.  1 certain, specific, special, peculiar, singular, single,
             isolated, individual, distinct, discrete, separate, definite,
             precise, express:  These are not his particular sentiments but
             those of thousands of his followers. In this particular instance
             your theory does not apply. 2 marked, special, especial,
             exceptional, remarkable, noteworthy, notable, outstanding,
             unusual:  The commendation is for her particular contribution to
             the treatment of nervous disorders. Vintage port is a particular
             favourite of mine. 3 detailed, itemized, item-by-item, thorough,
             minute, precise, exact, exacting, painstaking, nice, rigorous,
             close, blow-by-blow:  The inscriptions reveal the particular
             care taken in keeping daily records. 4 fussy, meticulous,
             finicky, finical, fastidious, discriminating, selective,
             demanding, hypercritical, critical, Colloq pernickety or US also
             persnickety, choosy, picky:  Daphne is very particular about
             whom she invites to dinner.

             --n.  5 Usually, particulars. detail, minutia, fine point, item,
             specific, element, fact, circumstance, information:  The
             particulars may never be revealed, but we know in general what
             took place that fateful night. 6 in particular. particularly,
             specifically, precisely, exactly, especially, specially;
             particular, specific, special, definite:  I told mother that I
             was just going out, not anywhere in particular.

   particularly
             adv.  1 especially, specially, exceptionally, peculiarly,
             singularly, distinctively, uniquely, unusually, uncommonly,
             notably, outstandingly, markedly, extraordinarily, very,
             extremely, strikingly, surprisingly, amazingly:  Susannah went
             through a particularly bad patch but she's better now. Holroyd
             is a good writer, particularly of biography. 2 in particular,
             specifically, especially, principally, mainly, exceptionally,
             expressly, explicitly, notably, markedly; only, solely:
             Maeterlinck was particularly interested in bees.

   parting   n.  1 separating, splitting, dividing, breaking (up or apart),
             sundering, cleaving; separation, split, division, break-up,
             rift, rupture:  The high point of the film was the parting of
             the Red Sea. The parting between Harriet and Sam after twenty
             turbulent years was to be expected. 2 leave-taking, farewell,
             saying goodbye, departure, leaving, going (away), making one's
             adieus or adieux; valediction:  Parting is such sweet sorrow.

             --adj.  3 closing, final, concluding, last, departing,
             valedictory; deathbed, dying:  Her parting comment was, 'If
             you're leaving, take the rubbish'.

   partisan  n.  1 partizan, devotee, follower, supporter, adherent, backer,
             champion, enthusiast, fan, zealot, fanatic, Chiefly US and
             Canadian booster, Colloq US rooter:  He has long been a partisan
             of surrealism.  2 guerrilla or guerilla, freedom fighter,
             underground or resistance fighter, irregular:  During the war
             the Yugoslav partisans were led by Marshal Tito.

             --adj.  3 one-sided, factional, biased, tendentious, sectarian,
             opinionated, partial, bigoted, prejudiced, parochial, myopic,
             short-sighted, near-sighted, narrow, narrow-minded, limited:
             She refuses to become involved in partisan politics.  4
             guerrilla or guerilla, freedom, underground, resistance,
             irregular:  They were both members of the Maquis, the French
             partisan group who fought against the Nazis.

   partition n.  1 separation, division, splitting (up), split-up,
             partitionment, break-up, breaking up, segmenting, segmentation:
             One of the results of World War II was the partition of Germany.
             2 allotment, allotting, apportionment, apportioning,
             distribution, distributing, meting out, doling out, rationing
             (out), sharing (out), dividing (up), giving or handing or
             passing out, parcelling out, Colloq divvying up:  The partition
             of the estate is in the hands of our solicitors.  3 (room)
             divider, (dividing) wall, barrier, screen, separator:  Let's put
             up a partition to divide this office into two.  4 compartment,
             room, chamber, section, part, area, division, subdivision, cell,
             stall, booth:  In open floor planning, furniture, plantings, and
             other movables are used to create the partitions where people
             work.

             --v.  5 divide (up), separate, cut up, subdivide, split (up):
             It is always a mistake to partition a country into smaller,
             potentially quarrelsome units. 6 Often, partition off. divide,
             separate, subdivide, wall off, screen (off), fence off:  We must
             partition off the machine room so that the office staff are not
             disturbed by the noise.

   partly    adv.  See partially, above.

   partner   n.  1 sharer, partaker, associate, colleague, participant,
             accomplice, accessory, confederate, comrade, ally, collaborator,
             companion, team-mate, fellow, alter ego, friend, Colloq pal,
             sidekick, mate, US and Canadian buddy, cohort:  His partner in
             the bank robbery was arrested this morning.  2 wife or husband,
             spouse, mate, helpmate, helpmeet, consort:  She became my life
             partner more than 50 years ago.  3 companion, fellow-dancer:
             Won't you change partners and dance with me?

   party     n.  1 (social) gathering, (cocktail or dinner) party,
             celebration, f€te or fete, function, reception, soir‚e, levee,
             festivity, festivities, festival, frolic, spree, romp, carousal
             or carouse, saturnalia, bacchanalia, debauch, orgy, Colloq
             get-together, bash, bust, shindig or shindy, ball, at-home, do,
             Brit beanfeast, beano, knees-up, US blow-out, Slang Brit rave or
             rave-up, Chiefly US and Canadian wingding, bust-up, US hop:
             Campbell said he had a marvellous time at your birthday party.
             2 group, company, band, body, corps, gang, crew, team, squad,
             troop, platoon, detachment, detail, cadre, unit, Colloq bunch,
             outfit:  A small party of men is trapped on the other side of
             the river.  3 side, interest, faction, league, club, coalition,
             bloc, division, sect, denomination, clique, coterie, set, cabal,
             junta or junto, partisans, adherents, confederacy,
             confederation, federation, Chiefly US and Canadian caucus:  The
             proliferation of political parties confuses the electorate.  4
             participant, participator, confederate, associate, ally,
             accomplice, accessory, approver, ratifier, upholder,
             contributor, supporter, advocate, backer, aid, helper, seconder,
             promoter, partisan, defender, exponent, proponent, champion:  I
             refuse to be a party to any illegal act.  5 individual, person,
             litigant, plaintiff, defendant, side, interest, signer,
             signatory, co-signatory, participant, US co-signer:  The party
             of the first part accuses the party of the second part of
             infidelity. How many parties are there to this contract?

   parvenu   n.  1 parvenue, upstart, arriviste, nouveau riche, intruder,
             adventurer, social climber:  Usually one generation has to pass
             before a parvenu is accepted by the class with which his money
             associates him.

             --adj.  2 nouveau riche, upstart, intrusive:  This parvenu
             industrialist tried to use his wealth to make up for his lack of
             refinement.

   pass      v.  1 Often, pass by. proceed or move past, go by or past:  She
             passed me in the street. I didn't recognize her till she had
             passed. We met like ships that pass in the night. 2 proceed,
             move (onwards), go (ahead), progress, extend, lie, run, flow,
             fly, roll, course, stream, drift, sweep:  A flock of geese
             passed overhead.  3 let pass, let go (by), overlook, disregard,
             ignore, pay no heed, omit, skip:  I think I'll pass on making a
             decision till the proper time comes.  4 qualify (in), pass
             muster (in), get or come through, succeed:  Deirdre didn't
             believe she would pass chemistry, but pass she did. 5 spend,
             devote, use (up), expend, employ, occupy, fill, while away, take
             (up); dissipate, waste, fritter away, kill:  He passed his time
             on Devil's Island planning ways to escape.  6 surpass, exceed,
             outdo, transcend, go beyond, overshoot, outstrip, outrun,
             surmount, outdistance:  She passed her own expectations in
             winning the scholarship. How Alan ever got a degree passes all
             comprehension. 7 allow, tolerate, permit, approve, sanction,
             accept, authorize, endorse, carry, agree to, confirm:  The
             customs inspectors passed my luggage without question. The bill
             passed the committee and came up for voting. 8 give, hand round
             or along or over, transfer, pass on or over, deliver, convey,
             Sports US hand off, Colloq toss, throw, reach:  Please pass the
             salt. The sweeper passed the ball back to the goalkeeper. 9
             utter, express, issue, declare, pronounce, deliver, set forth,
             offer:  Who is she to pass judgement on abstract paintings?  10
             go away, disappear, vanish, evaporate, fade away, melt away,
             evanesce, cease (to exist), (come to an) end, die out, go by the
             board, terminate, Literary evanish, Colloq blow over:  For an
             instant I was gripped by a horrible fear, but the feeling
             passed. 11 go (by), expire, elapse; slip by or away, fly; crawl,
             creep, drag:  Weeks have passed since we last met. Time passes
             quickly when you're having fun. 12 evacuate, void, eliminate,
             excrete, defecate, urinate:  The tests showed that he had passed
             some gravel in his urine.  13 come to pass. befall, happen,
             occur, take place, come about, arise, Colloq come off:  And it
             came to pass that a great pestilence was abroad in the land. 14
             pass away.  a die, expire, perish, succumb, breathe one's last,
             pass on, go to one's reward, go to one's final or last
             resting-place, (go to) meet one's Maker, Colloq go west, give up
             the ghost, Slang croak, kick the bucket, Chiefly US bite the
             dust, turn up one's toes:  He was the sole beneficiary when she
             passed away.  b vanish, disappear, go away, stop, cease, end:
             The feeling of vertigo simply passed away when the plane landed.
             15 pass by. See 1, above:  The strikers were urging people to
             pass by the shop.  16 pass for or as.  a be taken for, be
             mistaken for, be regarded as, be accepted as:  He wrote a book
             about being a man who passed for a woman.  b impersonate,
             imitate, mimic, pass (oneself) off as, come or go as, be
             disguised as, disguise oneself as, assume the guise of,
             masquerade as, pose as, assume the role of, act the part of, act
             like, pretend to be, play:  Using her best cockney accent, she
             tried to pass as a Londoner.  17 pass off. evaporate, disappear,
             evanesce, be emitted:  The water passes off as steam, leaving
             the distillate in the flask.  18 pass on.  a proceed, continue,
             progress:  Let us now pass on to the next lesson.  b bequeath,
             hand down or on, transfer, make over, will, cede, give:  The old
             gambler passed on to me the secret of never losing - Don't
             gamble. c See 14, (a), above.  19 pass (oneself) off as. See 16,
             (b), above.  20 pass out.  a faint, collapse, swoon, black out,
             drop, Colloq conk out, keel over:  When they told her of the
             accident, she passed out on the spot.  b distribute, dole out,
             mete out, deal (out), hand out:  After we took our seats, the
             cabin staff passed out glasses of champagne. 21 pass over. See
             3, above:  I shall pass over his latest misdeeds without
             comment.  22 pass up. reject, decline, refuse, waive, turn down,
             dismiss, spurn, renounce; deny (oneself), skip, give up, forgo,
             let go (by), abandon, forswear, forsake, let pass, ignore, pay
             no heed, disregard, pay no heed, omit:  If you don't buy this
             car, you are passing up an opportunity of a lifetime.

             --n.  23 defile, gorge, col, cwm, cut, canyon or ca¤on, notch,
             gap, gully, couloir; passage, opening, way, route, road:  We had
             mined the pass to prevent the enemy's advance.  24
             authorization, permit, licence, approval, safe conduct, green
             light, go-ahead; permission, freedom, liberty, authority,
             clearance; Colloq OK or okay:  He bribed an official for a pass
             to leave the country.  25 free pass, complimentary ticket, Slang
             US twofer, Annie Oakley:  I have two passes to the opera tonight
             - Want to go?  26 state (of affairs), condition, situation,
             stage, juncture, status, crux; predicament, crisis:  At that
             critical pass, it was too late to change policy. Things had come
             to a pretty pass. 27 attempt, trial, try, effort, endeavour:
             Anita's first pass at a perfect score resulted in disaster. We
             made a pass at docking while under sail. 28 (sexual or indecent)
             overture or advance(s), proposition, indecent proposal:  That
             lecher has made a pass at every secretary he's ever had.  29
             manoeuvre, approach; passage, flight, fly-by, transit:  The
             pilot's first pass over the airfield was at 500 feet.  30
             transfer, toss, throw, US hand-off:  A forward pass is illegal
             in rugby.

   passable  adj.  1 satisfactory, acceptable, tolerable, all right,
             adequate, admissible, allowable, presentable, average, fair
             (enough), fair to middling, fairly good, middling, not bad,
             unexceptional, sufficient, indifferent, Colloq OK or okay, so
             so:  I thought the play passable, but not up to his usual
             standard.  2 traversable, navigable, open, unobstructed,
             unblocked:  The channel is passable till October, when the river
             freezes over.

   passage   n.  1 movement, moving, going, transition, transit, traversal,
             traverse, progress, crossing, passing:  The queen's passage
             through the town was attended by much jubilation.  We observed
             the passage of Mercury across the sun's disc. 2 extract,
             excerpt, selection, section, part, portion, text, paragraph,
             canto, stanza, verse, line, sentence, phrase, citation,
             quotation:  I recognize this passage from The Faerie Queene .  3
             way, route, avenue, course, channel; road, thoroughfare:
             Amundsen found a navigable passage between the Atlantic and
             Pacific across North America. 4 corridor, hall, passageway,
             hallway, vestibule, lobby, foyer:  As I stepped into the passage
             outside my room I heard a door slam.  5 change, mutation, shift,
             conversion, progression, passing:  In sublimation, the passage
             is directly between the solid and gaseous or vaporous states,
             without an intermediate liquid stage. 6 passing, elapse,
             progress, progression, flow, march, advance:  She may become
             more tractable with the passage of time.  7 voyage, trip,
             journey, cruise, crossing, sail, run, travel, travelling; Brit
             accommodation or US accommodations, arrangement(s), facilities:
             In 1942 the trans-Atlantic passage was fraught with danger. The
             refugees were guaranteed safe passage to the border. We have
             been unable to book a passage to Majorca for tomorrow. 8 safe
             conduct, permission, privilege, liberty, freedom, visa,
             authorization, allowance:  Our troops were denied passage
             through Nepal.  9 enactment, ratification, sanction, approval,
             acceptance, passing, adoption, endorsement, endorsing,
             legitimatization or legitimization, legalization, legislation,
             constitutionalization, ordainment:  It appears that there is
             enough support to ensure passage of the bill. 10 traffic,
             trafficking, dealing, shipment, shipping, commerce, trade,
             exchange, transaction:  Representatives of several governments
             discussed putting a halt to the passage of narcotics from
             Colombia. 11 aperture, hole, orifice, opening; entry, access,
             inlet; exit, outlet:  We found a tiny passage through which the
             termites were entering and leaving.

   pass‚     adj.  old-fashioned, unfashionable, dated, out of date, behind
             the times, outmoded, obsolete, obsolescent, antiquated, archaic,
             d‚mod‚, quaint, antique, superseded, Colloq out, not or no
             longer in, old hat, back number:  She persisted in dressing in a
             style that had been pass‚ at the turn of the century.

   passenger n.  rider, fare, traveller, voyager, commuter:  The cruise ships
             have very comfortable accommodation for their passengers.

   passing   adj.  1 disappearing, vanishing, ephemeral, brief, going, fading
             (away), slipping away, short-lived, expiring, transient,
             transitory, temporary, momentary, fleeting, transitional,
             impermanent:  I hope that Anne's obsession with acid rock is a
             passing fancy.  2 hasty, superficial, cursory, casual, quick,
             fleeting, brief, summary, abrupt, dismissive; glancing:  The
             speaker paid only passing attention to those he disagreed with.
             3 in passing. by the way, incidentally, by the by,
             parenthetically, en passant:  I might mention, in passing, that
             my train was late owing to the strike.

             --n.  4 death, dying, demise, end, loss, expiry, expiration,
             dying out, extinction, disappearance, vanishment:  Her passing
             is a great sorrow to all of us. Who thought we would live to see
             the passing of the steam engine?

   passion   n.  1 Often, passions. ardour, ardency, eagerness, intensity,
             fervour, fervency, fervidness, zeal, zealousness, avidity,
             avidness, zest, zestfulness, vivacity, vivaciousness, gusto,
             verve, emotion, feeling, animation, spirit, spiritedness,
             vigour, enthusiasm, eagerness; zealotry, fanaticism,
             feverishness:  The passions of the mob are uncontrollable.
             Passion and prejudice govern the world. Passions ran high at the
             political convention. 2 fit, outburst, frenzy, paroxysm,
             seizure, spasm, convulsion, eruption, whirlwind, tempest, storm,
             ferment, fury, furore or US furor:  Henry fell on his knees in a
             passion of grief.  3 infatuation, mania, obsession, craze,
             craving, lust, (unquenchable) thirst, (insatiable) hunger, itch,
             yearning, longing, desire, concupiscence, love, affection,
             enthusiasm, compulsion, fondness, predilection, keenness, fancy,
             fascination, partiality, liking, interest, weakness, Colloq yen:
             Would the world be a better place if the passion for spiritual
             values were as great as for material things? She has a passion
             for chocolates. 4 love, heart's desire, beloved, idol, hero or
             heroine, obsession, Colloq heartthrob, dream-girl or dream-boy:
             He may not look much to you but he is the passion of every
             teenage girl. 5 Usually, Passion. pain, suffering, agony,
             martyrdom:  Christ underwent his Passion at Calvary.

   passionate
             adj.  1 ardent, eager, intense, fervid, zealous, avid, eager,
             earnest, zestful, feverish, fanatic(al), vehement, impassioned,
             emotional, animated, spirited, enthusiastic, vigorous,
             invigorated, energetic:  Passionate environmentalists campaign
             for better governmental control of carbon dioxide emissions. 2
             aroused, lustful, lecherous, erotic, sexual, amorous, sensual,
             Colloq hot:  She tried to resist his passionate advances.  3
             quick-tempered, irascible, hotheaded, fiery, testy, huffy or
             huffish, peevish, cranky, peppery, choleric, touchy, bilious,
             snappish, volatile, cross, temperamental, irritable,
             quarrelsome, pugnacious, argumentative, contentious,
             belligerent, Rare atrabilious or atrabiliar:  Valerie gets into
             a passionate mood whenever she thinks she is being treated
             unjustly.

   passive   adj.  1 inactive, non-aggressive, inert, motionless,
             unresponsive, quiet, calm, tranquil, serene, placid, still,
             idle, unmoving, unmoved, impassive, untouched, cool,
             indifferent, phlegmatic, uninterested, uninvolved,
             dispassionate, apathetic, lifeless, listless, quiescent,
             unperturbed, unaffected, imperturbable, unshaken, Colloq
             laid-back, out of it:  The comic was unable to get a reaction
             from the passive audience.  2 submissive, repressed,
             deferential, yielding, compliant, complaisant, receptive,
             flexible, malleable, pliable, tractable, docile, subdued,
             sheepish, ovine, lamblike, cow-like, bovine, tame, gentle, meek,
             patient, unresisting, unassertive, forbearing, tolerant,
             resigned, long-suffering, Colloq US excuse-me-for-living:
             People tend to bully those of a more passive nature.  3
             unexpressed, tacit, unrevealed, undisclosed, implicit,
             unasserted:  We can no longer take a passive position regarding
             crime. Your passive support, while welcome, is not as effective
             as active campaigning.

   password  n.  watchword, shibboleth, open sesame, countersign:  If you
             don't know the password, the guard won't let you in.

   past      adj.  1 over, done, finished, (over and) done with, gone (and
             forgotten), dead (and buried or gone), defunct:  The day of the
             horse and carriage is past.  2 late, former, one-time, sometime,
             previous, prior, erstwhile, quondam, whilom; last, recent:  Past
             owners of the house had no idea that this treasure was buried in
             the basement.

             --adv.  3 on, (close) by, nearby:  I was standing here when he
             ran past.  4 ago, before, heretofore, since:  The previous
             owners moved out two years past.

             --n.  5 history, background, life, lifetime, existence, career,
             lifestyle, biography:  She reveals all about her past in her new
             book.  6 days or years or times gone by, days of yore, old
             times, olden times or days, former times, (good) old days, days
             of old, days beyond recall:  In the past, life proceeded at a
             more leisurely pace.

   pastiche  n.  mixture, medley, blend, compound, composite, patchwork, olla
             podrida, pot-pourri, motley, miscellany, omnium gatherum,
             m‚lange, gallimaufry, farrago, mishmash, hotchpotch or US and
             Canadian hodgepodge, tangle, Colloq mess:  The room was
             furnished in a pastiche of styles from every imaginable period.

   pastime   n.  hobby, avocation, recreation, diversion, distraction,
             amusement, entertainment, fun, play, leisure-time activity,
             relaxation, leisure, sport, divertissement:  As a pastime, she
             collects books.

   pastor    n.  vicar, clergyman, clergywoman, parson, minister, churchman,
             churchwoman, rector, canon, reverend, father, divine,
             ecclesiastic, priest, bishop:  The pastor led the congregation
             in prayer.

   pastoral  adj.  1 bucolic, idyllic, Edenic, innocent, simple, tranquil,
             serene, quiet, restful, peaceful, peaceable, placid, pacific,
             harmonious, simple, uncomplicated, Literary Arcadian, georgic:
             After a week in those pastoral surroundings, she felt inspired.
             Theocritus is noted for his pastoral poetry. 2 country, rural,
             rustic, provincial, farming, agricultural, agrarian; humble:  He
             has chosen a pastoral setting for the play, which contrasts
             sharply with the emotional intensity of the characters. 3
             clerical, ministerial, ecclesiastic(al), church(ly):  Our vicar
             discharges his pastoral duties with energy and sincerity.

             --n.  4 idyll, eclogue, georgic:  Flambeau did these marvellous
             engravings for a book of pastorals.

   pasture   n.  meadow, meadow-land, pasture land, grassland, grass, lea,
             range; pasturage:  How much pasture is needed for 200 head of
             cattle?

   pasty     adj.  wan, pallid, pasty-faced, sallow, pale, pale-faced,
             whey-faced, sickly, anaemic:  He had the pasty complexion of a
             child raised in an industrial city.

   pat°      v.  1 tap, touch, dab, pet, stroke, caress:  Being short, he
             hated it when people affectionately patted him on the head. Pat
             down the coverlet to smooth out the wrinkles. 2 pat on the back.
             congratulate, commend, praise, compliment, encourage, reassure:
             The sales manager patted me on the back for clinching the
             contract.

             --n.  3 tap, touch, dab, stroke, caress:  Give the dog a pat and
             he'll leave you alone.  4 (small) piece, patty, lump, cake,
             portion; patty:  The waiter put a pat of butter on my plate.  5
             pat on the back. commendation, praise, compliment, flattery,
             encouragement, credit, reassurance, approval, endorsement,
             recognition; honeyed words:  I was expecting a big bonus, but
             all I got was a pat on the back.

   patэ      adv.  1 perfectly, exactly, precisely, faultlessly, flawlessly,
             just so or right, Brit off pat:  She has the new technique pat.
             2 aptly, suitably, appositely, readily, appropriately,
             fittingly, relevantly:  His reply came out a little too pat.

             --adj.  3 apt, suitable, apposite, ready, appropriate, fitting,
             relevant:  The poet made a very pat comparison.

   patch     n.  1 piece, scrap, reinforcement; shred, snip, snippet, tatter;
             pad:  Mother sewed colourful patches over the holes in my jeans.
             2 area, section, segment, plat, plot, lot, tract, ground,
             parcel, field:  All he ever wanted was a little house on a
             little patch of land.  3 responsibility, area, bailiwick,
             territory:  The handling of customer complaints is in your
             patch, Gordon.  4 period, interval, spell, stage, episode, time;
             experience:  She went through a bad patch shortly after Starkey
             died.

             --v.  5 patch up or over, mend, repair, vamp, revamp, darn, sew
             (up), reinforce, cover:  I had my trousers patched where the dog
             bit me. Her father always wore the same patched jacket to the
             club. 6 Often, patch up. fix (up), doctor, jury-rig, improvise,
             knock together or up:  Can you patch it up so I can drive it
             home?  7 patch up. settle, set right or straight, straighten
             out, reconcile, resolve, heal; come or bring to terms, bury the
             hatchet, kiss and make up, call a truce:  Will the two girls
             ever patch up their differences?

   patchwork n.  pastiche or pasticcio, mixture, confusion, hotchpotch or US
             also hodgepodge, gallimaufry, olio, olla podrida, mishmash,
             jumble, m‚lange, medley, hash, US crazy quilt, Colloq mixed bag:
             The landscape is a patchwork of ploughland and pasture, with
             little copses and rivers. The concerto by Lindslade is
             'derivative' - that is, it is a patchwork.

   patent    n.  1 certificate of invention, letters patent, trade name,
             trade mark, copyright, US service mark; licence, permit,
             charter, franchise, grant; control:  My brother holds the patent
             on a new piece of laboratory equipment.  You think you have a
             patent on misery, but I have news for you.

             --adj.  2 obvious, clear, transparent, manifest, apparent,
             plain, evident, self-evident, unmistakable or unmistakeable,
             unequivocal, explicit, palpable, tangible, physical,
             conspicuous, flagrant, blatant, prominent:  The results are as
             patent as the fact that two and two make four.

   paternal  adj.  1 fatherly, kindly, indulgent, solicitous, fond,
             concerned, devoted, loving; patriarchal:  Uncle Charles takes a
             paternal interest in the welfare of his nieces and nephews. 2
             patrilineal or patrilinear, patriclinous or patroclinous or
             patriclinal or patroclinal or patriclinic or patroclinic,
             patrilateral, patrimonial:  She resembles her paternal
             grandmother. His fortune is partly paternal, partly acquired.

   paternity n.  fatherhood, fathership; parentage, descent, heritage, line,
             lineage, extraction, family, stock, strain, blood, patrilineage:
             The child's paternity was established through DNA tests.

   path      n.  1 footpath, pathway, tow-path, track, trail, walk, walkway,
             Brit footway:  A little kitten was sitting on the garden path.
             2 way, course, track, route, road; orbit, trajectory, circuit:
             She had to overcome many obstacles in her path to the
             directorship.  The path of the missile will take it outside the
             atmosphere. 3 course, approach, channel, direction, procedure,
             process, way, avenue, means, method, technique, strategy,
             scheme, plan, Colloq US game plan, scenario:  What path would
             you follow to accomplish your ends?

   pathetic  adj.  1 moving, stirring, affecting, affective, touching,
             emotional, emotive, poignant, tragic, heart-rending,
             heart-breaking, pitiful, pitiable, piteous, plaintive, wretched,
             miserable, sorrowful, grievous, sad, doleful, dolorous,
             mournful, woeful, lamentable:  The boat people told a pathetic
             tale of the hardship of weeks in the open sea. 2 meagre, paltry,
             feeble, inadequate, poor, petty, puny, sorry, piddling, Colloq
             measly, Slang crummy:  He made a pathetic effort to pull himself
             together. A return of three per cent a year is pathetic.

   patience  n.  1 tolerance, forbearance, restraint, toleration, sufferance,
             leniency, submission, resignation, self-control,
             imperturbability, even temper, unflappability, composure,
             calmness, serenity, equanimity:  Many parents lose their
             patience when dealing with children.  2 diligence, tenacity,
             doggedness, indefatigability, endurance, assiduity,
             perseverance, constancy, persistence, steadfastness,
             pertinacity, determination, resolve, resolution, firmness,
             stoicism, fortitude, Colloq US stick-to-it-iveness:  Where do
             you get the patience to wait in those long queues?

   patient   adj.  1 resigned, submissive, stoical, long-suffering,
             compliant, acquiescent, passive, self-possessed, philosophical,
             serene, unaggressive:  The staff who handle complaints must be
             extremely patient.  2 diligent, dogged, tenacious, persistent,
             assiduous, sedulous, steadfast, staunch, perseverant,
             unwavering, unswerving, constant, unfaltering, unfailing,
             untiring, tireless, indefatigable, pertinacious, determined,
             resolved, resolute, firm, unyielding:  Be patient, and don't do
             anything rash.  3 forbearing, tolerant, forgiving, lenient,
             accommodating:  We have been patient long enough and must now
             put a stop to the vandalism.

             --n.  4 invalid, sufferer, case, valetudinarian:  Doctors were
             called in to treat patients who developed the symptoms.

   patriot   n.  nationalist, loyalist; flag-waver, jingo, jingoist,
             chauvinist:  She was among the patriots ready to do battle for
             their country.

   patriotic adj.  nationalist(ic), loyalist; flag-waving, jingoist(ic),
             chauvinist(ic):  The fact that they criticize the government may
             show that they are more rather than less patriotic.

   patrol    n.  1 guard, sentry, watch, watchman, sentinel, patrolman:  The
             patrol passes here once every hour.  2 rounds, policing,
             patrolling, beat; protecting, protection, guarding,
             safeguarding, defending, watchfulness, vigilance:  The patrol
             must be maintained night and day.

             --v.  3 police, guard, protect, defend, watch over, walk a beat,
             make (the) rounds, stand or keep guard or watch (over), keep
             vigil:  Some of the local residents have taken to patrolling the
             neighbourhood at night.

   patron    n.  1 patroness, benefactor, benefactress, philanthropist,
             Maecenas, protector, supporter, defender, advocate, champion,
             guardian (angel), sponsor, backer, promoter, sympathizer,
             friend, US booster; friend at court; Colloq angel:  Lady Agnes
             is a well-known patron of the arts.  2 customer, client,
             purchaser, buyer, patronizer, habitu‚, regular, frequenter:  The
             patrons habituate her shop because of the bargains to be found
             there.

   patronage n.  1 sponsorship, support, backing, promotion, encouragement,
             boosting, aid, help, sympathy, financing, auspices, protection,
             guardianship, aegis:  The exhibition was organized with the
             duke's patronage.  2 trade, business, custom, trading, traffic:
             The shop could never succeed with our patronage.  3
             condescension, disdain, scorn, contempt, contumely, superiority,
             patronizing, stooping, deigning, humiliation:  There is an air
             of patronage about him when he finally does allow me a visit. 4
             favouritism, partiality, preference, bias, nepotism, political
             patronage, granting of indulgences, US spoils (system):
             Politicians have always used patronage to reward support.

   patronize v.  1 look down on, scorn, look down one's nose at, treat
             condescendingly, talk down to, treat as (an) inferior, disdain,
             demean, put down, humiliate, Formal contemn:  He patronizes
             people by patting them on the head.  2 bring trade to, deal or
             trade or do or transact business with, buy or purchase from,
             frequent, shop at, be a customer or client of:  You should
             patronize the local merchants in your town.  3 sponsor, support,
             back, promote, encourage, boost, aid, assist, help, fund,
             contribute or subscribe to, underwrite, foster:  The fund has
             patronized the arts in this town for many years.

   patter°   v.  1 tiptoe; scurry, scuttle, skip, trip:  I could hear the
             squirrels pattering across the metal roof.  2 spatter,
             pitter-patter, tap, pit-a-pat; beat, pelt:  The rain pattered on
             the tent with increasing intensity.

             --n.  3 spatter, spattering, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter, tattoo,
             drum, thrum, beat, beating, tap, ratatat, tap-tap:  The
             rhythmical patter of the rain lulled me to sleep.

   patterэ   n.  1 pitch, sales talk, spiel, line:  Anyone listening to his
             patter might be inclined to buy a time-share holiday. 2 chatter,
             prattle, prate, babbling, babble, gabble, gabbling, cackle,
             cackling, palaver, jabber, jabbering, chit-chat, small talk,
             gossip, blather or blether, gibberish or gibber, Chiefly Brit
             natter, nattering, Scots clishmaclaver, Colloq gab, gabbing,
             Slang gas, hot air, yackety-yack, yack:  The chap tapping our
             phone had to listen to the teenagers' patter for hours on end.

             --v.  3 chatter, prattle, prate, babble, gabble, cackle,
             palaver, jabber, rattle (on), chit-chat, chaffer, gossip,
             blather or blether, gibber, Chiefly Brit natter, witter (on),
             Colloq gab, Slang gas, yackety-yack, yack, jibber-jabber:  They
             just patter on about nothing in particular.

   pattern   n.  1 model, original, archetype, prototype, exemplar, paragon,
             ideal, standard, yardstick, criterion, gauge, measure:  Their
             life together could serve as a pattern for any couple.  2
             figure, motif, design, device, decoration, ornament:  The
             pattern of the wallpaper clashes with that of the curtains.  3
             system, order, arrangement, plan, theme; repetition,
             consistency, orderliness, regularity, sequence, cycle:  By
             carefully noting the movements of the heavenly bodies, ancient
             observers were able to detect a pattern. 4 blueprint, diagram,
             plan, layout, design, draft, guide, template or templet,
             stencil, mould, matrix:  These new lighting fixtures are made to
             a 19th-century pattern.  5 sample, example, instance, specimen,
             representation:  Were you able to match up your fabric pattern
             with one of those in the tailor's book? 6 layout, configuration,
             figure, formation, composition:  The geese often flew in a
             V-shaped pattern.

             --v.  7 Often, pattern on. model on, imitate, copy, mimic,
             duplicate, follow, emulate, simulate:  She tried to pattern her
             behaviour on that of her older sister.  8 decorate, figure,
             ornament:  Cynthia's gifts were wrapped in a beautifully
             patterned paper.

   paunch    n.  belly, pot-belly, Colloq corporation, US bay window, Slang
             beer-belly:  Capitalism is often conventionalized as a
             top-hatted older man, in tails, with a huge paunch and a cigar.

   pauper    n.  have-not, indigent, down-and-out(er), bankrupt, insolvent;
             beggar, mendicant; tramp, hobo, vagrant, US bum:  The mortgage
             payments on such a lavish house soon made him a pauper.

   pause     v.  1 hesitate, interrupt, delay, hold up, discontinue, break,
             wait, mark time, suspend, intermit, falter, rest:  He paused for
             a moment to allow late-comers to take their seats.

             --n.  2 hesitation, interruption, delay, lull, lapse,
             moratorium, hold-up, wait, break, breather, breathing-space,
             discontinuity, lacuna, hiatus, abeyance, discontinuation,
             discontinuance, Prosody caesura, Music fermata, Colloq let-up:
             There was a brief pause, then the altercation in the
             neighbouring flat resumed.

   pave      v.  1 macadamize, tarmac, asphalt, tile, flag, concrete, cover,
             surface:  Europeans thought that the streets of America were
             paved with gold. 2 pave the way for or to. prepare or smooth the
             way for, open the door for, make easy or easier for; facilitate,
             ease:  If I talk to him first, perhaps I can pave the way for
             you to make your proposal.

   pawn°     v.  1 pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, plight, deposit, Formal
             pignorate, Archaic gage, Colloq Brit pop, Chiefly US and
             Canadian hock:  I had to pawn my watch to get enough money to
             eat.  2 venture, stake, risk, gamble, hazard, chance,
             jeopardize:  By agreeing to donate one of his kidneys, he pawned
             his life to save hers.

             --n.  3 collateral, guaranty or guarantee, pledge, surety,
             security, assurance, bond, bail, deposit:  She gave her jewels
             as pawn for the safe return of the children.

   pawnэ     n.  tool, cat's-paw, puppet, instrument, dummy, dupe, Colloq
             stooge:  He's not important: he's just being used as a pawn by
             the powerful interests involved.

   pay       v.  1 recompense, compensate, remunerate, reward, indemnify;
             repay, refund, reimburse; pay off, pay out, pay up, satisfy,
             clear, remit, discharge, liquidate, settle, honour, meet:  Do
             you think that nurses are poorly paid? You have 30 days to pay
             this invoice. 2 reward, benefit, recompense, requite,
             compensate:  Thurlew has been amply paid by having his name
             engraved on the roll of honour. 3 extend, bestow, transmit, pass
             on, give, deliver:  Please pay my respects to your wife.  4
             benefit, profit, avail, (turn out to) be or prove profitable or
             worthwhile, yield a return, be advantageous, produce results,
             pay off:  It no longer pays to complain about the service in the
             shops.  Honesty pays. 5 pay back, repay, retaliate, settle
             (accounts) (with), even the score or a score, reciprocate,
             requite, take or get revenge on, avenge oneself for or on, treat
             in kind, hit or strike or get back (at), settle or pay off or
             even a score or the score (with), exact one's pound of flesh
             (from), make (someone) pay (for), punish, chastise, castigate,
             Brit pay out, Colloq get even (with):  If I catch him, I'll pay
             him for turning informer.  6 suffer (the consequences), answer
             (for), make amends (for), atone (for), get one's (just) deserts,
             undergo punishment (for), be punished (for):  If I catch him,
             I'll make him pay. Society requires that he pay for his crime. 7
             produce or make or generate or earn money, yield a return, pay
             off:  His vending-machine business certainly pays well.  8 pay
             back.  a recompense, compensate, remunerate, reward, indemnify;
             repay, pay off, refund, reimburse:  I paid back every penny I
             borrowed from the bank. I'll pay her back if it's the last thing
             I do. b See 5, above.  9 pay for. See 6, above.  10 pay off.  a
             See 4 and 7, and 8(a), above.  b bribe, suborn, buy off, grease
             (someone's) palm, give (someone) a bribe or a rebate, Colloq
             give (someone) a kickback, slip (someone) something:  Did he
             really pay off the judges to select his daughter as Miss
             Tyneside? 11 pay out.  a distribute, deal out, give out,
             disperse, disburse:  The managing director paid out bonuses to
             the entire staff.  b disburse, expend, spend, contribute, Colloq
             shell out, lay out, US and Canadian and Australian and New
             Zealand kick in with, Slang cough up, fork out or over or up:
             In the office, we are forever paying out for leaving presents.
             c release, loosen, let out, slack or slacken off (on):  Pay out
             more rope so that he can reach it.  d See 5, above:  We'll pay
             him out for everything he's done to you, never fear!

             --n.  12 payment, compensation, recompense, settlement, return;
             remuneration, consideration, reward, money, wages, salary, fee,
             honorarium, remittance, stipend, income, takings, take-home
             (pay), gain, profit, Colloq US take:  His sole pay for painting
             the kitchen was a big hug and a kiss.  The work is tedious, but
             the pay isn't bad.

   payable   adj.  due, owed, owing, outstanding, unpaid, receivable, mature:
             This bill is payable at the end of the month.

   payment   n.  1 See pay, 12, above.  2 expenditure, disbursement,
             distribution, outlay, fee, contribution, charge, expense,
             payout:  You are not authorized to make payment of any amount
             over њ100.

   pay-off   n.  1 See pay, 12, above.  2 result, outcome, upshot,
             conclusion, wind-up, settlement, final reckoning, Colloq
             punch-line, crunch, grand finale, Slang US and Canadian kicker:
             The pay-off was that permission to march on Sunday was denied.
             3 bribe, graft, rebate; ransom, blood-money, Colloq kickback,
             hush money, Chiefly US payola, US plugola:  The pay-off was
             always made in cash, in used notes.

16.2 peace...
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   peace     n.  1 serenity, tranquillity, calm, calmness, placidity or
             placidness, peace of mind, quiet, peacefulness, peaceableness,
             stillness:  For a summer holiday, we enjoy the peace of the
             Lakes.  2 harmony, accord, harmoniousness, concord, amity,
             peacefulness, peacetime; cease-fire, armistice, truce:  Since
             the Second World War, Europe has enjoyed more than 45 years of
             relative peace.

   peaceable adj.  1 See peaceful, 1, below.  2 pacific, inoffensive, dovish,
             peace-loving, mild, non-violent, non-belligerent, unbelligerent,
             unwarlike, non-warring, non-combative, temperate, agreeable,
             compatible, congenial, genial, friendly, amiable, amicable,
             cordial, civil:  Despite cultural differences, the two countries
             maintained peaceable relations.

   peaceful  adj.  1 peaceable, serene, placid, calm, quiet, quiescent,
             gentle, restful, tranquil, untroubled, undisturbed, unruffled:
             After our week-end guests left, the house was again peaceful.  2
             See peaceable, 2, above.

   peacemaker
             n.  conciliator, pacifier, reconciler, propitiator, placater,
             pacificator, mediator, arbitrator, intermediator, intermediary,
             diplomat, appeaser, interceder, go-between, referee, umpire,
             adjudicator; peacemonger:  The ambassador was called upon to act
             as peacemaker between the warring nations.

   peak      n.  1 top, pinnacle, crest, ridge, tor, mountain top, summit,
             mountain, eminence, elevation, hill:  We were just able to make
             out the snow-capped peaks in the distance.  2 top, tip, tiptop,
             apex, acme, culmination, apogee, zenith, high point, crown,
             extreme, utmost, uttermost, perfection, ne plus ultra,
             consummation, climax:  Irene has brought the office to a peak of
             efficiency.  3 visor, brim, US bill, nib:  The peak of the
             fisherman's cap serves as an eyeshade.

             --v.  4 rise, crest, culminate, (reach a) climax, top (out):
             Prices peaked during the Christmas shopping season.

   peaky     adj.  peakish, pinched, unhealthy, sickly, ailing, ill, unwell,
             infirm, unwholesome, pale, pallid, wan, waxen, anaemic, pasty,
             sallow, whey-faced, ashen, washed out, drained, emaciated,
             wasted, gaunt, hollow-eyed, haggard, drawn, weak, feeble, US
             peaked:  Paul has been looking a bit peaky of late.

   peal      n.  1 ringing, ring, carillon, chime, chiming, toll, tolling,
             clang, clangour, tintinnabulation, clamour, reverberation;
             knell; clap, crash, roar, rumble, thunder:  The constant peal of
             the bells nearly drove him mad. The doleful peal rang out for
             yet another fisherman lost at sea. A resounding peal of thunder
             shook the house.

             --v.  2 ring, toll, chime, clang, tintinnabulate, reverberate,
             resonate, resound; knell; boom, crash, roar, roll, rumble,
             thunder:  The cowbells pealed plaintively, reminding me of my
             youth in the Alps. Lightning flashed, and the echoing thunder
             pealed through the valley.

   pearl     n.  gem, treasure, prize, cream, flower, wonder, nonpareil:
             Wasn't Cuba once called the Pearl of the Antilles?

   pearly    adj.  nacreous, pearl-like, perlaceous, lustrous,
             mother-of-pearl:  The dress was trimmed with pink lace and
             little pearly buttons.

   peasant   n.  rustic, countryman, countrywoman, farmer, provincial, (farm)
             worker, (country) bumpkin, bucolic; peon, fellah, muzhik or
             mouzhik or mujik; Historical esne, serf, Archaic swain, hind,
             churl, Derogatory yokel, hill-billy, bog-trotter, oaf, lump,
             lout, boor, churl, clod, clodhopper; Colloq US and Canadian
             hick, galoot or galloot, Derogatory hayseed, rube, Derogatory
             and offensive US poor white (trash):  Regimes came and went, but
             the life of the medieval peasant endured.

   peccadillo
             n.  slip, error, lapse, mistake, infraction, violation, misdeed,
             shortcoming, misstep, blunder, faux pas, indiscretion, gaffe,
             botch, stumble, fault, petty sin, (minor) transgression,
             trespass, Colloq slip-up, goof:  We have to forgive the
             occasional peccadillo.

   peculiar  adj.  1 odd, curious, strange, queer, bizarre, weird, unusual,
             abnormal, anomalous, aberrant, deviant or deviate, eccentric,
             uncommon, outlandish, exceptional, extraordinary, out of the
             ordinary, offbeat, unorthodox, atypical, idiosyncratic,
             unconventional, out-of-the-way, quaint, unique, singular, one of
             a kind, sui generis, distinct, distinguished, special,
             particular, quirky, funny, freakish, Slang far-out, freaky, Brit
             rum:  Don't you agree that anyone who by choice goes barefoot in
             winter is a bit peculiar? She enjoys a peculiar immunity to
             colds. 2 Usually, peculiar to. typical of, characteristic of,
             characterized by, natural to, symptomatic of, appropriate to or
             for, distinctive of, restricted to, specific to, indicative of,
             denotative of, limited to, individual to, personal to, special
             to, unique to; seen or observed (only) in, local to, native to,
             indigenous to:  Such behaviour is peculiar to those who have
             served long prison sentences.

             --n.  3 Typography arbitrary, sort:  Characters with diacritical
             marks are called 'peculiars' in the printing trades.

   peculiarity
             n.  1 idiosyncrasy, oddity, eccentricity, abnormality,
             irregularity, quirk, kink, crotchet, caprice:  Keeping
             alligators was only one of Jess's peculiarities.  2 feature,
             characteristic, property, quality, trait, attribute, earmark,
             hallmark, mark, particularity, singularity, Brit speciality, US
             specialty:  One of the peculiarities of the books is their wide
             margins.

   pedantic  adj.  1 didactic, doctrinaire, donnish, pedagogic, pedantical,
             preachy, professorial, bookish, ostentatious, pretentious,
             sententious, pompous, vain, stuffy, stilted, stiff, dry:  A
             pedantic approach to marketing may be all right in the
             classroom, but it doesn't sell products. 2 perfectionist,
             scrupulous, overscrupulous, finicky or finical, fussy,
             punctilious, fastidious, meticulous, exact, chop-logic,
             hair-splitting, quibbling, Colloq nit-picking:  His secretary
             left because of his pedantic criticisms of her work.

   peddle    v.  sell, hawk, market, vend, huckster, Colloq push, flog:  He
             is a publishing tycoon today, but he started by peddling books
             door-to-door.

   pedestal  n.  1 foundation, base, platform, stand, substructure, mounting,
             pier, foot, mounting, support, Technical plinth, socle, dado:
             The statue crumbled away and only its pedestal remained.  2 put
             or place or set on a pedestal. glorify, exalt, worship, deify,
             revere, idolize, dignify, apotheosize, ennoble, elevate, raise:
             No woman is worth putting on a pedestal.

   pedestrian
             n.  1 walker, stroller, ambler, rambler, footslogger; itinerant,
             peripatetic:  A special crossing has been installed for
             pedestrians.

             --adj.  2 boring, dull, banal, tiresome, commonplace, mundane,
             tedious, unimaginative, uninteresting, monotonous,
             run-of-the-mill, humdrum, stock, prosaic, insipid, dry, flat,
             jejune, colourless, dreary, pale, ordinary, hackneyed, trite,
             (as) dull as ditch-water or US also dishwater, vapid, stale,
             uninspired, uninspiring, spiritless, lifeless, dead:  The dean
             delivered his customary pedestrian lecture to the new students.
             3 walking, strolling, ambulatory, on foot, rambling,
             peripatetic:  We were exhausted after taking a pedestrian tour
             of London.

   pedigree  n.  (line of) descent, ancestry, genealogy, blood, bloodline,
             line, extraction, lineage, stock, heritage, family, derivation,
             birth, parentage, strain, roots:  His pedigree is all right, but
             does he have brains as well as money?

   pedlar    n.  hawker, (door-to-door) salesman or saleswoman or
             salesperson, vendor, huckster, seller, colporteur, US peddler,
             drummer, Archaic chapman, Colloq cheapjack:  How can you expect
             the watch to work if you bought it from a street pedlar?

   peek      v.  1 peer, peep, glimpse, look, squint (at), squinny (at),
             Scots keek, Colloq take or have a gander (at), Brit take a dekko
             (at):  A small boy peeked out from under the blanket.

             --n.  2 look, glimpse, peep, glance, Scots keek, Colloq gander,
             look-see:  I've had a peek at what Father hid in the cupboard.

   peel      v.  1 Sometimes, peel off. skin, strip (off), pare, flay, flake
             off, descale, decorticate; shuck, hull, bark, scale; desquamate:
             Beulah, peel me a grape.  2 strip, undress, disrobe; do a
             striptease:  In the last act, everyone peels to the bare skin.
             3 peel off. take off or doff, strip off:  I peeled off my coat
             and dived into the canal to save her.

             --n.  4 skin, rind, coating, peeling:  Don't you like candied
             orange peel?

   peep      v.  1 chirp, tweet, cheep, squeak, twitter, pipe, chirrup:  The
             birds peeped excitedly when they saw the cat.

             --n.  2 chirp, tweet, cheep, squeak, twitter, pipe, chirrup,
             chirr or chirre or churr:  The night was filled with the peep of
             the frogs at the pond.  3 sound, complaint, outcry, protest,
             protestation, grumble, murmur:  The students didn't let out a
             peep when ordered to remain after class.

   peer°     n.  1 noble, nobleman or noblewoman, lord or lady, aristocrat;
             duke or duchess, marquess or marchioness, earl or countess,
             viscount or viscountess, baron or baroness:  As a peer of the
             realm, she had certain rights.  2 equal, coequal, compeer, like,
             match, confrЉre, associate, colleague:  Under law, he is
             entitled to trial by a jury of his peers.

   peerэ     v.  1 peep, peek, squint (at), squinny (at), look, examine; spy:
             Scrooge peered closely at the accounts ledger.  2 appear, peep
             through or out, break through, show, become visible, emerge:
             Now and then, the moon peered through the clouds.

   peerless  adj.  without equal, unequalled, matchless, unmatched,
             unrivalled, unique, incomparable, beyond compare, unparalleled,
             nonpareil, inimitable, unexcelled, unsurpassed, superior,
             superb, excellent, supreme, superlative, finest, best, ne plus
             ultra, sovereign, consummate, pre-eminent, paramount:  James's
             mother was a peerless beauty and the toast of her generation.

   peevish   adj.  irritable, testy, touchy, fretful, ill-humoured, waspish,
             petulant, crabbed, churlish, querulous, short-tempered,
             ill-natured, tetchy, cross, bad-tempered, ill-tempered,
             fault-finding, captious, carping, cavilling, crusty,
             curmudgeonly, crotchety, cantankerous, grumpy or grumpish,
             pettish, acrimonious, splenetic, Colloq bilious, US and Canadian
             and Irish cranky:  He's very peevish today, so don't get on his
             wrong side.

   peg       v.  1 pin, dowel, rod, stick, bolt; thole or thole-pin;
             clothes-peg, hook:  Pegs and glue are often used for fastening
             good furniture together.  Hang your coat on the peg. 2 off the
             peg. ready-made, ready-to-wear, stock:  As bespoke clothing is
             so dear, I buy mine off the peg.  3 take down a peg (or two).
             humble, diminish, lower, subdue, suppress, downgrade, dishonour,
             mortify, humiliate, put down, abase, debase, devalue or
             devaluate:  He was acting a bit high and mighty, so she took him
             down a peg or two.

             --v.  4 fasten, secure, make fast, fix, attach, pin:  They
             pegged the tent firmly to the ground.  5 fix, attach, pin, set
             (by), control by, limit by, restrict, confine, freeze, bind,
             regulate, govern:  In indexing, the rate of inflation is often
             used for pegging wages.  6 toss, throw, shy, flip, sling, cast:
             I'll bet a fiver you can't peg that stone across the river.  7
             peg away or US also along. work (away) (at), persevere (at),
             apply oneself (to), persist (in or at), go to or at (it), keep
             at (it), stick to or with or at (it), stay with or at (it),
             carry on (with or at), Colloq plug away (at), beaver away (at),
             hammer or bang or peck away (at):  Trevor pegs away at his
             homework every evening.

   pell-mell adv.  1 helter-skelter, slapdash, rashly, feverishly,
             incautiously, confusedly, chaotically, wildly, impulsively,
             recklessly, slap-bang, impetuously, hastily, hurriedly,
             precipitately, spontaneously:  The ice-cream vendor pedalled
             down the street with the children running pell-mell after him.

             --adj.  2 helter-skelter, slapdash, rash, feverish, incautious,
             confused, disordered, disorderly, disorganized, wild, mad,
             chaotic, tumultuous, panicky, impulsive, reckless, precipitate,
             impetuous, hasty, hurried:  Quick action by the soldiers was
             responsible for the pell-mell rout of the attackers.

             --n.  3 confusion, disorder, chaos, tumult, pandemonium,
             turmoil, m€l‚e or melee, furore or US furor, commotion, bedlam,
             brouhaha, hubbub, excitement:  In the pell-mell that followed,
             several bystanders were injured.

   pelt°     v.  1 bombard, shower, bomb, pepper, strafe, batter, shell,
             assail, assault, attack, US pummel or pommel, belabour, pound,
             Old-fashioned lay about, Slang US clobber, wallop, paste, work
             over:  The hooligans pelted the crowd with sticks and stones.  2
             Often, pelt down. beat, dash, pound, hit; come down, teem, pour,
             Colloq rain cats and dogs, bucket down, US rain pitchforks:  The
             rain came pelting down just as we were ready to go out.  3 pelt
             along or over. hurry, rush, run, dash, shoot, scoot, scurry:
             The constables pelted along after the escaping thief.

             --n.  4 stroke, blow, whack, hit, smack, slap, thwack, bang,
             thump, Colloq wallop, belt:  Chris received a pelt on the head
             from a rock.

   peltэ     n.  skin, hide, coat, fur, fleece:  The trappers traded the fox
             pelts for supplies.

   pen°      n.  1 writing instrument, fountain-pen, ball-point (pen), Brit
             trade mark Biro, Old-fashioned quill:  Dearest, I have finally
             found time to put pen to paper. I prefer a pen with a fine
             point.

             --v.  2 write (down or up or out), jot down, (make a) note (of),
             draft, draw up, compose, put on paper, commit to paper, commit
             to writing, put in writing, scribble, scrawl, scratch, Formal
             indite:  While he was in prison, he penned letters to many men
             of influence.

   penэ      n.  1 coop, enclosure, hutch, (pig)sty, pound, fold, stall,
             confine, US and Canadian corral:  We kept the geese in a pen by
             the barn.

             --v.  2 Often, pen up. enclose, confine, coop up, shut up,
             impound, round up, US and Canadian corral:  It took three of us
             to pen the sheep. During the blockade, the ships remained penned
             up at Gibraltar.

   penal     adj.  correctional, punitive, disciplinary:  Crime and its
             punishment are covered in the penal code. He was sent to a penal
             colony for life.

   penalize  v.  punish, discipline, mulct, amerce, fine, handicap, impose or
             invoke a penalty against, impose a penalty on, Formal amerce;
             sentence:  This judge penalizes speeders mercilessly.

   penalty   n.  punishment, discipline, penance, sentence; forfeit, fine,
             handicap, price, mulct, Formal amercement; imprisonment,
             incarceration:  The prosecution demanded the maximum penalty
             allowable under law for the crimes.

   penance   n.  1 punishment, penalty, reparation, amends, atonement,
             self-punishment, self-mortification, regret, repentance,
             contrition, suffering, penitence:  A year of public service was
             fair penance for the offence.  2 do penance. pay, suffer, make
             amends or reparation(s), atone, wear sackcloth and ashes or a
             hair-shirt:  She has done penance enough for her crime.

   penchant  n.  inclination, bent, proclivity, leaning, bias,
             predisposition, predilection, partiality, proneness, propensity,
             tendency, affinity, liking, preference, fondness, taste:  Agnes
             has a penchant for tennis and for men who play tennis.

   pendant   n.  ornament, tassel, lavaliere or lavaliЉre, medallion, locket,
             necklace, riviЉre, ear-drop, tear-drop, drop, Old-fashioned
             carcanet:  I recognized the pendant she wore at her neck as my
             mother's.

   pending   prep.  1 awaiting, waiting (for), depending on, till, until,
             'til, till such time as; while, during:  Pending the outcome of
             the trial, he was remanded in custody.

             --adj.  2 unsettled, undetermined, undecided, unconfirmed,
             unfinished, inconclusive, up in the air, hanging fire, in the
             balance, in abeyance; forthcoming, imminent, impending, in the
             offing, Colloq US in a holding pattern, on hold:  The pending
             negotiations on the rent will determine whether we stay or move
             house. While the matter is pending, we can do nothing.

   pendulous adj.  1 pendent, hanging, drooping, sagging, dangling,
             suspended, pensile:  The weaver-bird's pendulous nest is a
             marvel of engineering.  2 swinging, swaying, waving, undulating,
             undulatory, oscillating, oscillatory:  I was hypnotized by the
             pendulous motion of the bell.

   penetrate v.  1 enter, go or pass through or into, pierce, bore (into),
             lance, spear, go through or into, probe, stab, puncture,
             perforate, drill:  The shell penetrated the tank's heavy armour.
             2 permeate, diffuse, suffuse, pervade, filter or seep through,
             percolate through:  The soothing balm penetrated my aching body
             and I relaxed into a deep sleep. 3 reach, get to, get at, touch,
             affect, hit, strike:  Her cruel words penetrated the darkest
             recesses of my soul.  4 sink in, be absorbed, be understood,
             register, come or get through, become clear, come across, be
             realized, Colloq soak in, seep in:  It took a while for it to
             penetrate that she did not wish to see him again. 5 understand,
             sense, become aware or conscious of, see (through), gain insight
             (in)to, discern, uncover, discover, find (out), comprehend,
             grasp, work out, unravel, fathom, perceive, Colloq get, figure
             out, dig, Brit suss out:  Will we ever penetrate all of nature's
             secrets?

   penetrating
             adj.  1 incisive, trenchant, keen, searching, deep, acute,
             sharp, perceptive, perspicuous, percipient, quick,
             discriminating, intelligent, sensitive, clever, smart,
             discerning:  This is a penetrating analysis of the situation
             which clarifies many of the issues. 2 piercing, shrill,
             strident, ear-splitting, ear-shattering, pervasive; pungent,
             harsh, biting, mordant, strong, stinging:  I was awakened by a
             penetrating scream. The penetrating odour of ammonia assailed my
             nostrils.

   penetration
             n.  1 piercing, perforation, puncturing, incision, puncture,
             penetrating; inroad, entry, entrance:  Penetration of the skull
             required great effort on the part of the surgeon. Tentatively we
             attempted the penetration of the jungle. 2 insight, keenness,
             perception, percipience, intelligence, perspicacity,
             perspicuity, perspicaciousness, perceptiveness, acuteness,
             incisiveness, sensitivity, sentience, understanding, acuteness,
             discernment, discrimination, cleverness, shrewdness, wit,
             quick-wittedness:  We all admired the penetration that was shown
             by the examiner in the questions she asked.

   penitence n.  penance, contrition, regret, repentance, regretfulness,
             compunction, remorse, sorrow, sorrowfulness, ruefulness, grief,
             sadness, shame, self-reproach:  Brendan's penitence for his
             former misdeeds was shown by his selfless devotion to good
             causes.

   penitent  adj.  contrite, regretful, repentant, remorseful, sorrowful,
             sorry, rueful, grief-stricken, sad, shame-faced,
             self-reproachful, apologetic, conscience-stricken:  He said that
             he was truly penitent for all the heinous crimes of his youth.

   penmanship
             n.  calligraphy, hand, fine Italian or Italic hand, handwriting,
             script, writing, longhand, chirography:  One must admire the
             penmanship of the medieval scribes.

   pennant   n.  flag, banner, pennon, streamer, banderole, gonfalon, ensign,
             colours, standard, labarum, Chiefly nautical jack, Nautical and
             yachting burgee, Technical vexillum:  We saw from her pennant
             that she was a Spanish frigate.

   pension   n.  1 benefit, allowance, annuity, subsistence, superannuation,
             allotment, old-age pension, US social security, Colloq golden
             handshake:  She finds that her pension is not enough to live on.

             --v.  2 Usually, pension off. (cause to) retire, superannuate;
             dismiss; Colloq shelve, put out to pasture:  The company cut
             back on staff by pensioning off everyone over 60.

   pensioner n.  retiree, veteran, senior citizen, Brit OAP (= 'old-age
             pensioner'), US golden-ager, Colloq Brit wrinkly:  The housing
             units were specially designed for pensioners' needs.

   pensive   adj.  thoughtful, meditative, musing, in a brown study,
             cogitative, contemplative, reflective, preoccupied, ruminative,
             wistful, day-dreaming, in a trance, in a reverie, brooding,
             sober, serious, grave:  I found the professor in a pensive mood,
             staring out the window.

   pent-up   adj.  restrained, constrained, repressed, stifled, bottled-up,
             corked-up, held in, checked, held back, curbed, inhibited,
             restricted:  After weeks of frustration, he wanted to release
             his pent-up emotions in a scream. They went jogging to try to
             work off their pent-up energy.

   penurious adj.  1 stingy, mean, penny-pinching, miserly, tight,
             tight-fisted, close-fisted, cheese-paring, niggardly, cheap,
             ungenerous, parsimonious, skinflinty, thrifty, begrudging,
             grudging, Scrooge-like, Colloq near, Brit mingy, US chintzy:
             Even today, he is so penurious that he gives his children an
             allowance of only 50 pence a week. 2 poor, poverty-stricken,
             destitute, impoverished, penniless, indigent, needy,
             impecunious, necessitous, beggarly, bankrupt, Colloq (dead or
             flat) broke, stony-broke, hard up:  They lived in penurious
             circumstances.

   people    n.pl.  1 persons, individuals, men and women, ladies and
             gentlemen, males and females, living souls; mortals; bodies:
             How many people can this aeroplane carry?  2 relations,
             relatives, kin, kinsmen, kinsfolk or US and Canadian kinfolk,
             family, kith and kin; ancestors, forebears:  His people left
             Russia in 1917.  3 masses, (general) public, hoi polloi,
             consumers, multitude, populace, common people, common man,
             commoners, subjects, citizenry, plebeians, grass roots,
             proletariat, rank and file, the crowd, commonalty or
             commonality, mobile vulgus, bourgeoisie; man or woman in the
             street, Everyman, Everywoman, Mr or Mrs Average, Brit A. N.
             Other, Joe Bloggs, man or woman on the Clapham omnibus, US John
             Doe, Mary Doe, Richard Roe, John Q. Public; Colloq and often
             derogatory proles, the rabble, ragtag and bobtail, silent
             majority, common herd, Brit plebs, admass:  Politicians unable
             to communicate with the people are seldom elected.

             --n.sing.  4 race, community, clan, tribe, folk, nation,
             population, society:  On the subject of religion, they were a
             people divided. The anthropologists were studying the peoples
             south of the Sahara.

             --v.  5 populate, colonize, settle, occupy:  The area was once
             peopled with Berber tribesmen.

   pep       n.  1 vigour, vim (and vigour), spirit, animation, vivacity,
             energy, verve, zest, fire, sprightliness, life, effervescence,
             sparkle, ebullience, dash, enthusiasm, brio, ‚lan, Colloq zip,
             zing:  He certainly has a lot of pep for an octogenarian.

             --v.  2 pep up. stimulate, invigorate, animate, enliven,
             vitalize, vivify, energize, exhilarate, quicken, arouse, breathe
             (some) life into, inspire, activate, actuate, fire, cheer up,
             Colloq buck up, spark, work or fire up, US wind up:  After those
             defeats, the team needed to be pepped up.

   pepper    v.  sprinkle, scatter, dot, speckle, fleck, spot, spray,
             bespeckle, speckle, spatter, stipple, mottle:  The letter was
             peppered with ink-spots. Their speech was peppered with
             swear-words.

   perceive  v.  1 see, make out, discern, catch sight of, glimpse, spot,
             espy, apprehend, take in, notice, note, discover, descry,
             observe, mark, remark, identify, distinguish, detect:  I
             perceived his hesitation when a solo flight was suggested. She
             perceived a strange odour emanating from the cupboard. 2
             appreciate, grasp, feel, sense, apprehend, understand, gather,
             comprehend, deduce, infer, figure out, ascertain, determine,
             conclude, decipher, Colloq dig, catch on:  She perceived that he
             was going to renege on his promise to take her to the Riviera. 3
             Often, perceive of. regard, view, look on, consider,
             contemplate, judge, deem, believe, think:  Calthorpe perceives
             of himself as a great actor, but he is dreadful.  This gesture
             is often perceived as threatening.

   percentage
             n.  share, part, portion, proportion, interest, piece, Colloq
             cut:  We are to get a percentage of the profits in return for
             our investment.

   perceptible
             adj.  discernible, detectable, observable, perceivable,
             noticeable, distinguishable, recognizable, apparent, evident,
             notable, obvious, patent, manifest, palpable, plain, clear,
             prominent, unmistakable or unmistakeable:  There are perceptible
             differences between your playing and Heifetz's.

   perception
             n.  1 appreciation, grasp, apprehension, understanding,
             comprehension, knowledge, perspective, view:  Mrs Hart's
             perception of the situation is quite different from mine. 2
             intuition, insight, instinct, feel, feeling, sense, impression,
             awareness, idea, notion, consciousness, realization:  Norton
             hasn't the slightest perception of what is going on behind his
             back at the office.

   perceptive
             adj.  astute, alert, attentive, quick, alive, quick-witted,
             intelligent, acute, sharp, sensitive, sensible, percipient,
             discerning, observant, perspicacious; on the qui vive; Colloq on
             the ball:  No one was sufficiently perceptive to predict the
             full extent of the recession. She is perhaps the most perceptive
             journalist writing on French politics today.

   perch     n.  1 roost, rest, seat; spot, location, position, place, site,
             vantage point, perspective:  From his perch at the top of the
             cliff, Martin had a clear view of the cave entrance.

             --v.  2 roost, rest, sit, nest; place, put, set, situate,
             locate, position, site:  The owl was perched in the tree,
             waiting for the vole to appear from its burrow.

   percolate v.  seep, steep, transfuse, leach, drip, drain, strain, filter,
             pervade, infuse, ooze, transude, filtrate, trickle, permeate,
             suffuse, penetrate:  The earth is too hard for the rainwater to
             percolate to the roots below. It slowly percolated through to me
             that Clare had told the police where I was hiding.

   perdition n.  damnation, hell, hell-fire, doom, ruin, condemnation,
             destruction, ruination, downfall:  If what divines call lust be
             punished with perdition, who is pure?

   peremptory
             adj.  1 commanding, imperative, compelling, obligatory,
             mandatory, irrefutable, incontrovertible, decretal:  After the
             sound of marching came a peremptory knock at the door.  2
             decisive, final, preclusive, arbitrary, categorical,
             unequivocal, dogmatic, unconditional, unreserved, flat,
             out-and-out, outright, unqualified, unmitigated:  The juror was
             subject to peremptory dismissal because he was the defendant's
             cousin. 3 imperious, authoritative, tyrannical, despotic,
             dictatorial, autocratic, emphatic, positive, firm, insistent,
             Colloq bossy:  How dare you take such a peremptory tone when
             speaking to your father!

   perennial adj.  1 durable, lasting, continuing, enduring, constant,
             stable, lifelong, persistent, incessant, uninterrupted,
             continual, continuous, chronic:  Once we expected our rivers to
             yield a perennial supply of fresh water. Bing Crosby has been a
             perennial favourite since the 1930s. 2 permanent, unfailing,
             never-failing, endless, unending, ceaseless, unceasing,
             imperishable, undying, perpetual, everlasting, timeless,
             eternal, immortal, Literary sempiternal:  The artificial flowers
             at her grave symbolize Ingrid's perennial youth.

   perfect   adj.  1 complete, absolute, finished, (fully) realized,
             fulfilled, consummate, pure, entire, whole, perfected, best,
             ideal:  Many have called the building a perfect example of the
             Palladian style. 2 sublime, ideal, superb, supreme, superlative,
             best, flawless, faultless, pre-eminent, excellent, exquisite,
             unexcelled, unrivalled, unequalled, unmatched, matchless,
             incomparable, nonpareil, peerless, inimitable:  At her throat
             she wore the most perfect emerald I had ever seen.  3 blameless,
             righteous, holy, faultless, flawless, spotless, immaculate:
             Nobody's perfect.  4 fitting, appropriate, (just) right, apt,
             suitable, correct, proper, made-to-order, best, Brit spot on:
             Arthur would be perfect for the role of Quasimodo.  5 precise,
             exact, accurate, correct, unerring, true, authentic, lifelike,
             right on, excellent, superlative, superb, reliable, Brit spot
             on:  These copies are perfect replicas of the original.  6
             utter, absolute, complete, mere, thorough, out-and-out,
             through-and-through; 24-carat, categorical, unqualified,
             unalloyed, unmitigated:  We were perfect strangers at the time.
             Once again, he's shown himself to be a perfect idiot. 7 expert,
             proficient, accomplished, experienced, practised, skilful,
             skilled, gifted, talented, adept, deft, adroit, polished,
             professional, masterly, masterful:  The admirable Crichton was
             the perfect butler.

             --v.  8 complete, finish, realize, fulfil, consummate,
             accomplish, achieve, effect, execute, carry out or through,
             bring (to perfection):  The design of the bicycle was not to be
             perfected for several years. 9 rectify, correct, emend, (put or
             set) right, improve, refine, polish, cultivate, better,
             ameliorate:  Viniculture has been perfected in the Bordeaux
             region of France.

   perfection
             n.  1 purity, flawlessness, faultlessness, sublimity,
             superiority, excellence, pre-eminence, transcendence:  Though we
             strive for perfection, we never can achieve it.  2 completion,
             completeness, achievement, fulfilment, realization,
             consummation, accomplishment, attainment:  The building doesn't
             reach perfection till the last roof-tile is in place. 3 ideal,
             paragon, model, archetype, pattern, mould, standard,
             idealization, essence, quintessence, acme, pinnacle, summit:
             Machiavelli probably achieved the perfection of political
             cunning.

   perfectionist
             n.  1 purist, pedant, precisian, precisionist, stickler, Colloq
             fusspot, US fuss-budget:  The foreman is such a perfectionist
             that there's no satisfying him.

             --adj.  2 meticulous, precise, punctilious, scrupulous,
             exacting, particular, demanding, fastidious, fussy; obsessive;
             Colloq picky, nit-picking:  She takes a perfectionist attitude
             towards everything she does.

   perfectly adv.  1 completely, purely, entirely, absolutely, utterly,
             totally, wholly, consummately, thoroughly, quite, definitely,
             positively, unambiguously, unequivocally, unmistakably or
             unmistakeably, explicitly, truly, very, extremely,
             extraordinarily, remarkably:  Your instructions for finding the
             house were perfectly clear.  2 superbly, superlatively,
             flawlessly, faultlessly, impeccably, inimitably, incomparably,
             sublimely, exquisitely, marvellously, admirably, wonderfully:
             Sally plays that Chopin ‚tude perfectly.  3 exactly, precisely,
             flawlessly, faultlessly, accurately, literally, line for line,
             word for word, verbatim, letter for letter, to the letter,
             literatim:  He knows the entire Koran perfectly.  4 very, full,
             quite, Dialect right, Brit jolly, Slang damned, bloody:  You
             know perfectly well that I hate cauliflower.

   perfidious
             adj.  treacherous, deceitful, traitorous, treasonous,
             treasonable, disloyal, faithless, false, unfaithful, untrue,
             insidious, hypocritical, two-faced, Janus-faced, corrupt,
             dishonest:  His perfidious brother betrayed him to his enemies.

   perfidy   n.  perfidiousness, treachery, deceit, traitorousness, treason,
             disloyalty, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, unfaithfulness,
             infidelity, insidiousness, hypocrisy, betrayal:  The name of
             Judas is a byword for perfidy.

   perforate v.  riddle, puncture, pierce, honeycomb, drill, bore, punch;
             enter, penetrate, pass into:  A perforated metal screen let
             through a pattern of light. The bullet perforated his lung but
             he survived.

   perform   v.  1 execute, complete, bring off or about, accomplish, effect,
             carry out, discharge, dispatch, conduct, carry on, do, fulfil,
             Colloq pull off, knock off, polish off; put up or shut up:
             Postmen perform their duties despite hazards such as vicious
             dogs.  2 do, act, behave, operate, function, run, work, go,
             respond:  How does your new car perform?  3 present, stage,
             produce, put on, mount, do; act, depict, take, play, appear as:
             The repertory group performs six shows weekly. He is performing
             the role of Scrooge.

   performance
             n.  1 execution, completion, bringing off or about,
             accomplishment, effectuation, carrying out, discharge, dispatch,
             conduct, carrying-on, doing, fulfilment:  The soldiers acquitted
             themselves nobly in the performance of their duties. 2 show,
             exhibition, exhibit, play, playing, engagement, act, appearance,
             Colloq gig:  She does three performances nightly at the Blue
             Angel.  3 playing, acting, interpretation, presentation,
             portrayal:  His performance in the courtroom scene was
             outstanding.  4 behaviour, conduct, deportment, demeanour:  Her
             performance in the pub last night was outrageous.  5 scene,
             show, exhibition, display:  The lad put on quite a performance
             till threatened with punishment by the headmaster.

   performer n.  actor or actress, artiste, Thespian, trouper, player:  They
             received their training as performers in a repertory company.

   perfume   n.  1 essence, extract, parfum, eau-de-Cologne, toilet water,
             scent, fragrance; aroma, odour, smell, bouquet, nose:  What is
             that wonderful perfume you're wearing? The perfume of the wine
             wafted over to me.

             --v.  2 scent:  Orange blossoms perfumed the air.

   perfunctory
             adj.  1 routine, mechanical, automatic, robot-like, unthinking,
             businesslike, unspontaneous, formal, dismissive, inattentive,
             uninvolved, apathetic, indifferent, unconcerned, removed,
             distant, d‚gag‚, offhand, heedless, uninterested, hasty,
             hurried, superficial, cursory, fleeting, rushed:  I don't care
             for the perfunctory service in those fast-food restaurants.  2
             careless, slipshod, slovenly, negligent, sketchy, spotty:  The
             bill, made out in a perfunctory fashion, was incorrect.

   perhaps   adv.  maybe, possibly, it is possible that, conceivably, as the
             case may be, it may be, Archaic or literary perchance,
             peradventure, Archaic or dialect mayhap:  Perhaps she'll be on
             the next train.

   peril     n.  danger, threat, risk, jeopardy, exposure, vulnerability,
             susceptibility, uncertainty, insecurity:  You enter there at
             your peril. It was a time of peril for us all.  The child's life
             was in peril.

   perilous  adj.  dangerous, risky, hazardous, vulnerable, susceptible,
             uncertain, insecure, unsafe, unsure:  Why undertake such a
             perilous journey alone?

   perimeter n.  boundary, border, borderline, margin, periphery, limit(s),
             bounds, ambit, circumference, edge, verge, fringe(s), Archaic or
             literary bourn or bourne:  The perimeter of the military base is
             patrolled by sentry dogs.

   period    n.  1 interval, time, term, span, duration, spell, space,
             stretch; while; Colloq chiefly Brit patch:  During the period of
             his absence, his children had grown up. I waited a short period,
             then phoned again. We went through a bad period last year. 2
             era, days, epoch, aeon, age, years:  During the Old English
             period, very little was written down.  3 full stop:  Place
             periods at the ends of sentences.

   periodic  adj.  periodical, intermittent, regular, recurrent, repetitive,
             iterative, cyclic(al), repeated; episodic, sporadic, occasional:
             We called in the plumber because of the periodic hammering in
             the pipes. The next periodic return of Halley's comet is
             expected in 2061-62.

   periodical
             n.  magazine, journal, paper, publication, newsletter, organ,
             serial, weekly, fortnightly, semi-monthly, monthly, bi-monthly,
             quarterly, semi-annual, annual, yearbook, almanac, Rare
             hebdomadal or hebdomadary:  Nicole's story will soon be
             published in an important literary periodical.

   peripheral
             adj.  1 incidental, unimportant, minor, secondary, inessential
             or unessential, non-essential, unnecessary, superficial,
             tangential, irrelevant, beside the point:  Let's ignore the
             peripheral issues for the time being and concentrate on the
             important ones. 2 circumferential, external, perimetric,
             outside, outer:  The peripheral measurement of the figure is
             seven inches.

   periphery n.  1 perimeter, circumference, border, edge, rim, brim, ambit,
             boundary, bound, margin:  Trees will be planted along the
             periphery of the car park.  2 surface, edge, superficies:  Your
             analysis deals with the periphery, not the core, of the problem.

   perish    v.  die, expire, lose (one's) life, be killed, be lost, meet
             (one's) death, be destroyed:  Three gnus perished in the fire at
             the zoo.

   perjury   n.  lying, mendacity, mendaciousness, forswearing,
             prevarication, bearing false witness:  The defendant was
             acquitted and the prosecution witnesses charged with perjury.

   perk      n.  See perquisite, below.

   perk up   v.  cheer up, become jaunty, brighten, liven up, invigorate,
             smarten up, quicken, (re)vitalize, pep up, revive, inspirit,
             Colloq buck up:  The old lady perks up when her grandchildren
             come to visit. To perk up the party, Peter suggested we should
             all play a game.

   perky     adj.  lively, cheery, cheerful, jaunty, bouncy, bright,
             invigorated, vigorous, vitalized, peppy, spirited, sprightly,
             frisky, animated, vivacious, effervescent, bubbly, buoyant, gay,
             Colloq bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of pep:  Sue's been
             quite perky since she started going with Trevor.

   permanence
             n.  permanency, stability, durability, fixedness,
             changelessness, lasting quality, longevity, endurance,
             persistence, dependability, reliability, survival:  The new
             roofing material is being tested for permanence.

   permanent adj.  1 everlasting, eternal, unending, endless, perpetual,
             unceasing, constant, undying, imperishable, indestructible,
             stable, abiding, long-lasting, lasting, enduring, perennial,
             long-lived, durable:  The satellite is in permanent orbit around
             the earth.  2 unchanging, invariable, changeless, fixed,
             unchangeable, immutable, unalterable, stable, persistent:  This
             stain is permanent and will not come out in the wash. Bonham is
             a permanent member of the executive committee.

   permanently
             adv.  forever, for good, once and for all, forevermore, always,
             eternally, everlastingly; perpetually, constantly, incessantly,
             non-stop, continuously, endlessly, ceaselessly, unendingly,
             interminably:  Is the boy permanently disabled? According to one
             theory the universe will not continue to expand permanently.

   permeate  v.  imbue, diffuse, penetrate, pervade, infiltrate, enter,
             spread through(out), saturate, seep through(out), percolate
             through, soak through:  He felt the warmth permeate every limb.
             Greed seemed to permeate every level of society.

   permissible
             adj.  allowable, admissible, acceptable, allowed, permitted,
             tolerable, legal, licit, lawful, legitimate, authorized, proper,
             (all) right; pardonable, excusable, venial, Colloq OK or okay,
             kosher, legit:  Some things that are permissible are not
             necessarily honourable.

   permission
             n.  consent, assent, leave, acquiescence, sufferance, tolerance,
             laxity, leniency or lenience, leave, licence, sanction,
             acceptance, authorization, approval, approbation, countenance,
             allowance, liberty, indulgence, sufferance; franchise,
             enfranchisement:  Have you permission to watch television? She
             eats anything she likes with the doctor's permission.

   permissive
             adj.  assenting, consenting, indulgent, lenient, latitudinarian,
             acquiescent, lax, easygoing, liberal, tolerant,
             non-constraining, non-restrictive, libertarian:  Allison grew up
             in the permissive society of the 1960s.

   permit    v.  1 Often, permit to. allow, agree (to), consent (to), give
             permission or leave (to), authorize, sanction, license,
             tolerate, countenance, suffer, brook, admit, grant, enable,
             empower, franchise, enfranchise; let:  He permitted me to use
             his name as a reference. Do they permit smoking here?

             --n.  2 licence, authority, authorization, franchise, warrant;
             pass, passport, visa:  Your parking permit expired last week.
             Shirley has a permit to visit Tibet.

   perpendicular
             adj.  1 erect, upright, vertical, plumb, straight (up and down):
             The plumb-line shows that the wall isn't perpendicular.  2
             Often, perpendicular to. at right angles (to), at 90 degrees
             (to):  The two paths are perpendicular to one another.

   perpetrate
             v.  commit, execute, perform, carry out or through, effect,
             effectuate, accomplish, do, be responsible for, practise, Colloq
             pull (off):  Atrocities were perpetrated on both sides in the
             war.

   perpetual adj.  1 eternal, infinite, everlasting, never-ending, unending,
             perennial, ageless, timeless, long-lived, permanent, unceasing,
             lasting, enduring, unvarying, unchanging, immutable, invariable,
             undeviating, Literary sempiternal:  They declared their
             perpetual love for each other.  2 constant, uninterrupted,
             continuous, unfailing, incessant, persistent, unremitting,
             unending, non-stop, endless, recurrent, continual, repetitive:
             Why should we have to listen to the neighbours' perpetual
             bickering?

   perpetuate
             v.  continue, maintain, extend, keep (on or up), keep going,
             preserve, memorialize, immortalize, eternalize:  Thoughtless
             jokes can perpetuate damaging stereotypes.

   perpetuity
             n.  permanence, constancy, timelessness; eternity:  The estate
             was bequeathed to the townspeople in perpetuity.

   perplex   v.  confuse, bewilder, puzzle, mystify, distract, baffle,
             befuddle, confound, muddle, disconcert, stump, nonplus, stymie,
             stupefy, stun, daze, dumbfound or dumfound, flabbergast, Colloq
             bamboozle, hornswoggle, Chiefly US and Canadian discombobulate,
             throw for a loop:  The more I tried to understand bathymetric
             semiotics, the more perplexed I became. Anne-Marie's reticence
             perplexed us all.

   perplexing
             adj.  confusing, bewildering, puzzling, mystifying, baffling,
             confounding, disconcerting, stupefying, flabbergasting,
             enigmatic, paradoxical, incomprehensible, unfathomable,
             impenetrable, recondite, arcane, labyrinthine, complex,
             complicated, Byzantine, intricate, involved, convoluted,
             twisted, knotty, Gordian:  The writing is filled with perplexing
             references to the author's personal experiences, of which the
             reader is told nothing.

   perplexity
             n.  1 confusion, bewilderment, bafflement, distress, doubt,
             difficulty:  My perplexity grew as he related his version of the
             event.  2 intricacy, complexity, complicatedness, arcaneness,
             reconditeness, impenetrability, impenetrableness, involvement,
             unfathomability, obscurity, difficulty:  The more deeply the
             enigma was probed, the greater its perplexity.  3 puzzle,
             enigma, mystery, dilemma, problem, paradox, catch-22, quandary,
             predicament, bind:  Because of the interlocking directorships of
             the companies, we faced many perplexities in trying to sort out
             what had happened to the funds.

   perquisite
             n.  consideration, emolument, bonus, (fringe) benefit, extra,
             bonus, dividend, gratuity, tip, douceur, baksheesh, token (of
             appreciation), US lagniappe or lagnappe, Colloq perk:  It was
             traditional to provide each director with a company car as a
             perquisite.

   persecute v.  1 oppress, suppress, subjugate, maltreat, ill-treat, abuse,
             outrage, molest, victimize, tyrannize, afflict, punish, martyr,
             torment, torture:  For years black people had been persecuted.
             2 bother, annoy, pester, plague, hector, bully, badger, harry,
             harass, irritate, worry, vex, trouble, worry, importune, hound:
             Her lawyers continually persecuted him for non-payment of
             alimony.

   persecution
             n.  1 oppression, suppression, subjugation, maltreatment,
             ill-treatment, abuse, outrage, molestation, victimization,
             tyranny, affliction, punishment, torment, torture:  They
             suffered persecution because of their difference of religion.  2
             bother, annoyance, hectoring, bullying, badgering, harrying,
             harassing, irritation, worry, vexation, trouble:  The press is
             often guilty of the persecution of famous people.

   perseverance
             n.  persistence, steadfastness, determination, resolution,
             resolve, decisiveness, decision, firmness, purposefulness,
             pertinacity, staying power, stamina, sedulousness, assiduity,
             grit, pluck, tirelessness, indefatigableness, indefatigability,
             patience, endurance, diligence, devotion, tenacity, doggedness,
             stubbornness, inflexibility, obstinacy, obstinateness,
             obdurateness, Colloq guts, US stick-to-it-iveness:  Perseverance
             is essential for success in the theatre.

   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 if we are to win.
             I shall persevere in my loyalty.

   persist   v.  1 Often, persist in or at. persevere, be persistent, insist
             (on), stand firm or fast, be steadfast or staunch, strive, toil,
             labour, work (hard) (at):  She persists in arguing her
             innocence. Only those who persist will succeed. 2 remain,
             continue, endure, carry on, keep up or on, last, linger, stay:
             The bad weather persisted through the weekend.

   persistence
             n.  perseverance, resolve, determination, resolution,
             steadfastness, tenacity, constancy, assiduity, stamina,
             tirelessness, indefatigability, indefatigableness, tirelessness,
             pluck, grit, patience, diligence, pertinacity, doggedness,
             stubbornness, obstinacy, obduracy:  By sheer persistence he got
             his own way.

   persistent
             adj.  1 persisting, persevering, tenacious, steadfast, firm,
             fast, fixed, staunch, resolute, resolved, determined,
             unfaltering, unswerving, undeviating, unflagging, tireless,
             untiring, indefatigable, dogged, unwavering, stubborn,
             obstinate, obdurate, inflexible, rigid:  He was persistent in
             his demands for justice. The inspector never gave up his
             persistent pursuit of criminals. 2 continuing, constant,
             continuous, continual, unending, interminable, unremitting,
             unrelenting, perpetual, incessant, unceasing, non-stop:  The
             persistent rainy weather began to depress us. At last he gave in
             to her persistent complaints and bought a washing machine.

   person    n.  1 individual, human (being), being, man or woman or child,
             (living) soul; mortal:  Not a single person knew the answer to
             my question.  2 in person. physically, personally, bodily,
             actually, myself or yourself or himself or herself or ourselves
             or yourselves, or themselves, Colloq in the flesh:  The
             correspondent visited the battlefield in person to see for
             himself the extent of the carnage. I know their records, but I
             have never seen them in person.

   persona   n.  face, front, fa‡ade, mask, guise, exterior, role, part,
             character, identity, self:  Her office persona is quite
             different from the one she displays at home.

   personage n.  celebrity, luminary, VIP, name, notable, somebody,
             personality, star, superstar, magnate, mogul, Colloq big-shot,
             big wheel, hotshot, hot stuff, Brit big noise, Theatre US
             headliner:  My cousin is fast becoming a personage in the
             financial world.

   personal  adj.  1 individual, physical, bodily, actual, live; in person,
             in the flesh:  The star is scheduled to make a personal
             appearance on tonight's chat show. 2 intimate, exclusive,
             private, special, particular:  Would you do me a personal
             favour? I hear they are having personal problems. 3 intimate,
             close, dear, bosom, familiar, special:  Wendy happens to be a
             personal friend of ours.  4 intimate, individual; disparaging,
             slighting, offensive, derogatory, critical, deprecating,
             belittling, adverse, unfriendly, insulting:  He should confine
             his criticism to her acting and avoid personal remarks.

   personality
             n.  1 character, nature, temperament, disposition, make-up,
             persona; identity, psyche:  Miles has an extremely abrasive
             personality that has upset many people. 2 celebrity, luminary,
             star, superstar, name, headliner, somebody:  Whom shall we get
             as a personality to attract the crowds?

   personalized
             adj.  monogrammed, initialled, individualized; signed:  They
             ordered personalized stationery with their new address on it.

   personally
             adv.  1 in person, alone, by oneself, on one's own, myself or
             yourself or himself or herself or ourselves or yourselves or
             themselves, Colloq in the flesh:  She has not met them
             personally, but we have. They will see to the matter personally.
             2 in one's own view or opinion, for one's part, for oneself, as
             far as one is concerned, from one's own viewpoint, from where
             one stands, as one sees it or things, as for oneself:
             Personally, I wasn't sure I would make it.  3 as an individual,
             as a person, privately, in private:  I like him personally but
             would never have him as my dentist.

   personify v.  1 embody, typify, exemplify, epitomize, be the embodiment
             of, manifest, represent, stand for, symbolize, Archaic
             impersonate, personate:  In my view, he personifies everything
             that is evil.  2 humanize, personalize:  In literature,
             personifying inanimate things in nature with human attributes is
             called the pathetic fallacy.

   perspective
             n.  1 (point of) view, viewpoint, standpoint, prospect, vantage
             point, position, angle, Colloq where one is coming from:  I can
             see that my view would be illogical from his perspective.  2
             attitude, position, angle, approach, sentiment, outlook,
             lookout:  Management has a different perspective on what is good
             for the company.

   perspiration
             n.  sweat, dampness, wetness; sweating; Technical sudor;
             diaphoresis:  I could feel the perspiration stand out on my
             forehead. They say that perspiration makes one cooler on a hot
             day.

   persuade  v.  1 urge, induce, prevail upon, influence, exhort, importune,
             dispose, incline, prompt, sway, press:  The officer persuaded
             him to surrender.  2 bring round, convince, win over, talk or
             argue into, convert:  We persuaded her to open the door. He was
             persuaded to vote Labour.

   persuasion
             n.  1 inducement, inducing, influence, influencing, exhortation,
             exhorting, persuading:  At the bank's persuasion, the company
             tightened up its cashflow management. She has extraordinary
             powers of persuasion at her command. 2 opinion, belief, creed,
             faith, set of beliefs, faith, religion, (religious) conviction;
             sect, denomination, faction, school (of thought), affiliation:
             Till he met Maggie, he had always been of the Baptist
             persuasion.

   persuasive
             adj.  convincing, telling, influential, effective, productive,
             impressive, efficacious, cogent, weighty, compelling, forceful,
             valid, winning, authoritative, dynamic:  His most persuasive
             argument for our leaving was that if we stayed we'd be shot.

   pert      adj.  1 forward, brash, brazen, cheeky, insolent, impertinent,
             flippant, saucy, bold, presumptuous, impudent, disrespectful,
             audacious, rude, impolite, uncivil, ill-mannered, unmannerly,
             Archaic malapert, Colloq fresh, flip, out of line, brassy,
             big-mouthed, wise-guy, Slang Brit smart-arsed, US smart-ass(ed),
             wise-ass(ed):  He's a clever child, but I don't like his pert
             manner.  2 lively, jaunty, ebullient, vivacious, enthusiastic,
             bouncy, sprightly, brisk, cheerful, jolly, bright, perky,
             animated, nimble:  She is usually quite pert in the morning,
             becoming depressed as the day wears on.

   pertain   v.  Often, pertain to. concern, refer to, regard, have reference
             or relation (to), apply (to), relate (to), include, cover,
             affect, appertain (to), be appropriate (to), be fitting (for),
             befit, bear on, have bearing (on):  The sign, 'Keep Off the
             Grass', does not pertain to the people who mow the lawn, Morris.

   pertinent adj.  pertaining, appropriate, fitting, suitable, apt, relevant,
             germane, apropos, apposite:  Try to keep your comments pertinent
             to the subject under discussion.

   perturb   v.  upset, disturb, fluster, ruffle, unsettle, disconcert, make
             uneasy, discomfit, vex, worry, agitate, shake up, alarm,
             disquiet, confuse, discompose, unnerve, addle, disorganize:  He
             became quite perturbed when the police asked him to help with
             their inquiries.

   perusal   n.  reading, scrutiny, check, examination, study, inspection,
             scanning, review:  I saw nothing blasphemous in my perusal of
             the text.

   peruse    v.  read, study, scan, scrutinize, examine, inspect, review,
             browse, run one's eye over:  As Gregory was perusing the ancient
             manuscript, a sudden draught blew out the candle.

   pervasive adj.  penetrating, pervading, omnipresent, general, inescapable,
             prevalent, universal, widespread, ubiquitous, permeating,
             permeative:  A pervasive sense of doom in the castle made
             everyone feel uneasy.

   perverse  adj.  1 wrong, wrong-headed, awry, contrary, wayward, incorrect,
             irregular, unfair, improper, contradictory:  It was most
             perverse of you to change your mind after all the arrangements
             had been made. 2 cantankerous, testy, curmudgeonly, churlish,
             crusty, bad-tempered, petulant, captious, cross, cross-grained,
             peevish, waspish, snappish, bilious, splenetic, fractious,
             ill-tempered, quarrelsome, irascible, sullen, contentious,
             touchy, obstreperous, crabby, crabbed, irritable, surly, Colloq
             grouchy, Brit stroppy, US and Canadian cranky:  With everything
             going wrong, Catherine feels particularly perverse today. 3
             stubborn, self-willed, wrong-headed, intractable, wilful,
             obdurate, obstinate, pigheaded, adamant, inflexible, unbending,
             refractory, unyielding:  I refuse to give in to a perverse child
             just because he has a tantrum.

   perversion
             n.  1 deviation, irregularity, misdirection, corruption,
             subversion, distortion, twisting, falsification,
             misrepresentation, diversion, sidetracking:  The conduct of this
             trial has been a perversion of the course of true justice. 2
             unnatural act, deviation, deviance or deviancy, abnormality,
             depravity, vice, aberration, debauchery, Colloq kinkiness, Brit
             kink:  Every kind of perversion flourished in ancient Rome.

   pervert   v.  1 deflect, divert, sidetrack, turn aside or away, subvert,
             misdirect, distort, twist, abuse, falsify, misapply,
             misconstrue, misrepresent, corrupt:  By withholding evidence,
             you have perverted the course of justice.  2 seduce, lead
             astray, debauch, degrade, corrupt, demoralize, subvert:  He was
             accused of perverting young girls.  3 deviant, degenerate,
             debauchee, US deviate, Colloq weirdo:  I worry about your being
             out late, when there are so many perverts about.

   perverted adj.  deviant, deviate, abnormal, amoral, unmoral, immoral, bad,
             depraved, unnatural, warped, twisted, profligate, dissolute,
             delinquent, degenerate, evil, wicked, malign, malicious,
             malefic, malevolent, evil-minded, sinful, iniquitous, base,
             foul, corrupt, unprincipled:  Members of the Hell-Fire Club
             yielded themselves up to the most perverted, abandoned
             behaviour.

   pessimistic
             n.  gloomy, negative, despairing, hopeless, inauspicious,
             depressed, despondent, dejected, melancholy, downhearted,
             heavy-hearted, defeatist, glum, sad, blue, unhappy, cheerless,
             joyless, cynical, bleak, forlorn:  The bears in the Stock
             Exchange take a pessimistic view of share prices.

   pest      n.  nuisance, annoyance, nag, irritant, bother, gadfly, bane,
             trial, heckler, vexation, curse, thorn in one's flesh, Colloq
             pain (in the neck), Slang US (Yiddish) nudge or noodge or nudzh,
             nudnik, Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass:  That man
             is such a pest, I wish he'd leave me alone.

   pester    v.  annoy, nag, irritate, irk, bother, get at or to, badger,
             plague, vex, fret, hector, harass, harry, heckle, nettle, chafe,
             peeve, pique, provoke, exasperate, bedevil, get or grate on
             (someone's) nerves, get under (someone's) skin, get in
             (someone's) hair, try (someone's patience), torment, persecute,
             Brit chivvy, Colloq drive (someone) up the wall, needle, give
             (someone) the needle, hassle, ride, give (someone) a hard or bad
             time, bug:  Please stop pestering me about going to the football
             game.

   pestilence
             n.  1 plague, epidemic, pandemic, Black Death, Rare pest:  The
             pestilence raged throughout all Europe, killing 50 million
             people. 2 scourge, blight, curse, cancer, canker, bane,
             affliction:  How are we to overcome the pestilence of greed?

   pet°      n.  1 darling, favourite, idol, apple of (one's) eye, Colloq
             Brit blue-eyed boy, US fair-haired boy:  You know that you were
             always Father's pet.

             --adj.  2 tame, trained, domesticated:  Doesn't the landlord
             take a dim view of your keeping a pet alligator in the bath? 3
             favourite, favoured, preferred, cherished, special, particular;
             indulged, prized, treasured, precious, dearest, adored, darling:
             Building the summer-house was Desmond's pet project. Elizabeth's
             pet pupil is Anne.

             --v.  4 caress, fondle, stroke, pat; cuddle, nuzzle, nestle,
             snuggle, Colloq neck, smooch or Australian and New Zealand also
             smoodge or smooge, Chiefly US and Canadian make out:  Small
             children need to be petted a lot. Two teenagers were petting in
             the back seat of the car. 5 humour, pamper, favour, baby,
             coddle, cosset, mollycoddle, cocker, spoil, indulge, dote on:
             His mother pets him far too much.

   petэ      n.  (bad or ill) temper, pique, sulk, (bad) mood, fume, Colloq
             Brit paddy or paddywhack or paddywack:  He's in a terrible pet
             because they forgot to cancel the milk when they went on
             holiday.

   peter out v.  diminish, evaporate, wane, come to nothing or naught or US
             also nought, die out, disappear, fail, fade (out or away),
             dwindle (into nothing), run out, give out, flag, melt away:  The
             path petered out after a mile or so and they realized that they
             had lost their bearings.

   petite    adj.  delicate, dainty, mignon(ne), diminutive, small, little,
             slight, tiny, small-boned, Colloq Brit dinky:  It was
             incongruous to see the basketball player with a petite blonde.

   petition  n.  1 request, application, solicitation, suit, entreaty,
             supplication, plea, appeal:  An anti-pollution petition, signed
             by thousands of people, was delivered to the Department of the
             Environment.

             --v.  2 request, ask, apply to, apply for, solicit, sue, call
             upon, entreat, supplicate, plead, appeal (to), appeal (for),
             beseech, implore, importune, Rare obsecrate:  The shopkeepers
             petitioned the council for better police protection.

   petrified adj.  1 horrified, horror-stricken, terrified, terror-stricken,
             panic-stricken, frightened, afraid, paralysed, numbed, benumbed,
             frozen:  The maiden stood petrified as the dragon, breathing
             fire, approached.  2 shocked, speechless, dumbfounded or
             dumfounded, dumbstruck, stunned, thunderstruck, astonished,
             astounded, confounded, stupefied, appalled, aghast, Colloq
             flabbergasted:  The firemen rescued three petrified children who
             were huddled in a corner. 3 ossified, fossilized:  These were
             not stones but the petrified remains of ancient trees.

   petrify   v.  1 frighten, scare, horrify, terrify, paralyse, numb, benumb:
             I was petrified by the noise of the explosion.  2 shock,
             dumbfound or dumfound, stun, astonish, astound, amaze, confound,
             disconcert, stupefy, appal, Colloq flabbergast:  The sight of so
             much destruction petrified even hardened reporters.  3 ossify,
             fossilize, turn to stone:  Over thousands of years the desert
             conditions petrify the wood.

   petty     adj.  1 insignificant, trivial, paltry, minor, inferior,
             niggling, trifling, negligible, puny, inessential,
             non-essential, inconsequential, unimportant, slight, nugatory,
             of no account, US dinky, Colloq piddling, measly, no great
             shakes, no big deal, small-time, Brit twopenny-halfpenny or
             tuppenny-halfpenny, US and Canadian picayune:  He has been
             convicted only of petty crimes.  2 miserly, mean, mingy, stingy,
             cheese-paring, grudging, small-minded, cheap, niggardly,
             parsimonious, tight, tight-fisted, close, close-fisted:  It was
             very petty of you to refuse the beggar a few pence.

   petulant  adj.  peevish, pettish, impatient, ill-humoured, testy, waspish,
             irascible, choleric, cross, captious, ill-tempered,
             bad-tempered, splenetic, moody, sour, bilious, crabby, crabbed,
             irritable, huffish, huffy, perverse, snappish, crotchety,
             cantankerous, curmudgeonly, grouchy, grumpy:  With a petulant
             gesture she hurled the rose away.

16.3 phantom...
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   phantom   n.  1 apparition, spectre, ghost, spirit, phantasm, shade,
             wraith, revenant, vision, Formal eidolon, phantasma, Colloq
             spook:  The so-called phantom of the opera turned out to be a
             real person.  2 figment (of the imagination), illusion,
             delusion, chimera or chimaera, hallucination, fancy, mirage:
             She was a phantom of delight When first she gleamed upon my
             sight.

   Pharisaic adj.  Pharisaical, hypocritical, insincere, self-righteous,
             pretentious, holier-than-thou, sanctimonious, pietistic(al),
             formalistic, canting, unctuous, oily, slimy, Literary
             Tartuffian, Pecksniffian, Colloq goody-goody , Chiefly Brit
             smarmy:  I cannot tolerate his Pharisaic preaching.

   Pharisee  n.  hypocrite, pretender, dissembler, humbug, fraud, whited
             sepulchre, pietist, formalist, canter, Literary Tartuffe,
             Pecksniff, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  She is such a
             Pharisee with her pious little anecdotes.

   pharmacist
             n.  pharmacologist, Rather old-fashioned or formal apothecary,
             Brit (pharmaceutical) chemist, US and Canadian druggist, Formal
             posologist, Colloq pill pusher, US pill roller:  The pharmacist
             said that those pills have bad side-effects.

   pharmacy  n.  1 dispensary, Rather formal or old-fashioned apothecary,
             Brit chemist's (shop), US and Canadian drugstore, druggist's:
             Stop off at the pharmacy and get me something for this headache,
             please. 2 pharmaceutics, pharmacopoeia:  Research has vastly
             expanded modern pharmacy.

   phase     n.  1 stage, period, development, step:  The boy is just going
             through a phase.  2 time, moment, juncture, occasion:  At this
             phase of the discussion, I should like to introduce a new
             subject. 3 state, form, shape, configuration, aspect,
             appearance, look, condition, status:  Here is a diagram of the
             phases of the moon at various points in its orbit. 4 facet,
             side, angle, viewpoint, point of view, Colloq slant:  Only one
             phase of the argument has so far been presented.

             --v.  5 phase in. (gradually) introduce, usher in, work in,
             inject, insert, insinuate, include, incorporate:  The new work
             schedules will be phased in over the next month.  6 phase out.
             ease out or off, taper off, wind up, put a stop to, (gradually)
             eliminate, remove, withdraw, discontinue, end:  The use of
             non-biodegradable and non-recyclable packaging is being phased
             out.

   phenomenal
             adj.  outstanding, remarkable, exceptional, extraordinary,
             unusual, freakish, rare, uncommon, singular, unorthodox,
             unprecedented, unheard-of, unparalleled, unbelievable,
             incredible, marvellous, wonderful, amazing, astonishing,
             astounding, staggering, stunning, prodigious, miraculous,
             fantastic, Colloq mind-boggling, mind-blowing,:  She made a
             phenomenal recovery and can walk again.

   phenomenon
             n.  1 event, happening, occurrence, incident, occasion,
             experience, fact:  Everyone knows the phenomenon of the souring
             of milk.  2 wonder, curiosity, spectacle, sight, sensation,
             marvel, rarity, exception, miracle, Slang stunner:  An
             eight-year-old chess champion is truly a phenomenon, even in
             Russia.

   philanderer
             n.  flirt, gallant, rou‚, rake, Casanova, Lothario, Don Juan,
             Romeo, lover, playboy, gay dog, Colloq lady-killer, womanizer,
             Old-fashioned wolf, Slang stud:  In his memoirs it emerged what
             a philanderer he had been, often dallying with six women at
             once.

   philanthropic
             adj.  charitable, eleemosynary, generous, magnanimous,
             munificent, benevolent, open-handed, ungrudging, unstinting,
             beneficent, humanitarian, altruistic, humane:  Finlay was always
             philanthropic, and spent much of his fortune on worthy causes.

   philanthropist
             n.  contributor, donor, benefactor or benefactress, patron or
             patroness, sponsor, Maecenas, Good Samaritan, humanitarian,
             altruist:  Some anonymous philanthropist provided the funds for
             the new school swimming-pool.

   philanthropy
             n.  1 generosity, benevolence, charity, patronage, magnanimity,
             charitableness, public-spiritedness, big-heartedness,
             thoughtfulness, alms-giving, kind-heartedness, beneficence,
             benignity, liberality, open-handedness:  Carnegie's philanthropy
             was focused on libraries and education.  2 donation,
             contribution, largesse, aid, grant, assistance, help:  Mrs
             Ander's recent philanthropy allows us to offer six new
             scholarships.

   philistine
             n.  1 boor, barbarian, yahoo, lowbrow, Boeotian, vulgarian,
             ignoramus, bourgeois, US Babbitt:  Charlotte never could abide
             the philistines who put love of money above love of culture.

             --adj.  2 uncultured, uncultivated, tasteless, commonplace,
             unenlightened, unrefined, unread, unlettered, uneducated,
             untutored, unlearned, narrow-minded, anti-intellectual, boorish,
             lowbrow, dull, prosaic, boring, bourgeois, crass, commercial,
             materialistic:  The television companies were accused of
             pandering to the basest appetites of the philistine viewer.

   philosophical
             adj.  1 philosophic, abstract, esoteric, learned, scholarly,
             erudite, theoretical, rational, logical, impractical:  The
             person who is out of a job cares nothing about philosophical
             reasons for unemployment. 2 detached, unconcerned, unemotional,
             unimpassioned, composed, thoughtful, reflective, meditative,
             cogitative, contemplative, judicious, sober, level-headed,
             realistic, practical, pragmatic(al), down-to-earth, cool, calm,
             serene, placid, stoical, patient, unruffled, cool-headed,
             tranquil, unperturbed, even-tempered, temperate, moderate,
             equable, equanimous, imperturbable:  Over the years, Evelyn had
             learned to take a philosophical attitude towards her husband's
             shortcomings.

   philosophy
             n.  1 metaphysics, epistemology, logic, natural or moral or
             metaphysical philosophy, rationalism, thinking, aesthetics:  He
             views philosophy as the attempt to describe and codify universal
             truths. 2 viewpoint, (point of) view, outlook, opinion,
             attitude, feeling, sentiment, idea, notion, ideology, (set of)
             beliefs or values, tenets, Weltanschauung, world-view:  Harold's
             philosophy of life is 'Live and let live'.  3 stoicism,
             sang-froid, control, self-control, restraint, coolness,
             composure, calmness, serenity, placidity, cool-headedness,
             equanimity, thoughtfulness, imperturbability, self-possession,
             aplomb, dispassion, patience, resignation:  You may be sure that
             Paul allows nothing to disturb his philosophy.

   phlegmatic
             adj.  1 phlegmatical, stoic(al), unemotional, unenthusiastic,
             unanimated, sluggish, apathetic, uninvolved, lethargic,
             unfeeling, uncaring, cold, unresponsive, stolid, unmoved,
             insensitive, unaffected, insensible, indifferent, unconcerned,
             uninterested, listless, torpid, indolent, inactive, passive,
             Rare hebetudinous:  Hutton is far too phlegmatic to be stirred
             by the fervour of the revolutionaries. 2 phlegmatical,
             self-possessed, self-controlled, controlled, restrained,
             composed, calm, serene, tranquil, placid, cool-headed,
             equanimous, cool, undisturbed, unperturbed, unruffled,
             imperturbable, even-tempered, philosophical, temperate,
             moderate:  One has to learn to be phlegmatic about things going
             wrong at the office.

   phobia    n.  fear, horror, terror, dread, hatred, detestation,
             abhorrence, loathing, execration, aversion, revulsion,
             repugnance, dislike, distaste, antipathy; disquiet, nervousness,
             qualm, distrust, suspicion, apprehension, worry:  He suffers
             from claustrophobia, which means that he has a phobia for
             enclosed places, and he avoids lifts and telephone booths.

   phoney    adj.  1 unreal, fake, synthetic, artificial, factitious, false,
             fraudulent, imitation, bogus, spurious, counterfeit, mock,
             ersatz, paste, trumped up; sham, pretended, insincere,
             hypocritical, dissimulating, deceitful, dishonest; US also
             phony, Colloq pseudo or Brit pseud:  They were caught trying to
             collect insurance on the theft of a string of phoney pearls.
             Every time she wanted something, she'd turn on the phoney charm.

             --n.  2 fake, fraud, imitation, counterfeit, forgery, hoax,
             sham, US also phony:  The diamond she's wearing is a phoney.  3
             trickster, faker, humbug, impostor, pretender, charlatan,
             mountebank, double-dealer, counterfeiter, quack, deceiver, US
             also phony, Colloq Brit pseud, Slang US paper-hanger:  Madame
             Tatiana claims to be able to communicate with the dead, but I
             think she's a phoney.

   photograph
             n.  1 snapshot, print, picture, slide, transparency; negative,
             positive, Colloq photo, snap, shot, pic (pl. pix):  Heinrich has
             taken some marvellous photographs of the children.

             --v.  2 take a picture (of), shoot, film, take, Colloq snap:  He
             photographed Jennifer holding her kitten.

   photographer
             n.  lensman, lenswoman, cameraman, camerawoman, cinematographer,
             paparazzo (pl., paparazzi), Old-fashioned photographist:  The
             photographers clustered round the prime minister.

   photographic
             adj.  1 vivid, natural, realistic, graphic, accurate, exact,
             precise, faithful, detailed, lifelike, true to life:  Many such
             neo-realist paintings are virtually photographic.  2 cinematic,
             filmic, pictorial:  Uncannily, a photographic image appeared on
             the Shroud under certain light.

   phrase    n.  1 clause, noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase,
             adverbial phrase, adjectival phrase:  When asked for an example
             of a verb phrase, the student responded, 'Shut up'. 2
             expression, word-group, collocation, locution, idiom, idiomatic
             expression, collocution, proverb, motto, slogan, saying,
             catch-phrase, adage, maxim, axiom, saw, colloquialism, clich‚,
             platitude, commonplace, Colloq chestnut:  Do you know the source
             of Churchill's famous phrase, 'Blood, sweat, and tears'? 3
             phraseology, phrasing, wording, language, usage, way or manner
             of speaking, diction, parlance, fa‡on de parler, modus loquendi,
             modus scribendi, speech habit, style, choice of words, word
             choice, syntax, vocabulary:  He was to 'let slip', to use
             Shakespeare's phrase, 'the dogs of war'.

             --v.  4 express, term, word, put, frame, formulate, couch, put
             into words, put or set forth, verbalize, articulate, voice,
             utter, say, write; describe, delineate:  I am pondering over the
             best way to phrase this example.

   physical  adj.  bodily, corporeal, corporal, fleshly, incarnate, carnal,
             mortal, earthly, natural, somatic; material, tangible, palpable,
             real, actual, true, concrete, manifest, solid:  Curtis doesn't
             have the physical strength to lift that weight.  As a chemist,
             James deals with the physical, not the spiritual universe.

   physician n.  doctor, medical doctor, M.D., doctor of medicine, medical
             practitioner, general practitioner, G.P., medical man or woman,
             specialist, diplomate, Brit navy surgeon, Colloq doc, medico,
             medic, US man, Slang sawbones, bones:  You ought to see a
             physician if the pain persists.

   physique  n.  build, figure, body, frame, shape, bodily structure, form,
             Slang chassis, US bod, built:  She has the physique of an Amazon
             but the disposition of a lamb.

16.4 pick...
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   pick      v.  1 Often, pick out. select, choose, cull, sort out,
             hand-pick, single out, opt for, fix or decide upon or on, elect,
             settle upon or on, screen (out), sift (out):  Melanie was picked
             to succeed Hubert as president.  2 pluck, gather, collect,
             harvest, bring or take in, garner:  Scores of extra workers were
             brought in to pick apples.  3 provoke, foment, incite, start,
             initiate, work or stir up:  He tried to pick an argument with me
             about who is taller.  4 pick at.  a criticize, carp at, find
             fault with, cavil (at or about), quibble (at or about), pick on,
             nag (at), niggle (at), harass, pester, annoy, irritate, bother:
             Stop picking at your brother!  b nibble (at), peck at:  We can't
             get him to eat a thing, he just picks at his food.  5 pick off.
             shoot (down), kill:  We picked them off one by one as they
             emerged from the trench.  6 pick on. bully, ride, intimidate,
             abuse, browbeat, badger, harry, hector, harass, tease, taunt,
             needle, torment:  Robert must learn not to pick on the smaller
             boys.  7 pick out.  a See 1, above.  b discern, distinguish,
             tell apart, make out, recognize, separate, discriminate:  I was
             able to pick out a distant rider, approaching swiftly. From
             amongst the forest sounds she picked out the song of the
             nightingale. 8 pick up.  a raise (up), lift (up), heft, hoist,
             take up:  The stone is too heavy to pick up. Please pick up that
             piece of paper. b gather, collect, glean, take up:  I wish you
             would pick up your clothes.  c tidy (up), neaten, straighten up
             or out, clean (up):  She refuses to continue to pick up after
             him.  d acquire, learn, become acquainted with; master; Colloq
             get the hang of:  We picked up a little Spanish on our holiday.
             e acquire, find, come by, get hold of, obtain; buy, purchase,
             get:  Basil picked up a few bad habits in the army. Let's pick
             up a bottle of wine on the way. f improve, get better, gain,
             make headway, recover, perk up, rally, recoup, (make) progress,
             move ahead, increase, Colloq make a comeback:  Business usually
             picks up before Christmas.  g accelerate, speed up:  The pace
             picked up as they approached the finish line.  h arrest,
             apprehend, take into custody, Colloq pinch, collar, nab, bust,
             run in, pull in, Brit nick:  Two men were picked up trying to
             break into the bank.  i call for, give a lift or ride to,
             collect, go for or US also after, go to get:  I'll pick you up
             at the railway station at noon.  j meet, introduce oneself to,
             strike up an acquaintance with, accost, make advances to:  I
             think she picked him up in a wine bar.  k catch, come down with,
             contract, get:  He picked up a mystery virus in the Tropics.

             --n.  9 selection, choice, option, preference:  She could have
             had the pick of any man in the place. Take your pick. 10
             choicest, best, crЉme de la crЉme, cream:  The early shoppers
             had already taken the pick of the crop.

   picket    n.  1 stake, pale, post, peg, stanchion, upright, vertical,
             palisade, paling:  The walls of the fort were of strong pickets
             tapered to a point at the top. 2 demonstrator, protester,
             striker:  The police prevented the pickets from attacking
             workers who entered the factory. 3 picquet, sentinel, watchman,
             guard, observer, patrol, vedette or vidette or vedette boat:
             The picket reported no unusual activity.

             --v.  4 enclose, shut in, wall in, fence (in), hem in, box in:
             We picketed the camp for the night.  5 protest, demonstrate,
             blockade:  Strikers picketed the factory 24 hours a day.

   picnic    n.  1 garden party, f€te champ€tre, meal alfresco, barbecue, US
             clam-bake, US and Canadian cookout:  The clouds had gone, and it
             was a great day for a picnic.  2 child's play, Colloq pushover,
             snap, cinch, piece of cake, walk-over, US and Canadian breeze,
             lead-pipe cinch:  Sailing home with a quartering wind - it was a
             picnic all the way. 3 no picnic. difficult, arduous, torture,
             torturous, agony, agonizing, painful, disagreeable,
             discomfiting, misfortune, Colloq tough, tough luck, tough going,
             rough, a pain in the neck, US tough sledding, Taboo slang pain
             in the Brit arse or US ass:  Being marooned on a desert island
             for a month was no picnic, I assure you.

   pictorial adj.  1 graphic, picturesque, vivid, telling, striking,
             expressive, plain, explicit, clear, lucid:  Many of the poet's
             images are amazingly pictorial.  2 illustrated:  They published
             a pictorial history of biblical lands just for children.

   picture   n.  1 drawing, painting, representation, portrait, depiction,
             artwork, illustration, sketch, photograph:  Here is a picture of
             our cottage in the Cotswolds.  2 image, (perfect or exact)
             likeness, (carbon) copy, double, duplicate, twin, (exact)
             replica, look-alike, facsimile, Colloq spitting image or spit
             and image, Slang (dead) ringer:  Isn't she just the picture of
             her mother?  3 impression, idea, notion, understanding, image:
             I think I have a pretty good picture of the situation.  4 model,
             prototype, epitome, essence, embodiment, incarnation,
             personification, perfect example:  From her autobiography, you
             might believe her to be the picture of sweet innocence. 5 put
             (someone) in or into the picture. inform or advise fully, Colloq
             fill (someone) in:  Put me into the picture about what went on
             here last night.

             --v.  6 envision, envisage, visualize, imagine, fancy, conceive
             of, see in the mind's eye:  Picture yourself lying on a beach in
             the Bahamas.  7 depict, draw, portray, paint, represent, show,
             illustrate, display:  In this fresco, Salome is pictured dancing
             before Herod Antipas.

   picturesque
             adj.  1 colourful, interesting, intriguing, unusual, unique,
             original, charming, idyllic, fetching, attractive, pretty,
             lovely, quaint, delightful, pleasing, scenic:  We came upon a
             picturesque village in which all the houses were half-timbered
             Tudor style with thatched roofs. 2 colourful, graphic,
             realistic, vivid, striking:  Bernard has written a picturesque
             account of a walking trip through Bavaria.

   piece     n.  1 bit, morsel, scrap, chunk, hunk, sliver, lump, portion,
             particle, fragment, shred, shard or sherd, remnant, quantity:
             All the beggar wanted was a piece of bread. A piece of shrapnel
             is still embedded in my arm. 2 wedge, slice, serving, helping,
             portion:  You may not have a piece of pie till you've eaten your
             vegetables.  3 share, portion, fraction, part, division,
             segment, section, interest, holding, percentage, proportion:  It
             turned out that a piece of the company had been sold without
             shareholders' approval. 4 (short) story, article, essay, report,
             theme, draft; poem; music, opus, (musical) number, composition,
             arrangement, tune, melody, song, air, jingle, ditty; production,
             play, drama, sketch, show:  I read that piece about cholesterol
             in yesterday's paper. He wrote a piece for the flute. Which
             piece by Strindberg will you put on next? 5 man, token,
             chessman, chess-piece, chequer, Brit draughtsman:  Once you have
             touched a piece you must move it.  6 go to pieces. fall apart,
             disintegrate, crumble, shatter; be shattered, be upset, be
             disturbed, have a nervous breakdown, go out of or lose control,
             break down, Colloq crack up:  Another earthquake and this wall
             will go to pieces. At the news of his son's death, Joe simply
             went to pieces. 7 in pieces. smashed, destroyed, ruined,
             shattered, broken, in smithereens, smashed:  The vase lay in
             pieces at my feet. Though I had won the case, my life was in
             pieces. 8 of a piece (with). similar, similarly constituted,
             alike, of the same sort or kind or type, uniform, the same, part
             and parcel (of the same thing), identical; in harmony, in
             agreement, harmonious, in keeping:  This book is of a piece with
             the others in the same series. All his paintings are of a piece.
             9 piece of cake.  Colloq snap, cinch, US and Canadian lead-pipe
             cinch, breeze:  The French exam was a piece of cake.  10 piece
             of (one's) mind.  Colloq scolding, rebuke, lecture, reprimand,
             tongue-lashing, chiding, rap over or on the knuckles, Colloq
             hell, what for, dressing-down, US bawling-out, chewing-out:  She
             gave him a piece of her mind about the amount of time he spent
             in the pub. 11 piece of the action. share, portion, interest,
             stake, percentage, holding, quota:  For њ1000 you can have a
             piece of the action.  12 speak (one's) piece. have (one's) say,
             express (one's) opinion, say what is on (one's) mind; vent
             (one's) spleen, Colloq get a load off (one's) mind or chest:
             All were given a chance to speak their piece.

             --v.  13 piece together. assemble, put together, connect,
             gather, compose; fix, unite, restore, mend:  We pieced together
             what happened from the witnesses' accounts.  You'll never be
             able to piece together the bits of that lamp.

   piЉce de r‚sistance
             n.  highlight, (special or main) feature or attraction,
             sp‚cialit‚ (de la maison), masterpiece, chef-d'oeuvre, Brit
             speciality, US specialty:  The piЉce de r‚sistance of the meal
             was a magnificent gateau.

   piecemeal adv.  1 piece by piece, little by little, inch by inch, bit by
             bit, inchmeal, gradually, by degrees, slowly, in bits and
             pieces, by fits and starts, fitfully, intermittently,
             sporadically, disjointedly:  The ministry insisted that the
             plans should remain as one package and not be introduced
             piecemeal over the next two years. 2 into fragments or shreds or
             pieces:  He angrily took the cheque and tore it up piecemeal.

             --adj.  3 fragmentary, bit by bit, inchmeal, gradual,
             disjointed, sporadic:  The South-east could become one huge
             traffic jam unless the Government drops its piecemeal approach
             to planning.

   pier      n.  1 wharf, landing (stage or place), jetty, quay, floating
             dock, Technically inaccurate dock:  The ship is tied up at the
             pier.  2 pile, piling, post, upright, column, support, buttress:
             Owing to lack of maintenance, the piers supporting the building
             have crumbled.

   pierce    v.  1 stab, puncture, penetrate, thrust or poke into, lance,
             spear, spit, run through or into, skewer, impale, fix, transfix:
             The arrow pierced his heart and he dropped down dead.  2 bore
             into or through, penetrate, drill, perforate, riddle, punch
             through, hole, tunnel into:  The wall is pierced to provide
             ventilation.  3 penetrate, fathom, see, understand, comprehend,,
             grasp, discover, realize:  His keen analytical mind allowed him
             to pierce the mysteries of nature. 4 affect (keenly), touch,
             move, melt, stir, rouse, pain, cut to the quick, wound, strike:
             It pierced my heart to hear the child weep.

   piercing  adj.  1 strident, shrill, harsh, ear-splitting, ear-shattering,
             high-pitched, screaming, shrieking, screeching, loud, blaring:
             The piercing sound of the police siren made me sit bolt-upright
             in bed. 2 probing, searching, penetrating, sharp, keen;
             arresting, gripping, spellbinding, enthralling, fascinating,
             entrancing:  I was completely transfixed by her piercing green
             eyes.  3 penetrating, icy, frosty, frigid, chilling, freezing,
             cold, numbing, keen, wintry, arctic, raw, bitter, fierce,
             biting, nipping, nippy:  Shivering in that piercing wind I
             thought I'd never be warm again.  4 stabbing, shooting,
             excruciating, exquisite, acute, sharp, severe, agonizing,
             fierce, intense, painful, racking:  I suddenly felt a piercing
             pain in my left ear.

   piety     n.  1 devotion, devotedness, respect, deference, dedication,
             dutifulness, loyalty, affection:  In filial piety he hung the
             painting of his parents prominently over the mantelpiece. 2
             piousness, reverence, veneration, devoutness, holiness,
             godliness, pietism, devotedness, devotion, observance,
             religiousness, grace, sanctity:  His life of piety had marked
             him out as a likely candidate for sainthood.

   pile°     n.  1 heap, mound, stack, accumulation, stockpile, mass, supply,
             deposit, collection, assemblage, batch, hoard, aggregation,
             congeries, conglomeration, assortment, agglomeration,
             concentration, amassment:  A huge pile of gravel was delivered
             today for the builders.  2 money, fortune, wealth, holdings,
             Colloq bundle, loot, mint, Slang packet, tidy sum, US bankroll,
             roll, wad:  She made her pile selling arms to terrorists.  3
             Usually, piles. abundance, over-abundance, superabundance,
             plenty, great deal, quantity, ocean(s), lot(s), stack(s),
             plethora, Colloq oodles, ton(s), bag(s), heap(s), bundle(s):  He
             made piles of money in the black market.  4 See pier, 2, above.

             --v.  5 Often, pile up. stack (up), heap (up), mound,
             accumulate, stockpile, amass, collect, assemble, hoard,
             aggregate, cumulate:  Please pile the cartons in the corner.  6
             pile in or into. enter, get in or into, crowd in or into, pack
             in or into, flood in or into, jam in or into, crush in or into,
             Colloq jump in or into:  All of us piled into my car to go to
             the cinema.  7 pile it on. exaggerate:  Ronnie was really piling
             it on about how much his new job pays.  8 pile on or onto.  a
             get in or into or on or onto, crowd on or onto, jump on or onto:
             We piled on the train after the game. They piled onto the hay
             wagon for a ride home. b attack, assault, jump on, overwhelm:
             They all piled on me and I had to give up.  9 pile out. leave,
             get out (of) or down (from), exit:  When we arrived, we all
             piled out of the bus. Hordes of people piled out of the theatre.
             10 pile up. accumulate, amass, collect:  The rubbish kept piling
             up during the strike.

   pileэ     n.  nap, shag, plush; fuzz, bristles, fleece:  The feet of the
             chairs have left marks in the carpet pile.

   piles     n.pl.  haemorrhoids.

   pile-up   n.  1 (road) accident, smash, crash, (multiple) (rear-end)
             collision, Colloq smash-up:  Thirty cars were involved in that
             pile-up on the motorway.  2 accumulation, heap, stack, mass,
             Colloq mountain:  How will you ever get through that pile-up of
             work on your desk?

   pilfer    v.  steal, rob, plunder, thieve, filch, embezzle,
             misappropriate, purloin, take, walk off with, palm, Colloq
             appropriate, pinch, snatch, grab, lift, borrow, Brit nick,
             snaffle, US boost, Slang hook, snitch, swipe, rip off:  The
             auditors found that he had pilfered small sums from the company
             for years.

   pilgrim   n.  hajji or hadji or haji, Medieval history palmer; crusader:
             The pilgrims visited holy places in and near Jerusalem.

   pilgrimage
             n.  hajj or hadj, holy expedition, crusade; expedition, journey,
             trek, voyage, tour, trip, excursion:  Every year the entire
             family made a pilgrimage to grandfather's grave.

   pill      n.  1 tablet, capsule, bolus, pellet, pilule; medicine,
             medication, medicament, drug, pharmaceutical, remedy, cure;
             cough drop, pastille, lozenge, troche:  Doctor, can't you give
             me some kind of pill for this headache?  2 nuisance, bore, pest,
             Colloq pain (in the neck), crank, drag:  I don't understand what
             she sees in Leonard - he's such a pill.

   pillage   v.  1 plunder, raid, ravage, sack, despoil, rob, loot, ransack,
             rifle, maraud, depredate, devastate, vandalize, ruin, demolish,
             raze, level, strip:  The Goths pillaged every community they
             conquered and carried off the booty.

             --n.  2 plunder, rapine, despoliation, looting, robbery, sack,
             sacking, ransacking, marauding, brigandage, piracy, freebooting,
             buccaneering, banditry, depredation, devastation, vandalization,
             defilement, destruction, laying waste, destruction, razing,
             demolition, levelling, ruin, stripping:  Pirates from Tripoli
             were responsible for the pillage of one coastal town after
             another. 3 plunder, loot, booty, spoils:  In the cave Ali Baba
             found the pillage from a thousand robberies.

   pillar    n.  1 column, pilaster, pile, piling, pier, upright, post,
             shaft, prop; atlas, caryatid:  The roof is supported by a single
             pillar. Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt. 2 mainstay,
             supporter, worthy, upholder, backbone, (tower of) strength,
             leader:  Cummings has been a pillar of strength in our
             community.

   pilot     n.  1 aviator, aviatrix, flier, airman, airwoman, aeronaut,
             captain:  The pilot announced that we would land in five
             minutes.  2 steersman, helmsman, navigator, US wheelman or
             wheelsman; guide, leader, cicerone, conductor:  The pilot knows
             his way through the shoals. A student acted as our pilot in our
             tour of Oxford.

             --v.  3 guide, steer, run, direct, shepherd, control, lead,
             navigate, drive; fly:  Only someone with local knowledge can
             pilot the ship into that harbour. The chairman piloted the
             company through turbulent times.

   pimp      n.  1 procurer, panderer or pander, White slaver, whoremonger,
             Slang US hustler:  The police rounded up the pimps and
             prostitutes for questioning.

             --v.  2 procure, pander, solicit, Slang US hustle:  He was well
             known as having pimped for three generations of the nobility.

   pimple    n.  pustule, papula, boil, swelling, eruption, blackhead or
             technical comedo, excrescence, Brit spot, Scots plouk or plook,
             US whitehead, Old-fashioned US hickey:  The old witch had a
             pimple at the end of her nose.

   pin       n.  1 peg, dowel, bolt, thole, thole-pin, spike, rivet; Brit
             drawing-pin, US push-pin:  The table is held together by wooden
             pins. We need some more pins for the notice-board. 2 brooch,
             clip; stickpin, tie-pin, scarf-pin, US tie tack:  She is wearing
             the cameo pin that her mother gave her. I had George's pin made
             into a brooch.

             --v.  3 attach, fix, affix, fasten, secure, tack; hold, staple,
             clip:  Let's play 'Pin the tail on the donkey'. Pin these papers
             together.  4 pin down.  a force, make, compel, coerce,
             constrain, press, Brit pressurize, US pressure:  We must pin him
             down to give his decision by tomorrow.  b define, specify,
             pinpoint, name, identify, determine, name, put or lay one's
             finger on, home or zero in on, focus on:  The doctor was unable
             to pin down what is wrong with her.  c confine, hold (down),
             fix, immobilize, tie down, constrain:  We were pinned down by
             enemy fire.  5 pin on. blame, hold responsible or accountable,
             point the finger at, accuse; lay at (someone's) door:  They'll
             never be able to pin the murder on Drayton.

   pincers   n.pl.  pliers, nippers, tweezers:  Can you get the nail out with
             these pincers?

   pinch     v.  1 squeeze, nip, tweak, press, compress, grip, grasp:  I
             pinched my finger in the drawer.  2 squeeze, cramp, confine,
             crush, hurt:  These shoes really pinch badly.  3 steal, thieve,
             rob, take, shoplift, filch, pilfer, purloin, Colloq lift, Brit
             nick, US boost, Slang swipe, knock off:  I think it was Andrew
             who pinched my book.  4 arrest, apprehend, take into custody,
             Colloq nab, run in, collar, bust, run in, Brit nick:  She was
             pinched for driving while under the influence.  5 pinch pennies.
             scrimp, save, skimp, economize:  We're pinching pennies now so
             that we can afford a nice holiday later.

             --n.  6 squeeze, nip, tweak, twinge:  Montrose gave the girl's
             cheek an affectionate pinch.  7 touch, (tiny or wee) bit,
             soup‡on, jot, mite, taste, Colloq US tad, smidgen or smidgin:
             Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water.  8 predicament,
             emergency, crisis, difficulty, dilemma, (ticklish or delicate)
             situation, complication, Colloq pickle, jam, scrape, Chiefly
             Brit crunch:  Sue will help me out in a pinch.

   pink°     n.  1 in the pink. at one's best, healthy, hearty, in the best
             of health, in top form, in good shape, Colloq US up:  I saw Rob
             the other day, and he's in the pink.

             --adj.  2 rosy, rose, rose-coloured, pinkish, flesh-colour(ed),
             salmon(-colour(ed)):  The designer suggests pink curtains for
             the bedroom.

   pinkэ     v.  serrate, notch, scallop; perforate, puncture, prick:  Pink
             the edge of the fabric to prevent fraying.

   pinnacle  n.  top, peak, apex, acme, summit, zenith, maximum, climax,
             crowning point, consummation, utmost, extreme, perfection; tip,
             cap, crest, crown:  Being elected chairman was the pinnacle of
             Mark's career. The climbers reached the pinnacle, where they
             will rest overnight.

   pioneer   n.  1 pathfinder, frontiersman, frontierswoman, trail-blazer,
             explorer, colonist, (early) settler; ground-breaker, forerunner,
             precursor, predecessor, innovator, leader, trend-setter,
             pacemaker, pace-setter:  The pioneers who explored and settled
             the American west were daring men and women. Marconi was a
             pioneer in the development of radio.

             --v.  2 create, originate, invent, initiate, take the first
             step, introduce, institute, actuate, trigger, set off,
             inaugurate, start, begin, launch, establish, found, set up,
             develop, lay the groundwork or foundation, set or put in motion,
             take the lead, lead or show the way, blaze the trail, be a prime
             mover, open up, Colloq kick off, get the ball rolling:  Our
             company has pioneered systems for automatic typesetting.

   pious     adj.  1 devout, religious, reverent, reverential, worshipful,
             dutiful, God-fearing, godly, faithful, holy, dedicated, devoted,
             spiritual, moral, good, virtuous, right-minded, saintly, holy,
             angelic, seraphic, Christ-like, godlike:  Francis is a pious boy
             who attends church regularly.  2 hypocritical, sanctimonious,
             pietistic, self-righteous, Pharisaic, mealy-mouthed, pretended,
             fraudulent, goody-goody, unctuous, oily, Colloq Brit smarmy:
             You are rationalizing your bad behaviour with a lot of pious
             cant.

   pipe      n.  1 pipeline, tube, duct, hose, line, main, conduit, passage,
             conveyor, channel:  The pipes are inspected regularly for
             corrosion.  2 briar, meerschaum, corn-cob, calabash, clay pipe,
             water-pipe, hookah, narghile, chibouk or chibouque, peace-pipe
             or pipe of peace or calumet, Colloq Irish briar, Brit
             hubble-bubble, US bong:  He slowly tamped down the tobacco in
             his pipe, then lit it.  3 pan-pipe, whistle, boatswain's pipe,
             tooter, horn, wind, wind instrument, woodwind, brass:  They play
             the pipes in the London Symphony.

             --v.  4 tootle, tweet, skirl, warble, whistle, peep, cheep:  One
             was piping away on a flute, the other was dancing a jig.  5
             transmit, deliver, channel, conduct, convey, supply:  The gas is
             piped directly into our homes.  6 US look at, notice, spot,
             note, look at, Colloq get a load of:  Pipe the guy trying to
             climb up the outside of that building.  7 pipe down. become
             quieter, quieten down, make less noise, hush (up), shush (up),
             whisper, Colloq belt up, shut up:  I wish they'd pipe down, I
             can't sleep.  8 pipe up. speak (up), say, raise one's voice,
             make oneself heard, offer, volunteer:  Sally piped up with the
             correct answer from the back of the classroom.

   pipeline  n.  1 pipe, tube, duct, hose, line, main, conduit, passage,
             conveyor, channel:  Pipelines carry gas from the North Sea
             throughout Britain. Very little information was flowing through
             the pipeline from Beirut. 2 in the pipeline. on the way, under
             way, in the offing, ready, imminent, coming, Colloq in the
             works, cooking, US in work:  They said that the contract was in
             the pipeline and should arrive soon.

   pirate    n.  1 buccaneer, sea rover, corsair, privateer, freebooter,
             sea-robber, filibuster, Archaic picaroon:  Captain Kidd and
             Blackbeard were actual pirates who looted shipping in the
             Americas in the 17th century. 2 plagiarist, plagiarizer,
             infringer:  Some of these pirates offer unauthorized cheap
             reprints of expensive textbooks.

             --v.  3 plagiarize, infringe, copy, reproduce, steal,
             appropriate, poach, Colloq lift, pinch, crib:  Our government
             has no jurisdiction over those who pirate books in countries
             with which we have no treaty.

   pirouette n.  1 spin, whirl, twirl, turn, revolution, pivoting:
             Antoinette did a beautiful pirouette followed by a pas de chat.

             --v.  2 spin, whirl, turn (round), revolve, pivot:  He was so
             happy that he fairly pirouetted round the room.

   pistol    n.  gun, handgun, revolver, automatic, Slang rod, piece,
             shooting-iron, Chiefly US gat, US Saturday-night special,
             heater, roscoe:  In the United States, law enforcement officers
             are required to carry a pistol.

   piston    n.  plunger:  The piston in a bicycle pump is worked by hand.

   pit°      n.  1 hole, excavation, shaft, cavity, mine, mine-shaft, quarry,
             working, ditch, trench, trough:  Pits had been dug for the
             extraction of gravel.  2 pothole, hollow, depression, dent,
             indentation, dimple, pock-mark:  His face was disfigured by the
             pits left by teenage acne.  3 abyss, chasm, well, crevasse,
             crater:  We found a bottomless pit that led to the centre of the
             earth.  4 the pits. awful, terrible, the worst, Slang lousy:
             That TV show last night was the pits. He thought that going to
             school was the pits.

             --v.  5 dent, pock-mark, dig, scar, hollow out, gouge:  The salt
             air has pitted the metal parts of my car.  6 Often, pit against.
             match, oppose, set against; contrast:  Shirley doesn't stand a
             chance if they pit her against Maria.

   pitэ      n.  stone, seed, pip:  I prefer seedless grapes, the ones
             without pits.

   pitch°    v.  1 toss, throw, cast, fling, hurl, heave, sling, fire,
             launch, shoot, send, let fly, Cricket bowl, Colloq chuck, peg,
             lob, Brit bung:  He rolled the paper into a ball and pitched it
             into the basket.  2 erect, raise, set or put up, position, fix,
             place:  We ought to pitch the tent in a level area.  3 plunge,
             fall (headlong), dive, drop, plummet, (take a) nosedive:  I
             caught my toe on the kerb and pitched forward onto the pavement.
             4 Chiefly nautical toss about, lurch, plunge, flounder, go head
             over heels, go keel over truck, US pitchpole or pitchpoll:  The
             wind reached force ten as we pitched and rolled and yawed in the
             heavy seas. 5 pitch in. contribute, cooperate, help, assist,
             Colloq chip in:  Everyone pitched in to make the church fair a
             success.  6 pitch into.  a attack, lay into, assail, lash out
             at, abuse, rail against, Colloq lace into, tear into, jump down
             (someone's) throat, jump on:  Reggie's wife really pitched into
             him about going out with other women. b attack, assault, set
             upon, belabour, Colloq light into, sail into, tear into:  They
             pitched into each other and fought like Kilkenny cats.  7 pitch
             on or upon. determine, decide on, select, pick, choose, opt for,
             elect, nominate, name, Colloq light on:  They pitched on Carrie
             to be the best candidate for treasurer.

   pitchэ    n.  tar, bitumen, asphalt:  Peter patched potholes with pitch.

   pitch-black
             adj.  black, dark, ebon(y), Stygian, inky(-black), unlit,
             unlighted, pitch-dark, coal-black, jet-black; raven, sable:  The
             cellar was pitch-black. Her pale complexion was in stark
             contrast to her pitch-black hair.

   pitched   adj.  organized, planned, deliberate, coordinated, arranged,
             systematized:  The two armies fought a pitched battle on the
             plain.

   piteous   adj.  pitiable, pathetic, pitiful, plaintive, miserable,
             heart-rending, poignant, distressing, grievous, heart-breaking,
             mournful, sad, doleful, dolorous, tearful, lamentable,
             deplorable, regrettable, rueful, woeful, moving, emotional:  We
             heard the piteous wailing of the mothers who had lost children
             in the disaster.

   pitfall   n.  1 trap, pit:  Pitfalls were often used in Burma for trapping
             tigers.  2 danger, peril, hazard, catch, difficulty, snag:  You
             might well encounter pitfalls, but don't be discouraged.

   pith      n.  1 core, heart, kernel, nucleus, crux, gist, focus, focal
             point, essence, meat, marrow, nub, point, spirit, substance,
             quintessence:  As usual, Randolph came immediately to the pith
             of the argument.  2 weight, burden, gravamen, gravity, force,
             moment, import, importance, significance, substance, depth,
             matter:  I have something of great pith to tell you about.

   pitiable  adj.  See piteous, above.

   pitiful   adj.  1 See piteous, above.  2 small, little, insignificant,
             trifling, unimportant, beggarly, sorry, mean, contemptible:
             Does Hodges seriously expect us to praise him for that pitiful
             contribution of his?

   pittance  n.  mite, shoestring, Slang peanuts, chicken-feed, small
             potatoes:  The miserable pittance that she receives does not
             even cover the necessities of life. He's trying to run that
             business on a pittance.

   pitted    adj.  eaten away, corroded, eroded, pock-marked, defaced,
             marred, pierced, perforated:  The chrome plating is all pitted
             where the acid splashed.

   pity      n.  1 sympathy, commiseration, sorrow, condolence, compassion,
             tenderness, Archaic ruth:  I really feel pity for Betty, being
             married to such a brute.  2 (crying or damned) shame, sad thing,
             disgrace, misfortune, sin, sacrilege, Colloq crime:  It's a pity
             that no one can do anything.

             --v.  3 sympathize, feel for, commiserate with, feel sorry for,
             feel or have compassion or tenderness for, bleed for, weep for:
             I pity any mother whose son goes off to war.

   pivot     n.  1 pintle, gudgeon, hinge, swivel, pin, kingpin, spindle,
             fulcrum:  Use this stone as a pivot for the lever to lift the
             rock.  2 centre, heart, focal point, hub, nave, crux:  The
             finance minister regards the interest rate as the pivot on which
             the economy turns.

             --v.  3 rotate, revolve, turn, spin, twirl, whirl, swivel:  The
             flywheel pivots on a bearing that requires constant lubrication.
             4 hinge, depend, hang, be contingent, revolve around, rely:  The
             whole deal pivots on the cooperation of the banks.

   pivotal   adj.  critical, central, focal, crucial, significant, important,
             essential, vital, pressing, urgent, radical:  The attitude of
             the judge is pivotal in the jury's decision.

16.5 place...
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   place     n.  1 location, site, position, point, spot, locus, area,
             locale, scene, setting:  This looks like a nice place for a
             picnic. She likes to see a place for everything and everything
             in its place. 2 locale, area, neighbourhood, vicinity, district,
             section, part of the country, quarter, region; city, town,
             village, hamlet:  She comes from some place near Glasgow.  3
             status, station, standing, grade, rank, position, niche, slot,
             situation, estate, state, circumstance(s):  Angela was just
             saying how difficult it is today to find a servant who knows his
             place. 4 function, role, part, purpose, duty, obligation, task,
             responsibility, charge, chore, burden, concern, mission:  It is
             scarcely my place to remind you of your appointments with the
             dentist. 5 position, job, post, berth, appointment, livelihood;
             employment, occupation, Colloq billet:  Is there a chance of my
             earning a place in your new company?  6 home, house, flat,
             apartment, room(s), quarters, lodgings, Rather formal residence,
             domicile, dwelling, abode, Colloq digs or diggings, pad:  Why
             not stop by my place for tea on Sunday?  7 stead; lieu:  As I
             cannot go, would you go in place of me?  8 position, situation,
             circumstances, condition:  Put yourself in my place and I think
             you would have done exactly the same. 9 seat, chair, position:
             Kevin, please take your place at the head of the table.  10 go
             places. succeed, become successful, get ahead, advance, prosper,
             thrive, flourish, go up in the world, make good, strike it rich,
             Colloq arrive, make a splash, US and Canadian hit pay dirt, luck
             out:  That boy will go places one day.  11 in place.  a fitting,
             suitable, appropriate, right, proper, correct, good form:  I
             don't think it in place for you to tell me what to do.  b in
             situ, in (the right or proper or correct) position, ready, all
             set, set up, in order, all right, Colloq OK or okay:  Is
             everything in place for tonight's party?  12 out of place.
             awkward, uncomfortable, unsuitable, inappropriate, wrong,
             improper, misplaced:  Compassion is out of place when dealing
             with war criminals.  13 put (someone) in his or her or their
             place. humble, mortify, bring down, embarrass, squelch, Colloq
             cut down to size, take down a peg (or two):  Aunt Agatha used to
             put Uncle Wilfred in his place by reminding him who held the
             purse-strings. 14 take place. happen, occur, go on, come about;
             arise, Colloq transpire:  We shall never know what took place
             behind those locked doors.

             --v.  15 put (out), position, situate, locate, dispose, arrange,
             order, set (out), lay, deposit; station, post, spot, pinpoint,
             Colloq stick, Brit bung:  Place the forks on the left and the
             knives on the right. They placed guards at the door of my room.
             16 class, classify, sort, order, arrange, rank, group,
             categorize, bracket, grade; regard, view, see, consider:  She
             places love of family above love of country. Critics place him
             among the best writers of the century. 17 identify, put one's
             finger on, recall, remember, recognize; associate:  I just can't
             place her for the moment. He finally placed me with those who
             had ragged him at school. 18 put, set, assign, give:  People
             place too much importance on material things.

   placement n.  1 arrangement, placing, position, distribution, array,
             disposition, deployment, positioning, stationing, organization,
             order, ordering, location, locating, arraying, emplacement,
             emplacing:  The placement of the chairs is all wrong for
             tonight's meeting.  2 employment, appointment, engagement,
             hiring:  Placement of qualified engineers has not been a
             problem.

   plagiarism
             n.  plagiarizing, plagiary, piracy, pirating, theft, purloining,
             stealing, copying, appropriating, appropriation, thievery,
             usurpation, infringing, infringement, imitation, Euphemistic
             borrowing, Colloq lifting, cribbing:  The similarities between
             the two books could only be explained by plagiarism.

   plague    n.  1 scourge, epidemic, pestilence, affliction, pandemic,
             calamity, curse, evil, bane, blight, visitation:  The
             inhabitants turned a plague of locusts to advantage by eating
             them. 2 irritation, annoyance, nuisance, pest, vexation, bother,
             thorn in one's side or flesh, torment, torture, Colloq pain (in
             the neck), headache, aggravation, Slang drag, bitch, hassle,
             Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass:  It's a plague
             trying to find a place to park the car.

             --v.  3 badger, harry, hound, pester, annoy, vex, irritate,
             bother, harass, nag, nettle, exasperate, gall, annoy, irk,
             torment, torture, anguish, distress, Brit chivvy or chivy or
             chevy:  I wish the police would stop plaguing me with questions
             about Jonathan's whereabouts.

   plain     adj.  1 flat, smooth, even, featureless, level, plane:  I'd
             rather have a paper with a plain surface, not an embossed one,
             for the bedroom walls. 2 clear, evident, simple, distinct,
             crystal clear, lucid, vivid, transparent, apparent, obvious,
             patent, self-evident, manifest, distinct, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable, unequivocal, unambiguous, understandable,
             intelligible, graphic, direct, in black and white:  His
             intentions regarding my daughter are plain enough. The plain
             fact is that she despises him. 3 open, honest, straightforward,
             forthright, direct, frank, candid, blunt, outspoken, ingenuous,
             sincere, guileless, artless, unreserved:  I want to see some
             plain talk between the two of us.  4 simple, unadorned,
             undecorated, unembellished, basic, austere, stark,
             unostentatious, colourless, drab, bare, unvarnished, Spartan:
             Don't you find the average business suit a very plain affair?  5
             homely, unattractive, ordinary-looking, unlovely, ugly:  Who
             would believe that such a plain child could become such a
             beautiful woman?

             --n.  6 prairie, grassland, pasture, meadow-land, veld or veldt,
             pampas, campo, llano, savannah or savanna, steppe, tundra,
             champaign or campagna; heath; moor, moorland; plateau, flatland;
             down, downland, Literary wold, Archaic or literary mead:  The
             plain stretched out before us as far as the eye could see.

   plan      n.  1 design, layout, blueprint, scheme, method, procedure,
             system, arrangement, programme, project, formula, pattern,
             Colloq script, scenario:  The plan called for monthly progress
             meetings. The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley. 2
             drawing, sketch, design, layout, blueprint, chart, map, diagram,
             representation:  This plan shows where the furniture will be
             placed.

             --v.  3 lay out or down, design, arrange, devise, outline,
             organize, plot, map out, delineate, develop:  She has been
             invited to plan the new shopping mall.  4 intend, expect,
             envisage, envision, foresee, aim, contemplate, propose:  Were
             you planning to go to the cinema tonight?

   plane     n.  1 flat or level (surface):  The lines meet in the same
             plane.  2 aeroplane, aircraft, airliner, jet (plane):  I caught
             the next plane for Marrakesh.

             --adj.  3 flat, even, level, smooth, plain, regular, unbroken,
             uninterrupted, uniform, horizontal:  We landed on the plane
             surface of the glacier.

             --v.  4 glide, skim, skate, skid, slip, slide:  I swiftly planed
             along on my sailboard.

   plank     n.  board, timber, slab:  The flooring was made up of wide
             planks laid side by side.

   plant     n.  1 flower, vegetable, herb, bush, shrub, tree, vine, weed:
             Because of all the rain, the plants are flourishing this summer.
             2 factory, mill, shop, works, workshop, foundry:  The new plant
             in Crawley is hiring lathe operators.  3 equipment, machinery,
             apparatus; gear, fixtures:  The plant includes heavy cranes,
             JCBs, earth movers, and bulldozers.  4 spy, (undercover or
             secret) agent, informer, informant:  The new assistant is a
             plant, sent in by management to report on union activities.

             --v.  5 bed (out), sow, seed, set (out), transplant:  We planted
             a herbaceous border along the south wall of the garden.  6
             implant, establish, root, fix, ingrain, lodge, instil,
             insinuate, inject, introduce, impress, imprint:  Who planted the
             idea in your mind that you were a gifted writer?  7 place, put,
             position, station, assign, situate:  Watch-towers are planted at
             50-foot intervals around the prison.  8 hide, secrete, conceal:
             The company has planted detectives in the store to watch out for
             shoplifters.

   planter   n.  flowerpot, cache-pot:  He poured the drugged wine into a
             nearby planter.

   plaque    n.  1 tablet, medallion, plate, panel, marker, slab, plaquette:
             The plaque on the house marks it as the birthplace of Thomas
             Carlyle.  2 badge, brooch, pin, patch, medallion, medal,
             insignia or insigne:  The plaque shows him to be a member of the
             Royal Yacht Squadron.  3 prize, honour, award, trophy:  At the
             annual dinner, she was presented with a plaque to mark her many
             years of service.

   plaster   v.  smear, daub, bedaub, spread, coat, cover, overlay,
             superimpose:  The mud was plastered all over my boots. They
             plastered the walls with posters.

   plastic   adj.  1 mouldable, shapable or shapeable, fictile, soft,
             malleable, workable, ductile, flexible, soft, pliant, supple,
             pliable, clayey, waxy:  The clay must be worked into the desired
             form while it is still plastic. 2 impressionable, receptive,
             open, persuadable or persuasible, susceptible, tractable,
             compliant, responsive, manageable, unformed, inexperienced:  One
             encounters the children at an age when their minds and
             personalities are still plastic enough to be influenced. 3
             artificial, synthetic, imitation, fake, counterfeit, ersatz,
             paste, bogus, meretricious, sham; cheap, pinchbeck, shoddy;
             Colloq phoney or US also phony, crummy, US chintzy:  She was
             wearing a tawdry plastic brooch.

   plate     n.  1 platter, dish, Archaic trencher, charger:  I left the cold
             mashed potato on my plate.  2 course, serving, portion, dish,
             platter:  I ordered their speciality, a plate of spaghetti.  3
             layer, leaf, sheet, pane, panel, lamina, slab:  In the
             condenser, insulation separates the thin metal plates.  4
             coating, coat, plating, layer, lamination:  The plate on our
             cutlery is wearing thin.  5 illustration, picture, print, US
             cut:  The book contains many beautiful colour plates of flowers.

             --v.  6 cover, coat, overlay, face, laminate:  All the serving
             dishes were plated with gold.

   plateau   n.  1 tableland, upland, highland, mesa:  We climbed till we
             reached a grassy plateau.  2 level, lull, pause, levelling off:
             At 39, Julia seemed to have reached a plateau in her career.

   platform  n.  1 stand, dais, stage, podium, rostrum:  After the
             introduction, the speaker mounted the platform.  2 policy, party
             line, principle(s), tenet(s), programme, plank:  The main
             elements of our platform will be revealed at the party
             conference.

   platonic  adj.  non-physical, asexual, non-sexual, celibate, chaste,
             dispassionate, detached, spiritual, ideal, intellectual:  Some
             say that their relationship has not always been purely platonic.

   platoon   n.  company, squad, squadron, group, patrol, team, cadre, body,
             formation, unit, Colloq outfit:  A platoon of soldiers was
             marched to the barracks in close-order drill.

   platter   n.  serving dish, server, salver, tray, plate, dish:  Waiters
             walked among the guests with platters of hot hors-d'oeuvres.

   plausible adj.  1 likely, believable, reasonable, credible, tenable,
             conceivable, thinkable, probable, imaginable, admissible, sound,
             sensible, rational, logical, acceptable, trustworthy,
             presentable:  The police regarded our alibi as plausible.  2
             specious, deceptive, meretricious, misleading, deceitful,
             casuistic, sophistical, Jesuitical, smooth, empty:  He was a
             cunning, plausible sort of fellow.

   play      v.  1 amuse oneself, frolic, frisk, cavort, gambol, caper,
             sport, have fun, have a good time, enjoy oneself, disport
             (oneself), carouse:  Ken's mother won't let him go out and play.
             2 participate (in), take part (in), join (in), be occupied (in
             or with); engage in, contend in, take up, take part in, occupy
             oneself in or with, undertake:  He was invited for a game of
             poker, but he refused to play. I understand that you play
             bridge. 3 engage, contend with, compete with or against,
             challenge, vie with, pit oneself against, take on, rival:  The
             stranger played me at snooker, and I lost three games out of
             three. 4 portray, depict, perform, act or take the role or part
             of, act:  In the new production of Othello she plays Desdemona.
             5 perform (upon or on); put on:  Play 'Misty' for me. She plays
             the piccolo very well. Could you play that Caruso record? 6
             operate:  I wish they wouldn't play their hi-fi so loud.  7
             gamble, bet, wager, stake, place, put:  He played his last chip
             on number 14.  8 play along.  a Often, play along with.
             cooperate, participate, go along (with), do or play one's part,
             be a party to:  I agreed to play along with her charade.  b
             manipulate, jolly along:  She played him along till he bought
             her a car.  9 play around.  a fool around, tease, Colloq monkey
             about or around, horse around or about:  Stop playing around and
             get to work.  b dally, flirt, be unfaithful; philander,
             womanize; Colloq fool around, run around, sleep around, play the
             field:  She found out about his playing around and filed for
             divorce.  10 play at. pretend, make believe, fake, feign,
             simulate, affect:  She's merely playing at enjoying skiing to
             please you.  11 play ball. cooperate, agree, work together, work
             hand in glove, play along:  They want him to smuggle diamonds,
             but he won't play ball.  12 play by ear. improvise, extemporize,
             ad lib , Colloq wing it:  She can't read music and just plays by
             ear. With no definite plan of action, I'll just play it by ear.
             13 play down. belittle, minimize, diminish, disparage, make
             light of, deprecate, decry, de-emphasize:  He has always played
             down his role in the affair.  14 play for time. delay,
             procrastinate, stall (for time), temporize, hesitate, Colloq
             drag one's feet:  They don't yet have the money to pay, so they
             are playing for time. 15 play on or upon. use, misuse, abuse,
             trade on, exploit, take advantage of, impose on:  He plays on
             women's affections then persuades them to give him money. 16
             play the game. behave, conduct oneself, deport oneself, act:  It
             makes no difference whether you win or lose, it's how you play
             the game. 17 play up.  a stress, emphasize, underscore,
             underline, accentuate, call attention to, highlight, spotlight,
             dramatize, build up:  Always try to play up your assets and play
             down your liabilities.  b act up, misbehave, give or cause
             trouble, malfunction, Colloq go on the blink or US fritz, Brit
             be wonky:  The bloody engine started playing up again, right in
             the middle of a rainstorm. 18 play up to. curry favour with,
             flatter, toady to, ingratiate oneself with, butter up, truckle
             to, court, Colloq soft-soap, suck up to, boot-lick, US
             apple-polish, Taboo slang brown-nose:  Ray is always playing up
             to the teacher, trying to get a better mark. 19 play with.  a
             toy with, trifle with, treat cavalierly or lightly, make light
             of, think nothing of, dally with, amuse oneself with:  He's just
             playing with her till he gets what he's after.  b consider,
             think about, toy with, not treat seriously:  We were playing
             with the idea of a winter holiday this year.  c mess with,
             fiddle with, toy with, fidget with:  Stop playing with your
             food!

             --n.  20 drama, stage play, show, piece, production,
             entertainment:  We have tickets to a different play for every
             night this week.  21 behaviour, actions, deportment, conduct,
             demeanour:  In the game of life, many have no regard for the
             rules of fair play. The police suspect foul play. 22 amusement,
             frivolity, entertainment, recreation, fun, pleasure, sport,
             merrymaking, revelry, tomfoolery, Colloq horseplay, skylarking,
             monkey business, Brit monkey tricks or US monkeyshines:  The
             time for play is past, and we must get down to serious business.
             23 move, manoeuvre, action:  That last play might have won you
             the game.  24 flexibility, looseness, freedom, leeway, margin,
             room, space, movement, motion, Colloq give:  There's too much
             play in this gear lever.  25 treatment, coverage, attention:
             The newspapers gave Connie's new book a big play.

   playboy   n.  man about town, rou‚, rake, debauchee, gay dog, womanizer,
             Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, Romeo, Colloq wolf, lady-killer:
             He fancies himself as a playboy, but no women seem to agree.

   player    n.  1 contestant, participant, competitor, contender; athlete,
             sportswoman, sportsman, Colloq US jock:  Chess players from all
             over the world came together for the championship.  The referee
             sent three players off. 2 actor or actress, performer,
             entertainer, trouper, Thespian:  The local drama group is the
             Allen Arts Players.  3 gambler, better or especially US bettor,
             gamester, speculator, Brit punter:  J.B. is a big player in the
             commodities market.  4 musician, instrumentalist, performer,
             virtuoso:  Gladys is one of the best tuba players in the band.

   playful   adj.  1 (high-)spirited, cheerful, frisky, frolicsome,
             kittenish, sprightly, fun-loving, sportive, coltish,
             mischievous, puckish, impish, elfish, devilish:  The cat didn't
             mean to scratch you, she was just being playful.  2 joking,
             facetious, teasing, roguish, waggish, jesting, humorous,
             tongue-in-cheek:  Cleo's in a playful mood today, isn't she?

   playmate  n.  playfellow, friend, comrade, Colloq pal, chum, US and
             Canadian buddy:  Some of Molly's playmates are asking if she can
             come out to play.

   plaything n.  1 toy, game, knick-knack, pastime:  Please pick up your
             playthings before supper.  2 tool, cat's-paw, dupe, pigeon,
             pawn, Colloq US and Canadian fall guy:  She had no use for Gerry
             except as a plaything.

   playwright
             n.  dramatist, dramaturge or dramaturgist, scriptwriter,
             screenwriter, scenarist:  The playwright has deftly caught the
             way people talk to each other.

   plea      n.  1 request, entreaty, appeal, petition, supplication, suit,
             cry, solicitation:  Teenagers' mischievous behaviour is an
             earnest plea for attention.  2 answer, defence, argument:  She
             entered a plea of 'not guilty' to the charge.  3 excuse, reason,
             explanation, justification; pretext:  His plea was that he had
             not received the bill and therefore couldn't pay it.

   plead     v.  1 Often, plead for. request, appeal (for), cry (for), ask
             (for), seek, beg (for), pray (for), supplicate (for):  It was a
             hot day and the children were pleading for ice-creams every half
             hour. 2 Usually, plead with. request (of), entreat, appeal to,
             petition, ask, apply to, implore, beseech, beg, importune,
             solicit; demand:  Bryan pleaded with us to let him go to the
             rock concert.  3 assert, say, aver, allege, argue, maintain,
             offer, put forward, declare, affirm, avow, swear:  She pleaded
             that she was unaware that the goods she was selling had been
             stolen.

   pleasant  adj.  1 pleasing, pleasurable, nice, enjoyable, satisfying,
             good, lovely, attractive, inviting, enjoyable, gratifying,
             delightful, charming, agreeable, suitable, fitting, appropriate;
             harmonious, euphonious, melodic, mellifluous; delicious,
             delectable, palatable, savoury, toothsome:  Travelling on the
             Orient Express was a most pleasant experience.  The bedroom is
             decorated in a combination of pleasant colours. He simply
             doesn't find sunbathing particularly pleasant. That sauce has a
             very pleasant taste. 2 friendly, affable, amiable, amicable,
             gregarious, companionable, sociable, engaging, attractive,
             winning, open, approachable, outgoing, welcoming, hospitable,
             agreeable, gracious, charming, congenial, genial, nice,
             likeable, urbane, cultivated, genteel, polite, courteous,
             well-mannered, suave, debonair, polished, well-bred, cultured:
             Murray always has a pleasant expression on his face. He is quite
             a pleasant fellow, once you get to know him. 3 fair, sunny,
             clear, bright, cloudless, balmy, nice, fine:  What a pleasant
             day for an outing in the country!

   please    v.  1 delight, gratify, satisfy, suit, humour, content, cheer,
             gladden, amuse, divert, interest, entertain:  I cannot tell you
             how much it pleases me to see you again.  2 like, prefer,
             choose, desire, want, see fit, wish, will, elect, opt:  She may
             have her birthday party wherever she pleases.

   pleased   adj.  happy, delighted, glad, gratified, satisfied, contented,
             thrilled; Colloq tickled pink, pleased as Punch, on cloud nine,
             in seventh heaven, on top of the world, walking on air, Brit
             over the moon, chuffed:  His pleased look comes from his having
             won first prize.

   pleasing  adj.  1 See pleasant, 1, above.  2 See pleasant, 2, above.

   pleasurable
             adj.  See pleasant, 1, above.

   pleasure  n.  1 enjoyment, happiness, delight, joy, satisfaction,
             fulfilment, contentment, gratification; comfort, recreation,
             amusement, entertainment, diversion:  It is a pleasure to meet
             you at last. Fred derives so much pleasure from tinkering with
             his model railways. 2 choice, option, desire, wish, preference,
             fancy, inclination, discretion:  Feel free to come and go at
             your pleasure.

   plebeian  adj.  1 proletarian, working-class, blue-collar, low-class,
             lower-class, lowly, low-born, common, mean, humble, inferior,
             peasant-like, Colloq non-U:  What would you expect from someone
             with such a plebeian background?  2 unrefined, coarse, vulgar,
             ignoble, lowbrow, unpolished, uncouth, crass, brutish, gauche,
             provincial, rustic, popular, commonplace, undistinguished:  The
             entertainment caters to the most plebeian tastes.

             --n.  3 proletarian, common man or woman, commoner, man or woman
             in the street, (any or every) Tom, Dick, or Harry, Brit man or
             woman on the Clapham omnibus, Colloq pleb, prole:  This art
             exhibition is not going to mean very much to the plebeians.

   plebiscite
             n.  popular vote or ballot, referendum, poll:  The plebiscite
             revealed that the people were in favour of joining the Common
             Market.

   pledge    n.  1 promise, oath, vow, word (of honour), covenant, assurance,
             guaranty, guarantee, warrant, warranty:  They have our solemn
             pledge that we will return within the hour.  2 bail, surety,
             collateral, security, deposit, earnest (money), pawn, gage,
             bond, guaranty, guarantee:  They wanted something besides my
             signature as a pledge for the money. 3 toast, tribute, cheer,
             health:  They drank a pledge to the success of the voyage.

             --v.  4 swear, vow, promise, give one's word (of honour),
             contract, undertake, agree, vouch, vouchsafe:  I pledge
             allegiance to the nation.  5 deposit, pawn, mortgage, Archaic
             gage, Colloq US and Canadian hock:  He pledged his gold watch to
             pay for her birthday present.  6 toast, drink (to), drink
             (someone's) health:  Drink to me only with thine eyes And I will
             pledge with mine.

   plentiful adj.  1 ample, abundant, profuse, copious, lavish, plenteous,
             bountiful, generous, bounteous:  We found a plentiful supply of
             food in the markets.  2 fertile, fruitful, productive, bumper,
             luxuriant, thriving, prolific:  We thanked the Lord for a
             plentiful harvest.

   plenty    n.  1 abundance, more than enough, great deal, mass(es),
             quantity or quantities, multitude(s), number(s), load(s), mess,
             scores, Colloq lot(s), mountain(s), heap(s), stack(s), pile(s),
             load(s), ton(s), ocean(s), oodles, US and Canadian slew(s):
             There is plenty of food, so it is just as well that plenty of
             people are coming. There's plenty of time before your bus
             arrives. 2 plentifulness, fertility, copiousness, abundance,
             plenteousness, wealth, profusion, lavishness, prodigality,
             plenitude, bountifulness:  It was a land of plenty, a land of
             milk and honey.

   pliable   adj.  1 flexible, pliant, elastic, plastic, fictile, malleable,
             workable, bendable, bendy, ductile, flexuous, supple; lithe,
             limber:  This substance remains pliable only while it is warm.
             2 tractable, adaptable, flexible, pliant, compliant, persuadable
             or persuasible, impressionable, susceptible, responsive,
             receptive, docile, manageable, yielding:  The other directors
             may not be as pliable when it comes to improving employee
             benefits.

   plight    n.  condition, state, circumstances, situation, case;
             difficulty, predicament, quandary, dilemma, catch-22, straits,
             trouble, extremity, Colloq hole, jam, pickle, spot, scrape, fix,
             bind, hot water, mess, fine kettle of fish, fine state of
             affairs:  As soon as Elliott's sorry plight became known, we all
             rallied round to help.

   plod      v.  1 Often, plod along. trudge (along), tramp, slog, drag,
             tread, lumber, labour, Colloq stomp, galumph:  We plodded
             wearily up the road carrying our heavy packs.  2 Often, plod
             along or away. labour, work, drudge, toil, moil, slave (away),
             grind (away or along), grub (on or along), plug (along or away),
             Brit peg away (at) or along:  Plodding through the compilation
             of the Oxford Thesaurus, he was only halfway through the letter
             P.

   plot°     n.  1 scheme, plan, intrigue, machination, cabal; conspiracy:
             The plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament was uncovered at a
             late stage. 2 story (line), chain of events, theme, outline,
             scenario, thread, skeleton:  Most operas have weak plots, but
             the music can be sublime.

             --v.  3 scheme, plan, intrigue, machinate, cabal, collude,
             conspire, hatch, devise, design, arrange, organize, concoct,
             dream up, conceive, Colloq cook up:  Martin's wife had been
             plotting to murder him since their wedding night. 4 draw, plan,
             diagram, lay down, outline, calculate, compute, figure, chart,
             map (out), find, determine, depict, show:  The navigator plotted
             our position as being in the Strait of Malacca.

   plotэ     n.  lot, plat, patch or parcel (of land), tract, acreage, area,
             Brit allotment:  I have a small plot by the canal which is ideal
             for growing potatoes.

   plough    v.  1 till, cultivate, furrow, harrow, Literary delve:  They
             ought to finish ploughing the south field by tomorrow.  2 drive,
             plunge, push, bulldoze, lunge, dive, shove, hurtle, crash:  Out
             of control, a bus ploughed through the fence and into my garden.

   pluck     n.  1 courage, spirit, bravery, grit, boldness, intrepidity,
             backbone, mettle, determination, gameness, resolve, resolution,
             steadfastness, hardiness, sturdiness, stout-heartedness,
             stoutness, fortitude, nerve, Colloq guts, spunk, US sand, Slang
             Brit bottle, US moxie:  She certainly showed pluck standing up
             to the boss like that.

             --v.  2 pick, remove, withdraw, draw out, extract:  The children
             plucked flowers in the garden and made posies.  3 snatch, grab,
             yank, jerk, tear (away):  She was plucked from the jaws of death
             by Tarzan, who happened to be swinging by on a vine. 4 tug (at),
             pull (at), catch (at), clutch (at); vellicate:  An ancient crone
             plucked at his sleeve as he passed.

   plug      n.  1 stopper, stopple, bung, cork:  If you pull the plug out,
             the water will run out.  2 chew, twist, quid, wad, pigtail,
             cavendish:  As they forbade smoking, he would take snuff or chew
             a plug of tobacco. 3 publicity, mention, promotion,
             recommendation, puff, blurb, PR; advertisement, Colloq advert,
             hype:  His book was given a plug on yesterday's evening news.

             --v.  4 Often, plug up. stop (up), close (up or off), seal (off
             or up), cork, stopper, bung, block, jam, stuff, clog, obstruct,
             dam (up):  A piece of soap has plugged the drain.  5 publicize,
             mention, promote, push, advertise, puff, commend, Colloq boost,
             beat the drum for:  It wasn't right to plug her brother's
             company in her article on double glazing. 6 See plod, 2, above.

   plum      n.  find, catch, coup, prize, treasure; bonus, cream:  Harvey's
             landed a plum job as overseas buyer.

   plumb     n.  1 weight, (plumb-)bob, plummet, lead, sinker:  The plumb
             holds the string taut and exactly vertical.

             --adj.  2 vertical, perpendicular, straight up and down:  Make
             sure the jamb is plumb before hanging the door.

             --adv.  3 vertically, perpendicularly, straight up and down:
             The cord doesn't hang plumb because the shelf is in the way.  4
             exactly, precisely, dead, right, accurately, Colloq slap, Brit
             bang, spot:  The navigator checked our position and we were
             plumb on course.

             --v.  5 sound, fathom, measure, probe, explore, measure, gauge,
             delve, penetrate:  The bathyscaphe has plumbed the deeps of the
             Indian Ocean. I plumb the depths of depression thinking of
             starving people everywhere.

   plummet   v.  See plunge, 1, below.

   plump°    adj.  1 chubby, stout, fleshy, ample, full-bodied, portly,
             tubby, rotund, squat, chunky, buxom, corpulent, roly-poly, fat,
             obese, overweight, steatopygous, Brit podgy or US pudgy, Colloq
             busty, beamy, hippy, beefy, well-upholstered:  They went on a
             diet because they were getting a bit plump.

             --v.  2 puff up or out:  When you get up, please plump up the
             pillows on the sofa.

   plumpэ    v.  1 drop, plummet, fall, plunge, dive, sink, collapse, flop:
             I was so tired that all I could do was plump down in an armchair
             and watch TV. 2 deposit, set or put (down), plunk, plop:  She
             plumped down the defective mixer on the counter and asked for a
             refund. 3 plump for. support, choose, select, back, side with,
             campaign for:  Given the choice, they plumped for a film rather
             than the circus.

             --n.  4 drop, plunk, flop, thump, clunk, clump, thud, bump:  He
             dropped the book on the floor with a plump.

             --adv.  5 abruptly, suddenly, directly, unhesitatingly, at once,
             unexpectedly, surprisingly, without warning, (all) of a sudden,
             plunk, bang:  As I came out of the bank, I ran plump into a
             policeman.

             --adj.  6 direct, unequivocal, unmistakable or unmistakeable,
             unambiguous, definite, definitive, blunt, simple, plain,
             forthright, downright, straight, matter-of-fact:  He asked her
             to marry him and she gave him a plump 'no'.

   plunder   v.  1 pillage, loot, rob, ravage, ransack, rifle, despoil,
             spoil, vandalize, sack, strip, maraud, devastate, desolate, lay
             waste:  The attacking army plundered the villages.  2 prey on or
             upon, pirate, capture, seize:  The buccaneers plunder the
             Spanish treasure ships on the high seas.

             --n.  3 pillage, looting, robbery, depredation, rapine,
             despoliation, spoliation, vandalization, sack, vandalism,
             vandalizing, sacking:  It is said that the plunder of Rome took
             no more than a fortnight.  4 booty, loot, spoils, prizes, Slang
             boodle:  The police displayed an Aladdin's cave of plunder
             recovered from the thieves.

   plunge    v.  1 descend, drop, plummet, dive, pitch, nosedive, fall
             (headlong):  They lost their footing, and both Holmes and
             Moriarty plunged into the abyss. 2 submerge, sink, immerse;
             engulf, overwhelm:  I plunged my hand in the icy water to
             retrieve the keys. She plunged herself into her work to try to
             forget him.

             --n.  3 dive, nosedive, fall, pitch, plummet, drop, descent;
             submersion, immersion:  After the scandal his career took a
             plunge from which it never recovered. Every winter they take a
             plunge into the icy waters of the Serpentine. 4 gamble, wager,
             bet, risk:  Are you taking the plunge with an investment in
             South America?

   plus      prep.  1 and, added to, increased by, with the addition of, with
             an increment of, (coupled) with, together with:  Two plus three
             equals five. Your initial deposit plus accumulated interest will
             make a substantial sum.

             --adj.  2 added, additional, supplementary, extra:  One must
             take into account the plus value of the good publicity.

             --n.  3 addition, bonus, extra, gain, benefit, asset, advantage,
             profit, return:  Improvements constitute a big plus in
             evaluating the building.

   plush     adj.  luxurious, posh, costly, (de) luxe, palatial, lavish,
             rich, opulent, sumptuous, regal, elegant, Colloq ritzy, classy,
             Old-fashioned swank(y):  I had no idea that you lived in such
             plush surroundings.

   ply       n.  layer, leaf, thickness, fold:  These seams are sewn through
             two plies of fabric.

16.6 pocket...
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   pocket    n.  1 pouch, sack, bag, receptacle, reticule, satchel:  You
             should always have a clean handkerchief in your pocket.  2
             cavity, pit, hollow, crater:  We found water that had collected
             in pockets in the surface of the rock. 3 area, island, camp,
             centre, cluster, concentration:  Leaders encountered pockets of
             resistance to the new policies among the farmers.

             --v.  4 take, appropriate, keep; filch, embezzle, steal,
             purloin, thieve, pilfer, help oneself to, palm, Colloq walk off
             or away with, pinch, swipe, rip off, hook, lift, snitch, Brit
             nick, snaffle:  While collecting for charity, Johnson was known
             to have pocketed occasional contributions.

   poem      n.  verse, lyric, rhyme or archaic rime, song, ode, rhapsody,
             jingle, ditty:  The anthology contains poems by politicians.

   poet      n.  poetess, versifier, metrist, lyricist or lyrist, versemaker,
             sonneteer, elegist, bard, minstrel; rhymester or rimester or
             rhymer or rimer, poetaster:  A widely published poet, Constance
             is often invited to give readings.

   poetic    adj.  1 poetical, lyric(al), metrical, musical, melodic;
             idyllic, elegiac, georgic, rhapsodic, epic, dithyrambic:  She
             bought a volume of the poetic works of John Keats.  2 artistic,
             aesthetic, Parnassian, Hippocrenian, melodious:  The novel
             contains some poetic passages of surpassing quality.

   poetry    n.  verse, versification, metrical composition, metrics, rhyme,
             Archaic poesy:  Modern poetry is often rather obscure.

   po-faced  adj.  stern-visaged, austere, dour, disapproving, frowning,
             grave, saturnine, solemn, sombre, humourless, grim, forbidding,
             severe, strait-laced, uncompromising, puritanical, prim,
             prudish, gruff, bluff, curmudgeonly:  Despite having a po-faced
             approach to his work, William has a keen sense of humour when
             off duty.

   poignant  adj.  1 distressing, upsetting, agonizing, grievous, painful,
             woeful, melancholy, blue, sad, sorrowful, tragic, disastrous,
             heart-rending, heart-breaking, excruciating, bitter, pathetic,
             pitiable, piteous, pitiful, miserable, moving, touching:  The
             biography also covers the poignant early years, spent largely in
             orphanages and foster homes. 2 keen, acute, intense, incisive,
             sharp, stinging, pointed, piercing, penetrating, barbed,
             cutting, caustic, acid, acerbic, bitter, biting, mordant,
             sarcastic, sardonic, severe:  The headmaster's poignant remarks
             about honesty and loyalty really hurt. 3 sincere, earnest,
             heartfelt, deep, profound, dramatic, deeply felt, stirring,
             moving, touching, emotional:  The reunion of the little boy and
             his dog was the most poignant moment in the film.

   point     n.  1 dot, mark, speck; (full) stop, period; decimal point:  The
             writing is smudged, but that looks like a point at the end of
             the line. 2 tip, peak, apex, spike, spur, prong, sharp end:  Be
             careful of the point of that knife.  3 spot, place, stage,
             position; site, station, location, locale:  We have reached the
             point of no return on that subject. I stopped at a few points
             along the way to admire the view. 4 time, moment, instant,
             juncture:  At that point, we were summoned by the dinner bell.
             5 focus, essence, meat, pith, quiddity, substance, heart,
             nucleus, crux, nub, core, bottom, details, Colloq guts,
             nitty-gritty:  I wish he would stop all the palaver and get to
             the point.  6 purpose, intent, intention, aim, goal, object,
             objective, sense:  What was the point of bringing that piece of
             gossip into the discussion?  7 thrust, drift, theme, purport,
             burden, import, implication, significance, signification, sense,
             meaning; application, applicability, relevancy, appropriateness:
             We found it difficult to see the point of the argument.  8
             promontory, projection, headland, cape, peninsula:  It may take
             us a day to sail round the point.  9 brink, verge:  We were on
             the point of leaving when the guest of honour finally arrived.
             10 detail, particular, item, element, nicety, aspect, facet,
             matter, issue, subject, question; specifics:  Some of the points
             in her speech need clarification.  11 pointer, hint, suggestion,
             piece of advice, tip:  The golf pro at the club gave me some
             good points on improving my swing. 12 thought, idea,
             consideration; notion, view, plan, tactic; something:  That's a
             point to keep in mind if you buy another sailing-boat.  13 unit,
             tally, score:  She made her point and went on to win the match.
             14 attribute, characteristic, feature, aspect, trait, quality,
             side, property:  I suppose he has his good points, too.  15
             beside the point. irrelevant, inapt, inappropriate, malapropos,
             incidental, immaterial, unimportant, pointless, inconsequential:
             The fact that she's my sister is beside the point.  16 in point
             of. in reference to, regarding, as regards, in the matter of,
             concerning, with respect to:  In point of date, the two events
             coincide perfectly.  17 make a point of or US also make (it) a
             point to. make an effort (to), put or place emphasis on, go out
             of one's way (to); emphasize, single out, stress:  He made a
             point of apologizing to the hostess for his behaviour.  She made
             a special point of forgiving him. 18 to the point. relevant,
             pertinent, appropriate, fitting, apropos, germane, apt,
             applicable, apposite:  The speech was short and to the point.

             --v.  19 Often, point to. indicate, call or direct attention to:
             Desir‚e pointed to the building and asked what it was.  20
             direct, level, aim, train:  I awoke to find her pointing a gun
             at my head.  21 point out.  a designate, call or direct
             attention to, show, exhibit, indicate, identify:  The taxi
             driver pointed out all the sights as we drove along.  b say,
             bring up, mention, allude to, bring up, emphasize, stress, point
             up, single out; allude to, call attention to, remind:  I'd like
             to point out that you have rarely won at bridge. She pointed out
             the fallacy in his argument. 22 point up. emphasize, stress,
             accentuate, underline, underscore, accent, spotlight:  Such
             errors point up the need to double-check everything.

   point-blank
             adj.  1 direct, straight, blunt, flat, straightforward, abrupt,
             categorical, explicit, uncompromising, unmitigated, unalloyed,
             downright, outright, to the point, straight from the shoulder,
             (open and) above-board, unreserved:  I asked her out to dinner
             and got a point-blank refusal.  2 close, short, nearby:  He was
             shot at point-blank range.

             --adv.  3 directly, straight (away), right away, bluntly, flat,
             flatly, abruptly, categorically, unqualifiedly, explicitly,
             uncompromisingly, unmitigatedly, outright,, unreservedly,
             plainly, frankly, openly, candidly:  He turned her down
             point-blank when she offered him the job.  4 directly, straight:
             He fired point-blank at the target.

   pointed   adj.  1 needle-shaped, sharp, acute, barbed, peaked, spiked,
             spiky, Technical acuminate, cuspidate, aciform, acicular,
             aciculiform, aculeous, apiculate, spiculate, serrate(d),
             acuminate, mucroniform, mucronulate, mucronate(d), muricate,
             hebetate:  The child was poking holes in the sand with a pointed
             stick.  2 incisive, piercing, cutting, sharp, pungent, keen,
             penetrating, telling, trenchant, biting, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable:  The critic made a few pointed remarks about the
             actors' reading of the lines.

   pointer   n.  1 indicator, rod, stick; index, sign, arrow, Typography
             fist:  The pointer is used to call attention to something
             important.  2 tip, advice, hint, suggestion, recommendation,
             piece of advice:  McLeod gave me a few pointers on how to
             improve the restaurant service.

   pointless adj.  purposeless, aimless, worthless, ineffective, meaningless,
             ineffectual, futile, unproductive, fruitless, bootless, useless,
             vain, senseless, absurd, silly, stupid, inane, asinine, fatuous,
             preposterous, nonsensical, ridiculous, empty, hollow:  After her
             paper, someone rose and wasted half an hour making pointless
             remarks.

   point of view
             n.  1 viewpoint, perspective, approach, position, angle, slant,
             orientation, outlook, stance, standpoint, vantage point:  From
             his point of view, I can see why Fred thinks the research is a
             waste of time. 2 opinion, view, belief, (way of) thinking,
             principle, doctrine:  Shouldn't everyone be entitled to express
             a point of view?

   poise     n.  1 balance, equilibrium, equipoise, equiponderance, parity,
             par:  The chariots of the gods in even poise, obeying the rein,
             glide rapidly. 2 composure, control, self-possession, aplomb,
             assurance, dignity, equanimity, sang-froid, cool-headedness,
             imperturbability, presence of mind, coolness, staidness,
             reserve, sedateness, calmness, serenity, tranquillity, Colloq
             cool:  Jane's poise is remarkable, despite the heckling by the
             audience.

             --v.  3 balance, be balanced, hover, hang, float; make or be or
             get ready, prepare:  The boulder was poised on the edge of the
             cliff.

   poised    adj.  1 composed, controlled, self-possessed, unflappable,
             (self-)confident, (self-)assured, dignified, cool-headed,
             imperturbable, unruffled, cool, staid, reserved, sedate, calm,
             serene, tranquil, Colloq together:  For a lad of eleven, Richard
             is quite poised.  2 ready, standing by, waiting, prepared:  Our
             commando unit is poised to attack at your signal.  3 teetering,
             hovering, tottering, wavering, suspended, trembling, wobbling,
             balanced:  In the present business climate, the company is
             poised on the brink of bankruptcy.

   poison    n.  1 toxin, venom, bane; miasma, mephitis:  The chemical plant
             was found to be releasing poisons into the atmosphere. He kills
             rats using poison. 2 virus, bane, cancer, canker, corrupt or
             evil influence, pestilence, plague, blight:  The drug barons
             continue to spread their poison throughout the world.

             --v.  3 defile, adulterate, infect, taint, pollute; contaminate,
             debase, pervert, vitiate, subvert, warp, envenom:  Chemicals
             from the nearby plant have poisoned the drinking-water.  Why
             have you poisoned the child's mind against eating spinach? 4
             murder, kill, do away with, destroy, dispatch or despatch:
             Lucrezia Borgia poisoned her enemies in ingenious ways.

   poisonous adj.  1 lethal, deadly, fatal, mortal, toxic, septic, virulent,
             noxious or rare nocuous, venomous, malignant, pernicious,
             miasmic, mephitic:  Poisonous effluents were leaked into the
             rivers by the chemical plant. 2 malicious, malevolent,
             malignant, corruptive, vicious, baleful, evil, foul,
             diabolic(al), defamatory, libellous, slanderous, dangerous,
             deleterious,:  They have been spreading poisonous gossip about
             him again.

   poke      v.  1 jab, stick, prod, dig, goad, stab, thrust, push, elbow,
             nudge, jog, jostle, butt, shove:  Be careful not to poke someone
             in the eye with your umbrella.  He tells a joke, then pokes me
             in the ribs to make sure I've got it. 2 punch, hit, strike, box,
             cuff, smite, smack:  I made a suggestive remark and she poked me
             in the jaw.  3 pry, nose (about or around), stick one's nose
             into, intrude, dig, probe, investigate; meddle, interfere, butt
             in, tamper; Colloq snoop:  I wish they would stop poking into my
             affairs.  4 poke fun (at). tease, ridicule, mock, make fun of,
             jeer (at), chaff, taunt, twit, make sport of, needle, Colloq
             kid, rib, Brit send up, take the mickey out of:  People who
             don't understand something often poke fun at it. Stop poking fun
             at my hat.

             --n.  5 jab, prod, dig, stab, thrust, push, elbow, finger,
             nudge, jog, jostle, butt, shove:  Every time Rodney wants to
             emphasize a point, he gives you a poke.  6 punch, hit, box, jab,
             cuff, smack, blow:  If anyone says anything bad about you, I'll
             give him a poke in the nose.

   polar     adj.  1 Arctic, Antarctic, frigid, icy, glacial, freezing,
             frozen, numbing, Siberian, hibernal, hyperborean, brumal,
             wintry:  It is positively polar in the house without the heat
             turned on.  2 opposite, opposed, antithetical, contrary,
             contradictory, diametric, antipodal, antagonistic, hostile:
             Dante felt Good and Evil to be the two polar elements of the
             Creation, on which it all turns.

   pole°     n.  rod, stick, staff, spar, shaft, mast, standard, upright;
             flag-pole, flagstaff, jackstaff; beanpole, hop-pole:  We had to
             use a long pole to get the kite down from the tree.

   poleэ     n.  1 extremity, end, limit, extreme:  Their views are at
             opposite poles and they cannot agree.  2 from pole to pole.
             everywhere, all over, far and wide, high and low, leaving no
             stone unturned, throughout the world or the length and breadth
             of the land, Colloq US everyplace:  He searched for her from
             pole to pole.  3 poles apart. (very or completely) different,
             worlds apart, at opposite extremes, at opposite ends of the
             earth, at odds, irreconcilable:  I'm afraid that the union and
             management remain poles apart on the issue of working hours.

   police    n.  1 constabulary, policemen, policewomen, police officers,
             Colloq boys in blue, the (long arm of the) law, the cops, the
             gendarmes, Slang the coppers, the fuzz, Brit the (Old) Bill, US
             the heat:  There was a bit of an argument, so we called the
             police.

             --v.  2 patrol, guard, watch, protect:  Additional officers were
             assigned to police the neighbourhood.  3 enforce, regulate,
             administer, oversee, control, observe, supervise, monitor:  A
             unit was established to police the terms of the agreement.

   police officer
             n.  officer, policeman, policewoman, constable, Brit police
             constable, PC, WPC, Chiefly US peace officer, patrolman,
             patrolwoman, Colloq cop, gendarme, Brit bobby; Slang copper,
             fuzz, flatfoot, Brit rozzer, Old Bill, Offensive and derogatory
             pig, Historical peeler, US bull, fuzz ball:  The police officers
             then asked if I wouldn't mind helping with their inquiries.

   policy    n.  approach, procedure, (game) plan, design, scheme, programme,
             method, system, management, conduct, behaviour, strategy,
             tactic(s), principle(s), protocol, regulation, rule, custom,
             way, practice, ways and means, action:  What policy should we
             follow regarding interest rates?

   polish    v.  1 shine, brighten, burnish, buff, furbish, wax, clean,
             smooth, rub, gloss:  He polished up the handles so carefully
             That now he is the ruler of the Queen's navy. 2 Often, polish
             up. refine, improve, perfect, finish, cultivate, ameliorate,
             enhance; correct, emend:  If you polish up the article we might
             consider it for publication.  3 polish off.  a conclude, end,
             terminate, finish:  Ned polished off his homework in less than
             an hour.  b kill, slay, murder, dispatch or despatch, destroy,
             dispose of, do away with, liquidate, eliminate, Slang bump off,
             rub out, do in, take for a ride:  Three platoons were polished
             off quickly.  c dispose of, put away, eat, consume, wolf (down):
             In a few minutes, MacGregor had polished off the entire meal.  4
             polish up. study, review, learn, Archaic con, Colloq bone up
             (on), Slang Brit swot up (on):  If you're going to M laga, you'd
             better polish up your Spanish.

             --n.  5 gloss, shine, lustre, sheen, glaze, smoothness,
             brilliance, sparkle, gleam, glow, brightness, radiance:  You
             cannot imagine what a fine polish she put on that old table.  6
             wax, oil:  The new polish really put a shine on the desk.

   polished  adj.  1 accomplished, adept, proficient, expert, fine,
             outstanding, skilful, gifted, masterful, masterly, virtuoso,
             excellent, superior, superb, superlative; flawless, faultless,
             perfect, impeccable:  Edna is quite a polished cellist. She gave
             a polished performance.  2 refined, elegant, cultivated,
             graceful, debonair, sophisticated, urbane, soign‚(e), courtly,
             genteel, cultured, civilized, well-bred, well-mannered, polite:
             Under her guidance, James has become a polished gentleman.

   polite    adj.  1 civil, respectful, well-mannered, mannerly, courteous,
             deferential, diplomatic, tactful, formal, proper, cordial:  We
             asked our new neighbours to tea but were met with a polite
             refusal. 2 See polished, 2, above.

   politic   adj.  1 ingenious, shrewd, crafty, canny, cunning, designing,
             scheming, clever, wily, foxy, tricky, artful, Macchiavellian,
             evasive, shifty, Colloq cagey:  Daniel is politic enough to know
             how to manoeuvre situations to his benefit. 2 tactful,
             diplomatic, discreet, prudent, judicious, wise, sage, sagacious,
             sensible, intelligent, percipient, discriminating, far-sighted,
             expedient, perceptive:  It was politic of the winner to share
             the prize with those who had helped him most.

   political adj.  1 governmental, civic, civil, public, state, national,
             federal; administrative, bureaucratic:  The movement began as an
             attempt to gain political freedom.  2 partisan, factious,
             factional:  A coalition government was formed by the major
             political parties.

   politician
             n.  legislator, lawmaker, statesman, stateswoman; minister, Brit
             Member of Parliament, MP, US public or civil servant,
             administrator, official, bureaucrat, office-bearer, senator,
             congressman, congresswoman, representative, assembly-man,
             assembly-woman, selectman; Colloq US derogatory politico,
             (political) boss or hack, machine politician, ward-heeler,
             wirepuller:  Some politicians have given a bad name to the art
             of politics.

   politics  n.  1 public affairs, political science, civics, civil affairs,
             government, statecraft, diplomacy, statesmanship:  Hume viewed
             politics as people united in society and dependent on each
             other. 2 manoeuvring, manipulation, wirepulling, machination:
             Office politics are such that they wouldn't dare dismiss that
             department head.

   poll      n.  1 voting, vote, returns, tally, figures:  The poll shows
             that the incumbents are not as secure as they thought.  2
             opinion poll, survey, canvass, census, ballot, count:  A poll of
             home-owners shows that most would like to own washing machines.

             --v.  3 sample, survey, question, canvass, ballot, ask,
             interview; count, enumerate, tally, register, record:  We polled
             teenagers to determine their reaction to a youth centre; those
             in favour polled 73 per cent. 4 receive, get, win, register,
             tally:  Cavendish polled more than 60 per cent of the votes
             cast.

   pollute   v.  1 contaminate, adulterate, befoul, foul, soil, spoil, taint,
             stain, dirty, sully, blight, poison:  These factories must be
             prevented from continuing to pollute the atmosphere. 2 corrupt,
             desecrate, profane, defile, violate:  The altar was polluted
             because it had been touched by a non-believer.

   pollution n.  contamination, adulteration, corruption, polluting, fouling,
             befouling, soiling, spoiling, tainting, staining, dirtying,
             sullying, blighting, poisoning, vitiation:  Laws were passed to
             prosecute those responsible for the pollution of the
             environment.

   pomp      n.  glory, grandeur, magnificence, splendour, show,
             extravaganza, pageantry, ceremony, spectacle, brilliance,
             ceremoniousness:  The Chinese court's pomp and display of wealth
             had never before been seen by a westerner.

   pompous   adj.  1 vain, vainglorious, proud, arrogant, pretentious,
             ostentatious, showy, grandiose, haughty, overbearing, conceited,
             egotistical, self-important, boastful, braggart, inflated,
             snobbish, magisterial, imperious, pontifical, affected,
             exhibitionist, Colloq uppity, highfalutin or hifalutin,
             hoity-toity, high-hat, Slang snooty, snotty:  Don't you despise
             the pompous way Marshall struts about in that ridiculous
             uniform? 2 bombastic, flowery, grandiloquent, pedantic, stuffy,
             fustian, orotund, ornate, embroidered, flatulent, windy, turgid,
             inflated, high-flown, euphuistic:  He's always making
             long-winded, pompous speeches because he loves the sound of his
             own voice.

   ponder    v.  consider, muse (over or on), brood (over or upon or on),
             mull over, deliberate (over), meditate (upon or on), think (over
             or on or about), weigh, ruminate (over), chew over, cogitate,
             excogitate, reflect (on or over), contemplate:  I shall need a
             while to ponder the answer to that question. Give me a little
             more time to ponder.

   ponderous adj.  1 weighty, unwieldy, heavy, massive, huge, big, large,
             awkward, clumsy, cumbersome or cumbrous:  A ponderous juggernaut
             bore down on us, completely out of control.  2 dull, tedious,
             laboured, laborious, tiresome, turgid, boring, dreary,
             pedestrian, stilted, windy, inflated, long-winded, wordy,
             verbose, prolix, elephantine, pompous, grandiloquent, overdone:
             Many students faced with textbooks written in ponderous prose
             become disenchanted with learning.

   pool      n.  1 pond, lake, tarn, mere, lagoon; swimming-pool, leisure
             pool, wading pool, Brit paddling pool, US wading pool, Formal
             natatorium:  We found an icy mountain pool where we went for a
             swim.  2 collection, fund(s), purse, stakes, reserve(s), bank,
             Colloq pot, jackpot, kitty:  So far we have too little money in
             the pool for an office party at Christmas. 3 syndicate, trust,
             group, consortium, cartel, combine:  The object of the pool was
             the private regulation of market prices, which is illegal.

             --v.  4 accumulate, collect, gather, combine, merge,
             consolidate, amalgamate, league, bring or come or band or get
             together, team (up) with:  We would do better if we pooled our
             resources.

   poor      adj.  1 needy, destitute, indigent, in want, in need, penniless,
             poverty-stricken, impoverished, badly off, necessitous, poor as
             a church-mouse, straitened, pinched, in reduced circumstances,
             impecunious, financially embarrassed, down and out, out of
             pocket, ruined, insolvent, bankrupt, Colloq broke, hard up, on
             one's uppers, short, US wiped out, Brit in Queer Street, Slang
             Brit skint:  They were poor and didn't know where their next
             meal was coming from. 2 low, bad, skimpy, meagre, scant, scanty,
             inadequate, deficient, insufficient, sparse:  How can a family
             of five survive on such a poor salary? These days, 3 per cent
             would be considered a poor return on investment. 3 barren,
             unproductive, unfruitful, fruitless, infertile, sterile;
             depleted, exhausted, impoverished:  This is poor soil, and no
             amount of cultivation is likely to make it productive. 4 bad,
             awful, inadequate, unsatisfactory, unacceptable, bumbling,
             inefficient, amateurish, unprofessional, inferior, second-rate,
             third-rate, low-grade, shabby, shoddy, mediocre, defective,
             faulty, flawed, substandard, sorry, not up to par or snuff,
             slipshod, below or under par, Colloq rotten, lousy:  They did a
             poor job repairing my car. Her latest recital was pretty poor. 5
             insignificant, slight, paltry, inconsequential, mean, modest,
             trivial, trifling:  They made only a poor attempt to correct the
             problem.  6 unfortunate, unlucky, pathetic, luckless, pitiful,
             pitiable, ill-fated, miserable, wretched, ill-starred,
             star-crossed, jinxed, hapless:  The poor chap lost his entire
             family in the disaster.  7 bad, ill:  Aunt Theresa has been in
             poor health lately.

   poorly    adv.  1 badly, inadequately, unsatisfactorily, incompetently,
             inexpertly, improperly, crudely, unprofessionally, amateurishly:
             The decorators you recommended have done their work very poorly
             indeed.

             --adj.  Colloq 2 unwell, indisposed, ailing, sick, below par,
             Colloq rotten, under the weather:  Charles is rather poorly, I'm
             afraid.

   pop       v.  1 burst, explode, bang, go off:  The balloon popped, making
             me jump.  2 Often, pop in or out or by. visit, stop, call,
             appear, Colloq drop in, Brit nip in:  Guess who popped in to see
             me on his way to the airport.  3 bulge, protrude, stick out, US
             bug out:  The little boy's eyes popped when they brought in the
             birthday cake.

             --n.  4 explosion, bang, report, crack:  The Christmas cracker
             went off with a loud pop.  5 soft drink, soda (water); cola,
             Brit fizzy drink, lemonade, US soda (pop):  A bottle of pop for
             my daughter and a pint of bitter for me, please.

   populace  n.  people, masses, commonalty, (general) public, commoners,
             multitude, hoi polloi, crowd, throng, rabble, peasantry,
             proletariat, common folk, rank and file, working class,
             bourgeoisie, mob, Derogatory great unwashed, riff-raff, rabble,
             canaille, ragtag and bobtail:  Some MPs act on behalf of their
             own constituencies rather than the populace at large.

   popular   adj.  1 favourite, favoured, in favour, accepted, well-received,
             approved, (well-)liked, fashionable, in fashion, stylish, in
             vogue, celebrated, renowned, acclaimed, famous, in demand,
             sought-after, all the rage, Colloq trendy, in, hot:  You would
             become a millionaire overnight if you could accurately predict
             the popular music of the coming year. 2 conventional, stock,
             commonplace, public, normal, standard, general, universal,
             average, everyday, ordinary, routine, common, habitual,
             prevalent, current, prevailing, dominant, predominant,
             predominating, customary:  His films cater to popular tastes in
             science fiction.  3 lay, non-professional, amateur,
             understandable, accessible, popularized, simplified:  He
             presents a popular astronomy programme on TV.

   popularity
             n.  favour, acceptance, approval, esteem, regard, repute,
             reputation, vogue, trend, stylishness, renown, acclaim, fame,
             celebrity, lionization, (hero-) worship, Colloq trendiness:  The
             immense popularity of her novels in America has made her very
             rich.

   popularly adv.  commonly, generally, ordinarily, usually, universally,
             widely, regularly, customarily, prevalently, habitually:  It is
             a popularly held belief among the French that their wine is the
             best in the world.

   populate  v.  colonize, settle, people, occupy; inhabit, dwell in, reside
             in, live in:  Shiploads of families braved the voyage to
             populate the New World.

   population
             n.  people, populace, inhabitants, residents, natives, denizens,
             citizenry, citizens, folk:  In those days there was no one to
             look after the legal rights of the population.

   populous  adj.  crowded, (heavily) populated, peopled, teeming, thronged,
             crawling, swarming, jammed, jam-packed, packed:  The populous
             cities contrast with the sparsely inhabited rural areas.

   pore°     v.  pore over. study, examine, scrutinize, peruse, read, go
             over, Colloq con:  Hamilton sits in the library, day after day,
             poring over books of forgotten lore.

   poreэ     n.  opening, orifice, hole, aperture, vent, perforation,
             Technical spiracle, stoma:  A hot bath opens the pores in the
             skin.

   pornographic
             adj.  obscene, lewd, offensive, indecent, prurient, smutty,
             taboo, blue, dirty, salacious, licentious, nasty, X-rated,
             Colloq porno, US raunchy:  Some prudes consider anything
             concerning sex to be pornographic.

   pornography
             n.  obscenity, smut, filth, dirt, erotica, Colloq porn:  The
             council voted to forbid the sale of pornography within the town
             precincts.

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

   port      n.  harbour, haven, seaport; mooring, anchorage; refuge:  We
             were bound east for the port of Cardiff.

   portable  adj.  transportable, manageable, carriable, handy, light,
             lightweight, compact, pocket, pocket-sized, little, small, US
             carry-on, vest-pocket, shirt-pocket:  He needs a van just to
             transport his portable television, portable radio, portable
             hi-fi, portable typewriter, portable computer, and portable
             calculator.

   portentous
             adj.  1 ominous, threatening, momentous, sinister, fateful,
             alarming, menacing, foreboding, ill-omened, inauspicious,
             unfavourable, ill-starred, ill-fated, star-crossed, lowering or
             louring, gloomy, unpromising, unpropitious:  Precisely at
             midnight they appeared with the most portentous news.  2
             extraordinary, amazing, astonishing, astounding, prodigious,
             awesome, awe-inspiring, remarkable, marvellous, phenomenal,
             fabulous, fantastic, mind-boggling, wondrous, miraculous:  The
             coronation of a British monarch is truly a portentous event.

   porter°   n.  bearer, (baggage) carrier or attendant, US airports skycap,
             US railways redcap:  I tipped the porter to carry our bags to a
             taxi.

   porterэ   n.  1 concierge, cleaner, caretaker, Chiefly US and Canadian
             janitor, superintendent, Colloq US super:  When we are away, the
             porter keeps our mail for us.  2 door-keeper, watchman, doorman,
             gatekeeper, concierge, US tiler:  He went to my club, but the
             porter would not let him in.

   portico   n.  porch, veranda or verandah, gallery, colonnade, galilee:  At
             the front of the mansion, six corinthian pillars support a wide
             portico.

   portion   n.  1 segment, part, section, division, subdivision, parcel,
             piece, hunk, chunk, lump, wedge, slice, sliver, fraction,
             fragment, bit, morsel, scrap:  A portion of the masonry fell
             into the street in the earthquake.  2 share, part, allotment,
             quota, ration, apportionment, allowance, allocation, assignment,
             percentage, measure, division, quantity:  The size of an
             investor's portion depends on the amount invested.  3 helping,
             serving; ration, plate, platter:  He complained that the
             portions in nouvelle cuisine are too small.

             --v.  4 Often, portion out. apportion, share out, allocate,
             ration, allot, partition, assign, consign, dole out, deal (out),
             parcel out, distribute, administer, dispense, disperse, divide,
             split up, carve up, cut up, break up, section, Colloq divvy up:
             The conquered territories were then portioned out among the
             victors.

   portrait  n.  picture, likeness, image,sketch, rendering, vignette;
             representation, description, profile, thumbnail sketch,
             portrayal, picturization, depiction; account, story,
             characterization, study, record, file, dossier:  We have the
             culprit's portrait in our rogues' gallery. We need a more
             accurate portrait of the kidnapper.

   portray   v.  1 represent, picture, show, depict, paint, render,
             characterize, describe, delineate:  She is portrayed wearing the
             Castelli tiara. Why must I always be portrayed as the villain? 2
             act or play (the part or role of), take the part or role of,
             represent, pose as, impersonate:  She portrays an aged crone who
             regains her youth in the last act.

   pose      v.  1 sit, model; position, place, arrange, set (up), put:
             Would you let your husband or wife pose in the nude? She posed
             the model standing, looking out of the window. 2 Usually, pose
             as. portray, act or play (the part or role of), take the part or
             role of, represent, impersonate, be disguised as, masquerade as,
             pretend or profess to be, pass (oneself off) as, pass for,
             imitate, mimic; attitudinize, posture, put on airs, Colloq show
             off:  She posed as an art expert from Switzerland. She thinks
             him a rou‚, but he's only posing. 3 set, put, ask, submit,
             broach, posit, advance, present, predicate, postulate:  The
             interviewer posed some questions that were quite embarrassing.

             --n.  4 position, attitude, posture, stance:  Her profile is not
             shown to best advantage in that pose.  5 affectation, act,
             pretence, attitudinizing, affectedness, display, fa‡ade, show,
             ostentation:  His interest in art is just a pose to impress her.

   poseur    n.  posturer, exhibitionist, pretender, impostor, masquerader,
             attitudinizer; fake, faker, dissembler, fraud, Colloq show-off,
             phoney or US also phony:  He talks about literature, but he's a
             poseur who just spouts the opinions of others.

   posh      adj.  (de) luxe, luxurious, elegant, sumptuous, lavish, opulent,
             rich, royal, regal, luxury, grand, fashionable, Colloq swank(y),
             classy, ritzy, Slang snazzy:  You ought to see what a posh
             office my son has!

   posit     v.  postulate, hypothesize, propound, put or set forth, put
             forward, advance, propose, pose, offer, submit, predicate:  If
             we posit a downturn in prices next year, how does that affect
             our profit forecasts?

   position  n.  1 posture, attitude, stance, pose; disposition, arrangement,
             disposal:  Once in a while, he would change his position so that
             he faced the sun. With the pieces in this position the chess
             game is a draw. 2 site, placement, situation, whereabouts,
             placing, emplacement, location:  Those bearings put his present
             position about 20 miles west of C diz. 3 viewpoint, point of
             view, outlook, attitude, angle, slant, stance, stand, opinion,
             inclination, leaning, bent, sentiment, feeling, way of thinking:
             My solicitor is pessimistic about my position in this case.  4
             status, condition, state, circumstances, situation:  Our
             financial position vis-…-vis investment in gilt bonds has
             changed. 5 class, caste, place, rank, standing, station, status,
             importance:  They insist on knowing the social position of the
             girl's family.  6 job, occupation, situation, post, office,
             function, appointment, capacity, place, role, Colloq billet,
             berth, Australian possie or possy My mother's position as
             managing director had nothing to do with my getting a promotion.
             7 hypothesis, thesis, principle, contention, assertion,
             predication, belief, proposition, postulate:  His position is
             based on the implications of the third law of thermodynamics.

             --v.  8 put, place, situate, site, set, fix, settle, dispose,
             arrange:  The pointer is again positioned at zero. Position your
             forces along this ridge and stay on full alert. 9 place, locate,
             establish, determine, fix, localize:  The scientists positioned
             the seismic activity as being along the San Andreas fault.

   positive  adj.  1 sure, certain, definite, unequivocal, categorical,
             absolute, unqualified, unambiguous, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable, clear-cut, clear, explicit, express, decisive,
             indisputable, indubitable, unquestionable, unquestioned,
             incontestable, uncontested, undeniable, reliable, persuasive,
             convincing, irrefutable:  The police have positive evidence that
             the men are innocent of any crime. Spending this evening with
             you has been a positive delight. 2 definitive, emphatic,
             decided, forceful, firm, peremptory, definite:  He gave a
             positive denial when asked if he had agreed to let the hostages
             go. She made a positive commitment to meet me here at noon. 3
             sure, certain, confident, convinced, satisfied:  Are you
             positive that the last train is at midnight?  4 beneficial,
             favourable, complimentary, productive, useful:  I heard many
             positive things about the way she handled herself at the
             interview. 5 overconfident, dogmatic, doctrinaire, pontifical,
             opinionated, pigheaded, stubborn, obstinate, obdurate,
             arbitrary, overweening, arrogant, assertive, dictatorial,
             despotic, imperious, Rare thetic(al):  His problem is that he is
             quite positive about things that simply are not so. 6 practical,
             realistic, utilitarian, productive, functional, pragmatic(al),
             realistic, matter-of-fact, Colloq hard-nosed:  They have taken a
             positive approach to studying the economics of small businesses.
             7 encouraging, supportive, constructive, reassuring,
             enthusiastic, favourable, affirmative, yes, confirming:  Our
             plan to buy out the company has received a positive reaction
             from our bankers. Asked if they would buy our product,
             businessmen gave a positive response. 8 auspicious, promising,
             propitious, encouraging; optimistic, favourable, cheerful,
             confident; Colloq bullish, upbeat:  In the long run, the picture
             for home-owners looks positive. It pays to maintain a positive
             outlook and not get depressed. 9 complete, utter, total,
             perfect, out-and-out, consummate, unmitigated, thorough,
             thoroughgoing; egregious, glaring, stark, sheer, outright,
             unqualified, unequivocal:  You were a positive idiot not to let
             me know you needed help.  All attempts at reconciliation ended
             in positive disaster.

   positively
             adv.  definitely, absolutely, unquestionably, certainly, (most)
             assuredly, undeniably, undoubtedly, surely, to be sure,
             emphatically, unmistakably or unmistakeably, unqualifiedly,
             categorically, indisputably, beyond or without (a shadow of) a
             doubt, indubitably, beyond question:  The wine list at Le
             MaЊtre's is positively the best in the area.

   possess   v.  1 be possessed or in possession of, have, own, enjoy, be
             blessed or endowed with:  In the 19th century, the family
             possessed great wealth.  2 have, be born or gifted or endowed
             with, contain, embody, embrace, include:  He possesses a talent
             to amuse people. Man does not possess as keen a sense of smell
             as many animals. 3 dominate, control, govern, consume, take
             control of, preoccupy, obsess; charm, captivate, enchant, cast a
             spell over, bewitch, enthral:  What possessed her to think that
             I could help? He behaves as if he is possessed by the devil. 4
             be possessed with or of. have, be held or influenced or
             dominated by, be imbued or inspired or permeated or affected
             with:  She became possessed with the notion that she could sing.
             Fiona believes herself the only person possessed of reason. 5
             possess oneself of. acquire, achieve, get, come by, gain, come
             into, win, obtain, procure, secure, take, seize, take or gain
             possession of:  Kevin has possessed himself of the only
             comfortable bed in the place.

   possessed adj.  obsessed, driven, controlled, dominated, ridden,
             bedevilled, consumed, haunted, pressed, maddened, crazed,
             demented, frenzied, Colloq eaten up:  He behaved like a man
             possessed.

   possession
             n.  1 ownership, title, proprietorship, control, hold, tenure,
             keeping, care, custody, guardianship, protection:  The paintings
             are now in my possession.  2 holding, territory, province,
             dominion, colony, protectorate:  How long will the Falkland
             Islands remain a possession of the Crown? 3 possessions.
             belongings, property, effects, chattels, assets, worldly goods,
             things:  The prison clerk placed all my possessions in an
             envelope, explaining that they would be returned when I was
             released. 4 take or gain possession of. seize, capture, take,
             conquer, occupy, acquire, win, possess oneself of, secure,
             obtain; repossess:  The raiding party gained possession of the
             port and surrounding area. The finance company has taken
             possession of my car.

   possessive
             adj.  1 greedy, unyielding, selfish, ungiving, ungenerous,
             stingy, niggardly, materialistic, covetous, acquisitive:  He
             refuses to see anyone, as he is very possessive of his time.  2
             overprotective, controlling, grasping, dominating, domineering,
             overbearing:  Anyone with a possessive parent finds it difficult
             to leave home.

   possibility
             n.  1 chance, odds, prospect, conceivability, feasibility,
             plausibility, likelihood, admissibility:  There is a possibility
             of my leaving work early to meet you. What is the possibility
             that he might be honest? They deny even the possibility of God's
             existence. 2 Often, possibilities. opportunity, potentiality,
             potential, capacity, promise:  The old house has many large
             rooms and offers great possibilities.

   possible  adj.  1 feasible, plausible, imaginable, conceivable, thinkable,
             credible, tenable, reasonable, admissible:  It is remotely
             possible, though improbable, that she committed the crime. 2
             realizable, practicable, workable, practical, doable,
             achievable, attainable, reachable, accomplishable, viable,
             Colloq on:  In the present state of the art, a fully interactive
             computer, operating in real time, is still not possible.

   possibly  adv.  1 maybe, perhaps, God willing, Deo volente, if possible,
             Archaic or literary perchance, mayhap, peradventure:  She is
             possibly the best person for the job.  2 in any way, under any
             circumstances, by any chance, by any means, at all:  Could you
             possibly help me find my contact lens? The weather forecast
             couldn't possibly be correct.

   post°     n.  1 pole, stake, upright, column, pillar, pale, picket, shaft,
             standard, newel, pier, pylon, pile, piling, strut, shore,
             stanchion, leg, prop, stay, support, brace:  A huge central post
             held up the roof.

             --v.  2 advertise, announce, proclaim, publish, circulate,
             propagate, promulgate; put or pin or tack or stick or hang up,
             affix:  The notice of the meeting has been posted for all to
             see.

   postэ     n.  1 assignment, appointment, position, situation, job, place,
             duty, role, function, employment, work, task, chore:  Clarke was
             given a post as consul in some forgotten country.

             --v.  2 place, put, station, assign, appoint, position, situate,
             set, locate:  Guards have been posted around the enclosure.

   post°     n.  1 postal service, mail; delivery; collection:  I am
             expecting an important letter in the post. It hasn't come in the
             first post.

             --v.  2 send, dispatch or despatch, transmit, Chiefly US and
             Canadian mail:  I posted your cheque this morning.  3 record,
             enter, register, list:  We post the daily receipts in this
             ledger.  4 keep (someone) posted. inform, advise, brief, notify,
             Colloq fill (someone) in on:  Our observers have kept me posted
             as to your whereabouts every step of the way.

   poster    n.  placard, notice, bill, advertisement, announcement,
             broadside, broadsheet; circular, flier:  Who designed that
             striking poster for the new play?

   posterior adj.  1 hind, rear, back, after, hinder, rearward, Nautical aft:
             The posterior legs are somewhat longer.  2 later, after, latter,
             ensuing, following, succeeding, subsequent:  Analysis has
             yielded evidence of the posterior origin of the lava.

             --n.  3 buttocks, bottom, rump, seat, derriЉre, Colloq behind,
             rear, backside, tail, Colloq hinie, Slang Brit bum, Taboo slang
             Brit arse, US ass, butt, Yiddish tokus or tochis or tuchis:  The
             term describing a person with a fat posterior is 'steatopygous'.

   posterity n.  descendants, successors, heirs, children, offspring, issue,
             progeny:  It is good that these buildings will be preserved for
             posterity.  Posterity will be the judge of our success.

   post-haste
             adv.  quickly, at once, without delay, immediately, directly,
             straightaway, right away, promptly, speedily, swiftly,
             instantly, before one can say 'Jack Robinson', before you can
             say 'knife', rapidly, at full tilt, in a wink, in a trice, in
             the twinkling of an eye, Colloq pronto, chop-chop, p.d.q. (=
             'pretty damned quick'), US and Canadian lickety-split, like
             greased lightning:  He got me the report post-haste.

   post-mortem
             n.  1 autopsy, necropsy:  We'll know the cause of death after
             the post-mortem.  2 review, analysis, Slang US Monday-morning
             quarterbacking:  We can do without the post-mortem on every
             bridge hand.

   postpone  v.  delay, adjourn, defer, keep in abeyance, put off or aside,
             lay aside, suspend, shelve, put or keep on ice, temporize,
             dally, Colloq put on the back burner, US table:  We ought to
             postpone further discussion till we have the facts.

   postponement
             n.  delay, adjournment, abeyance, suspension, stay, deferment,
             deferral, moratorium:  There has been a postponement of the
             meeting till Monday.

   posture   n.  1 pose, position, attitude, stance, appearance, carriage:
             She stood there in a defiant posture, with arms akimbo.  2
             position, condition, situation, state, disposition; arrangement,
             organization, layout, array, format:  The government adopted a
             conciliatory posture in the matter.  3 attitude, stance,
             position, feeling, sentiment, outlook, (point of) view,
             viewpoint, orientation, disposition, frame of mind, mood:  The
             interviewer tried to determine the general's posture on
             disarmament.

             --v.  4 pose, attitudinize, affect, put on a show, do for
             effect, Colloq show off:  Despite all her posturing, we believe
             her to be sincere.

   pot       n.  1 pan, saucepan, cauldron, cook-pot, stewpot; kettle:  How
             many politicians have promised the people 'a chicken in every
             pot'? 2 jackpot, bank, kitty:  You will have to add њ5 to the
             pot to see my hand.  3 pot-belly, paunch, gut, Colloq
             corporation, beer belly, spare tyre, US bay window:  If he
             exercised more, Patrick wouldn't have such a pot.

   potent    adj.  1 powerful, strong; mighty, vigorous, forceful,
             formidable, authoritative, influential, Literary puissant:  A
             potent poison will kill those weeds. We have to reckon with an
             enemy that is quite potent. 2 effective, convincing, cogent,
             persuasive, compelling, efficacious, telling, sound, valid,
             impressive:  Their argument is potent enough to convince the
             biggest sceptics.

   potential adj.  1 possible, likely, implicit, implied, imminent,
             developing, budding, embryonic, dormant, hidden, concealed,
             covert, latent, quiescent, passive, future, unrealized,
             undeveloped:  We are dealing with a potential threat to our
             liberty.

             --n.  2 capacity, capability, possibility, aptitude, potency,
             Colloq the (right) stuff, what it takes:  All teenagers have
             potential; the problem is to teach them to exploit it to the
             best advantage.

   potion    n.  draught, brew, beverage, drink, philtre, potation, elixir,
             tonic, cup, dose, concoction, decoction:  The old crone gave him
             a tiny bottle containing the love potion.

   pot-pourri
             n.  mixture, medley, miscellany, assortment, olla podrida,
             smorgasbord or sm”rg†sbord, gallimaufry, salmagundi, patchwork,
             collection, hotchpotch or US and Canadian hodgepodge, m‚lange or
             melange, motley, pastiche or pasticcio, mishmash, jumble, mess:
             What a pot-pourri of styles is represented in that art gallery!

   potter    v.  Chiefly Brit dabble (in or with), toy with, trifle with,
             fribble, fool (with or about or around), fritter (away), mess
             (about or around or with), tinker (with), meddle (with), monkey
             (about or around or with), fidget (with), US putter (around or
             with), Colloq fiddle (about or around or with), footle (around
             or about):  On Sundays I like to potter about in the garden.

   pottery   n.  earthenware, ceramics, terracotta, crockery, stoneware,
             porcelain, china, delftware:  Ornamented pottery has been found
             in pre-Columbian digs.

   pouch     n.  pocket, sack, bag, purse, reticule, Dialect poke:  A
             Highlander's pouch is called a sporran. As I was going out, I
             filled my tobacco pouch.

   pounce    v.  1 Often, pounce on or upon. spring (on or upon), leap (at or
             on), swoop down (on or upon), fall upon, jump (at or on),
             strike, take by surprise or unawares, attack, ambush, Colloq
             mug:  As I rounded the corner, three youths pounced on me, stole
             my bag, and ran off.

             --n.  2 spring, leap, swoop, jump:  The cat was on the mantel
             shelf in a single pounce.

   pound°    v.  1 beat, batter, pelt, hammer, pummel; thump, belabour,
             thrash, bludgeon, cudgel, maul, strike, Colloq lambaste, Slang
             paste, clobber, work over, give (someone) the works or a
             pasting:  She pounded on the door till someone came. It was
             satisfying to see him pound the class bully into submission. 2
             crush, powder, pulverize, bray, comminute, triturate, mash,
             pulp:  The corn must be pounded into a fine meal before use.  3
             beat, throb, hammer, pulse, pulsate, palpitate:  My heart was
             pounding, waiting to see if the tiger would attack.  4 pound
             into. instil, din into, drill into, drub into, hammer into, beat
             into:  Her parents have pounded into her that she must show
             respect to her elders. 5 pound out. rid, expel, clear, cleanse,
             empty, purge, beat out, hammer out:  The last bit of
             stubbornness was pounded out of me at school.  6 beat out;
             hammer out, produce:  The jungle drums pounded out the message
             that Tarzan was coming.

             --n.  7 pounding, beat, beating, thump, thumping:  The pound of
             horses' hooves heralded the arrival of the cavalry.

   poundэ    n.  enclosure, pen, compound, confine, yard:  My car was towed
             to the pound, and it cost a fortune to retrieve it.

   pour      v.  1 flow, run, gush, rush, flood, stream, course, spout,
             discharge, spurt, spew out, cascade:  Water was pouring from a
             crack in the dam.  2 empty, discharge, let out:  Pour the
             boiling water over the tea leaves and let them steep for a few
             minutes. 3 rain, teem, Colloq come down in buckets or by the
             bucketful, bucket down, rain cats and dogs, US rain pitchforks:
             It poured all night.  4 stream, swarm, crowd, throng, teem,
             emerge, sally forth, issue (forth), go (forth):  The show over,
             people poured into the streets.

   pout      v.  1 mope, brood, sulk, make a moue, pull a long face, frown,
             lour or lower, knit one's brows:  Don't pout - I'll buy you an
             ice-cream.

             --n.  2 frown, moue, long face:  Her pout was occasioned by her
             father's scolding.

   poverty   n.  1 want, penury, indigence, insolvency, destitution,
             pauperism, impecuniousness, neediness, beggary:  Her childhood
             was spent in poverty.  2 scarcity, scarceness, want, need, lack,
             meagreness, insufficiency, shortage, dearth, paucity,
             inadequacy:  They criticized the poverty of talent among the
             current crop of actors.

   powder    n.  1 dust; talc:  I couldn't remember whether the jar contained
             cornflour or baking powder. She dabbed her body all over with
             scented powder. 2 take a (run-out) powder. run away, abscond,
             escape, vanish, disappear, Slang Brit scarper, do a moonlight
             flit, US take it on the lam:  The cops are coming, so I'm taking
             a powder.

             --v.  3 pulverize, bray, grind, crush, pound, granulate,
             triturate, comminute, levigate:  The rocks must first be
             crushed, then powdered.  4 sprinkle, besprinkle, dust, dredge,
             cover, coat:  Lightly powder the top of the cake with icing
             sugar, and it is ready to serve.

   power     n.  1 Sometimes, powers. capacity, capability, ability,
             potential, faculty, competency or competence, faculty,
             potentiality, Colloq what it takes, US the (right) stuff, the
             goods:  Fishes have the power to change their buoyancy. He has
             remarkable powers of observation. 2 control, dominance,
             authority, mastery, rule, influence, sway, command, ascendancy,
             sovereignty, dominion, weight, clout, Colloq pull, US drag:  He
             maintains a Svengali-like power over her. The prime minister has
             the power to appoint and dismiss cabinet ministers. 3 control,
             command, authority:  The party might not be in power for very
             long.  4 strength, might, vigour, energy, force, mightiness,
             potency, forcefulness, brawn, muscle, Literary puissance:  His
             speech was delivered with great power and a certain wit. Has she
             the power it takes to toss the caber? 5 talent, skill, ability,
             faculty, gift, aptitude, genius, knack:  They say that she has
             the power to see into the future.  6 authority, licence, right,
             authorization, privilege, warrant, prerogative:  By the power
             vested in me, I now declare you man and wife. It is within her
             power to grant a stay of execution. 7 Often, powers. activity,
             effectiveness, effect, ability, capacity, active ingredient(s):
             This mushroom has hallucinogenic powers.  8 energy, momentum,
             impetus, drive, force, inertia:  The car rolled halfway up the
             next hill under its own power.  9 (mechanical or electrical or
             atomic) energy, electricity, fuel:  Yesterday there was another
             demonstration against the use of nuclear power. 10 powers that
             be. government, administration, authorities, incumbents:  It is
             up to the powers that be to investigate corruption.

   powerful  adj.  1 potent, strong, mighty, vigorous, robust, energetic,
             sturdy, stalwart, tough, resilient, dynamic:  Leslie has a
             powerful physique. The cities of the Hanseatic League had
             powerful economies. 2 influential, strong, compelling, forceful,
             potent, substantial, weighty, authoritative, effective;
             important, impressive, telling, effectual, formidable,
             persuasive:  Powerful arguments have been brought to bear
             against taking such action. She has many powerful friends. 3
             strong, potent; intense, substantial, great, high:  The drug is
             too powerful to be taken regularly. A powerful electrical charge
             was sent through the wire to test the connection.

   powerless adj.  1 helpless, incapable, unable, unfit, incompetent,
             ineffectual, ineffective:  Without his wand, the magician was
             powerless.  2 incapacitated, helpless, weak, feeble,
             debilitated, crippled, paralysed, disabled:  He is completely
             powerless without the use of his right hand.

16.7 practicable...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   practicable
             adj.  doable, feasible, workable, performable, achievable,
             attainable, accomplishable, possible, viable:  We climbed up the
             glacier as far as was practicable. At last we had a practicable
             flying machine.

   practical adj.  1 pragmatic, useful, usable or useable, functional,
             realistic, reasonable, sound, utilitarian, applicable,
             serviceable, empirical, efficient:  Whether the device is
             practical will depend on its cost effectiveness.  2 sensible,
             reasonable, common-sense or common-sensical, everyday, ordinary,
             down-to-earth, expedient, matter-of-fact, mundane,
             business-like, hard-headed, judicious, Colloq hard-nosed:  Put
             theory aside and focus on a practical solution to the problem.
             3 applied, field, hands-on, personal, everyday:  She has had
             practical experience in nursing the elderly.

   practically
             adv.  1 almost, (very) nearly, wellnigh, virtually, in effect,
             just about, essentially, fundamentally, at bottom, basically,
             when all is said and done, at the end of the day, to all intents
             and purposes:  We are practically there. I have practically
             finished the ironing.  2 realistically, matter-of-factly,
             clearly, simply, reasonably, rationally, sensibly:  Practically,
             there was nothing to be done except let the fire burn itself
             out.

   practice  n.  1 custom, wont, habit, routine, convention, tradition, rule,
             procedure, usage, mode, style, way, modus operandi, technique or
             technic, Formal praxis, Colloq MO (= 'modus operandi'):  She
             makes a practice of swimming for an hour every day. It is our
             practice to get patients out of bed as soon as possible after
             surgery. 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. 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. 4 in practice. practically,
             actually, day-to-day, realistically, in real life:  In practice
             no one would ever treat an injury the way this book recommends.
             5 out of practice. inexperienced, unpractised, unaccustomed,
             rusty:  I once played a good game of chess, but I'm out of
             practice now.

   practise  v.  1 drill, exercise, work out, train, prepare, rehearse, run
             through, repeat, study, US practice:  I am practising for
             Sunday's tennis tournament. She practises the piano every day.
             You should practise your routine for the show. 2 carry on, make
             a practice of, perform, do, act, carry out, put into practice,
             US practice:  She practises law. You should practise what you
             preach.

   practised adj.  1 accomplished, proficient, expert, skilled, experienced,
             capable, adept, seasoned, able, qualified, gifted, talented,
             skilful, masterful, consummate, superb, superior, US practiced:
             She is a practised liar.  2 trained, rehearsed, versed,
             cultivated, schooled, finished, perfected, US practiced:  He
             greeted them with the practised air of an veteran diplomat.

   praise    n.  1 acclaim, approval, approbation, applause, plaudits, kudos,
             endorsement, acclamation, tribute, accolade, compliments,
             commendation, encomium, eulogy, panegyric, ovation:  Sheila has
             received well-deserved praise for her work with paraplegic
             children. Would you expect me to sing the praises of my rival? 2
             honour, glorification, adoration, exaltation, devotion, homage,
             worship, veneration, adulation, reverence, glory, hymn or song
             of praise, paean, hosanna:  The king rejoiced and said, 'Praise
             be to God'.

             --v.  3 acclaim, approve, laud, applaud, endorse, pay tribute
             to, compliment, commend, eulogize, extol, honour, sing the
             praises (of):  The speaker praised Read for his many
             contributions to linguistics.  4 worship, revere, reverence,
             exalt, glorify, adore, pay homage to, venerate, give thanks to,
             hallow:  Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

   praiseworthy
             adj.  commendable, laudable, admirable, creditable, worthy,
             meritorious, deserving, exemplary:  However praiseworthy your
             motives were, you did not stop to consider the consequences.

   prance    v.  caper, dance, gambol, skip, cavort, romp, leap, frisk, jump,
             spring, bound, Dressage curvet, capriole:  Ahead of the royal
             coach came a dozen riders on prancing horses.

   prank     n.  trick, (practical) joke, frolic, escapade, antic, caper,
             stunt, lark, jest, jape, monkey tricks or esp. US monkeyshines,
             mischief:  Those schoolboy pranks we once thought hilarious now
             seem quite silly.

   prattle   v.  1 prate, babble, blather or blether, blither, gibber,
             jabber, jibber-jabber, palaver, tattle, twaddle, gabble,
             chatter, patter, drivel, twitter, rattle on, go on (and on),
             maunder, Brit natter, Colloq witter (on), gas, gab, spout, gush,
             run (on), US run off at the mouth, Slang jaw, ya(c)k,
             ya(c)kety-ya(c)k, shoot off one's mouth:  Do I have to listen to
             him prattle on and on about his grandchildren?

             --n.  2 prate, prating, babble, babbling, blather or blether,
             blathering or blethering, gibber, gibbering, jabber, jabbering,
             palaver, palavering, tattle, tattling, twaddle, chatter,
             chattering, gabble, gabbling, patter, drivel, twitter,
             twittering, rattling on, going on, maundering, cackle, US
             jibber-jabbering, twattle, clack, Colloq gas, gab, running off
             at the mouth, Slang jawing, ya(c)kety-ya(c)k:  We were treated
             to constant prattle about eating healthy foods.  3 jabberwocky,
             gobbledegook or gobbledygook, mumbo-jumbo, rubbish, balderdash,
             (stuff and) nonsense, humbug, bunkum, tommy-rot, trash, rot,
             foolishness, Colloq pish and tush, hot air, flapdoodle,
             rigmarole or rigamarole, bunk, piffle, moonshine, poppycock,
             claptrap, bull, hogwash, swill, Brit tosh, fiddle-faddle,
             boloney, Chiefly US garbage, horse feathers, Slang crap, hooey,
             guff, Taboo slang bullshit, US crock (of shit):  What they told
             you about guaranteeing your job is just a lot of prattle.

   pray      v.  1 beseech, ask, call upon or on, entreat, implore, request,
             appeal to, plead (with), beg (for), importune, solicit,
             petition, supplicate, Rare obsecrate:  I pray you to find it in
             your heart to approve my work.  2 say one's prayers, offer a
             prayer:  We prayed for her safe return.

   prayer    n.  1 petition, supplication, request, entreaty, plea, suit,
             appeal, Rare obsecration:  Our prayers were answered, and she
             returned safely.  2 devotion, praying, invocation, (divine)
             service, Literary orison:  Man ascends to God through prayer.

   preach    v.  1 deliver a sermon, evangelize, spread the Word or the
             Gospel; catechize:  The Most Reverend John Attwood will preach
             next week at Winchester.  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.

   preacher  n.  minister, evangelist, clergyman, clergywoman, cleric,
             ecclesiastic, reverend, divine, Colloq tub-thumper:  He studied
             for many years to become a preacher.

   preamble  n.  introduction, foreword, prologue, preface, Formal proem,
             prolegomenon, exordium:  As a preamble to today's proceedings, I
             should like to welcome our honoured guests.

   precarious
             adj.  uncertain, unreliable, unsure, risky, hazardous,
             unpredictable, insecure, unstable, unsteady, unsettled, shaky,
             doubtful, dubious, questionable, tricky, delicate, ticklish,
             sensitive, slippery, touch-and-go, (hanging) in the balance,
             hanging by a thread, Damoclean, perilous, treacherous,
             dangerous, difficult, problematic, Colloq chancy, Brit dodgy,
             dicey, US iffy, Slang hairy:  If sales continue to drop, the
             company will be in precarious condition.  We followed a
             precarious trail down the mountainside.

   precaution
             n.  1 provision, preventive measure, safety measure, safeguard,
             insurance, protection, cover, escape:  Unfortunately, he had
             failed to take any precautions against storm damage. 2
             foresight, prudence, providence, forethought, caution,
             cautiousness, circumspection, care, attention, watchfulness,
             vigilance, alertness, wariness, chariness, apprehension,
             far-sightedness, anticipation:  Precaution is wiser than
             hindsight.

   precede   v.  come or go or proceed before or first, go ahead or in
             advance (of), lead (the way), pave the way (for), herald, usher
             in, introduce, antecede; foreshadow, antedate, predate:  His
             wife preceded him into the room. The Decameron preceded The
             Canterbury Tales by about fifty years.

   precedence
             n.  precedency, priority, pre-eminence, superiority, supremacy,
             preference, privilege, prerogative, importance, rank, position,
             primacy:  Your school work must take precedence over football
             practice.

   precedent n.  prototype, model, example, exemplar, pattern, paradigm,
             yardstick, criterion, standard, lead:  The French considered the
             War of American Independence a precedent for their revolution.

   preceding adj.  foregoing, former, previous, above, prior, earlier,
             above-mentioned, aforementioned, above-stated, above-named:  The
             defendant in the preceding action was remanded in custody for a
             week.

   precept   n.  1 rule, guide, principle, unwritten law, canon, guideline,
             dictate, code, injunction, law, commandment, instruction,
             injunction, directive, prescription, mandate, charge; statute,
             regulation, edict, ukase, decree, order, fiat, ordinance:  The
             Ten Commandments provide basic precepts of moral behaviour.  2
             maxim, proverb, axiom, motto, slogan, saying, byword, aphorism,
             apophthegm or apothegm:  Does anyone follow the precepts set
             forth in Scripture?

   precinct  n.  1 Usually, precincts. area, territory, region, province,
             environs, purlieus, borders, bounds, confines:  Does he have any
             authority outside the precincts of the city?  2 sphere,
             neighbourhood, zone, sector, section, quarter, district, locale:
             In some US cities, the area covered by a police station is
             called a precinct.

   precious  adj.  1 dear, dearest, costly, expensive, high-priced, valuable,
             invaluable, prized, priceless, irreplaceable, Colloq pricey:
             The entire cabinet was filled with precious jewels.  2 esteemed,
             choice, cherished, beloved, idolized, adored, loved, valued,
             prized, revered, venerated, venerable, hallowed:  The church
             keeps its most precious relics in a special vault.  3 precise,
             exquisite, overrefined, chichi, over-nice, studied, artificial,
             effete, affected, overdone, pretentious, euphuistic,
             alembicated, Colloq Brit twee, Slang US cutesy:  His style is
             characterized by somewhat precious language.

   precipice n.  cliff, escarpment, bluff, crag:  We looked nervously over
             the edge of the precipice at the raging sea below.

   precipitate
             v.  1 accelerate, hasten, speed (up), advance, hurry, quicken,
             expedite, bring on or about, trigger, provoke, instigate,
             incite, facilitate, further, press, push forward:  The rise in
             interest rates precipitated many bankruptcies.  2 hurl, fling,
             cast, launch, project:  The force of the impact precipitated him
             through the windscreen.

             --adj.  3 headlong, violent, rapid, swift, quick, speedy,
             meteoric, fast:  A powerful counter-attack brought about the
             enemy's precipitate rout. 4 sudden, abrupt, unannounced,
             unexpected, unanticipated:  Today's fall in share prices was as
             precipitate as yesterday's rise. 5 rash, impetuous, hasty,
             volatile, hotheaded, careless, reckless, incautious,
             injudicious, foolhardy, impulsive, unrestrained:  The selection
             of a career should not be a precipitate decision.

   precipitation
             n.  showers, drizzle, downpour, rain, rainfall, snow, snowfall,
             hail, sleet:  Precipitation can be expected in advance of the
             low-pressure area pushing down from the north.

   precipitous
             adj.  1 abrupt, steep, perpendicular, sheer, bluff, acclivitous,
             declivitous:  I cannot see how anyone can climb up the
             precipitous face of that crag. 2 See precipitate, 5, above.

   pr‚cis    n.  outline, summary, synopsis, aper‡u, r‚sum‚, conspectus,
             survey, overview, abstract, abridgement, digest, compendium,
             recapitulation; table of contents:  As I haven't the time to
             read the entire study document, let me have a pr‚cis of it.

   precise   adj.  1 correct, exact, definite, well-defined, explicit,
             word-for-word, verbatim, literal, letter-for-letter, literatim,
             faithful, specific, unambiguous, unequivocal, strict, authentic,
             perfect, true, veracious, truthful, unerring, error-free,
             accurate:  Errors show that medieval scribes did not always
             succeed in making precise copies. 2 strict, meticulous,
             scrupulous, careful, conscientious, exact, unconditional,
             rigorous, rigid, puritanical, unbending, inflexible, unyielding,
             demanding, severe, prim, absolute:  He has been very precise
             about dates and facts. Margaret is precise in insisting on
             obedience to her orders. 3 fastidious, particular, finicky,
             finical, fussy, meticulous, scrupulous, careful, conscientious,
             nice, exacting, critical, demanding:  Painting miniatures is
             very precise work.  4 exact, very:  This is the precise spot
             where I found the body.

   precisely adv.  1 exactly, just, strictly, Colloq on the nail, smack,
             slap, on the nose, Brit bang on, spot on:  His view is precisely
             the opposite of hers. We left precisely at five o'clock. You
             phoned, and that is precisely why I came. The two paintings are
             not precisely the same. 2 exactly, exactingly, correctly,
             rigorously, absolutely, punctiliously, minutely, carefully,
             meticulously, scrupulously, conscientiously, strictly, rigidly,
             inflexibly; in all respects, in every way:  This judge follows
             the letter of the law precisely.

   precision n.  1 correctness, exactness, fidelity, faithfulness,
             exactitude, preciseness, accuracy, rigour, perfection,
             flawlessness, faultlessness, literalism, faithfulness,
             unerringness:  This copy follows the original with precision.  2
             definiteness, care, nicety, meticulousness, rigorousness,
             rigour, fastidiousness, punctiliousness, scrupulousness,
             unambiguousness, nicety, strictness, explicitness:  The
             precision of the wording leaves no doubt about what the writer
             intended.

   preclude  v.  obviate, bar, prevent, stop, exclude, prohibit, shut out,
             forestall, rule out, debar, check, block, obstruct, avert,
             avoid, thwart, frustrate, impede, inhibit, hinder, interfere
             with:  To preclude misunderstanding, please repeat what you
             said. They may not engage in activities that preclude them from
             performing their regular duties.

   precocious
             adj.  advanced, mature, bright, gifted, intelligent, smart,
             quick:  It is hard to believe that Oliver was a precocious
             child.

   preconceived
             adj.  beforehand, predisposed, prejudged, predetermined,
             prejudiced, biased, anticipatory:  He has many false
             preconceived notions about people.

   preconception
             n.  predisposition, prejudgement, predetermination, prejudice,
             bias, presumption, presupposition, assumption, id‚e fixe,
             prepossession, preconceived notion or idea:  This production of
             King Lear will challenge your preconceptions of the play.

   precondition
             n.  prerequisite, stipulation, condition, essential, must, sine
             qua non, imperative, requirement, proviso, provision,
             qualification, necessity:  The release of the prisoners is a
             precondition for talks. Is great humanity a precondition of
             great music, or is it just a matter of the notes?

   precursor n.  1 harbinger, herald, vanguard:  The glow on the eastern
             horizon is the precursor of another day.  2 See predecessor, 1,
             below

   predatory adj.  1 predacious or predaceous, carnivorous, preying,
             raptorial:  Despite domestication, dogs and cats are predatory
             animals.  2 rapacious, ravenous, plundering, robbing, pillaging,
             marauding, despoiling, looting, piratical, vulturine,
             avaricious, greedy, voracious, larcenous, thieving,
             extortionate, usurious:  Predatory pirates once ravaged the
             Mediterranean. Keep out of the hands of predatory money-lenders,
             my son.

   predecessor
             n.  1 forerunner, predecessor, antecedent:  I could not match
             the accomplishments of my predecessor in this post. 2 forebear,
             forefather, ancestor, antecedent:  Can you name the Tudor
             predecessors of Elizabeth I?

   predestination
             n.  destiny, future, lot, fortune, kismet, karma; doom, fate;
             foreordainment, foreordination:  Meeting like this must have
             been predestination.

   predetermined
             adj.  1 fixed, prearranged, pre-established, set (up), foregone,
             preplanned, pre-set:  A predetermined amount of milk is
             automatically poured into each cup of coffee. 2 fated, doomed,
             destined, ordained, foreordained, Colloq cut and dried, Brit on
             the cards, US in the cards:  One gets the feeling that the
             outcome was predetermined.

   predicament
             n.  dilemma, quandary, difficulty, trial, situation, state,
             condition, imbroglio, emergency, crisis, impasse, Colloq pickle,
             jam, fix, pinch, scrape, spot, bind, corner, hole, mess, US box:
             I was hoping that you might help me out of a very awkward
             predicament.

   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!

   predictable
             adj.  foreseeable, foreseen, probable, likely, liable, expected,
             anticipated, (reasonably) sure or certain, Colloq Brit on the
             cards, US in the cards:  Her angry reaction at being dismissed
             was quite predictable.

   prediction
             n.  forecast, prophecy, augury, prognosis; intimation, hint,
             suggestion:  The weatherman's predictions are more accurate than
             one might think. The prediction that he might be released the
             next day did not come true.

   predominance
             n.  predominancy, superiority, influence, dominance,
             pre-eminence, preponderance, ascendancy, precedence, power,
             supremacy, hold, sway, hegemony, leadership, mastery, control,
             dominion, sovereignty, transcendence or transcendency,
             authority, the upper hand, the whip hand, advantage, the edge:
             We must re-establish the predominance of intellectual vigour
             over crass commercialism.

   predominant
             adj.  dominant, predominating, controlling, sovereign, ruling,
             pre-eminent, preponderant, ascendant, superior, supreme,
             leading, paramount, main, chief, transcendant, important,
             telling, influential, primary, prevailing, prevalent:  England
             was the predominant power in the world during the 19th century.
             The phlogiston theory was once predominant among scientists.

   predominate
             v.  Often, predominate over. dominate, control, rule, reign,
             preponderate, outweigh, obtain, prevail, overshadow, get or have
             the upper hand, lord it over, hold sway, overrule:  Though the
             American president is a Republican, the Democrats predominate in
             Congress.

   pre-eminence
             n.  1 See predominance, above.  2 peerlessness, magnificence,
             excellence, distinction, eminence, inimitability, superiority:
             There is no gainsaying the pre-eminence of Shakespeare as a poet
             and playwright.

   pre-eminent
             adj.  1 See predominant, above.  2 peerless, excellent,
             distinguished, eminent, inimitable, superb, unequalled,
             matchless, incomparable, outstanding, unique, unrivalled,
             unsurpassed, supreme, superior:  In her opinion, Craig is the
             pre-eminent authority on the subject.

   pre-eminently
             adv.  primarily, principally, by far, far and away, manifestly,
             eminently, notably, conspicuously, prominently, signally,
             uniquely, extraordinarily, supremely, superbly, matchlessly,
             incomparably, outstandingly:  There is no doubt that Nathalie is
             pre-eminently qualified to direct the play.

   pre-empt  v.  appropriate, usurp, arrogate, take over, assume, take
             possession of, seize, acquire, take, possess, expropriate:  All
             the seats on the committee had been pre-empted by the ruling
             faction.

   preen     v.  1 trim, clean, plume, groom:  The gliding swans stopped now
             and then to preen their feathers.  2 primp, dress up, titivate
             or tittivate, prettify, beautify, prink, spruce up, deck (out),
             Colloq doll up, Brit tart up:  He made Sonia wait while he
             preened himself before the mirror.

   preface   n.  1 introduction, foreword, prologue, preamble, Formal proem,
             prolegomenon, exordium:  By way of preface, I should like to say
             how happy I am to be here.  The preface to the book is far too
             long.

             --v.  2 precede, introduce, prefix, begin, open:  The speaker
             prefaced his acceptance speech with a tribute to his
             predecessor.

   prefatory adj.  opening, introductory, preliminary, preparatory:  Would
             you like to make a few prefatory remarks introducing this
             evening's speaker?

   prefer    v.  1 favour, like better, fancy, lean or incline towards or on
             the side of, be inclined, be partial to, pick, select, opt for,
             choose, single out, take a fancy to, embrace, espouse, approve,
             esteem:  Which flavour do you prefer, chocolate or coffee? I
             should prefer to take my own car. 2 present, offer, propose,
             proffer, advance, submit, tender, put forward, file, lodge,
             enter:  They preferred charges against the hooligans for
             criminal damage.

   preference
             n.  1 favourite, choice, selection, desire, option, pick:  My
             preference is the Dover sole meuniЉre.  2 partiality,
             proclivity, prejudice, favouritism, predilection, liking, fancy,
             predisposition, bent, inclination, leaning:  She shows a marked
             preference for short men.

   preferential
             adj.  advantageous, biased, prejudiced, favourable, privileged,
             partial, better, favoured, superior:  What entitles her to
             preferential treatment?

   pregnant  adj.  1 gravid, parturient, expectant, (heavy) with child,
             enceinte, Colloq expecting, in a family way, Brit preggers,
             Slang having a bun in the oven, Brit in the (pudding) club, up
             the spout:  Her twins are only seven months old and now she's
             pregnant again.  2 charged, fraught, loaded, weighty,
             significant, meaningful, suggestive, eloquent, expressive,
             pointed:  Although she said nothing, her smile was pregnant with
             meaning.  3 fruitful, teeming, fertile, fecund, rich, abounding,
             replete, productive:  My mind was so pregnant with ideas that I
             couldn't wait to get down to work.

   prehistoric
             adj.  1 primordial, primal, primeval, primitive, earliest,
             early, antediluvian, Noachian or Noachic, fossil, ancient:  The
             prehistoric remains of yet another skeleton have been found in
             the peat bogs. 2 antiquated, out-dated, old-fashioned, pass‚:
             My mother makes me wear these absolutely prehistoric clothes to
             school.

   prejudice n.  1 partiality, preconception, prejudgement, bias, leaning,
             warp, twist, preconceived notion, predisposition, predilection,
             jaundiced eye, jaundice:  The judge showed an unfortunate
             prejudice against my client.  2 bigotry, unfairness, bias,
             partisanship, favouritism, cronyism, discrimination,
             intolerance, inequality; racism, racialism, apartheid, Jim
             Crowism, sexism, (male) chauvinism:  There is still prejudice
             against many minority groups in society.

             --v.  3 bias, influence, warp, twist, distort, slant; colour,
             jaundice, poison:  Stop trying to prejudice me against the book,
             and let me form my own opinion. Are you prejudiced in favour of
             Anita's getting the job?

   prejudiced
             adj.  1 unfair, one-sided, biased, jaundiced, opinionated,
             predisposed, partial, partisan, non-objective, unobjective:  The
             prosecution objected to him as a prejudiced witness.  2 bigoted,
             intolerant, narrow-minded, closed-minded, parochial, sexist,
             racist, chauvinistic:  We have no room in our organization for
             people who are prejudiced.

   prejudicial
             adj.  injurious, damaging, detrimental, harmful, unfavourable,
             inimical, deleterious, disadvantageous, counter-productive,
             pernicious:  Such an investment decision might prove prejudicial
             to her financial security.

   preliminary
             adj.  1 advance, prior, introductory, beginning, initial,
             opening, preparatory, prefatory, preceding, antecedent,
             forerunning; premonitory; Formal or technical prodromal or
             prodromic:  The preliminary design for the swimming-pool is
             ready. After some preliminary remarks, the ceremonies got under
             way.

             --n.  2 introduction, beginning, opening, preparation,
             groundwork, prelude, precedence; overture:  We insist on
             rigorous training as a preliminary to working in the field. 3
             prelims. Rarely, preliminaries. introduction, preface, foreword,
             preamble, prologue, front matter, Formal proem, exordium,
             prolegomenon, prodromus, prodrome:  The manuscript is finished
             and we are waiting for the prelims.

   premature adj.  1 immature, undeveloped, underdeveloped, unfledged,
             untimely, unready, early, unripe, green:  Much premature fruit
             has been blown down in the winds.  2 hasty, untimely, ill-timed,
             too early, too soon, beforehand, unseasonable, overhasty,
             impulsive, inopportune:  The post may be slow, but still I think
             September a bit premature to send Christmas cards. The discovery
             that money was missing accounts for his premature departure.

   prematurely
             adv.  1 untimely, too soon, too early:  He died prematurely at
             the age of 46.  2 rashly, (over-)hastily, at half-cock,
             half-cocked:  She dismissed him prematurely, before he had the
             time to prove himself. The gun went off prematurely, with no
             chance to aim it.

   premeditated
             adj.  planned, conscious, intentional, intended, wilful,
             deliberate, studied, purposive; contrived, preplanned,
             calculated, preconceived:  The murder was coldly premeditated. I
             admit to being wrong, and I have no premeditated excuses.

   premier   n.  1 prime minister, PM, head of state, chief executive,
             president, chancellor:  The premiers of the Commonwealth met at
             Kuala Lumpur in 1989.

             --adj.  2 first, prime, primary, chief, principal, head, main,
             foremost, top-ranking, highest-ranking, ranking, leading, top,
             pre-eminent:  He is the premier expert in his field.

   premiЉre  n.  1 premiere, first night, opening (night), debut:  The
             premiЉre of A‹da was at the opening of the Suez Canal.

             --v.  2 open, debut:  The film will premiЉre at the Festival
             Cinema tomorrow.

             --adj.  3 opening, debut, first, original, initial:  The
             premiЉre West-End performance is scheduled for May after a
             provincial tour.

   premise   n.  1 premiss, assumption, proposition, postulate, hypothesis,
             conjecture, assertion, supposition, thesis, presupposition,
             proposal, theorem, surmise, basis, ground:  He started out with
             the premise that time had a beginning and will have an end.

             --v.  2 assume, propose, postulate, hypothesize, hypothecate,
             conjecture, posit, assert, suppose, presuppose, theorize,
             surmise, put or set forth, predicate, argue:  If you accept what
             Einstein premised in the Special Theory of Relativity, then you
             accept that space is curved.

   premium   n.  1 bonus, extra, dividend, prize, award, reward, perquisite:
             In our slimming competition, a premium will be paid for each
             pound that you lose beyond five. 2 incentive, inducement,
             stimulus, incitement, lure, bait, spur, goad, reward, Colloq
             come-on, Slang US and Canadian freebie:  Many Building Societies
             offer premiums to first-time buyers.  3 value, importance,
             regard, stock, store, appreciation:  We place a premium on the
             way our staff treat customers.  4 at a premium.  a scarce, rare,
             scant, scanty, sparse, hard to come by, in short supply, Colloq
             scarce as hen's teeth, Chiefly Brit thin on the ground:
             Proficient, literate, experienced editors are at a premium these
             days. b costly, expensive, dear, high-priced, Colloq steep,
             stiff:  The convertible model of this car is at a premium.

   premonition
             n.  intuition, foreboding, presentiment, forewarning, suspicion,
             feeling, hunch, Colloq funny feeling, sneaking suspicion:  I had
             a premonition that something terribly evil was lurking in store
             for me.

   preoccupied
             adj.  1 engrossed, lost in thought, rapt, thoughtful, pensive,
             absorbed, cogitating, cogitative, meditating, musing,
             reflecting, reflective, contemplative, contemplating, pondering,
             brooding, ruminating, in a brown study:  John is preoccupied,
             thinking about the speech he has to deliver tonight. 2 vague,
             offhand, far-away, absent-minded, abstracted, oblivious,
             unaware, wrapped up, immersed, inattentive, distracted,
             distrait, Colloq turned off, US out of it:  From her preoccupied
             air it was obvious that something was wrong.

   preparation
             n.  1 Often, preparations.  a groundwork, spadework,
             provision(s), foundation, preparing, measures, proceedings:
             Nothing will interfere with our preparation for the royal visit.
             b plans, arrangements:  We are making preparations to leave
             tomorrow.  2 fitness, readiness, readying, preparing, training,
             education, teaching, instruction, instructing, tuition,
             briefing, grooming, Colloq gearing up, prep, US prepping:  The
             preparation of the students was your responsibility.  3 drawing
             up, draughting, planning, setting up, putting together,
             organizing, organization, composing, making:  How is your
             preparation of the new proposal coming along?  4 work,
             preparing, getting ready, study, studying, practising, practice,
             Colloq cramming, Brit swotting:  All my preparation for the exam
             was to no avail.  5 substance, compound, concoction, mixture,
             product, material, stuff, composition:  This preparation is a
             furniture wax, not a suntan lotion.

   preparatory
             adj.  1 preparative, preliminary, introductory, prefatory,
             opening:  After some preparatory warnings about safety, the
             scuba-diving lessons began. 2 elementary, basic, essential,
             fundamental, primary, rudimentary:  His preparatory training
             left him ill equipped to deal with such a major problem. 3
             preparatory to. before, in preparation for, preceding:
             Preparatory to the mission, we were briefed by MI5.

   prepare   v.  1 (get or make) ready, prime, arrange, (put in) order,
             organize, provide for, make provision(s) for, lay the groundwork
             (for), (make) fit, fit (out), equip, outfit, adapt:  Have you
             prepared adequately for the meeting? We prepared the house to
             receive guests. 2 train, (get or make) ready, study, practise,
             Colloq cram, Brit swot, get up:  He is preparing to take an
             exam.  3 train, educate, teach, (get or make) ready, groom,
             brief, develop:  Her mother is preparing her for the next
             Olympics.  4 cook (up), make, do, Colloq whip up, US and
             Canadian fix:  I shall prepare dinner for eight o'clock.  5
             manufacture, fabricate, produce, make, put out, build,
             construct, assemble, put together, turn out, fashion, forge,
             mould:  Our company prepares components for the printing
             industry.  6 brace, strengthen, steel, fortify, ready:  When I
             saw the doctor's face, I prepared myself for bad news.  7
             process, produce, make, treat, change, modify, transform:  This
             fabric has been specially prepared to repel stains.

   prepared  adj.  1 ready, set, advance, prearranged, planned:  We have six
             prepared questions for the interview.  2 treated, processed,
             modified, changed:  Using an etching needle, incise the lines on
             the prepared surface of the steel plate. 3 willing, disposed,
             predisposed, able, inclined, of a mind; ready, (all) set:  Are
             you prepared to apologize?  4 oven-ready, microwave-ready,
             microwavable, instant, convenience, ready-to-eat,
             ready-to-serve, precooked, ready-made:  He lives alone and
             usually buys prepared dinners that just need reheating.

   preparedness
             n.  vigilance, alertness, readiness, fitness:  The armed forces
             were kept in a continuous state of preparedness.

   preponderance
             n.  1 majority, greater part, bulk, mass, lion's share:  The
             preponderance of voters want a change of government.  2 weight,
             influence, weightiness, superiority, supremacy, predominance,
             primacy, ascendancy, sway, strength, force, power, advantage,
             control, authority, hegemony, leadership, rule:  Good has always
             appeared to have an incontestable preponderance over evil.

   prepossessing
             adj.  attractive, appealing, pleasing, favourable, engaging,
             charming, captivating, fascinating, winsome, winning, magnetic,
             alluring, bewitching, taking, fetching, inviting, good-looking,
             handsome, lovely, beautiful:  She is a woman of prepossessing
             appearance and a delightful nature.

   preposterous
             adj.  absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, risible,
             asinine, foolish, senseless, irrational, nonsensical, fatuous,
             fatuitous, mindless, insane, crazy, crack-brained, mad, idiotic,
             moronic, imbecilic, incredible, unbelievable, outrageous,
             extravagant, extraordinary, extreme, exorbitant, outlandish,
             outr‚, weird, bizarre, Slang barmy, nutty, screwy, batty, dotty,
             wacky, loony, cuckoo, US balmy:  To claim that it is all my
             fault is simply preposterous!

   prerequisite
             adj.  1 essential, necessary, requisite, imperative,
             indispensable, obligatory, required, called-for, demanded:
             Naval service is a prerequisite condition for joining the club.

             --n.  2 precondition, requirement, qualification, requisite,
             condition, sine qua non, proviso, provision, necessity:  A
             thorough grounding in mathematics is a prerequisite for the
             study of advanced physics.

   prerogative
             n.  privilege, right, liberty, power, due, advantage, licence,
             franchise, claim, sanction, authority, authorization:  As
             managing director, she exercises her prerogative to park her car
             closest to the door.

   prescribe v.  ordain, order, direct, dictate, demand, decree, require,
             enjoin, rule, set (down), stipulate, command, instruct, define,
             specify, impose, lay down, exact, constrain:  The doctor
             prescribed rest. An independent journalist, Healey would not let
             anyone prescribe what he could or could not write.

   prescription
             n.  1 formula, recipe, instruction, direction:  The prescription
             is for three tablets a day, and this dose must not be exceeded.
             2 remedy, medication, medicine, drug, preparation, medicament:
             That prescription had no effect at all on my headache.

   prescriptive
             adj.  dictatorial, constrictive, didactic, restrictive,
             dogmatic, authoritarian, overbearing, autocratic, imperious:  As
             grammar is a description of how language works, it cannot be
             prescriptive.

   presence  n.  1 proximity, nearness, closeness, adjacency, vicinity,
             Formal propinquity:  The presence of a hospital near her home
             made Aunt Mary feel more secure. 2 attendance, company,
             companionship, society, association, existence, manifestation,
             manifestness, being:  The Queen honoured us by her presence at
             the unveiling of the plaque. 3 poise, self-assurance, bearing,
             self-possession, confidence, mien, carriage, comportment,
             deportment, air, personality, aspect, aura, appearance:  When
             Geoffrey entered, his presence created quite a stir.  4 spirit,
             wraith, spectre, shade:  I had the vague but pervading sense
             that a unidentifiable presence was with me in the empty room. 5
             presence of mind. aplomb, sophistication, coolness,
             cool-headedness, composure, imperturbability, phlegm,
             sang-froid, self-possession, self-assurance, calm, equanimity,
             level-headedness, quick-wittedness, alertness, Colloq cool:
             With great presence of mind, Grainger walked up to the man and
             took the gun from him.

   present°  adj.  1 current, contemporary, present-day, existing, existent,
             up to date, Colloq now:  Do you understand the present
             generation?  2 nearby, nearest, immediate, closest, adjacent,
             proximate, propinquitous; close, remaining; accounted for:
             Everybody has been awful to me - present company excepted.  All
             those present heard what she said to me.

             --n.  3 at present. (right or just) now, for the time being, for
             the present, today, these days, Non-Standard presently, Colloq
             at this point in time:  I am not ready to invest at present.  4
             the present. the time being, the moment, the hour, the nonce,
             this juncture, these days, our times; today, (right) now,
             nowadays; Colloq this point in time:  She lives for the present,
             and never thinks of the consequences.

   presentэ  n.  1 gift:  May I open my birthday presents now?  2 donation,
             offering, bounty, grant, largesse, contribution, endowment:
             I'll make you a present of the painting if you like it.  3 tip,
             gratuity, pourboire, baksheesh or backsheesh, bonus; alms,
             hand-out, dole, aid, allowance:  She gave the maЊtre d'h“tel a
             present for looking after us so well.

             --v.  4 introduce, acquaint with, make known:  I'd like to
             present my wife, Cordelia, who has been looking forward to
             meeting you. 5 offer, give, stage, show, exhibit, put on (show),
             mount, produce:  The local players will present a new production
             of Blithe Spirit tonight.  6 give (out), award, confer (on),
             bestow (on), turn or hand over, grant, provide, furnish;
             dispense, distribute, dole out, pass out, deal out, mete out:
             They presented her with a prize for the best poem. Is it tonight
             that they present the awards? 7 offer, bring (in or up),
             proffer, tender, introduce, produce, submit, set or put forth,
             put forward, adduce; register, file, record:  The lawyer for the
             defence presented evidence of his client's alibi. 8 introduce,
             announce, Brit compЉre, Colloq emcee:  And here, to present our
             show, is the inimitable Reginald Norton!

   presentable
             adj.  1 fit, fitting, suitable, acceptable, satisfactory,
             adequate, passable, tolerable, admissible, all right, allowable,
             up to par or standard or the mark, good enough, Colloq up to
             scratch, OK or okay, up to snuff:  Whether that argument is
             presentable in a court of law is disputable.  2 decent, proper,
             polite, decorous, respectable, well-bred, well-mannered, fit to
             be seen:  After a bath, shave, and change of clothing he looked
             quite presentable.

   presentation
             n.  1 giving, bestowal, offering, proffering, presenting, award,
             awarding, conferral, conferring, delivery; donation:  The
             presentation of the prizes will be at the annual dinner.  2
             appearance, image, display, visual(s), spectacle, show,
             performance, demonstration, production:  The text of the
             proposal was fine, but the presentation could be improved. 3
             debut, launch, introduction, unveiling, disclosure:  We attended
             the presentation of the latest electric car.

   presently adv.  soon, by and by, in a little while, shortly, after a short
             time, in due course, after a while or a time, before long, in a
             moment or a minute or a while, Archaic or literary anon, Colloq
             in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), Non-Standard now,
             at present:  The show opens presently in the West End. I shall
             be with you presently.

   preservation
             n.  1 upkeep, maintenance, care, conservation:  The preservation
             of old paintings has become an art in itself.  2 keeping,
             retention, retaining, perpetuation, perpetuating, continuation,
             safe keeping, security, safeguarding, protection, protecting,
             conservation:  Several charities are dedicated to the
             preservation of our heritage.

   preserve  v.  1 keep safe, protect, guard, take care of, care for,
             safeguard, watch over, shield, shelter, defend, spare:  What can
             we do to preserve ourselves from this terrible pestilence?  May
             God preserve me, I never expected to see you again! 2 keep (up),
             maintain, conserve, spare, perpetuate; continue, support,
             sustain, save:  We developed a technique to preserve antique
             furniture. The sea preserves much of the heat it absorbs in the
             summer. It is difficult to preserve one's sanity in this
             madhouse. 3 conserve, put up, pickle, cure, smoke, kipper, salt,
             corn, marinate, can, freeze, freeze-dry, refrigerate, dry,
             dehydrate, vacuum-pack; embalm, mummify:  The berries were
             preserved by bottling and freezing. Some of the remains were
             preserved for hundreds of years.

             --n.  4 Often, preserves. conserve(s), jam, jelly, confiture,
             marmalade:  Susan likes thick toast with butter and preserves
             for tea.  5 (game) reserve, reservation, sanctuary, Brit park:
             No hunting is allowed in this preserve.

   preside   v.  supervise, run, oversee, direct, operate, lead, head (up),
             govern, rule, manage, handle, control, direct, chair,
             administer, administrate, regulate, officiate:  Melissa presides
             over the meetings of the board.

   press     v.  1 subject to or exert pressure or force, force, push, impel,
             thrust, bear (on), weigh on or upon, jam, cram, crush; pressure
             or Brit also pressurize:  The crowd was pressing against the
             door. Although hard pressed at first, we eventually won. 2
             squeeze, compress, depress, push:  When the picture is in focus,
             press this button to release the shutter. 3 squeeze, crush,
             compress, mash:  After harvesting, the grapes are pressed to
             extract the juice.  4 iron, smooth, flatten, put through a
             mangle; steam:  I shall have to press my jacket before going out
             to dinner.  5 clasp, embrace, hug, hold (close or tight(ly)),
             take in one's arms, throw one's arms about or around, cleave to,
             Archaic clip:  She pressed the child to her with great
             affection.  6 constrain, urge, force, pressure, compel, demand,
             persuade, induce, prod, provoke, importune, beseech, ask,
             request, beg, entreat:  They pressed me to tell where the money
             was hidden.  7 crowd, flock, gather, mill, swarm, throng,
             seethe, cluster, congregate, meet, converge, huddle:  The
             reporters pressed round the chancellor to catch every word.

             --n.  8 crowding, gathering, thronging, converging, convergence,
             crowd, throng, swarm, cluster, huddle, pack, herd, host,
             multitude, horde, mob, crush:  When the doors opened, the huge
             press of people pushed onto the train. 9 urgency, haste, hurry,
             hustle, bustle, pressure, stress:  The press of business
             required me to postpone my trip to Paris.  10 the press.  a
             newspapers, the papers, Fleet Street, the fourth estate, the
             media, the wire or news services, broadcasting, television,
             radio:  The press will have a field-day when this news gets out.
             b newspaper people, newspapermen or newspaperwomen, newsmen or
             newswomen, reporters, correspondents, ladies or gentlemen of the
             press, journalists, commentators, paparazzi, Brit
             leader-writers, US editorial writers, Colloq news-hounds, Brit
             journos:  The doors were opened and the press were invited in.

   pressing  adj.  urgent, compelling, crucial, pivotal, burning, grave,
             serious, major, important, vital, high-priority, critical,
             portentous, momentous, profound, significant:  Some pressing
             matters kept me late at the office.

   pressure  n.  1 force, compression; weight, power, strength:  The air
             pressure in your tyres is low. The pressure of the water burst
             the pipe. 2 compression, pressing, squeezing, compressing,
             tension, stress, crushing:  The pressure of a tourniquet has to
             be loosened now and then.  3 affliction, oppression, press,
             weight, burden, load, albatross, strain, stress, urgency,
             demands, exigency or exigencies, vexation, distress, trouble(s),
             adversity, difficulty or difficulties, straits, constraint(s),
             problem(s):  Pressure of work prevents me from taking any time
             away from the office. When interest rates increase, we all feel
             financial pressure. 4 influence, power, sway, constraint,
             insistence, coercion, intimidation, arm-twisting; inducement,
             persuasion, urging, pressing:  Without more pressure from local
             residents, the roadworks will not be completed in time.

             --v.  5 persuade, influence; prevail upon or on, press, urge,
             sway, intimidate, bring pressure to bear (on), apply pressure
             (on or to), coerce, force, compel, constrain, require, demand,
             make, insist upon or on, Brit pressurize, Colloq twist
             (someone's) arm, lean on, turn the heat on, Slang put the screws
             on or to:  They pressured him to take the assignment in New
             Zealand.

   prestige  n.  status, reputation, standing, rank, stature, importance,
             significance, eminence, esteem, pre-eminence, prominence,
             predominance, primacy, superiority, supremacy, ascendancy,
             distinction, renown, regard, fame, cachet, repute, celebrity,
             glamour, stardom:  To raise money, someone with prestige must be
             found to serve as director of the charity.

   prestigious
             adj.  important, significant, eminent, estimable, imposing,
             impressive, pre-eminent, prominent, distinguished, august,
             dignified, renowned, famous, famed, well-known, illustrious,
             acclaimed, respected, celebrated, noted, notable, noteworthy,
             outstanding, glorious, honoured, glamorous:  She may be a
             prestigious author, but she does not live at a very prestigious
             address.

   presumably
             adv.  probably, in all likelihood, (very or most) likely, in all
             probability, seemingly, doubtless(ly), indubitably, no doubt,
             undoubtedly, unquestionably, without a doubt, surely, certainly,
             on the face of it, all things considered, all things being
             equal:  Presumably, you have heard the one about the colonel's
             poodle.

   presume   v.  1 assume, take for granted, suppose, surmise, infer,
             suppose, presuppose, take it, gather, understand, think,
             believe, imagine, suspect, fancy, conjecture, postulate, posit,
             theorize, speculate, hypothesize, hypothecate, US and Canadian
             guess:  For some unaccountable reason, we presumed that your
             train would arrive on time. Dr Livingstone, I presume? 2 dare,
             take the liberty, be so presumptuous as, make (so) bold (as),
             have the audacity or effrontery, go so far as, venture:  Who is
             he to presume to judge others?  3 Often, presume on or upon.
             encroach (on or upon), impose (on or upon), take liberties
             (with), intrude (on or upon or into):  I hate to presume on our
             friendship, but could you lend me some money?

   presumption
             n.  1 arrogance, pride, effrontery, audacity, boldness,
             brazenness, impudence, impertinence, insolence, temerity,
             overconfidence, presumptuousness, forwardness, immodesty, Colloq
             pushiness, cheek, cheekiness, nerve, gall, chutzpah, brass, Brit
             brass neck:  He had the presumption to ask my age.  2
             assumption, supposition, presupposition, preconception, premise
             or premiss, surmise, proposition, postulation; probability,
             likelihood, plausibility, feasibility:  The presumption of the
             innocence of a person accused of a crime is established in law.
             3 assumption, stand, position, inference, feeling, deduction,
             conclusion, conviction, bias, guess, theory, hypothesis,
             conjecture, belief, thought; suspicion:  Having examined the
             evidence, the pathologist's presumption was that the victim had
             died of natural causes. 4 ground(s), reason, basis, evidence:
             What is your presumption for thinking that you might win the
             lottery?

   presumptive
             adj.  1 likely, reasonable, plausible, tenable, believable,
             credible, conceivable, acceptable, justifiable, sensible,
             rational, sound:  There is strong presumptive evidence, but we
             need proof.  2 inferred, presumed, assumed, supposed,
             understood, predicted, predicated:  As King Richard was
             childless, his brother was heir presumptive to the Crown.

   presumptuous
             adj.  arrogant, proud, prideful, audacious, bold, brazen, saucy,
             impudent, impertinent, insolent, temerarious, brash,
             overconfident, overweening, forward, presuming, immodest,
             egotistical, Colloq pushy, cheeky, too big for one's boots, Brit
             uppish:  He is presumptuous enough to think he can do no wrong.

   presuppose
             v.  See presume, 1, above.

   presupposition
             n.  See presumption, 1, 2, above.

   pretence  n.  1 show, display, pretension, ostentation, airs, front,
             fa‡ade, appearance, make-believe, fiction, hypocrisy, fakery,
             faking, feigning, humbuggery, humbug, deception, artifice,
             pretext, posturing, pretentiousness, pretending, camouflage,
             cover-up:  Her charming manner was all pretence, for in reality
             she despised him. 2 hoax, humbug, artifice, pretext, sham, show,
             pose, fa‡ade, front, cover-up, cover, cloak, veil, mask,
             masquerade, disguise, guise, deception, ruse, dodge, blind,
             fabrication, invention, fiction, story, fable, make-believe,
             fairy tale, figment, falsification, impression:  His loyalty was
             a pretence under which he carried on many liaisons.  3 excuse,
             pretext, pretension:  They would ring for the butler on the
             slightest pretence, just to impress us.

   pretend   v.  1 feign, profess, represent, allege, make believe, make out:
             Let's pretend that we are royalty. Often, he pretends to be me.
             2 try, attempt, endeavour, venture, presume, undertake:  I could
             not pretend to guess the number of people attending last night's
             meeting. 3 make believe, act or play, play-act, fake, feign, put
             on an act, dissemble, sham, sail under false colours:  Is she
             serious about wanting you to leave or was she just pretending?

   pretended adj.  so-called, alleged, asserted, reputed, professed,
             ostensible, purported, so-called, imaginary, make-believe,
             fictitious, fictional, sham, false, fake, feigned, bogus,
             counterfeit, spurious, Colloq phoney or US also phony, pseudo,
             pretend:  So this is the pretended hero of yesterday's battle!

   pretender n.  claimant, aspirant, candidate, suitor, rival, seeker:  He
             was the pretender to the Scottish throne.

   pretension
             n.  1 Often, pretensions. claim(s), pretence(s), aspiration(s),
             ambitiousness, ambition(s):  He is known to have pretensions to
             the chancellorship.  2 pretext, pretence, pretentiousness,
             ostentation, pretending, affectation, hypocrisy:  Gladys has
             behaved without pretension and with great sincerity.

   pretentious
             adj.  1 ostentatious, showy, superficial, pompous, arrogant,
             bombastic, inflated, high-flown, exaggerated, vainglorious,
             fastuous, grandiose, grandiloquent, extravagant, magniloquent:
             The minister's pretentious language is a bit too much to take.
             2 snobbish, lofty, haughty, flaunting, Colloq high and mighty,
             highfalutin or hifalutin, hoity-toity, high-hat, Slang snotty,
             Brit toffee-nosed:  That new couple next door are so pretentious
             - they think that nobody is good enough to associate with them!

   pretext   n.  1 pretence, excuse, camouflage, guise, disguise, cover,
             veil, cloak, colour:  They carried on the surveillance under
             pretext of working on the sewer. 2 ruse, red herring, cover
             (story), rationale, pretence, rationalization, explanation:
             What pretext did the thief use that made you let him in?

   pretty    adj.  1 comely, attractive, good-looking, nice-looking,
             appealing, lovely, cute, mignon(ne), graceful, fair, bonny,
             fetching, charming, winsome, beautiful, pulchritudinous, Colloq
             easy on the eye(s):  A pretty girl is like a melody. That's a
             very pretty cottage.  2 tuneful, melodic, melodious, dulcet,
             musical, lyrical, harmonious, catchy, mellifluous, euphonious:
             He played a pretty tune on the piano.

             --adv.  3 rather, quite, fairly, moderately, reasonably,
             tolerably; somewhat; very, extremely, unbelievably, incredibly:
             The children put on a pretty good performance, I thought. He had
             become pretty fat since we last saw him.

   prevail   v.  1 hold sway, win (out), predominate, succeed, triumph, gain
             or achieve a victory, prove superior, gain mastery or control:
             It is sometimes disappointing to learn that right does not
             always prevail. 2 predominate, be prevalent or widespread or
             current, preponderate, dominate, be the order of the day:  As
             usual during Oktoberfest in Bavaria, revelry prevailed.  3
             prevail on or upon. persuade, induce, influence, sway, dispose;
             incline, win over, bring round, convince:  We prevailed on the
             guard to let us through the gate.

   prevailing
             adj.  1 dominant, predominant, prevalent, main, chief,
             principal, common(est), usual, customary, universal:  The
             prevailing winds are westerlies.  2 influential, effective,
             effectual, dominating, affecting, powerful, potent, forceful,
             ruling, telling, main, principal:  The prevailing religion there
             is Buddhism.

   prevalence
             n.  1 prevalency, frequency, commonness, currency, universality,
             ubiquitousness, ubiquity, pervasiveness, omnipresence,
             extensiveness; predominance, practice, acceptance, popularity:
             The prevalence of disease among the population is distressing.
             2 sway, control, rule, primacy, ascendancy, mastery,
             predominance:  The prevalence of bushido in Japan has diminished
             little since 1945.

   prevalent adj.  universal, catholic, common, frequent, prevailing,
             current, ubiquitous, pervasive, omnipresent, general, usual,
             customary, commonplace, extensive, widespread, established,
             ascendant, dominant, predominant, governing, ruling:  A desire
             for change is prevalent throughout the country.

   prevent   v.  anticipate, preclude, obviate, forestall, avert, avoid,
             prohibit, ban, bar, forbid, interdict, taboo, enjoin, proscribe,
             foil, frustrate, obstruct, debar, intercept, nip in the bud,
             abort, thwart, check, block, ward or fend or stave off, baffle,
             balk or baulk, (put a) stop (to), arrest, (bring to a) halt,
             hinder, impede, curb, restrain, hamper, inhibit, delay, retard,
             slow, mitigate, control:  Some diseases can be prevented by
             inoculation or vaccination.  There is nothing to prevent us from
             leaving. The barrier was built to prevent flooding.

   prevention
             n.  preventing, anticipation, preclusion, obviation,
             forestalling, avoidance, avoiding, prohibition, prohibiting,
             ban, banning, bar, barring, forbiddance, forbidding,
             interdiction, interdicting, taboo, tabooing, enjoining,
             injunction, proscription, proscribing, foiling, frustration,
             frustrating, obstruction, obstructing, debarment, debarring,
             interception, intercepting, abortion, aborting, thwarting,
             checking, check, blocking, block, warding or fending or staving
             off, balk or baulk, balking or baulking, stopping, arrest,
             arresting, halt, halting, hindrance, hindering, impedance,
             impeding, curb, curbing, restraint, restraining, hampering,
             inhibition, inhibiting, delay, delaying, retardation, retarding,
             slowing, mitigation, mitigating, control, controlling:  The
             first item on the agenda is the prevention of cruelty to
             children.  As the total prevention of crime is impossible, we
             must at least try to curb it.

   preventive
             adj.  1 preventative, preventing, hindering, impeding,
             restraining, hampering, inhibitive or inhibitory, inhibiting,
             restrictive:  We must take preventive steps to ensure the
             stability of the rate of exchange. 2 preventative, prophylactic,
             precautionary, anticipatory or anticipative, protective,
             counteractive:  Preventive means are available to limit heart
             disease.

             --n.  3 preventative, hindrance, curb, inhibition, impediment,
             block, barrier, obstacle, obstruction:  Caffeine is one of the
             most powerful preventives of sleep that exists. 4 preventative,
             prophylactic, protection, shield, safeguard, prevention,
             countermeasure, counteractant, counter-agent, inoculum or
             inoculant, vaccine, serum, antidote, remedy:  Heart specialists
             have recommended an aspirin every other day as a preventive to
             arterial blood clotting.

   preview   n.  advance showing, private showing; opening, vernissage:  We
             saw the Picasso exhibition at a preview held for friends of the
             gallery.

   previous  adj.  1 former, prior, past, earlier, one-time, foregoing,
             sometime, erstwhile, preceding, Literary quondam, Archaic
             whilom:  A previous owner of the house filled in the fish-pond.
             2 prior, former, foregoing, above, preceding, Formal antecedent,
             anterior, aforementioned, above-mentioned, before-mentioned,
             aforesaid, above-named:  Please see the previous examples in the
             Foreword.  3 premature, untimely, too soon or early:  Isn't
             putting up Christmas decorations in October being a bit
             previous? 4 previous to. previously to, before, prior to,
             preceding, anterior to, antecedent to:  Previous to the advent
             of motor cars, we had traffic jams of horse-drawn vehicles.

   previously
             adv.  before, once, formerly, earlier, at one time, then,
             beforehand, heretofore, theretofore, hitherto, thitherto, in the
             past, in days gone by, in days of old, in days or time past, in
             the old days, some time ago, a while ago, once upon a time,
             yesterday, Literary in days of yore, in olden days or times:
             The same thing had happened previously when I was in London.
             Previously, people lived more relaxed lives - or so we like to
             think.

   prey      n.  1 quarry, kill, game, objective, target:  The lioness
             singled out her prey from the herd of zebra.  2 victim, target,
             objective; dupe, Colloq mark, Slang fall guy, pushover, Brit
             mug:  A public company with huge cash reserves, United Vector
             seemed easy prey for a take-over bid.

             --v.  3 prey on or upon.  a live off, feed on or upon, eat,
             consume, devour, kill, destroy, stalk, pursue, hunt, seize:
             These snakes prey mostly upon other snakes.  b victimize, go
             after, exploit, use, take advantage of, intimidate, bully,
             cheat, dupe, swindle, gull, trick, snooker, defraud, outwit,
             outsmart, outfox, hoodwink, Literary cozen, Colloq rook,
             bamboozle, flimflam:  An unscrupulous gang is preying on the
             elderly, persuading them to invest in non-existent properties. c
             oppress, weigh on or upon, burden, depress, distress, strain,
             vex, worry:  His wretched condition preyed very much on her
             mind.

   price     n.  1 charge, cost, expense, expenditure, outlay, payment,
             amount, figure, fee; quotation, appraisal, value, valuation,
             evaluation, worth:  The price of this lamp is too high. What is
             the price of that box? Can he afford the price of a ticket? The
             current price of a London flat is out of my reach. 2 sacrifice,
             toll, penalty, cost, consequence:  Loss of his freedom was too
             high a price for standing by his principles.  3 reward, bounty,
             premium, prize, payment, bonus, honorarium, Literary guerdon:
             The gunfighter had a price of њ1000 on his head.  4 without
             price. See priceless, 1, below.

             --v.  5 value, evaluate, rate, assay, assess, cost (out):  How
             would you price a piece of furniture like this chair?

   priceless adj.  1 costly, dear, expensive, high-priced, valuable,
             invaluable, precious, inestimable, incalculable; irreplaceable,
             unique:  The vaults in the Vatican contain a king's ransom in
             priceless jewels. 2 hilarious, riotous, (screamingly) funny,
             side-splitting, hysterical, droll, comical, amusing:  The
             expression on his face when he realized it was a joke was
             priceless.

   pricey    adj.  pricy, expensive, dear, costly, exorbitant, outrageous,
             excessive, extortionate, Colloq steep, Brit over the odds:  The
             restaurant where she took him was certainly pricey, but the food
             was excellent.

   prick     n.  1 puncture, pinhole, pinprick; hole, perforation:  For the
             blood test, the doctor made a tiny prick in my finger with a
             needle. 2 sting, pinch, twinge, prickle, tingle, pain:  The
             teacher leapt from her chair the instant she felt the prick of
             the tack.

             --v.  3 puncture, pierce, stab, jab, punch, perforate, riddle;
             lance:  Using a pin, prick tiny holes in the paper to let the
             steam escape.  The doctor pricked a boil on my neck. 4 stab,
             sting, hurt, prickle, pinch, bite, smart:  The hypodermic needle
             really pricked me when it went in.

   prickle   n.  1 spine, bristle, barb, thorn, bur, needle, tine, spike,
             spur, prong:  The prickles make the brambles cling to your
             clothes.  2 pricking, prickliness, itch, itchiness, sting,
             tingling, tingle:  I felt the prickle of the rough wool against
             my skin.

             --v.  3 tingle, sting, itch, smart:  Sloane complained that the
             beard he had to grow for the pirate role made his face prickle.
             4 stick, jab, prick:  The child's hands had been prickled by the
             chestnuts.

   prickly   adj.  1 bristly, thorny, brambly, spiny, barbed, briery,
             spinous, spiky, Technical setaceous, setose, acanthoid,
             aciculate, aculeate, muricate, spiculate:  Dad's face is all
             prickly when he hasn't shaved.  2 tingling, stinging, pricking,
             prickling, itchy, crawly, crawling:  The squeak of the chalk on
             the blackboard gives me a prickly feeling.  3 touchy, irritable,
             petulant, cantankerous, testy, waspish, bad-tempered, peevish,
             fractious, short-tempered, curmudgeonly, Colloq cranky:  Moira
             gets a bit prickly if you ask her why she married Noel.  4
             nettlesome, thorny, ticklish, touchy, troublesome, intricate,
             complicated, complex, knotty, hard, difficult, contentious:  The
             prickly problem of how to pay for the university must still be
             faced.

   pride     n.  1 honour, proudness, self-esteem, self-respect, amour
             propre, dignity:  It is gratifying to be able to look with pride
             on one's children's achievements. 2 conceit, egotism,
             self-importance, vanity, hubris, arrogance, overconfidence,
             overweeningness, self-admiration, self-love, self-importance,
             smugness, haughtiness, hauteur, snobbery, snobbishness, Colloq
             uppitiness:  Pride goeth before a fall. Her pride stems from an
             exaggerated notion of her own worth. 3 boast, flower, best,
             prize, pride and joy, treasure, jewel, gem:  Those model railway
             trains are Eustace's pride and joy.

             --v.  4 Usually, pride oneself on. be proud of, take pride in,
             delight in, revel in, celebrate, glory in:  Irena prides herself
             on having made her own way in life, without anyone's help.

   priest    n.  priestess, clergyman or clergywoman, ecclesiastic, cleric,
             churchman or churchwoman, reverend, vicar, divine, man or woman
             of the cloth, man or woman of God, curate, confessor, minister
             (of the Gospel), servant of God, father, mother, holy man or
             woman, preacher, missionary, evangelist, abb‚, abbot or abbess,
             Colloq padre:  The high priest muttered some incantations over
             the body of the sacrificial victim.

   priestly  adj.  clerical, ecclesiastic, pastoral, hieratic, sacerdotal;
             ministerial, canonical, missionary:  She has taken her priestly
             vows.

   prig      n.  (ultra-)conservative, prude, purist, pedant, school-ma'm,
             puritan, (Mrs) Grundy, Grundyite, Grundyist, precisionist,
             precisian, conformist, formalist, Colloq stuffed shirt,
             stick-in-the-mud, goody-goody:  A terrible prig, the headmaster
             forbade even the slightest hint of slang usage.

   priggish  adj.  (ultra-)conservative, prim, demure, prudish, purist,
             puristic, pedantic, school-marmish, strait-laced, hidebound,
             stiff-necked, puritanical, conformist, (Mrs) Grundyish,
             punctilious, formal, formalistic, strict, severe, fastidious,
             fussy, particular; precious, pr‚cieux or pr‚cieuse,
             niminy-piminy, over-nice, Colloq stick-in-the-mud, goody-goody,
             prissy, old-maidish, stuffed-shirt, stuffy, uptight,
             nit-picking, Brit twee:  Victorians were less priggish in their
             private behaviour than in their public image.

   primarily adv.  1 principally, mainly, chiefly, especially, at bottom,
             particularly, first of all, pre-eminently, basically,
             essentially, fundamentally, on the whole, for the most part,
             mostly, predominantly or predominately, generally:  The rain in
             Spain falls primarily in the plain.  2 initially, originally,
             from or at the start, first (and foremost, in the first
             instance, ab initio:  The colonists, primarily refugees from
             England, began to settle the New World in the 17th century.

   primary   adj.  1 first, prime, principal, chief, main, leading,
             pre-eminent, cardinal, fundamental, basic, essential,
             predominant, elementary, elemental, underlying:  The primary
             reason I want to see you is to discuss your future with the
             company. The primary meaning of a word is given first. 2
             earliest, first, original, initial, primitive, primeval,
             primordial, embryonic, germinal, beginning, ultimate:  The
             primary source of life was possibly a sort of soup containing
             proteins and other molecules. 3 firsthand, direct, immediate:
             Bauxite is the primary source of aluminium ore.  4 elementary,
             basic, rudimentary, fundamental:  One of the primary lessons we
             are taught is consideration for others. 5 unmixed,
             unadulterated, pure, simple, rudimentary, fundamental,
             principal:  The primary colours in art are red, yellow, and
             blue.

   prime     adj.  1 See primary, 1, above.  2 best, foremost, chief;
             first-rate, first-class, choice, select, superior, pre-eminent,
             leading, ranking, predominant, unparalleled, matchless,
             peerless, noteworthy, outstanding, admirable, worthy,
             exceptional, excellent, extraordinary, exceptional:  She is a
             prime example of the results of a modern education. Arthur is
             certainly a prime candidate for the position. 3 original,
             fundamental, basic, elemental, elementary:  The prime cause of
             scurvy is lack of fresh fruit and vegetables.

             --n.  4 youth, springtime; best years, heyday, pinnacle, acme,
             peak, zenith:  Some people reach the prime of life at 60.

             --v.  5 (make or get) ready, prepare, educate, teach, instruct,
             coach, train, tutor, drill:  Has Sonia been fully primed to take
             over the chairmanship when Sir William steps down? 6 inform,
             advise, notify, apprise, brief:  Having read your book, I am
             fully primed on American history.

   primitive adj.  1 first, original, aboriginal, earliest, primordial,
             primal, primeval or Brit also primaeval, pristine, prehistoric;
             antediluvian, Noachian or Noachic, old, ancient:  In its most
             primitive state, life probably originated from some random
             strings of molecules. The most primitive farming tools date from
             some 10,000 years ago. 2 crude, rude, unrefined, raw, barbaric,
             uncultured, barbarian, coarse, rough, uncivilized, savage,
             uncultivated, unsophisticated, uncouth:  I cannot tolerate
             Nigel's primitive table manners.  3 simple, basic, simplistic,
             na‹ve, childlike, unsophisticated, uncultivated, unrefined,
             unpolished, rough, untutored, untaught, untrained, unschooled,
             undeveloped:  Gary collects paintings of the primitive school
             and has one by Grandma Moses.

   primp     v.  preen, prink, prettify, titivate or tittivate, plume, dress
             up, groom, Colloq doll up, get (all) dolled up, spruce up, put
             on one's best bib and tucker, Chiefly Brit tart up, get (all)
             tarted up, Slang deck out, trick out or up, put on one's glad
             rags, Brit fig out, US gussy up, get (all) gussied up, dude up:
             She was primping before the mirror, awaiting the arrival of her
             beau.

   princely  adj.  1 lavish, bountiful, generous, liberal, ample,
             substantial, huge, enormous:  They paid a princely sum for their
             stately home in Surrey.  2 lavish, magnificent, splendid,
             luxurious, majestic, royal, regal, sumptuous, superb, Colloq
             ritzy, swank(y), posh, plush:  The hotel laid on princely
             accommodation for us with rooms overlooking the sea. 3 royal,
             noble, regal, sovereign, of royal or noble blood or rank:  Who
             would have thought that our humble home would ever shelter a
             princely guest?

   principal adj.  1 chief, primary, prime, paramount, main, first, foremost,
             ranking, pre-eminent, predominant, dominant, prevailing;
             leading, starring:  The principal reason I'm here is to see you.
             The principal food of the people is corn. The principal role was
             sung by Pavarotti. 2 important, prominent, leading, key,
             cardinal:  Cuba is a principal source of sugar.

             --n.  3 owner, proprietor, chairman, chairwoman, chairperson,
             (managing) director, head, president, chief, chief executive
             officer, CEO, manager or Brit manageress, superintendent,
             supervisor, Colloq boss, US (head or chief) honcho:  We should
             talk to the principals about buying that company.  4 dean,
             director, Chiefly Brit headmaster, headmistress, master, rector,
             (vice-)chancellor:  His appointment as principal is for a
             two-year period.  5 (working) capital, capital funds, resources,
             investment, backing, (cash) reserve(s), assets; money:  She is
             fortunate to be able to live on the income from her investments,
             without touching the principal. 6 star, lead, heroine, hero,
             leading lady or man, leading role, main part; diva, premiЉre
             danseuse, premier danseur, prima donna, prima ballerina:  The
             principal in the ballet company was a Russian.

   principally
             adv.  chiefly, mainly, first (and foremost), primarily, above
             all, in the main, mostly, for the most part, largely,
             predominantly, on the whole, at bottom, in essence, essentially,
             basically, fundamentally; especially, particularly:  He seems to
             be interested principally in money, with little regard for
             anything else.

   principle n.  1 truth, given, precept, tenet, fundamental, grounds, law,
             rule, dictum, canon, doctrine, teaching, dogma, proposition,
             (basic) assumption, postulate, axiom, maxim, truism, guide,
             standard, criterion, model:  The perpetual-motion machine
             violates a basic principle of physics.  2 Often, principles.
             philosophy, code, attitude, (point of) view, viewpoint,
             sentiment, belief, credo, creed, idea, notion, ethic, sense of
             right and wrong:  He cynically conducts his life on the
             principle, 'Do unto others before they do unto you'. I am not
             sure I can condone his principles. 3 (sense of) honour,
             uprightness, honesty, morality, morals, probity, integrity,
             conscience:  If you don't think him a man of principle, don't do
             business with him. 4 in principle. on principle, in theory,
             theoretically, basically, fundamentally, at bottom, in essence,
             essentially, ideally:  I like your plan in principle, but in
             practice it cannot be accomplished that way.

   principled
             adj.  moral, righteous, right-minded, virtuous, noble,
             high-minded, ethical, honourable, proper, correct, right, just,
             upright, honest, scrupulous:  Michael is too highly principled
             to take bribes.

   print     v.  1 impress, imprint, stamp, publish, issue, run off, put out;
             copy; (pull a) proof:  We decided to print 500 copies of the
             book. You may have your name printed on the cover for an
             additional amount.

             --n.  2 reproduction, copy, replica, facsimile; positive,
             photograph, etching, (steel or wood-)engraving, lithograph,
             woodcut, linocut, silk screen, rotogravure, Trade Mark Xerox;
             picture, illustration; Colloq photo, cut, pic (pl. pix):  Today,
             a good print of a Picasso costs more than an original did fifty
             years ago. 3 text, printed matter, type, writing; language,
             wording, (choice of) words, phrasing:  You'd be well advised to
             read the small print before signing the agreement.

   prior     adj.  1 former, previous, earlier, one-time, ex, erstwhile; old,
             last, late, latest, Literary quondam, whilom:  If you overdraw
             your account without prior arrangement, you will automatically
             be charged a higher rate of interest. 2 prior to. before,
             previous to, previously to, till, until, preceding:  Prior to
             the earthquake, Valdivia was a river port.

   priority  n.  precedence, precedency, primacy, urgency, immediacy,
             predominance, pre-eminence, preference, rank, superiority,
             prerogative, right, seniority, importance, weight, immediacy:
             The applications for aid will be processed in order of priority.

   prison    n.  jail or Brit also gaol, dungeon, oubliette, lock-up, penal
             institution, house of correction, correctional institution,
             reformatory, house of detention; confinement, detention;
             Old-fashioned reform school, Military guardhouse; Brit remand
             centre, detention centre, remand home, community home, Military
             glasshouse, Formal CHE (= 'community home with education on the
             premises'), Old-fashioned approved school; US penitentiary,
             Military brig; Archaic Brit bridewell; Slang clink, can, cooler,
             jug, stir, Brit quod, chokey or choky, US and Canadian pokey or
             poky; US pen, calaboose, slammer, hoosegow, Old-fashioned big
             house:  He was released from prison last Friday after serving
             six months for burglary.

   prisoner  n.  convict, trusty; internee, detainee; Colloq jailbird or Brit
             also gaolbird, lifer, Slang con, Brit (old) lag, Old-fashioned
             ticket-of-leave man, US two-time or three-time loser:
             Prisoners' letters were censored.

   prissy    adj.  fussy, precious, over-nice, finicky or finical,
             strait-laced, school-marmish, prim (and proper), prudish,
             squeamish, fastidious, Colloq old-maidish:  He is awfully prissy
             about changing on the beach.

   pristine  adj.  1 original, primal, basic, primeval or Brit also
             primaeval, primitive, primordial, earliest, first, initial:  It
             is impractical to try to return the world to what some regard as
             its pristine purity. 2 uncorrupted, pure, unsullied, undefiled,
             virginal, virgin, chaste, untouched, unspoiled, unpolluted,
             untarnished, spotless, immaculate, natural:  One must travel far
             today to experience the pristine beauty of nature. The car was
             in pristine condition.

   privacy   n.  1 seclusion, retirement, solitude, isolation, retreat,
             sequestration, reclusiveness, reclusion, solitariness;
             monasticism:  Coleman very much enjoys the privacy of living
             alone.  2 secrecy, secretiveness, clandestineness,
             confidentiality, surreptitiousness, covertness, concealment:
             Many feel that the questions on census forms invade their
             privacy.

   private   adj.  1 (top) secret, confidential, undisclosed, hidden,
             clandestine, concealed, covert, surreptitious, off the record,
             not for publication, unofficial, Colloq hush-hush:  I think our
             relationship should be kept private for the time being.  What I
             am about to tell you is strictly private. 2 privileged,
             restrictive, restricted, exclusive, special, reserved, personal,
             inaccessible, non-public; hidden, secluded, concealed, secret,
             sneaking:  The house is situated on a private road. I had a
             private suspicion that they would cancel their trip. 3 personal,
             individual, own, intimate, particular:  My private affairs are
             none of your business.  4 solitary, seclusive, reclusive,
             withdrawn, retiring, reticent, ungregarious, non-gregarious,
             unsocial, unsociable, antisocial, reserved, uncommunicative,
             hermitic(al), hermit-like, eremitic(al); sequestered, secluded,
             retired:  You have to bear in mind that Edmund is a very private
             person.

             --n.  5 private soldier, infantryman, foot-soldier, US enlisted
             man, Colloq Brit Tommy, Tommy Atkins, squaddie, US GI (Joe),
             Slang US grunt:  Before cashiering him, they reduced him from
             colonel to private.  6 in private. in secret, secretly,
             privately, sub rosa, personally, confidentially, behind closed
             doors, in camera, off the record, US on the q.t.  or Q.T.;
             clandestinely, secretively, sneakily, sneakingly,
             surreptitiously, furtively, covertly, on the sly:  Family
             matters should be discussed only in private. They met in private
             with agents of the rebel forces. 7 private parts or privates.
             genitals, sexual or sex organs, genitalia.  The natives wore
             loincloths to cover their private parts.

   privation n.  need, neediness, want, deprivation, hardship, indigence,
             necessity, poverty, penury, destitution, strait(s), pauperism,
             beggary; distress, misery:  The lower classes in Victorian
             England suffered terrible privation.

   privilege n.  benefit, advantage, right, prerogative, concession,
             allowance, indulgence, immunity, exemption, dispensation,
             freedom, liberty, franchise, permission, consent, leave,
             authorization, sanction, authority, licence, carte blanche:  The
             children were given the privilege of choosing where the family
             should go on holiday.

   privileged
             adj.  1 favoured, advantaged, indulged, entitled, ‚lite,
             special, honoured:  John was one of the privileged few to be
             told her private telephone number. 2 protected, exempt(ed),
             immune; licensed, empowered, admitted, permitted, sanctioned,
             authorized, enfranchised, chartered:  This is a privileged
             institution as far as the dispensation of grants is concerned. 3
             powerful, ruling; wealthy, rich:  He despised the privileged
             class till he became wealthy enough to be a member of it. 4
             confidential, secret, private, privy, inside, off the record,
             not for publication, restricted, Colloq hush-hush:  What I am
             about to tell you is privileged information.

   privy     adj.  1 See privileged, 4, above.  2 privy to. aware of, in on,
             on to or onto, sharing (in), cognizant of, apprised of, informed
             or advised about or of, informed on, knowledgeable about, Colloq
             in the know about, Slang hip to, wise to, Old-fashioned hep to:
             Was the minister's wife privy to what was discussed at cabinet
             meetings?

             --n.  3 lavatory, (outside or outdoor) toilet, latrine,
             water-closet, WC, US outhouse, Colloq chiefly Brit loo, Slang
             Brit bog, US crapper, Taboo slang US shithouse:  In those days,
             almost every home had an outside privy, as there was no interior
             plumbing.

   prize°    n.  1 reward, award, trophy, premium; honour, accolade, Literary
             guerdon:  The first prize was a week's holiday in the Bahamas.
             2 winnings, jackpot, purse, receipts, gain, windfall, stakes,
             Colloq haul, Chiefly US take:  He used his prize from winning
             the lottery to buy a new car.  3 aim, goal:  The prize they all
             strove for was a grant to carry on lexicographic research. 4
             loot, booty, spoil(s), trophy, plunder, pickings:  The pirates
             took the galleon as their prize.

             --adj.  5 choice, excellent, (prize)winning, best, champion,
             outstanding, select, superior, superlative, first-rate:  This
             dairy owns a prize herd of Guernseys.

   prizeэ    v.  value, treasure, esteem, cherish, appreciate, rate highly,
             hold dear:  I prize your friendship above all things.

   probability
             n.  likelihood, likeliness, odds, expectation, chance(s),
             (distinct) possibility, presumption:  There is a high
             probability that it will rain.

   probable  adj.  (most) likely, apt, (quite) possible, presumed, plausible,
             undoubted, indubitable, apparent, unquestionable, evident,
             ostensible, odds-on, feasible, believable, credible:  The
             probable cause of the flooding was a blockage in the drains.  It
             is probable that most medieval churches had paintings round the
             walls.

   probably  adv.  (very) likely, in all likelihood, in all probability,
             undoubtedly, doubtlessly, indubitably, unquestionably,
             presumably, quite, all things considered, to all intents and
             purposes, possibly, perhaps, Colloq as likely as not, quite:
             She is probably the best tennis player in the world at the
             moment.

   probe     v.  1 explore, examine, scrutinize, investigate, search (into),
             look into, go into, study, dig into, delve into, poke about or
             around, Colloq poke into:  They probed his background thoroughly
             but found nothing unusual.  2 poke, prod, explore, examine;
             plumb, dig:  Snipe use their long bills to probe for worms in
             soft mud.

             --n.  3 investigation, examination, exploration, scrutiny,
             search, study, inquiry or enquiry, inquest:  There will be a
             governmental probe into the mismanagement of the department.

   probity   n.  integrity, uprightness, honesty, morality, rectitude,
             virtue, goodness, decency, righteousness, right-mindedness,
             sincerity, trustworthiness, honour, equity, justness, justice,
             fairness:  Lord Chancellors have consistently been men of
             unquestioned probity.

   problem   n.  1 difficulty, trouble, question, dilemma, quandary,
             predicament, complication, hornet's nest, imbroglio, mess,
             muddle, stew, Colloq can of worms, fine kettle of fish, (pretty)
             pickle, Brit facer:  The Chancellor must constantly deal with
             the problems of the country's economy. 2 puzzle, conundrum,
             poser, riddle, question, enigma, puzzler, Colloq mind-boggler,
             hard or tough nut to crack:  The problem is how to get the yolk
             out without breaking the shell.

             --adj.  3 unruly, unmanageable, intractable, uncontrollable,
             difficult, ungovernable, refractory, incorrigible, obstreperous,
             delinquent, maladjusted, disturbed, emotionally upset:  He
             teaches at a school where most of the students are problem
             children.

   problematic
             adj.  problematical, difficult, uncertain, questionable,
             questioned, doubtful, doubted, debatable, disputable, disputed,
             unsettled, moot, undecided, controversial, tricky, touchy,
             sensitive, Colloq hairy, iffy:  The value of treating colds with
             massive doses of vitamin C is problematic.

   procedure n.  way, conduct, course, action, course of action, method,
             methodology, mode, form, system, approach, strategy, plan (of
             action), scheme, modus operandi, operation, policy, ways and
             means; routine, tradition, practice, custom, wont, standard
             operating procedure, Colloq MO (= 'modus operandi'), SOP (=
             'standard operating procedure'), Chiefly Brit drill:  What
             procedure will you follow to regain the stolen property?  The
             procedure in ballroom dancing has always been for the man to
             lead.

   proceed   v.  1 Sometimes, proceed with. go or move (on or ahead or
             forward), advance, continue, progress, carry on, get or move
             along, get going or moving or under way, start, pass on, make
             progress or headway, push or press on or onward(s), forge ahead;
             resume, renew, go on with, pick up (where one left off):
             Proceed to the T-junction, then turn left. If the membership
             committee has finished, let us proceed to the report of the
             finance committee.  After the break, the performance will
             proceed. 2 Often, proceed from or out of. result from, arise
             (from), come (from), stem from, spring from, develop (from),
             issue (from or forth), derive from, be derived (from), descend
             from, emerge (from), grow (from or out of), originate (in or
             from or with), begin (with), start (with or from):  The
             outcropping proceeds from glaciation and erosion. They say that
             more than half of a person's happiness proceeds from hope.

             --n.  3 proceeds. profit(s), gain, yield; income, receipts,
             return(s), gate, box office, US take:  The proceeds from the
             charity auction were better than ever this year.

   proceeding
             n.  1 measure, act, (course of) action, move, step, undertaking,
             deed, procedure, process, operation, transaction, manoeuvre,
             feat, accomplishment:  Grace Darling's rescue of the shipwrecked
             men was truly a heroic proceeding. 2 proceedings.  a
             transactions, report(s), minutes, record(s), annals, affairs,
             dealings, business, account(s), archives, Formal acta:  The
             proceedings of the Society are published annually.  b events,
             goings-on, doings; celebration(s); performance(s):  The
             proceedings were briefly interrupted while the hecklers were
             ejected from the hall.

   process   n.  1 procedure, proceeding, operation, system, method,
             approach, technique; course of action:  I am sure you understand
             how the process works. What process do they use to make paper
             out of wood? 2 activity, function, development:  The process of
             photosynthesis is the means by which plants synthesize
             carbohydrates.

             --v.  3 treat, prepare, (make or get) ready, change, modify,
             transform, convert, alter:  This is the room where the
             ingredients are processed before mixing.  4 handle, take care
             of, organize, deal with, manage; dispose of, answer, manipulate:
             After the earthquake the insurance companies processed thousands
             of claims.

   procession
             n.  1 parade, march, cavalcade, motorcade, cortege or cortЉge,
             column, line, file, train, march past:  A strange procession of
             thousands of beggars silently wound its way through the city. 2
             succession, cycle, sequence, string, train, chain, series,
             course, run, progression, cavalcade:  He began to recount the
             procession of events that led up to the murder.

   proclaim  v.  1 announce, advertise, circulate, declare, broadcast,
             pronounce, make known, bruit (about), trumpet, publish,
             promulgate, herald; profess, protest, enunciate, articulate:
             Edgar was proclaimed king. She proclaimed her innocence.  2
             brand, accuse of being, stigmatize as, pronounce, rule, decree,
             characterize, report:  She found herself proclaimed a traitor.

   proclamation
             n.  1 announcement, advertisement, declaration, publication,
             promulgation, statement, manifesto, pronunciamento,
             notification, notice:  A proclamation was issued granting
             amnesty to all political prisoners.  2 proclaiming, announcing,
             advertising, declaring, broadcasting, publishing, promulgating,
             heralding, making known, bruiting about:  The proclamation of
             his appointment as Chancellor came at a bad time.

   procrastinate
             v.  1 temporize, act evasively, play for time, dally, delay,
             stall; postpone, defer, put off or aside, shelve, US table:  I
             wish he would stop procrastinating and say what he plans to do.
             2 hesitate, pause, waver, vacillate, be undecided, equivocate,
             tergiversate, shilly-shally:  Helen procrastinates every time
             she is faced with making a decision.

   procure   v.  1 obtain, acquire, get, come by, secure, get or lay one's
             hands on, get (a) hold of, gain, win, come into, pick up, find,
             appropriate, requisition; buy, purchase:  I have been trying to
             procure early editions of Defoe's works.  2 accomplish, bring
             about, effect, cause, produce:  Using every resource available
             to her, she finally procured his release.

   procurer  n.  pander or panderer, pimp, White slaver, flesh-pedlar or US
             also flesh-peddler or flesh-pedler, Archaic whoremaster, bawd;
             madam, procuress:  He became a procurer for the wealthy men in
             the village.

   prod      v.  1 jab, dig, poke, nudge, elbow:  Every time the comedian
             said something risqu‚, Aunt Flora would giggle and prod me in
             the ribs. 2 spur, urge, impel, egg on, push, thrust, prompt,
             rouse, stir, incite, move, motivate, actuate, activate, provoke,
             encourage, stimulate:  My uncle keeps prodding me to continue
             with my studies.  3 incite, goad, needle, irritate, irk, annoy,
             pester, harass, hector, badger, plague, nag, hound, carp at,
             cavil; henpeck:  My parents are constantly prodding me to go out
             and get a job.

             --n.  4 jab, dig, poke, nudge, elbow, push:  I was quite black
             and blue from those prods I was getting from Aunt Flora. 5 goad,
             spur; needle, rowel:  These days electrified cattle prods are
             available.  6 stimulus, push, prompt, reminder, signal, cue:
             Calvin needed that prod to make him finally go home after the
             party.

   prodigal  adj.  1 wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, lavish, excessive,
             profligate, squandering, immoderate, intemperate, wanton,
             improvident, reckless:  If the government were less prodigal, it
             would be possible to have a balanced budget. 2 generous,
             bountiful, copious, profuse, bounteous, lavish, liberal,
             luxuriant, sumptuous, abundant, abounding, rich, plentiful,
             plenteous, superabundant, thriving, swarming, teeming:  He was
             prodigal of both compliments and criticism.

             --n.  3 wastrel, spendthrift, profligate, squanderer, waster,
             big spender:  That prodigal went through his inheritance in less
             than a year.

   prodigality
             n.  1 wastefulness, waste, extravagance, excess, excessiveness,
             immoderation, intemperateness, wantonness, recklessness,
             profligacy, improvidence, dissipation, squandering:  Surely his
             contemporaries must have condemned Shah Jehan's prodigality in
             building the Taj Mahal. 2 lavishness, profuseness, luxury,
             luxuriousness, luxuriance, abundance, plenty, bounty,
             bountifulness, bounteousness, copiousness, profusion,
             profuseness, sumptuousness, richness, plentifulness,
             plenteousness, superabundance, exuberance:  The prodigality of
             Nature is unbounded.

   prodigious
             adj.  1 vast, immeasurable, colossal, enormous, huge, giant,
             gigantic, immense, mammoth, monumental, tremendous, stupendous,
             titanic, Brobdingnagian, gargantuan, Herculean, cyclopean,
             leviathan, monstrous, extensive, Colloq US ginormous, humongous:
             There is a prodigious amount of water vapour contained in a
             cloudy sky. You may accuse her of being a workaholic, but
             consider the prodigious amount she gets done in a day. 2
             amazing, astonishing, astounding, startling, extraordinary,
             exceptional, marvellous, wonderful, wondrous, fabulous,
             miraculous, phenomenal, spectacular, fantastic, sensational,
             unusual, staggering, striking, dumbfounding or dumfounding,
             remarkable, noteworthy, notable, Colloq flabbergasting,
             mind-boggling, mind-blowing:  In those days, running a mile in
             four minutes was considered a prodigious feat.

   prodigy   n.  1 (child or girl or boy) genius, wonder child, Wunderkind,
             mastermind, talent, intellect, intellectual or mental giant,
             wizard, virtuoso, Colloq brain, Einstein, whiz-kid or whizz-kid,
             whiz or whizz, walking dictionary or encyclopedia or
             encyclopaedia:  She was a prodigy at the age of six and went on
             to become a great concert performer. 2 wonder, marvel,
             phenomenon, sensation, miracle:  Some regarded the painting Nude
             Descending a Staircase a prodigy of cubist art.

   produce   v.  1 make, develop, turn out, put or bring out, manufacture,
             fabricate, generate, create; construct, assemble, put together,
             compose; mould, cast; extrude:  This machine is capable of
             producing 10,000 units an hour.  2 yield, give rise to, cause,
             bring up, bring forth, spark, initiate, occasion, bring about,
             prompt, evoke, start, create, generate, beget, originate:  He
             was unprepared for the laughter produced by his slip of the
             tongue. 3 generate, beget, create, put out or forth, breed,
             propagate, bear, give birth to, hatch, grow:  See how the plant
             is producing buds at these nodes?  4 bring forward or in or out,
             introduce, present, offer, show, exhibit, display, stage, put
             on, mount:  She was the first to produce Japanese Noh drama in
             the west.  5 disclose, reveal, bring to light, show, display,
             draw:  When I refused to give him the money, he produced a gun.
             6 supply, furnish, provide, deliver, distribute:  They are
             accused of continuing to produce fluorocarbons despite the
             government ban.

             --n.  7 vegetables, fruit, Chiefly Brit greengrocery:  The
             produce is delivered to the markets from the farms at the crack
             of dawn.

   producer  n.  1 maker, manufacturer, fabricator, processor, creator;
             grower, farmer:  That company is the largest producer of
             microchips in the world.  2 (in Britain) director, auteur,
             impresario, regisseur; (in US and Canada) entrepreneur,
             (business or financial) manager, organizer, impresario:  He was
             a producer of TV soap operas.

   product   n.  1 result, consequence, output, outcome, issue, effect,
             fallout, yield, upshot; spin-off, offshoot, by-product:  It is
             evident that this work is the product of much thought. One
             product of her interest in literature is a new publishing
             company. 2 artefact or US artifact, good(s), produce, commodity,
             output, merchandise, offering, work:  It doesn't matter how good
             the product is if nobody knows about it.

   production
             n.  1 producing, manufacture, manufacturing, making,
             fabrication, preparation, origination, creation, output, putting
             out, development; formation, forming, forging, shaping,
             moulding, casting, assembly, building, construction:  Our
             business is the production of insulating materials.  2 product,
             (end) result, work, effort, handiwork, output, opus, oeuvre:
             These paintings are clearly productions of a fertile
             imagination.  3 (in Britain) artistry, direction, staging; (in
             US and Canada) display, presentation, staging, mise en scЉne,
             setting:  Both the acting and the production were superb.  4
             drama, play, (stage or television or radio) show, performance;
             film, motion or moving picture, movie:  Our repertory company is
             putting on a production of Othello next week.

   productive
             adj.  1 fruitful, fertile, rich, fecund, plentiful, plenteous,
             abundant, bountiful, bounteous, prolific, dynamic:  Owing to a
             perfect balance of rain and sunshine, the earth has proved
             productive this year. 2 imaginative, creative, inventive,
             resourceful, generative, ingenious, fertile, vigorous:  Her
             latest science-fiction trilogy is certainly evidence of a highly
             productive mind. 3 profitable, remunerative, rewarding,
             valuable, worthwhile:  Years ago he made an investment in
             computer shares that has turned out to be very productive.
             Discussing sales strategy is not as productive as getting out
             there and selling.

   profane   adj.  1 irreverent, sacrilegious, blasphemous, idolatrous,
             irreligious, infidel, heathen, unbelieving, disbelieving, pagan,
             atheist(ic), impious, godless, ungodly, sinful, wicked,
             iniquitous, contemptuous, disrespectful:  The faithful attacked
             anyone who was seen to perform a profane act. 2 unsanctified,
             unholy, unconsecrated, defiled, impure, unclean, unhallowed,
             non-religious, non-sacred, unsacred; lay, non-clerical, secular,
             temporal; Judaism tref or treif or treifa, non-kosher:  The
             missionaries persuaded them to abandon their profane rites and
             practices. 3 bad, dirty, filthy, smutty, foul, foul-mouthed,
             obscene, vulgar, coarse, uncouth, low, taboo, blasphemous,
             bawdy, ribald, scurrilous, off colour, immodest, improper,
             naughty, indecent, unprintable, unmentionable, indecorous,
             indelicate, common; abusive, vituperative, venomous,
             thersitical, Literary Fescennine, Colloq blue:  The boy was sent
             home from school for using profane language.

             --v.  4 debase, contaminate, pollute, taint, vitiate, degrade,
             defile, desecrate, violate, pervert, corrupt:  They swore
             undying retribution against those who had profaned their temple.

   profanity n.  blasphemy, obscenity, cursing, curse-word(s), swearing,
             swear-word(s), foul or bad or dirty or vulgar or coarse or
             filthy or smutty or taboo language, four-letter word(s),
             billingsgate:  The film was held to be unfit for broadcasting as
             it contained so much obscenity and profanity.

   profess   v.  1 assert, claim, aver, asseverate, state, affirm, confirm,
             confess, declare, say, hold, maintain, present, offer, proffer,
             tender, set forth, put forward, pronounce, enounce, enunciate,
             announce, utter, vow, avow:  He professed himself satisfied with
             the judge's decision.  2 pretend, lay claim, make a pretence,
             purport, act as if, simulate:  They professed to be legitimate
             businessmen, but I was always suspicious.

   professed adj.  1 pretended, ostensible, apparent, alleged, purported,
             so-called, would-be, self-styled, soi-disant(e):  He was a
             professed wine 'expert' but the bottle he recommended turned out
             to be awful. 2 confessed, avowed, sworn, admitted, acknowledged,
             confirmed, certified, declared:  What do you do when a professed
             friend betrays you?

   profession
             n.  1 occupation, calling, work, field, vocation, employment,
             m‚tier, trade, business, craft, line, sphere, speciality or US
             specialty, job, position, post, situation, Slang racket:  I know
             that she's a doctor, but what is her husband's profession?  2
             confession, affirmation, statement, avowal, assertion,
             asseveration, declaration, acknowledgement, testimony, averment,
             admission, announcement:  I was uncertain whether to believe his
             professions of love.

   professional
             adj.  1 trained, educated, practised, veteran, experienced,
             seasoned, able, skilled, skilful, gifted, talented, qualified,
             knowledgeable, licensed, official, expert, masterful, masterly,
             master, efficient, adept, proficient, competent, polished,
             finished:  He is a professional ambulance driver who has to work
             as a plumber to make ends meet. 2 excellent, proficient,
             efficient, skilful, masterly, thorough, prompt, conscientious,
             authoritative, businesslike:  She did a very professional job of
             repairing my car.

             --n.  3 master, expert, maestro, virtuoso, past master or
             mistress, specialist, authority, Colloq wizard, pro, whiz or
             whizz, US maven or mavin, Brit dab hand:  You can always tell
             when the work has been done by a professional.

   proficiency
             n.  facility, skill, talent, adeptness, expertise, expertness,
             skilfulness, aptitude, capability, ability, dexterity,
             capability, competence or competency, ingenuity, knack, savoir
             faire, Colloq know-how:  The proficiency he displayed as a
             racing-car driver was second to none.

   proficient
             adj.  skilful, skilled, talented, adept, gifted, expert,
             experienced, practised, au fait, veteran, well-versed, (highly)
             trained, professional, qualified, capable, able, accomplished,
             dexterous, competent, knowledgeable, top-notch, first-rate,
             Colloq ace, crack, whiz-bang or whizz-bang, Brit wizard:  She is
             an extremely proficient surgeon.

   profile   n.  1 outline, silhouette, contour, side-view:  His aquiline
             nose shows up prominently in this profile.  2 biography,
             (biographical or thumbnail or character) sketch, life, portrait,
             vignette:  That profile of Allen in a well-known magazine did
             not do him justice. 3 analysis, study, survey, examination;
             graph, diagram, chart, list, statistics:  The profile of the
             average newspaper reader revealed some interesting anomalies.

             --v.  4 describe, draw, sketch, limn:  The editor phoned to say
             that they want to profile you in the Gazette's Sunday colour
             supplement.

   profit    n.  1 Often, profits. gross or net profit, net or Brit also
             nett, return(s), gain, yield, revenue, proceeds, bottom line,
             surplus, excess, US take, Slang gravy, US vigorish:  The profits
             are down in the third quarter owing to the higher interest rate.
             2 advantage, avail, good, benefit, welfare, gain, value,
             interest, use, usefulness, Archaic or literary behoof:  Let me
             recommend a book that you will find of some profit.

             --v.  3 advance, further, be of profit to, benefit, promote,
             aid, help, be advantageous or of advantage, serve, avail,
             improve:  A few lessons from the club professional could profit
             your golf game. 4 Often, profit from. take advantage of, use,
             turn to advantage or account, exploit, utilize, make (good) use
             of, make capital (out) of, capitalize on, maximize, make the
             most of, Slang cash in on:  I hope you profit from the
             experience.  5 clear, realize, earn, gain, Colloq make a
             killing, clean up, rake it in, make a bundle or a packet:
             Ernestine profited to the tune of њ100,000 on the sale of her
             house.

   profitable
             adj.  1 beneficial, productive, lucrative, fruitful,
             (well-)paying, well-paid, worthwhile, effective, cost-effective,
             gainful, remunerative, money-making, rewarding:  I had never
             thought of being a pavement artist as a profitable enterprise.
             Playing professional golf can be very profitable - if you win
             tournaments. 2 beneficial, helpful, useful, utilitarian,
             valuable, worthwhile, advantageous, productive, rewarding:  She
             gave me a lot of good advice that I found profitable in my
             professional life.

   profiteer n.  1 racketeer, exploiter, extortionist, blackmarketeer:  The
             profiteers turned to selling sugar at exorbitant prices.

             --v.  2 overcharge, fleece, exploit, milk, make the most of;
             extort; US gouge:  The arms dealers are profiteering by selling
             banned mat‚riel to the guerrillas.

   profligacy
             n.  1 debauchery, vice, immorality, sin, sinfulness, wickedness,
             evil, dissipation, dissoluteness, degeneracy, licentiousness,
             depravity, corruption, promiscuity, lechery, lasciviousness,
             lewdness, indecency, perversion, carnality, libertinism,
             wantonness, unrestraint, eroticism, sybaritism, voluptuousness,
             sensuality:  Soho's reputation for profligacy is now much less
             deserved.  2 prodigality, extravagance, excess, waste,
             wastefulness, recklessness, exorbitance, lavishness,
             improvidence, squandering:  The profligacy of the French court
             at the end of the 17th century was remarkable.

   profligate
             adj.  1 debauched, vice-ridden, immoral, unprincipled, sinful,
             shameless, evil, iniquitous, wicked, dissipative, dissolute,
             degenerate, loose, licentious, depraved, corrupt, promiscuous,
             lecherous, lascivious, lewd, indecent, perverted, carnal,
             libertine, wanton, unrestrained, erotic, sybaritic, voluptuous,
             sensual, wild, abandoned:  The duke suddenly gave up his
             profligate life and became a monk.  2 extravagant, prodigal,
             wasteful, reckless, squandering, improvident, spendthrift,
             immoderate, excessive:  As the family fortunes waned, my aunt
             had to curb her profligate ways.

             --n.  3 debauchee, sinner, degenerate, pervert, sodomite,
             reprobate, rake, rakehell, libertine, lecher, whoremonger, rou‚,
             wanton, sybarite, voluptuary, sensualist:  With the restraints
             removed, the profligate abandoned himself to every excess
             imaginable. 4 prodigal, spendthrift, wastrel, waster,
             squanderer:  Such are the extravagances indulged in by the
             profligates who never learnt the value of money.

   profound  adj.  1 deep, unfathomable, abstruse, recondite, arcane,
             esoteric, intricate, knotty, involved, tricky, inscrutable,
             indecipherable, cabbalistic, incomprehensible, obscure, subtle,
             occult, secret, cryptic, puzzling, enigmatic, mystifying,
             mysterious:  Some aspects of the theory of thought are even too
             profound for many specialists. 2 learned, scholarly,
             intellectual, erudite, discerning, astute, sagacious, sage,
             wise, penetrating, sharp, keen, insightful, analytical,
             knowledgeable, informed, well-informed, well-read:  Russell was
             one of the most profound thinkers of his day.  3 deep, great,
             intense, sincere; heartfelt, keen, acute, utter, extreme,
             overpowering, overwhelming:  He gave a profound sigh and fell
             asleep at once. It is with profound regret that I must tender my
             resignation. 4 utter, complete, total, perfect, absolute,
             thorough, thoroughgoing, out-and-out, downright, consummate;
             awful, terrible:  Her casual attitude stems from her profound
             lack of awareness of how important the work is. I was
             immediately struck by the profound silence in the house.
             Profound changes are under way.

   profoundly
             adv.  very, extremely, deeply, greatly, keenly, acutely,
             intensely, sincerely; terribly, awfully:  We are profoundly
             sorry to have been so much trouble to you.

   profundity
             n.  1 depth, profoundness, abstruseness, reconditeness,
             arcaneness, intricacy, subtlety, complexity, complicatedness,
             difficulty, inscrutability, involvement, involvedness;
             indecipherability, incomprehensibility, incomprehensibleness,
             obscurity:  I wouldn't claim to have fully grasped the
             profundity of his ideas.  2 erudition, discernment, scholarship,
             scholarliness, sagacity, wisdom, sharpness, keenness,
             astuteness, acumen, insightfulness, knowledgeableness,
             knowledgeability:  I was amazed by the profundity of the
             argument of one so young.

   profuse   adj.  1 abundant, ample, plentiful, copious, unstinting,
             unsparing, ungrudging:  My profuse apologies if I have offended
             you in any way.  2 extravagant, lavish, bountiful, bounteous,
             prolific, luxuriant, abundant, exuberant, superabundant, lush,
             thick, teeming, overflowing, bursting, thriving, productive,
             fruitful, rich:  From the seventh year onwards, the trees
             yielded profuse crops of pears and plums. 3 excessive, copious,
             considerable, prolific, liberal, lavish, free, abundant, ample:
             This stage of the fever is accompanied by profuse sweating.  4
             generous, abundant, plentiful, copious, unsparing, unselfish,
             unstinting, exuberant, magnanimous, liberal:  The audience was
             profuse in its applause and cries of 'Bravo!' and 'Encore!'

   profusion n.  profuseness, quantity, abundance, plenty, plentifulness,
             plenteousness, bounty, copiousness, superabundance; mass, host,
             hoard, number, multitude, lot, mountain, load, mess, stack,
             pile, heap, agglomeration, conglomeration, accumulation, wealth,
             glut, surplus, oversupply, surfeit, plethora, superfluity,
             Formal nimiety:  Ivy grew in profusion over the front of the
             house. We had never seen such a profusion of bric-…-brac as they
             had collected.

   progenitor
             n.  1 progenitrix, ancestor, forefather, forebear:  They
             regarded the snake god as the progenitor of the human race.  2
             predecessor, forerunner, precursor, antecedent, foregoer,
             source, originator; origin, original, prototype, archetype,
             pattern, guide:  The ancient philosophers were progenitors of
             many modern ideas.  Some regard da Vinci's designs as the
             progenitors of some of today's machines.

   progeny   n.  offspring, children, descendants, issue, young, posterity,
             heirs, scions, successors, sons and daughters, Colloq kids,
             spawn, fry, US sprouts:  He dreamed that his progeny might have
             a freer, healthier life than his.

   prognosis n.  forecast, forecasting, prediction, prophecy,
             prognostication, projection:  The doctor has recorded his
             prognosis for the course of the disease.

   prognosticate
             v.  1 predict, foretell, prophesy, forecast, presage, divine,
             forebode:  Those prophets of doom are always prognosticating
             disaster.  2 betoken, augur, herald, foreshadow, foretoken,
             announce, harbinger, signal, portend:  The freshening breeze
             from the east prognosticates some rainy periods ahead.

   programme n.  1 schedule, plan, scheme, agenda, order of the day, routine,
             protocol, slate, list, listing, description, outline, abstract,
             pr‚cis, calendar, menu, bill of fare, curriculum, syllabus,
             synopsis, summary, prospectus:  The programme shows the sequence
             of events. You cannot tell what is being offered without a
             programme. 2 performance, production, show, presentation, (radio
             or television) play, telecast, broadcast, recital, concert:
             Television programmes seem to cater to lower levels of taste and
             intelligence every year. 3 proceedings, events, affairs,
             activities:  The programme includes an hour of exercise before
             breakfast every day.

             --v.  4 organize, arrange, prearrange, plan, lay out, map (out),
             design, formulate, set (up), schedule, book, US slate:  The solo
             pianist is programmed to follow the chamber orchestra.

   progress  n.  1 (forward) movement, going forward, progression, advance,
             headway, advancement:  Progress through the dense underbrush was
             very slow.  2 advancement, advance, promotion, improvement,
             betterment, elevation, rise, development, furtherance:  Her
             progress in the company might have been impeded by the fact that
             she was a woman. 3 advancement, course, development, growth,
             expansion, increase, evolution, maturation, ripening, burgeoning
             or bourgeoning, amplification, enlargement, spread, extension,
             broadening, promotion, furtherance, advance, encouragement:  Our
             publishing credo is that every book must contribute to the
             progress of culture or knowledge. 4 in progress. under way,
             ongoing, going on, happening, occurring, taking place, at work,
             in operation, being done, proceeding, Colloq in the works:  Some
             of the plans for reorganization are already in progress.

             --v.  5 advance, move or go (forwards or onwards), proceed,
             continue, go or forge ahead, go or move along, make (one's) way,
             make headway, travel, go or push or press on:  Throughout the
             19th century wagon trains of pioneers progressed across the
             prairies to settle the American West. I haven't progressed far
             enough in my reading to say whether I like the book or not. 6
             advance, improve, get well, get better, develop, grow, expand,
             increase, evolve, mature, ripen, burgeon or bourgeon, amplify,
             enlarge, spread, extend, broaden, rise, move up, upgrade:
             Sarah's condition progressed to the point where she could get
             out of bed. Christmas sales of the new toy are progressing
             nicely.  In only ten years, Michael progressed to a directorship
             in the company.

   progression
             n.  1 movement forward or forward movement, advance,
             advancement, (making or gaining) headway, progress, ascension,
             rise, elevation:  This mode of progression requires enormous
             effort. It was interesting to watch her progression through the
             corridors of power. 2 progress, development, advance,
             advancement, spread, spreading, extension, extending,
             broadening, enlargement, headway, intensification, rise:  It
             seemed impossible to halt the progression of the disease.  3
             order, sequence, succession, train, chain, concatenation,
             course, flow:  The report traces the progression of events
             leading up to the war.

   progressive
             adj.  1 advancing, continuing, developing, increasing, growing,
             ongoing, continuous, step by step, gradual:  The doctors noted
             the progressive deterioration in his condition.  With the onset
             of spring, we shall see progressive improvement in the weather.
             2 reformist, revisionist, liberal, radical, revolutionary,
             avant-garde, advanced, dynamic:  Carrie was soon regarded as one
             of the more progressive thinkers of her day.

             --n.  3 reformist, reformer, revisionist, liberal, leftist,
             left-winger:  Once a conservative, he did a complete volte-face
             after the war and became a progressive.

   prohibit  v.  1 bar, ban, forbid, disallow, interdict, outlaw, taboo,
             debar, proscribe:  Fishing without a permit is prohibited.  2
             prevent, stop, preclude, rule out, obstruct, block, impede,
             hinder, hamper, inhibit, frustrate, foil, thwart, restrain,
             check:  A turnstile prohibits entry through the exit doors.

   prohibition
             n.  1 forbiddance, barring, bar, banning, ban, disallowance,
             disallowing, interdiction, interdicting, outlawing, outlawry,
             taboo, debarment, debarring, proscription, proscribing:  Did the
             members vote for the prohibition of smoking on club premises?  2
             bar, interdict, injunction, debarment, embargo, proscription,
             ban:  Imposition of an excessively high tariff on imported
             computer components has amounted to the prohibition of their use
             in this country.

   prohibitive
             adj.  1 discouraging, suppressive, repressive, restrictive,
             prohibitory, inhibitory, restraining:  Prohibitive legislation
             has forced capital out of some profitable areas and into others
             less productive. 2 excessive, exorbitant, outrageous, dear,
             high, outlandish, abusive, extortionate, insupportable,
             criminal:  The prices of new designer dresses are prohibitive.

   project   n.  1 proposal, plan, scheme, design, layout:  The project for
             housing low-income families had to be modified to allow for car
             parking. 2 activity, enterprise, programme, undertaking,
             venture, assignment, commitment, obligation, contract,
             engagement; occupation, job, work:  What project will you move
             on to when you complete this one?

             --v.  3 plan, scheme, prepare, devise, conjure up, concoct,
             think up, contemplate, contrive, invent, work up or out,
             propose, present, outline, design, draft, draw up, delineate,
             describe, put forth or forward, Colloq cook up:  In his theory,
             he projects a quite different causal relationship.  4 cast,
             hurl, fling, throw, toss, launch, propel, discharge; shoot,
             transmit; Colloq chuck, lob:  A body projected into space will
             keep on travelling unless it strikes something. This device
             projects stereoscopic pictures on a screen. 5 jut out, stick
             out, protrude, stand out, bulge (out), extend (out), poke out,
             beetle (out), overhang:  The cornice projects a full six feet
             over the street.  6 estimate, reckon, calculate, predict,
             forecast:  The economists projected a decline in inflation over
             the coming months.

   projectile
             n.  missile, shell, bullet, rocket:  Projectiles rained down on
             the enemy gun emplacement.

   projection
             n.  1 protrusion, protuberance, bulge, extension, overhang,
             ledge, flange; ridge, eminence, prominence, spur, crag,
             outcropping:  The safety line caught on a projection of the
             building, and the man was saved. That projection off to the
             north is covered with ice all year long. 2 proposal, outlining,
             mapping, mapping out, presenting, presentation:  The projection
             of the plan for the new development must be effective for the
             council to accept it. 3 plan, scheme, blueprint, programme,
             design, proposal, outline, diagram, map, representation,
             planning:  The council has approved the projection for the
             development of the waterfront. 4 estimate, prognostication,
             forecast, prediction, calculation, reckoning:  These sales
             projections for next year are quite optimistic.

   proliferate
             v.  grow, increase, burgeon or bourgeon, multiply, mushroom,
             snowball; breed, reproduce:  Fast-food restaurants are
             proliferating everywhere. Failure to disinfect the wound allows
             germs to proliferate.

   proliferation
             n.  growth, increase, burgeoning or bourgeoning, expansion,
             spread, escalation, build-up, rise:  Some attribute the increase
             in violent crime to the proliferation of hand-guns.

   prolific  adj.  1 fertile, fecund, productive, fruitful, abundant,
             copious, bountiful, bounteous, profuse, plentiful, plenteous,
             lush, rich, rife:  The more perilous its natural survival, the
             more prolific a species is likely to be. 2 productive, creative,
             fertile:  He is a prolific author, and has more than 200 novels
             to his credit.

   prolong   v.  extend, lengthen, elongate, stretch (out), draw or drag out,
             drag (on), keep up, string out, protract:  Not wishing to
             prolong the agony, we left after the first act.  Aunt Caroline
             prolonged her visit by yet another week.

   promenade n.  1 walk, parade, esplanade, boulevard:  We strolled along the
             promenade as far as the pier.  2 walk, stroll, saunter, ramble,
             turn, constitutional, airing, turn:  After a brief promenade
             round the garden, she returned to the house.

             --v.  3 walk, stroll, saunter, amble, ramble, parade,
             perambulate, take a walk or stroll:  Every Sunday, regardless of
             the weather, he promenades for an hour in the park. 4 flaunt,
             show (off), display, parade, strut:  Why he promenaded that
             awful person before all his friends is beyond me!

   prominence
             n.  1 celebrity, eminence, fame, distinction, notability,
             reputation, pre-eminence, standing, position, rank, prestige,
             renown, repute, importance, weight, influence, account, name,
             consequence:  They are a family of considerable prominence in
             the county. She rose to prominence as an actress just last year.
             2 hill, hillock, rise, hummock, outcrop, outcropping, spur, tor,
             crag, ar€te, spine, ridge, peak, mount, pinnacle; headland,
             point, promontory:  We planted our flag on the prominence and
             constructed a small cairn. 3 protuberance, projection,
             protrusion, growth, excrescence, swelling, tumefaction,
             tumescence, extrusion, outshoot, outgrowth, spur, bulge:  If
             that prominence on your elbow doesn't disappear in a day or so,
             I should see a doctor.

   prominent adj.  1 conspicuous, obvious, evident, recognizable, pronounced,
             discernible, distinguishable, identifiable, noticeable,
             remarkable, noteworthy, eye-catching, striking, outstanding,
             chief, main, principal, significant, important; apparent,
             unmistakable or unmistakeable, patent, glaring, salient,
             flagrant, egregious:  The most prominent peak in the region is
             Annapurna. Some of the prominent shortcomings of the plan can be
             rectified easily. 2 eminent, pre-eminent, distinguished,
             notable, noteworthy, noted, leading, foremost, first,
             outstanding, eminent, well-known, famed, illustrious, famous,
             celebrated, renowned, acclaimed, honoured, honourable,
             respected, well-thought-of, prestigious, reputable, creditable:
             A prominent politician is to be invited to cut the ribbon
             opening the new bridge. 3 protuberant, protruding, protrusive,
             projecting, jutting (out); excrescent, bulging, raised,
             elevated:  She has a rather prominent chin. There is one
             prominent spot on the tabletop that needs more sanding.

   promiscuous
             adj.  1 indiscriminate, undiscriminating, unselective,
             non-selective, non-discriminatory, unconscientious, heedless,
             haphazard, indifferent, uncaring, uncritical, unfussy,
             unfastidious, disregardful, neglectful, negligent, slipshod,
             slovenly, irresponsible, careless, cursory, perfunctory,
             unthinking, thoughtless, unconsidered:  The promiscuous massacre
             of civilians caused an international outcry. 2 lax, loose,
             unchaste, wanton, wild, uninhibited, unrestrained, ungoverned,
             uncontrolled, unbridled, uncurbed, immoderate, abandoned,
             amoral, immoral, indecent, libertine, licentious, dissipated,
             dissolute, depraved, profligate, debauched, fast; unfaithful,
             faithless, dishonourable:  Nothing you say could persuade me to
             condone your promiscuous behaviour. 3 mixed, miscellaneous,
             heterogeneous, random, intermixed, jumbled, disorderly,
             disordered, confused, chaotic, motley, intermixed, intermingled,
             scrambled, unorganized, disorganized, unsystematic,
             unsystematized, helter-skelter, higgledy-piggledy, hotchpotch or
             US also hodgepodge:  There is a somewhat promiscuous collection
             of books in his library that well reflects the eclecticism of
             his tastes.

   promise   n.  1 assurance, (solemn) word (of honour), pledge, vow, oath,
             undertaking, engagement, bond, commitment, guaranty, guarantee,
             warranty; agreement, contract, covenant, compact:  You have my
             promise that the book will be completed by the deadline.  She
             broke her promise to marry him. Unlike a contract, a promise
             does not imply a mutual commitment. 2 expectation, potential,
             capability; likelihood, probability:  This first novel shows a
             lot of promise. There is little promise that compensation will
             be paid to the victims by the government.

             --v.  3 assure, give one's word (of honour), pledge, swear, vow,
             take an oath, undertake, engage, commit oneself, guarantee or
             guaranty, warrant, cross one's heart (and hope to die):  Harold
             promised to do what cannot be done. We were promised a free ride
             on the roundabout. She promises she will repay the loan
             promptly. Make him pay for the damage as he promised. 4 give
             indication of, hint at, suggest, foretell, augur, indicate, show
             signs of, be in store for, look like, seem or appear likely or
             probable, Brit be on the cards, US be in the cards, Literary bid
             fair, betoken, bespeak:  Though the economic situation promised
             to improve, many were disappointed that it took so long.

   promising adj.  hopeful, encouraging, favourable, auspicious, positive,
             rosy, optimistic, propitious, cheering, full of promise,
             reassuring, heartening:  I see a promising future for you as a
             dancer.

   promote   v.  1 help, further, encourage, assist, advance, support,
             forward, back, sanction, abet, aid, boost, foster, patronize,
             nurture, develop, inspirit, strengthen, stimulate, inspire:
             Their continual bickering did little to promote domestic
             harmony.  The sale of portable appliances has done much to
             promote the battery business. 2 advance, move up, raise,
             upgrade, elevate, exalt, Colloq kick upstairs:  He is to be
             promoted to floor manager next month.  3 recommend, endorse,
             sponsor, support, espouse, commend, advocate, advance, champion,
             talk up, speak for, side with, present, call attention to:  She
             is promoting the cause of ecology in her campaign.  4 advertise,
             publicize, push, sell, Colloq beat the drum for, plug, Slang
             hype, Chiefly US ballyhoo:  They are promoting the new
             chewing-gum by giving out free samples in Trafalgar Square.

   promotion n.  1 furtherance, advancement, advance, encouragement, support,
             backing, sanction, sanctioning, abetting, aiding, helping,
             assisting, boosting, fostering, nurturing, cultivation,
             development, developing, improvement, improving, inspiration,
             inspiriting, strengthening, stimulation, stimulating:  The
             Society exists for the promotion of learning in a number of
             subjects. 2 advancement, advance, upgrading, upgrade, rise,
             elevation, preferment, exaltation:  He was envied for his
             promotion to the highest ranking post in the department. 3
             promoting, recommendation, presentation, espousal, commendation,
             advocacy, championing:  I am grateful for your promotion of my
             name for the job.  4 advertising, publicity, public relations,
             propaganda, selling, hard or soft sell, fanfare, plugging,
             Colloq puffery, Slang (media) hype, Chiefly US ballyhoo,
             hoop-la:  The manufacturer spent millions on the promotion of
             the new cola.  5 advertisement, advertising, circular, brochure,
             handbill, bill, hand-out, leaflet, poster, affiche, placard,
             publicity, space, (publicity) release, hoarding, US and Canadian
             flier or flyer, billboard, broadside, Colloq US puff piece, poop
             sheet:  The promotions for the new detergent use the celebrity
             endorsement technique.

   prompt    adj.  1 quick, ready, immediate, instantaneous, unhesitating,
             rapid, fast, swift, speedy, punctual, timely, on time, instant,
             summary, brisk, alacritous:  No matter what the question, Gemma
             gave a prompt response.  2 alert, eager, ready, quick,
             expeditious, ready and willing, disposed, predisposed,
             unhesitating, keen, avid:  Slow to praise, Alan was always
             prompt to criticize.

             --v.  3 urge, egg (on), prod, nudge, spur, exhort, incite,
             induce, impel, provoke, rouse, arouse, encourage, work or stir
             or fire up, move, motivate, cause, influence, put (someone) up
             to (something), coax, persuade, cajole, prevail upon or on, talk
             (someone) into (something):  If he hadn't prompted her, she
             never would have apologized.  4 cue, remind, feed lines (to),
             help:  She never could remember her lines and needed to be
             prompted.  5 bring about, inspire, occasion, give rise to,
             elicit, evoke, provoke, call forth, stimulate, awaken:  The
             mention of hostages prompted a question about what was being
             done to gain their release.

             --n.  6 reminder, cue, hint, stimulus:  He always needs a prompt
             to remind him to send his mother flowers on her birthday.

   promptly  adv.  quickly, at once, straightaway or straight away, directly,
             right away, immediately, without delay or hesitation,
             unhesitatingly, swiftly, speedily, readily, instantly,
             instantaneously, punctually, expeditiously, with celerity, with
             alacrity, Colloq US and Canadian momentarily:  If this bill is
             not paid promptly, we shall have to discontinue your credit
             arrangements.

   prone     adj.  1 face down or downwards or chiefly US downward,
             prostrate, lying down, reclining, recumbent, horizontal,
             procumbent, Formal or technical decumbent, accumbent:  She was
             lying prone, resting between push-ups.  2 inclined, apt, likely,
             liable, disposed, predisposed, of a mind, subject, given,
             tending, leaning:  They are prone to petty squabbles.

   pronounce v.  1 declare, utter, say, voice, express, articulate,
             enunciate, vocalize, put into words:  He pronounced a curse on
             the family. Try to pronounce it one syllable at a time. 2
             declare, affirm, proclaim, announce, decree, judge, aver, state,
             asseverate, assert, say to be:  I now pronounce you man and
             wife. The doctor pronounced mother to be out of danger. 3
             announce, proclaim, promulgate, publicize, publish, deliver,
             broadcast, make known, let (something) be known, put out or
             forth, set forth; pass:  The judge will pronounce sentence
             tomorrow.

   pronounced
             adj.  1 definite, clear, plain, well-defined, decided,
             conspicuous, noticeable, recognizable, identifiable, obvious,
             striking, prominent, notable, distinct, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable, marked, strong:  There was a pronounced odour of
             bitter almonds in the room. Sophie spoke with a pronounced lisp.
             2 definite, distinct, unequivocal, unambiguous, specific,
             unqualified, undisguised, downright, outright, out-and-out,
             decided, complete, total, unmitigated, strong, utter, unalloyed,
             unmixed, clear, clear-cut, unmistakable or unmistakeable:  A
             pronounced prejudice against fuzzy thinking emerges from his
             writings.

   pronouncement
             n.  1 statement, assertion, observation, comment, opinion,
             announcement, proclamation, pronunciamento, manifesto,
             declaration, avowal, affirmation, asseveration, averment,
             promulgation:  Occasionally he would issue a pronouncement on
             the sad state of English usage. 2 judgement, decree, edict,
             proclamation, dictum, command, ukase, (papal) bull, imperative,
             order, ordinance:  The authorities made several official
             pronouncements regarding travel restrictions.

   pronunciation
             n.  enunciation, articulation, elocution, diction, speech,
             speech pattern, manner of speaking, delivery, accent,
             accentuation, intonation, inflection, modulation:  Standard
             pronunciations of English are so diverse that it is sometimes
             difficult for one native speaker to understand another. Rock
             singers seem always to imitate a Texan pronunciation.

   proof     n.  1 evidence, verification, corroboration, confirmation,
             validation, authentication, ratification, substantiation;
             documentation, document, facts, data, certification, testimony,
             Colloq ammunition:  Is there any proof that she was with you?
             The prosecution claims to have enough proof of his guilt to
             convict him of embezzlement. 2 test, trial, measure, standard,
             touchstone, criterion:  Do you intend to put his loyalty to the
             proof? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

             --adj.  3 impervious, impenetrable, able to withstand or resist,
             protective, strong, tough, impregnable, resistant, tempered:
             They maintain that this armour is proof against a nine-inch
             shell.

   prop      v.  1 Often, prop up. support, brace, hold (up), buttress, stay,
             bolster, uphold, bear, sustain, shore up, keep up:  A longer
             post is needed to prop up this end of the roof.  2 lean, stand,
             rest:  Do you mind if I prop my crutches against the desk while
             I sit down?

             --n.  3 support, brace, truss, stay, buttress, mainstay,
             upright, vertical, shore:  Can you use this broomstick as a prop
             to support the shelf temporarily?

   propaganda
             n.  1 agitprop, disinformation, Newspeak, rumours, lies:  The
             state-controlled media spread propaganda about minorities to
             foster nationalism. 2 advertising, promotion, publicity, public
             relations, puff, fanfare, Colloq puffery, ballyhoo, Slang hype,
             US hoop-la, whoop-de-do or whoop-de-doo:  All that propaganda
             was merely to launch a new washing-powder!

   propagate v.  1 breed, generate, reproduce, multiply, proliferate,
             deliver, bring forth, bear, procreate:  Biologists are studying
             ways of making the species propagate at a faster rate. 2
             multiply, increase, spread, grow, develop:  These plants
             propagate very rapidly.  3 publicize, promote, disseminate,
             dispense, distribute, spread, publish, broadcast, circulate,
             make known, transmit, disperse, propagandize, proclaim,
             promulgate, bruit about, noise abroad, herald:  The purpose of
             the organization is to propagate information about the state of
             the environment.

   propel    v.  drive, impel, move, actuate, set in motion, get moving,
             move, push, thrust, force, send, launch, start:  Each galley was
             propelled by huge oars. The capsule is propelled by a rocket.
             Job opportunities propelled her to move to Bristol.

   proper    adj.  1 right, appropriate, apropos, apt, suitable, fit,
             fitting, befitting, becoming, suited, apposite, de rigueur,
             comme il faut, adapted, Literary meet:  Is this the proper time
             to ask for a salary increase?  2 correct, accurate, exact,
             right, precise, orthodox, formal, expected, normal, usual,
             accepted, established, Old-fashioned Brit tickety-boo:  Some
             insist that the only proper way to pronounce 'controversy' is
             with the stress on the first syllable. 3 decorous, dignified,
             genteel, fitting, right, de rigueur, appropriate, becoming,
             suitable, decent, seemly, due, correct, apt, comme il faut,
             conformist; gentlemanly, ladylike, polite, refined, punctilious,
             respectable:  Jeans are not proper attire for dinner at La
             Hacienda. Do you call that proper behaviour for the president of
             a learned society? 4 fitting, suitable, correct, right,
             satisfactory, good, sensible:  The kitchen is a proper place for
             the dishwasher, not the garage.  Proper nutrition is very
             important. 5 complete, perfect, utter, thorough, thoroughgoing,
             out-and-out, unmitigated:  He felt a proper fool for having
             locked his keys inside his car.  6 own, individual, separate,
             distinct, correct, specific, special, particular, respective;
             characteristic, distinctive, peculiar, singular, unique:  When
             you have finished, return each book to its proper place.

             --quasi-adv.  7 strictly speaking or so-called, in the
             strict(est) or narrow(est) sense, only, solely, alone, on (its
             or someone's) own:  Does the deed refer only to the house proper
             or are the outbuildings also included?

   properly  adv.  1 appropriately, fittingly, correctly, well, becomingly,
             suitably, politely, decently, decorously, nicely:  If you cannot
             behave properly I shall have to ask you to leave.  2 duly,
             appropriately, well, suitably, rightly, correctly, aptly:  Are
             they properly equipped for the rescue mission?

   property  n.  1 possessions, belongings, effects, gear, paraphernalia,
             chattels:  All his worldly property fitted into the small
             Gladstone bag he carried everywhere. 2 assets, means, resources,
             holdings, capital (goods), fortune, riches, estate, worth:  We
             look on all our shares, personal belongings, and real estate as
             part of our property. 3 land, acreage, realty, real estate or
             property:  That property on the high street was recently sold to
             developers.  4 characteristic, attribute, quality, feature,
             trait, mark, hallmark, idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, oddity, quirk,
             Formal haecceity, quiddity:  A property of iodine is that it
             changes directly from a solid to a vapour - and vice versa -
             without first liquefying.

   prophecy  n.  1 forecasting, foretelling, prediction, fortune-telling,
             divination, soothsaying, augury, prognostication,
             crystal-gazing, Formal vaticination:  The prophecy of future
             events lies outside the realm of science.  2 prediction,
             forecast, prognosis, revelation:  Her prophecy warned of ice
             storms that would ravage the earth.

   prophesy  v.  1 predict, foretell, forecast, forewarn, prognosticate,
             vaticinate:  His father prophesied that he would come to no good
             if he quit college. 2 augur, foretell (of), presage, foreshadow,
             portend, bode, harbinger, herald, promise, vaticinate:  The
             early disappearance of the swallows prophesies a long, cold
             winter.

   prophet   n.  prophetess, oracle, forecaster, seer, soothsayer,
             clairvoyant, prognosticator, fortune-teller, augur, diviner,
             witch, warlock, sibyl, haruspex, vaticinator; (of doom)
             Cassandra:  Statistically, the weather prophets have a fair
             record of accuracy.

   prophetic adj.  predictive, prognostic, divinatory, oracular, inspired,
             prescient, sibylline, Literary fatidic, vatic:  His warnings of
             a drought proved to be prophetic.

   propitiatory
             adj.  1 conciliatory, pacifying, appeasing, expiatory,
             placative, propitiative, pacificatory, placatory:  He said that
             he was truly sorry and held out a propitiatory hand.  2
             deferential, ingratiating, obliging, obeisant, acquiescent,
             compliant, tractable:  He was most propitiatory in his treatment
             of his stepchildren.

   propitious
             adj.  advantageous, timely, well-timed, opportune, lucky,
             fortunate, happy, providential, favourable, bright, encouraging,
             auspicious, promising, rosy:  It was not a propitious moment to
             ask her to marry him,.

   proponent n.  proposer, promoter, supporter, upholder, backer, subscriber,
             patron, espouser, adherent, enthusiast, champion, friend,
             partisan, defender, advocate, exponent, pleader, apologist,
             spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson:  Ashley is a staunch
             proponent of the literacy movement.

   proportion
             n.  1 ratio, (comparative) relation, relationship, comparison:
             The proportion of men to women on the course is three to one.
             The demand is out of all proportion to the supply. 2 balance,
             agreement, concord, harmony, suitableness, symmetry, congruity,
             correspondence, correlation, arrangement, distribution:  The
             beauty of the building is at once apparent in the elegant
             proportion of its parts. 3 portion, division, share, part,
             percentage, quota, allotment, ration, Colloq cut:  Water covers
             a large proportion of the surface.  4 proportions. size,
             magnitude, dimensions, measurements, extent; volume, capacity,
             mass, bulk, area, expanse, scope, range, degree:  The dragon
             suddenly assumed gigantic proportions.

             --v.  5 adjust, modify, change, modulate, poise, balance, shape,
             fit, match, conform, equate:  The punishment should be
             proportioned to the crime.

   proportional
             adj.  proportionate, proportioned, comparable, analogous,
             analogical, relative, related, correlated, balanced,
             symmetrical, corresponding, compatible, harmonious, consistent,
             commensurate, in accordance with:  The zeal with which their
             ideals are defended is directly proportional to the fierceness
             with which they are attacked.

   proposal  n.  1 offer, presentation, bid, tender, proposition,
             recommendation, suggestion, Literary proffer:  Her proposal was
             to provide the funding if we would do the work.  2 plan, scheme,
             outline, draft, design, layout; programme, proposition, project:
             The proposal for the new civic centre was rejected as too
             expensive.

   propose   v.  1 offer, tender, proffer; present, introduce, submit,
             advance, set forth, put forward, propound, bid, recommend,
             suggest, come up with, call attention to, broach, Brit table:
             Management proposed a wage increase of five per cent. The
             architect proposed that we consider an addition to the north
             wing. 2 offer, mean, intend, plan, expect, aim:  We propose to
             make a start on the decorating once we have had our lunch. 3
             nominate, name, put forward or forth, suggest, introduce,
             submit, put up:  His boss proposed him for membership of the
             golf club.

   proposition
             n.  1 See proposal, 1, above.  2 See proposal, 2, above.

             --v.  3 accost, solicit, make an indecent or sexual advance or
             proposal or overture, Colloq make a pass at:  She said she had
             been propositioned by him, but we never learnt if she accepted
             or not.

   propound  v.  put or set forth or forward, propose, offer, proffer,
             suggest, postulate:  It was she who first propounded the idea of
             a unified country.

   proprietor
             n.  1 proprietress, owner, landowner, landlady, landlord,
             landholder, title-holder, deed-holder, property owner:  He is
             the proprietor of a large house in Chiswick.  2 owner, partner,
             landlord, restaurateur, innkeeper, hotel-keeper, hotelier,
             licensee, manager, Brit publican:  The proprietor greeted us
             warmly and showed us to our rooms.

   propriety n.  1 correctness, properness, conformity, suitableness,
             appropriateness, suitability, aptness, fitness, seemliness,
             decorum; advisability, wisdom:  I questioned the propriety of
             concealing this information from shareholders. 2 protocol, good
             or proper form, punctilio, etiquette, politeness, courtesy,
             politesse, refinement, sedateness, dignity, modesty, decorum,
             decency, breeding, respectability, gentility, grace,
             mannerliness:  He always behaved with the utmost propriety in
             the presence of his aunt. 3 the proprieties. the social graces,
             the amenities, the civilities, formality or the formalities,
             social convention or the social conventions, social procedure or
             codes, accepted practice, tradition, ceremony, ritual:  He only
             observes the proprieties when he wants to make a good
             impression.

   propulsion
             n.  drive, impulse, impetus, thrust, power, driving or
             propelling or propulsive force, pressure, momentum, push:
             Enormous propulsion is required to lift the space shuttle into
             orbit.

   prosaic   adj.  dull, banal, overdone, tedious, clich‚d, commonplace,
             stereotyped, pedestrian, flat, stereotypical, hackneyed, stock,
             routine, everyday, ordinary, common, workaday, mediocre,
             undistinguished, bland, characterless, homely, plain, trite,
             stale, threadbare, tired, lifeless, dead, dry, jejune, boring,
             tiresome, unimaginative, unpoetic, unromantic, uninspiring,
             uninspired, insipid, uninteresting, humdrum, monotonous,
             Literary ennuyant, Colloq ho-hum, run-of-the-mill, mouldy:  She
             found the law too prosaic and trained to become a jockey.

   prose     n.  (expository) writing, text, language:  It came as a great
             revelation to learn that he had been speaking prose all his
             life.

   prosecute v.  1 arraign, indict, charge, put on or bring to trial, try,
             take to court, sue, bring suit or action against, accuse, Brit
             put in the dock:  She threatened to prosecute him for slander.
             2 pursue, follow up or through, see or carry through, persist,
             go on with:  Will the same policy will be prosecuted in other
             countries?  3 carry on or out, perform, do, exercise, conduct,
             follow, engage in, practise, continue:  The government needs
             popular support if it is to continue to prosecute the war
             successfully.

   prospect  n.  1 view, scene, panorama, landscape, seascape, outlook,
             vista, sight, spectacle, perspective, aspect:  The sitting-room
             window offered a splendid prospect of the sea and cliffs below.
             2 anticipation, contemplation, outlook, promise, plan, design,
             intention, expectancy, expectation, thought, likelihood:  The
             prospect of spending the Christmas holidays with your family is
             quite daunting. 3 Often, prospects. future, outlook, chance(s),
             hope(s), possibility or possibilities, likelihood, opportunity
             or opportunities:  The prospects for her advancement are
             excellent.  4 in prospect. in sight or view, in the offing, on
             the horizon, in store, in the wind, projected, in store, likely,
             probable, possible, Brit on the cards, on the table, US in the
             cards:  As a doctor, he has a number of opportunities in
             prospect.

             --v.  5 Often, prospect for. explore, search (for), look (for):
             In 1896, his grandfather went to the Klondike to prospect for
             gold.

   prospective
             adj.  anticipated, expected, awaited, looked-for, future,
             forthcoming, coming, approaching, imminent, nearing, pending,
             impending, destined, potential, incipient:  Jane's prospective
             wedding had excited the entire family.

   prospectus
             n.  announcement, plan, scheme, programme, outline, conspectus,
             description:  According to the prospectus for the fund, the
             minimum investment is њ1000.

   prosper   v.  flourish, thrive, succeed, fare well, progress, get ahead,
             grow, develop; profit, gain, become wealthy, grow rich, make
             one's fortune, make good, Colloq make it, make one's pile:  With
             hard work, thrift, and perseverance, MacIntosh prospered and was
             soon able to buy the house he wanted.

   prosperity
             n.  success, (good) fortune, wealth, riches, affluence, money,
             luxury, plenty, prosperousness, opulence, bounty, Colloq life of
             Riley:  The basis of the family's prosperity was huge land
             holdings in Australia.

   prosperous
             adj.  1 rich, wealthy, moneyed or monied, affluent, well-to-do,
             well off, Colloq well-heeled, loaded, flush, in the money,
             rolling in it or wealth or money, in clover, on Easy Street,
             Slang stinking rich:  Anyone who owns six houses and four yachts
             must be prosperous.  2 successful, thriving, flourishing,
             booming, prospering:  Frank owns a prosperous chain of video
             shops.

   prostitute
             n.  1 whore, call-girl, streetwalker, strumpet, trollop, harlot,
             lady of the night or US also evening, fallen or loose woman,
             demi-mondaine, cocotte, fille de joie, painted woman, woman of
             ill repute, camp-follower, Archaic catamite, Literary hetaera or
             hetaira, courtesan or courtezan, Brit rent-boy, toy boy, US boy
             toy, Archaic bawd, quean, trull, cotquean, Colloq tart, hustler,
             Slang pro, moll, Brit brass, hooker, US bimbo, working girl,
             chippy or chippie, roundheels:  There was a terrible scandal
             when the MP was found to have consorted with prostitutes.

             --v.  2 Often, prostitute oneself. degrade, demean, lower,
             cheapen, debase, profane, defile, desecrate, pervert, abuse,
             misuse, devalue, Colloq sell out:  To ward off starvation, he
             prostituted his talent by drawing comic strips.

   prostitution
             n.  1 whoredom, harlotry, the oldest profession, Mrs Warren's
             profession, streetwalking, vice:  They argued strongly against
             the legalization of prostitution, saying that it would lead to a
             decline in public morals. 2 degradation, debasement,
             profanation, defilement, desecration, misuse, abuse,
             devaluation, lowering, perversion, corruption:  Don't you regard
             pornography as a prostitution of the principle of freedom of
             expression?

   prostrate v.  1 Usually, prostrate oneself. lie down, kowtow, bow (down),
             bow and scrape, grovel, kneel, fall to or on one's knees,
             truckle, crawl, cringe, submit, abase oneself:  The captives
             were forced to prostrate themselves before the emperor.  2
             overwhelm, overcome, overpower, crush, lay or bring low,
             paralyse, fell, bowl over, floor, bring down, humble, make
             helpless, ruin; exhaust, fatigue, weary, wear down or out, tire
             (out):  They were prostrated by grief at the loss of their son.
             Having been prostrated for months by glandular fever, she
             finally recovered and returned to work.

             --adj.  3 prone, horizontal, lying down, laid low, stretched
             out, procumbent, recumbent, Formal or technical accumbent,
             decumbent:  The prostrate bodies of the worshippers in their
             multicoloured garb resembled a huge patchwork quilt. 4
             overwhelmed, overcome, overpowered, crushed, brought or laid
             low, paralysed, felled, bowled over, brought down, humbled,
             helpless, ruined, brought to one's knees, powerless, impotent,
             defenceless, disarmed, Colloq floored:  She was prostrate at the
             news of the car crash. After the long war, the countries were
             struggling to revitalize their prostrate economies. 5 exhausted,
             drained, fatigued, spent, worn out, wearied, weary, tired (out),
             dead tired, dog-tired, played out, Colloq fagged out, knocked
             out, all in, beat, bushed, US wiped out, Slang shagged out, US
             and Canadian pooped (out):  We were prostrate after the long
             climb.

   prostration
             n.  1 genuflection or Brit also genuflexion, kowtowing, kowtow,
             kneeling, bowing, bow, salaaming, salaam, submission:
             Prostration before a superior was a mark of honour.  2
             servility, veneration, worship, humiliation, respect, adulation,
             deference, obeisance, homage:  Their silence betokened the
             profound prostration they felt before her superior intellect. 3
             despair, misery, desolation, desperation, dejection, depression,
             despondency, wretchedness, unhappiness, grief, woe, woefulness:
             Years of poverty created in him a spiritual prostration from
             which he never recovered. 4 weariness, exhaustion, weakness,
             debility, feebleness, enervation, lassitude, paralysis,
             collapse, breakdown:  The diagnosis was nervous prostration and
             the treatment was bed rest for a week or more.

   protagonist
             n.  1 hero, heroine, anti-hero, anti-heroine, principal, leading
             character; lead, leading role, title role:  Mother was always
             the protagonist in our little domestic dramas.  2 leader,
             supporter, advocate, backer, prime mover, moving spirit,
             champion, mainstay, standard-bearer, exponent:  He is considered
             the chief protagonist of reformist policies in the party.

   protean   adj.  variable, ever-changing, multiform, variable, mutable,
             changeable, labile, polymorphous or polymorphic, kaleidoscopic:
             The magic ring gave him protean powers to appear now as an
             eagle, now as a serpent.

   protect   v.  1 defend, guard, safeguard, keep safe, shield, cover,
             screen:  Company rules require the wearing of safety goggles to
             protect the eyes when operating any machine. 2 care for,
             preserve, keep, shelter, watch over, safeguard, take care of,
             conserve, take under one's wing, foster, nurture, tend, mind:
             The best way of protecting wildlife is to conserve natural
             habitats.

   protection
             n.  1 defence, screen, shield, barrier, guard, safeguard,
             immunity, bulwark, buffer, shelter, refuge, haven, sanctuary,
             security, safe keeping, safety, preservation:  They have not yet
             developed any protection from the common cold.  How can we offer
             these fledglings protection against predators? 2 care,
             guardianship, aegis, custody, charge, safe keeping, patronage,
             sponsorship, keeping:  Even under the protection of the
             government, elephants continue to be slaughtered. 3 extortion,
             blackmail, protection money:  If we refuse to pay protection,
             they say that they will bomb the restaurant.

   protective
             adj.  defensive, jealous, vigilant, watchful, heedful, careful,
             possessive; preservative, shielding, sheltering, safeguarding:
             She is fiercely protective of her independence and will not
             accept help. Many animals rely on protective colouring as a
             defence against predators.

   protector n.  protectress, defender, benefactor, benefactress, patron,
             patroness, guardian (angel), champion, knight in shining armour,
             paladin, bodyguard, Slang Brit minder:  She came to regard him
             as her friend and protector.

   prot‚g‚   n.  prot‚g‚e, ward, charge, dependant; discovery, student,
             pupil:  He became her prot‚g‚ and she has taught him everything
             he knows.

   protest   n.  1 objection, opposition, complaint, grumble, grievance,
             dissent, disapproval, protestation, exception, disagreement,
             demur or demurral, demurrer, disclaimer, denial, scruple,
             compunction, qualm, Colloq gripe, grouse, squawk, US kick, Slang
             beef, bitch:  The Home Office has received many protests about
             the treatment of prisoners. 2 under protest. unwillingly,
             reluctantly, involuntarily:  I paid the fine under protest.

             --v.  3 object, oppose, complain, grumble, dissent, disapprove,
             take exception, take issue with, disagree, demur, disclaim,
             deny, scruple, Colloq gripe, grouse, squawk, Brit kick
             (against), US kick, Slang beef, bitch:  Bank employees protested
             at being expected to work on Saturday mornings. 4 assert,
             confirm, declare, aver, asseverate, affirm, announce, profess,
             insist on, avow, avouch:  The convicted man went to the gallows
             protesting his innocence.

   protocol  n.  1 rule(s) or code(s) or standard(s) of behaviour or conduct,
             convention(s), custom(s), diplomacy, formality, formalities,
             form, etiquette, politesse, manners, practice, usage, authority:
             According to protocol, the lady stands at the right of the
             gentleman.  Which protocol are you following, the British or the
             French? 2 treaty, pact, compact, covenant, agreement, concordat;
             memorandum, minute, note, draft, outline:  The original protocol
             must be checked before the ministers attach their signatures.

   prototype n.  1 model, archetype, first, original, pattern, exemplar,
             precedent, mould:  Many improvements were made as a result of
             tests on the original prototype. 2 example, instance,
             illustration, sample, norm, paragon, epitome, model, standard,
             analogue, referent, metaphor:  Mrs Grundy is a common prototype
             for narrow-mindedness and prudishness.

   protracted
             adj.  long, long-drawn-out, interminable, prolonged, over-long,
             never-ending, extended, stretched out, marathon, endless,
             everlasting, long-winded:  The protracted union negotiations
             delayed the start of the work by six months.

   protrude  v.  stick out, jut (out), project, extend, poke out, stand out,
             thrust out or forward, start (from), exsert, Rare extrude;
             bulge, balloon, bag (out), belly (out); (of the eyes) pop,
             goggle, Colloq US bug (out):  Only the very tops of the plants
             protruded from the snow.

   protrusion
             n.  projection, protuberance, prominence, swelling, excrescence,
             tumescence, bump, lump, knob, bulge; (condition of the eyes)
             Technical exophthalmic goitre:  I can feel the slight protrusion
             of the nail-heads above the smooth surface.

   protuberant
             adj.  protrusive, protruding, bulging, gibbous, jutting,
             bulbous, swelling, swollen, turgid, tumescent, distended, tumid,
             extrusive, excrescent, extruding, projecting, beetling,
             overhanging, prominent:  She has large brown eyes that are a
             little protuberant.

   proud     adj.  1 Often, proud of. pleased (with), satisfied (with),
             contented (with), glad (about), happy (with or about), delighted
             (with or about), elated (with or about); honoured, gratified:
             He is very proud of his children and what they have achieved.  I
             am proud to be your friend. 2 conceited, boastful,
             self-satisfied, narcissistic, self-important, egotistical, vain,
             vainglorious, prideful, self-centred, complacent, snobbish,
             haughty, supercilious, smug, arrogant, cocky, cocksure,
             boastful, braggart, Colloq high and mighty, snooty, stuck-up,
             Slang snotty, Brit toffee-nosed:  She's far too proud to have
             anything to do with the likes of us.  3 lofty, dignified,
             lordly, noble, great, respected, honoured, honourable,
             important, glorious, august, illustrious, estimable, creditable,
             eminent, prominent, distinguished, reputable, worthy, notable,
             noted, noteworthy:  His will always be a proud name in British
             military history.  4 stately, majestic, magnificent, splendid,
             grand:  Proud Edinburgh earned the sobriquet, 'Athens of the
             north'.

   prove     v.  1 verify, authenticate, confirm, make good, corroborate,
             demonstrate, show, validate, establish, substantiate, certify,
             affirm; support, sustain, back (up), uphold:  Prove that he lied
             under oath, and we shall have him for perjury.  If you cannot
             prove her guilt, she must be presumed innocent. 2 try, test,
             examine, check, analyse, assay:  Division can easily be proved
             by multiplication, and vice versa.  The proving ground for
             military vehicles is off limits to the public.  Come live with
             me and be my love, And we shall all the pleasures prove. 3 turn
             out, be found, be shown, be established, end up; develop,
             result:  The child proved to be his long-lost grandson.  4 show,
             evince, demonstrate:  He proved his love many times over during
             their fifty years of marriage.

   provender n.  1 provisions, food, supplies, victuals, rations, foodstuffs,
             groceries, eatables, edibles, comestibles, aliment, nourishment,
             sustenance, Colloq grub, eats:  The armies relied for their
             provender on farms they passed on the march. 2 fodder, forage,
             feed, hay, silage, corn, grain:  Provender for the livestock was
             running low because of the long winter.

   proverb   n.  saying, maxim, aphorism, saw, adage, apophthegm or apothegm,
             axiom, moral, moralism, homily, dictum, gnome, epigram,
             commonplace, platitude, truism, clich‚, bromide:  According to
             the old proverb, 'A fool and his money are soon parted'.

   proverbial
             adj.  1 axiomatic, aphoristic, epigrammatic, apophthegmatic or
             apothegmatic, homiletic, moralistic; acknowledged, well-known,
             accepted, time-honoured, traditional:  The language is full of
             proverbial sayings reflecting popular wisdom. 2 typical,
             archetypal, exemplary:  The humanitarianism of Albert Schweitzer
             is proverbial.

   provide   v.  1 supply, furnish, equip, outfit, fix up (with) provision,
             contribute, accommodate, purvey, cater, stock (up), victual,
             provender:  After providing us with a map and a compass, they
             sent us off across the moor. 2 produce, yield, afford, lend,
             give, present, offer, accord:  The fertile land provided food in
             plentiful abundance. During those bleak years, the radio
             provided us not only with news but also entertainment. 3
             stipulate, lay down, require, demand, specify, state:  The lease
             provided that the rent be reviewed every five years.  4 provide
             for. look after, care for, support, take care of, take under
             one's wing, minister to, attend (to):  The bequest ensured that
             his widow would be amply provided for.  5 provide for or
             against. arrange for, prepare for, anticipate, forearm, make or
             get ready for, plan for, take precautions, take measures:  It
             would seem that you have provided for any eventuality.

   providence
             n.  1 foresight, forethought, preparation, anticipation,
             readiness, far-sightedness, caution, precaution, discretion,
             prudence, care; thrift, frugality, husbandry, thriftiness,
             conservation, economy:  Because of the providence of our
             founders, we were able to weather severe financial set backs. 2
             Usually, (divine) Providence. protection, care, concern,
             beneficence, direction, control, divine intervention, guidance;
             destiny, fate, lot, fortune, karma, kismet:  Providence is
             always on the side of those who help themselves.

   provident adj.  1 cautious, wary, discreet, canny, prudent, careful,
             vigilant, prepared, far-sighted, thoughtful, wise, shrewd,
             sagacious, sage, judicious:  In the fable, the grasshopper
             learns from the ant what it means to be provident. 2 frugal,
             economic(al), thrifty, prudent:  Because he is not a provident
             man, he will always be poor.

   providential
             adj.  fortunate, lucky, blessed, felicitous, happy, opportune,
             timely:  It is providential that we left the house just before
             the earthquake.

   providing conj.  Sometimes, providing that. provided (that), on (the)
             condition (that), if (only), only if, as long as, in the event
             (that), with the proviso (that), in case, with the understanding
             (that):  Simon is always ready to go out to dinner, providing
             someone else pays for it.

   province  n.  1 territory, state, zone, region, quarter, area, district,
             domain, dependency or US also dependancy, division, section,
             district:  Quebec is one of the administrative provinces of
             Canada.  2 country, territory, region, dominion, realm, strand,
             tract:  During the war, those who escaped fled to distant
             provinces.  3 sphere or area (of responsibility),
             responsibility, bailiwick, concern, function, charge, business,
             field; Colloq thing, headache, worry:  The payroll falls within
             the province of my department.  4 provinces. outlying districts,
             countryside, hinterland(s), Chiefly US exurbia, Slang US and
             Canadian boondocks, boonies, hicksville:  Once a year, people
             flock into London from the provinces to do their Christmas
             shopping.

   provincial
             adj.  1 local, regional:  Provincial administration is the
             responsibility of the sheriff.  2 uncultured, uncultivated,
             unsophisticated, limited, uninformed, na‹ve, innocent,
             ingenuous, unpolished, unrefined, homespun, rustic, rude,
             country, parochial, insular, narrow-minded, boorish, loutish,
             cloddish, awkward, ungraceful, oafish, backwood(s), Brit parish
             pump, US small-town, Colloq US and Canadian hick, hick-town:
             These paintings are unlikely to appeal to provincial tastes.

             --n.  3 rustic, country cousin, (country) bumpkin, yokel, US and
             Canadian out-of-towner, hick, hayseed:  One could tell they were
             provincials by the cut of their clothes.

   provincialism
             n.  1 dialectalism, localism, regionalism; idiom, patois,
             dialect:  His northern speech is peppered with provincialisms
             unfamiliar to those who live in the south. 2 narrow-mindedness,
             insularity, parochialism, narrowness, benightedness;
             unsophisticatedness, simplicity, lack of awareness, na‹vety,
             ingenuousness, innocence, inexperience:  Their provincialism
             made them suspicious of city people. There was something
             charming about the provincialism of this rough man from the
             outback.

   provision n.  1 providing, supplying, furnishing; catering, victualling,
             provisioning, purveyance, purveying, furnishing, equipping,
             fitting out, outfitting, accoutrement, equipment:  The school is
             responsible for the provision of textbooks. The provision of a
             cruise ship of that size requires days. 2 stipulation, proviso,
             condition, restriction, qualification, clause, term, exception,
             demand, requirement, prerequisite, Colloq catch, string, US
             hooker:  This provision of the contract calls for a penalty for
             each day's delay beyond the guaranteed completion date. 3
             preparation, prearrangement, arrangement, measures, steps:  They
             had failed to make provision for so many customers and soon ran
             out of food. 4 Usually, provisions. supplies, stores, stockpile,
             stock(s), quantity; food, foodstuffs, eatables, edibles,
             drinkables, potables, victuals, viands, comestibles, rations,
             groceries, provender, staples:  We had enough provisions to last
             a year.

             --v.  5 stockpile, stock, supply, victual, cater, purvey:  They
             provisioned the expedition for a three-month period.

   provisional
             adj.  1 temporary, interim, provisionary, transitional, stopgap,
             Colloq pro tem:  The provisional government was expected to be
             in place for less than a month. 2 conditional, contingent,
             provisory, qualified, stipulatory, provisionary, probationary:
             The appointment is provisional and will be reviewed in six
             months.

   proviso   n.  See provision, 2. above.

   provocation
             n.  1 grounds, reason, cause, justification, instigation,
             initiation, incitement, stimulus, incentive, motivation, motive,
             inducement:  What was the provocation for that unpleasant
             outburst?  2 insult, offence, taunt, irritation:  After a series
             of provocations, the final straw was his remark about my mother.

   provocative
             adj.  1 inviting, alluring, tempting, charming, tantalizing,
             teasing, intriguing, fascinating, seductive, stimulating,
             voluptuous, sensual, sensuous, suggestive, erotic, arousing,
             exciting, entrancing, irresistible, bewitching, Colloq sexy:
             The council found the film too provocative to be shown to
             schoolchildren.  2 irritating, annoying, galling, irksome,
             nettlesome, harassing, plaguing, exasperating, infuriating,
             angering, incensing, maddening, enraging, vexing, vexatious,
             disquieting, challenging, upsetting, distressing, disturbing,
             outrageous, wounding, stinging, offensive, humiliating,
             mortifying:  She is given to making provocative remarks that
             drive him to distraction.

   provoke   v.  1 stir (up), stimulate, move, motivate, push, impel, drive,
             get, spur (on), egg on, goad, force, compel, prompt, rouse,
             arouse, waken, awaken, enliven, animate, activate, induce,
             encourage:  She did her best to provoke him to start his new
             novel.  2 start, incite, instigate, produce, promote, foment,
             kindle, work up:  Are you trying to provoke an argument?  3
             irritate, annoy, irk, pester, vex, pique, anger, enrage, madden,
             incense, infuriate, gall, rile, nettle, harass, hector, plague,
             badger, exasperate, get on one's nerves, try one's patience,
             frustrate, upset, disturb, perturb, distress, outrage, offend,
             insult, affront:  If he continues to provoke me I shall punch
             him.

   prowess   n.  1 ability, skill, skilfulness, aptitude, adroitness,
             dexterity, dexterousness, adeptness, facility, finesse,
             expertise, mastery, genius, talent, know-how, ingenuity,
             capability, proficiency:  Her prowess as a sculptor is
             unquestioned.  2 bravery, valour, courage, boldness, daring,
             intrepidity, dauntlessness, mettle, stout-heartedness, valiance,
             lion-heartedness, fearlessness, gallantry, doughtiness,
             fortitude:  He was famed for his prowess in single combat.

   prowl     v.  1 lurk, sneak, skulk, steal, slink:  I thought I saw someone
             prowling about in your back garden.  2 scour, scavenge, range
             over, rove, roam, patrol, cruise, cover:  The police continued
             to prowl the waterfront looking for smugglers.

             --n.  3 on the prowl. lurking or sneaking or skulking or
             stealing or slinking about or around, searching, seeking,
             hunting, tracking, stalking:  The lioness was on the prowl for
             wildebeest. After a few drinks, the boys went on the prowl for
             some female companionship.

   proximity n.  nearness, closeness, adjacency, neighbourhood, vicinity,
             vicinage, contiguity, contiguousness, propinquity:  The
             proximity of the airport kept housing prices relatively low.

   proxy     n.  substitute, agent, delegate, surrogate, representative,
             factor:  As I was unable to attend the owners' meeting, I sent
             Jane as my proxy.

   prude     n.  prig, puritan, Mrs Grundy, Colloq goody-goody, US bluenose:
             He was a bit of a prude and disapproved of anything even
             slightly suggestive.

   prudence  n.  1 discretion, wisdom, sagacity, judgement, discrimination,
             common sense, canniness, presence of mind, awareness, wariness,
             care, tact, carefulness, caution, cautiousness, circumspection,
             watchfulness, vigilance, heedfulness:  You should proceed with
             prudence in this hazardous business.  2 planning, preparation,
             preparedness, foresightedness, forethought, foresight,
             providence, precaution, far-sightedness; economy, husbandry,
             thrift, (good or careful) management:  Owing to the prudence of
             her investments, Clara had accumulated a substantial nest egg.

   prudent   adj.  1 careful, cautious, discreet, discerning, wise, sage,
             sagacious, politic, judicious, discriminating, sensible,
             reasonable, canny, shrewd, cautious, circumspect, watchful,
             vigilant, heedful, wary, attentive, alert, guarded:  James had
             always found it prudent to listen to others before speaking his
             mind. 2 provident, thrifty, economic(al), frugal, prudential:
             Father favours prudent, conservative management of the family
             business.

   prudery   n.  prudishness, priggishness, puritanicalness, puritanism,
             squeamishness, Grundyism, primness, stuffiness, old-maidishness,
             precisianism:  She said that censorship was the result of
             prudery rather than concern for moral welfare.

   prudish   adj.  priggish, puritanical, old-maidish, prissy, prim, fussy,
             squeamish, strait-laced, stiff, rigid, over-nice, over-modest,
             over-coy, proper, demure, decorous, formal:  Victorian society
             was both prudish and prurient.

   prune     v.  clip, cut back, lop, dock, pare (down), trim:  If you prune
             fruit trees, they bear more abundantly. We have to prune the
             entertainment budget.

   prurient  adj.  1 libidinous, lecherous, lascivious, lewd, lubricious or
             lubricous, salacious, lustful, concupiscent, licentious, carnal,
             debauched, rakehell, sensual, randy, voluptuous, loose, goatish,
             ruttish, Literary Cyprian, Paphian, Archaic lickerish or
             liquorish, Slang horny, hot:  The press takes a prurient
             interest in the private lives of famous people. 2 dirty, lewd,
             filthy, pornographic, smutty, obscene, foul, scurrilous, vile,
             indecent, gross, lurid, blue, bawdy, ribald, titillating,
             suggestive, coarse, vulgar, low, crude, Literary Fescennine:
             The police raid uncovered a store of prurient literature, films,
             and videos.

   pry       v.  1 investigate, ferret about, examine, peer, peek, be
             inquisitive, inquire or enquire:  They pried into her past but
             found nothing revealing.  2 intrude, meddle, interfere, Colloq
             poke or stick one's nose in or into, snoop, be nosy, nose about
             or around, poke about or around:  They have no right to pry into
             my private affairs.

16.8 pseudonym...
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   pseudonym n.  nom de plume, nom de guerre, alias, pen-name, stage name,
             incognito:  'George Eliot' was the pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans.

   psyche    n.  soul, spirit, mind, ‚lan vital, divine spark, life-force,
             anima, self, subconscious, unconscious, personality, (essential)
             nature, inner man or woman or person, Philosophy pneuma:  To
             Homer, the psyche was more like an alter ego, or conscience.

   psychic   adj.  1 psychical, mental, spiritual, psychologic(al),
             subjective, psychogenic, cognitive, metaphysic(al),
             intellectual, cerebral; philosophic(al):  The psychic effect of
             losing a loved one can have physical repercussions.  2
             psychical, extrasensory, supernatural, occult, magical,
             telepathic, telekinetic, preternatural, spiritualistic,
             unearthly, extramundane, supermundane:  Many psychic phenomena
             have never been satisfactorily explained.

             --n.  3 medium, spiritualist, clairvoyant, mind-reader,
             telepathist, seer, seeress, crystal-gazer, soothsayer,
             astrologer, fortune-teller, prophet, prophetess, sibyl:  We were
             disturbed to learn that our political leaders consulted
             psychics.

   psychological
             adj.  mental, intellectual, cerebral, cognitive, psychic(al),
             spiritual, subjective, subconscious, unconscious, subliminal,
             psychogenic; philosophic(al):  He has plenty of money, so there
             must be psychological reasons for his stealing.

   psychology
             n.  (mental) make-up, constitution, attitude, behaviour, thought
             processes, thinking, psyche, nature, feeling(s), emotion(s),
             rationale, reasoning:  I cannot understand the psychology of
             fascism.

   psychotic adj.  1 mad, insane, psychopathic, deranged, demented, lunatic,
             paranoiac or paranoid, abnormal, unbalanced, (mentally) ill or
             esp. US sick, disturbed, non compos mentis, of unsound mind,
             exceptional, certifiable, daft, unhinged, raving, Slang crazy,
             nuts, nutty, loony or looney or luny, off one's rocker or
             trolley or chump or head, cracked, crack-brained, mental, out to
             lunch, batty, bats, having bats in one's belfry, having a screw
             loose, not all there, touched (in the head), bonkers:  The
             doctors diagnosed him as psychotic and insisted he be
             hospitalized.

             --n.  2 madman, madwoman, maniac, psychopath, lunatic, paranoid
             or paranoiac, schizophrenic, bedlamite, Slang nut, nutter,
             screwball, crackpot, crazy, loony or looney or luny, schizo, US
             kook:  How many psychotics do you think are wandering about
             loose?

16.9 pub...
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   pub       n.  public house, alehouse, tavern, inn, bar, cocktail lounge,
             saloon, taproom, hostelry, Brit saloon or lounge bar, US
             bar-room, Colloq Brit local, Slang boozer, watering-hole, joint,
             dive, Chiefly Brit gin-palace, US barrelhouse, gin-mill,
             honky-tonk:  We went down to the pub for a pint and a game of
             darts.

   puberty   n.  pubescence, sexual maturity, adolescence, juvenescence,
             teens; nubility:  The anxiety of parents for the health of an
             infant is as nothing compared with their concerns when their
             child reaches puberty.

   public    adj.  1 communal, community, common, general, collective,
             universal, catholic, popular, worldwide:  One need only compare
             early and new films to see how public taste has changed. 2
             civil, civic, social, societal, community, communal:  Although
             they may seem restrictive, these laws are for the public good. 3
             accessible, open, free, unrestricted, non-exclusive, communal,
             community, available:  He does much of his research in the
             public library.  4 open, manifest, exposed, overt, projected,
             plain, obvious, apparent, patent, clear, clear-cut,
             acknowledged, known, admitted, visible, viewable, conspicuous:
             Her public image is quite different from her private persona.  5
             visible, viewable, conspicuous, unconcealed, unshrouded,
             flagrant, blatant:  Has Alfie made a public spectacle of himself
             again?  6 well-known, prominent, eminent, celebrated, famous,
             renowned, noted, notable, influential, illustrious; notorious,
             disreputable, infamous:  Invite a well-known public figure to
             open the exhibition if you can. 7 make public. See publish.

             --n.  8 community, people (at large or in general), citizenry,
             citizens, nation, populace, population, society, masses,
             multitude, hoi polloi, bourgeoisie, plebeians, proletariat, rank
             and file, middle class, third estate, commonalty, voters, man or
             woman in the street, Brit admass, US John Q. Public, Mr or Mrs
             Average, Colloq (any or every) Tom, Dick, and Harry:  The public
             has responded generously to the charity appeal.  9 clientele or
             Brit also clientage, customers, custom, patrons, followers,
             supporters, buyers, consumers, purchasers, following, business,
             trade:  How can you expect to attract the public without
             advertising?  10 sector, segment, special-interest group,
             portion:  The commuting public will no longer tolerate these
             excessive train delays. 11 in public. publicly, openly, in the
             open, Colloq out of the closet:  Jarvis has finally confessed in
             public what we long suspected privately.

   publication
             n.  1 dissemination, promulgation, publicizing, publishing,
             proclamation, issuance, reporting, announcement, advertisement,
             advertising, pronouncement, airing, putting out, revelation,
             declaration, appearance:  The publication of the news about the
             sale of the company was no surprise to us. 2 book, booklet,
             pamphlet, brochure, leaflet, broadside or broadsheet, flier or
             flyer, handbill, hand-out; periodical, magazine, journal,
             newsletter, newspaper, paper, broadsheet, tabloid; annual,
             semi-annual, quarterly, bimonthly, monthly, semi-monthly,
             fortnightly, biweekly, weekly, hebdomadal or hebdomedary,
             semi-weekly, daily:  He buys every publication he can find
             dealing with model railways.

   publicize v.  promote, advertise, give publicity to, Colloq beat the drum
             for, plug, puff, US push, Slang hype:  They once hired an
             elephant to publicize a huge department-store sale.

   publish   v.  make public, put out, broadcast, spread (about or around),
             advertise, make known, let (something) be known, announce,
             publicize, report, proclaim, promulgate, bruit about, reveal,
             divulge, disclose, break the news (about), Colloq leak:  The
             minister resigned the day the news of the scandal was published.

   pucker    v.  1 gather, draw together, compress, purse, crinkle, ruck,
             shirr, ruffle, corrugate, furrow, wrinkle, crease, screw up,
             tighten, contract, squeeze:  Pucker up your mouth and give me a
             kiss. The shirring is done by puckering up the fabric and
             stitching it through with decorative thread.

             --n.  2 gather, tuck, pleat, pleating, shirr, shirring, ruffle,
             ruck, ruche, ruckle, wrinkle, wrinkling, fold, crinkle,
             crinkling:  The curtains have some puckers that need ironing.

   puerile   adj.  childish, immature, babyish, infantile, juvenile, silly,
             asinine, foolish, trivial, ridiculous, irresponsible, shallow,
             inconsequential, insignificant, US sophomoric:  Stop that
             puerile horseplay and settle down.

   puff      n.  1 blow, breath, wind, whiff, draught, gust, blast, huff:  A
             slight puff through the open window stirred the curtains.  2
             draught, draw, pull, Colloq drag:  She took a puff from her
             cigarette and blew the smoke in his face.  3 advertisement,
             praise, mention, word, item, review, notice, publicity, puffery,
             Colloq plug, blurb, Slang hype:  The late editions of the papers
             carry puffs for your new restaurant.

             --v.  4 blow, breathe, huff, pant, gasp, wheeze:  Victor came
             huffing and puffing up to the finishing line.  5 draw, pull (at
             or on), inhale, suck, smoke, Colloq drag:  Holmes was puffing
             silently on his pipe.  6 Usually, puff up or out. inflate,
             distend, bloat, swell (up or out), stretch, balloon, expand,
             pump up, enlarge:  Calvin swaggered in, all puffed up with pride
             about his new job.  7 publicize, advertise, promote, push,
             trumpet, ballyhoo, extol, commend, praise, Colloq plug, beat the
             drum (for):  He has been shamelessly puffing his book on every
             radio and TV show.

   pugilism  n.  boxing, prizefighting; the manly art of self-defence,
             fisticuffs; Colloq the boxing or fight game:  His career in
             pugilism came to an abrupt end in the second minute of the third
             round.

   pugilist  n.  boxer, prizefighter, fighter, contender, contestant,
             battler, combatant, Colloq bruiser, scrapper, champ, Slang
             slugger, pug:  The pugilists came out of their corners and at
             once started jabbing away at each other.

   pugnacious
             adj.  aggressive, belligerent, combative, quarrelsome,
             bellicose, antagonistic, argumentative, hostile, litigious,
             contentious, disputatious, disagreeable, fractious, petulant,
             testy, irascible, hot-tempered, choleric, unfriendly,
             curmudgeonly, irritable, short-tempered:  The Gothic tribes were
             very pugnacious, always ready to fight with little or no
             provocation.

   pukka     adj.  1 pukkah or pucka, well done or made, properly or
             perfectly done, first class:  That was a pukka meal.  2 pukkah
             or pucka, genuine, good, authentic, reliable, honourable, fair,
             right, proper, thorough, out-and-out:  They always referred to
             him as 'pukka sahib'.

   puling    adj.  whining, wailing, querulous, whimpering, snivelling,
             weeping, caterwauling:  The third-class carriage was filled with
             chickens, pigs, and puling infants.

   pull      v.  1 draw, haul, drag, lug, tow, trail:  Do you think the car
             is strong enough to pull that load?  2 tug, jerk, yank, wrench,
             pluck:  He suddenly pulled on the door and it opened.  3
             Sometimes, pull out or up. pluck (out), withdraw, extract,
             uproot, pick (up or out), snatch out or up, tear or rip out or
             up, cull, select, draw out, take out, remove:  We pulled out all
             the weeds and threw them on the compost heap.  He has a
             collection of jokes pulled from his speeches. 4 Often, pull
             apart. tear or rip (up or apart), rend, pull asunder, wrench
             (apart), stretch, strain:  This fabric is so weak it pulled
             apart as soon as I touched it.  I think I pulled a muscle in my
             calf. 5 Often, pull in. attract, draw, lure, entice, allure,
             catch, captivate, fascinate, capture:  We need something besides
             the 'Sale' sign to pull the customers into the shop. 6 pull
             apart. pull to pieces or shreds, criticize, attack, pick or take
             apart or to pieces, flay, run down, Colloq put down, pan, knock,
             devastate, destroy, slate, Slang slam:  The critics really
             pulled apart her new play.  7 pull away. withdraw, draw or drive
             or go or move away; outrun, outpace, draw ahead of:  She pulled
             away abruptly when he touched her hand. The green car is pulling
             away from the others. 8 pull back.  a withdraw, draw back, back
             off or away, recoil, shrink (away or back) from, shy, flinch
             (from), jump, start:  The burglar pulled back when he saw the
             ferocious dog.  b withdraw, (beat a) retreat, take flight, flee,
             turn tail, drop or fall back, back out:  We cheered when we saw
             the enemy troops pulling back.  9 pull down.  a demolish, raze,
             level, destroy, wreck:  It takes only hours to pull down a house
             that it has taken generations to build. b draw, receive, get, be
             paid, earn:  He pulls down much more at his new job.  c lower,
             debase, diminish, reduce, degrade, dishonour, disgrace,
             discredit, humiliate:  When his fortunes declined, he pulled
             down all his friends with him. 10 pull for. hope or pray for, be
             enthusiastic for, be supportive of, support, campaign for, cheer
             for, encourage, boost, US root for:  We are all pulling for you
             to win.  11 pull in.  a drive up, arrive, come, draw up or in,
             reach:  The train finally pulled in at midnight. We need petrol,
             so pull in at the next filling station. b arrest, apprehend,
             take into custody, Colloq pinch, nab, collar, nail, Brit nick,
             Slang bust:  The cops pulled him in for possession of narcotics.
             12 pull off.  a detach, rip or tear off, separate, wrench off or
             away:  When he was cashiered from the army, they pulled off all
             his insignia and medals. b accomplish, do, complete, succeed,
             carry out, bring off, manage, perform:  Three men pulled off the
             robbery in broad daylight.  13 pull oneself together. recover,
             get a grip on oneself, get over it, recuperate, Colloq snap out
             of it, buck up:  Try to pull yourself together and stop crying.
             14 pull out.  a uproot, extract, withdraw:  In the ensuing
             scrap, someone tried to pull out his hair. Two survivors were
             pulled out of the rubble. b withdraw, retreat, beat a retreat,
             recede, draw back, leave, depart, go or run away or off,
             evacuate, Colloq beat it, do a bunk, Brit do a moonlight flit:
             The artillery unit pulled out yesterday.  c leave, go, depart,
             take off:  When that train pulls out, I want you on it!  d
             withdraw, quit, abandon, resign (from), give up, relinquish:
             You can still pull out of the deal if you want to.  15 pull
             someone's leg. tease, chaff, rib, have on, rag, twit, poke fun
             at, make fun of, hoodwink, ridicule:  He said that I'd just
             eaten a fly, but he was pulling my leg.  16 pull strings. use
             influence or connections, US use pull, pull wires:  His uncle
             pulled strings to get him the job.  17 pull through. survive,
             recover, improve, get better, get over (it or some affliction),
             rally; live:  Murphy was at death's door, but luckily he pulled
             through.  18 pull up.  a stop, halt, come to a standstill:  We
             pulled up in a lay-by for a few minutes' rest.  b uproot, root
             out, dig out, deracinate, eradicate:  Your dog has pulled up all
             the flowers in my garden.  c draw even or level with, come up
             to, reach:  On the fifth lap, Manson pulled up to, then passed
             Sabbatini.

             --n.  19 draw, tug; yank, jerk:  Give the bell-rope a strong,
             steady pull, and try not to yank it suddenly. 20 attraction,
             draw, magnetism, appeal, drawing or pulling power,
             seductiveness, seduction, lure:  The pull that golf has on
             certain people is hard to explain.  21 influence, authority,
             connections, prestige, weight, leverage, Colloq clout, muscle:
             You'd better treat her nicely, for she has a lot of pull with
             the boss. 22 puff, draw, inhalation, Colloq drag:  He took a
             long, meditative pull on his cigarette and blew some smoke
             rings.

   pulley    n.  sheave, block:  The rope is run through a system of pulleys,
             called a tackle, for lifting weights.

   pulp      n.  1 marrow, pith, heart, soft part, flesh:  After removing the
             seeds, add two tablespoonfuls of sugar and mix into the pulp. 2
             mush, paste, mash, pap, pomace, mass, Technical triturate:
             Water is added to the waste paper, which the machines then
             reduce to a pulp.

             --v.  3 mash, squash, pulverize, Technical levigate, triturate:
             The entire print run of the book was pulped after she threatened
             to sue the publishers.

             --adj.  4 lurid, sensational, trashy, cheap:  What he considers
             great literature you would call pulp fiction.

   pulsate   v.  beat, pulse, throb, pound, thrum, drum, thump, thud,
             reverberate, hammer, palpitate, vibrate; oscillate, quiver:
             Throughout the voyage, I could feel the ship's engines
             pulsating.

   pulse     n.  1 beat, beating, throb, throbbing, pulsing, pulsating,
             pulsation, pounding, thrumming, drumming, thumping, thudding,
             reverberation, reverberating, hammering, palpitation,
             palpitating, vibration, vibrating:  The pulse of the jungle
             drums became louder and faster.

             --v.  2 See pulsate, above.

   pulverize v.  1 powder, comminute, grind, crush, mill, granulate, crumble,
             break up, bray, pound, Technical triturate, levigate:  This
             machine pulverizes the rock, after which the binding agents are
             added. 2 devastate, destroy, demolish, crush, smash, shatter,
             ruin, wreck, annihilate:  The four battalions were pulverized in
             the attack.

   pump      v.  1 send, force, deliver, push:  The heart pumps blood around
             the body.  2 interrogate, question, examine, cross-examine,
             quiz, probe, Colloq grill, give (someone) the third degree:
             They pumped her for hours, but she told them nothing about my
             whereabouts. 3 pump out. pump dry or empty, empty, drain, bail
             out, draw or drive or force out, siphon (out):  After the flood
             it took two days to pump out my basement.  4 pump up.  a
             inflate, blow up; dilate, swell, bloat, expand, puff out or up:
             If you don't repair the tyre, pumping it up will accomplish
             nothing.  b excite, inspire, stimulate, animate, inspirit,
             electrify, galvanize, energize, motivate, Colloq enthuse:  The
             coach is talking to the team, trying to pump them up before the
             big game. c intensify, concentrate, emphasize, stress, increase:
             We ought to pump up our promotion campaign just before
             Christmas.

   pun       n.  play on words, quip, (bon) mot, witticism, double entendre,
             Literary equivoque, Technical paronomasia:  Dennis made some
             awful pun on 'nose' and 'knows' that nobody got.

   punch°    v.  1 hit, clip, jab, whack, thwack, knock, smack, box, pummel,
             strike, cuff, Colloq clout, bop, slug, wallop, thump, lambaste,
             slam, Slang sock, biff, plug, belt, lace (into), US paste:
             Anyone says anything about my girl, I'll punch him in the jaw!

             --n.  2 clip, jab, whack, thwack, knock, smack, box, cuff,
             upper-cut, left or right, Colloq clout, bop, slug, wallop,
             thump, slam, Slang sock, belt, biff, haymaker, plug, paste:  The
             punch knocked him down.  3 effect, impact, effectiveness, force,
             forcefulness, power, vitality, gusto, vigour, life, vim, zest,
             ginger, Colloq it, oomph, what it takes, Slang zing, zip:  These
             advertisements are pretty, but they are lacking in punch.

   punchэ    n.  1 awl, auger, bodkin, perforator; drill, brace and bit:  Use
             the punch to make another hole in your belt.

             --v.  2 pierce, stab, puncture, perforate; bore, drill:  She
             uses a needle to punch a tiny hole in each end of the egg.

   punctual  adj.  on time, timely, prompt, Colloq on the dot:  Please be
             punctual, as I don't fancy waiting about in the street.

   punctuate v.  1 interrupt, break, intersperse; pepper, sprinkle:  The
             speeches were punctuated by frequent shouts from the audience.
             2 accent, accentuate, underline, underscore, emphasize, stress,
             mark:  He punctuated each element of his argument with a sharp
             rap of his pencil on the lectern.

   puncture  n.  1 hole, perforation, opening, leak; flat (tyre):  I haven't
             the tools needed to patch the puncture in the tyre.  2
             perforation, perforating, holing, puncturing, piercing,
             stabbing, punching:  The puncture of the balloon means that we
             shall have to postpone our trip.

             --v.  3 perforate, hole, pierce, stab, penetrate, go through,
             prick, nick, rupture:  An arrow punctured the side of the tent.
             4 deflate, disillusion, bring up short, discourage, humble,
             dash, destroy, ruin:  Any hopes I had of winning the marathon
             were punctured when I tripped and fell, spraining my ankle.

   pungent   adj.  1 spicy, hot, sharp, strong, penetrating, aromatic,
             seasoned, peppery, piquant, tangy, flavourful, tasty, sapid:
             The pungent odours of devilled kidneys dominated the
             dining-room.  2 sharp, biting, stinging, caustic, severe,
             astringent, stern, acrid, harsh, sour, acid, tart, acrimonious,
             bitter, cutting, keen, barbed, trenchant, scathing, incisive,
             mordant, sarcastic:  This week's Review carries a pungent
             criticism of his new novel.  3 distressing, upsetting, poignant,
             painful, hurtful, penetrating, piercing, stabbing, intense,
             severe, acute, agonizing, oppressive, excruciating, racking,
             consuming:  Only when surgery eased the pressure was he relieved
             of the pungent pain.

   punish    v.  1 penalize, chastise, castigate, discipline, chasten, scold,
             rebuke, take to task, reprove, dress down, admonish, correct,
             teach someone a lesson, give a lesson to, throw the book at, rap
             (someone's) knuckles, slap (someone's) wrist, have or US call on
             the carpet, Colloq take it out on (someone):  A child's first
             taste of injustice is being punished for something she did not
             do. 2 imprison, jail or Brit also gaol, incarcerate, lock up;
             fine, mulct, amerce; lash, flog, beat, scourge, spank, whip,
             cane, birch, put across or US also turn over (one's) knee, US
             paddle; pillory, crucify; tar and feather, exile, banish,
             excommunicate, cashier, drum out of the corps; hang, execute,
             electrocute, draw and quarter, send to the gas chamber, Colloq
             put away, Slang Brit send down, US send up:  They were punished
             for their crimes.  3 hurt, harm, injure, damage, abuse,
             maltreat, rough up, knock about or around, maul, thrash, beat,
             trounce, manhandle, batter, Slang beat up:  The challenger
             punished the champion so badly that he could not come out for
             the tenth round.

   punishing adj.  gruelling, hard, arduous, strenuous, laborious,
             exhausting, tiring, wearying, fatiguing, wearing, taxing,
             demanding, burdensome, back-breaking, torturous:  Laying railway
             track was the most punishing job I ever had. This punishing
             schedule is beginning to tell on me.

   punishment
             n.  1 chastisement, chastising, castigation, castigating,
             discipline, disciplining, chastening, scolding, rebuke, reproof,
             dressing-down, admonishment, admonition, correction, punitive
             measures:  Every society must continually revise its approach to
             the punishment of criminals. 2 penance, penalty, sentence,
             sentencing, just deserts; imprisonment, incarceration, jailing
             or Brit also gaoling; lashing, flogging, beating, whipping,
             scourging, spanking, caning, birching, US paddling; exile,
             banishment, excommunication, cashiering; hanging, execution,
             electrocution, drawing and quartering:  Her punishment is to
             perform 20 hours a week of public service for a year. Stop
             whimpering and take your punishment like a man. 3 injury, harm,
             damage, abuse, maltreatment, mauling, beating, thrashing,
             trouncing, manhandling, battering, torture:  How are
             professional wrestlers able to withstand so much punishment?

   punitive  adj.  chastening, castigatory, disciplinary, retributive,
             punitory, retaliatory, correctional:  A punitive expedition was
             sent there to quell the colonists' uprising.

   punk      n.  1 ruffian, hoodlum, hooligan, delinquent, tough, thug,
             vandal, yahoo, barbarian, Colloq goon, mug:  A couple of young
             punks were standing at the bar, trying to look important.

             --adj.  2 inferior, rotten, unimportant, worthless, bad, poor,
             awful, Colloq lousy:  I thought that the lead in the play was a
             punk actor.

   punt      v.  1 bet, wager, stake, gamble, speculate, lay a bet or stake
             or wager:  Herbert spends all the grocery money punting at the
             races.

             --n.  2 bet, wager, stake, gamble:  In roulette, Janet always
             placed her punt on number 14.

   punter    n.  1 Brit better or US also bettor, gambler, gamester, player,
             speculator, backer, wagerer, Brit punt, Colloq crap-shooter:
             The punters are putting all their money on United to win the
             cup.  2 fellow, chap, person, individual, man or woman in the
             street; customer, client, buyer, Colloq guy, Brit bloke, geezer:
             The average punter likes a beer now and then.

   puny      adj.  1 small, little, insignificant, petty, unimportant,
             inconsequential, paltry, trivial, trifling, minor, negligible,
             nugatory, of little or no account, inferior, worthless, useless,
             Colloq piddling, Slang Brit not much cop:  Farr's contribution
             to the success of the business was really quite puny. 2 small,
             little, diminutive, tiny, minute:  Mattson looks so puny
             alongside that sumo wrestler.  3 weak, feeble, frail, sickly,
             weakly, underfed, undernourished, undersized, underdeveloped,
             stunted, dwarf, midget, pygmy:  You cannot expect such a puny
             chap to lift such a great weight.

   pup       n.  puppy, whelp, upstart, whippersnapper, popinjay, cub,
             jackanapes, show-off, braggart:  That young pup had the gall to
             tell me I was too old to be running the company.

   pupil     n.  student, learner, scholar, schoolchild, schoolgirl,
             schoolboy, disciple, apprentice; beginner, novice, neophyte,
             tiro or tyro, Chiefly ecclesiastical catechumen:  A number of
             Geoffrey's former pupils have organized a dinner to honour him.

   puppet    n.  1 hand puppet, finger-puppet, glove puppet, doll;
             marionette, string puppet:  The children built a little theatre
             and put on a puppet show.  2 figurehead, cat's-paw, pawn, dupe,
             tool, hireling, yes-man Colloq front (man), Slang stooge,
             sucker, patsy:  He is without authority and is merely a puppet
             of the drug dealers.  The army of occupation set up a puppet
             government to rule the country.

   purchase  v.  1 buy, acquire, procure, obtain, get, secure, pay for:  He
             recently purchased a new personal computer and cannot get it to
             work. Not long ago, a shilling purchased a loaf of bread. 2 win,
             gain, achieve, realize, attain, obtain:  His liberty was
             purchased by the betrayal of his colleagues.

             --n.  3 acquisition, acquiring, buying, purchasing, obtaining,
             securing, procurement:  The purchase of books for the university
             library is the responsibility of Monica Turnbull. 4 buy,
             acquisition:  Tom returned from the shop carrying his purchases.
             5 grip, hold, support, toe-hold, foothold, grasp; leverage,
             position, advantage, edge:  The climber was having trouble
             getting a good purchase on the icy ledge.

   pure      adj.  1 unmixed, unadulterated, unalloyed, simon-pure; 24-carat
             or US also 24-karat, sterling, solid; real, genuine, authentic,
             flawless, faultless, perfect, natural, true, simple:  We have
             made every effort to keep the blood-line of these horses
             completely pure. Pure gold is not used for coins or jewellery
             because it is too soft. She wore a dress of the purest white. 2
             uncontaminated, clear, clean, wholesome, sanitary, uninfected,
             disinfected, pasteurized, sterilized, sterile, antiseptic,
             unpolluted, spotless, immaculate, unsullied, unbesmirched,
             unblemished, unmarred, unstained, untainted:  It was refreshing
             to breathe pure air again. Stringent tests ensure that the
             substances are pure before they go on the market. 3 chaste,
             virginal, virgin, intact, maidenly, vestal, undefiled, innocent,
             guileless, virtuous, modest, moral, correct, proper, decent,
             decorous, uncorrupted, blameless, sinless, impeccable:  As far
             as we can tell, she led a totally pure life.  4 theoretical,
             hypothetical, conjectural, speculative, abstract, conceptual,
             notional, philosophical, academic(al):  His field is pure
             science, and he cares little how the results of his work might
             be applied to everyday life. 5 unalloyed, simple, unmitigated,
             sheer, utter, absolute, unqualified, complete, total, perfect,
             thorough, outright, downright, out-and-out, mere:  Many regarded
             the notion that man could ever fly as pure nonsense.  Any
             resemblance to a living person is pure coincidence. 6
             honourable, (highly) principled, righteous, upright, honest,
             straightforward, high-minded, pious, worthy, good, ethical,
             virtuous, sincere, above suspicion, above reproach, like
             Caesar's wife:  Can anyone doubt that their motives in striving
             for international peace are pure?

   pure-bred adj.  full-blooded, thoroughbred, pedigreed:  We raise only
             pure-bred Angus cattle.

   purgative n.  1 laxative, cathartic, aperient, purge, physic, depurative:
             The doctor prescribed a mild purgative, and she felt much better
             next day.

             --adj.  2 laxative, cathartic, aperient, evacuant, diuretic,
             depurative; abstergent:  We were totally unprepared for the
             purgative effects of the spicy food.

   purge     v.  1 cleanse, purify, clean (out), clear, scour (out),
             depurate, deterge, wash (out):  The tanks must be purged before
             filling them with the new fuel.  2 eject, eradicate, expel,
             eliminate, get rid of, dismiss, clear out or away, sweep away or
             out, oust, remove, rout out, weed out, root out; do away with,
             exterminate, liquidate, kill, destroy:  After the coup, the old
             guard was purged from all the governmental agencies. The rebels
             purged the entire council of elders. 3 clear, exonerate,
             absolve, forgive, purify, pardon, exculpate:  He was given every
             opportunity to purge himself of the charge of contempt of court.

             --n.  4 ejection, eradication, expulsion, elimination,
             dismissal, clearing out or away, ousting, ouster, removal,
             routing out, weeding out, rooting out, unseating;
             defenestration; extermination, liquidation, killing, murder,
             slaughter:  The bloody purge of dissidents was carried out by
             the secret police.  5 See purgative, 1, above.

   purify    v.  1 cleanse, clean, clarify, wash, sanitize, depurate,
             decontaminate, freshen, disinfect; fumigate:  The water is then
             purified by passing it through sand.  2 exonerate, exculpate,
             absolve, clear, redeem, shrive, lustrate, acquit, pardon,
             forgive, excuse:  Before the aspirants can be admitted to the
             church they must be purified.

   purist    n.  pedant, precisian, formalist, stickler, blue-stocking,
             dogmatist, Pharisee, fanatic, Colloq die-hard, stuffed shirt:
             Language purists are often unaware of their own grammatical and
             semantic blunders.

   puritan   n.  1 moralist, pietist, religionist, fanatic, zealot, purist:
             It seems to me that all religions have their puritans.

             --adj.  2 prudish, puritanical, prim, proper, strait-laced,
             ascetic, austere, moralistic, pietistic, intolerant,
             disapproving, bigoted, narrow-minded, stuffy, stiff-necked,
             rigid, uncompromising, hard-line, stern, severe, strict, Colloq
             uptight, hard-nosed:  Puritan notions about women's clothing
             have often put propriety before practicality.

   purity    n.  1 pureness, faultlessness, correctness, flawlessness,
             perfection, spotlessness, cleanness, cleanliness, clarity;
             healthfulness, wholesomeness, salubrity; innocuousness,
             harmlessness:  The purity of the drinking-water has been
             affected by the nearby chemical plant. 2 chastity, chasteness,
             virginity, virtuousness, virtue, morality, propriety, honesty,
             integrity, rectitude, properness, innocence, guilelessness,
             decency, decorousness, modesty, blamelessness, sinlessness:  We
             never had any reason to doubt the purity of their character.

   purpose   n.  1 object, intention, intent, end, goal, ambition, objective,
             target, aim, principle, point, rationale, reason; scheme, plan,
             design, motive, motivation, view:  What purpose was served by
             her confession? If your purpose in inviting me was to insult me,
             I shall leave now. I fail to understand Laura's purpose in
             warning me against David. 2 resolution, firmness, determination,
             persistence, drive, single-mindedness, deliberation,
             deliberateness, purposefulness, steadfastness, tenacity,
             doggedness, will, resolve, resoluteness, perseverance,
             stubbornness:  She admired the strong purpose behind his refusal
             to compromise with quality. 3 use, practicality, avail, effect,
             utility, usefulness, outcome, result; advantage, profit, gain,
             good, benefit:  To what purpose are you planning to put this
             knowledge? I cannot see the purpose in pursuing this line of
             questioning. 4 on purpose.  a purposely, intentionally,
             deliberately, wilfully, by design, consciously, knowingly,
             designedly, wittingly:  That was no accident: you kicked me on
             purpose!  b especially, specially, expressly, exactly,
             precisely, specifically, in particular:  He kicked me on
             purpose, Mum, just to make me cry!

             --v.  5 plan, intend, design, resolve, mean, aim, have in mind
             or view, have a mind, propose, consider, contemplate, aspire,
             long, yearn:  They purpose to open an office of their own.

   purposeful
             adj.  intentional, intended, planned, deliberate, resolved,
             settled, determined, resolute, decided, confirmed, affirmed,
             sure, certain, positive, definite, staunch, steadfast,
             persistent, strong-willed, dogged, tenacious, pertinacious,
             unfailing, unfaltering, firm, fixed:  Her purposeful manner
             inclines other people to defer to her.

   purposeless
             adj.  pointless, bootless, meaningless, empty, vacuous,
             senseless, aimless, rambling, discursive, wandering,
             disorganized, unorganized:  He made what we thought was a
             purposeless trip to the branch office, but it ultimately proved
             invaluable.

   purse     n.  1 pouch, (money-)bag, wallet, pocket, Dialect poke, Highland
             dress sporran, US and Canadian (woman's) handbag, pocketbook,
             bag:  The money goes out so fast I think there is a hole in my
             purse.  2 money, wealth, resources, funds, finances, exchequer,
             treasury, capital, revenue, income, means, cash, riches; pounds,
             shillings, and pence, L.S.D., dollars, shekels, Derogatory
             Mammon, pelf, (filthy) lucre, US almighty dollar, Slang Brit
             ready or readies, lolly, dosh, loot, dough, US and Canadian
             bucks, scratch:  The spread of capitalism shows that the power
             of a man's purse can transcend his political idealism. 3 prize,
             reward, award, present, gift:  The purse for the next race will
             be 5,000 guineas.

             --v.  4 pucker (up), contract, wrinkle, compress, press
             together:  Robert pursed his lips thoughtfully.

   pursue    v.  1 follow, chase, go or run after, hunt (after or down or for
             or up), trace, trail, track, run down, take off after, dog,
             stalk, shadow, Brit chivvy or chivy or chevy, Colloq tail:  The
             police pursued the escaped convicts across the moor.  2 follow
             (up or on with), trace, carry on with, continue, conduct, devote
             or dedicate oneself to, cultivate, undertake, practise, persist
             or persevere in, maintain, exercise, proceed with, adhere to,
             stay with, apply oneself to, Colloq stick with:  If you pursue
             such a course, you are certain to land in jail.  3 aspire to,
             aim for, work for or toward(s), try or strive for, purpose,
             seek, search for, go in search of, quest after or for, be intent
             on, be bent upon or on:  Jonathan is pursuing a doctorate in
             history at Oxford.  4 woo, (pay) court (to), seek the hand of,
             set (one's) cap for, Formal press (one's) suit with, pay suit or
             court or (one's) addresses to, Colloq set one's cap for, Slang
             chase (after):  Jack is pursuing Jacquelyn with matrimony in
             mind.

   pursuit   n.  1 pursuing, chasing, following, hunting, hunt, going or
             running after, tracing, trailing, tracking, running down,
             dogging, stalking, shadowing, Brit chivvy or chivy or chevy,
             Colloq tailing:  We all joined in the pursuit of the animal. The
             police set off in hot pursuit of the thieves. 2 pursuance,
             striving after, seeking, searching, search, looking for:  Many
             think that the pursuit of wealth is the only worthwhile thing in
             life. 3 work, line (of work), employment, field, area,
             speciality or US and Canadian only specialty, specialization,
             business, profession, trade, vocation, calling, career,
             life-work, activity; hobby, pastime, avocation, interest; Slang
             racket:  What pursuits are open to Jack Ketch now that hanging
             has been abolished?

   push      v.  1 thrust, shove, drive, move, set in motion, get moving,
             propel; press:  Push the boat away from the pier. He pushed the
             door shut.  2 press, depress:  Push the button if you want
             anything.  3 shove, thrust, elbow, shoulder, force, jostle,
             nudge:  We pushed our way through the crowd.  4 urge, encourage,
             press, induce, ask, persuade, get, egg on, press, prod, spur,
             goad, rouse, prompt, incite, move, motivate, stimulate,
             influence, impel, make, compel, force, dragoon, coerce,
             constrain; badger, hound, pester, harass, plague, nag, browbeat;
             beg, importune, entreat:  His family is pushing him to find
             work. I'll soon have the work done, but stop pushing me. 5
             force, strain, overstrain, tax, overtax, burden, overburden:
             You might have got away with it this time, but don't push your
             luck. 6 promote, publicize, advertise, boost, propagandize,
             puff, Colloq plug, Slang ballyhoo, hype:  Because we have too
             much stock, we are pushing suntan oil this week. 7 push about or
             around. intimidate, bully, cow, domineer, tyrannize, bullyrag,
             torment, force, coerce:  Don't push people about if you want
             them to do what you want.  8 push away. reject, deny, brush off
             or aside, give (someone) the cold shoulder, rebuff, distance
             oneself from:  She pushes everyone away and then wonders why she
             has no friends.  9 push off.  a shove off, sail away or off:  We
             stepped into the dinghy and pushed off.  b leave, depart, go
             away, Colloq light out, take off, hit the road, skedaddle,
             scram, make oneself scarce, Slang beat it:  I have to push off
             now if I'm to make that train.  10 push on or forward or along.
             move onwards or onward or ahead or forward, continue, proceed,
             advance, press on or onwards or onward:  If we stay the night
             here, we shall have to push on first thing in the morning. 11
             push through. force, press, Colloq railroad:  The bill was
             pushed through committee without delay.  12 push (up) daisies.
             be dead (and buried), be six feet under:  Her husband's pushing
             up daisies.

             --n.  13 shove, thrust, nudge:  My car needs a push to get it
             started.  14 effort, energy, dynamism, drive, force, enterprise,
             ambition, vigour, determination, initiative, eagerness, spirit,
             enthusiasm, zeal, verve, Colloq get-up-and-go, zing, zip,
             gumption, go:  If he had a bit more push, he might succeed.  15
             campaign, attack, assault, advance, offensive, charge,
             onslaught, foray, sortie, invasion, incursion, raid, sally,
             blitzkrieg, blitz, strike:  The troops were massed along the
             coast, ready for the big push inland. 16 the push. dismissal,
             notice, Colloq marching orders, Chiefly Brit the sack, the boot,
             Chiefly US and Canadian walking papers, a pink slip:  He'd been
             with the company for twenty years, but they still gave him the
             push when sales fell.

   pushover  n.  1 sure thing, Colloq piece of cake, child's play, snap,
             cinch, picnic, walk-over, US breeze, Slang cinch, Brit doddle,
             US lead-pipe cinch:  The Latin exam was a pushover.  2 Colloq
             walk-over, chump, soft touch, soft or easy mark, easy prey or
             game, Slang patsy, sucker, stooge, sap, Brit mug, US and
             Canadian milquetoast:  I spotted him at once as a pushover for
             the find-the-lady con.

   pushy     adj.  forward, (self-)assertive, forceful, aggressive,
             obnoxious, arrogant, bumptious, brassy, brazen, impertinent,
             insolent, pushing, presumptuous, officious, loud, showy, cocky,
             brash, offensive, bold, Colloq cheeky:  I hate pushy salesmen
             who won't take 'No' for an answer.

   pussyfoot v.  1 sneak, creep, slink, prowl, steal, tiptoe:  I wish she'd
             stop pussyfooting about the house.  2 beat about the bush, hem
             or hum and haw, equivocate, hesitate, be evasive, evade the
             issue, prevaricate, tergiversate, be noncommittal, be or sit on
             the fence, blow hot and cold:  Don't pussyfoot with me - just
             come out and say what you really think.

   put       v.  1 place, position, situate, set, lay, station, stand,
             deposit, rest, settle; locate:  Please put all books where they
             belong.  2 assign, commit, cause, set, consign, subject:  I
             joined the army to fight for my country, and they put me to work
             peeling potatoes. 3 subject, cause to experience or undergo or
             suffer, consign, send:  He was put to death for his beliefs, not
             his actions.  4 express, word, phrase; say, utter, write:  How
             did they put it? - 'We hold these truths to be self-evident,
             that all men are created equal...' To put it to you straight,
             shape up or ship out! Can you put that into French? 5 offer,
             advance, bring forward, present, propose, submit, tender, set
             before:  I put it to you that you have been lying to the court
             and that you did leave your house that night. 6 bet, gamble,
             wager, stake, play, chance, risk, hazard:  I put two pounds on
             the horse to win.  7 throw, heave, toss, fling, cast, pitch,
             bowl, lob, send, shy, shoot, snap, catapult:  How far did you
             say you can put a 10-pound shot?  8 place, assign, attribute,
             lay, pin, attach, fix:  They try to put the blame on me for
             everything that goes wrong around here. 9 put about. broadcast,
             publish, make known, publicize, announce, spread about or
             around:  They have been putting about some story linking the two
             of us romantically. 10 put across or over. make clear, get
             across, make (something or oneself) understood or
             understandable, explain, spell out, convey, communicate:  She is
             quite adept at putting across her ideas.  11 put aside. set or
             lay aside, ignore, disregard, pay no heed to, push aside, shrug
             off:  They put aside their differences and discovered they had
             much in common. Isn't it time you put aside childish things? 12
             put aside or by or away. lay aside or by, set aside; save,
             store, stow or store or salt or squirrel away, lay away, cache,
             bank:  You ought to put a little money aside for a rainy day.
             13 put away.  a See 12, above.  b jail or Brit also gaol,
             imprison, incarcerate, Colloq send, jug, confine, commit,
             institutionalize, remand, Brit send down, US send up:  She wants
             rapists and child molesters put away for a long, long time. c
             See 16 (d), below.  d consume, gorge, gormandize or US also
             gourmandize:  It is unbelievable how much that man can put away
             at one sitting.  14 put back. return, replace, restore:  He
             insists that he put back all the money he took. Put the pictures
             back where they belong. 15 put by. See 12, above.  16 put down.
             a record, register, write down, set down, enter, list; log, note
             (down), jot down, make a note or notation of:  You may put me
             down for a contribution of њ5. Please put down your name and
             address in the box provided. b depose, put an end to, topple,
             crush, overthrow, subdue, suppress, check, quash, quell:  The
             loyalists put down the rebellion in short order.  c ascribe,
             assign, attribute:  The doctor put my feelings of fatigue and
             listlessness down to anaemia. d kill, exterminate, destroy, put
             to death, put to sleep, put away, do away with:  We had to have
             our cat put down, which was very upsetting for us all. e abash,
             humiliate, crush, silence, mortify, lower, take down (a peg or a
             notch), shame, snub, deflate, slight, reject, dismiss:  Waiters
             have a way of putting people down if they behave presumptuously.
             f take for, reckon, account, count, categorize, regard:  Don't
             put Martin down as a dunce just because he acts the fool now and
             then. g belittle, diminish, disparage, deprecate, depreciate,
             criticize, disdain, look down on, despise, contemn:  They deny
             being prejudiced, but they put down everyone who isn't exactly
             like them. 17 put forth.  a propose, offer, set forth, advance:
             Several theories have been put forth on the function of
             mitochondrial DNA. b grow, produce, send out or forth, bud,
             flower:  When the plant puts forth suckers, they must be pinched
             back.  c begin, set out, set forth, start:  We put forth on our
             voyage with great enthusiasm.  d promulgate, issue, publish,
             make known, make public:  The committee have not put forth any
             suggestions for improving traffic flow. 18 put forward.  a
             propose, present, tender, nominate, name; recommend:  Your name
             has been put forward as chair for next year's committee.  b
             suggest, offer, propose, set forth, put forth, present, submit,
             tender, proffer, introduce, advance, propound, air, make known,
             announce:  No new solutions to the problem were put forward.  19
             put in.  a insert, introduce:  Why did you put in a reference to
             your mother?  b spend, devote:  During the holiday season I plan
             to put in a lot of time to reading.  c make:  So, you finally
             decided to put in an appearance.  20 put in for.  a apply for,
             request, ask for, petition for:  He has put in for a transfer
             twice and has been refused both times.  b seek, apply for,
             pursue, file:  Do you really think that Jamieson will put in for
             re-election?  21 put off.  a postpone, delay, defer, put back,
             stay, hold off, shelve, put or set aside, Chiefly US put over,
             table:  Consideration of your request has been put off till
             tomorrow.  b dismiss, get rid of, send away, turn away;
             discourage, Colloq give (someone) the brush-off, US brush off:
             The manager put me off when I went in to ask about a salary
             increase.  c dismay, disconcert, upset, confuse, disturb,
             perturb, abash, distress, Colloq throw, rattle:  Curiously,
             Michael didn't seem a bit put off to learn about the murder. d
             repel, disgust, sicken, revolt, nauseate:  That television
             programme on open-heart surgery really put me off. e leave,
             depart, go (off), set off:  We put off tomorrow morning for
             Rockall.  22 put on.  a don, clothe or attire or dress (oneself)
             in, get dressed in, change or slip into:  We put on our best
             clothes to come to your party.  b assume, take on, pretend,
             affect, feign, bluff, make a show of:  She puts on an air of
             indifference, but she really does care.  c add, gain:  Bill put
             on quite a bit of weight when he stopped smoking.  d stage,
             mount, produce, present, perform:  Our local repertory group is
             putting on Hedda Gabler this weekend.  e tease, mock, Colloq
             kid, pull (someone's) leg, rib, rag, Brit have on:  When he told
             you that all holidays had been cancelled he was only putting you
             on. 23 put out.  a inconvenience, discommode, disturb,
             embarrass, trouble, bother, impose upon or on, Colloq put on the
             spot:  Her arriving an hour early didn't put me out one bit.  b
             annoy, vex, irritate, anger, exasperate, irk, perturb, provoke,
             Slang bug:  Donald was very much put out to discover that the
             appointment had gone to someone else. c snuff out, extinguish,
             blow out, douse, quench, smother:  We put out the fire on the
             stove before it could spread.  d exert, put forth, expend, use,
             exercise:  We put out considerable effort moving the furniture
             before she decided she liked it the way it had been. e publish,
             issue, broadcast, make public, circulate, spread, make known,
             release:  The information office put out the news that the
             summit meeting had been a great success. 24 put out of (one's)
             misery. release, relieve, free, deliver, rescue, save, spare:
             Just tell him what they said and put him out of his misery.  25
             put over.  a put or get across, convey, communicate, set or put
             forth, relate:  I am trying to put the point over to you that I
             cannot leave now.  b See 21 (a), above.  26 put (one or
             something) over on (someone). fool (someone), pull (someone's)
             leg, deceive (someone), mislead (someone), pull the wool over
             (someone's) eyes, trick (someone), hoodwink (someone):  She
             really put one over on me when she said she loved me. I think
             that Manfred is trying to put something over on you. 27 put
             through.  a carry out or through, execute, (put into) effect,
             bring off, accomplish, complete, finish, conclude, Colloq pull
             off:  If they succeed in putting through their plan, the company
             will be bankrupt. b process, handle, organize, see to, follow up
             on:  I will personally see that your application is put through
             the proper channels. c connect, hook up:  I asked the operator
             to put me through to the chairman himself.  28 put up.  a erect,
             build, construct, raise, set up, put together, fabricate:  They
             demolished a row of Georgian houses and put up some ugly County
             offices in their place. b accommodate, lodge, board, house, take
             in, quarter, Chiefly military billet:  As our house is small, we
             were able to put up only three people.  c preserve, can; cure,
             pickle:  There are many foods that can be put up for later
             consumption.  d contribute, pledge, offer (as collateral),
             stake, mortgage, post:  We put up the house as security for the
             loan.  e contribute, give, supply, donate, ante (up), advance,
             pay, invest:  We put up all our savings to secure our retirement
             pension.  f increase, raise, boost, elevate:  As soon as there
             is a hint of an oil shortage, they put up the price of petrol. g
             See 18 (a), above.  h offer, tender, put or place on the market:
             They put their house up for sale and are planning to move to the
             Riviera. 29 put up to. incite, urge, goad, spur, egg on,
             encourage, prompt, instigate:  Was it you who put Reggie up to
             playing that prank on the teacher?  30 put up with. tolerate,
             abide, take, brook, stand (for), stomach, accept, resign oneself
             to, bear, endure, swallow:  Why do you put up with his
             outrageous behaviour?

   put-down  n.  dig, sneer, snub, disparaging or denigrating remark, slight,
             offence, insult:  The worst put-down was to tell her she looks
             like her sister, whom she hates.

   put-on    n.  1 deception, hoax, trick, leg-pull, jest, (practical) joke,
             prank, pretence, Colloq spoof:  He was completely taken in by my
             put-on about being from the Nobel prize committee. 2 take-off,
             parody, satire, burlesque, caricature, act, Brit send-up, Colloq
             spoof:  You shouldn't be offended, it was only a put-on.

   putrefy   v.  rot, decompose, decay, moulder, go bad, spoil, deteriorate,
             go off:  The battlefield was strewn with putrefying bodies.

   putrid    adj.  rotten, rotting, decomposed, decomposing, decayed,
             decaying, mouldy, mouldering, spoilt or spoiled, putrefied,
             putrescent, putrefying, foul, fetid, rank, tainted, corrupt:
             Only the vultures continued to hover about the putrid carcass.

   put-up    adj.  (secretly) preconceived, prearranged, plotted,
             preconcerted:  If the butler had a hand in it, you know it was a
             put-up job.

   put-upon  adj.  imposed upon, inconvenienced, put out, taken advantage of,
             exploited, abused:  I shall be happy to help, and I don't feel
             put-upon at all.

   puzzle    v.  1 baffle, bewilder, confuse, confound, mystify, flummox,
             perplex, nonplus, stymie, stump:  I am completely puzzled by
             what you wrote in your last letter.  2 Usually, puzzle over.
             study, ponder (over), mull over, contemplate, meditate on or
             upon or over, consider, muse over or on, reflect on or over,
             think about or over or on:  If you puzzle over it long enough,
             the problem may vanish of its own accord. 3 puzzle out. solve,
             decipher, crack (the code), unravel, work out, figure out, think
             through, sort out, unlock:  I finally puzzled out the
             inscription on this old coin. It might take a while, but I can
             puzzle out the solution to this crossword.

             --n.  4 enigma, problem, question, paradox, poser, mystery,
             riddle, conundrum, Colloq brain-teaser:  The puzzle is how the
             murder was committed when the door was locked from the inside.

   puzzling  adj.  mystifying, enigmatic(al), bewildering, baffling,
             confounding, perplexing, confusing, ambiguous, contradictory,
             abstruse:  It is a bit puzzling to see Catherine so often in the
             company of the husband she recently divorced.

17.0 Q
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17.1 quack...
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   quack     n.  1 charlatan, impostor, pretender, fake(r), fraud, Colloq
             phoney or US also phony:  The quack diagnosed Franny as having
             appendicitis, but it turned out that she was pregnant.

             --adj.  2 fake, fraudulent, sham, counterfeit, Colloq phoney or
             US also phony:  Are you still going to see that quack doctor -
             the one who told you to take aspirin to relieve the pain from
             your ulcer?

   quaint    adj.  1 curious, odd, strange, bizarre, peculiar, unusual,
             queer, uncommon, singular, unorthodox, eccentric, whimsical,
             offbeat, fanciful, outlandish, unconventional, fantastic:  Her
             sitting-room was furnished in a quaint mixture of Gothic and
             Victorian styles. 2 old-fashioned, archaic, antiquated,
             out-dated, picturesque, antique:  A rotund little figure
             appeared, dressed in the quaint clothing of another era.

   quake     v.  1 tremble, shake, quiver, shudder; vibrate, stagger:  The
             children were quaking with fear that their teacher would come
             back and catch them red-handed. 2 earthquake, tremor, temblor or
             trembler or tremblor, seismic(al) activity, Rare seism:  In a
             few moments the quake levelled three cities that had stood for
             thousands of years.

   qualification
             n.  1 Often, qualifications. fitness, ability, aptitude,
             capability, competence or competency, capacity, suitableness,
             suitability, eligibility, proficiency, skill, knowledge, Colloq
             know-how:  You cannot persuade me that Powell has the
             qualifications needed to do the job. 2 limitation, restriction,
             modification, reservation, caveat, condition, stipulation,
             proviso, prerequisite, requirement:  The only qualification for
             use of the club's facilities is that one must be a member. My
             support for the proposal is without qualification.

   qualified adj.  1 able, suitable, capable, competent, fit, fitted,
             equipped, prepared, ready, trained, proficient, accomplished,
             expert, talented, adept, skilful, skilled, experienced,
             practised, knowledgeable, well-informed:  Is Kimble qualified to
             become foreman?  2 contingent, conditional, restricted,
             modified, limited, provisional:  The chairman has given his
             qualified approval to the scheme.

   qualify   v.  1 equip, fit (out), ready, prepare, condition, make
             eligible; certify:  His training in the air force qualified him
             to be a pilot.  2 be eligible, meet the requirements, be fit or
             suitable or equipped or ready or prepared, make the grade:  Sue
             will qualify as a doctor if she passes just one more exam.  3
             temper, mitigate, modify, moderate, modulate, restrict, limit:
             In light of their later behaviour, I shall have to qualify my
             recommendation that you accept them as students.

   quality   n.  1 property, attribute, characteristic, mark, distinction, je
             ne sais quoi, trait:  Can you describe the qualities needed to
             be a good musician?  2 grade, calibre, rank, status, importance,
             value, worth:  In the curiosity shop items of high and low
             quality are mixed together haphazardly. 3 Old-fashioned
             eminence, prominence, importance, excellence, superiority,
             distinction, standing, supremacy, dignity, grandeur, nobility,
             blue blood:  Despite her shabby appearance, from her bearing and
             speech the woman was clearly a person of quality.

   qualm     n.  second thought, doubt, uncertainty, misgiving, hesitation,
             scruple, uneasiness, compunction, reluctance, disinclination,
             queasiness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, twinge, pang, worry,
             concern, Colloq funny feeling, sinking feeling:  He had some
             qualms about leaving the town where he had lived for over thirty
             years.

   quandary  n.  dilemma, predicament, difficulty, plight, cleft stick,
             uncertainty:  The management is in a quandary: should it risk
             overstretching the company by making further capital investment,
             or should it risk being left behind by its competitors by
             playing safe?

   quantity  n.  amount, extent, volume; sum, number, total; weight, measure:
             There seemed to be no limit to the quantity of gold in the mine.
             The person who most accurately guesses the quantity of beans in
             the jar wins a prize. What quantity of flour should I buy to
             make enough cakes for fifty people?

   quarrel   n.  1 dispute, argument, disagreement, debate, controversy,
             discord, difference (of opinion), contention, misunderstanding;
             wrangle, tiff, row, squabble, altercation, set-to, scuffle,
             feud, fight, fray, fracas, brawl, Donnybrook, m€l‚e or melee,
             riot, battle (royal), Colloq dust-up, barney, scrap, US spat:  I
             have no quarrel with my accountant - it's the tax man that's the
             problem. A quarrel broke out over whose turn it was to wash the
             dishes.

             --v.  2 argue, disagree, dispute, altercate, have an
             altercation, differ, wrangle, be at odds or loggerheads, clash,
             squabble, feud, fight, brawl, battle, Colloq fall out, scrap:
             When we were children, my sister and I quarrelled all the time,
             but we still loved each other.

   quarrelsome
             adj.  testy, petulant, irascible, irritable, disagreeable,
             fractious, querulous, peevish, cross, choleric, curmudgeonly,
             contrary, dyspeptic, cranky, grouchy, argumentative, combative,
             squabbling, disputatious, hostile, antagonistic, dissentious,
             dissentient, dissident, pugnacious, bellicose, belligerent,
             contentious:  I have to listen to the continual bickering of my
             quarrelsome neighbours.

   quarry°   n.  prey, game, prize, object:  The hunter's dogs had run their
             quarry to ground. Wealthy widows were regarded as fair quarry by
             the swindlers.

   quarryэ   n.  1 mine, pit, excavation:  Only one quarry yielded the
             statuary marble needed by those sculptors.

             --v.  2 mine, extract, obtain, get:  Gault's ideas were all
             quarried from the jottings of obscure writers.

   quarter   n.  1 fourth:  Statistics showed that a quarter of the
             population attended church regularly. 2 three-month period,
             three months, ninety days, thirteen weeks; fifteen minutes;
             phase (of the moon), quadrature:  The first quarter's rent is
             now due. We waited a quarter of an hour. The moon is in its
             third quarter. 3 area, region, part, section, district, zone,
             division, territory, place, neighbourhood, locality, locale,
             location, point, spot; direction:  The army was called in to
             patrol the quarter of the city where looting had occurred. It
             was difficult to tell from which quarter the wind was blowing. 4
             mercy, compassion, mercifulness, clemency, leniency,
             forgiveness, favour, humanity, pity:  The hostages expected no
             quarter from their captors.  5 quarters. living quarters,
             lodging(s), dwelling-place, dwelling, accommodation(s), rooms,
             chambers, residence, shelter, habitation, domicile, home, house,
             abode; Military billet, barracks, cantonment, casern or caserne:
             We found comfortable quarters in which we remained during our
             stay in the area.

             --v.  6 lodge, accommodate, house, board, shelter, put up;
             Military billet, post, station:  The tour guide stayed at the
             best hotel, while we were quartered in a youth hostel.

   quarterly adj.  1 trimonthly, three-monthly:  She is editor of a quarterly
             medical journal.

             --adv.  2 every three months, every ninety days, every thirteen
             weeks, four times a year:  The landlady insisted on being paid
             quarterly, in advance.

   quash     v.  1 annul, nullify, void, declare or render null and void,
             invalidate, revoke, vacate, set aside, rescind, cancel, reject,
             throw out, reverse, overthrow, discharge, overrule:  When the
             real culprit confessed, my conviction was quashed and I was set
             free. 2 suppress, subdue, quell, put down, squelch, repress,
             overthrow, crush, overwhelm:  The rebellion was quashed by the
             secret police.

   quasi-    adv.  1 Sometimes, quasi. as if, as it were, seemingly,
             apparently, partly, to some extent, to all intents and purposes,
             more or less, virtually, almost:  Her apology seemed only
             quasi-sincere to me. His function in the proceedings was
             quasi-judicial.

             --adj.  2 Often, quasi. so to speak, kind of, sort of;
             pretended, fake, pseudo, so-called, supposed, artificial, mock,
             sham, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  His quasi excuse does not
             diminish the horror of what he did.

   quaver    v.  1 tremble, quiver, shake, shiver, vibrate, waver, shudder,
             fluctuate, oscillate, flutter:  His voice quavered with emotion
             as he described his rescue.

             --n.  2 trembling, tremble, quiver, quivering, tremor, shaking,
             vibration, wavering, break, fluctuation, oscillation:  Only a
             slight quaver in her voice betrayed her feeling of panic.

   queasy    adj.  1 uncomfortable, uneasy, nervous, apprehensive, ill at
             ease, troubled, worried, discomfited; doubtful, hesitant:  I had
             a queasy feeling that I was being watched. The manager was a bit
             queasy about giving Denis so much responsibility. 2 sick,
             nauseous, nauseated, ill, bilious, queer, Colloq green around or
             about the gills, groggy, woozy:  Catherine felt very queasy
             after the ride on the roller coaster.

   queen     n.  1 sovereign, monarch, ruler; empress; queen consort; queen
             mother; queen dowager:  She was absolutely thrilled when she was
             invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace and met the
             Queen. 2 beauty queen, movie queen, star, prima donna, diva;
             epitome, model, idol, leading light, cynosure, leader:  At the
             height of her career, she was known as 'the Queen of the Silver
             Screen'. 'Queen of the Antilles' was once a nickname of Cuba.

   queer     adj.  1 odd, strange, different, peculiar, funny, curious,
             uncommon, unconventional, unorthodox, atypical, singular,
             exceptional, anomalous, extraordinary, unusual, weird, bizarre,
             uncanny, unnatural, freakish, remarkable, offbeat, irregular,
             unparalleled, incongruous, outlandish, outr‚, exotic, eccentric,
             fey, quaint, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, unexampled:  How do
             you explain Basil's queer behaviour at the office party?  Her
             attire could only be described as queer, given her age and
             status. 2 questionable, dubious, suspicious, suspect, doubtful,
             puzzling, mysterious, Colloq fishy, shady:  We had a feeling
             that something queer was going on when the clocks started
             running backwards. 3 (slightly) ill, queasy, sick, unwell,
             poorly, faint, uneasy, dizzy, giddy, vertiginous, light-headed:
             It's not surprising that you feel queer after drinking all that
             wine. 4 mad, unbalanced, unhinged, demented, deranged, insane,
             daft, touched, Colloq dotty, potty, nutty, nuts, loony, batty,
             cracked:  Francis seems to have gone a bit queer - fancies
             himself a reincarnation of Cicero.

             --v.  5 ruin, spoil, bungle, botch, muddle, muff, mar, wreck,
             destroy, Colloq make a hash or mess of, gum up (the works),
             Slang muck up, screw up, louse up, US ball up, Taboo slang Brit
             balls up:  Grimstone queered the deal by telling the buyer the
             company was worth half what we were asking.

   quell     v.  1 suppress, put down, repress, subdue, quash, overcome,
             crush, squelch:  The army arrived to quell the uprising at the
             prison.  2 moderate, mollify, soothe, assuage, alleviate,
             mitigate, allay, quiet, calm; pacify, tranquillize, compose:
             Any feelings of bitterness were quelled by her comforting words.

   quench    v.  1 satisfy, slake, sate, surfeit, satiate, allay, appease:
             My thirst isn't quenched by those sweet fizzy drinks.  2 put
             out, extinguish, douse, smother, snuff out, stifle, kill,
             destroy, suppress, squelch, repress, overcome, subdue:  Even the
             most totalitarian regime cannot entirely quench the fire of
             freedom in the hearts of the oppressed.

   querulous adj.  complaining, carping, critical, criticizing,
             hypercritical, fault-finding, finicky, finical, fussy,
             over-particular, censorious, petulant, whining, murmuring,
             grumbling, peevish, testy, touchy, irritable, irritated,
             annoyed, piqued, in a pique, irascible, fractious, perverse,
             quarrelsome, ill-natured, ill-humoured, cantankerous,
             curmudgeonly, crusty, crotchety, fretful, bad-tempered,
             ill-tempered, waspish, crabby, cross, splenetic, choleric, sour,
             dyspeptic, grumpy, Colloq grousing, pernickety or US also
             persnickety, Slang bitching:  He objected to almost all the
             television programmes and sent querulous letters to the
             broadcasters telling them so.

   query     n.  1 question, inquiry or enquiry:  The information office will
             answer any query you may have about social security benefits. 2
             doubt, uncertainty, scepticism, reservation, problem:  She wants
             to see the manager about some query concerning her bank balance.

             --v.  3 ask (about), inquire or enquire (about), question;
             challenge, doubt, dispute:  I am writing to query the third item
             on your latest bill.

   quest     n.  1 search, pursuit, exploration, expedition, voyage (of
             discovery), pilgrimage, mission, crusade; chase, hunt:  When a
             child, he was inspired by the legend of Sir Launcelot's quest
             for the Holy Grail.

             --v.  2 Usually, quest after or for. seek (after or for), search
             after or for, hunt (for), track down, pursue, stalk:  In 1928,
             joined by his father, he quested for gold along the Orinoco
             river.

   question  n.  1 query, inquiry or enquiry:  I asked you a simple question,
             'Where were you last night?', and I expect a civil answer. 2
             problem, difficulty, confusion, doubt, dubiousness, uncertainty,
             query, mystery, puzzle:  Is there some question about the
             qualifications of the new employee?  3 matter, issue, point,
             subject, topic, theme, proposition:  Whether you stay is not the
             question. The question remains, How are you going to earn a
             living? 4 beyond (all or any) question. beyond (the shadow of) a
             doubt, without question, without a doubt, indubitably,
             undoubtedly, doubtlessly, definitely, certainly, assuredly:  He
             is guilty beyond all question.  5 call in or into question.
             question, doubt, query, challenge, dispute, harbour or entertain
             or have doubts or suspicions about, suspect, cast doubt or
             suspicion on:  I cannot see why he has called her loyalty into
             question.  6 in question.  a under discussion or consideration:
             The person in question never worked for this company.  b
             questionable, debatable, at issue, in doubt, doubtful, open to
             debate:  Her honesty was never in question.  7 out of the
             question. unthinkable, impossible, absurd, ridiculous,
             preposterous, inconceivable, beyond consideration,
             insupportable:  An increase in salary at this time is out of the
             question.  8 without question. See 4, above.

             --v.  9 ask, examine, interrogate, query, interview, sound out,
             quiz, Colloq pump, grill, Slang give (someone) the third degree:
             He was questioned for six hours as to his whereabouts.  10 call
             in or into question, doubt, query, mistrust, distrust, cast
             doubt upon, dispute, suspect:  Investigators have long
             questioned the relationship between the banks and the drug
             barons.

   questionable
             adj.  doubtful, dubious, debatable, moot, disputable,
             borderline, suspect, suspicious, shady; open to question, in
             question, in dispute, problematic(al), uncertain, arguable,
             unsure, unreliable, ambiguous:  The evidence shows that the
             defendant engaged in questionable banking practices while a
             director of Offshore Ltd. The advantages of quick divorce are
             questionable.

   queue     n.  1 line, row, file, column, string, train, cortege or
             cortЉge, retinue, procession, succession, chain, concatenation,
             series, order, cordon, Brit tailback, Colloq Brit crocodile,
             Military picket:  There were dozens of people in the queue in
             front of me.  2 pigtail, braid, plait; tail, pony-tail:  Not
             long ago, Chinese men wore their hair in a queue.

             --v.  3 Often, queue up. line up, get in or into or form a line
             or queue or file, get into or in line, Military fall in:  All he
             remembers about the war is that everyone had to queue up for
             everything and wait.

   quibble   v.  1 equivocate, split hairs, evade, be evasive, palter, chop
             logic, bandy words, cavil, pettifog, Colloq nit-pick:  While
             people continued to be kept in slavery, the politicians quibbled
             over the difference between 'liberty' and 'freedom'.

             --n.  2 quibbling, equivocation, hair-splitting, splitting
             hairs, evasion, paltering, sophistry, Colloq nit-picking:
             Lawyers often become involved in a quibble over the mot juste
             and forget their clients.  3 cavil, sophism, subtlety, nicety:
             It's a quibble whether you say 'either' and 'neither' to rhyme
             with 'peek' or 'pike'.

   quick     adj.  1 rapid, fast, speedy, swift, fleet; expeditious, express:
             We made a quick descent to reach the camp before dark. The hand
             is quicker than the eye. Can you arrange the quick delivery of
             this parcel to Aylesbury? 2 sudden, precipitate, hasty, brisk,
             short, abrupt, hurried, perfunctory, summary; immediate, prompt,
             timely, instantaneous:  There is no quick answer to your
             question about the causes of World War II. Don't be so quick to
             criticize others. I had a quick response to my letter
             complaining about service. 3 agile, lively, nimble, energetic,
             vigorous, alert, animated, keen, sharp, acute, spry, spirited,
             vivacious, rapid, swift:  In three quick steps she was at my
             side. Antonia is known for her quick mind. 4 intelligent,
             bright, brilliant, facile, adept, adroit, dexterous, apt, able,
             expert, skilful, deft, astute, clever, shrewd, smart, ingenious,
             perceptive, perspicacious, discerning, far-sighted, responsive;
             nimble-witted, quick-witted:  You can rely on Rob's quick
             thinking to come up with a solution to the problem. 5 excitable,
             touchy, testy, petulant, irascible, irritable, impatient:  She
             said that I have a quick temper because of my red hair.

   quicken   v.  1 accelerate, hasten, speed up:  As we neared the house, our
             pace quickened.  2 expedite, hurry, accelerate, hasten, speed
             (up):  We did everything we could to quicken her departure.  3
             stimulate, arouse, kindle, spark, invigorate, excite, animate,
             vitalize, vivify, galvanize, enliven, awaken, energize, revive,
             resuscitate, reinvigorate:  Olivia's inspiring lectures
             quickened the imagination of everyone who heard them.

   quickly   adv.  1 rapidly, swiftly, speedily, fast:  Although share prices
             dropped in the morning, they recovered quickly during afternoon
             trading. 2 rapidly, swiftly, speedily, fast, with dispatch or
             despatch, apace, post-haste, at or on the double, with all
             speed, quick, Colloq US and Canadian lickety-split:  Run
             quickly, and you'll get there before the shop closes.  3
             instantly, promptly, hastily, at once, immediately, straight
             away, right away, shortly, without delay, (very) soon,
             hurriedly, quick, Colloq pronto:  You'll have to leave quickly
             to catch your train.

   quick-tempered
             adj.  excitable, impulsive, temperamental, hot-tempered,
             waspish, choleric, splenetic, impatient, short-tempered, touchy,
             irascible, irritable, snappish, abrupt, short, short-spoken,
             quarrelsome, testy, volatile, hot-blooded, bad-tempered,
             ill-tempered, churlish, highly-strung, US high-keyed:  Len is
             very quick-tempered these days and flies into a rage at the
             slightest provocation.

   quick-witted
             adj.  acute, sharp, clever, smart, nimble-witted, alert, keen,
             astute, perceptive, perspicacious:  Hallam is known for his
             quick-witted responses to hecklers in the audience.

   quiet     adj.  1 silent, soundless, noiseless, hushed, still:  We have to
             be very quiet so as not to wake the children.  2 still, serene,
             silent, peaceful, unperturbed, calm, tranquil, placid, pacific,
             smooth, mild, restful, unagitated:  The sea was very quiet as we
             rowed towards the beach.  3 dormant, quiescent, inactive,
             retired, withdrawn, unobtrusive:  His last days were spent
             living a quiet life in the Outer Hebrides.  4 still, motionless,
             unmoving, fixed, stationary, at rest, inactive, composed,
             temperate, unexcited, calm:  There was a knock at the door and
             everyone suddenly became quiet.

             --n.  5 silence, stillness, soundlessness, noiselessness, hush,
             quietness, quietude, ease, rest, calmness, serenity,
             tranquillity, peace, peace of mind, repose:  In the quiet of the
             cave I could hear my heart beating.

             --v.  6 See quieten, below.

   quieten   v.  Often, quieten down. quiet (down), still, silence, hush,
             calm, tranquillize, lull:  He gradually quietened down the
             audience, and the curtain rose.

   quietly   adv.  1 silently, soundlessly, noiselessly, inaudibly, in
             silence, softly:  She tiptoed quietly out of the room.  2 in
             hushed tones, in whispers:  In a corner of the room a young
             couple were quietly conversing.  3 peacefully, calmly, serenely,
             peaceably, meekly, mildly:  When the police explained they only
             wanted him to help in their inquiries, he went with them
             quietly. 4 modestly, humbly, demurely, unpretentiously,
             unostentatiously, unobtrusively, unassumingly, sedately:  The
             applicants sat quietly, waiting to be called in for the
             interview.

   quintessence
             n.  essence, heart, core, quiddity, essentialness, essentiality,
             pith, marrow, sum and substance, epitome, nonpareil, embodiment,
             personification, model, prototype, exemplar, ideal, beau id‚al,
             paragon:  Hernandez considered the ancient Greek temple the
             quintessence of classic design.

   quip      n.  1 (bon) mot, witticism, sally, jest, ad lib, joke, gibe,
             barb, aphorism, epigram, apophthegm or apothegm, pun, double
             entendre, equivoque or equivoke, Colloq gag, one-liner, crack,
             wisecrack, wheeze, chestnut:  In his worst quip he attributed
             the breakdown of his computer to a slipped diskette.

             --v.  2 joke, jest, gibe, Colloq wisecrack, US crack wise:  As
             Mae West quipped, 'It's not the men in my life that count; it's
             the life in my men'.

   quirk     n.  peculiarity, caprice, vagary, eccentricity, fancy, twist,
             warp, aberration, idiosyncrasy, oddity, kink, characteristic,
             crotchet, whim, trick:  By some strange quirk of fate, after
             weeks in an open boat I was cast ashore at Cap d'Antibes.

   quit      v.  1 leave, depart from, go (away) from, get away from, decamp,
             exit, desert, flee, forsake, abandon, Colloq take off, beat it,
             skip:  They think that he will try to quit the country if he is
             released on bail. 2 resign, give up, relinquish, leave,
             renounce, retire from, withdraw from:  Would you really quit
             your job to sail around the world?  3 cease, stop, discontinue,
             leave off, desist from:  They would always quit laughing when I
             walked into the room.

             --adj.  4 free, clear, discharged, rid of, released (from),
             exempt (from):  When my ex-wife remarried I was quit of the
             burden of paying alimony.

   quite     adv.  1 completely, very, totally, utterly, entirely, from head
             to toe, from A to Z, fully, wholly, thoroughly, unequivocally,
             absolutely, perfectly, altogether, unreservedly:  Her trouble is
             that she is quite certain of many things that are simply not the
             case. The last time I saw him, he was quite drunk. 2 rather,
             fairly, moderately, somewhat, relatively, to some or a certain
             extent or degree, noticeably:  I thought that the paintings were
             quite well done.  3 rather:  We had quite a good dinner last
             night.  4 very much, totally, entirely, wholly, altogether;
             really, actually, truly, definitely, positively, undoubtedly,
             indubitably, absolutely, unequivocally, certainly, surely,
             unreservedly, honestly:  What you are talking about is quite
             another matter. Your home-made chutney is quite the best I have
             ever tasted.

   quiver    v.  1 shake, tremble, vibrate, shiver, quaver; shudder, tremor,
             oscillate, fluctuate, wobble:  He felt his lips quivering as he
             told her that he was dying. The outcome of the contest quivered
             in the balance.

             --n.  2 tremble, quaver, shudder, spasm, shake, tremor, shiver:
             Pierced by the dart, the tiny bird fell to the earth, gave a
             little quiver, and lay still.

   quixotic  adj.  idealistic, impractical, impracticable, unrealistic,
             unrealizable, visionary, romantic, fantastic, chimerical,
             fanciful, dreamlike, dreamy, nephelococcygeal, starry-eyed,
             optimistic, rash, absurd, mad, foolhardy, reckless, wild,
             preposterous, ridiculous:  When he was young, he had a quixotic
             notion that he could improve the world.

   quiz      n.  1 examination, test, Colloq exam:  We have a ten-minute quiz
             every week on our reading assignment.

             --v.  2 question, interrogate, ask, examine, Colloq grill, pump:
             The police have quizzed everyone in the neighbourhood about what
             they might have seen.

   quizzical adj.  curious, queer, odd, inquiring or enquiring, questioning,
             puzzled:  The interviewer had a quizzical expression, as if he
             didn't quite understand his own questions.

   quota     n.  apportionment, portion, allotment, allocation, allowance,
             ration, share, part, proportion, percentage, equity, interest,
             Colloq cut:  Each shareholder is allowed a quota of the new
             shares based on the number now held.

   quotation n.  1 quote, passage, citation, reference, allusion, extract,
             excerpt, selection:  For many years Frances collected quotations
             from the speeches of politicians. 2 quote, (bid or asking or
             offer or market) price, charge, fixed price, rate, cost; value:
             The quotation for Universal General International stood at 486
             pence at the close of the market on Friday.

   quote     v.  1 cite, mention, recite, repeat, retell, reproduce,
             duplicate, call up, bring up, bring in, instance, exemplify,
             refer to, reference, extract, excerpt:  Let me quote to you the
             relevant passage from Paradise Lost .

             --n.  2 See quotation, above.

18.0 R
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18.1 rabble...
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   rabble    n.  1 mob, crowd, horde, throng, swarm, gang:  We narrowly
             escaped the wrath of the rabble fighting the police in the
             square. 2 the rabble.  Derogatory masses, proletariat, hoi
             polloi, commoners, peasantry, ragtag and bobtail, vermin,
             outcasts, riff-raff, scum, dregs (of society), lower classes,
             canaille, commonalty, Colloq trash, the great unwashed:  He
             always refers to blue-collar workers as 'the rabble'.

   rabble-rouser
             n.  agitator, demagogue, instigator, inciter, firebrand,
             incendiary, radical, troublemaker, agent provocateur,
             revolutionary, insurrectionist, Colloq hell-raiser:  The crowd
             was whipped into a frenzy by a rabble-rouser who was not
             identified.

   rabid     adj.  1 unreasonable, unreasoning, extreme, fanatical; raging,
             furious, violent, crazed, frenzied, maniacal, wild, mad,
             infuriated, frenetic, berserk:  Please don't mention politics to
             Nigel - he gets rabid on the subject. 2 hydrophobic, mad:
             Animals from abroad are kept in quarantine to make sure they are
             not rabid.

   race°     n.  1 foot-race, horse-race, marathon, rally or rallye;
             competition, contest, rivalry, contention:  How many will be
             running in Saturday's race? Several countries had joined the
             race to complete a workable anti-gravity device. 2 sluice,
             flume, chute, watercourse, course, channel, bed, mill-race,
             raceway, spillway; track:  The water in the race enabled us to
             wash the sand in order to extract the gold. The ball-bearings
             don't fall out because they are retained in the race. 3 the
             races. horse-races, dog-races, the dogs, the track, the turf,
             Brit racecourse, race meeting, US racetrack:  We're off to the
             races at Newmarket.

             --v.  4 speed, hurry, hasten, dash, sprint, fly, rush, scramble,
             step lively, Colloq tear, rip, zip, step on the gas, step on it,
             hop to it, get a move on, Brit hare, US get a wiggle on:  You're
             going to have to race to catch the last bus.  5 compete (with):
             I'll race you to the gate and back.

   raceэ     n.  1 stock, line, lineage, type, tribe, nation, people, folk,
             clan, family:  The citizens constitute a mix of all imaginable
             races.  2 blood, descent, breed, kin, family, stock, line,
             lineage:  You say you are liberal, but how would you feel about
             your daughter's marrying someone of a different race?

   racial    adj.  ethnic, genetic, genealogical, ethnological, folk; tribal;
             national:  Bigots emphasize racial differences rather than
             racial similarities.

   rack      n.  1 framework, frame, trestle, holder, support; stand,
             scaffold, scaffolding, structure, hat-rack, hatstand, coat-rack,
             Technical stretcher, tenter, US hat-tree:  The fish are hung out
             on long racks in the sun to dry. Please take your luggage off
             the seat and put it on the overhead rack. 2 suffering, torment,
             torture, agony, anguish, pain, misery, distress, affliction,
             scourge, adversity:  Only those who have experienced it can know
             the severe rack of gout.

             --v.  3 distress, torment, torture, agonize, oppress, pain,
             persecute, anguish, beleaguer, plague, harass, harrow, hurt:
             Gruber was racked by the feeling that he had been responsible
             for the road accident. Quentin has been racked by the pain of
             arthritis for ten years. 4 beat, strain, wrench, tear at, lash
             (at), batter, shake, damage:  Winds of hurricane force racked
             villages along the coast last night.

   racket    n.  1 noise, din, uproar, disturbance, clamour, hubbub, row,
             rumpus, hullabaloo, fuss, ado, commotion, to-do, hue and cry,
             outcry, brouhaha, tumult, babel, pandemonium, Elizabethan
             theatre alarums and excursions, Colloq ballyhoo:  How can you
             sleep through the racket from your neighbour's all-night
             parties? 2 (organized) crime, criminal or illegal activity or
             enterprise, trickery, trick, dodge, scheme, swindle, stratagem,
             artifice, game, ruse, Slang caper, scam, gyp:  Their racket is
             selling 'protection' to shop-owners.  3 business, line,
             profession, occupation, trade, vocation, calling, job,
             employment, livelihood:  I'm in commodities; what's your racket?

   racketeer n.  mobster, gangster, Mafioso:  The Chicago racketeers of the
             1930s seem tame compared with today's terrorists.

   raconteur n.  storyteller, anecdotalist or anecdotist, narrator, relater
             or relator, Colloq spinner of yarns:  The after-dinner speaker
             was a marvellous raconteur with a wealth of stories about the
             theatre.

   racy      adj.  1 fresh, lively, animated, spirited, sprightly, buoyant,
             vivacious, energetic, vigorous, dynamic, zestful, stimulating,
             mettlesome or mettled, Colloq full of vim and vigour, peppy,
             full of pep, full of beans:  Tabloid journalists are told that
             their writing must be racy - straightforward reporting is out of
             fashion. 2 risqu‚, ribald, bawdy, naughty, lusty, earthy, gross,
             off colour, salty, suggestive, sexual, immodest, indelicate,
             indecent, blue, smutty, lewd, salacious, vulgar, dirty, filthy,
             pornographic, obscene, sex-oriented, adult, rude, crude, coarse,
             Colloq raunchy, sexy, spicy, hot:  By mistake my name got on the
             mailing list of some company selling racy videos. 3 spicy,
             piquant, tasty, flavourful, pungent, strong, savoury, sharp,
             zesty, tangy, tart, hot:  That curry you served last night had
             quite a racy flavour.

   radiance  n.  1 radiancy, splendour, brightness, brilliance, resplendence,
             luminosity, luminousness, dazzle, sparkle, coruscation,
             scintillation, twinkle, effulgence, refulgence, incandescence,
             glow, phosphorescence, gleam, lustre, shimmer, shine:  As
             Aladdin rubbed the ring, it began to glow with an inner radiance
             and then - suddenly - a genie appeared. 2 warmth, gladness, joy,
             pleasure, happiness, cheeriness, delight:  It was good to see
             again the radiance of the family at Christmas dinner.

   radiant   adj.  1 shining, bright, beaming, burning, ablaze, blazing,
             brilliant, luminous, resplendent, splendid, splendorous,
             lustrous, gleaming, glowing, phosphorescent, shimmering, shiny,
             glossy, glistening, incandescent, alight, effulgent, refulgent,
             sparkling, dazzling, glittering, coruscating, scintillating,
             twinkling; aglow:  In her hair she wore a diamond tiara, a
             radiant crown whose glory was diminished only by her beauty. The
             room was radiant with sunshine. 2 happy, overjoyed, ecstatic,
             rapturous, delighted, joyful, blithe, blithesome, blissful,
             beatific, glad, gleeful, joyous, gay, bubbling, bubbly,
             jubilant, elated, rhapsodic, exultant, exhilarated, in seventh
             heaven, in heaven, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon:
             Carrie was absolutely radiant when she learned she was pregnant.

   radiate   v.  1 shine, beam, burn, blaze, gleam, glow, shimmer, glisten,
             sparkle, dazzle, glitter, coruscate, scintillate, twinkle:  The
             jewel seemed to radiate with an inner light.  2 emanate,
             disseminate, disperse, spread, diffuse, shed, send out, emit,
             give off or out, Rare irradiate:  He radiated goodwill the way a
             fire radiates heat and light.

   radiation n.  emission, emanation, diffusion, dispersal, shedding:
             Because the night was cloudless, unhindered radiation of the
             earth's heat rapidly cooled the air.

   radical   adj.  1 basic, fundamental, elementary, inherent,
             constitutional, elemental, essential, cardinal, principal,
             primary, deep, deep-seated, profound, underlying, organic,
             natural, rudimentary:  There is a radical error in your approach
             to the problem. There are radical differences in the ways we
             regard the English language. 2 thorough, thoroughgoing,
             complete, entire, total, exhaustive, sweeping, (all-)inclusive,
             comprehensive, all-embracing, out-and-out, drastic, severe,
             extreme, extremist, revolutionary:  We have made radical changes
             in the way we live. Every political party that is not in power
             promises radical reform. 3 extremist, revolutionary,
             fanatic(al), militant, anarchist(ic), immoderate:  A staunch
             conservative, Vincent regarded as radical anyone who disagreed
             with him.

             --n.  4 extremist, revolutionary, fanatic, zealot, immoderate,
             anarchist, militant:  The radicals favour reform, the
             conservatives the status quo - but there is nothing new in that.
             5 communist, leftist, left-winger, red, Bolshevik, Bolshevist,
             pink, Slang US pinko:  Carlo, recently arrested as a spy, had
             been a radical since his days at university.

   radio     n.  1 receiver, portable (radio), Old-fashioned crystal set,
             Brit and US old-fashioned wireless, Colloq transistor, Slang
             ghetto-blaster, Brit tranny or trannie, US boom box:  He listens
             to BBC World Service on his short-wave radio.

             --v.  2 transmit, broadcast, air, disseminate, announce,
             present:  Weather reports are radioed continuously to ships at
             sea and aircraft.

   raffle    n.  lottery, draw, sweepstake or US sweepstakes, sweep or US
             sweeps:  The church is holding a raffle for a new car next week.

   rag°      n.  1 tatter, piece, shred, scrap, fragment, bit, Dialect clout:
             Take a clean rag and dust the bookshelves when you get the
             chance.  2 newspaper, periodical, magazine, publication,
             journal:  You can't believe anything you read in that rag.  3
             rags.  Facetious clothes, clothing, attire, dress, garments,
             Old-fashioned duds:  I bought some new rags at the
             post-Christmas sales.  4 rag trade. garment-industry, clothing
             business, fashion industry:  Peggy has been a model in the rag
             trade for years.  5 chew the rag.  a converse, talk, gossip,
             chat:  We bought a bottle of wine and just sat about chewing the
             rag all evening. b Brit argue, wrangle:  They are constantly
             chewing the rag over trivial nonsense.

   ragэ      v.  tease, taunt, belittle, twit, ridicule, mock, make fun of,
             pull (someone's) leg, Brit rally, Colloq kid:  The boys at
             school were always ragging him about his lisp.

   ragamuffin
             n.  (street) urchin, (street) Arab, waif, mudlark, gamin, little
             lost lamb, babe in the wood, stray, guttersnipe, scarecrow:  We
             took in a poor little ragamuffin who was shaking from the cold.

   rage      n.  1 anger, fury, wrath, ire, high dudgeon, exasperation,
             vehemence, passion:  Imagine her rage when Simon phoned to say
             that he couldn't make it home for dinner! 2 fury, passion,
             frenzy, hysterics, tantrum, fit, temper, Brit paddy or
             paddywhack or paddywack, Colloq Brit wax:  He flies into a rage
             if Grace is as little as five minutes late for an appointment. 3
             fashion, craze, vogue, the (latest or newest) thing, last word,
             dernier cri, mode, Colloq fad:  Miniskirts were all the rage in
             the 1960s.

             --v.  4 rant, rave, storm, go mad or crazy or bonkers or wild or
             out of one's mind, go berserk, run amok or amuck, behave or act
             or be like one possessed, fret, be beside oneself (with anger or
             fury), lose one's temper, go berserk, have a tantrum, fulminate,
             explode; fume, foam at the mouth, stew, smoulder, boil, seethe,
             simmer, Colloq have kittens, lose one's cool, fly off the
             handle, go off the deep end, Slang get into or work oneself up
             into a lather or stew or sweat, get all worked up, blow one's
             top, blow a gasket, blow up, flip one's top or lid, hit the
             ceiling or roof, freak out, be fit to be tied, be ready for a
             strait-jacket, Brit throw a wobbly, US and Canadian blow one's
             stack, flip one's wig, blow a fuse, have a haemorrhage, go ape,
             do a slow burn, have a conniption fit:  Father raged for hours
             when he found that Donald had borrowed the car without
             permission.

   ragged    adj.  1 rough, shaggy, shabby, seedy, tattered, unkempt,
             scraggy, torn, rent, ripped, frayed, worn (out), threadbare,
             patched, patchy, ravelled, Chiefly Brit tatty, Brit down at
             heel, US down at the heel(s), Colloq US frazzled, beat-up:  On
             weekends, Charles put on his most ragged clothes to work in the
             garden. 2 rough, uneven, irregular, nicked, jagged; serrated,
             sawtooth(ed), zigzag, notched, toothed, denticulate(d), ridged:
             Every morning on his way to work, his first sight of the factory
             was the ragged edge of its roof. 3 worn out, tired, exhausted,
             on one's last legs, the worse for wear, dead tired, overtired,
             fatigued, weary, fagged out, spent, Colloq all in, dog-tired,
             Slang dead (on one's feet), (dead) beat, Brit knackered, US and
             Canadian pooped (out):  The emergency crew was run ragged by
             thirty hours on duty without rest. 4 bad, rough, patchy,
             imperfect, shabby, messy, disordered, disorderly, run-down,
             battered, broken-down, neglected, deteriorated, dilapidated,
             Colloq beat-up:  From its ragged condition, it's clear that the
             building isn't properly maintained. 5 rough, harsh, discordant,
             grating, rasping, hoarse, scratchy, croaking:  His voice, once a
             beautiful lyric tenor, was ragged after years of alcoholism. 6
             uneven, bad, poor, shabby, patchy:  The guests gave a ragged
             rendition of 'Happy Birthday' as their host entered the room.

   ragman    n.  rag-dealer, rag-picker, scrap dealer, Brit rag-and-bone man,
             knacker, US junk dealer, junkman:  When the ragman comes round,
             give him those old curtains.

   raid      n.  1 (surprise) attack, incursion, invasion, onset, onslaught,
             blitz, sortie, sally, expedition, Slang (police) bust:  The
             partisans made a raid on the arsenal last night and got away
             with guns and ammunition.

             --v.  2 attack, invade, assault, storm, set upon, descend upon,
             swoop down on or upon, pounce upon, Military forage; sack,
             plunder, pillage, loot, ransack, rifle, strip, maraud,
             depredate, Slang bust:  The commandos raided the enemy
             stronghold and destroyed it.

   rail°     n.  1 bar, rod, handrail, foot-rail , towel-rail; railing,
             banisters, balustrade, baluster, fence:  Don't lean on the rail
             or it will break.  2 by or via rail. by train, by railway or US
             also railroad:  We travelled by rail from Paris to Geneva.

   railэ     v.  Usually, rail at or against. vituperate, vociferate,
             fulminate, be or become abusive, revile, attack, berate, scold,
             upbraid, criticize, censure, decry, condemn, denounce:  She
             continues to rage and rail against those who would deny equal
             rights to women.

   raillery  n.  banter, badinage, persiflage, repartee, frivolity, joking,
             jesting, chaffing, teasing, ridicule, Colloq kidding:  You
             shouldn't get upset over what was nothing more than some
             good-natured raillery.

   railroad  n.  1 See railway, below.

             --v.  2 force, compel, expedite, coerce, intimidate, push
             (through), Brit pressurize, US pressure, bully, hector,
             tyrannize, dragoon, browbeat, bullyrag, Colloq bulldoze,
             squeeze, lean on:  Clayton was railroaded into appointing
             Pinbury to head the committee to investigate corruption.

   railway   n.  train, rail, rolling-stock, Archaic iron horse, US railroad:
             Railway service could be improved on some suburban lines.
             Diamond Jim Brady, the American millionaire, made his money from
             the railway.

   rain      n.  1 precipitation, drizzle, sprinkle, downpour, shower,
             thunder-shower, cloudburst, rainstorm, squall, deluge, US
             sunshower:  After the rain the sun came out.  2 rainfall,
             precipitation:  The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain.  3
             flood, torrent, shower, volley, stream, outpouring:  Arriving
             home, she could barely shield herself from the rain of
             children's kisses.

             --v.  4 come down, pour, teem, sprinkle, drizzle, spit, Brit
             dialect mizzle, Colloq come down in buckets, rain cats and dogs:
             The weatherman said it would rain today, so take an umbrella.  5
             trickle, pour, run, fall:  Tears rained down her sallow cheeks.
             6 descend, shower:  Blows rained on him from the tiny fists of
             the furious child.  7 bestow, lavish, shower:  He rained kisses
             on her upturned face.

   raise     v.  1 lift (up), elevate; hoist, pull up, haul up, run up,
             Literary upraise:  She raised the glass to her lips. We raised
             the mainsail and sailed out of the harbour. 2 erect, put up,
             construct, build, produce, create, put together, assemble,
             frame:  With the help of some neighbours, the barn was raised in
             less than a day. 3 farm, grow, cultivate, plant, bring up,
             nurture, harvest, propagate:  During that year's mild winter, we
             were able to raise three crops.  4 bring up, nurture, rear;
             mother, father, parent:  His grandmother raised ten children,
             six girls and four boys.  5 assemble, gather, bring or gather or
             get together, muster, mobilize, round up, rally, collect,
             convene, recruit, Colloq pull together:  Do you think you could
             raise an army quickly enough to defend us against attack? 6
             increase, boost, advance, put up, jack up, run up, inflate,
             escalate:  Why are consumer petrol prices always raised at the
             vaguest hint of an increase in oil prices? 7 cultivate, foster,
             nurture, heighten, stimulate, buoy, lift, uplift, boost, arouse,
             quicken, encourage, develop:  The news about the new company
             raised our hopes of finding jobs.  8 open, introduce, initiate,
             broach, bring up, bring or put forward, present, suggest,
             mention, moot:  It is regrettable that you saw fit to raise such
             a delicate issue.  9 remove, relieve, lift, abandon, eliminate,
             discontinue, (bring to an) end, terminate:  Restrictions on
             travel to south-east Asia were about to be raised.  10 cause,
             provoke, evoke, occasion, put or set in motion, institute,
             prompt, engender, stir up, instigate, inspire, give rise to,
             bring about, arouse, originate:  Objections to the relaxation of
             safety regulations were raised by relatives of the victims of
             the earlier disaster. 11 utter, express, bring up, put forward,
             shout, call:  Was it you who raised the alarm at the first sign
             of smoke?  12 assemble, obtain, get, collect, amass, solicit:
             We raised twice as much for charity as last year.  13
             invigorate, animate, vitalize, vivify, buoy, lift, uplift, cheer
             (up), exhilarate, elate:  Our spirits were raised considerably
             by the news from head office.

   rake°     v.  1 Often, rake up. scrape together, gather (together or up),
             collect, draw together:  You really must rake up the leaves from
             the lawn and burn them.  2 scrape, comb, scratch, grate, graze:
             Don't you just hate the sound of a fingernail being raked across
             a blackboard? 3 rake in. collect, gather (up or in), pull in,
             make:  Pamela is raking in the royalties from her latest
             thriller.  4 rake it in. coin money, make money
             (hand-over-fist), Brit coin it in:  The new record shop in the
             mall is really raking it in.  5 rake out. sift (out), screen,
             remove, clear, eliminate:  Please rake out the cinders from the
             grate.  6 rake over or through. search, probe, ransack, scour,
             comb, rummage through, pick through or over, go through or over
             (with a fine-tooth(ed) comb), rifle (through):  The police raked
             through her entire flat but found nothing incriminating.  7 rake
             up.  a See 1, above.  b revive, resuscitate, resurrect, raise,
             bring up, recall:  Must you persist in raking up those bad
             memories?  8 rake up or together. gather, scrape up or together,
             collect, drag together, pick up, dig up, dredge up, find,
             unearth:  Were you able to rake up the others for a game of
             poker tonight?

   rakeэ     n.  libertine, womanizer, lecher, rou‚, playboy, ladies' man,
             Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, debauchee, voluptuary, profligate,
             prodigal; scoundrel, rascal, cad, Archaic rakehell, masher;
             Colloq lady-killer, Colloq old-fashioned wolf, Brit bounder:
             Lady Anne was led stray by some young rake, a friend of the
             Prince Regent's.

   rake-off  n.  kickback, commission; discount, mark-down, rebate, Colloq
             cut, piece:  Does Mac get a rake-off for every buyer he sends to
             the shop?

   rakish    adj.  dashing, jaunty, dapper, spruce, debonair, raffish, smart,
             breezy, flashy, chic, fashionable, elegant; dandy, foppish:
             Adjusting his trilby to a rakish angle, Peter strode along the
             boulevard.

   rally     n.  1 gathering, (mass) meeting, meet, convocation, convention,
             assemblage, assembly, muster:  There is to be a political rally
             tonight in the town square. Are you taking your Daimler to the
             vintage car rally? 2 recovery, improvement, revival, turn for
             the better, recuperation, renewal:  His doctors said that the
             rally might be only temporary.

             --v.  3 Often, rally round. bring or call or get together, round
             up, assemble, convene, group, congregate, organize, come
             together, troop; marshal, mobilize, summon, gather, muster:  All
             Sally's friends rallied round her when her father died. He
             rallied every last ounce of strength in the dash for the
             finishing line. 4 revive, rouse, recover, improve, get better,
             take a turn for the better, recuperate, perk up, pick up, Colloq
             snap out of it, make a comeback:  According to the nurse, he
             rallied during the night and asked for something to eat.

   ram       v.  1 jam, force, drive, cram, crowd, pack, compress, stuff,
             squeeze, thrust, tamp, pound, hammer:  We rammed as much filler
             as we could into the crevices.  2 butt, bump, strike, hit,
             collide with, dash, crash, slam:  Their car rammed into mine in
             the garage.

   ramble    v.  1 amble, wander (off), stroll, saunter, walk, perambulate,
             go (off or away), travel, drift, range, rove, go or move about,
             hike, trek, Colloq mosey:  Don't ramble too far as dinner will
             be ready soon. We used to ramble over those hills, but the area
             is now an industrial site. 2 meander, wander, digress, maunder:
             Fiona tends to ramble off the main topic of conversation.  3
             Sometimes, ramble on. babble, chatter, gibber, rave, go on (and
             on), rattle on, Colloq Brit witter on, rabbit on or away:  If
             you didn't stop him, Hugh would ramble on for ever about his
             grandchildren.

             --n.  4 stroll, amble, saunter, walk, promenade, constitutional,
             walkabout, tour, tramp, hike, trek:  We went on a short ramble
             through the park.

   rambling  adj.  1 discursive, roundabout, circuitous, tortuous,
             incoherent, diffuse, unsettled, disconnected, disjointed,
             disorganized, unorganized, illogical, maundering, aimless,
             confused, muddled, jumbled, scrambled, unintelligible,
             inarticulate, periphrastic, circumlocutory, circumlocutional,
             circumlocutionary, ambagious, wordy, verbose, prolix, endless,
             interminable:  We couldn't make heads or tails of the
             professor's rambling lecture.  2 unplanned, straggling,
             irregular, sprawling, spread out, spreading, straggly:  The
             Wilsons live in that big old rambling Victorian house down the
             road. 3 roving, wandering, travelling, peripatetic, itinerant,
             wayfaring, migratory, nomadic:  For five years he led a rambling
             life as a folk-singing banjo player.

   ramification
             n.  1 consequence, result, effect, upshot, implication,
             subtlety; complication, difficulty:  Have you considered the
             ramifications of your decision to retire?  2 branch, extension,
             outgrowth, subdivision, offshoot:  Courier services may be
             considered a ramification of services that were once performed
             by the post office.

   ramp      n.  slope, grade, gradient, incline; rise, ascent, acclivity;
             descent, dip, declivity:  There is a special ramp in the theatre
             for wheelchair access.

   rampage   n.  1 excitement, agitation, recklessness, riot, tumult, uproar,
             frenzy, fury, rage, furore or US furor, turmoil:  His latest
             rampage was prompted by their serving him a cup of cold coffee.
             2 Brit on the rampage, US on a rampage. berserk, mad, crazy,
             amok or amuck, wild, out of control:  Pete regularly drank too
             much whisky and then went on the rampage.

             --v.  3 storm, rage, rant, rave, go berserk, run amok or amuck:
             He rampaged like a man possessed when he got his second parking
             ticket of the day.

   rampant   adj.  1 unchecked, uninhibited, unrestrained, wild,
             uncontrolled, out of control, out of hand, frenzied, unbridled,
             uncontrollable, violent:  He was a victim of rampant jealousy.
             Jennie could hardly be described as a rampant feminist. 2
             profuse, unbounded, abounding, flourishing, rife, widespread,
             everywhere, epidemic, pandemic, prevalent, unrestrained,
             unchecked, running wild, uninhibited, indiscriminate, wild,
             uncontrolled; in control, holding sway, in full sway, dominant,
             predominant; exuberant, rank, luxuriant:  Before Masterson
             became sheriff, vice and crime were rampant in the town.

   rampart   n.  defence, bastion, guard, fortification, security,
             stronghold, bulwark, barricade, wall; earthwork, breastwork,
             parados, gabion:  The old town is surrounded by seven rows of
             ramparts leading up to the cathedral at the summit. They regard
             religion as an impenetrable rampart against immorality.

   ramshackle
             adj.  dilapidated, tumbledown, crumbling, broken-down, rickety,
             unsteady, jerry-built, decrepit, flimsy, shaky, unstable,
             tottering, unsubstantial or insubstantial, ruined, in disrepair,
             beyond repair, run-down, neglected, derelict:  He lives in a
             ramshackle hut on the outskirts of town.

   rancid    adj.  stinking or reeking (to high heaven), foul-smelling,
             ill-smelling, evil-smelling, noisome, mephitic, miasmic or
             miasmal or miasmatic(al), smelly, rank, malodorous, fusty;
             nasty, disagreeable, odious, fetid or foetid, rotten, decayed,
             spoilt or spoiled, turned, bad, awful, sour, tainted, high,
             gamy, ripe, putrid, corrupt, stale:  To rid your fridge of that
             rancid smell, wash it out with a solution of baking soda.

   rancorous adj.  hateful, spiteful, resentful, hostile, malign, malignant,
             bitter, malevolent, malicious, venomous, vindictive, vengeful,
             splenetic, acrimonious:  Olivia felt rancorous towards her
             brother-in-law when he refused to lend her money.

   rancour   n.  hatred, hate, antipathy, spite, resentment, resentfulness,
             antagonism, hostility, malignity, bitterness, malevolence,
             malice, venomousness, venom, vindictiveness, vengefulness,
             spleen, acrimony, animus, animosity, enmity, bad feeling, bad
             blood:  Owing to the rancour between them, the brothers had not
             exchanged a word in forty years.

   random    adj.  1 haphazard, chance, fortuitous, serendipitous, aleatory,
             arbitrary, casual, stray, occasional, indefinite,
             indiscriminate, non-specific, unspecific, unspecified,
             unordered, unorganized, undirected, unpremeditated, unplanned,
             accidental, uncalculated, unsystematic, adventitious,
             incidental, hit-or-miss:  He used a computer program to generate
             random numbers. A random selection of slips was drawn from the
             drum and Madelaine's name was on one of them. 2 at random.
             randomly, haphazardly, fortuitously, by chance, serendipitously,
             arbitrarily, casually, occasionally, (every) now and then,
             (every) once in a while, irregularly, indefinitely, erratically,
             indiscriminately, unsystematically, adventitiously,
             incidentally, unpremeditatedly:  They picked names from a hat at
             random. They drove up and down the road, firing at random.

   randy     adj.  aroused, lustful, lecherous, Brit on heat or US in heat,
             Brit in oestrus or US in estrus, Slang hot, horny, in rut,
             rutting, at stud:  Seeing Betty always made Len feel terribly
             randy.

   range     n.  1 scope, sweep, reach, limit, extent, span, area, radius,
             distance, compass, latitude, stretch, sphere, orbit:  The gun
             has a range of about 200 yards. This radio transmitter is
             effective only within a thirty-mile range. The minister is
             trying to broaden the range of his influence. 2 assortment,
             series, collection, lot, spread, selection, choice, number,
             variety, kind, sort, scale, gamut, register:  The courses
             offered cater to a wide range of interests.  3 rank, row, tier,
             line, file, series, string, chain:  From my window I could see
             the range of hills stretching away into the distance. 4 kitchen
             range, (cooking-) stove, Chiefly Brit cooker, Brit trade mark
             Aga, US cook-stove:  In every French farmhouse there was always
             a pot of soup on the range.

             --v.  5 line up, rank, order, align, order, array:  The teacher
             ranged the children according to their height.  6 vary,
             fluctuate, spread, run the gamut, extend, stretch, run, go:  The
             students range in age from eight to eighty.  7 organize,
             categorize, catalogue, arrange, classify, sort, class, group,
             rank, bracket, pigeon-hole, file, index, break down, grade,
             distribute:  The books are ranged according to their
             subject-matter.  8 cover, traverse, roam, rove, travel over or
             across, go or pass over, drift, migrate, wander, move, extend:
             The wildebeest ranges far and wide over vast tracts of grazing
             land in Africa.

   rank°     n.  1 status, standing, position, place, level, stratum, class,
             caste, circumstances, echelon, grade:  It is virtually
             impossible to determine rank simply by looking at a person. 2
             weight, authority, power, superiority, seniority, ascendancy,
             priority, influence, eminence:  Caldwell uses the privilege of
             rank to cover up some of his more questionable transactions. 3
             nobility, title, high birth, aristocracy, dignity, prestige,
             (blue) blood; peerage:  Gentlemen of rank should behave with
             honour, my boy.  4 line, row, column, queue, series, formation;
             sequence:  We gazed on the serried ranks of warriors, golden
             shields glistening in the sun. 5 ranks. soldiers, workers,
             staff, employees:  Smithers rose from the ranks to become chief
             executive officer.

             --v.  6 grade, rate, classify, class, categorize; dispose,
             organize, order, sort, assort, arrange, array, align, range,
             graduate:  He was ranked among the best in the school. The
             applicants are ranked according to their test scores. 7 rate,
             count, stand, have standing or value or prestige, be important
             or distinguished:  To Janet, character ranks far above wealth.
             Phil is so mean that Scrooge would rank high on a list of
             charitable men in comparison with him.

   rankэ     adj.  1 lush, luxuriant, abundant, flourishing, profuse,
             prolific, dense, superabundant, exuberant, fertile, productive,
             fructuous:  The expedition could hardly make its way through the
             rank undergrowth of th jungle. 2 corrupt, foul, low, base,
             gross; downright, utter, sheer, absolute, complete, out-and-out,
             blatant, flagrant, unalloyed, unmitigated, undiluted:  I cannot
             understand the rank treachery of the man after all that we have
             done for him. I ventured my opinion, even though a rank
             outsider. 3 offensive, loathsome, disgusting, gross, foul,
             corrupt, indecent, shocking, immodest, indecorous, shameless,
             risqu‚, lurid, off colour, outrageous, blue, nasty, vulgar,
             vile, dirty, filthy, smutty, scatological, pornographic,
             obscene:  Those bigots always resort to the rank vocabulary of
             malice and hate. In a secret cupboard was a collection of the
             rankest literature. 4 offensive, loathsome, disgusting, gross,
             foul, foul-smelling, smelly, rancid, noisome, stinking, reeky,
             reeking, mephitic, miasmic or miasmal or miasmatic(al), fetid or
             foetid, noxious, rotten, putrid, musty, stale, disagreeable,
             strong, pungent:  The rank stench from the open sewers pervades
             the air in those pockets of poverty.

   rank and file
             n.  (general) membership, members, majority:  The union's rank
             and file must now vote on whether to accept management's pay
             offer.

   rankle    v.  gall, fester, irk, vex, plague, chafe, grate, nettle,
             torment, pain, hurt, provoke, anger, exasperate, get (to),
             upset:  Although she had forgiven him, the insult still rankled.

   ransack   v.  1 search, examine, go through or over (with a fine-tooth(ed)
             comb), comb, rake or rummage through, scour, explore,
             scrutinize, turn inside out:  I ransacked the second-hand
             bookshops for a copy but had no success.  2 rob, plunder,
             pillage, sack, despoil, loot, strip; burgle, US and Canadian
             burglarize:  The thieves who ransacked the shop apparently
             missed the most valuable jewel.

   ransom    n.  1 redemption, rescue, deliverance; release, liberation:  The
             envoy was held to ransom by a fanatical band of zealots.  2
             payment, payout, pay-off, price:  The police refuse to reveal
             the amount of the ransom given to the kidnappers.

             --v.  3 redeem, rescue, release, deliver:  The boy was ransomed
             for њ10,000.

   rant      v.  1 declaim, hold forth, expound, expatiate, orate, perorate,
             pontificate, trumpet, preach, harangue, lecture, deliver
             (oneself of) a tirade or diatribe or speech, speak:  The
             minister ranted pompously about his accomplishments.  2
             vociferate, bluster, rave, rant and rave, bellow, rage:  The
             master kept ranting on about his newspaper having been creased.

             --n.  3 tirade, philippic, bluster, flatulence, rhetoric,
             bombast, pomposity, turgidity, gasconade, rodomontade,
             theatrics, histrionics, act:  As he carried on his rant, the
             theatre gradually emptied till he was alone.

   rap       v.  1 knock, strike, tap, hit:  The policeman rapped smartly at
             the door with his truncheon.  2 criticize, rebuke, scold,
             reprimand, rap over the knuckles, Colloq knock, Brit tick off:
             We were severely rapped for dropping litter on the pavement.  3
             converse, talk, chat, gossip, Colloq gab, Slang chew the fat or
             the rag:  That guy was so fascinating - we could rap with him
             for hours.

             --n.  4 knock, tap, hit, blow, crack, stroke, cuff, whack,
             thwack, punch, Colloq belt, clout, Slang sock, slug, biff:  The
             punishment for failing to complete the assignment was a severe
             rap on the knuckles. 5 conversation, discussion, chat,
             confabulation, talk, dialogue, discourse, colloquy, Colloq
             confab, Slang chiefly US and Canadian bull session, rap session:
             We used to get together for a nice long rap now and then.  6
             responsibility, blame; punishment, sentence; charge, accusation,
             indictment:  Why should he have to take the rap for something
             you did? The witness failed to show up, so Baxter beat the rap.

   rapacious adj.  greedy, covetous, grasping, avaricious, mercenary,
             usurious, acquisitive, predatory, predacious, ravenous,
             ravening, voracious, insatiable, insatiate, wolfish, wolflike,
             lupine, vulturine, raptorial:  That rapacious swindler took
             everything they had in the world.

   rapacity  n.  greed, greediness, cupidity, covetousness, avarice,
             acquisitiveness, predaciousness, ravenousness, voracity,
             voraciousness, insatiability, insatiableness, rapaciousness:
             The rapacity of the invading hordes of Mongols knew no bounds.

   rape      n.  1 ravishment, defloration, deflowering, violation, sexual
             assault, defilement:  The police are investigating reports of
             rape by a masked man.  2 rapine, despoliation, spoliation,
             despoilment, pillage, depredation, ravagement, ravaging,
             plunder, plundering, sack, sacking, looting, ransacking:  He
             travelled in disguise to document the rape of the war-torn
             areas. 3 abduction, carrying-off, kidnapping, seizure, capture,
             snatching:  History debates whether the ancient Romans were
             truly responsible for the rape of the Sabine women.

             --v.  4 violate, ravish, assault sexually, deflower, defile,
             force to submit to sexual intercourse, have one's way with, take
             advantage of:  The defendant raped three women before he was
             caught.  5 despoil, spoliate, pillage, depredate, ravage,
             plunder, sack, loot:  Throughout history the city has been raped
             by marauding tribes.

   rapid     adj.  quick, fast, swift, speedy, high-speed, brisk,
             expeditious, prompt, express, fleet, lightning(-fast),
             alacritous; hurried, hasty, precipitate, impetuous, immediate,
             instantaneous, instant, sudden:  The company we use offers rapid
             delivery service. What do you suppose occasioned Flannery's
             rapid departure?

   rapidity  n.  quickness, swiftness, speed, speediness, briskness,
             expeditiousness, promptness, promptitude, alacrity, celerity,
             immediateness, dispatch or despatch, instantaneousness:  The
             rapidity with which they responded to our request is truly
             commendable.

   rapidly   adv.  1 quickly, fast, swiftly, speedily, briskly,
             expeditiously, like a shot, at the speed of light, double-quick,
             at full speed, like one possessed, at a gallop, tantivy, Colloq
             like blazes, like (greased) lightning, US lickety-split, Slang
             like a bat out of hell, like mad:  He cycled down the High
             Street as rapidly as he could go.  2 promptly, instantly,
             instantaneously, instanter, without delay, at once, straight
             away, right away, in a moment, in a trice, like a shot, in a
             wink, in (less than) no time, double-quick, in a flash, at the
             speed of light, before you (can) turn around, Colloq in a jiffy,
             in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), like (greased) lightning,
             before you can say 'Jack Robinson', US and Canadian (right) off
             the bat, lickety-split, Slang like a bat out of hell:  When I
             mentioned that you were coming, she left rapidly.

   rapport   n.  empathy, relationship, sympathy, harmony, affinity, accord,
             bond, relationship, (mutual) understanding, camaraderie:  The
             minute we met we established a rapport.

   rapprochement
             n.  reconciliation, understanding, settlement:  The party needs
             to bring about a rapprochement between the radicals and the
             reactionaries.

   rapt      adj.  1 entranced, fascinated, spellbound, mesmerized,
             hypnotized, engrossed, enthralled, bewitched, absorbed,
             transported, captivated, delighted:  She gave her last
             performance of 'Giselle' before a rapt audience.  2 enraptured,
             rapturous, delighted, elated, happy, ecstatic, blissful,
             overjoyed, joyous, joyful, beatific:  You should have seen the
             rapt expression on the child's face when Santa Claus appeared.

   rapture   n.  ecstasy, delight, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, pleasure,
             exaltation, elation, thrill, enchantment, euphoria, beatitude,
             transport, enchantment:  Nothing could compare with the rapture
             he felt at seeing his daughter win the Nobel prize.

   rapturous adj.  ecstatic, delighted, joyful, joyous, elated, thrilled,
             enchanted, euphoric, in seventh heaven, overjoyed, rhapsodic,
             Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon:  He was rapturous over
             qualifying for the Olympics.

   rare°     adj.  1 uncommon, unfamiliar, unusual, exceptional, out of the
             ordinary, extraordinary, atypical; scarce, unparalleled, choice,
             recherch‚, phenomenal, infrequent, few and far between, sparse,
             scanty, limited, seldom encountered or met with or seen; unique,
             singular, one of a kind; Chiefly Brit thin on the ground:  It
             was rare to see Liz in such good humour. Specimens in such
             perfect condition are rare. A copy of the first edition in this
             condition is rare. 2 fine, good, admirable, excellent, choice,
             select, special, first-rate, first-class, exquisite, superior,
             superlative, peerless, unequalled, matchless, incomparable, in a
             class by itself or herself or himself or themselves, sui
             generis, outstanding; collectible or collectable:  O, rare Ben
             Jonson! On exhibit was a black pearl of rare beauty and
             remarkable size. Consideration for others seems a rare quality
             these days.

   rareэ     adj.  underdone, undercooked, bleu(e), saignant(e):  Do you want
             your steak rare, medium, or well-done?

   rarefied  adj.  1 thin, lean, attenuated, diluted, sparse, scant, scanty:
             As we climbed higher, the rarefied atmosphere made breathing
             more difficult. 2 exalted, lofty, elevated, high, sublime,
             noble, high:  I feel out of place in the rarefied atmosphere of
             academia.  3 cliquish, clannish, exclusive, private, select,
             esoteric:  Clarence copes well in the rarefied atmosphere of
             Whitehall's corridors of power.

   rarely    adv.  seldom, infrequently, on rare occasions, hardly (ever),
             scarcely (ever), almost never, Colloq once in a blue moon:  He
             rarely attends formal dinners at his club.

   rarity    n.  1 curiosity, oddity, curio, collector's item, find,
             treasure, conversation piece, Brit one-off, Colloq Brit oner:
             Among the rarities in his collection is a stuffed dodo.  2
             unusualness, uncommonness, rareness, uniqueness, scarcity:  The
             rarity of the first edition makes this book all the more
             valuable.

   rascal    n.  imp, devil, scamp, mischief-maker; rapscallion, rogue,
             scoundrel, cad, villain, blackguard, knave, good-for-nothing,
             ne'er-do-well, wastrel, scapegrace, dastard, wretch, Colloq
             scallywag or scalawag, Brit rotter, blighter, bounder:  That
             little rascal has eaten all the cherry tarts. They've caught the
             rascals who were vandalizing parked cars.

   rash°     adj.  impetuous, impulsive, unthinking, thoughtless, foolhardy,
             unconsidered, ill-considered, ill-advised, injudicious,
             imprudent, indiscreet, precipitate, hasty, careless, heedless,
             reckless, headlong, wild, madcap, hare-brained, hotheaded,
             adventurous, quixotic, venturesome, audacious, bold, dashing,
             brash, devil-may-care:  It was rash of him to try to sail round
             the world single-handed, but he did it.

   rashэ     n.  1 eruption, eczema, redness, efflorescence, dermatitis:  One
             of the symptoms of measles is a skin rash.  2 number(s),
             quantity, lot(s), multitude, profusion, outbreak, series,
             succession, spate, wave, flood, deluge, plague, epidemic:
             There's been a rash of burglaries in the neighbourhood.

   rasp      n.  1 grating, scrape, scraping, scratch, scratching, grinding,
             stridulation:  One could hear the rasp of the file as they tried
             to cut through the door. 2 file, grater:  The coarser rasp is
             for use on wood.

             --v.  3 scrape, abrade, grate, file:  First, rasp the
             horseradish, then combine the gratings with a little vinegar. 4
             irritate, jar (upon), grate upon or against, rub (someone) (up)
             the wrong way, nettle, irk, annoy, vex, wear on, get, Literary
             gride:  She has a rasping metallic voice that gets on my nerves.
             5 croak, squawk, screech:  The sergeant rasped out another
             command and the company marched forward.

   rate°     n.  1 measure, pace, gait, speed, velocity, Colloq clip:  We
             moved along at a pretty fast rate. Rates of production must
             increase. 2 charge, price, fee, tariff, figure, amount; toll:
             The rate for a hotel room has increased enormously in the past
             few years. 3 percentage, scale, proportion:  What is the current
             rate of interest on government savings bonds?  4 Usually, -rate.
             rank, grade, place, standing, status, position, class,
             classification, kind, sort, type, rating, status, worth, value,
             valuation, evaluation:  After a few years, he had improved from
             a second-rate typist to a first-rate secretary. 5 at any rate.
             in any case, in any event, anyway, at all events, anyhow, under
             any circumstances, regardless, notwithstanding:  At any rate,
             with their last child out of university, they have no more
             worries about paying education costs.

             --v.  6 rank, grade, class, classify, evaluate, estimate,
             calculate, compute, count, reckon, judge, gauge, assess,
             appraise, measure:  How do you rate your chances of beating the
             champion?  7 merit, be entitled to, deserve, be worthy of, have
             a claim to:  The play doesn't rate all the attention it's been
             getting in the press. 8 count, place, measure:  She rates very
             high among her friends.

   rateэ     v.  scold, berate, reprimand, rebuke, reproach, reprove, take to
             task, upbraid, censure, Colloq bawl out, dress down, US and
             Canadian chew out:  I was rated severely for staying out after
             midnight.

   rather    adv.  1 quite, very, somewhat, fairly, moderately, to a certain
             extent or degree or measure, to some extent or degree or
             measure, more or less, pretty, slightly, Colloq sort of, kind
             of:  I suppose she was rather good-looking, but at that age I
             didn't pay much attention to girls. This coffee tastes rather
             strange. 2 preferably, sooner, instead, more readily or
             willingly:  Given an option, I choose to live alone rather than
             marry.  3 would or Colloq US had rather. prefer, choose:  Given
             a choice, I would rather live alone.

   ratify    v.  approve, sanction, endorse, support, corroborate, uphold,
             back (up), sustain, establish, validate, substantiate, verify,
             authenticate, guarantee, warrant, certify, affirm, ensure,
             clinch, settle:  The pact was ratified by all members.

   ratio     n.  proportion, relationship, correlation, correspondence:  What
             is the ratio of male to female students at Oxford University?
             In that area, the ratio of tenants to home-owners is about two
             to one.

   ration    n.  1 share, quota, allotment, portion, helping, part,
             provision, measure, dole, percentage, amount:  Each person is
             permitted a weekly fixed ration of butter, sugar, coffee, meat,
             etc. We shall have to go on short rations till we are rescued. 2
             rations. supplies, provisions, food, provender, victuals,
             viands, eatables, edibles, comestibles, Brit commons:  It was
             not till the third week with our rations running low that we
             really began to worry.

             --v.  3 Often, ration out. allot, apportion, dole (out), give
             out, distribute, deal out, mete out, parcel out, measure out,
             hand out:  As water was in short supply, we had to ration it.
             One cup was rationed out to each of us every morning. 4 budget,
             schedule, restrict, control, limit:  Water had to be rationed to
             one cup a day for each of us.

   rational  adj.  1 well-balanced, sane, sound, normal, reasonable,
             reasoning, logical, ratiocinative, clear-headed, clear-eyed,
             sober; of sound mind, Colloq all there:  Desmond is a rational
             human being who would be able to advise you about your problem.
             2 discriminating, intelligent, thinking, enlightened, prudent,
             wise, knowledgeable, informed:  We could not have elected a more
             rational representative for our cause than Robert Brown. 3
             sensible, common-sense, commonsensical, practical, pragmatic,
             down-to-earth, everyday, acceptable, reasonable, logical:
             Philippa thinks she has a rational explanation for the strange
             light we saw in the sky last night.

   rationale n.  reason, explanation, logical basis, grounds, logic,
             reasoning, philosophy, principle, theory:  Do you understand the
             rationale of a policy for curbing inflation that sets interest
             rates at a level where business, initiative, and productivity
             are stifled?

   rationalize
             v.  1 make plausible or believable or understandable or
             acceptable or reasonable, make allowance(s) or excuses for,
             vindicate, account for, justify, excuse, reason away, explain
             away:  How can you rationalize taking my car without my
             permission?  2 think through, reason out; apply logic to,
             ratiocinate:  He warps the statistics to rationalize his
             argument. The fundamentalists make no attempt to rationalize
             their literal interpretation of the Scripture.

   rattle    v.  1 clatter:  An acorn dropped from an overhanging tree and
             rattled down the tin roof. 2 shake, vibrate, jar, joggle,
             jiggle:  The wind was strong enough to rattle the windows in
             their frames.  3 unnerve, disconcert, discomfit, disturb,
             perturb, shake, discountenance, upset, agitate, put off, Chiefly
             US and Canadian faze:  They are only trying to rattle us by
             saying that we might lose our jobs if we strike. 4 jounce,
             bounce, bump, jolt, speed, hurtle:  The stagecoach came rattling
             down the road, swaying wildly.  5 rattle off. recite, list,
             utter, reel off, run through, enumerate, call off:  The
             announcer rattled off a long list of trains cancelled because of
             the storm. 6 rattle on. chatter, babble, jabber, gibber, prate,
             prattle, blabber, cackle, blather, ramble, Chiefly Brit witter,
             natter, Slang US run off at the mouth:  The speaker kept
             rattling on and on about the delights of collecting beer cans.

             --n.  7 clatter, racket, noise; rale or rѓle, crackle,
             crackling; death-rattle:  I heard the rattle of the beans and
             knew you were about to grind the coffee. The doctor said he
             didn't like the rattle in my chest. 8 clapper, sistrum, US
             noise-maker:  Rattles have been used as musical instruments for
             thousands of years.

   rattletrap
             n.  flivver, rattler, Colloq jalopy, tin Lizzie, US Model T:
             This old rattletrap won't get us all the way to Hawkhurst.

   ratty     adj.  1 irritable, cross, testy, touchy, annoyed, crabbed,
             irritated, angry, short-tempered, impatient, disagreeable:  He's
             always ratty in the mornings when he has a hangover.  2 dirty,
             greasy, straggly, unkempt, matted:  His hair was all ratty and
             he hadn't bathed in a month.

   raucous   adj.  harsh, rasping, rough, husky, hoarse, grating, scratching,
             scratchy, discordant, dissonant, jarring; strident, shrill,
             noisy, loud, ear-splitting, piercing:  You could hear Ramsay's
             raucous voice above the others. A raucous scream came from the
             parrot's cage.

   ravage    v.  1 lay waste, devastate, ruin, destroy, demolish, raze,
             wreck, wreak havoc (up)on, damage:  The hurricane ravaged
             outlying areas but did little damage in the city. 2 pillage,
             plunder, despoil, ransack, sack, loot:  The police tried to
             prevent hooligans from ravaging the shops in the town centre.

             --n.  3 Usually, ravages. destruction, damage, depredation(s),
             devastation, wrecking, ruin, demolition:  All about us we saw
             the ravages of war.

   rave      v.  1 rant, rage, storm, fulminate, roar, thunder, howl, yell,
             caterwaul, yowl, bellow, shout, scream, fly off the handle,
             Colloq flip one's top or lid, Slang raise hell:  He kept raving
             on about his coffee mug having been pinched.  2 rave about.
             praise, laud, rhapsodize over, applaud, gush over:  Bernard
             can't stop raving about that new Thai restaurant.

             --n.  3 praise, acclaim, favour, enthusiastic reception,
             tribute, testimonial, encomium, bouquet, plaudits, accolade,
             admiration, US hosanna:  The play got raves in all the
             newspapers when it opened.  4 rage, fashion, vogue, trend,
             thing, last word, dernier cri, craze, mania, Colloq fad:  The
             rave that year was for stiletto heels.  5 party, f€te, soir‚e,
             Colloq do, Slang bash, blow-out, Brit rave-up , US wingding,
             blast:  Monica threw quite a rave to celebrate her new job.

   ravenous  adj.  1 hungry, famished, starving, starved:  We were ravenous
             after the long hike.  2 voracious, gluttonous, greedy,
             insatiable, ravening, swinish, piggish, hoggish, edacious,
             wolfish:  With my family's ravenous appetites, there are rarely
             any leftovers.

   ravine    n.  gorge, canyon or ca¤on, pass, cleft, defile, gully or
             gulley, valley, Brit dialect clough, Scots linn, US gap, gulch,
             arroyo:  At the spring thaw, torrents filled the ravines.

   raving    adj.  1 mad, insane, berserk, raging, crazy, crazed, irrational,
             manic, maniacal, frantic, frenzied, delirious, hysterical; out
             of one's mind or head:  He stood there shouting and screaming,
             like a raving lunatic.  2 extraordinary, outstanding, unusual,
             rare, uncommon, phenomenal, great, striking, ravishing, Colloq
             stunning:  Diana had been a raving beauty in her time.

             --n.  3 Often, ravings. rant, ranting, bombast, pomposity,
             grandiloquence, magniloquence, rodomontade, rhetoric, bluster,
             blustering, claptrap, balderdash, puffery, bunkum, flatulence,
             hyperbole, vapouring, fustian, Colloq hot air, bunk:  Why must
             we be subjected to the ravings of this politician?  4 gabble,
             babble, babbling, gibberish, Colloq gab:  This is nothing more
             than the raving of a maniac.

   ravish    v.  1 enrapture, delight, captivate, enthral, fascinate, charm,
             entrance, spellbind, bewitch, transport:  I was ravished at the
             prospect of seeing you again.  2 rape, violate, have one's way
             with, deflower, defile:  The soldiers attacked the village and
             ravished the women.

   ravishing adj.  dazzling, beautiful, gorgeous, striking, radiant,
             charming, alluring, attractive, entrancing, captivating,
             enthralling, bewitching, spellbinding, Colloq stunning:  Daphne
             was even more ravishing than her sister Diana.

   raw       adj.  1 uncooked, unprepared, fresh:  Many vegetables can be
             eaten raw.  2 unprocessed, untreated, unrefined, unfinished,
             natural, crude:  The raw sugar is shipped to the plant where it
             is refined. The raw statistics revealed that many women had
             refused to respond to the questionnaire. 3 new, inexperienced,
             unseasoned, immature, green, untried, fresh, untrained,
             unskilled, untested:  They sent us raw recruits who had never
             seen battle.  4 exposed, unprotected, uncovered, open; sore,
             tender, inflamed, painful, sensitive:  When he mentioned her
             name, it was as if he had touched a raw nerve. 5 chill, chilly,
             chilling, cold, damp, frigid, freezing, biting, stinging, nippy,
             nipping, sharp, keen, piercing, penetrating:  You should wrap up
             warmly if you're going out in that raw wind.  6 brutal, frank,
             candid, blunt, direct, unvarnished, unmollified, unembellished,
             realistic, honest, plain, unreserved, unrestrained, uninhibited,
             bluff, straightforward:  The producer felt that no domestic
             audience could stomach a raw depiction of the horrors of war.

             --n.  7 in the raw. naked, stark naked, undressed, unclothed,
             nude, in the nude, Brit starkers, Colloq in the buff, in the
             altogether, in one's birthday suit:  For punishment, they made
             us stand outside, in the freezing cold, in the raw.

   raw-boned adj.  gaunt, lean, gangling, thin, skinny, spare, meagre,
             scrawny, underfed, bony, emaciated, half-starved, wasted,
             hollow-cheeked, cadaverous:  They'll take that raw-boned
             youngster into the army and put some meat on him.

   ray       n.  1 beam, shaft, bar, streak, pencil, gleam, flash:  A single
             ray from the setting sun illuminated the head of the statue. 2
             glimmer, trace, spark, scintilla, flicker:  As he had not ben
             rejected outright, there was still a ray of hope that he might
             be accepted.

   raze      v.  tear or pull or bring or knock or throw down, demolish,
             destroy, level, flatten, bulldoze:  As usual, beautiful old
             buildings were razed to make way for a new shopping centre.

18.2 reach...
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   reach     v.  1 Often, reach out. hold out, extend, stretch (out), stick
             out, thrust out, outstretch, outreach:  He reached out his hand
             and graped mine warmly.  2 arrive at, get to, come to, go to,
             end up at or in; land at or in, Colloq make (it to):  I won't
             reach the office till noon today. Have we reached the point of
             no return? 3 get, get in touch with, communicate with, establish
             or make contact with, get through to, get (a) hold of:  I tried
             to reach her at home, but she was out.  4 attain, achieve,
             accomplish, make, get or go to, get or go as far as:  Do you
             think that McClintock will reach the semi-finals?  5 come or go
             or get up to, amount to, attain, climb to, rise to, run to,
             equal, match:  It looks as though the trade deficit might reach
             last year's figure.  6 get through or across to, register with,
             communicate with, reach into the mind of, impress, influence,
             sway, move, stir, carry weight with:  It is very difficult for
             teachers to reach teenagers, who have a natural suspicion of
             adults.

             --n.  7 range, ambit, scope, orbit, compass, sphere, territory:
             Those outlying areas are beyond our reach. Padua is within easy
             reach of Venice. 8 capability, capacity:  Tragedy often occurs
             when one's ambition exceeds one's reach.

   react     v.  1 act, behave, conduct oneself, proceed; retaliate,
             reciprocate, get even:  I wonder how you would have reacted if
             someone had insulted you!  2 respond, answer, reply, retort:
             The crowd reacted to the police presence by becoming very nasty.
             She reacted with surprise on learning of his arrest.

   reaction  n.  1 response, reply, answer, effect, feedback:  Did you get
             any reaction when you told her I had been arrested?  Her
             reaction was to turn over and go back to sleep. 2 repulsion,
             resistance, counteraction, counterbalance, compensation:  A
             rocket derives forward thrust by reaction against its own
             exhaust, hence can operate in a vacuum. 3 retaliation,
             reciprocation, reprisal, revenge:  He shot her in reaction to
             her announcement that she was leaving him.

   reactionary
             adj.  1 (ultra-)conservative, right, rightist, right-wing,
             blimpish; traditionalist; South African verkrampte:  Reactionary
             governments tend to reduce social services.

             --n.  2 (ultra-)conservative, rightist, right-winger, Colonel
             Blimp; traditionalist; South African verkrampte:  As a
             reactionary, he feels that the status quo is fine and change
             unnecessary.

   read      v.  1 peruse, scan, skim, review, study, look over, pore over:
             I have read the article twice but still cannot understand it.  2
             understand, know, be familiar with, comprehend, interpret,
             decipher:  Can you read Greek? Madame Sonja reads tea leaves.  3
             announce, present, deliver:  Anna reads the news on TV at six
             o'clock every evening.  4 read into. assign to, impute (to),
             infer (from), assume (from), presume (from), conclude (from):
             You might be reading too much into that letter of commendation.

   readable  adj.  1 intelligible, comprehensible, understandable, easy to
             understand, easily understood, plain:  Surprisingly, the
             instructions for operating the computer are fairly readable. 2
             entertaining, easy to read, enjoyable, pleasurable, absorbing,
             interesting, engaging, stimulating, worthwhile:  Her latest
             thriller is so readable that I stayed up all night to finish it.
             3 legible, decipherable, distinct:  The print on that microfiche
             is too small to be readable.

   readily   adv.  1 cheerfully, willingly, eagerly, ungrudgingly,
             unhesitatingly, freely, gladly, happily, agreeably, graciously,
             charitably:  He always gave readily of his time to anyone who
             sought his help, and we shall miss him sorely. 2 effortlessly,
             easily, smoothly, without difficulty:  I was able to get the
             wheel off readily enough, getting it back on was the problem. 3
             promptly, quickly, speedily, swiftly, apace, at once, without
             delay, in no time, immediately, instantly, instantaneously,
             instanter, straight away, right away, at or on short notice,
             Colloq pronto:  The police came readily but were unable to catch
             the thieves, who had already escaped.

   readiness n.  1 willingness, cheerfulness, good will, eagerness,
             agreeableness, graciousness:  Her readiness to help marked her
             as truly charitable.  2 promptness, quickness; facility, ease,
             skill, adroitness, expertness, proficiency:  The readiness with
             which he gave expert advice on gardening made him very popular
             with his neighbours. 3 in readiness. See ready, 1, below.

   ready     adj.  1 prepared, (all) set, in readiness, in (proper) shape;
             up, primed, ripe, fit, in condition; Colloq psyched (up):  The
             charge is ready for detonation. I'm ready for a good run in the
             park. Are these apples ready for eating? Are you ready to meet
             the girl of your dreams? 2 agreeable, consenting, acquiescent,
             willing, content, eager, keen, happy, cheerful, genial,
             gracious, cordial, friendly, well-disposed, enthusiastic, Colloq
             game:  Tim was always a ready accomplice to any mischief devised
             by his brother. 3 apt, likely, inclined, disposed, given, prone:
             She was all too ready to believe anything she was told.  4
             about, liable, likely, apt; on the verge of, subject to, in
             danger of, on the brink of, on the point of, close to:  The
             volcano seemed ready to erupt at any moment.  5 prompt, rapid,
             quick, immediate, speedy, swift, punctual, timely:  Alistair
             seems to have a ready answer for everything.  6 clever, keen,
             sharp, agile, deft, skilful, adroit, alert, bright, intelligent,
             perceptive, quick:  It was Carlotta's ready wit that first
             attracted me.  7 on or at or to hand, handy, available,
             accessible, at (one's) fingertips, at the ready, close at hand,
             convenient:  I don't have the ready cash for a new car at the
             moment.

             --n.  8 readies. money, cash, wherewithal:  If you have the
             readies, please pay me what you owe me.  9 at the ready.  a
             waiting, on tap, expectant, in position, poised:  Keep your
             pistol at the ready in case there's trouble.  b See 8, above.

             --v.  10 prepare, make or get ready, set, fit out, equip,
             organize, psych up:  He readied himself as best he could for the
             ordeal.

   ready-made
             adj.  1 ready-to-wear, finished, prefabricated, Brit off the
             peg:  Ready-made clothes fit me better than custom-made.  2
             convenient, expedient, serviceable, usable, handy, useful,
             suitable, adaptable; plausible, credible, believable:  The storm
             provided a ready-made excuse for cancelling the appointment.  3
             stereotyped, stereotypic(al), hackneyed, time-worn, trite,
             stale, conventional, unoriginal, stock, pedestrian, routine,
             run-of-the-mill:  His speeches are always full of ready-made
             clich‚s.

   real      adj.  1 genuine, true, actual, authentic, verified, verifiable,
             legitimate, right, bona fide, official; legal, legitimate,
             licit, natural, valid, veritable:  He says that his name is
             Smith, but what is his real name? Her diamonds are not real. It
             has been proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is the real
             father. 2 genuine, actual, true, existent, authentic, natural;
             material, physical, tangible, palpable, corporeal:  How can one
             distinguish between the real object and what one sees, which is
             merely its image? 3 genuine, sincere, heartfelt, true, actual,
             unfeigned, unaffected, earnest, honest, truthful, legitimate,
             valid:  Deirdre's face is so impassive that it is impossible to
             tell what her real feelings are. What's the real reason that
             you're here? 4 genuine, actual, true, loyal, trustworthy,
             trusted, honest:  You are a real friend, and I know I can count
             on you.  5 intrinsic, actual, true, genuine, proper, essential:
             The њ150 million sale of the company fell significantly below
             its real value.

             --adv.  6 See really, below.

   realistic adj.  1 practical, matter-of-fact, down-to-earth, pragmatic,
             common-sense, sensible, reasonable, level-headed, rational,
             sane, hard-headed, business-like, no-nonsense, unromantic,
             unsentimental, tough, tough-minded, Colloq hard-nosed,
             hard-boiled:  Kevin's realistic grasp of the problems may make
             the company profitable at last. 2 natural, lifelike, true to
             life, naturalistic, vivid, genuine, real, graphic:  This
             painting is so realistic that it looks like a photograph.
             Harriet's description was so realistic that I felt I had
             actually been to Benidorm.

   reality   n.  1 actuality, fact, truth, genuineness, authenticity,
             Aristotelianism entelechy:  It is important to deal with the
             reality not the potentiality of the situation. 2 in reality. See
             really, below.

   realization
             n.  1 conception, understanding, comprehension, apprehension,
             awareness, appreciation, perception, recognition, cognizance:
             Full realization of what he had done finally dawned on him.  2
             actualization, consummation, accomplishment, achievement,
             establishment, fulfilment, materialization, effectuation:  The
             realization of the dream of a united Europe seems possible in
             the last decade of the 20th century.

   realize   v.  1 make real, effect, bring about, make happen, make a
             reality, actualize, accomplish, produce, achieve, fulfil,
             materialize, effectuate:  Many of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions
             were not realized in his lifetime. 2 understand, appreciate,
             comprehend, be aware of, conceive of, grasp, perceive, discern,
             be or become conscious or aware or appreciative of, recognize,
             see, Colloq catch on (to), cotton (on) to, Brit twig:  Did Clare
             fully realize the consequences of her actions?  3 return, gain,
             clear, profit, make, earn, bring or take in, net, produce, get:
             We have realized a substantial profit on the sale of the shares
             bought when the company was privatized.

   really    adv.  1 genuinely, actually, truly, honestly, in reality, in
             actuality, in (point of) fact, as a matter of fact, surely,
             indeed, absolutely, definitely:  Is he really going to do the
             high-wire act without a net?  2 indeed, actually, absolutely,
             unqualifiedly, positively, categorically, unquestionably,
             definitely, undeniably:  She is really the musical one in the
             family.  3 in effect, in reality, actually, in fact, de facto,
             in the end, at bottom, in the final analysis, at the end of the
             day, Colloq deep down:  Despite the sergeant's protests to the
             contrary, it was really Andrews who saved the platoon. 4 very,
             extremely, quite, exceptionally, remarkably, unusually,
             uncommonly, extraordinarily, exceedingly, Non-Standard real:  I
             saw a really good film last night.

   realm     n.  1 domain, kingdom, empire, monarchy, principality,
             palatinate, duchy or dukedom:  They searched the realm for a
             girl whose foot would fit into the glass slipper. 2 territory,
             area, bailiwick, department, responsibility, jurisdiction:
             Collecting taxes is not within the realm of our office.  3 area,
             confines, sphere, limits:  Cooperation with foreign companies is
             certainly well within the realms of possibility.

   ream      v.  drill (out), bore (out), open up, tap:  The carpenter reamed
             three holes in the beam.

   reap      v.  1 harvest, garner, glean, gather (in), mow, take in or up:
             The land was fertile, and a bountiful crop was reaped. As ye
             sow, so shall ye reap. 2 profit, bring in, gain, procure,
             acquire, get, obtain, take in:  It is impossible to reap much
             when there is so small a margin between cost and selling price.

   rear°     n.  1 back (part), end, hind part, Nautical stern, Colloq tail
             (end), fag-end, US and Canadian tag end:  The rear of the column
             was attacked as it marched through the defile. We took seats at
             the rear of the auditorium. 2 hindquarters, posterior, rump,
             buttocks, Colloq bottom, behind, backside, rear end, Slang Brit
             arse, bum, US and Canadian ass, tokus, tochis; Babytalk US and
             Canadian tushie or tushy or tush, hinie:  As he left, he felt
             someone give him a pat on the rear.

             --adj.  3 back, last, end, rearmost, Nautical aft, after, stern:
             The rear window is all misted over. The troop was bringing up
             the rear echelon.

   rearэ     v.  1 raise, bring up, care for, nurture, nurse; cultivate,
             educate, train; breed, produce:  They reared six children in
             that tiny house. Is this where they rear Aberdeen Angus cattle?
             2 erect, raise, build, put up, construct, fabricate, create:
             The family reared an elaborate mausoleum in memory of Lord
             Percy.  3 raise, lift, put up, upraise, uplift, hold up:  He
             said that ‚litism was rearing its ugly head again, and that
             equality of opportunity was proving a myth.

   reason    n.  1 justification, argument, case, explanation, rationale,
             ground(s), pretext, vindication, defence, why (and wherefore),
             Literary apologia, apology:  What reason did they give for
             confiscating our luggage?  2 judgement, common sense,
             intelligence, sanity, sense(s), saneness, insight, perspicacity,
             percipience, understanding, rationality, reasoning, mind,
             intellect:  He must have lost his reason to accuse you of
             embezzlement.  3 purpose, aim, intention, object, objective,
             goal, motive, end, point:  His reason for leaving now is to be
             on time for the curtain.  4 excuse, rationalization:  Ignorance
             of the law is not an accepted reason for breaking it.  5 by
             reason of. because of, on account of, owing to, by virtue of, as
             a result of; due to:  He was declared unfit to stand trial by
             reason of insanity.  6 within or in reason. reasonable,
             sensible, justifiable, rational, fitting, proper, acceptable:
             We will consider any offer for the house that is within reason.

             --v.  7 think, conclude, calculate, reckon, estimate, figure
             (out), work out, deduce, act or think rationally or logically,
             ratiocinate, use (one's) judgement or common sense, use (one's)
             head, put two and two together:  I reasoned that she would be
             arriving at the station at that very moment. Roy certainly
             hasn't lost his powers of reasoning. 8 reason with. argue with,
             remonstrate with, debate with, discuss with, talk over with,
             plead with, convince; persuade, dissuade, urge, prevail upon:
             George is very stubborn and can't be reasoned with.

   reasonable
             adj.  1 sensible, rational, sane, logical, sober, sound,
             judicious, wise, intelligent, thinking:  I had always thought
             Philip a reasonable man.  2 credible, believable, plausible,
             tenable, reasoned, arguable, well-thought-out, well-grounded:
             Her story about having found the child wandering in the street
             doesn't sound very reasonable to me. 3 moderate, tolerable,
             acceptable, within reason, equitable, fair; inexpensive,
             unexcessive, unextravagant, economical, conservative:
             Considering inflation, we thought the price increases were
             reasonable.  4 appropriate, suitable, proper, sensible, right:
             The car was travelling at a reasonable speed, considering
             conditions.

   reasoning n.  1 thinking, logic, analysis, rationalization:  The entire
             argument falls to pieces because of faulty reasoning.  2
             reasons, arguments, premises, rationale, postulate, hypothesis,
             theory, explanation, explication:  His reasoning had no effect
             on her - she simply refused to listen.

   reassure  v.  comfort, encourage, hearten, buoy (up), bolster, cheer,
             uplift, inspirit, brace, support, restore confidence to, set or
             put (someone's) mind at rest, set or put (someone) at ease,
             settle (someone's) doubts:  The minister reassured the public
             regarding the safety of public transport.

   rebate    n.  1 discount, reduction, deduction, allowance, mark-down,
             cut-back, refund, repayment, Colloq US rake-off:  This coupon
             entitles you to a rebate of ten per cent on the purchase of four
             new tyres. 2 kickback, percentage, rake-off, commission, cut,
             bribe, graft, Colloq chiefly US payola, US plugola:  He gets a
             rebate of five per cent on every client he refers to the
             solicitor.

             --v.  3 discount, reduce, deduct, mark down, refund, repay; kick
             back:  Periodicals rebate fifteen per cent of their gross
             advertising revenue to the agencies that place ads.

   rebel     v.  1 revolt, mutiny, rise up:  The people will rebel if
             subjected to more oppression.  2 Often, rebel against. defy,
             flout, dare, challenge; disobey, dissent:  It is in the nature
             of young people to rebel against authority and the status quo.

             --n.  3 revolutionary, revolutionist, insurgent,
             insurrrectionist, mutineer, resister, resistance fighter,
             freedom fighter:  We call ourselves fighters for justice, but
             the unjust call us rebels and traitors. 4 heretic,
             nonconformist, apostate, dissenter, recusant, schismatic:
             James's problem was that he was a rebel without a cause.

   rebellion n.  1 uprising, revolution, mutiny, insurrection, revolt,
             insurgence or insurgency:  Rebellion is the last recourse
             against tyranny.  2 insubordination, disobedience, defiance,
             resistance, rebelliousness, contumacy:  Her rebellion against
             parental authority led her to leave home at sixteen.

   rebellious
             adj.  1 insubordinate, defiant, mutinous, revolutionary,
             contumacious, insurgent, insurrectionary, seditious:  The more
             rebellious students organized mass meetings against the
             university authorities. 2 unmanageable, disobedient,
             incorrigible, ungovernable, unruly, difficult, refractory,
             stubborn, obstinate, recalcitrant:  They resented being treated
             as rebellious children.

   rebirth   n.  renaissance or renascence, revival, renewal, reawakening,
             resurgence, revitalization, resurrection, regeneration,
             rejuvenation, restoration, new beginning, reincarnation;
             metempsychosis, palingenesis:  The 15th century marked the
             rebirth of learning in Europe after the so-called Dark Ages.

   rebound   v.  1 spring back, bounce, recoil, ricochet, resile:  The ball
             rebounded from the goalpost.

             --n.  2 bounce, recoil, ricochet, return, comeback,
             repercussion, backlash, reflex:  Carter caught the ball on the
             rebound.

   rebuff    n.  1 rejection, snub, check, denial, repulse, refusal,
             dismissal, defeat, repudiation, slight, discouragement, Colloq
             cold shoulder, cut, put-down, brush-off, Slang US brush:
             Ellie's friendly approach was met with an abrupt rebuff.

             --v.  2 reject, snub, check, deny, repel, drive away, spurn,
             repulse, refuse, dismiss, defeat, repudiate, slight, ignore,
             send (someone) to Coventry, Colloq give (someone) the cold
             shoulder, cut, put (someone) down, brush (someone) off, give
             (someone) the brush-off, tell (someone) where to go or get off,
             tell (someone) where to get lost, Slang give (someone) his or
             her walking papers, freeze (someone) out , US give (someone) the
             brush, show (someone) the door:  She rebuffed everyone who
             proposed marriage to her, preferring to remain a spinster.

   rebuke    v.  1 scold, reproach, admonish, reprove, reprimand, lecture,
             censure, chide, reprehend, berate, castigate, criticize, take to
             task, upbraid, revile, Colloq dress down, bawl out, give
             (someone) a piece of one's mind, haul (someone) over the coals,
             let (someone) have it, give (someone) hell or what for, tell
             (someone) off, tell (someone) where to get off, Brit carpet,
             tear (someone) off a strip, tick (someone) off, wig, blow
             (someone) up, give (someone) a wigging, US and Canadian rake
             (someone) over the coals, give (someone) the business, chew out:
             The headmaster severely rebuked those boys who had violated the
             school curfew.

             --n.  2 scolding, reproach, admonition, reproof, reprimand,
             lecture, censure, chiding, reprehension, berating, castigation,
             criticism, upbraiding, revilement, tongue-lashing, Colloq
             dressing-down, what for, Brit wigging, blow-up or blowing up,
             Slang hell:  Rawlings was let off with nothing more than a
             rebuke.

   rebut     v.  refute, deny, disprove, confute, invalidate, negate,
             discredit, belie, contradict, controvert, puncture, expose,
             destroy, ruin, devastate, Colloq shoot full of holes, knock the
             bottom out of, shoot down, blow sky-high:  We have all the
             evidence needed to rebut the contention that our client was
             anywhere near the scene of the crime.

   rebuttal  n.  answer, reply, retort, response, rejoinder,
             counter-argument, riposte, retaliation, denial, refutation,
             contradiction, confutation, Colloq comeback:  In rebuttal, the
             defence tried to prove that the witness for the prosecution had
             been bribed.

   recalcitrant
             adj.  stubborn, obstinate, wilful, defiant, refractory,
             headstrong, perverse, contrary, contumacious, mutinous,
             rebellious, fractious, unruly, unmanageable, ungovernable,
             uncontrollable, wayward, insubordinate, intractable,
             unsubmissive, unyielding, unbending, adamant, immovable,
             inflexible, stiff, firm:  Recalcitrant students who refuse to
             obey the rules risk expulsion.

   recall    v.  1 remember, recollect, think back to, reminisce over or
             about, call to mind:  I like to recall the happy days we had at
             Biarritz.  2 withdraw, retract, call back, summon:  The legions
             guarding the frontier provinces were recalled to Rome.  3
             rescind, cancel, annul, nullify, retract, withdraw, revoke,
             recant, take back, call back; disavow, disown, deny:  Despite
             the fact that you might have been hasty, you cannot recall your
             promise.

             --n.  4 memory, recollection, remembering, remembrance:  He had
             a loving and near-photographic recall of their holiday in the
             Alps. 5 withdrawal, recantation, cancellation, revocation,
             annulment, nullification, recision, rescission, retraction,
             repeal, disavowal, denial:  The decision was made without any
             possibility of recall.  6 withdrawal, retraction, return:  The
             manufacturer's recall of the shipment of defective toasters was
             voluntary.

   recant    v.  recall, forswear, deny, rescind, repudiate, disavow,
             disclaim, withdraw, revoke, retract, forsake, abandon,
             apostasize, renounce, abjure, take back:  He was given three
             days to recant: otherwise, he would be executed for heresy.

   recapitulate
             v.  summarize, sum up; repeat, go over (again), reiterate,
             restate, review; recount, enumerate, recite, relate, list,
             Colloq recap:  I shall begin by recapitulating some of the
             issues which I covered in my last lecture.

   recede    v.  1 ebb, subside, fall or go or move back, abate, return,
             withdraw, retreat, back up:  As the flood waters receded, people
             began to go back to their homes. 2 diminish, lessen, decline,
             dwindle, shrink, wane, fade, become more distant or less likely:
             The likelihood of our being rescued receded with each passing
             day.

   receipt   n.  1 sales receipt, register receipt, sales slip, ticket, stub,
             counterfoil, proof of purchase, voucher:  Any request for a
             return or exchange must be accompanied by a receipt. 2 delivery,
             acceptance, reception, arrival:  He has acknowledged receipt of
             the merchandise.  3 receipts. income, proceeds, gate, takings,
             gains, return, Colloq take:  The receipts from ticket sales were
             below expectations.

   receive   v.  1 get, obtain, come by, collect, take (into one's
             possession), accept, be given, acquire, come into, inherit,
             gain, profit, make:  She received a large sum of money from the
             sale of the house.  What will he receive when his aunt dies? 2
             earn, be paid, make, draw, gross, net, clear, pocket, Colloq
             take home, walk off or away with, US pull down:  He receives a
             bigger weekly salary than I make in a year.  3 greet, meet,
             welcome; show in, give entr‚e, let in, admit:  We received our
             guests in the foyer.  4 experience, undergo, endure, suffer,
             bear, sustain, be subjected to, meet with:  In return for
             helping him all I received was a punch in the nose.  5 gather,
             hear, learn, ascertain, be told, be informed or notified of,
             find out, pick up:  We only received the information yesterday
             that you were coming to stay for a month.

   recent    adj.  late, latest, new, just out, brand-new, fresh; current,
             modern, up to date, late-model:  This feature is now supplied as
             standard on all our more recent models. Recent arrivals will be
             interviewed by the committee.

   receptacle
             n.  container, holder, repository; box, tin, can, case, casket,
             chest, reliquary, vessel, bag, basket:  Please put the rubbish
             into the receptacle. She kept the diamond in a velvet-lined
             receptacle which she always carried with her.

   reception n.  1 welcome, greeting, treatment, reaction, response:  My
             suggestion that we open a bottle of champagne met with a warm
             reception. 2 party, levee, social, soir‚e, function; opening,
             preview, vernissage, Colloq do:  Would you like to go to a
             reception at the new art gallery next week?

   receptive adj.  1 open, hospitable, amenable, pervious, persuasible,
             tractable, flexible, pliant, interested, willing, responsive:  I
             have always found Peggy receptive to suggestions on improving
             productivity and efficiency. 2 quick, alert, perceptive, astute,
             intelligent, keen, sharp, bright, sensitive:  Julia has a
             receptive mind.

   recess    n.  1 alcove, niche, nook, cranny, bay, hollow:  The statuette
             fits perfectly in that recess outside the library.  2 respite,
             rest, interlude, time off, break, intermission, breather,
             breathing-spell, pause; holiday, vacation:  A brief recess has
             been scheduled to allow us to relax before continuing. 3
             recesses. innermost reaches, corners, secret places, depths,
             penetralia:  I searched for her name in the recesses of my mind.

   recession n.  set-back, (economic) downturn, slump, decline, dip,
             depression:  The slowing of the economy led to a recession which
             soon deepened into a depression.

   recipe    n.  1 formula, prescription:  Elizabeth gave me a marvellous
             recipe for chocolate cake.  2 plan, procedure, method, approach,
             technique, way, means, system, programme, modus operandi, Colloq
             US MO:  The minister insists that his recipe for conquering
             inflation will work.

   recipient n.  receiver, beneficiary, heir or heiress, legatee:  Who is the
             current recipient of her favours?

   reciprocal
             adj.  mutual, exchanged, returned, complementary, correlative,
             common, shared, joint, requited:  The reciprocal courtesies
             enjoyed among our neighbours benefit us all.

   reciprocate
             v.  repay, recompense, requite, exchange, return, trade, match,
             equal, correspond:  You have always been very kind to me and I
             want to reciprocate in any way I can.

   recital   n.  1 (solo) concert, performance, musicale, presentation, show,
             entertainment:  We have tickets to a recital for that night.  2
             report, narration, account, recitation, description, relation,
             telling, recounting, narrative, rendition, interpretation,
             version, recapitulation, rehearsal, repetition, Colloq recap:  A
             reporter who was on the flight provided us with a recital of the
             events leading up to the crash.

   recitation
             n.  1 reciting, performance, reading, monologue:  At the age of
             four Simon delighted his parents with his recitation of 'The
             Charge of the Light Brigade'. 2 See recital, 2, above.

   recite    v.  1 quote, repeat, present:  In the old days, children were
             often called upon to recite poems they had learned by heart. 2
             report, narrate, recount, relate, tell, describe, detail,
             chronicle, list, share, recapitulate, repeat, Colloq recap:
             Again I recited every particular of the hold-up that I could
             recall.

   reckless  adj.  careless, rash, thoughtless, incautious, heedless,
             foolhardy, imprudent, unwise, injudicious, impulsive,
             irresponsible, negligent, unmindful, foolish, devil-may-care,
             daredevil, wild, breakneck, dangerous, madcap, mad,
             hare-brained:  I won't go with Oliver because he's a reckless
             driver.

   reckon    v.  1 Often, reckon up. calculate, compute, add (up), figure
             (up), tally (up), sum up, total (up), work out or up:  If you
             reckon up the bill, I'll pay it at once.  2 include, count,
             number, enumerate, list, name, consider, account, judge, deem,
             look upon, regard, view, think of, hold, gauge, estimate,
             appraise, value, rank, rate, class:  I have always reckoned
             Arthur as being among my closest friends.  3 suppose, think,
             assume, presume, dare say, venture, imagine, fancy, consider,
             conclude, be of the opinion, US or colloq guess:  She reckoned
             that no one could accuse her of idle chatter.  4 reckon on or
             upon. count on, rely on, depend on, lean on, trust in, take for
             granted, Colloq bank on:  I was reckoning on your help, and I
             hope you won't disappoint me. 5 reckon with.  a settle
             (accounts) with, take care of, look after, see or attend to,
             deal with, handle, pay attention to, think about:  I have to go
             now, but I'll reckon with you later.  b take into account or
             consideration, consider, contemplate, account for, remember,
             bear in mind:  He thought he had got away with it, but he failed
             to reckon with Inspector Harris of the CID.

   reckoning n.  1 counting, calculating, calculation, computation,
             enumeration, addition:  The reckoning of Old Style dates used
             the Julian calendar.  2 bill, account, invoice, US check, Colloq
             chiefly US and Canadian tab:  If you let me have the reckoning,
             I'll pay it with my credit card.  3 (last) judgement,
             retribution, final account(ing) or settlement, doom:  On the day
             of reckoning we must all face the music.

   reclaim   v.  restore, recover, rescue, redeem, salvage, save, regain,
             retrieve, regenerate, rejuvenate:  Much of the farmland was
             reclaimed from the sea.

   recline   v.  lie (down), lie back, lean back, lounge, rest, repose,
             sprawl, loll, stretch out:  Just recline on the sofa and make
             yourself comfortable.

   recluse   n.  hermit, anchorite or anchoress, monk or nun, eremite:  For
             the past ten years, he has been living the life of a recluse.

   reclusive adj.  solitary, lone, secluded, isolated, eremitic(al),
             hermitic, anchoritic, monastic, cloistered, sequestered,
             retiring, shut off:  She insists that she enjoys her reclusive
             existence.

   recognition
             n.  1 identification, detection:  Her recognition of the man on
             TV led to his arrest.  2 acknowledgement, notice, attention,
             cognizance, acceptance, awareness, perception, admission;
             honour, appreciation:  The award was a recognition of his
             contributions to scientific knowledge.

   recognize v.  1 identify, detect, place, recall, remember, recollect, know
             (again):  I recognized him from seeing his picture in the
             newspaper.  2 acknowledge, perceive, understand, realize, see,
             admit, accept, own, concede, allow, grant, appreciate, respect,
             be aware of:  He refuses to recognize that he is responsible for
             his own actions.  3 approve, sanction, endorse, accept,
             validate, ratify:  A totalitarian government refuses to
             recognize the rights of the individual. 4 honour, give
             recognition to, salute, show gratitude or appreciation, reward,
             distinguish, pay respect, do homage:  The society recognizes Dr
             Jackson for his many contributions to science.

   recoil    v.  1 jerk or jump or spring back, start, flinch, wince, shrink,
             blench, balk or baulk, shy (away) (from):  He recoiled when
             confronted with the evidence of the gruesome experiments with
             live animals. 2 rebound, bounce back, resile, kick back:  When
             fired, the gun recoiled, bruising his shoulder.

             --n.  3 kick, rebound, repercussion, backlash:  He was
             unprepared for the violent recoil of the old gun.

   recollect v.  recall, remember, call to mind:  Now that you mention it, I
             do recollect your asking me to buy some milk when I went out.

   recollection
             n.  memory, recall, remembrance, impression, reminiscence:  My
             brother's recollection of our grandparents is quite different
             from mine.

   recommend v.  1 counsel, advise, guide, urge, exhort, suggest, advocate,
             propose, (put) forward, propound, persuade:  He recommended that
             the entire system should be changed.  2 endorse, praise,
             commend, mention favourably, vouch for, second, subscribe to,
             back, push, favour, approve, underwrite, stand up for, support,
             promote, Colloq tout, plug:  I wish Charles would stop
             recommending his brother-in-law for a job with us. 3 make
             attractive or advisable or interesting or acceptable:  Wendover
             has little to recommend it as a tourist spot.

   recommendation
             n.  1 counsel, advice, guidance, urging, exhortation, direction,
             encouragement, suggestion, prompting, advocacy, proposal:  It
             was on your recommendation that we tried that restaurant.  2
             endorsement, praise, commendation, favourable mention, backing,
             blessing, approval, approbation, support, promotion, good word,
             testimonial, say-so:  The chairman of the board gave Caswell's
             brother-in-law his personal recommendation.

   reconcile v.  1 get or bring (back) together, unite, reunite, settle or
             resolve differences between, restore harmony between, make peace
             between, placate, make compatible:  Do you think that a marriage
             counsellor could help reconcile John and Martha? 2 resign,
             submit, accommodate, adjust:  Lady Mary Wortley Montague wrote
             that she was reconciled to being a woman when she reflected that
             she was thus in no danger of ever marrying one.

   reconciliation
             n.  1 conciliation, appeasement, propitiation, pacification,
             placation, rapprochement, reconcilement, understanding, d‚tente,
             reunion, harmony, concord, accord, amity, rapport:  It was with
             great effort that the reconciliation between the two families
             was finally arranged. 2 compromise, settlement, agreement,
             arbitration, conformity, compatibility, adjustment:
             Reconciliation of their differences seems difficult but not
             impossible.

   recondite adj.  abstruse, arcane, obscure, esoteric, deep, profound,
             incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable, undecipherable,
             opaque, dark, occult, cabbalistic or cabalistic or kabbalistic,
             inexplicable, enigmatic:  I have difficulty following the more
             recondite aspects of information theory.

   reconnaissance
             n.  survey, examination, scouting, exploration, reconnoitring,
             investigation, inspection, scrutiny, Slang Brit recce:  Their
             reconnaissance showed that the enemy forces had withdrawn.

   reconnoitre
             v.  survey, examine, scout (out), scan, explore, investigate,
             inspect, scrutinize, check out, check up (on), Slang Brit recce:
             We reconnoitred the territory and reported the enemy troop
             movements.

   record    v.  1 write (down), transcribe, document, register, note, make a
             notation (of), take down, put or set down, log, chronicle,
             report, itemize, list, enumerate:  I recorded the events of the
             day in my diary.  2 tell of, relate, recount, narrate, recite:
             The chronicle records an eyewitness account of the battle.

             --n.  3 recording, report, document, log, journal, memorandum,
             note, notation, minute(s), transactions, archive(s), annal(s),
             chronicle, diary, account, dossier, register, list, catalogue:
             Patricia has kept a careful record of all the men whose books
             she has ever read. 4 documentation, data, information, evidence;
             memorial, memento, souvenir:  There is no record of your birth
             in the church archive. I took away a piece of the Berlin Wall as
             a record of my visit. 5 (best) performance, track record,
             accomplishment; time; distance; height:  Her records for the
             110-metre hurdles and the high jump still stand. 6
             accomplishment(s), deed(s), history, reputation, curriculum
             vitae, CV, Colloq track record:  He has a record of being late
             everywhere. His criminal record is none too savoury. 7 disc,
             recording, album, release, LP (= 'long playing'), 78, 331/3, 45,
             EP (= 'extended play'), maxisingle, compact disc, CD, Brit
             gramophone record, US phonograph record, Colloq single, Slang US
             platter:  We put a jazz combo together and cut a few records
             last year.  8 off the record. confidential(ly), private(ly), not
             for publication, secret(ly), in confidence, unofficial(ly), sub
             rosa:  We cannot publish his statement, which was off the
             record. Off the record, I'll tell you where Hazel is staying.

             --adj.  9 record-breaking, extreme:  Last week we had a record
             snowfall.

   recount   v.  1 relate, narrate, tell, recite, report, communicate,
             impart, unfold:  The old man recounted for us the legend of the
             two-headed lamb.  2 particularize, review, detail, describe,
             enumerate, specify:  Must I recount every particular all over
             again?

   recoup    v.  regain, make good, make up, recompense, repay, recover;
             refund, redeem, reimburse, remunerate:  From his profits on the
             Culpepper deal, he recouped all the losses he had sustained when
             Cranston Ltd failed.

   recourse  n.  1 resort, access, entr‚e, admittance, availability:  They
             are completely isolated and without recourse to help from the
             outside world. 2 resource, backup, reserve, refuge, place to
             turn, alternative, remedy:  The company has no recourse against
             the authorities.

   recover   v.  1 regain, get or take or win or make back (again), recoup,
             repossess, retake, recapture, restore, retrieve, reclaim,
             redeem:  It was impossible to recover the time lost. After a
             fierce battle, the territory was recovered. 2 get well or
             better, recuperate, convalesce, mend, return to health, regain
             one's strength or health, be on the mend, heal, improve, revive,
             rally, take a turn for the better, get back on one's feet, pull
             through:  It took me a week to recover from the operation. Lucy
             had a virus, but she's recovering now. 3 save, salvage, deliver,
             rescue, return, bring back, reclaim, retrieve:  They never did
             recover the gold from the sunken ship.

   recovery  n.  1 recuperation, convalescence, restoration, improvement,
             healing, rally, turn for the better; rise, revival, increase,
             amelioration, bettering, betterment, advance, gain, advance,
             advancement, Colloq pick-up, comeback:  After so serious an
             illness, Bentley has made a remarkable recovery.  Share prices
             staged a recovery after the reduction in interest rates. 2
             retrieval, recouping, repossession, retaking, restoration,
             reclamation; recapture, redemption:  The recovery of the stolen
             gems was credited to excellent detective work. Hard fighting
             resulted in the recovery of the land west of the river. 3
             salvage, delivery, deliverance, rescue, return, saving,
             reclamation, retrieval:  Recovery of the climbers' bodies from
             the ravine was very hazardous.

   recreation
             n.  entertainment, amusement, enjoyment, diversion, distraction,
             fun and games, leisure (activity), pastime, relaxation, sport,
             play:  What do you like to do for recreation? His favourite
             recreation is building model aeroplanes.

   recrimination
             n.  counter-accusation, countercharge, retaliation,
             counter-attack, blaming, aspersion, reprisal:  Recriminations
             for real and imagined ills were continually exchanged throughout
             their marriage.

   recruit   v.  1 draft, induct, enlist, enrol, muster, raise, call up,
             conscript, mobilize, impress, levy:  Owing to the nefarious
             enemy attack, there was little time to recruit men for a strong
             fighting force.

             --n.  2 conscript, trainee, beginner, apprentice, initiate,
             novice, neophyte, tiro or tyro, US draftee, enlistee, Colloq
             greenhorn, rookie:  The new recruits have to be issued with
             their uniforms and other gear.

   rectify   v.  correct, revise, redress, put or set right, cure, repair,
             remedy, improve, emend, fix, adjust, square, ameliorate:  What
             do you intend to do to rectify the damage you have done?

   rectitude n.  propriety, correctness, morality, uprightness, probity,
             virtue, decency, goodness, honesty, integrity, incorruptibility,
             righteousness, principle, good character, respectability,
             unimpeachability:  Fred's unquestioned moral rectitude makes him
             an outstanding candidate for membership.

   recumbent adj.  reclining, lying down, flat on one's back, horizontal,
             lying, reposing, accumbent, decumbent, supine, stretched out;
             leaning (back):  Oscar resumed his recumbent posture, sprawled
             out on the cushions.

   recuperate
             v.  improve, recover, convalesce, get better, rally, revive,
             mend, heal, get back on one's feet, regain one's health, pull
             through, survive, take a turn for the better:  Paul went to
             Ibiza to recuperate from his illness.

   recur     v.  return, happen or occur again, reoccur, repeat, come (back)
             again, reappear:  The condition recurred after a year, and he
             was obliged to have another operation.

   recurrent adj.  repeated, recurring, returning, reoccurring, reappearing,
             frequent, periodic, cyclical, regular, repetitive, repetitious,
             persistent, incessant, continual, intermittent, habitual,
             iterative:  She told the psychiatrist about her recurrent dream
             of flying.

   redeem    v.  1 reclaim, recover, regain, repossess, retrieve, get back,
             buy back, repurchase; pay off, Brit clear:  He went into the
             pawn shop to redeem the gold watch.  2 rescue, ransom, deliver,
             free, save, liberate, set free, emancipate, release:  He was
             able to redeem the boy only after paying the kidnappers.  3
             exchange, cash (in), collect on, trade in:  These coupons must
             be redeemed before the end of the month.  4 rehabilitate, save,
             reform, convert, absolve, restore to favour, reinstate:  She can
             be redeemed only by atoning for her sins.  5 make amends for,
             make up for, atone for, redress, compensate for, offset, make
             restitution for:  Do you think that 200 hours of community
             service was enough to redeem his crime of snatching handbags in
             the shopping centre? 6 perform, fulfil, keep, make good (on),
             discharge, satisfy, abide by, keep faith with, be faithful to,
             hold to, carry out, see through:  Helen is here to redeem her
             promise to help at the charity bazaar.

   red-handed
             adj.  in the (very) act, (in) flagrante delicto, Colloq with
             one's hand in the till, US with one's hand in the cookie-jar:
             There's no doubt that Rick did it - he was caught red-handed.

   redolent  adj.  1 fragrant, sweet-smelling, aromatic, perfumed, odorous,
             scented, savoury:  The entire house was redolent with the odour
             of pine needles.  2 redolent with or of. reminiscent of,
             suggestive of, evocative of, remindful of, characteristic of,
             having the earmarks or hallmark of:  The style of the film is
             redolent of 1930s Hollywood.

   reduce    v.  1 cut (back), cut down (on), decrease, diminish, moderate,
             abate, lessen, shorten, truncate, abbreviate, abridge, curtail,
             crop, trim, compress, restrict, limit, stunt:  We must reduce
             expenses this year.  2 ease (up on), let up (on), decrease,
             mitigate, tone down, slacken up (on):  It will reduce the burden
             of your costs if you share with me.  3 lose weight, slim (down),
             diet, trim down, Chiefly US slenderize:  You'll have to reduce
             to fit into that dress, Betty.  4 change, modify, adjust, turn,
             convert; break down or up, grind, rub, triturate, pulp, powder:
             Payment of the debt reduced me to poverty. The first step is to
             reduce the liquid to a thick extract. 5 cut, decrease, trim,
             bring down, lower, drop, mark down, slash, Colloq knock down:
             The prices on these shoes have been reduced for a quick sale.  6
             demote, degrade, lower, downgrade, break; humble; Military US
             and Canadian bust:  He was reduced in rank from sergeant to
             private.  7 diminish, lessen, bring down, depreciate, subdue,
             belittle, minimize:  He was reduced in her estimation when she
             saw the deprecating way his friends treated him. 8 Medicine set,
             adjust, reset:  The doctor caused little pain when he reduced
             her dislocated finger.

   redundant adj.  1 superfluous, unnecessary, surplus, inessential or
             unessential, non-essential, unneeded, unwanted, de trop, in
             excess, excessive:  He was made redundant at the age of
             forty-five and was unable to find another job. 2 wordy, verbose,
             prolix, over-long, long-winded, repetitious, tautologic(al) or
             tautologous, circumlocutory, roundabout:  The book would be
             improved if certain redundant passages were improved.

   reek      v.  1 stink or smell (to high heaven), Slang Brit pong, hum:
             Allie reeks from cleaning out the stable.  2 smoke, steam:  It
             is because it used to reek so badly that Edinburgh acquired its
             nickname, 'Auld Reekie'.

             --n.  3 stink, stench, fetor or foetor, miasma, mephitis, odour,
             smell, Slang Brit hum, pong:  The reek of rotting vegetation
             permeated the atmosphere.  4 fumes, smoke, steam, vapour,
             exhalation, cloud, mist:  He delighted in the redolent reek that
             arose from the haggis.

   reel      v.  1 stagger, totter, waver, stumble, lurch, falter, roll,
             rock, sway, flounder, pitch:  Chris came reeling down the lane,
             dead drunk.  2 reel off. list, recite, rattle off, enumerate,
             review, itemize, name, read off, call off, run through, run
             over:  Under questioning, the suspect began to reel off the
             names of his accomplices.

   refer     v.  1 Often, refer to. allude to, make reference to, mention,
             make mention of, touch on, bring up, advert to, speak of, turn
             or call or direct attention to, direct to, point to, indicate,
             specify, name, concern, quote, cite, make a note of, take note
             of, note:  A footnote refers to the author's article on
             netsukes.  2 assign, hand over, pass on or over, send, direct,
             commit:  I was referred to your office for information about
             rates. The question will be referred to committee. 3 Usually,
             refer to. look at, use, study, check, consult, resort to, have
             recourse to, turn to, appeal to, confer with; talk to, ask,
             inquire or enquire of, apply to:  For information about words,
             you should refer to a dictionary.  Refer to the departmental
             office for Professor Clarke's address. 4 Usually, refer to.
             mean, signify, denote, say:  What are you referring to?

   reference n.  1 allusion, mention, remark, referral, direction,
             indication, specification, naming, quotation, citation, note,
             notation, notification, hint, intimation, innuendo, insinuation:
             I can't find a reference in any footnote. Few readers make use
             of the bibliographical references in scholarly articles. Her
             persistent references to my baldness embarrass me. 2 regard,
             concern, connection, respect, relation, relevance, pertinence:
             People are selected without reference to race, creed, colour,
             sex, or age. 3 endorsement, recommendation, testimonial,
             certification; credentials:  I relied on my former employer to
             give me a good reference. We shall not be needing to take up
             your references.

   refine    v.  1 purify, cleanse, clear, clarify, decontaminate:  They
             continued to refine the liquid till all the impurities were
             gone. 2 cultivate, civilize, polish, improve, elevate, perfect:
             He is trying to refine his speech by getting rid of his country
             accent. 3 hone, sharpen, concentrate, focus, subtilize:  We
             ought to refine our argument for higher wages before approaching
             the management.

   refined   adj.  1 cultivated, cultured, civilized, polished,
             sophisticated, urbane, elegant, well-bred, genteel, courtly,
             ladylike, gentlemanly, polite, courteous, mannerly,
             well-mannered, gracious, gentle, noble, aristocratic, dignified,
             elevated, Colloq posh:  It is seldom that I find myself in such
             refined company.  2 subtle, discriminating, discerning,
             sensitive, fastidious, nice, precise, exacting, cultured,
             educated, cultivated, knowledgeable, advanced, sophisticated:
             Her taste in the visual arts is fairly refined, but she knows
             little about music. 3 exact, precise, fine, subtle, sensitive,
             nice, sophisticated:  In his poetry one encounters an extremely
             refined use of metaphor.  These new devices are far more refined
             than any previously available. 4 purified, clarified, cleansed,
             pure, clean; distilled:  Only refined chemicals may be used in
             pharmaceuticals.

   refinement
             n.  1 culture, polish, elegance, sophistication, urbanity,
             urbaneness, breeding, cultivation, gentility, propriety,
             courtliness, civility, politeness, politesse, delicacy, tact,
             diplomacy, finesse, suavity, suaveness, taste, tastefulness,
             discrimination, discernment, sensitivity:  He drank thirstily,
             with no pretence at refinement.  2 subtlety, nicety, nuance,
             distinction, detail, fine point, delicacy, minutia;
             fastidiousness, finickiness:  The latest version contains
             refinements that are beyond the appreciation of all but a few. 3
             refining, purification, purifying, clarification, clarifying,
             cleaning, cleansing; filtration, distillation:  The sugar must
             undergo refinement before being sold commercially.  4
             improvement, betterment, bettering, enhancement, development,
             perfection:  She is working on the refinement of her technique
             before performing in public.

   reflect   v.  1 mirror, send or throw back, reproduce, return; echo:  The
             smooth surface of the lake reflected the sunlight. The radio
             waves are reflected and focused by this parabolic dish. 2 show,
             demonstrate, exhibit, illustrate, exemplify, reveal, lay bare,
             expose, display, disclose, bring to light, uncover, point to,
             indicate, suggest, evidence:  They say that your true emotions
             are reflected in your dreams.  His crime reflects the depths of
             depravity to which a person can sink. 3 Often, reflect about or
             on. think (about or over or on), contemplate, muse (about or
             on), consider, ponder (about or over or on), deliberate (on or
             over), ruminate or meditate (about or on or over), cogitate
             (about or on or over); mull over, weigh, evaluate, examine:  I
             was just sitting here reflecting. I was reflecting on what you
             said about wanting to quit your job. 4 reflect on or upon.
             result in, end in, bring, attract, cast, throw:  The success of
             the team reflects credit on the coach.

   reflection
             n.  1 image, echo, Brit reflexion:  Sonar works by detecting the
             reflection of generated sound waves.  2 thought, thinking,
             meditation, meditating, consideration, cogitation, rumination,
             deliberation, deliberating, pondering, study, cerebration:
             After a moment's reflection, I arrived at the same conclusion as
             you had. 3 aspersion, imputation; effect:  Any reflection on his
             reputation might harm his career.  4 result, sign, token,
             symbol, mark; evidence, testimony, testament, proof,
             substantiation, corroboration:  Her tears are a reflection of
             how she feels about having betrayed me.

   reflective
             adj.  reflecting, thoughtful, pensive, contemplative,
             meditating, musing, meditative, cogitating, cogitative,
             ruminating, deliberative, deliberating, pondering:  I found Alan
             in a reflective mood, staring out of the window.

   reform    v.  1 improve, better, ameliorate, meliorate, emend, rectify,
             correct, mend, repair, fix, remedy, redo, revise, revolutionize,
             rehabilitate, remodel, refashion, renovate, reorganize, rebuild,
             recover:  The first thing to be done was to reform the political
             system.  2 mend one's ways, turn over a new leaf, Colloq go
             straight:  After three convictions in as many years, there
             seemed little chance that he would reform.

             --n.  3 improvement, betterment, amelioration, melioration,
             emendation, rectification, correction, rehabilitation, change,
             modification, perestroika, reorganization, renovation, recovery:
             Many believe that prison reform would reduce crime by second
             offenders.  The many reforms introduced by the president were
             condemned by hard-line party members.

   reform school
             n.  Brit youth custody centre, CHE (= 'community home (with
             education on the premises')), Formerly Borstal, approved school,
             US reformatory:  He was sent to a reform school because of his
             persistent misbehaviour.

   refrain°  v.  1 Usually, refrain from. keep (from), forbear, abstain
             (from), eschew, avoid:  Whatever you do, refrain from whistling
             on board his boat.  2 stop, cease, give up, discontinue, desist,
             quit, leave off, renounce:  You must refrain from calling the
             headmaster, 'Pops', even if he is your father.

   refrainэ  n.  melody, song, tune, chorus, burden, reprise:  It was one of
             those long boring folk songs with a refrain that we were all
             supposed to join in.

   refresh   v.  1 enliven, renew, revive, freshen (up), resuscitate, bring
             back to life, breathe new life into, invigorate, vitalize,
             energize, brace, fortify, exhilarate, revitalize, reinvigorate,
             reanimate:  I felt fully refreshed after a short nap.  2 arouse,
             rouse, awaken, waken, reawaken, stimulate, jog, prod, activate:
             Would you mind refreshing my memory as to when and where we last
             met? 3 fix up, repair, redo, revamp, overhaul, spruce up,
             recondition, renovate, refurbish, refurnish; renew, restock,
             restore:  All the rooms in the hotel have been recently
             refreshed. We took the opportunity of the ship's arrival to
             refresh our supplies.

   refreshing
             adj.  invigorating, stimulating, bracing, exhilarating, fresh,
             inspiriting, fortifying, tonic, like a breath of fresh air,
             rejuvenating, enlivening, vitalizing, revitalizing; cooling,
             thirst-quenching, slaking:  It's refreshing to be around young
             people. I would love a cool refreshing glass of beer right now.

   refreshment
             n.  1 Usually, refreshments. nourishment, nutriment, sustenance,
             restorative, food, drink(s), edibles, eatables, bite, snack(s),
             titbit(s), Slang grub, eats, chow, nosh:  Will they be serving
             refreshments after the meeting?  2 stimulation, invigoration,
             exhilaration, tonic, rejuvenation, enlivenment, revival,
             restoration, renewal, resuscitation, fortification,
             reinforcement:  The library provides an oasis of mental
             refreshment.

   refrigerate
             v.  cool, chill, keep cool or cold or chilled, ice, freeze:  The
             souffl‚ must be refrigerated for three hours to allow it to set.

   refuge    n.  1 sanctuary, shelter, haven, asylum, protection, cover,
             retreat, harbour, security, safe house, stronghold, citadel,
             bolt-hole, hideaway, hide-out, Colloq hidy-hole or hidey-hole:
             The abandoned mine served as a refuge from the storm.  2 excuse,
             pretext, resort, recourse, ruse, trick, stratagem, subterfuge,
             dodge, evasion, expedient:  Patriotism is often the last refuge
             of a scoundrel.

   refugee   n.  fugitive, runaway, escapee, displaced person, DP, exile,
             ‚migr‚:  The problem of the refugees was most acute after the
             war.

   refurbish v.  restore, refurnish, redecorate, clean (up), polish, renew,
             renovate, spruce up, remodel, refit, overhaul, repair,
             recondition, revamp, rebuild, Colloq do up, US fix up:  The
             person who bought the house refurbished it completely, at
             enormous expense.

   refusal   n.  1 denial, rejection, disapproval, turn-down:  She pleaded
             against the grand vizier's refusal to grant amnesty to her
             brother. 2 option, choice, privilege, disposal:  We were
             promised first refusal on the house should it come on the
             market.

   refuse°   v.  1 decline, reject, spurn, repudiate, turn down, rebuff, give
             (something) the thumbs down, US turn thumbs down on, Colloq pass
             by or up:  They refused our application to build a hotel here.
             Did he actually refuse a knighthood? 2 deny, deprive (of),
             withhold, disallow, not allow or permit:  They refused me my
             right to vote.

   refuseэ   n.  rubbish, sweepings, waste, litter, dust, dirt, dregs, dross,
             garbage, debris, detritus, cast-offs, junk, Chiefly US trash:
             Refuse collection is scheduled for once a week.

   regal     adj.  1 royal, kingly, queenly, princely, fit for or befitting a
             king or queen, noble, lordly, sovereign, majestic, imperial,
             stately, splendid, magnificent, grand, resplendent, palatial,
             exalted:  The regal throne was decorated with gold and precious
             stones.  2 disdainful, haughty, proud, scornful, contumelious,
             contemptuous, derisory, derisive, pompous, lordly:  She was
             dismissed with a regal wave of the hand.

   regale    v.  entertain, amuse, delight, divert, indulge, please, gratify,
             captivate, fascinate, entrance, enchant, spellbind, bewitch,
             charm, enrapture:  She regaled them with entertaining tales of
             her travels.

   regalia   n.  finery, decorations, insignia, emblems, accoutrements,
             furnishings, apparatus, gear, paraphernalia, trappings, tackle,
             appurtenances, equipment, equipage:  The Bishop was dressed in
             full regalia with mitre and crook.

   regard    v.  1 view, look at or upon or on, observe, note, notice, watch,
             eye, keep an eye on, gaze at or upon, stare at:  The children
             regarded the magician's performance with great interest.  2
             contemplate, consider, perceive, view, look upon or on, treat:
             The lion looked at me as if he regarded me as his dinner. Smith
             appears to regard his appointment as treasurer as a licence to
             steal. 3 respect, esteem, value:  Gwen's friends regard her very
             highly indeed.  4 consider, view, look upon or on, think (of),
             judge, deem, rate, believe (to be), gauge, see, pay heed or
             attention to, esteem, account, take into account, imagine,
             reckon, evaluate:  I don't regard her as a likely suspect. He
             regards his professor as his mentor. 5 concern, relate to, be
             relevant to, pertain to, apply to, refer to, affect, have (a)
             bearing on, bear on or upon, involve, have to do with, go for:
             Our discussion regarded the disappearance of њ10 from petty
             cash.

             --n.  6 reference, relation, relevance, relevancy, association,
             pertinence, application, bearing, connection, link, tie-in:  We
             would like to talk to you with regard to your application for
             the post of assistant editor. 7 respect, consideration,
             attention, reverence, veneration, awe, deference, honour,
             favour, esteem, high opinion, approval, approbation,
             appreciation, admiration, affection, fondness:  They have no
             regard for the law.  8 point, particular, respect, aspect,
             detail, matter:  In this regard, I must take your past record
             into consideration.  9 care, concern, thought, consideration,
             respect, sympathy, feeling, sentiment; heed, attention, notice,
             mind:  The police behave as if they have no regard for the
             safety of the hostages. This work reflects the artisan's regard
             for detail. 10 regards. best wishes, good wishes, compliments,
             greetings, respects, salutations, Archaic devoirs:  Please give
             my regards to your father.

   regarding adj.  concerning, about, respecting, with regard to, with
             respect to, with reference to, on or in the matter of,
             pertaining to, on the subject of, apropos, re, Law in re,
             Archaic or Scots anent, Dialect anenst:  We have received your
             letter regarding poor service. Regarding your claim, the
             processing of it has been delayed because you failed to sign the
             form.

   regardless
             adj.  1 Sometimes, regardless of. despite, notwithstanding; in
             spite of, heedless of, Non-Standard irregardless:  Regardless of
             her father's protestations, she continued to go out with
             William.

             --adv.  2 notwithstanding, nevertheless, no matter what, in any
             event, in any case, at all events, anyway, anyhow, Non-Standard
             irregardless:  She heard his threats but is going out with
             William regardless.

   regime    n.  r‚gime, regimen, reign, government, rule, regulation,
             administration, direction, order, leadership, management,
             system, discipline:  Persistent offenders were given harsh
             penalties under the new regime.

   regiment  v.  discipline, order, organize, systematize, whip into shape,
             standardize, regulate, control:  I dislike the way management
             regiments people in this establishment, as if they were
             schoolchildren.

   region    n.  1 district, area, zone, territory, division, locality,
             sector, section, tract, part, dominion, precinct, province,
             quarter, department:  Each region is under the suzerainty of a
             powerful dictator.  2 sphere, territory, domain, province,
             field, ambit, pale, jurisdiction, bailiwick:  She is an expert
             in the region of climatology.

   register  n.  1 record, roll, roster, rota, catalogue, annal(s),
             archive(s), journal, daybook, diary, appointment book, calendar,
             chronicle, schedule, programme, directory, ledger, file, index,
             inventory, list, listing, poll, tally,:  The council holds a
             register of all houses sold since 1900 with the names of both
             sellers and buyers. 2 cash register, till, money box, cash-box:
             The money in the register does not agree with the figures for
             receipts.

             --v.  3 record, write or jot or take or put or set down, list,
             enrol, sign in or on or up, enter, catalogue, log, index,
             chronicle, note, make or take note (of):  All transactions must
             be registered.  4 show, display, express, indicate, manifest,
             reveal, betray, divulge, record, reflect:  James pretended to
             like my book, but his contempt for it was registered on his
             face. 5 make known, inform of, advise, transmit, communicate,
             record, note, make note of, report, write down, minute:  I wish
             to register my disapproval of the way prisoners are treated
             here. 6 check in, sign in or on, log in:  In the US, all aliens
             are required to register each year in January.  We registered in
             the hotel as man and wife. 7 Sometimes, register with or on.
             sink in, impress, become apparent (to), make an impression (on),
             come home (to), get through (to); dawn on or upon, occur to:  I
             heard what you said, but it just didn't register. The name
             didn't register with me at first, but I now know who you are. 8
             indicate, read, mark, represent, measure, point to, specify,
             exhibit, show, manifest:  The earthquake registered 7 on the
             Richter scale.

   regret    v.  1 rue, mourn, lament, bemoan, bewail, repent, be or feel
             sorry for, feel remorse for, feel or be remorseful over, be or
             feel upset, never forgive oneself, deplore, deprecate, weep or
             cry over:  You will regret speaking to me that way! The
             management regrets any inconvenience caused by the redecoration
             of the restaurant.

             --n.  2 Sometimes, regrets. repentance, guilt, sorrow,
             disappointment, contrition, remorse, regretfulness, (pang or
             pangs of) conscience, self-reproach, self-condemnation, qualm,
             second thoughts, rue, ruefulness, grief, woe, sadness,
             mournfulness, Literary dolour:  He felt no regret for his evil
             deeds. Do you ever have any regrets over the way you treated
             him? 3 regrets. refusal, non-acceptance, non-consent, US
             turn-down:  Thank you for the invitation, but I must tender my
             regrets.

   regretful adj.  rueful, mournful, sad, repentant, guilty, sorry,
             sorrowful, disappointed, contrite, remorseful, apologetic,
             penitent:  He was most regretful for the way he had behaved.

   regrettable
             adj.  lamentable, deplorable, woeful, sad, distressing,
             upsetting, unhappy, unfortunate, unlucky, too bad, awful,
             terrible, execrable, reprehensible, wrong, shameful, shaming,
             Colloq tough, rough:  It is regrettable that he had the car
             crash, but he had been warned about drinking and driving.

   regular   adj.  1 routine, ordinary, common, everyday, customary,
             accustomed, wonted, commonplace, normal, usual, traditional,
             time-honoured, conventional, typical, habitual, natural,
             familiar, standard, predictable, scheduled, fixed, unvarying,
             invariable, methodical:  The attack occurred while Eric was
             taking his regular evening stroll. 2 scheduled, routine,
             systematic, ordered, steady, consistent, rhythmic(al),
             automatic, uniform, periodic, cyclic(al); hourly, daily, weekly,
             hebdomadal, semi-weekly, biweekly, fortnightly, semi-monthly,
             monthly, bimonthly, seasonal, quarterly, semi-annual, annual:
             The patrol made their regular rounds, as usual. The printers'
             strike might delay regular publication of the magazine. 3
             symmetrical, uniform, even, even-sided, equal-sided,
             equilateral, equal-angled, equiangular; harmonious:  Any
             six-sided plane figure is a hexagon, but if it has six equal
             angles and six sides equal in length, it is a regular hexagon. 4
             undistorted, even, well-proportioned, proportional, symmetrical,
             classic:  He was classically good-looking, with regular
             features.  5 even, smooth, level, straight, uniform,
             uninterrupted, unvarying, continuous, flat, plane, plumb:  The
             surface of the wing is regular except for the spoilers.  6
             dependable, methodical, (well-)regulated, (well-)ordered,
             orderly; proper, correct, legal, official, bona fide,
             legitimate, established, recognized, orthodox, approved, Colloq
             kosher, OK or okay:  Everything about the council election was
             entirely regular.  7 usual, expected, normal, habitual,
             accustomed, familiar:  Our regular doctor was on holiday, and we
             had to see a locum.  8 acceptable, accepted, estimable, fine,
             good, likeable, popular, pleasant:  We all consider Bob to be a
             regular fellow and a friend.  9 complete, utter, thoroughgoing,
             unmitigated, unalloyed, unqualified, consummate, perfect,
             thorough, absolute, well-known, acknowledged:  The man is a
             regular dunce when it comes to repairing cars.  10 permanent,
             career:  She's in the regular navy.  11 conventional, usual,
             common, conformable, ordinary, systematic, Colloq US ruly:
             Regular English verbs form their past by the addition of -d or
             -ed to the infinitive.

             --n.  12 fixture, habitu‚, (steady) customer, patron, client,
             frequenter:  Jan has been a regular at the Star and Garter pub
             for years.

   regularity
             n.  1 consistency, constancy, uniformity, evenness, sameness,
             symmetry, balance, harmony, harmoniousness, orderliness, order,
             stability, predictability:  To the casual observer, nothing
             interferes with the regularity of planetary movement. 2 routine,
             reliability, dependability, steadiness, invariability; pace,
             rhythm, cadence:  Mr Warbridge listens to the six o'clock
             evening news with unfailing regularity. Our business depends on
             the regularity of the postal service.  The regularity of the
             ticking of the clock is driving me mad.

   regulate  v.  1 adjust, modify, modulate, control, balance, set, fix,
             order, govern, organize, maintain, manage:  The mixture of air
             and fuel in modern cars is regulated by an injection system. The
             responsibility of this department is to regulate prices. 2
             control, monitor, govern, run, operate, administer, handle,
             guide, steer, conduct, direct, supervise, superintend, oversee,
             manage:  The foreman's job is to regulate the work on the
             assembly line.

   regulation
             n.  1 adjustment, modification, modulation, control, balance,
             balancing, setting, fixing, organization, maintenance:  The
             regulation of the temperature is accomplished by the thermostat.
             2 rule, ruling, law, code, by-law or bye-law, edict, order,
             ordinance, statute, decree, directive, dictate:  There are
             strict regulations governing the sale, disposal, and movement of
             radioactive materials. 3 edict, ukase, pronouncement, fiat,
             (papal) bull, proclamation:  A regulation was issued against
             meetings of more than five people.

             --adj.  4 standard, accepted, official, required, prescribed,
             mandatory:  The soldier was not wearing a regulation uniform.  5
             usual, normal, ordinary, customary, typical:  If you use
             anything but regulation accessories, the guarantee will be null
             and void.

   regurgitate
             v.  vomit, disgorge, return one's dinner, spew up, (of birds of
             prey) cast; retch, gag; Colloq throw up, upchuck, Slang puke, US
             spiff one's biscuits, barf:  The child regurgitated its dinner
             all over the inside of the car.

   rehabilitate
             v.  1 restore, save, reclaim, rescue, redeem, re-establish,
             reinstate, re-educate, reorient, reform, US straighten out,
             Colloq US rehab:  They have had marked success at rehabilitating
             criminals.  2 renew, redecorate, renovate, refurbish, restore,
             fix (up), repair, reconstruct, rebuild, change, transform:  Sam
             has plans to rehabilitate vintage cars for a living.

   rehash    v.  1 rework, go over again, restate, redo, rearrange,
             reshuffle, reuse:  Heverton has nothing new to offer - he just
             keeps on rehashing the same old material.

             --n.  2 reworking, restatement, redoing, rearrangement,
             reshuffle, reshuffling, reuse, rewording:  Her speech was a mere
             rehash of what she's said scores of times already.

   rehearsal n.  1 practice, exercise, dry run, drill, run-through,
             read-through, dress rehearsal, Technical undress rehearsal:  Is
             there a rehearsal of the school play scheduled for tonight?  2
             narration, recounting, relation, recital, telling, description,
             enumeration, account, repetition, repeat:  Do we have to listen
             to yet another rehearsal of your great-uncle's exploits in the
             war?

   rehearse  v.  1 practise, exercise, run through, read through, study,
             repeat:  Sorry, Annie, but we are going to have to rehearse the
             scene till you get it right. 2 repeat, relate, recite, tell,
             describe, recount, review, go through or over, review, report,
             recapitulate, Colloq recap:  I shall go mad if I hear him again
             rehearse the events leading up to the final acceptance of his
             novel.

   reign     n.  1 rule, sovereignty, ascendancy, power, hegemony, influence,
             command, suzerainty, administration, jurisdiction, leadership,
             government, direction, control, domination, mastery; kingdom,
             monarchy, empire:  During her reign, the kingdom saw its
             greatest prosperity.

             --v.  2 rule, control, command, govern, lead, direct, dominate,
             supervise, manage, hold sway, wear the crown, wield the sceptre,
             occupy the throne, Colloq run the show, rule the roost, Slang
             call the shots:  During the sixth Egyptian dynasty, Pepi II
             Nefektare reigned for 94 years, the longest in recorded history.
             3 prevail, be or become prevalent, predominate, hold sway,
             obtain, be or become rampant, be or become universal:  An
             argument broke out, which developed into a fist fight, and soon
             pandemonium reigned.

   reimburse v.  repay, recompense, refund, pay back, compensate, remunerate,
             indemnify:  Don't worry - we'll reimburse you for any money you
             spent.

   rein      n.  1 check, curb, control, restraint, constraint, limitation,
             harness, bridle, brake:  You are going to have to put a rein on
             your expenses.  2 reins. control, command, control,
             administration, running, leadership, power, rule, tiller, helm:
             He should hand over the reins to a younger person.

             --v.  3 rein in. check, curb, control, restrain, limit, harness,
             bridle, restrict, pull back on:  You will have to rein in your
             passions: it is not becoming to behave in this way at your age.

   reinforce v.  strengthen, buttress, bolster, support, fortify, prop (up),
             shore up, augment, brace, stay, steel:  The bookshelf needs to
             be reinforced with another bracket, or it'll fall down.

   reinforcement
             n.  1 buttress, support, prop, brace, stay, bolster:  This iron
             reinforcement ought to be strong enough to secure the wall. 2
             strengthening, buttressing, bolstering, shoring (up),
             augmentation, bracing:  This shelf is wobbly and in need of
             reinforcement.  3 reinforcements. reserves, auxiliaries, men,
             soldiers, forces, personnel:  We cannot hold out till
             reinforcements arrive.

   reiterate v.  repeat, restate, iterate, labour, harp on, dwell on, rehash,
             recapitulate, Colloq recap:  I must reiterate my warning to you
             to be careful.

   reject    v.  1 decline, refuse, disallow, spurn, veto, turn down, give
             (something) the thumbs down, set aside, US turn thumbs down
             (on); deny, repudiate, renounce, rebuff, shun, brush aside, turn
             a deaf ear to, will not hear of:  Jim has rejected my plan for a
             holiday in Torremolinos. She rejects any suggestion that she
             might be wrong. 2 refuse, repel, repulse, spurn, rebuff, say no
             to, turn down, decline, brush aside; jilt, drop, dismiss, throw
             over, give (someone) the cold shoulder, show (someone) the door,
             send (someone) away or on his or her or their way, turn one's
             back on, Slang give (someone) the brush-off or US also the
             brush, give (someone) his or her walking papers, Brit give
             (someone) the boot:  Ted proposed, but Alice rejected him.  3
             throw away or out, discard, disown, jettison, eliminate, scrap,
             Colloq junk, scratch:  The inspector rejects all defective
             merchandise.

             --n.  4 second, irregular, discard, cast-off:  The rejects are
             sold at reduced prices in the factory shop.

   rejection n.  refusal, denial, repudiation, rebuff, dismissal, spurning,
             renunciation, turn-down; cold shoulder, Slang brush-off or US
             also brush, the (old) heave-ho:  The union voted for the
             rejection of management's offer of a 9.2 per cent increase. Her
             advances were met with rejection.

   rejoice   v.  delight, exult, glory, celebrate, revel, be happy or
             delighted or pleased or overjoyed or elated or glad, Colloq be
             tickled (pink):  We all rejoiced to be home once again after the
             ordeal.

   rejuvenate
             v.  restore, refresh, reinvigorate, revitalize, revivify, renew,
             reanimate, regenerate, recharge, breathe new life into:  I think
             a week in Barbados would rejuvenate me.

   relapse   v.  1 get back, backslide, fall back, lapse, slip back, regress,
             retrogress, recidivate; go back, return, retreat, revert:
             Lottie has relapsed into her bad habits.  2 decline,
             deteriorate, weaken, degenerate, fail, fade, sink, sicken,
             worsen, get or become worse:  Just when we thought he was
             improving, he relapsed into a coma and died.

             --n.  3 backsliding, falling or going back, lapse, lapsing,
             return, returning, reversion, reverting, regression, regressing,
             retrogression, retrogressing, recidivism, apostasy:  The
             church's main concern was a relapse into idolatry.  4 decline,
             deterioration, weakening, degeneration, failing, failure,
             fading, sinking, worsening:  Barry was getting better but has
             now suffered a relapse.

   relate    v.  1 associate, connect, couple, link, tie, ally, correlate,
             coordinate:  Volta first enabled us to relate the forces of
             chemistry and electricity.  2 recount, narrate, tell, report,
             present, describe, recite, detail, set forth, communicate,
             divulge, impart, reveal, delineate, make known, give an account
             of, rehearse:  It was not till years later that Olivia related
             to me the strange events of that night. 3 apply to, coordinate
             with, respect, regard, bear upon or on, have a bearing on, have
             reference to, have to do with, pertain to, refer to, appertain
             to, belong with or to:  Does your comment really relate to the
             matter in hand?  4 Often, relate to. be in or en rapport with,
             understand, empathize, sympathize, communicate with, identify
             with, grasp, comprehend, be in tune with, deal with, handle,
             cope with, Colloq dig, tune in to, be hip to, be turned on to,
             be or get into:  I have been having trouble relating to my new
             psychiatrist. Your favourite music is reggae? - Man, I can
             relate to that.

   related   adj.  1 associate(d), affiliate(d), connected, coupled, linked,
             tied up, allied, correlated, coordinate(d), interconnected,
             interrelated, interdependent, mutual, reciprocal, common, joint,
             cognate:  She and her husband work for related companies.  2
             kin, kindred, consanguineous, cognate, agnate; akin:  Just how
             are you two related? Are you cousins?

   relation  n.  1 relationship, connection, affiliation, association,
             bearing, link, tie, tie-in, reference, pertinence,
             interconnection, interdependence, correspondence, kinship:  The
             relation between time and money is rarely disputed these days.
             2 kinship, relationship:  Just what is your relation to this
             lady?  3 relative, kinsman or kinswoman, blood relative, in-law,
             family member:  Is she a relation of yours?  4 narration,
             narrative, telling, recounting, description, report, recital,
             recitation, delineation, portrayal, story, recapitulation:  She
             amused them all with her relation of what had happened to her
             that night. 5 in relation to. concerning, about, regarding,
             respecting, pertaining to, with regard to, with respect to,
             referring to, with reference to, on or in the matter or subject
             of, apropos, re, Archaic or Scots anent, Dialect anenst:  I
             should like to talk to you in relation to the matter of company
             expenses. 6 relations.  a sexual intercourse, coitus, sex,
             criminal conversation; carnal knowledge:  It is well known that
             he had relations with his secretary.  b dealings, intercourse,
             link(s), association(s), liaison, relationship, Colloq doings,
             truck:  We have no relations with that company.

   relationship
             n.  See relation, 1, 2, above.

   relative  adj.  1 related, connected, associated, allied, affiliated,
             interconnected, interrelated, pertinent, relevant, germane,
             applicable; apropos:  Your comments are not relative to the
             matter at hand.  2 Sometimes, relative to. comparative,
             comparable, proportionate, proportional, commensurate; analogous
             to, contingent on, dependent on, reliant on, conditioned by,
             subject to, attendant on, correspondent or corresponding to,
             provisional on, appurtenant to; subordinate to, ancillary to:
             Well, as they say, everything is relative. Relative humidity
             depends on the temperature of the air. The yield is relative to
             the effort.

             --n.  3 See relation, 3, above.

   relatively
             adv.  more or less, somewhat, comparatively, rather, to some
             degree or extent:  Business has been relatively quiet lately.

   relax     v.  1 loosen, let go, release, let up (on), relieve, ease,
             reduce, moderate, slacken, remit, Colloq ease up on, slacken up
             on:  He relaxed his grip on the rope and fell to his death on
             the rocks below. 2 diminish, decrease, lessen, reduce, abate,
             weaken, mitigate, modify, tone down, moderate, modulate, lighten
             (up on), check, temper, curb:  We must not relax our vigilance.
             I hope that they don't relax the regulations concerning smoking
             in the office. 3 ease up, slow down, loosen up, put one's feet
             up, rest, unbend, Colloq take it easy, unwind:  Why not come for
             a weekend and relax a bit?  4 calm down, cool down, quiet down,
             stay calm, cool and collected, Colloq take it easy, Slang cool
             it:  You ought to relax and not get so excited.

   relaxation
             n.  1 ease, repose, rest, leisure, recreation, amusement,
             entertainment, fun, pleasure, diversion, Colloq R and R ('rest
             and relaxation'):  For relaxation we usually charter a boat and
             go sailing.  2 easing (up or off), relief, alleviation,
             abatement, diminution, lessening, mitigation, moderation,
             slackening, remission, weakening, letting up, Colloq let-up:
             What do you think about the proposed relaxation of the laws
             against pornography?

   relaxed   adj.  nonchalant, easygoing, calm, peaceful, tranquil, serene,
             pacific, carefree, insouciant, blas‚, languorous, languid,
             devil-may-care, free and easy, happy-go-lucky, mellow, at ease,
             composed, cool:  Richard takes a relaxed view of life.

   release   v.  1 let go, (set) free, liberate, (set or let or turn) loose,
             unloose, untie, unchain, unfetter, unshackle, deliver, let out,
             disenthral, discharge, let off, emancipate, manumit, rescue,
             save:  They kept up a strenuous campaign until all the political
             prisoners were released. 2 issue, publish, make available, put
             out, pass out, hand out, come out with, circulate, distribute,
             disseminate; launch, unveil, present:  The government refuses to
             release information that is considered harmful to its interests.
             The band's new album will be released tomorrow.

             --n.  3 freeing, releasing, liberating, loosing, unloosing,
             delivering, emancipating, manumitting, rescuing, saving,
             freedom, liberation, deliverance, discharge, emancipation,
             manumission, rescue, remission, salvation:  The release of the
             prisoner is scheduled for noon. It would be a great release to
             be rid of housework. 4 press or publicity release, announcement,
             publicity, notice, story, report:  The press office sent out a
             release to the media about Randolph's appointment.

   relegate  v.  1 consign, banish, exile, transfer, dispatch or despatch:
             Owing to his disagreement with the Foreign Office, Kendall was
             relegated to some outpost in the Indian Ocean. 2 downgrade,
             demote:  I fear that Corporal Jones has been relegated to
             private.  3 assign, commit, hand over, refer, transfer, pass on:
             She relegates most of her everyday correspondence to her
             secretary for reply.

   relent    v.  relax, soften, yield, give, give way or ground, bend,
             comply, acquiesce, compromise, capitulate, come round, be
             merciful, show pity or compassion, melt, show mercy, succumb:
             They finally relented and allowed me to have visitors.

   relentless
             adj.  1 unyielding, inexorable, unstoppable, unrelenting,
             dogged, implacable, inflexible, unbending, unmoving, unmoved,
             unrelieved, stiff, hard, stiff-necked, rigid, obstinate,
             adamant, obdurate, intransigent, determined, unswerving,
             undeviating, intractable, persevering, steely, tough,
             intransigent, unsparing, uncompromising, pitiless, unforgiving,
             ruthless, merciless, cruel, unmerciful, remorseless:  The novel
             is about the relentless horde of Mongols that swept across
             Europe in the 13th century. 2 non-stop, persistent, incessant,
             unrelenting, unremitting, unstoppable, perpetual, unfaltering,
             unfailing, unflagging, unrelieved, unabated, unrelieved,
             unbroken, continual, continuous, ceaseless, constant, unceasing,
             steady, habitual, regular:  Won't you ever stop your relentless
             nagging?

   relevance n.  relevancy, appropriateness, aptness, pertinence, bearing,
             connection, affinity, tie-in, relation, significance,
             suitability, suitableness, applicability, application,
             applicableness:  What you just said has no relevance whatsoever
             to the issue under discussion.

   relevant  adj.  pertinent, appropriate, apt, related, relative,
             significant, suited, applicable, fitting, proper, germane, akin,
             allied, associated, apposite, to the point:  Alan's suggestion
             is not strictly relevant to our plans.

   reliable  adj.  dependable, trustworthy, honest, trusty, trusted,
             principled, conscientious, punctilious, honourable, credible,
             believable, safe, sure, certain, secure, sound, responsible,
             predictable, stable, unfailing, infallible, reputable:  Would a
             reliable employee like Susan abscond with the money?

   reliance  n.  confidence, trust, faith, dependence:  You may be placing
             too much reliance on the smoke alarm.

   relic     n.  1 memento, keepsake, memorial, remembrance, souvenir,
             heirloom, token, artefact or artifact:  It has been argued again
             and again that the Turin shroud, though old, is not a genuine
             relic of Christ. 2 remains; fragment, trace, scrap, shard or
             sherd, remnant:  Deep in the jungle, archaeologists unearthed
             relics of a previously unknown civilization.

   relief    n.  1 ease, easing, abatement, easement, deliverance, remedy,
             redress, alleviation, release, remission, assuagement,
             liberation, recess:  We would all welcome relief from this
             blistering heat. Contributions for the relief of famine in
             Africa would be most welcome. 2 aid, help, support, assistance,
             succour; comfort:  How many troops can we send for the relief of
             the besieged garrison?  3 elevation, projection, contrast,
             prominence; bas-relief or basso-rilievo ('low relief'),
             mezzo-rilievo ('medium relief'), alto-rilievo ('high relief'):
             The Greek reliefs brought to England by Lord Elgin are on
             display at the British Museum. 4 substitute, surrogate,
             replacement, alternate, locum (tenens), stand-in; understudy,
             double:  I wish that my relief would arrive so I could go home.

   relieve   v.  1 ease, lessen, reduce, diminish, abate, lift, raise,
             alleviate, mitigate, palliate, soften, soothe:  Business will
             suffer if nothing is done to relieve the burden of high interest
             rates. The doctor gave me something to relieve the pain. 2
             disburden, free, rid, liberate, disencumber, unburden, rescue,
             save, release:  Winning the lottery relieved me of any immediate
             worries of poverty.  3 help, aid, assist, support, succour,
             rescue, save, deliver:  Will the cavalry arrive in time to
             relieve the fort, which is under attack? 4 stand in (for),
             replace, substitute for, take over for or from, US spell, Colloq
             sub for:  I thought you were coming to relieve me at noon.

   religion  n.  creed, belief, faith; doctrine, dogma:  People must be
             treated equally, regardless of their religion.

   religious adj.  1 devout, churchgoing, pious, God-fearing, holy,
             spiritual-minded:  You never struck me as a particularly
             religious person.  2 scrupulous, exact, precise, conscientious,
             rigorous, strict, fastidious, meticulous, faithful, punctilious,
             unerring, unswerving, undeviating:  Edmund's work is
             characterized by religious devotion to detail.

   relinquish
             v.  1 yield, give up, cede, waive, leave, quit, abandon, drop,
             forsake, forswear, desert, abdicate, resign, renounce, let go,
             surrender, vacate, retire from:  Richard was forced to
             relinquish the throne.  2 let go, give up, release, unloose,
             loose, free:  He refused to relinquish his grasp on her arm.

   relish    n.  1 enjoyment, pleasure, delight, gusto, eagerness, avidity,
             anticipation, taste, appetite, zest, liking, appreciation,
             fondness, fancy, partiality, preference:  The children attacked
             the birthday cake with great relish.

             --v.  2 enjoy, delight in, take pleasure in, fancy, be partial
             to, appreciate, savour, look forward to, anticipate:  After all
             that dining out, I'd really relish a home-cooked meal.  I don't
             relish having to tell her she is being made redundant.

   reluctance
             n.  unwillingness, disinclination, aversion, dislike, disrelish,
             hesitancy:  Cooper's reluctance to leave before the end of the
             play was understandable.

   reluctant adj.  unwilling, disinclined, averse, hesitant, loath,
             unenthusiastic, indisposed, opposed, antagonistic; cautious,
             chary, wary, leery, circumspect, careful:  I remember how
             reluctant you were to try raw oysters, and then you couldn't get
             enough of them.

   rely      v.  rely on or upon. depend on or upon, lean on or upon, count
             on or upon, bank on or upon, have confidence in, bet on, trust
             in, swear by, be sure or certain of:  You can rely on Philippa
             to come through when you need a friend.  I am relying on the
             fact that interest rates are likely to stay at their present
             levels.

   remain    v.  1 stay (behind), be left, tarry, linger, wait, Colloq stay
             put:  I remained to help with the washing-up.  2 be left, be
             there:  How many days remain before your trip?  3 stay,
             continue, carry on, abide; endure, persist, last, persevere:
             She refuses to remain with him another minute. His last book
             will remain a monument to his scholarship.

             --n.  4 remains.  a leavings, remnants, crumbs, debris,
             detritus, remainder, balance, residue, leftovers, scraps,
             vestiges, traces, fragments, oddments, odds and ends:  The
             remains of a half-eaten meal were on the table.  b body,
             cadaver, corpse; carcass:  The remains of the impala were being
             picked over by vultures.

   remainder n.  1 rest, balance, remains, residue:  He spent the remainder
             of his life in penury.  2 excess, overage, surplus, residue,
             residuum, leftovers:  I have used all I needed and don't know
             what to do with the remainder.

   remaining adj.  1 left (over), extant, outstanding:  I did as much as I
             could in the time remaining.  2 leftover, surviving, residual;
             unused, uneaten, unconsumed:  The remaining books will be sold
             at auction.

   remark    n.  1 note, notice, observe, perceive, regard, look at, take
             notice or note of:  His friends remarked his tired and
             overworked appearance and suggested that he should take a
             holiday. 2 comment (on or upon), say, observe, reflect, mention,
             declare, state, assert:  Carrie remarked that she had seen Ted
             the night before.

   remarkable
             adj.  1 extraordinary, unusual, singular, exceptional,
             noteworthy, notable, uncommon, incredible, unbelievable,
             impressive, phenomenal, astonishing, astounding, surprising:
             With remarkable swiftness the falcon dropped on its prey.  2
             striking, distinguished, signal, special, wonderful, marvellous,
             out of the ordinary, special, unique, significant, outstanding,
             rare, memorable, unforgettable, never-to-be-forgotten:  This
             novel is truly a remarkable achievement.  3 strange, different,
             odd, peculiar, curious:  Contortionists can do truly remarkable
             things with their bodies.

   remedy    n.  1 cure, treatment, therapy, antidote, counteractant,
             countermeasure, medication, medicament, medicine, prescription,
             drug, pharmaceutical, cure-all, panacea, nostrum, restorative,
             specific:  What remedy did the doctor recommend?  2 cure,
             antidote, cure-all, panacea, nostrum, countermeasure, relief,
             redress, answer, solution:  Knowledge is the only remedy for
             superstition.

             --v.  3 cure, treat, heal, mend, restore, relieve, soothe,
             control, ease, mitigate, alleviate:  The ointment will remedy
             the itching but not the infection causing it. 4 correct,
             rectify, reform, improve, ameliorate, redress, repair, put or
             set right, straighten out:  How can I remedy a situation that
             has already gone too far?

   remember  v.  1 call to mind, bear in mind; recall, recollect:  Can you
             remember her funny little laugh? Yes, I remember.  2 muse (on or
             about), reminisce over or about, think back on or about,
             memorialize, commemorate, recognize:  He will be remembered for
             his many achievements.  3 retain, keep in mind, recall:  He was
             unable to remember his own name or where he lived.  4 tip,
             reward:  The Elliotts always remembered the servants at
             Christmas.

   remembrance
             n.  1 memory, recollection; reminiscence:  My remembrance of her
             is quite different from yours.  2 memento, reminder, souvenir,
             keepsake, memorial:  I keep this piece of shrapnel as a
             remembrance of being wounded in the war.

   remind    v.  prompt, cue, cause to remember, jog the memory, put in mind
             of:  Remind me to set the clock back an hour tonight.

   reminder  n.  mnemonic, refresher; cue, prompt:  I tied this string round
             my finger as a reminder, but I don't know of what.

   reminisce v.  Sometimes, reminisce about. remember, recollect, think back,
             look back, turn one's mind or thoughts back; call to mind, hark
             back, return:  Most of the time we just sit about and reminisce.
             The other day we were reminiscing about the time Alex was
             arrested for shoplifting.

   reminiscence
             n.  Usually, reminiscences. anecdote(s), memory or memories,
             reflection(s), memoir(s):  The Sunday Clarion has paid a
             six-figure sum to Charlotte for her reminiscences as a cleaner
             at Whitehall.

   reminiscent
             adj.  Usually, reminiscent of. recalling, redolent of, evocative
             of, indicative of, suggestive of, similar to, comparable with or
             to:  The odour of burning cabbage is reminiscent of my husband's
             cooking.

   remiss    adj.  slack, careless, negligent, neglectful, heedless,
             unheeding, inattentive, unmindful, thoughtless, forgetful,
             unthinking, slow, indolent, lazy, dilatory, delinquent:  You
             were remiss in failing to turn off the bath water.

   remission n.  1 forgiveness, pardon, deliverance, amnesty, reprieve,
             exoneration, release, absolution, exculpation, indulgence,
             excuse, exemption, acquittal:  As we were granted remission of
             our crimes, we were freed.  2 diminution, abatement, decrease,
             lessening, subsidence, alleviation, mitigation, assuagement,
             ebbing, relaxation, easing:  Remission of the disease may occur,
             but most sufferers deteriorate rapidly.

   remit     v.  1 send, transmit, forward, dispatch or despatch; pay,
             compensate, settle, liquidate:  We have remitted in full the
             amount requested.  2 abate, diminish, slacken, decrease, lessen,
             subside, alleviate, mitigate, assuage, ebb, dwindle, reduce,
             relax, ease (up or off), fall off:  The fever ought to remit on
             the sixth day.

   remittance
             n.  payment, settlement: allowance, consideration:  Remittance
             was made regularly on the tenth of the month. He lives on
             remittances he receives from home.

   remnant   n.  1 scrap, shred, fragment, end, bit, piece, trace, vestige,
             relic:  A silver button was the only remnant of the splendid
             uniform.  2 leftover, remainder, residue, rest, remains, part:
             The surviving remnant of the battalion made its way across the
             desert to Djibouti.

   remorse   n.  regret, repentance, ruefulness, sorrow, woe, anxiety, guilty
             or bad conscience, pangs of conscience, humiliation,
             embarrassment, guilt, self-reproach, mortification, shame,
             contrition, contriteness, penitence, compunction, bitterness:
             It is impossible to describe the remorse he felt at having run
             over the little girl's puppy.

   remorseful
             adj.  regretful, repentant, rueful, sorry, apologetic,
             sorrowful, woeful, anxious, guilty, bad, conscience-stricken,
             guilt-ridden, humiliated, humbled, embarrassed, mortified,
             shamefaced, shameful, ashamed, shamed, contrite, penitent,
             bitter:  Harold made a remorseful confession of all his sins.

   remorseless
             adj.  1 cruel, heartless, callous, harsh, hard-hearted,
             stony-hearted, savage, merciless, unmerciful, pitiless,
             ruthless:  The heavyweight champion administered a remorseless
             beating to the challenger. 2 relentless, unrelenting,
             unremitting, unstoppable, inexorable, implacable:  The
             remorseless storm thrashed at our tiny vessel, tearing away
             every last shred of rigging.

   remote    adj.  1 distant, far-away, far-off, removed, outlying,
             inaccessible:  The more remote the transmitter, the weaker the
             signal.  2 lonely, isolated, God-forsaken, secluded,
             out-of-the-way, sequestered, tramontane, ultramontane:  They
             spent their holiday on a remote island in the Indian Ocean.  3
             unfamiliar, obscure, arcane, recondite, subtle, alien,
             far-fetched, unusual, unlikely:  Her writing is scattered with
             references remote to the average reader's experience. 4
             unrelated, irrelevant, inappropriate, unconnected, outside:  Her
             conclusions were not remote from what we now know to be the
             truth. 5 slight, faint, foggy:  I haven't the remotest idea what
             you're talking about.  6 slight, faint, slender, insignificant,
             slim, small, meagre, outside, poor, inconsiderable, negligible,
             improbable, unlikely, implausible:  There is only a remote
             chance that the experiment will succeed.  7 aloof, detached,
             withdrawn, reserved, indifferent, standoffish, abstracted:  He
             keeps himself quite remote from the hurly-burly of everyday
             life. 8 early, ancient, far-removed, distant:  The archaeopteryx
             is a remote ancestor of modern birds.

   removal   n.  1 elimination, removing, eradication, taking away:  The
             removal of the wallpaper revealed that the plaster underneath
             was in very poor condition. 2 extermination, murder,
             elimination, killing, slaying, assassination, execution,
             liquidation, eradication, massacre, slaughter, purge, doing away
             with, Slang bumping off, rubbing out, doing in, US rub-out,
             wasting:  The removal of the finance minister was accomplished
             by the secret police. 3 dismissal, transfer, transference,
             transferral, shifting, discharge, throwing over, throwing out,
             deposition, unseating, dethroning, dethronement, displacement,
             expulsion, ouster, ousting, riddance, purge, Colloq firing,
             sacking:  The company functions better since the removal of the
             former chairman.  4 move, transfer, departure, moving:  Her
             removal to a branch office was requested by top management.  5
             moving, house-moving:  We hired a removal van when we moved to
             Shropshire.

   remove    v.  1 take off, doff, shed, cast off:  Gentlemen are requested
             to remove their hats in her presence.  2 take away, get rid of,
             carry away or off, shift; transfer:  When I arrived this
             morning, my desk had been removed. The threat of war has been
             removed. Kindly remove your elbows from the table. 3 obliterate,
             delete, erase, expunge, eradicate, efface, eliminate, take off,
             wipe or rub out, wipe or rub off, get rid of:  Use chemicals to
             remove the graffiti from the wall.  4 murder, assassinate, kill,
             slay, execute, exterminate, eliminate, liquidate, eradicate,
             massacre, slaughter, do away with, dispose of, get rid of,
             purge, Slang rub or wipe out, do in, bump off, US waste:  We
             brought in some of the boys to remove the competition.  5
             discharge, dismiss, depose, unseat, displace, expel, oust, turn
             out, get rid of, purge, Colloq fire, sack, kick out:  Andrews
             must be removed from his job before he does any more harm.  6
             relocate, move, transfer, shift:  I removed to a quieter place
             where I could write in peace.  7 take out, unfasten, detach,
             disconnect, separate, undo:  They have to remove the
             transmission to overhaul it.

             --n.  8 distance, space, interval, separation:  They tried to
             keep the girls and the boys at some remove from one another.

   remuneration
             n.  1 payment, compensation, salary, wages, earnings, emolument,
             income, pay, stipend, consideration, reward:  What remuneration
             will she expect to receive if appointed?  2 recompense,
             repayment, reimbursement, restitution, reparation(s), damages,
             indemnity, indemnification, redress:  Have they received any
             remuneration for their loss of property during the earthquake?

   renaissance
             n.  renascence, rebirth, revival, reawakening, restoration,
             resumption, renewal, resurgence, return, regeneration,
             rejuvenation, new dawn, new birth:  The Renaissance is so called
             because of the return to classical tradition. Hugh seems to have
             undergone a renaissance since taking that rest cure.

   rend      v.  1 rip or tear or pull (to pieces or apart or asunder),
             wrench, mangle, shred:  The bully threatened to rend me limb
             from limb.  2 split, tear, rip, rupture, cleave, split, rive,
             separate, slice, lacerate:  When the balloon was rent from top
             to bottom, the basket fell to the ground. 3 pain, distress,
             pierce, stab, smite, wound, afflict, torment, wring, hurt:  My
             heart was rent by conflicting emotions.

   render    v.  1 depict, picture, represent, reproduce, portray, create,
             produce, do, execute, make, accomplish, achieve:  The artist
             rendered this portrait of the family from a photograph.  2 make,
             cause to be or become:  The news of winning the lottery rendered
             me speechless.  3 give (up), yield (up), surrender, relinquish,
             resign, cede, deliver, hand over, tender, offer, proffer,
             present, furnish, provide:  The inscription on the tomb has
             still not rendered up its secret.  To Caesar will I render my
             legions and my horse. 4 play, perform:  She rendered a fugue
             most beautifully on a harpsichord.  5 deliver, return:  The jury
             rendered a verdict of Guilty.  6 translate, decode, decipher,
             transcribe, convert, explain, interpret, put, restate, reword,
             rephrase:  She rendered the passage into idiomatic English.  7
             deliver, hand in, present, offer, proffer, furnish, provide,
             tender:  They rendered their invoice for the work already done.
             8 Usually, Brit render down. melt, clarify, extract:  The fat
             must be rendered down before it can be used for making soap.

   rendering n.  depiction, showing, presentation, interpretation,
             conception, version, rendition, representation, delineation,
             portrayal, picture:  This is the architect's rendering of what
             the building will look like when completed.

   rendition n.  1 performance, interpretation, execution, conception,
             concept, understanding, construction, reading, rendering:  I
             have never before heard such an exquisite rendition of a Bach
             cantata. 2 See rendering, above.

   renegade  n.  1 deserter, turncoat, heretic, defector, traitor, apostate,
             Archaic renegado:  The renegade has organized a conspiracy
             against us.

             --adj.  2 traitorous, treacherous, perfidious, treasonous,
             apostate, heretical, disloyal:  A renegade band of deserters has
             turned against the army leaders.

   renege    v.  1 Cards revoke:  When you renege you fail to follow suit.  2
             go back on, back out, default, repudiate, go back on or break
             (one's) promise or word, recant, abrogate, abjure, Slang welsh
             (on):  You swore you would keep your word, and now you're
             reneging.

   renew     v.  1 restore, refresh, rejuvenate, revitalize, reinvigorate,
             resuscitate, revamp, redo, rehabilitate, transform, regenerate,
             refurbish, refurnish, renovate, refit, overhaul, recondition,
             modernize, redecorate, do over:  The entire interior of the
             hotel has been renewed at considerable expense. 2 resume,
             resurrect, restart, pick or take up again, recommence, return
             to, reopen:  They renewed their argument in favour of the
             teaching of Latin.  3 restore, replace, restock, replenish:  We
             must renew our supply of claret.  4 repeat, reiterate, reaffirm,
             confirm, reconfirm, restate, reassert:  Each autumn she renews
             her promise to return in the spring.

   renounce  v.  give up, forswear, surrender, abandon, desert, abjure,
             reject, repudiate, spurn, swear off, abstain from, deny, forgo,
             forsake, eschew, disown, throw off or out, shun, avoid:  He
             renounced his claim to the throne and retired to a monastery.

   renovate  v.  redecorate, modernize, do over, refurbish, refurnish, refit,
             remodel; recondition, rehabilitate, restore, repair, revamp,
             overhaul, patch up, Colloq do up, US fix up:  We are having the
             entire house renovated by an interior decorator.  It was quite
             costly to have those paintings renovated.

   renown    n.  fame, celebrity, glory, distinction, esteem, acclaim,
             reputation, prominence, eminence, note, mark, honour, prestige,
             repute, ‚clat, lustre, illustriousness, stardom:  She enjoys
             great renown as a rock star.

   renowned  adj.  famous, famed, celebrated, distinguished, acclaimed,
             prominent, eminent, well-known, noted, notable, honoured,
             illustrious:  He was one of the most renowned authors of the
             19th century.

   rent°     v.  1 let (out), lease, hire (out), charter (out), farm out:
             Eric owns a three-bedroom house that he rents out. I should like
             to rent a yacht for a cruise this summer.

             --n.  2 rental, hire, lease, fee:  The rent comes to about a
             quarter of my salary.

   rentэ     n.  tear, rip, split, gash, slash, hole, slit:  The skirt has a
             six-inch rent in it.

   repair    v.  1 mend, patch (up); renew, put or set right, restore, fix
             (up), service, put (back) in or into working order, vamp,
             revamp, adjust:  Can you repair the tear in my trousers? I must
             remember to ask the garage to repair the brakes on my car.

             --n.  2 mend, patch; restoration, fixing (up), servicing,
             improvement, adjustment, renovation, revamping, renewal:  The
             cost of the repairs to our roof after the storm was covered by
             our insurance. 3 form, condition, fettle, state, working order,
             Colloq shape, Brit nick:  The engine, I'm afraid, has not been
             kept in good repair.

   repartee  n.  banter, badinage, persiflage, patter, (witty) conversation,
             wordplay, raillery, give and take, Literary deipnosophism:
             Simon's witty repartee makes him a most welcome dinner guest.

   repay     v.  pay back, recompense, compensate, requite, reciprocate,
             return the favour or compliment, reward, square with, settle
             (up) with; refund, give back, return, reimburse, restore:  How
             can I ever repay you for what you have done? Alan repaid the
             money he borrowed from me.

   repeal    v.  1 revoke, recall, rescind, reverse, cancel, annul, nullify,
             invalidate, void, set aside, abolish, abrogate, Law vacate:
             They have repealed the rule forbidding guests to wear shorts in
             the restaurant.

             --n.  2 revocation, recall, rescission, rescindment, reversal,
             cancellation, annulment, nullification, invalidation, voiding,
             abolition, abrogation:  Alcoholic beverages were forbidden in
             the US until the repeal of Prohibition.

   repeat    v.  1 reiterate, restate, echo, retell, recite, quote, rehearse,
             recount, recapitulate, Colloq recap:  Would you please repeat to
             Anne what you told me?  2 duplicate, reproduce, replicate:
             History repeated itself on the playing field here today, when
             Queens Park Rangers defeated Manchester United, 2-0.

             --n.  3 repetition, duplicate, copy, duplication, replication,
             reproduction, replica, rerun, rebroadcast, replay, encore,
             reprise:  This is a repeat of a show we saw last year.

   repeatedly
             adv.  again and again, over again, over and over, frequently,
             often, time and (time) again, time after time, recurrently,
             repetitively, repetitiously:  The needle stuck, and the record
             player kept playing the same thing repeatedly.

   repel     v.  1 repulse, drive back or away or off, reject, fend off,
             parry, ward off, hold off, rebuff, resist, withstand, keep at
             bay or arm's length:  They were completely defenceless and
             unable to repel attackers.  2 revolt, offend, disgust, sicken,
             nauseate, turn one's stomach, make one's skin crawl, Colloq give
             one the creeps, turn one off:  The idea of eating sheep's eyes
             repels me.

   repellent adj.  repulsive, repelling, revolting, disgusting, nauseating,
             nauseous, stomach-turning, sickening, offensive, loathsome,
             repugnant, distasteful, vomit-provoking, sick-making,
             disagreeable, obnoxious, off-putting:  He described some of the
             more repellent examples of vivisection he had encountered.

   repent    v.  regret, feel contrition, lament, bemoan, bewail, be sorry,
             rue, feel remorse, feel remorseful or penitent, show penitence:
             She repented having reported him to the police. Now that the
             evil deed is done he can but repent.

   repentant adj.  regretful, contrite, rueful, remorseful, apologetic,
             sorry, ashamed, embarrassed, penitent:  It was terrible that she
             wasn't the least bit repentant for what she had done.

   repercussion
             n.  Often, repercussions. reaction, response, effect, outcome,
             consequence, reverberation, result, aftermath, after-effect,
             upshot, fallout, backlash, echo:  We were dealing with the
             repercussions of that decision long afterwards.

   repertory n.  repertoire, store, reservoir, collection, hoard, cache,
             repository, stock, supply, inventory, stockpile:  Cosgrove felt
             compelled to run through his entire repertory of jokes at
             dinner.

   repetition
             n.  1 Often, repetitions. reiteration(s), duplication(s),
             redundancy or redundancies, repeats, tautology or tautologies:
             The book is full of boring repetitions.  2 reiteration, repeat,
             echo, echoing, repeating, duplication, duplicating, rehearsal,
             recapitulation, restatement, replication, rereading, retelling,
             relisting, recital, reprise, rerun, rerunning:  We sat through a
             repetition of every name for the benefit of any who might have
             missed it the first time.

   repetitious
             adj.  tiresome, tedious, boring, redundant, prolix, windy,
             long-winded, wordy, tautological, pleonastic:  Streatham's
             lectures are very repetitious - he makes the same point over and
             over again.

   repetitive
             adj.  iterative, repetitious, incessant, monotonous, repeated,
             redundant, humdrum, unceasing, ceaseless, relentless,
             unremitting, persistent, recurrent, non-stop, uninterrupted,
             continual, constant, continuous:  The repetitive beat of that
             rock music is driving me mad.

   replace   v.  1 change, put in place of, substitute, supplant, renew:  If
             the toy won't work, try replacing the batteries.  2 succeed,
             supersede, substitute for, take over from, supplant:  Tim will
             be replacing David as department head.  3 restore, return, put
             back, make good (on), repay, refund, make restitution for:  Are
             you going to replace the money you took?

   replenish v.  refill, restock, restore, renew, replace, fill, top up;
             furnish, provide:  They stopped off in Bordeaux to replenish
             their supplies.

   replete   adj.  1 Often, replete with. full (of), filled up (with),
             overflowing (with), well supplied or well provided or well
             stocked (with), chock-full (of), crammed or jammed or jam-packed
             (with), brim-full (with), chock-a-block, bursting, teeming,
             loaded, overloaded (with), gorged (with), stuffed (with), Colloq
             up to the eyes or ears (in), up to here or there (in), US up to
             the old wazoo (in), Slang lousy (with), Taboo slang up to the
             Brit arse (in) or US ass (in):  His speech was replete with
             names, dates, and precise quotations, all delivered without a
             note of any kind. 2 satisfied, sated, satiated:  After a meal
             like that, anybody would feel replete.

   replica   n.  copy, duplicate, facsimile, reproduction, likeness,
             imitation, carbon copy, photocopy, duplication, Colloq dupe, US
             knock-off:  The hall was dominated by a replica of
             Michelangelo's David.

   reply     v.  1 answer, respond, rejoin, retort, return, come back,
             acknowledge:  When I asked where he had been, he refused to
             reply and walked out of the room.

             --n.  2 answer, response, rejoinder, retort, comeback, riposte,
             reaction, US rise:  I have written to the prime minister but as
             yet have had no reply.

   report    n.  1 account, description, story, article, write-up, piece,
             statement, dispatch or despatch, communication, communiqu‚,
             announcement, narrative, record; news, information:  Stanley
             hasn't yet sent in the full report of his meeting with John. Is
             there any report from the front? 2 explosion, bang, boom, shot,
             gunshot, gunfire, backfire, discharge, crack, blast, detonation:
             In the distance we heard the report of a gun, and later a
             muffled explosion.

             --v.  3 relate, recount, describe, narrate, tell of, detail,
             give an account of, write up, document:  Our man in Kuala Lumpur
             reported a disturbance in a remote village.  4 publish,
             promulgate, publicize, put out, announce, set forth, reveal,
             disclose, divulge, announce, circulate, make public, broadcast:
             Two newspapers and a television station reported the arrest of
             the suspect. 5 arrive, appear, surface, check in, sign in, clock
             in or on, turn up, come in, US report in:  We were asked to
             report for duty at 0800 on Friday.  6 report on. investigate,
             cover, examine, explore, look into, inquire into, check into or
             on, check (up) on, research, study, probe, scrutinize, Slang
             check out, Brit suss out:  The new journalist was assigned to
             report on allegations of bribery in the council.

   reporter  n.  journalist, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, newsman,
             newswoman, correspondent, columnist, newswriter, gentleman or
             lady of the press, gentleman or lady of the fourth estate, Brit
             pressman, presswoman; newscaster, news-presenter, commentator,
             broadcaster, anchorman, anchorwoman; photojournalist, cameraman,
             camerawoman, Colloq news-hound, news-hawk, news-hen, stringer:
             Reporters swarmed around the footballers who had returned home
             with the World Cup.

   repose    n.  1 rest, inactivity, calm, respite, tranquillity, quiet,
             restfulness, peace, relaxation:  A half hour's repose would be
             welcome after a long day coping with lively toddlers. 2 sleep,
             nap, doze, catnap, siesta, slumber, Colloq forty winks, snooze,
             Slang zizz, shut-eye:  The short repose refreshed, and she felt
             ready to tackle anything.  3 composure, calmness, calm,
             serenity, equanimity, poise, self-possession:  He became angry
             in a flash, his face changing from quiet repose to livid
             distortion.

             --v.  4 lie, abide, be, lodge, rest:  The power to make the
             modifications reposes with you.

   represent v.  1 substitute for, stand (in) for, replace, act for:  I have
             appointed her to represent me in all legal matters.  2 Often,
             represent oneself as. present (oneself), depict (oneself), put
             or set (oneself) forth, masquerade as, take (on) or assume the
             guise or role or part of, characterize as, impersonate, pretend
             to be, pose as, imitate, mimic:  He represents himself as a
             plumber in order to get into houses to rob them. His wife was
             represented to me as a social worker. 3 describe, delineate,
             reproduce, report, assert, state, put or set forth, show,
             reflect, mirror, characterize, define, note, outline, sketch,
             depict, picture, portray, draw, paint; pretend:  What took place
             that fateful day is not as represented in Inspector Taylor's
             testimony. 4 symbolize, stand for, typify, exemplify, embody,
             epitomize; illustrate:  He represents all that is good in the
             world today.

   representation
             n.  1 reproduction, image, likeness, portrait, picture,
             depiction, portrayal, semblance, model, manifestation:  This is
             an accurate representation of the town's appearance in the 18th
             century. 2 agency:  The sales representation for this area is
             under Wright's direction.  3 statement, account, exposition,
             declaration, deposition, assertion, presentation, undertaking:
             Certain representations have been made concerning harassment by
             the police. 4 replica, reproduction, figure, figurine, statue,
             statuette, bust, head, model, effigy:  This representation of
             the goddess Athena was found in Kios.

   representative
             adj.  1 symbolic, typical, characteristic, emblematic,
             archetypal, evocative, illustrative:  Is this a representative
             sample? These poems are not representative of your best work. 2
             elected, chosen, democratic:  They are struggling to establish a
             representative form of government.

             --n.  3 agent, deputy, legate, ambassador, (papal) nuncio,
             spokesman, spokeswoman, proxy, delegate, envoy, emissary,
             missionary, commissioner; Member of Parliament, MP, Councillor,
             Congressman, Assemblyman, Assemblywoman:  We like to think that
             our representatives are acting on our behalf.  4 agent,
             (travelling) salesman or saleswoman, Colloq rep:  We have hired
             a new representative to sell refrigerators in the north of the
             country.

   repress   v.  suppress, put down, (keep in) check, curb, quash, stifle,
             overcome, squelch, (keep under) control, contain, restrain,
             constrain, limit, keep back, quell, hold back or in, subdue,
             inhibit, hamper, hinder, deter, frustrate, discourage, disallow:
             The government tried to repress freedom of expression.

   repression
             n.  1 restraint, suppression, subjugation:  Increasing
             repression of their liberties finally led the people to revolt.
             2 check, squelching, control, inhibition, hampering, hindering,
             hindrance, stifling, deterring, frustration, frustrating:  The
             repression of the revolt was unsuccessful.

   repressive
             adj.  tyrannical, oppressive, dictatorial, despotic, brutal,
             suppressive, authoritarian, totalitarian; Fascist(ic):  In some
             countries, the people were unable to rebel against the
             repressive regime.

   reprieve  v.  1 respite, rescue, save; let off, spare:  The Home Secretary
             reprieved the prisoner from execution pending further
             investigation.

             --n.  2 delay, postponement, suspension, remission, respite,
             stay, amnesty:  The governor granted the condemned man a
             reprieve at the eleventh hour.

   reprimand n.  1 scolding, reproof, rebuke, admonition, upbraiding,
             castigation, reproach, lecture, censure, criticism, disapproval,
             remonstrance, remonstration, reprehension, tongue-lashing,
             Colloq dressing-down, talking-to, telling-off, ticking-off, rap
             over or on the knuckles, slap on the wrist, Brit slating, US and
             Canadian chewing-out, Slang Brit wigging:  Brown received a
             severe reprimand for violating the curfew.

             --v.  2 scold, chide, reprove, rebuke, admonish, upbraid,
             castigate, reproach, berate, lecture, censure, criticize, find
             fault with, attack, flay (alive), reprehend, read (someone) the
             riot act, slap on the wrist, rap over the knuckles, take to
             task, Colloq bawl out, dress down, give a dressing-down, tell
             off, tick off, haul over the coals, give (someone) a piece of
             (one's) mind, Brit slate, give (someone) a row, send (someone)
             away or off with a flea in his or her ear, tell (someone) a
             thing or two, carpet, wig, skin (alive), US and Canadian chew
             out, rake over the coals, call on the carpet, pin (someone's)
             ears back:  Nigel deserves to be reprimanded for what he did.

   reprisal  n.  retaliation, revenge, retribution, redress, requital,
             vengeance, repayment, recompense, vindication, getting even,
             indemnity:  She refused to be named because she feared
             reprisals. How many hostages did they shoot in reprisal?

   reproachful
             adj.  fault-finding, critical, censorious, disapproving,
             disparaging, upbraiding, reproving, scolding, admonitory,
             condemnatory, hypercritical:  She was quite reproachful after
             seeing what I had written about her in my book.

   reprobate adj.  1 unprincipled, immoral, amoral, abandoned, depraved,
             despicable, dissolute, low, low-life, base, mean, debased,
             damned, accursed, cursed, degenerate, profligate, shameful,
             shameless, vile, evil, wicked, villainous, sinful, irredeemable,
             foul, iniquitous, reprehensible:  Such reprobate behaviour soon
             brought him to the attention of the church fathers.

             --n.  2 scoundrel, blackguard, miscreant, rake, profligate,
             rou‚, villain, wastrel, wretch, degenerate, unprincipled person,
             villain, evil-doer, debauchee, libertine, good-for-nothing,
             ne'er-do-well, cur, rapscallion, scamp, knave, rascal, US
             low-life, Colloq scallywag or scalawag:  I can't understand what
             she sees in that old reprobate.

   reproduce v.  1 duplicate, copy, replicate, match, recreate, repeat,
             imitate, simulate:  The printer thinks he can reproduce
             successfully the colours of the original picture in a print. 2
             breed, multiply, propagate, procreate, spawn, produce or bring
             forth or beget young; regenerate:  These animals normally
             reproduce twice a year.

   reproduction
             n.  1 duplication, copying, printing:  Unlicensed reproduction
             of this film is against the law.  2 duplicate, copy, print,
             clone, carbon (copy), facsimile, replica, look-alike, double,
             twin, imitation:  The reproductions look better than the
             original.  3 propagation, breeding, spawning, proliferation,
             production:  Today's lecture concerns reproduction and breeding
             habits of large sea-mammals.

   reproof   n.  See reprimand, 1, above.

   reprove   v.  See reprimand, 2, above.

   repudiate v.  reject, scorn, turn down, renounce, retract, rescind,
             reverse, abandon, abrogate, forswear, forgo, deny, disown,
             discard:  The government has repudiated its earlier policy of
             refusing to negotiate with the strikers.

   repugnant adj.  repulsive, abhorrent, disgusting, off-putting, offensive,
             repellent, revolting, vile, abominable, loathsome, foul,
             distasteful, unpalatable, unsavoury, execrable, intolerable,
             obnoxious, noisome, nauseating, nauseous, sickening, unpleasant,
             objectionable:  I find the very thought of seeing them again
             repugnant.

   repulse   v.  1 repel, rebuff, drive back, ward off, fight or beat off,
             check:  With a mighty effort, they were able to repulse the
             attacking forces. 2 refuse, spurn, snub, reject, rebuff, fend
             off, resist, turn down, give the cold shoulder to:  She repulsed
             his offer of marriage, and he left, never to see her again.

             --n.  3 rejection, rebuff, refusal, denial, snub, cold shoulder,
             spurning:  Alistair told himself he could not accept another
             repulse.

   repulsive adj.  disgusting, revolting, abhorrent, loathsome, repugnant,
             repellent, offensive, obnoxious, objectionable, gross,
             unsavoury, distasteful, nasty, unpleasant, displeasing,
             disagreeable, ugly, off-putting, sickening, nauseating,
             nauseous, beastly, vile, dreadful, awful, rotten, feculent,
             foul, odious, horrible, horrid, abominable, execrable, fulsome:
             I have seldom had so repulsive an experience as the tour of that
             abattoir. The repulsive sights and smells were more than I could
             bear.

   reputable adj.  respectable, honourable, well-thought-of, estimable,
             respected, trustworthy, trusted, honest, reliable, dependable,
             principled, virtuous, good, worthy:  Alan is one of Aylesbury's
             most reputable businessmen.

   reputation
             n.  1 repute, name, standing, stature, position, status:  Jean
             is a woman of excellent reputation in the community.  2 have a
             reputation for. be known or noted or notorious or famous for:
             The company has a reputation for dismissing employees without
             notice.

   reputed   adj.  alleged, purported, supposed, assumed, presumed; rumoured,
             said, deemed, held, regarded, viewed, looked on or upon, judged,
             considered, thought, believed:  The police arrested three
             reputed gang members. They are reputed to be international drug
             dealers.

   request   v.  1 ask for, seek, plead for, apply for, put in for,
             requisition, call for, demand, insist on, solicit, beg, entreat,
             beseech, importune:  They request my cooperation. I requested to
             be excused. He requested her to open the door for him.

             --n.  2 plea, petition, application, requisition, call, demand,
             solicitation, entreaty:  We receive many requests for
             information.

   require   v.  1 order, command, ask (for), call (for), press (for),
             instruct, coerce, force; insist, demand; make:  I am required to
             appear in court on Monday. The teacher required that I bring my
             mother to school. 2 need, want, lack, be lacking, be missing, be
             short (of); desire:  We require one more trainee in order to
             fill our quota.

   requirement
             n.  1 requisite, prerequisite, demand, precondition, condition,
             qualification, stipulation, sine qua non, provision, proviso,
             demand, necessity, essential, desideratum, must:  It is a
             requirement of the loan agreement that you maintain an account
             with this bank. 2 need, want, demand:  We hope the new design
             will meet all your requirements.

   requisition
             n.  1 request, order, demand, call, authorization, mandate,
             voucher:  A requisition was issued by headquarters for the
             delivery of 200 desks and chairs.

             --v.  2 request, order, demand, call, authorize, mandate:  Have
             you requisitioned the office furniture we need?  3 seize,
             appropriate, commandeer, confiscate, take possession of, take
             (over), occupy; expropriate:  The army of occupation has
             requisitioned all available sleeping accommodation in the town.

   requital  n.  1 repayment, return, recompense, redress, restitution,
             reparation, remuneration, quittance, amends, satisfaction,
             compensation, payment:  I look forward to an opportunity to make
             requital for all the favours you have done for me. 2 revenge,
             retaliation, retribution, reprisal, vengeance; quid pro quo,
             Roland for an Oliver:  In requital for his shameful treachery,
             MacFallon was sent into exile.

   requite   v.  1 repay, reward, reciprocate, recompense, compensate for,
             respond to:  Her years of tender care were requited with abuse
             and scorn.  2 retaliate for, revenge, avenge, make restitution
             for, redress, pay back for, give tit for tat for, make amends
             for:  Who can requite the wrongs inflicted on these poor people?

   rescue    v.  1 save, deliver, (set) free, liberate, let go (free),
             release, (let) loose:  We rescued all the men who were being
             held prisoner. Jane was rescued by a very handsome lifeguard.

             --n.  2 deliverance, saving; freeing, liberating, release:  The
             seaman's rescue was conducted by a navy helicopter team. Because
             of the heavy guard, the prisoners' rescue is out of the
             question.

   research  n.  1 investigation, investigating, exploration, delving,
             digging, enquiry or inquiry, fact-finding, scrutinization,
             scrutiny, examination, inspection, probing, analysis,
             experimentation:  Her research into the causes of the disease
             have yielded good results. The government no longer supports
             much research.

             --v.  2 investigate, explore, delve into, dig into, enquire or
             inquire into, scrutinize, examine, study, analyse, inspect,
             check in or into or (up) on, probe, experiment with, Colloq
             check out:  We are researching ways in which the virus attacks
             the blood cells.

   resemblance
             n.  likeness, similarity; correspondence, congruity,
             coincidence, conformity, accord, agreement, equivalence,
             comparableness, comparability, comparison:  There is a striking
             resemblance between your wife and mine. Any resemblance is
             purely a matter of chance.

   resemble  v.  look or sound or taste or seem or be like or similar to,
             bear (a) resemblance to, approximate, smack of, correspond to,
             have (all) the hallmarks or earmarks of, take after, Colloq
             favour:  You are right, the taste does resemble that of
             liquorice. Does she resemble her mother?

   resent    v.  feel embittered or bitter about, feel envious or jealous of,
             begrudge, have hard feelings about, be displeased or disgruntled
             at, be angry about:  I resent having to go to work while you sit
             about the house all day.

   resentful adj.  embittered, bitter, acrimonious, spiteful, envious,
             jealous, begrudging, vindictive, indignant, displeased,
             disgruntled, dissatisfied, unsatisfied, unhappy, peeved,
             irritated, irked, annoyed, provoked, riled, angry, piqued,
             irate, furious, incensed, agitated, upset, worked up,
             antagonistic, hostile:  Ronald is resentful because you got the
             promotion that he considered rightfully his.

   resentment
             n.  bitterness, acrimony, rancour, envy, jealousy, grudge,
             indignation, displeasure, dissatisfaction, unhappiness,
             irritation, annoyance, provocation, pique, anger, ire, fury,
             agitation, upset, anxiety, ill will, malice, antagonism,
             hostility, animosity, enmity, antipathy, hate:  Some believe
             that inequality among people provokes resentment.

   reservation
             n.  1 keeping or holding back, withholding, reticence,
             reluctance, hesitation, hesitancy, hedging:  It was not without
             some reservation that I gave the book my endorsement.  2 qualm,
             scruple, qualification, hesitancy, limitation, exception,
             objection, demur or demurral or demurrer, condition, proviso,
             provision:  He has no reservations about revealing the most
             intimate details in his autobiography. 3 booking, appointment,
             arrangement:  I'll make a reservation for dinner for the two of
             us.  4 preserve, sanctuary, reserve, area, tract, territory,
             region, section, plot:  In North America, many Indians still
             live on reservations.

   reserve   v.  1 keep or hold (back), withhold, save, set or put aside,
             conserve, preserve, retain, keep (to or for oneself), hold over,
             postpone, delay, put off, defer:  Reserve judgement till you
             have heard all the facts. I shall reserve my answer to that
             question for another day. 2 hold, keep, book, register, save,
             put or set aside, charter, engage, secure, contract for:  I have
             reserved two seats for the matinee.

             --n.  3 Often, reserves. store, stock, stockpile, inventory,
             supply, nest egg, reservoir, fund, hoard, cache:  We prayed for
             rain, as our water reserves were getting low.  4 reticence,
             (self-)restraint, (self-)control, taciturnity, aplomb,
             formality, coolness, aloofness, guardedness, standoffishness,
             remoteness, detachment:  I had to admire Paul's reserve in the
             face of such insults.  5 Often, reserves. auxiliary, alternate,
             substitute, reinforcements, backup, spare:  If battle goes
             badly, we shall have to call out the reserves.  6 See
             reservation, 4, above.  7 reservation, restriction, restraint,
             hesitancy, hesitation, limit, limitation, hedging, avoidance,
             evasion, dodging, fudging:  The lawyer acknowledged without
             reserve that the case was weak.  8 in reserve. ready, in
             readiness, on hand, available, on call, accessible, as backup,
             in store, on tap, at (one's) fingertips:  We have huge resources
             in reserve should we require them.

   reserved  adj.  reticent, restrained, unresponsive, controlled, silent,
             taciturn, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, close-mouthed,
             unresponsive, undemonstrative, unemotional, poker-faced, cool,
             formal, aloof, guarded, standoffish, unsocial, antisocial,
             distant, remote, detached, retiring, withdrawn, sedate, demure,
             dignified, guarded, prim, rigid, strait-laced, icy, frigid,
             ice-cold:  She was always very reserved, not showing any
             emotion.

   residence n.  1 abode, home, domicile, dwelling, dwelling-place, place,
             house, habitation, (living) quarters:  A crowd was waiting to
             greet them outside their residence.  2 residency, stay, sojourn,
             visit, tenancy:  During his residence in Cape Province, he
             became bilingual in Xhosa. 3 mansion, villa, manor (house),
             stately home, estate, chѓteau, castle, palace, Brit hall:  The
             ambassadorial residence was a very imposing structure.

   resident  adj.  1 in residence, residing, living, staying, abiding,
             dwelling, remaining:  Is he resident in this country?  2 local,
             neighbourhood, district, regional, neighbouring:  Our resident
             astronomer mentioned there would be an eclipse of the moon
             tonight.

             --n.  3 denizen, dweller, inhabitant, citizen, householder,
             home-owner, tenant, local:  Parking permits are available only
             to residents.

   residual  adj.  remaining, leftover, surplus, spare, extra, residuary:
             Residual units of the army are still bivouacked in the field.
             How would we survive nuclear fall-out and the subsequent
             residual contamination?

   residue   n.  remainder, leftover, surplus, remains, rest, excess, dregs,
             residuum:  The residue of the tatterdemalion force escaped into
             the forest.

   resign    v.  1 quit, leave, go, abdicate, give notice; retire (from),
             abandon, give up, forsake, hand over, yield up, renounce,
             relinquish, let go, release, vacate, surrender, deliver up, turn
             over:  Amanda resigned because she was offered a better job
             elsewhere.  Anthony refused to resign the last of his
             responsibilities till he was ninety. 2 resign (oneself) (to).
             reconcile (oneself) (to), be or become resigned or reconciled
             (to), accommodate (oneself) (to), adjust (oneself) (to), adapt
             (oneself) (to), acclimatize or acclimate (oneself) (to), submit
             (oneself) (to):  Knowing that no one had ever escaped from the
             prison, he resigned himself to his fate.

   resignation
             n.  1 notice; abandonment, abdication, resigning, renunciation,
             forgoing, relinquishment:  After the incident in the boardroom,
             Kim was asked for her resignation.  Stuart's resignation of his
             responsibilities led to a severe reprimand. 2 reconciliation,
             reconcilement, adjustment, adaptation, acclimatization or
             acclimation, submission, acceptance, compliance, capitulation,
             abandonment, acquiescence, passivity:  His resignation to his
             fate won admiration from those around him.

   resilience
             n.  rebound, recoil, bounce, elasticity, springiness, spring,
             buoyancy, flexibility, suppleness, ability to recover:  The
             resilience of youth is astonishing, and William was soon on his
             feet again.

   resist    v.  1 stop, hinder, prevent, hold out (against), be proof
             (against), keep or hold at bay, hold the line (against), thwart,
             impede, block, obstruct, inhibit, restrain, preclude, check,
             control, curb, stem, bridle, hold back, withstand, weather, last
             (against), endure, outlast, stand up (to or against); combat,
             fight (against), battle, countervail (against), counteract,
             oppose, rebuff, defy:  He was jailed for attempting to resist
             arrest. It is pointless to resist. 2 refuse, deny, turn down,
             forgo:  I cannot resist a rich sweet for dessert.

   resistance
             n.  1 opposition, defiance, refusal, denial, obstruction,
             intransigence, rebelliousness, recalcitrance, stubbornness:  The
             child puts up considerable resistance to any form of discipline.
             2 defences:  My resistance is low, I can deny you nothing.  3
             Resistance. underground, partisans, freedom fighters, guerrilla
             or guerilla movement, guerrillas or guerillas, irregulars,
             Maquis, US resisters:  During the war, he was a member of the
             Resistance and engaged in sabotage against the invaders.

   resistant adj.  1 opposed, against, defiant, averse, unsubmissive;
             impervious, unaffected:  The organisms are resistant to any
             change.  2 recalcitrant, stubborn, obstinate, intransigent,
             rebellious, immovable, intractable, refractory, wilful,
             ungovernable, unmanageable, unruly, uncompliant, uncooperative:
             We have run up against a highly resistant group of activists.  3
             Often, resistant to. impervious (to), impenetrable (to),
             repellent (to); proof (against); shedding:  You need a more
             resistant material. This fabric is resistant to rain and snow.

   resolute  adj.  resolved, determined, purposeful, steadfast, firm,
             stubborn, adamant, set, decided, staunch, bold, dogged,
             undaunted, dauntless, persevering, persisting, persistent,
             perseverant, pertinacious, tenacious, single-minded, dedicated,
             devoted, bulldog, purposive, deliberate, inflexible, unwavering,
             unshakeable or unshakable, unshaken, unflagging, untiring,
             indefatigable, tireless, unfaltering, unhesitating, unhesitant,
             unswerving, irreversible, undeviating, unchanging, changeless,
             unchangeable, immutable, unalterable:  We remain resolute in our
             determination to end injustice.

   resolution
             n.  1 resolve, resoluteness, determination, purpose,
             purposefulness, steadfastness, firmness, decidedness, decision,
             staunchness, boldness, doggedness, dauntlessness, stubbornness,
             obstinacy, perseverance, persistence, relentlessness,
             pertinacity, tenacity, single-mindedness, dedication, devotion,
             constancy, devotedness, deliberation, deliberateness,
             inflexibility, inflexibleness, unshakeability or unshakability,
             fixedness, indefatigability, indefatigableness, irreversibility,
             changelessness, unchangeability, immutability, immutableness,
             unalterability, Colloq US stick-to-it-iveness:  The boys showed
             extraordinary resolution in deciding to continue despite the
             hardships. 2 promise, commitment, pledge, word (of honour),
             oath, vow, undertaking, obligation; intention:  I find that my
             New Year's resolutions last till about January 5th. 3 motion,
             resolve, proposal, proposition, plan, suggestion, idea, notion;
             determination, verdict, decision, judgement:  The committee
             votes today on the resolution to increase membership fees. 4
             answer, answering, solution, solving, unravelling,
             disentanglement, sorting out, explication; outcome, issue,
             result, end (result):  The resolution of a family problem is
             seldom easy. Can there be a final resolution of the question of
             a free market economy? 5 acutance, sharpness, precision,
             accuracy, exactness, exactitude, fineness, discrimination,
             detailing, distinguishability:  The new optical system provides
             for a much better resolution.

   resolve   v.  1 determine, decide, make up one's mind, agree, undertake,
             settle, fix, conclude:  When did you resolve to move to
             Australia? Let us resolve never to let this happen again. 2 work
             out, figure out, solve, clear up, answer:  How have you resolved
             the problem of looking after the cats while you are away? 3
             adopt, pass, approve, decide:  It was resolved that membership
             fees should be raised.  4 resolve into. change into, convert
             into, alter into, transform into, transmute into, metamorphose
             into, be convert(ed) into, become, dissolve into, break down
             into, liquefy into, disintegrate into, reduce to or into:  O,
             that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve
             itself into a dew!

             --n.  5 See resolution, 1, above.  6 See resolution, 2, above:
             She kept her resolve never to marry again.

   resonant  adj.  vibrating, vibrant, resounding, (re-)echoing,
             reverberating, reverberant, pulsating, ringing, booming,
             thundering, thunderous, loud:  The resonant pealing of the bells
             almost drove me mad.

   resort    n.  1 spa, retreat, Chiefly Brit watering-place:  We go to a
             lovely resort in the Alps every summer.  2 resource, backup,
             reserve, refuge, place to turn, alternative, remedy:  He will
             see a doctor only as a last resort.

             --v.  3 resort to. have recourse to, turn to, look to, fall back
             on, repair to, take to, frequent, patronize, attend; visit,
             haunt, hang out in:  I have to resort to father for a small
             loan. She was said to be resorting to the lowest dens in the
             Casbah.

   resound   v.  boom, resonate, ring (out), boom (out), (re-)echo,
             reverberate, pulsate, thunder:  The laughter resounded around
             the entire office.

   resource  n.  1 Often, resources. initiative, ingenuity, talent,
             inventiveness, imagination, imaginativeness, cleverness,
             quick-wittedness, capability, resourcefulness, aptitude,
             qualifications, strength, quality, forte, Colloq Brit gumption,
             Slang guts:  Has he the inner resources for the job that lies
             ahead?  2 Often, resources. capital, assets, money, possessions,
             wealth, property, cash, funds:  She has sufficient resources to
             retire at fifty if she wants to.

   resourceful
             adj.  ingenious, inventive, imaginative, clever, Daedalian,
             creative, skilful, smart, slick:  Sylvia is resourceful enough
             to get out of any situation.

   respect   n.  1 regard, consideration, admiration, esteem, (high) opinion,
             appreciation:  We have great respect for Samuel Simpson, our
             president.  2 regard, consideration, courtesy, politeness,
             civility, attentiveness, thoughtfulness, etiquette, deference,
             reverence, veneration:  Few treat Alastair with the respect he
             deserves.  3 reference, relation, connection, comparison,
             regard, bearing:  What are they planning to do with respect to
             the flooding?  4 detail, point, element, aspect, characteristic,
             feature, quality, trait, particular, matter, attribute,
             property:  Describe the respects in which the War of American
             Independence and the French Revolution were similar. 5 respects.
             regards, good or best wishes, greetings, compliments, Formal
             salutations, Formal or archaic devoirs:  I went to pay my
             respects to my aunt on her 90th birthday.

             --v.  6 consider, admire, esteem, honour, appreciate, value,
             defer to, pay homage to, think highly or well of, look up to,
             revere, reverence, venerate:  I am not sure that I like Mrs
             Horne, but I certainly respect her for what she has done for the
             poor. 7 heed, obey, show consideration or regard for, pay
             attention to, attend to, be considerate or polite or courteous
             to, defer to:  Children are no longer taught to respect their
             elders.

   respectable
             adj.  1 proper, demure, decorous, seemly, estimable, worthy,
             dignified, decent, upright, honest, respected, genteel, refined,
             reputable, above-board, unimpeachable, law-abiding:  Patricia
             Smythe is a very respectable member of the community.  I'll have
             you know that I run a respectable boarding house! 2 moderate,
             appreciable, goodly, reasonable, fair, not inconsiderable,
             considerable, tolerable, satisfactory, sizeable, good-sized,
             substantial, not insignificant, significant, Colloq tidy:  She
             earns a respectable living. A respectable number of people
             showed up. Climbing Annapurna, though it is not Everest, is a
             respectable feat. 3 presentable, moral, decent, proper, modest,
             chaste, innocent, pure, clean:  The board decided that the film
             is not respectable enough to be shown to schoolchildren.

   respectful
             adj.  courteous, polite, well-mannered, well-behaved, mannerly,
             civil, cordial, gentlemanly, ladylike, gracious, obliging,
             accommodating, considerate, thoughtful:  On entering, Captain
             Gregory made a respectful bow to the ladies.

   respective
             adj.  separate, individual, particular, pertinent, specific,
             special, personal, own, relevant, corresponding, several:  Each
             retired to his respective room for the night. All of you know
             your respective duties.

   respectively
             adv.  separately, individually, singly, severally, mutatis
             mutandis, each to each:  Ron and Daniel are, respectively,
             president and secretary of the association.

   respite   n.  1 interval, intermission, break, interruption, recess,
             breather, rest; holiday, Chiefly US and Canadian vacation:  I
             haven't had a moment's respite since six o'clock this morning.
             We are planning a brief respite from work in August. 2 pause,
             delay, hiatus, stay, extension, reprieve, postponement:  After a
             ten-minute respite, the infernal noise began again.

   respond   v.  1 answer, reply, come back, return, react, reciprocate,
             counter; rejoin, retort:  When Sean insulted her, Una responded
             with a slap to his face.  I said, 'Good morning!' and Adrian
             responded, 'What's good about it?' 2 Often, respond to. be
             responsive (to), react (to), empathize (with), sympathize
             (with), commiserate (with), feel for, pity, be affected or moved
             or touched (by):  Many respond to those charity appeals for the
             crippled and disabled.

   response  n.  answer, reply, retort, rejoinder; reaction, effect,
             feedback, return, Colloq comeback:  Whatever you say to Ronnie
             Farrago, he always has a snappy response.  The response to our
             advertising has been quite good.

   responsibility
             n.  1 accountability, liability, chargeability, answerability,
             obligation:  Responsibility is one of the burdens a parent must
             undertake.  2 charge, duty, onus, burden, trust, job, role,
             task:  Has Ted taken on more responsibilities than he can
             handle? It is your responsibility to see that the children are
             awakened in time for school. 3 blame, guilt, fault, culpability:
             Professor Davies assumed full responsibility for the failure of
             the experiment. 4 dependability, reliability, trustworthiness,
             stability, accountability, creditability:  Before accommodating
             you with a loan, Mr Stokes, we must confirm your financial
             responsibility.

   responsible
             adj.  1 accountable, answerable, liable, chargeable:  The court
             determined that she was not responsible for her actions.  2
             reliable, trustworthy, dependable, stable, creditable,
             accountable, ethical, honest:  If teenagers can show that they
             are sufficiently responsible, the bank will lend them money for
             their enterprise. 3 executive, leading, authoritative,
             administrative, important, decision-making, managerial,
             directorial, principal, chief, top, US front-office:  Oliver
             played a responsible role in the running of the company.  4
             guilty, to blame, at fault, culpable:  We never found out who
             was responsible for putting the frog in the teacher's desk.

   responsive
             adj.  alert, alive, (wide-)awake, reactive, communicative,
             sharp, keen, receptive, sensitive, open, sympathetic:  I was
             delighted to find students who were so responsive to the ideas
             put forth in my lectures.

   rest°     n.  1 repose, sleep, nap, doze, siesta, slumber, Chiefly Brit
             lie-down, Colloq forty winks, zizz, snooze; shut-eye:  I think
             I'll have a bit of a rest before dinner.  2 relaxation,
             intermission, interval, interlude, entr'acte, rest period,
             cessation, (tea or coffee) break, recess, breather,
             breathing-spell, respite, time off, holiday, Chiefly US and
             Canadian vacation:  Why don't you take a rest for a while?  3
             ease, relaxation, leisure, indolence, idleness, inactivity,
             loafing, dozing:  His well-deserved rest was disturbed by an
             urgent request from Interpol to investigate a smuggling
             operation. 4 prop, support, holder, brace, trestle, shelf,
             bracket:  Those old guns were too heavy to hold and fire without
             using a rest. 5 come to rest. stop, end up, turn up, arrive:
             The ball rolled down the slope and came to rest in a puddle.

             --v.  6 (go to) sleep, doze, relax, take a rest, (take one's)
             repose, lie down, recline, go or take to one's bed, take one's
             ease, unwind, loll, languish, laze about, be idle, idle about,
             lounge, (take a) nap, put one's feet up, Colloq take it easy,
             snooze, count sheep, have a zizz, catch or grab some shut-eye,
             get or take forty winks, US catch or log a few zees (Z's), Slang
             Brit kip, doss down, hit the sack, hit the hay, US sack out:
             Rest now - you'll feel better tomorrow.  7 reside, be situated,
             be lodged, lie, be placed, hinge, be found, remain, stay:  The
             responsibility for passenger safety rests with the captain and
             the crew. The blame for this fiasco rests on you. 8 place,
             position, put, lay, set, lean, prop:  Rest your head on my
             shoulder.  9 lie, remain, stay:  Can't you let the matter rest?
             10 allay, calm, quiet, still, stay:  Rest your fears - I shall
             let nothing happen to you.

   restэ     n.  1 remainder, balance; remains, remnants, leftovers, residue,
             residuum, excess, surplus, overage:  If you carry these bags,
             I'll take the rest. Martin bought up all the best books and left
             the rest for us.

             --v.  2 (continue to) be, remain, keep on being:  Rest assured,
             the situation is bound to get easier as we go along.

   restful   adj.  1 relaxing, soothing, comforting, tranquillizing,
             sedative, calming, sleep-inducing, hypnotic, soporific,
             somnolent:  Don't you find the sound of the waves restful?  2
             tranquil, calm, peaceful, quiet, still, serene, pacific,
             comfortable, relaxed, reposeful:  After a hectic day in the
             city, I was happy to return to the restful atmosphere of the
             country.

   restitution
             n.  1 amends, compensation, redress, recompense, remuneration,
             reparation, requital, indemnification, indemnity:  It was agreed
             that victims of the raids were entitled to restitution for what
             had been taken from them. 2 restoration, return,
             re-establishment, reinstatement, recovery:  A commission is to
             investigate the restitution of plundered property.

   restive   adj.  See restless, below.

   restless  adj.  restive, uneasy, edgy, on edge, on tenterhooks, fidgety,
             nervous, skittish, excitable, highly-strung, high-strung, worked
             up, agitated, fretful, jumpy, apprehensive, itchy, Colloq
             jittery, Slang uptight, US antsy, hyper:  The crowd in the
             square were becoming restless as they waited for the speeches to
             start.

   restoration
             n.  1 See restitution, 2, above.  2 renovation, refurbishment,
             rehabilitation, renewal, repair, rejuvenation, reconstruction,
             resurrection, reconversion, revival:  The programme for the
             restoration of ancient buildings suffers from lack of funding.

   restore   v.  1 give or hand back, return, make restitution, bring back:
             We must restore to the people the land that is rightfully
             theirs.  2 revive, rejuvenate, re-establish, renew, bring back,
             give (someone) back, resuscitate, resurrect, rekindle,
             reinvigorate, refresh, stimulate, revitalize, strengthen:  Your
             kindness has restored my faith in mankind.  3 renovate,
             refurbish, renew, repair, rejuvenate, resurrect, revive,
             reconstruct, rehabilitate, rebuild; mend, fix, retouch, touch
             up; Colloq US fix up:  They live in a 17th-century cottage that
             has been lovingly restored.  Antiques often lose their value
             entirely if they are restored. 4 replace, reinstate, put back;
             return, bring back:  They said that they would not rest until
             they had restored the rightful king on the throne. The doctor
             said she would soon be restored to good health. 5 replace,
             reimburse, repay, return, pay or put or give back:  Even though
             he has restored all the money he took, she refuses to forgive
             him.

   restrain  v.  1 (keep under or in) control, (keep or hold in) check, hold
             (back or in), curb, govern:  A poor rider, he was unable to
             restrain his horse. Something must be done to restrain the
             general's power. 2 limit, restrict, inhibit, regulate, suppress,
             repress, bar, debar, curtail, stifle, hinder, interfere with,
             hamper, handicap:  Trade between the two countries was
             restrained because of tariff disputes. 3 (place under) arrest,
             confine, imprison, incarcerate, detain, hold, lock up, jail or
             Brit also gaol, shut in or up:  For his most recent offence, he
             was restrained for two months.

   restraint n.  1 control, check, curb, rein, bridle, restriction,
             constraint, limit, limitation, curtailment, taboo, ban,
             interdict or interdiction, proscription, delimitation, bound(s),
             embargo:  The law places restraints on executives' buying and
             selling shares in their own companies. In 1863, a bill for the
             restraint of the press was brought before the House of Commons.
             2 control, restriction, constraint, confinement; bondage, bonds,
             fetters, shackles, handcuffs, gyves, bilboes, pinions, manacles,
             ball and chain, strait-jacket, Colloq cuffs, bracelets:  Despite
             the restraints to his liberty, he felt a free man. He became
             violent and had to be put under restraint. 3 control, reserve,
             self-control, self-possession, poise, equanimity,
             self-discipline, self-restraint:  Heather Gorse exhibited
             admirable restraint in remaining silent when teased her about
             her name.

   restrict  v.  limit, confine, bound, circumscribe, delimit, mark off,
             demarcate, regulate; qualify, restrain, impede:  Smoking is
             allowed only in restricted areas. The opposition party said that
             they would restrict the movement of heavy goods by road.

   restriction
             n.  1 condition, provision, proviso, qualification, stipulation:
             One restriction is that purchasers of shares in the utility must
             be resident in the UK. 2 See restraint, 1, above.

   result    n.  1 outcome, consequence, effect, end (result), fruit;
             conclusion, upshot, issue, development, sequel, follow-up,
             consequence, denouement or d‚nouement:  It will take years to
             evaluate the results of the new educational curriculum. As a
             result of his speeding ticket, his driving licence was
             suspended.

             --v.  2 Often, result from. develop, emerge, follow, happen,
             occur, come (about), come to pass, arise, evolve, be produced:
             Severe burns can result from allowing children to play with
             matches.  The mixture that results may be highly volatile. 3
             result in. end, conclude, culminate, terminate:  The explosion
             resulted in a heavy loss of life. The experience gained often
             results in better safety devices.

   resume    v.  continue, carry on, take up again, pick up (where one left
             off):  After prison, it is not easy to resume one's life where
             it left off. When the audience quieted, the speaker resumed.

   r‚sum‚    n.  1 summary, digest, abstract, synopsis, pr‚cis, outline,
             review, recapitulation, epitome, Colloq run-down, recap:  Give
             me a r‚sum‚ of what went on at the board meeting.  2 curriculum
             vitae, CV, summary, biography, work or job history, career
             description, Formal prosopography, Colloq bio, US vita:
             Suitably qualified candidates are invited to send their r‚sum‚s
             to the address below.

   resurgence
             n.  renaissance, renascence, rebirth, revival, reawakening,
             restoration, renewal, resumption, return, resurrection,
             regeneration, rejuvenation, new dawn, new birth:  Simone is
             banking her entire future on a resurgence of interest in
             seventies' fashion.

   resurrect v.  revive, bring back, return, reawaken, restore (to life),
             reintroduce, renew, regenerate, rejuvenate, raise (from the
             dead), resuscitate, breathe new life into, reanimate,
             reincarnate:  Some antiquated law was resurrected in order to
             prevent their using the land for grazing.

   retain    v.  1 keep (possession of), hold (on to), save, preserve, Colloq
             hang on to:  Retain the receipt in case you wish to exchange the
             merchandise.  2 engage, hire, employ, commission, take on:  We
             have retained a caretaker to look after the estate.  3 hold,
             absorb, contain, soak up, preserve:  This type of soil retains
             little water.  4 remember, keep or bear or have in mind, recall,
             remain aware of, memorize, impress on the memory, recollect:  As
             he aged, he found it increasingly difficult to retain even the
             simplest information such as names and dates.

   retaliate v.  repay, pay back (in kind), counter, strike back (at), take
             revenge (on), wreak vengeance (on), revenge oneself (on),
             avenge, reciprocate, settle a score (with); give a Roland for an
             Oliver, give tit for tat, take an eye for an eye (and a tooth
             for a tooth), give as good as one gets, give (someone) a taste
             of his or her or their own medicine, pay (someone) back in his
             or her own coin; Colloq get even (with), get back (at):  After
             government forces bombed their mountain headquarters, the
             guerrillas retaliated by destroying bridges and railway lines.

   retard    v.  1 slow (down or up), hold up or back, set back, hinder,
             impede, delay, keep back, stall, thwart, balk, block, restrict,
             hold in check, frustrate, interfere with:  Growth of the economy
             was severely retarded by the war.

             --n.  2 Offensive and derogatory idiot, moron, fool, imbecile,
             dunce, Slang chiefly US and Canadian jerk:  Why she invites that
             retard to her parties I can't imagine.

   reticent  adj.  quiet, shy, timid, retiring, reserved; taciturn, silent,
             unresponsive, tight-lipped, unforthcoming:  If you are proud of
             your accomplishments, why be reticent about saying so? Colin is
             reticent about how he acquired his gold earring.

   retinue   n.  entourage, escort, convoy, cortЉge, company, train, suite,
             followers, attendants, following, hangers-on, Colloq groupies:
             The rock band arrived at the airport accompanied by a retinue of
             flunkeys.

   retire    v.  1 withdraw, rusticate, go off or away, take off, retreat;
             hibernate, aestivate or US estivate, seclude or sequester or
             cloister oneself:  I think I'll retire to some mountain-top to
             finish my book.  2 stop or give up work(ing), be pensioned off,
             (be) put out to grass or pasture, take the golden handshake, be
             given the gold watch, go on social security, go on a pension, be
             superannuated, go out of circulation:  Gemma Frobisher has
             retired from her job in the bakery, and is now living with her
             daughter in Norfolk. 3 go or take to (one's) bed or bedroom, (go
             to) sleep, lie down, (take one's) repose, (take a) nap, put
             one's feet up, Colloq take it easy, snooze, count sheep, have a
             zizz, catch or grab some shut-eye, get or take forty winks, US
             catch or log a few zees (Z's), Slang hit the sack, sack out, hit
             the hay, Brit kip, doss down:  I usually retire around midnight.

   retiring  adj.  shy, bashful, coy, demure, modest, diffident, timid,
             unpretentious, unassuming, humble, self-effacing, timorous,
             meek, reticent, reserved, unsocial, unsociable, aloof, removed,
             standoffish, distant, reclusive, eremitic(al):  Howard is of a
             retiring disposition, preferring to keep to himself.

   retort    n.  1 response, reply, rejoinder, answer, riposte, rebuttal,
             Colloq comeback:  Faced with criticism of the novel, the
             author's retort was a four-letter word.

             --v.  2 fling or hurl back, rejoin, answer back, riposte, rebut,
             counter, come back with, return, respond, answer, reply,
             retaliate:  'And don't expect a Christmas present from me,
             either!', she retorted vehemently.

   retouch   v.  touch up, correct, restore, repair, recondition, refresh,
             brush up, adjust, improve, finish, put the finishing touches on:
             Only an expert restorer could have retouched the damaged
             painting so skilfully.

   retract   v.  1 withdraw, pull or draw back:  The instant he felt the
             heat, he retracted his hand.  2 take back, withdraw, rescind,
             revoke, repeal, deny, disavow, recant, renounce, abjure, cancel,
             forswear, repudiate, disclaim, disown, reverse:  If they refuse
             to retract their statement, I shall sue them for libel.

   retreat   n.  1 retirement, withdrawal, pulling or falling or drawing
             back, giving ground, evacuation, flight:  The regiment's retreat
             in the face of overwhelming odds is complete.  2 retirement,
             seclusion, withdrawal, isolation, solitude, rustication:  Since
             her retreat from public life, she has devoted herself to
             painting. 3 sanctuary, sanctum (sanctorum), refuge, shelter,
             den, haven, asylum, resort, hideaway, hide-out:  Antonia
             insisted on having her own retreat where she could occasionally
             escape from the children.

             --v.  4 withdraw, decamp, run (away), turn tail, depart, give or
             lose ground, pull or fall or draw back, retire, evacuate, flee,
             take flight:  We must retreat to the shelter of the hills, where
             we can regroup.  5 ebb, draw or move back, recede:  The waves,
             constantly advancing and retreating across the pebbly strand,
             lulled me to sleep.

   retribution
             n.  vengeance, revenge, reprisal, retaliation, requital,
             redress, quid pro quo, satisfaction, punishment, justice, just
             deserts, recompense, compensation:  It is a moral question
             whether society's treatment of malefactors should be an act of
             retribution or the setting of an example to others.

   retrieve  v.  1 bring or get (back), fetch, come back with:  Simon trained
             his dog to retrieve his slippers.  2 recover, save, rescue, take
             back, recoup, regain, reclaim:  I tried using a fishing line to
             retrieve my hat from the lake.  3 make up, make amends for,
             recover, cover, redeem, repay, pay for, return, get back,
             regain, be repaid or reimbursed for:  Will we be able to
             retrieve our losses when we sell the business?

   retrospect
             n.  hindsight, reconsideration, review, remembering,
             afterthought, recollection, looking back:  In retrospect, I am
             not sure we did the right thing.

   return    v.  1 come or go back, revert, turn back:  She is returning to
             her old habits. I shall return to this subject later if I have
             time. 2 come back, reappear, resurface, crop up again, turn or
             show up again, put in an appearance again; recur, reoccur,
             Colloq pop up again:  Will he return before March? The symptoms
             returned.  3 replace, put back, restore, give back, bring or
             carry back:  The missing books have mysteriously been returned.
             4 exchange, bring back or carry back:  You may return any
             merchandise, for any reason, for refund or exchange, within ten
             days of its purchase. 5 yield, earn, gain, profit, benefit:
             Where else can you find a secure investment that returns more
             than 15 per cent? 6 deliver, render, give, offer, turn in,
             proffer, report:  The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty.

             --n.  7 recurrence, reappearance, repetition, renewal,
             recrudescence, resurfacing, re-emergence:  There was a return of
             the symptoms when I stopped taking the medicine.  8 replacement,
             replacing, restoration, restoring, restitution:  We shall see to
             the return of the stolen items to their rightful places. 9
             Sometimes, returns. yield, earnings, profit, gain, benefit,
             income, revenue, proceeds, interest, takings, results:  The
             return on my investment was almost 100 per cent!  10 arrival,
             advent, coming, home-coming:  A small crowd had gathered to
             await his return.  11 reciprocity, reciprocation, repayment,
             recompense, reimbursement, compensation, payment, reparation,
             indemnity, indemnification, consideration, amends, redress,
             requital:  If I give you my bike, what will I get in return?

   revamp    v.  overhaul, redo, recondition, renovate, repair, fix, do up,
             refit, refurbish, restore, rehabilitate, US fix up:  To bring it
             into line with the 21st century, the constitution may need to be
             revamped completely.

   reveal    v.  expose, display, divulge, disclose, show; make known, let
             on, let out, let it be known, let slip, communicate, give vent
             to, air, ventilate, leak (out):  The increasing light of dawn
             revealed a no-man's-land of utter devastation. The book is said
             to reveal everything you would prefer not to know about
             factory-farming.

   revel     v.  1 Usually, revel in. (take) delight (in), take pleasure
             (in), rejoice (in), luxuriate (in), bask (in), wallow(in), lap
             up, crow (about or over), glory (in), savour, relish:  Gavin
             revelled in the news that his ex-wife was remarrying and he
             would no longer have to pay her alimony. 2 make merry, carouse,
             celebrate, cut loose, go on a spree, Colloq live it up, whoop it
             up, make whoopee, whoop it up, paint the town red, party, Brit
             push the boat out, Slang Brit have a rave or rave-up:  The night
             after exams finish, the students traditionally revel till dawn.

             --n.  3 spree, party, merrymaking, debauch, carouse, festival,
             f€te, carousal, celebration, gala, ball, romp, fling, carnival,
             jamboree, bacchanal, saturnalia:  Everyone joined in the revels
             on New Year's Eve, and had a good time.

   revelation
             n.  news, information, proclamation, publication, bulletin,
             communiqu‚, announcement, pronouncement, declaration, statement,
             leak; admission, confession; discovery, unveiling, uncovering,
             exposure, disclosure, expos‚:  We were shocked at the revelation
             that they had been married all these years. Scientists'
             revelations about the depletion of the ozone layer are causing
             widespread concern.

   revelry   n.  merrymaking, fun, revelling, carousal, carousing, gaiety,
             festivity, jollity, mirth, celebration, ball, high jinks or
             hijinks, spree, Colloq partying, Slang Brit rave or rave-up:
             The revelry went on into the wee hours of the morning.

   revenge   n.  1 vengeance, retaliation, reprisal, retribution,
             vindictiveness, spitefulness, repayment, satisfaction:  They
             think he set fire to the place in revenge for having been
             dismissed.

             --v.  2 avenge, get even for, take revenge for, make reprisal
             for, exact retribution or payment or repayment for:  She was
             seeking ways to revenge the murder of her brother.  3 revenge
             oneself (on). settle a score or an old score (with), pay
             (someone) back in his or her own coin, give a Roland for an
             Oliver, give tit for tat, take an eye for an eye (and a tooth
             for a tooth), punish, Colloq get, get even (with), give
             (someone) his or her or their comeuppance, give (someone) a
             taste of his or her or their own medicine:  He found ways to
             revenge himself on them for all that they had done to him.

   revenue   n.  (gross) income, proceeds, receipts, return(s), yield,
             interest, takings, net (income), gate; profits, gain, Colloq
             chiefly US take:  The revenue from the drugs operation must run
             into billions.

   revere    v.  adore, adulate, reverence, venerate, worship, idolize,
             enshrine, sanctify, beatify, glorify, esteem, admire, respect,
             honour:  He was revered as the founding father of British
             psychology.

   reverence n.  1 honour, respect, esteem, admiration, glorification,
             beatification, sanctification, idolization, worship, veneration,
             adulation, adoration, homage, fealty, obeisance, deference, awe:
             Their totalitarian discipline was able to succeed because of the
             people's reverence for authority.

             --v.  2 See revere, above.

   reverie   n.  day-dream, fantasy, brown study, wool-gathering,
             absent-mindedness; meditation, thought:  I shouldn't disturb
             Kevin - he's deep in a reverie.

   reversal  n.  1 reverse, turn-about, turn-round, U-turn, change,
             volte-face, (complete) switch, Brit about-turn, US about-face:
             This represents a reversal of former policy, doesn't it?  2 See
             reverse, 8, below.  3 annulment, nullification, nulling,
             cancellation, revocation, repeal, rescission:  The present case
             is an appeal against the reversal of an earlier judgement.

   reverse   adj.  1 opposite, contrary, inverse, converse; inverted, upside
             down, mirror, reversed, backward:  Now try turning the wheel in
             the reverse direction. What appears on the retina is a reverse
             image, which the brain inverts.

             --v.  2 invert, overturn, turn upside down, turn topsy-turvy,
             turn over, up-end; exchange, change, interchange, transpose:
             Using your finger to keep the mercury from running out, reverse
             the tube in the dish of mercury. Perhaps the car will start if
             you reverse the leads to the battery. 3 overturn, overthrow,
             upset, set aside, quash, override, annul, nullify, vacate,
             abandon, revoke, negate, veto, declare null and void, disaffirm,
             invalidate, cancel, repeal, rescind, overrule, countermand,
             undo:  The superior tribunal reversed the decision of the
             lower-court judge. 4 alter, change, modify; renounce, recant,
             take back:  Reverse the polarity of the wiring. I reversed my
             opinion after hearing her sing. 5 back up, move or go backwards
             or US also backward, backtrack, Nautical make sternway:  You
             will be in the right spot if you reverse a yard or two.

             --n.  6 opposite, contrary, converse, antithesis:  Whatever she
             tells you, I suggest you do the reverse.  7 back, rear, wrong
             side, verso, underside; flip side, B-side; tail side:  Read what
             it says on the reverse.  8 set-back, disappointment, misfortune,
             reversal, mishap, misadventure, trouble, problem, difficulty,
             vicissitude, adversity, defeat; disaster, catastrophe, d‚bacle,
             rout, Colloq washout:  We suffered a temporary reverse or two in
             business, but we're all right now. United suffered a humiliating
             reverse against Wanderers in the cup last week.

   revert    v.  return, come or go back, take or pick up again, lapse,
             backslide, regress, relapse, retreat:  He reverted to his old
             beliefs about male superiority.

   review    v.  1 survey, examine, regard, look at, study, con, consider,
             weigh, inspect, look over, scrutinize:  Would you be good enough
             to review the work of the new employees?  She is coming to
             review the troops this weekend. 2 re-examine, reconsider, go
             over again, look at or over again, reassess:  Billings reviewed
             once more all the bad things he had done in his lifetime. 3
             criticize, critique, assess, judge, evaluate, give one's opinion
             of, comment on or upon, discuss:  Who reviewed your latest book?

             --n.  4 criticism, critique, review article, assessment,
             judgement, evaluation, commentary, study, comment, notice:  The
             play received rave reviews from almost all the critics.  5
             survey, examination, study, consideration, inspection, scrutiny,
             analysis; reviewing, reading:  After a detailed review of the
             circumstances, we have decided to let you off easy this time,
             Finnegan. 6 re-examination, reconsideration, rehashing or
             rehash, post-mortem, reassessment, rethinking, rethink:  Why do
             you always insist on a review of all the bidding on every hand,
             whenever we play bridge? 7 periodical, journal, magazine:  Have
             you read Stonehouse's article in the latest Birmingham Review?
             8 parade, procession, array, cavalcade, march past, fly-past or
             chiefly US flyover:  A great naval review was held at Spithead.

   revise    v.  1 edit, emend, improve, correct, rectify, modify, revamp,
             redact, rework, overhaul, update; rewrite:  A revised edition of
             the dictionary has been published every ten years. 2 alter,
             change, amend:  Since hearing him sing, I have been forced to
             revise my taste in music.

   revision  n.  editing, revising, emendation, improvement, correction,
             rectification, modification, revamping, reappraisal,
             re-examination, reinterpretation, reassessment, redaction,
             reworking, overhaul, overhauling, updating, update; rewrite,
             edition, version, rendition:  Her revision of the text is based
             on a newly discovered manuscript.  The fourth revision will be
             available next April.

   revival   n.  1 resurrection, resuscitation, renewal, restoration,
             revitalization, resurfacing, return, returning:  How much more
             often we see the revival of out-moded fashions than the
             introduction of new ideas! 2 rebirth, renaissance or renascence,
             resurgence, awakening, quickening, reanimation:  Do you regard
             the current trend towards fundamentalism as a genuine revival of
             religion? 3 recovery, improvement, increase, upsurge, upturn,
             boost, upswing, advance, advancement, progress, rise,
             escalation, Colloq pick-up, comeback:  This week saw a revival
             in the metals market.

   revive    v.  1 (re)awaken, wake (up), come or bring (a)round, waken,
             resuscitate; recover, (re)gain consciousness:  Dashing cold
             water in his face revived him at once. I revived to find her
             leaning over me. 2 reawaken, stir up again, renew, resume,
             reopen, refresh:  You can blame Andy for reviving the feud
             between our families.  3 bring back, reactivate, renew,
             resurrect, re-establish, resume, reopen, revitalize, breathe
             life into, reinvigorate, rejuvenate:  Perhaps we ought to revive
             the practice of putting hooligans, vandals, and delinquents into
             stocks in the market square.

   revoke    v.  cancel, deny, invalidate, annul, declare null and void,
             void, nullify, negate, repudiate, renounce, rescind, repeal,
             recall, recant, quash, veto, set aside, abrogate, abolish,
             withdraw, take back, retract:  He warned that if they refused to
             comply with local authority rulings he had the power to revoke
             their licence.

   revolt    n.  1 rebellion, revolution, uprising, mutiny, insurrection,
             coup d'‚tat, putsch, take-over:  The council ordered the secret
             police to suppress the revolt.

             --v.  2 rebel, rise up, mutiny; protest, dissent:  After years
             of oppression, the people revolted and deposed their leaders. 3
             repel, offend, disgust, shock, horrify, repulse, nauseate,
             sicken:  I was revolted by the poverty and sickness I saw in
             that country.

   revolting adj.  disgusting, sickening, nauseating, nauseous,
             stomach-turning, stomach-churning, vomit-provoking, sick-making,
             foul, loathsome, abhorrent, horrid, horrible, nasty, vile,
             obnoxious, repulsive, appalling, abominable, repellent,
             offensive, objectionable, off-putting, beastly, gross, rotten,
             rancid, inedible, disagreeable, unpleasant, Slang icky, yucky:
             Rick served up some revolting mess for dinner and then took
             offence when we didn't eat it.

   revolution
             n.  1 mutiny, revolt, rebellion, coup (d'‚tat), uprising,
             insurgency, insurrection, putsch, take-over, overthrow:  If the
             government fails to ensure that the people have food, there will
             be a revolution. 2 upheaval, cataclysm, transformation, (drastic
             or radical or major) change, sea change, metamorphosis:  Recent
             successes of capitalism have sparked a revolution in the
             political philosophies of communist nations. 3 rotation, turn,
             orbit, circuit, spin, lap, round, cycle, circle, gyration;
             wheel, whirl, pirouette:  At each revolution of the gear (A ) ,
             the ratchet (B ) moves one notch. The rapid revolutions of the
             ice-skater dissolved her into a blur of colour.

   revolutionary
             adj.  1 mutinous, rebellious, insurgent, insurrectionist,
             insurrectionary, radical, rebel, seditious, subversive:  They
             had dreamed for years of the revolutionary overthrow of the
             government. 2 novel, innovative, creative, new, different,
             original, avant-garde:  The firm hopes that its revolutionary
             new product will make a clean sweep in the market-place.

             --n.  3 rebel, mutineer, insurgent, insurrectionist,
             insurrectionary, revolutionist, sansculotte or sansculottist,
             anarchist, radical, extremist, terrorist:  In his younger days
             at university, Charles fancied himself a revolutionary, without
             quite knowing what he might rebel against.

   revolve   v.  1 spin, turn, pivot, rotate, gyrate, whirl, twirl, reel,
             wheel, go (a)round, circle, cycle, orbit; swivel:  As the earth
             revolves on its axis, the moon revolves round the earth. 2 turn,
             depend, pivot, rely:  His decision to buy a new car revolves on
             his finances.  3 turn over (in one's mind), ponder, weigh,
             consider, meditate upon or on, think about, reflect upon or on,
             ruminate over or on, chew over, contemplate:  I have been
             revolving in my mind your most attractive proposal, but I regret
             I must turn it down.

   revolver  n.  pistol, gun, side-arm, firearm, Chiefly US and Canadian
             handgun, Colloq US six-gun, six-shooter, Slang US rod, gat,
             roscoe, piece, Saturday-night special, shooting-iron:  How do
             you explain the fact that your fingerprints were found on the
             revolver with which she was shot?

   revulsion n.  loathing, detestation, disgust, repugnance, abomination,
             abhorrence, aversion, hatred, antipathy, odium, execration:  I
             cannot describe the revulsion I felt at seeing those elephants
             slaughtered for their ivory.

   reward    n.  1 award, favour, recompense, compensation, return, payment,
             pay, requital:  For your good deeds you will have to seek your
             reward in heaven; dishonesty is recompensed here on earth. 2
             prize, award, tribute, honour, Literary guerdon:  The Victoria
             Cross was instituted as a reward for military valour in 1856. 3
             retribution, punishment, just deserts, Colloq comeuppance:
             Hanging was the reward of treason.

             --v.  4 recompense, compensate, pay, repay, remunerate, redress,
             requite, make (something or it) worth someone's while:  Only if
             they reward him will Fuller give information leading to the
             capture of the thief.

   rewarding adj.  satisfying, gratifying, worthwhile, enriching, enriched,
             fruitful, worthwhile; profitable, advantageous, productive,
             gainful:  Laurence says that his most rewarding experience has
             been seeing his children again.

   reword    v.  paraphrase, rephrase, put into different words, put another
             way, express differently, revise, recast, rewrite:  Perhaps if
             you reworded your request in politer terms it might get more
             sympathetic consideration.

18.3 rhapsodic...
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   rhapsodic adj.  rhapsodical, ecstatic, enthusiastic, elated, overjoyed,
             effusive, rapturous, thrilled, blissful, transported, orgasmic,
             intoxicated, euphoric, walking on air, delighted, intoxicated,
             happy as a sandboy, happy as a pig in clover, (sitting) on top
             of the world, Brit in the seventh heaven, US in seventh heaven,
             happy as a cow in clover, Taboo slang US happy as a pig in shit:
             What kind of society have we that is scornful of intellect and
             rhapsodic about celebrities?

   rhetoric  n.  1 eloquence, expressiveness, elocution, way with words,
             Colloq gift of the gab:  His rhetoric, though it defied
             analysis, exactly reflected the emotions of the Labour movement.
             2 bombast, bluster, fustian, rodomontade, grandiloquence,
             magniloquence, oratory, windiness, high-flown poppycock,
             wordiness, sesquipedality, verbosity, prolixity,
             long-windedness, turgidity, flatulence, gasconade, Colloq hot
             air, puffery:  Her threats are mere rhetoric and I refuse to
             take notice of them.

   rhetorical
             adj.  1 stylistic, linguistic, poetic, expressive, oratorical:
             Zeugma, hysteron proteron, and anacoluthon are all terms for
             rhetorical devices. 2 artificial, contrived, for effect,
             unanswerable, not literal:  The question, 'Why don't you drop
             dead', was purely rhetorical.  3 pretentious, bombastic,
             flamboyant, extravagant, florid, fustian, high-flown, inflated,
             grandiose, euphuistic, turgid, grandiloquent, magniloquent,
             long-winded, windy, orotund, wordy, prolix, sesquipedalian,
             Colloq highfalutin or hifalutin:  The rhetorical style of
             Crampton's parliamentary speeches appear to be doing the party
             more harm than good.

   rhyme     n.  1 rime, poem, poetry, verse, versification, metrical
             composition, song:  The art of rhyme may well be coincident with
             the earliest stages of language. 2 rhyme or reason. (common)
             sense, logic, intelligence, meaning, wisdom, rationality,
             rationale, soundness, organization, structure:  There appears to
             be no rhyme or reason behind the bombing of the library.

   rhythm    n.  tempo, beat, cadence or cadency, throb, throbbing, accent,
             accentuation, time, timing, stress or rhythmic(al) pattern,
             measure, metre, pulse, lilt, Music downbeat, thesis, upbeat,
             arsis:  The song is in samba rhythm.

   rhythmic  adj.  rhythmical, measured, cadenced, throbbing, pulsing,
             pulsating, regular, steady, beating:  The rhythmic sound of the
             waves soon sent me to sleep.

18.4 ribaldry...
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   ribaldry  n.  vulgarity, immodesty, indelicacy, indecency, coarseness,
             bawdiness, earthiness, wantonness, raciness, naughtiness,
             shamelessness, lustfulness, rakishness, rascality,
             dissoluteness, lubricity, lasciviousness, looseness, scurrility
             or scurrilousness, lewdness, salaciousness, licentiousness,
             grossness, offensiveness, rankness, rudeness, smuttiness, smut,
             dirt, filth, foulness, obscenity:  The ribaldry of some of
             Chaucer's tales makes them not altogether suitable for
             schoolchildren.

   rich      adj.  1 wealthy, affluent, prosperous, well-to-do, well off,
             well provided for, opulent, moneyed, in clover, on velvet,
             Colloq flush, loaded, on Easy Street, rolling in it or money or
             wealth, in the chips or the dough or the money, well-heeled, US
             well-fixed:  A year ago Montmorency was a rich man, but that was
             before Blue Thursday on the Stock Exchange. 2 Sometimes, rich
             in. abundant (in), overflowing (with), fertile (in), fecund
             (in), productive (of), copious (in), abounding in, well supplied
             (with), well stocked (with), rife (with), replete (with),
             profuse (in or with):  The rich prairie land was soon yielding
             abundant harvests. The surrounding mountains were rich in
             minerals of all kinds. 3 valuable, precious, invaluable,
             priceless:  For centuries the islanders have enjoyed the rich
             bounty of the seas. The thieves who broke into the vaults got a
             rich haul. 4 costly, expensive, dear, valuable, invaluable,
             precious, priceless, lavish, sumptuous, lush, luxurious,
             palatial, elaborate, splendid, exquisite, superb, elegant:  The
             caravans returned laden with rich treasures of the Orient -
             silks, jewels, spices, rare woods, and other luxuries. 5
             intense, dark, deep, warm, vibrant, strong, lustrous:  At the
             rajah's court the rich colours of the carpets and hangings
             dazzle the eye. 6 fat, fattening, heavy, creamy, succulent,
             savoury, mouth-watering, luscious, sapid, delicious:  When Vicky
             complained that her sweet was too rich, Arthur ate hers, too. 7
             mellow, mellifluous, resonant, sonorous, full:  Edgar's rich
             basso filled the cavernous amphitheatre.  8 aromatic, ambrosial,
             savoury, fragrant, redolent, pungent, strong:  The house was
             filled with the rich odour of freshly made coffee.  9
             productive, plentiful, abundant, ample, bountiful, prolific,
             fruitful, fertile, fecund, copious, profitable, potent:  The
             letters proved a rich source of intimate details about their
             private life. 10 laughable, funny, hilarious, comic(al),
             humorous, amusing, Colloq side-splitting:  He had many rich
             anecdotes to relate about the practical jokes they used to play
             on one another. 11 ridiculous, preposterous, outlandish,
             ludicrous, absurd, nonsensical:  One particularly rich episode
             involved a chimpanzee.

   riches    n.pl.  wealth, affluence, opulence, plenty, prosperity,
             abundance, fortune, means, resources; lucre, pelf:  It was
             rumoured that the family had acquired its apparently endless
             riches in the slave trade, in the 18th century.

   richly    adv.  1 sumptuously, lavishly, luxuriously, splendidly,
             elaborately, exquisitely, elegantly, superbly:  The flat was
             richly appointed with Chinese antiques, thick oriental carpets,
             and silk hangings. 2 well, thoroughly, amply, fully,
             appropriately, fittingly, condignly:  Shirley's work was at last
             given the recognition it so richly deserved.

   rickety   adj.  wobbly, unsteady, broken-down, decrepit, shaky, tottering,
             teetering, ramshackle, flimsy, frail, precarious, dilapidated,
             in disrepair, tumbledown, unsecure:  Don't put such a heavy lamp
             on that rickety table!

   rid       v.  1 rid of. deliver from, relieve of, free from or of, rescue,
             save:  What can we do to rid ourselves of that appalling smell?

             --adj.  2 be or get rid of. banish, exile, eject, expel, dispose
             of, throw out or away, eliminate, dispense with; refuse, reject,
             dismiss, shrug off:  If she had wanted to be rid of him, she
             would have divorced him long ago. I am having a spot of bother
             trying to get rid of my old car: nobody wants to buy it.

   -ridden   adj.  afflicted or harassed or affected or dominated by,
             infected or infested with:  They were shocked when they first
             came to this drought-ridden province of Northern Ethiopia. Only
             foreign aid can salvage the debt-ridden economy of this state.

   riddle°   n.  conundrum, puzzle, enigma, poser, question, mystery,
             problem, brain-teaser or Brit brain-twister:  The cracker
             contained a whistle, paper hat, and the inevitable riddle.

   riddleэ   v.  1 perforate, pepper, puncture, pierce, honeycomb:  The back
             of the bookcase was riddled with tiny worm-holes.  2 penetrate,
             infest, infect, pervade, permeate, fill, spread:  An
             investigation revealed that the entire department was riddled
             with corruption.

             --n.  3 sieve, colander or cullender, strainer, grating, screen,
             sifter, filter:  He shovelled the dirt through the riddle to
             sift out the larger stones.

   ride      v.  1 sit on or in, travel or journey or go or proceed on or in,
             be borne or carried or conveyed (on or in), take; propel or
             control or drive (a horse or a bicycle or a motor cycle):  They
             ride the bus to work each day. The film began with a witch
             riding a broomstick. Do you know how to ride a motor bike? 2
             float, lie:  The yacht is riding at anchor off Portsmouth.  3
             tyrannize, terrorize, intimidate, dominate, oppress; bully, rag,
             harry, harass, hector, nag, provoke, heckle, badger, plague,
             pester, annoy, irritate, Colloq hassle:  He has been ridden by
             obsessive ambition all his life.

             --n.  4 drive, journey, trip, excursion, tour, jaunt, outing,
             expedition, Colloq spin:  Let's go for a ride in the country!  5
             take for a ride.  a delude, swindle, trick, deceive, defraud,
             humbug, defraud, gull, take in, cheat, bamboozle:  Those
             tricksters with the loaded dice certainly took Charlie for a
             ride last night! b (kidnap and) murder or kill or execute or do
             in, Slang bump off, US (snatch and) rub out or waste:  They said
             that if he identified them, they would take him for a ride.

   ridge     n.  crest, line, strip, top edge, ar€te:  The mountain ridge was
             partly obscured by clouds.

   ridicule  n.  1 derision, deriding, jeer, jeering, taunt, taunting,
             mockery, mocking, gibe or jibe, gibing or jibing, raillery,
             Colloq ribbing, US and Canadian razzing, joshing:  Nick was
             often subjected to ridicule because of his outlandish clothes.

             --v.  2 deride, jeer at, taunt, tease, mock, gibe or jibe, guy,
             chaff, laugh at, caricature, poke fun at, make fun or sport of,
             lampoon, burlesque, travesty, parody, make a laughing-stock
             (of), Colloq rib, roast, Brit send up, take the mickey out of,
             US and Canadian razz, josh:  In a democracy, it is an
             inalienable right of the people to ridicule their leaders and
             government.

   ridiculous
             adj.  absurd, laughable, preposterous, weird, comical, funny,
             humorous, ludicrous, farcical, droll, amusing, mirthful,
             hilarious, side-splitting, risible; silly, inane, nonsensical,
             foolish, stupid, outlandish, bizarre, grotesque, queer, crazy,
             insane, zany, wild, Slang far-out:  You look absolutely
             ridiculous in that outfit! Where did she ever get the ridiculous
             notion that she would marry a prince?

   riff-raff n.  rabble, hoi polloi, ragtag and bobtail, scum, canaille,
             masses, dregs (of society), Colloq great unwashed:  I am shocked
             that you continue your membership in a club to which riff-raff
             like Trevor Barnes belong.

   rifle     v.  1 rob, loot, ransack, plunder, despoil, burgle, pillage, US
             burglarize:  We caught the man who had rifled the till.  2
             search, ransack, go through, rummage through:  She rifled
             through the files till the will was found.

   rift      n.  1 separation, break, split, schism, cleft, gulf, gap;
             disagreement, conflict, disruption, difference, breach,
             break-up, division, distance, alienation:  The continued
             bitterness served only to intensify the rift between them. 2
             tear, rent, opening, hole, crack, chink, crevice, cleavage,
             fracture, flaw, fault:  Water was pouring through an
             ever-widening rift in the dam.

   rig       v.  1 Often, rig out or up. fit (out or up), equip, set up,
             outfit, supply, provision, accoutre or US also accouter,
             caparison, set up, Chiefly Brit kit out:  Good Sports was the
             shop that rigged us out completely for our Himalayan climbing
             expedition. 2 falsify, manipulate, doctor, juggle, fix, tamper
             with, fake, Colloq fiddle (with), cook:  The accountants rigged
             the books to make the company appear profitable enough to merit
             a bank loan.

             --n.  3 equipment, equipage, gear, tackle, apparatus, outfit,
             kit, accoutrements or US also accouterments, paraphernalia,
             appurtenances, Colloq things, stuff:  It cost a fortune to
             transport his diving rig by plane.

   right     adj.  1 just, moral, good, proper, correct, legal, lawful,
             licit, honest, upright, righteous, virtuous, ethical, fair,
             true, honourable, right-minded, principled, open, above-board:
             There is no doubt in my mind that Simon can be relied on to do
             the right thing. 2 correct, fitting, suitable, proper, accurate,
             exact, precise, perfect; factual, truthful, veracious, valid,
             sound, Colloq Brit bang on, spot on:  Have you bought the right
             kind of nail to go into plaster? Jennie had nine right answers
             out of ten. How many of yours are right? 3 propitious,
             convenient, strategic, advantageous, beneficial, favourable,
             auspicious, preferred, preferable, promising:  It is critical
             for the mixture to reach the boiling point at exactly the right
             time. 4 sound, sane, normal, rational, lucid, healthy:  Is she
             right in the head, letting him drive in his condition?  5
             right-hand, dextral, dexter, Nautical starboard:  In the United
             Kingdom, drivers sit on the right side.  6 rightist, right-wing,
             conservative, reactionary, Tory:  The right wing of the liberal
             party is not so very different from the left wing of the
             conservatives. 7 face, upper, principal, front:  Have you laid
             the tablecloth right side up?  8 utter, complete, perfect,
             unmitigated, unalloyed, out-and-out, thorough, thoroughgoing,
             24-carat or esp. US 24-karat, dyed in the wool, pure, absolute,
             real, Brit proper:  I've been a right idiot not to realize that
             he loved only her.

             --n.  9 privilege, prerogative, licence, power, claim, title,
             freedom, liberty:  We must allow nothing to interfere with our
             democratic rights, such as our right to vote. 10 justice,
             reason, fact, truth, fairness, equity, good, goodness,
             integrity, virtue, virtuousness, honesty, honourableness,
             morality, propriety, rectitude, right-mindedness,
             high-mindedness, nobility, uprightness:  He believes that he has
             right on his side.  11 right side or hand or fist, Nautical
             starboard:  She stood on his right. She gave him a quick right
             to the jaw.  12 by rights. properly, fairly, justly, to be just,
             to be fair, in fairness, honestly, in all honesty, to be honest:
             By rights, because I paid for it, the house is mine.

             --adv.  13 directly, straight, straightaway, right away or off,
             in a beeline, as the crow flies, forthwith; unhesitatingly,
             immediately, promptly, at once, instantly, without hesitating or
             hesitation, without delay, quickly, swiftly, speedily, Colloq
             pronto, straight off:  The minute he walked into the room, he
             went right to the wall-safe.  Please come over right now. 14
             exactly, precisely, unerringly, accurately; just:  She hung the
             paintings right where they belonged.  15 just, only:  I stopped
             right now - when you walked in.  16 well, satisfactorily,
             advantageously, profitably, favourably, opportunely:  I hope
             that everything turns out right for you.  17 correctly,
             accurately, properly, precisely, well, sensibly, fittingly,
             suitably, aptly:  If you can't do it right, why bother doing it
             at all!

             --v.  18 straighten (up or out), set upright or aright:  I
             righted all the chairs the children had knocked over.  19 put or
             set or make right, put or set to rights, correct, straighten
             out, redress, amend, make up for, rectify, sort out, repair,
             fix:  She has always felt that her mission in life was to right
             wrongs.  20 avenge, retaliate for, vindicate, repay, revenge,
             settle, Colloq get even for:  Langdon swore that he would right
             the injury done to his father's name.

   righteous adj.  1 moral, just, virtuous, upstanding, upright, good,
             honest, ethical, honourable, fair, reputable, trustworthy:  He
             insists that his father was a righteous man who had been
             unjustly accused. 2 right, correct, justifiable, justified,
             appropriate, condign, fitting, apt, self-righteous:  Her
             righteous indignation at being criticized stems from her
             overweening pride.

   rightful  adj.  1 legal, lawful, legitimate, licit, de jure, correct,
             proper, bona fide, valid, true, authorized, right:  If the deed
             is in his name, then he is the rightful owner.  2 just, fair,
             equitable, right:  Emily has supported rightful causes all her
             life.

   rigid     adj.  1 stiff, unbending, unbendable, firm, hard, strong:  Are
             those brackets rigid enough to support such a heavy shelf?  2
             inflexible, inelastic, unyielding, undeviating, unalterable,
             set, firm, hard, adamant, hard-line, unbending, adamantine,
             steely, iron, strong, uncompromising, rigorous, unrelenting,
             intransigent, stringent, severe, strict, rigorous, stern, harsh,
             austere:  Frank is known to favour rigid discipline in the
             classroom.  3 rigorous, exact, precise, unwavering, unqualified,
             unswerving, undeviating, demanding, strict, hard and fast,
             literal, nice, close, thorough, scrupulous, careful,
             conscientious, painstaking, meticulous, punctilious, exacting,
             strait-laced:  Rigid observance of the regulations produced the
             desired results.  Pinwell's rigid parsimony met little favour
             from his family. 4 obstinate, stubborn, pigheaded, inflexible,
             immovable, adamant, adamantine, fixed, set, obdurate, wilful,
             headstrong, dogged, persevering, determined, resolute,
             steadfast, resolved, tenacious, relentless, unrelenting,
             uncompromising, unadaptable, mulish, close-minded:  Candida
             remained rigid in her opposition to birth control.

   rigmarole n.  rigamarole, motions, complication(s), formalities, red tape,
             bureaucracy, punctilio, ceremoniousness, ceremony, ritual,
             procedure, mess, mumbo-jumbo, gobbledegook or gobbledygook,
             bunkum or buncombe, bother, balderdash, rubbish, nonsense,
             foolishness, Colloq hassle, bunk, Slang crap, US meshugaas or
             mishegaas:  Why must one go through such a rigmarole just to get
             a driving licence?

   rigour    n.  1 Usually, rigours. severity, harshness, hardship,
             inhospitableness, bleakness, inclemency or inclementness,
             bitterness, cold:  I am not sure that my grandmother can endure
             the rigours of another Scottish winter. 2 strictness, rigidity,
             precision, preciseness, punctilio, literalness, exactness,
             meticulousness, stringency, inflexibility, rigorism, harshness,
             severity, hardship, asperity, austerity, sternness:  If you work
             with radioactive materials, safety regulations must be observed
             with rigour. The rigour of monastic life has toughened him over
             the years.

   rim       n.  edge, brim, lip, border, periphery, perimeter:  To make a
             margarita, you first coat the rim of a cocktail glass with
             coarse salt.

   rind      n.  peel, skin, husk:  Cut the thin outer part of the rind of a
             lemon into thin strips and soak them in brandy.

   ring°     n.  1 loop, hoop, band, circle, ringlet, circlet, annulus,
             grommet, eyelet, quoit, noose, cincture, belt, girdle, cestus or
             cestos, border, halo, aureole, nimbus, corona, cuff, collar,
             necklace, neckband, bandeau, fillet, bracelet, armlet, torque or
             torc, crown, coronet, tiara, diadem, (laurel-)wreath, garland,
             Mechanics gland, bearing, US and Canadian bushing or Brit also
             bush, washer, O-ring, Nautical thimble, Architecture and
             heraldry annulet, Literary roundlet, Anatomy cingulum:  The
             rings brought up from the wreck of the ancient Greek trading
             vessel are worth a great deal. 2 rink, enclosure, arena, circus,
             bullring, Spanish plaza de toros, boxing ring:  I would no
             sooner get into the ring with him than with a bull!  3 circle,
             organization, gang, band, pack, cell, team, crew, confederacy,
             confederation, combination, cartel, mob, bloc, coterie, set,
             clan, clique, fraternity, brotherhood, sorority, sisterhood,
             guild, (secret) society, junta or junto, cabal, faction, group,
             league, alliance, federation, coalition, union, affiliation,
             camorra, camarilla, Bund:  She was running an international ring
             of jewel thieves who worked only in the most exclusive resorts.

             --v.  4 encircle, surround, bind, gird, girt, circle; loop,
             compass, envelop, encompass, embrace:  The swimming-pool is
             ringed with dense shrubbery. After the vase is fired, I intend
             to ring the base with a gold band.

   ringэ     v.  1 peal, chime, toll, knell, tintinnabulate, ding-dong, gong,
             sound, resonate, resound, echo, re-echo, reverberate; clang,
             jangle; tinkle, clink, jingle, ding-a-ling, ring-a-ding-ding,
             Archaic or dialect knoll:  The bells rang out their joyous
             announcement of peace on earth.  2 telephone, ring up, phone,
             call, give (someone) a ring, Colloq (give (someone) a) buzz,
             give (someone) a tinkle, get (someone) on the blower or horn, US
             (give (someone) a) jingle:  I'll ring you when I am next in
             town.

             --n.  3 ringing, peal, pealing, chime, chiming, toll, tolling,
             tintinnabulation, knell, sounding, resonating, echo, echoing,
             re-echo, re-echoing, reverberation, reverberating; clang,
             clanging, jangle, jangling; tinkle, tinkling, clink, clinking,
             jingle, jingling, ding-a-ling, ring-a-ding-ding, Archaic or
             dialect knoll:  I couldn't hear the ring at the door because the
             water was running.  4 (telephone or phone) call, Colloq buzz,
             tinkle, US jingle:  Don't forget to give your mother a ring on
             Sunday.

   rinse     v.  1 wash (out or off), wash up, clean, cleanse, bathe, drench,
             flood, flush, irrigate, Chiefly Brit swill (out), Literary lave:
             Use plenty of fresh water to rinse all the soap out of the
             clothes.  2 tint, dye, touch up, highlight:  The hairdresser
             rinsed a little blue into Martine's greying hair.

             --n.  3 rinsing, wash, washing, bath, bathing, cleaning,
             cleansing, ablution, drenching, flood, flushing, irrigation,
             Medicine lavage, Literary laving:  The softening agent should be
             added in the final rinse.  4 tint, dye:  I had no idea that she
             used a rinse - I thought her hair was naturally reddish.

   riot      n.  1 rioting, riotous behaviour, disturbance, uproar, tumult,
             turmoil, (civil) disorder, lawlessness, hubbub, rumpus,
             turbulence, fracas, fray, affray, m€l‚e or melee, pandemonium,
             Donnybrook, brawl, row, unrest, commotion, bother, imbroglio,
             outburst, anarchy, disruption, violence, strife, Colloq ruckus,
             ruction, to-do, do, Brit bovver, punch-up:  The government is
             unable to quell the food riots, which have become more frequent
             and more violent. 2 funny person or woman or man, comedian or
             comedienne, hilarious event or bit or shtick or thing or piece
             of business, Colloq gas, US panic, laugh-riot:  Benny's closing
             routine with the model is an absolute riot.

             --v.  3 mount the barricades, take to the streets, rebel,
             revolt, create or cause a disturbance, brawl, fight, (go on the
             or US also a) rampage, run riot, storm:  The prisoners rioted to
             protest against the crowded conditions.

   riotous   adj.  1 tumultuous, unrestrained, wild, noisy, uncontrolled,
             uncontrollable, unmanageable, chaotic, disorderly, disordered,
             lawless, turbulent, violent, brawling, obstreperous:  The
             headmaster warned that he would not tolerate such riotous
             behaviour. 2 rowdy, boisterous, unruly, uproarious, rollicking,
             roisterous, wild, rumbustious, unrestrained, uninhibited,
             Archaic robustious, Colloq rambunctious, no-holds-barred:
             Bernard's retirement party was certainly a riotous affair.

   rip       v.  1 tear (apart or asunder), rend, be torn or rent, split, cut
             (apart):  I ripped my trousers on that nail. The paper ripped
             because you yanked it out of my hand. 2 rip off.  a steal,
             purloin, rob, snatch, pilfer, filch, take, shoplift, Colloq
             pinch, Brit nick, Slang lift, swipe, US boost, promote:  They
             broke into my car and ripped off my tape deck.  b cheat,
             swindle, trick, fleece, bilk, dupe, deceive; defraud, embezzle,
             Colloq con, bamboozle, Slang skin, gyp, rook:  A smooth couple
             got њ100 by using the old 'stuffed wallet' trick to rip me off.

             --n.  3 tear, rent, split, gash, slash; rift, cleft, rupture:
             The vandals tore a foot-long rip in the top of my new
             convertible.

   ripe      adj.  1 mature, matured, seasoned, (fully) grown,
             (well-)ripened, developed, mellow, ready, fit, US (fully) aged,
             well-aged:  The grapes are ripe for picking.  2 prepared, ready,
             fit, appropriate, experienced, veteran, seasoned, sage, wise,
             sophisticated, mature, informed, qualified, dependable,
             reliable:  Henry is ripe in judgement and understanding.  3 ripe
             for.  a timely, opportune, propitious, favourable, auspicious,
             ideal, right, suitable, apt, proper, suitably advanced:  Is the
             time yet ripe for another revival of Heartbreak House ?  b
             ready, eager, enthusiastic, prepared, fit, ready, in readiness:
             The mob is ripe for revolt.

   ripen     v.  develop, mature, age, season, maturate, bring or come to
             maturity; perfect:  The peaches need another day to ripen.

   rip-off   n.  1 stealing, purloining, robbing, pilfering, taking,
             filching, pilferage, theft, robbery, larceny; shoplifting,
             Colloq pinching, Brit nicking, Slang lifting, swiping, US
             boosting:  The rip-off of books from the library is a disgrace.
             2 swindle, confidence trick, swindling, cheating, cheat, fraud,
             deception, defrauding, defalcation; embezzlement, Colloq con
             (job or trick):  A husband-and-wife team are being sought for
             executing a rip-off of thousands from the Outland Bank using a
             forged letter of credit. 3 overcharging, exploitation, Colloq
             highway or chiefly Brit daylight robbery:  It's a rip-off to
             charge two pounds for something that costs only three pence to
             make.

   ripping   adj.  Rather archaic fine, splendid, marvellous, excellent,
             exciting, thrilling, stirring, spine-tingling:  Buchan and Henty
             and Haggard all wrote ripping adventure novels.

   ripple    n.  1 wavelet, wave, ruffle, ruffling, cat's-paw, purl, purling,
             undulation, US riffle, riffling:  There wasn't even the
             slightest breath of air to cause a ripple on the mirror-like
             surface of the lake. 2 (slight) disturbance, upset,
             perturbation, agitation, flurry, flutter, suggestion, hint,
             soup‡on:  The divorce occasioned only a ripple of dissent in the
             royal family.

             --v.  3 ruffle, purl, undulate, wave; splash, wash, US riffle:
             I sat musing, watching the water ripple over the stones in the
             brook.

   rise      v.  1 get up, arise, stand (up), get to one's feet, Brit be
             upstanding:  All rise when the judge enters the court.  2 get
             up, arise, awaken, waken, wake up, start or begin the day,
             Nautical or colloq hit the deck, Colloq turn out:  We usually
             rise at about six o'clock.  3 ascend, be elevated, arise, climb,
             lift, go up, mount:  The smoke slowly, almost furtively, rose
             from the camp-fire into the still night air. The morning star
             can be seen tomorrow rising in the sky just before dawn. Some of
             those skyscrapers rise to a height of 110 storeys. 4 Often, rise
             (up) (against). rebel, revolt, mutiny, kick over the traces,
             take up arms, mount the barricades, take to the streets:  If the
             food shortages persist, the people are sure to rise up and
             overthrow the present regime. 5 swell, flood, increase, grow;
             wax:  Owing to the heavy rains, the river is rising rapidly.  6
             slant or incline or slope (upwards), ascend, climb, go uphill:
             The path rises steeply just beyond the cwm.  7 fly, take flight,
             take wing, take to the air, take off, arise, lift, climb, soar,
             mount:  At the roar of the gun, tens of thousands of flamingoes
             rose from the lakes. 8 advance, improve one's lot or position,
             progress, get ahead, go or get somewhere, succeed, make
             something of oneself, be promoted, prosper, thrive, make good,
             Colloq make it, make the grade, go places:  Fielding could well
             have risen in the company had his attitude been different. 9
             start, begin, originate, arise, occur, happen, take place:  I
             cannot explain how so much bad feeling rose between us.  10
             increase, be elevated or lifted or boosted, grow, go up, move
             upwards, climb, escalate, ascend, snowball:  When interest rates
             rise, they contribute to the inflation that raising them was
             supposed to reduce. 11 arise, be nurtured, be produced, be
             generated, be created, spring up, be engendered:  The feelings
             that rose within him were spurred on by sheer hatred of the man.
             12 rise to.  a arise, come up, meet, be equal to, prove adequate
             to:  If you need a good man, you can count on Michael to rise to
             the occasion. b come to get, take, swallow, react to, respond
             to, succumb to, be tempted by:  Sue rose to the bait of a
             company car and accepted our offer.

             --n.  13 ascent, hill, hillock, knoll, eminence, prominence,
             elevation, upland, highland, (upward) slope or incline,
             acclivity, US upgrade:  As we climbed a slight rise, we saw the
             mountains gleaming in the distance. 14 increase, increment,
             gain, addition:  In return for only a slight rise in wages, they
             are being asked to take on much more responsibility. 15 ascent,
             ascension, elevation, flight, climb, take-off:  The balloon's
             rise was suddenly halted when the basket caught in a tree. 16
             get or Brit also take a rise out of (someone). provoke,
             stimulate, incite, instigate, foment, goad, encourage, press,
             push, shake up, waken, awaken, move, motivate, activate,
             agitate, stir (up), inflame, impassion:  We finally got a rise
             out of Sidney by threatening to charge him for cleaning his
             room. 17 give rise to. start, engender, generate, begin,
             commence, produce, bring out, cause, bring about, bring into
             being:  We never discovered what gave rise to Tom's dislike of
             dogs.

   risk      n.  1 danger, peril, jeopardy, hazard, chance, gamble:  I would
             take up skydiving, but my mother won't let me because of the
             risk.

             --v.  2 endanger, imperil, jeopardize, hazard, chance, gamble:
             Would you really risk all your money on one roll of the dice?

   risky     adj.  dangerous, perilous, hazardous, chancy, touch-and-go,
             precarious, Colloq iffy, dicey, dodgy, touchy:  Futures trading
             is a very risky business, as many have discovered to their
             dismay.

   risqu‚    adj.  indelicate, unrefined, indecorous, indecent, improper,
             broad, naughty, spicy, salty, off colour, racy, bawdy, erotic,
             suggestive, wicked, blue, ribald, daring, salacious, gross,
             Colloq Brit near the knuckle:  Some of those photographs of
             beauty contest queens are pretty risqu‚.

   rite      n.  ceremony, ritual, ceremonial, observance, formality, custom,
             practice, routine, procedure, solemnity, solemnization, liturgy:
             This weekend I have to perform the annual rite of having tea
             with great-aunt Elizabeth at the Ritz.

   ritual    adj.  1 ceremonial, ceremonious, sacramental:  The celebrants
             undergo ritual washing before preparing the sacrifice.  2
             procedural, formal, conventional, customary, habitual, routine,
             prescribed, usual, automatic, perfunctory:  Each time they meet,
             Harold and Bill have to go through a ritual handshaking routine
             - a hangover from their school-days, I think.

             --n.  3 formality, routine, custom, practice, convention,
             protocol:  If everyone goes through this tea-drinking ritual
             twice a day, how do you get any work done? 4 See rite, above.

   rival     n.  1 competitor, opponent, contender, challenger, antagonist,
             adversary; opposition:  This year there are many formidable
             rivals for the championship.

             --v.  2 compete with or against, contend with or against,
             oppose, challenge, contest, struggle with or against, vie with,
             combat, compare with, equal, measure up to, (be a) match (for):
             Jan's prowess at tossing the caber rivalled that of anyone else
             in Craigie.

   rivalry   n.  competition, competitiveness, contention, vying; dispute,
             feud, feuding, conflict, struggle, strife, controversy,
             dissension, discord, difference(s):  Once again the two local
             teams meet in a rivalry that has been traditional for over a
             century. It appeared unlikely that the rivalry between the
             brothers would be settled amicably.

   river     n.  1 watercourse, branch, tributary, stream, waterway, estuary,
             rivulet, creek, brook, streamlet, runnel, rill, Scots and No.
             Eng. burn, Brit beck, US kill:  We used to sail our toy boats on
             the river here when I was a lad.  2 stream, flood, torrent,
             quantity, cataract, flow, cascade:  Rivers of sweat poured down
             me as I toiled in the humid heat of the jungle.

   riveting  adj.  spellbinding, engrossing, hypnotic, hypnotizing,
             transfixing, fascinating, enthralling, gripping, captivating,
             absorbing:  The programme was absolutely riveting - one of the
             best I have ever seen.

18.5 road...
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   road      n.  1 way, means, approach, route, procedure, technique, method,
             passage, street, avenue, course, track, entr‚e, access,
             direction:  Our researchers arrived at the identical results via
             a completely different road. 2 thoroughfare, way, byway,
             highway, roadway, high road, low road, avenue, boulevard,
             street, lane, alley(way), Brit motorway, carriageway, US
             turnpike, expressway, freeway, parkway, throughway or thruway,
             German Autobahn, Italian autostrada, French autoroute, Colloq US
             pike:  The roads are jammed with traffic on Sunday evenings
             during the summer.

   roam      v.  wander, rove, ramble, range, walk, drift, dally, dawdle,
             cruise, stroll, amble, meander, saunter, stray, prowl,
             perambulate, travel, voyage, peregrinate, circumambulate,
             traipse, gallivant, jaunt, Colloq mosey, swan:  They spent a
             year roaming about the continent, staying wherever they pleased.

   roar      v.  1 bellow, thunder; howl, bawl, squall, cry, yell, yowl; bay,
             snarl, growl:  A train roared by. The crowd roared appreciation.
             A lion roared once in the night. 2 laugh, guffaw, howl (with
             laughter), hoot:  They fell about roaring when he told the joke
             about the egg and the taxi.

             --n.  3 roaring, bellow, thunder, rumble, boom; howl, bawl,
             squall, cry, yell, yowl, clamour, outcry; snarl, snarling,
             growl, growling:  The roar of the falls could be heard miles
             away. There was a roar of indignation at the proposal. The
             beast's roar was enough to strike terror into our hearts. 4
             guffaw, outburst, howl, hoot:  Everything she said was met by a
             roar of laughter from the gallery.

   rob       v.  1 burgle, loot, rifle, ransack, plunder, depredate, raid;
             hijack; pillage, sack; US burglarize, Colloq hold up, Slang
             stick up, rip off:  They robbed a jeweller's shop last week.  2
             prey upon or on, Colloq hold up, mug, Slang chiefly US stick up,
             rip off, Chiefly US and New Zealand roll:  These hooligans rob
             old ladies in the street.  3 rob (someone) (of). deprive (of),
             cheat or swindle (out of), defraud (of), strip (of), fleece
             (of), bilk (of), victimize, mulct (of), US euchre ((out) of),
             Colloq rook ((out) of), do or diddle (out of), gyp (out of),
             Slang Brit nobble (of):  I was robbed of my last penny by those
             confidence men. We were robbed by a taxi driver who offered to
             change our money. She robbed me of my self-respect.

   robber    n.  thief, pickpocket, shoplifter, burglar, bandit,
             housebreaker, sneak-thief, cat burglar, safe-breaker,
             highwayman, gentleman of the road, brigand, pirate, freebooter,
             buccaneer, privateer, corsair, Colloq mugger, hold-up man, Slang
             cracksman, rip-off artist, safe-cracker, safe-blower, Chiefly US
             stick-up man, US second-story or second-storey man:  The police
             were making every effort to catch the robbers.

   robbery   n.  robbing, theft, thievery, thieving, burglary, burgling,
             pilfering, pilferage, stealing, plundering, plunder, looting,
             sack, sacking, ransacking, depredation, pillage, pillaging,
             hijacking, hijack, larceny, breaking and entering, Colloq
             pinching, hold-up, holding up, mugging, Slang rip-off,
             ripping-off, Chiefly US stick-up, sticking-up, Brit nicking, US
             heist:  The robbery of the paintings took place in broad
             daylight. The robbery of the shop was aided by a former
             employee. The robbery of elderly persons is on the increase.

   robe      n.  1 cloak, dress, garment, vestment, habit, frock, cassock,
             caftan, muu-muu, surplice, bathrobe, dressing-gown, lounging
             robe, housecoat, kimono, house-dress, peignoir, wrapper, French
             robe de chambre, costume:  A woman wearing a green robe came to
             the door and asked what I wanted. 2 robes. costume, habit,
             uniform, garb, attire, vestments, apparel, raiment, livery,
             clothing, garments, outfit, accoutrements or US also
             accouterments, regalia, finery, trappings, panoply, gear,
             paraphernalia, appurtenances, equipage, rig, Archaic vesture:
             She looked absolutely splendid decked out in the full robes of
             state.

             --v.  3 cloak, garb, dress, cover, enrobe, clothe:  The dish
             consists of ladyfingers topped with fresh strawberries robed in
             chocolate, with whipped cream spread over the top.

   robot     n.  1 automaton, mechanical man or monster, android:  In the
             future, much of the drudgery will be taken over by electronic
             robots. 2 drudge, clod, tool, puppet, cat's-paw, myrmidon,
             mechanical man, automaton:  The company has a number of robots
             on its payroll who carry out orders without question.

   robust    adj.  1 healthy, fit, sound, hale (and hearty), sturdy, hardy,
             hearty, strong, stout, tough, able-bodied, strapping, brawny,
             sinewy, rugged, muscular, powerful, well-knit, athletic,
             staunch, vigorous; in fine or good fettle, Colloq husky:  Kelly
             was such a robust chap one might have thought he'd live forever.
             2 pungent, strong, flavourful, sapid, rich, full-bodied, nutty,
             fruity:  He gave me a glass of an excellent robust tawny port.

   rock°     n.  1 stone; boulder:  In the avalanche, the rocks thoroughly
             destroyed the ski lodge.  2 crag, tor, escarpment, scarp, Brit
             outcrop, US outcropping:  We used to go rock climbing when I had
             the strength.  3 on the rocks.  a on ice:  I'd like a whisky on
             the rocks, thanks.  b in (a) shambles, destroyed, in ruins,
             ruined, finished, broken-down, beyond repair:  He lost his job
             and his marriage went on the rocks.  c destitute,
             poverty-stricken, indigent, penniless, bankrupt:  Unable to find
             another job, he's been on the rocks for a year, now.

   rockэ     v.  1 sway, swing, lull:  Her father used to rock her to sleep
             in his arms.  2 roll, reel, lurch, toss, swing, sway, wobble:
             The building rocked so during the earthquake that I thought it
             was going to fall down. 3 astound, astonish, shock, surprise,
             jar, stagger, amaze, stun, dumbfound or dumfound, daze, stupefy,
             overwhelm, disconcert, unnerve, Colloq set (someone) back on his
             or her or their heels, throw, rattle, shake up:  I was really
             rocked by the news that Sue was marrying Craig.

   rocket    v.  zoom, take off, sky-rocket, shoot up, climb, rise rapidly,
             soar, spiral upwards, Colloq go through the roof:  The day
             controls were lifted, prices rocketed, almost doubling
             overnight.

   rocky°    adj.  1 stony, pebbly, shingly, boulder-strewn, craggy; bumpy,
             difficult, hard, uncomfortable, arduous:  The beach at Nice
             might be romantic, but it's very rocky to lie on. The road to
             love can be very rocky indeed. 2 stony, adamant, adamantine,
             firm, unyielding, rocklike, tough, unbending, flinty, firm,
             solid, steadfast, steady, unfaltering, staunch, unflinching,
             determined, resolute, unwavering, unchanging, unvarying,
             invariant, invariable, reliable, dependable, sure, certain:  I
             knew we could depend on Charles's rocky determination to see the
             project through. 3 stony, flinty, unfeeling, unsympathetic,
             unemotional, emotionless, impassive, cold, cool, apathetic,
             indifferent, uncaring, detached, d‚gag‚, callous, thick-skinned,
             tough, hard:  Beneath that rocky exterior beats a tender heart.

   rockyэ    adj.  unstable, tottering, teetering, unsteady, shaky, rickety,
             unsure, uncertain, unreliable, weak, flimsy, wobbly, wobbling,
             vacillating, dubious, doubtful, questionable, Colloq iffy:  The
             project will be very rocky till we are assured proper funding.

   rod       n.  1 bar, pole, baton, wand, staff, stick, dowel, cane, shaft:
             Steel rods are used to reinforce the concrete in modern
             buildings.  2 cane, birch, switch, scourge, lash; punishment,
             chastisement, castigation, discipline, chastening, correction:
             As they say, spare the rod and spoil the child.

   rogue     n.  1 trickster, swindler, cheat, cad, ne'er-do-well, wastrel,
             good-for-nothing, miscreant, Rather old-fashioned scamp,
             scoundrel, blackguard, knave, rascal, rapscallion, scapegrace,
             dastard, cur, churl, wretch, villain, charlatan, mountebank,
             Brit bounder; Colloq louse, stinker, rat, creep, Brit rotter,
             blighter, Chiefly US and Canadian son of a gun, Slang bastard,
             Chiefly US and Canadian son of a bitch, SOB or s.o.b., bum:  She
             met some clever rogue in Capri who conned her out of fifteen
             thousand lire.

             --adj.  2 independent, undisciplined, uncontrollable,
             ungovernable, unmanageable, unpredictable, disobedient,
             incorrigible, fractious, self-willed, unruly, intractable,
             unrestrained, wild, lawless, strong-willed, headstrong,
             refractory, contumacious, recalcitrant, cross-grained,
             rampageous:  Part of the village was destroyed when a rogue
             elephant ran amok.  Perkins quit the company to start up his own
             rogue concern.

   role      n.  1 r“le, part, character, impersonation; lines:  She had the
             role of Maria in a recent production of Twelfth Night .  2
             function, position, situation, place, post, capacity, job, duty,
             task, responsibility:  Hermione's role in the company is that of
             managing director.

   roll      v.  1 rotate, cycle, turn (over (and over)), wheel, trundle;
             revolve, go (a)round, orbit, tumble, somersault or somerset or
             summersault or summerset:  Th landlord rolled another barrel
             beer into the pub. The children loved rolling about in the ride
             at the fun fair. 2 pass, go, flow, slip, flit, glide, slide,
             move (on); expire, elapse, disappear, vanish, evaporate:  The
             time certainly rolls by quickly when you're having fun.  3 move,
             drive, bowl, be carried or conveyed, cruise, sail, coast, ride,
             float, fly:  We rolled down the road, singing and laughing.  4
             undulate, billow, rise and fall:  The countryside rolled away
             before us as far as the eye could see. 5 roar, echo, re-echo,
             rumble, reverberate, resound, sound, boom, peal, resonate,
             thunder:  The roar of the explosion rolled over us as we ran for
             cover.  6 rob, steal from:  They got their money by rolling
             drunks.  7 Often, roll out. flatten, level (off or out), smooth
             (out), even (out), grade:  After cutting, the lawn ought to be
             rolled.  8 Usually, roll over. turn (over), rotate, spin:  Roll
             onto your stomach so I can examine your back.  9 Usually, roll
             up. furl, coil, curl, wind (up), wrap (up); enwrap, swathe,
             enfold, envelop, shroud, enshroud:  Every night he takes down
             the banner and carefully rolls it. Cleopatra was rolled up in a
             rug to be smuggled past the guards. 10 roll in.  a arrive, come
             in, pour in, flow in, turn up, show up:  The contributions
             really started to roll in after the appeal.  b luxuriate in,
             revel in, wallow in, savour, bask in, delight in, take pleasure
             in, indulge in, rejoice in, relish:  Basil has been rolling in
             unaccustomed wealth since his aunt died.  11 roll out. unroll,
             unfurl, spread (out), unfold, uncoil, uncurl, unwind, open
             (out):  Roll out the bolt of cloth so that we can measure it.

             --n.  12 reel, spool, cylinder, scroll; tube:  The message was
             written on a long roll of paper.  13 list, rota, register,
             record, directory, listing, roster, slate, docket, catalogue,
             inventory, muster, index, census, annal(s), schedule,
             chronicle(s), Sports line-up:  With great ceremony, the clerk
             read the roll.  14 rolling, billowing, waving, wave action,
             wave, billow, swell, undulation, pitching, rocking, tossing:
             With each roll of the boat, I felt more seasick.  15 peal,
             rumble, reverberation, boom, echo, thunder, roar:  A roll of
             thunder drowned out her shouts.  16 rotation, spin, toss, whirl,
             twirl:  I decided to bet everything on one last roll of the
             dice.  17 bun; scone, croissant; Brit bread-roll, bap, split:
             Waiter, would you please bring some more rolls?  18 bankroll,
             money, wad, bundle:  He took out a roll of notes and peeled off
             five twenties.

   roller    n.  1 drum, cylinder, barrel, calender; tube; windlass;
             rolling-pin; mangle, wringer:  Make certain that the roller is
             clean.  2 billow, wave, comber, breaker, swell:  After the
             storm, the heavy rollers continued to pound the sea wall.

   romance   n.  1 (love) affair, amour, affair of the heart, affaire (de
             coeur or d'amour), liaison, relationship, dalliance, intrigue:
             Wasn't Rick the one from Canada with whom Diana had a romance?
             2 (true) love:  You are lucky if you find romance even once in
             your lifetime.  3 novel, narrative, fiction, story, mystery,
             thriller, horror story, ghost story, science fiction, fantasy,
             Western, melodrama, gothic or Gothic or Gothick novel or tale,
             (fairy) tale, love story, idyll, epic, legend:  It is probably
             accurate to say that the romance is the most popular form of
             fiction. 4 sentiment, nostalgia, mystery, intrigue, fantasy,
             imagination, imaginativeness, adventure, excitement,
             fascination, exoticism, glamour, colour, colourfulness:  It was
             the romance of Morocco that entranced me.  5 tall tale or story,
             fantasy, fabrication, fairy tale, exaggeration, prevarication,
             concoction, flight of fancy, fib, (white) lie, prevarication,
             balderdash, fiction, nonsense, imagination:  That episode with
             the girl on the train that David told you about was all romance.

             --v.  6 make love to; woo, court:  Steve has been romancing
             Maria ever since they met.  7 pander to, flatter, curry favour
             with, toady (up) to, Colloq butter up, soft-soap, Taboo slang
             brown-nose:  The new restaurant is romancing neighbourhood
             office executives, and luring them in for business lunches.

   romantic  adj.  1 imaginary, imagined, fictitious, fictional, ideal,
             idealized, fancied, fabulous, made-up, dreamed-up, dreamt-up,
             fantasized, fanciful, fairy-tale, mythical, idyllic, Utopian,
             illusory:  Vivian isn't a real person - she's just Howard's
             romantic notion of the girl he wants to marry. 2 impractical,
             visionary, fictitious, unpractical, unrealistic, ideal,
             abstract, quixotic, chimerical, absurd, extravagant, wild,
             crackpot, mad:  She had romantic notions of how she would be
             running her own international business by the time she was
             thirty. 3 nostalgic, sentimental, emotional, sweet, tender,
             picturesque, exotic, glamorous; mawkish, maudlin, saccharine,
             Colloq soppy, sugary, mushy, sloppy:  I can think of a lot more
             romantic places than a hamburger bar to eat on our anniversary.
             Fred hates it when I get too romantic. 4 amorous, affectionate,
             aroused, impassioned, passionate, libidinous, lustful,
             over-friendly, Colloq lovey-dovey; fresh:  After a drink or two
             Mike starts getting romantic - if you know what I mean.

             --n.  5 romanticist, dreamer, Don Quixote, visionary, idealist,
             sentimentalist:  I've never lost my taste for soft lights and
             sweet music - I suppose I'm just a romantic at heart.

   room      n.  1 space, area, scope, extent, allowance, latitude,
             elbow-room, range, leeway, margin:  There is room for one more
             inside.  2 chamber, apartment, compartment, office, cell,
             cubicle:  For years Pablo occupied a small room on the top
             floor.  3 rooms. quarters, lodgings, accommodation, flat,
             dwelling:  We had rooms in an old house downtown.

             --v.  4 live, lodge, dwell, abide, reside, stay:  Did you really
             room with the daughter of a prime minister?

   roomy     adj.  spacious, capacious, commodious, large, sizeable, big,
             ample:  For what appears to be a small car, it has a
             surprisingly roomy interior.

   root°     n.  1 base, basis, foundation, source, seat, cause,
             fountain-head, origin, fount, well-spring:  Love of money is the
             root of all evil.  2 rootstock, rootstalk, tap root, rootlet;
             tuber; Technical radix, radicle, radicel, rhizome, rhizomorph:
             When transplanting seedlings, special care should be taken not
             to damage the roots. 3 root and branch. radically, completely,
             utterly, entirely, wholly, totally:  The Romans sought to
             destroy Carthage root and branch.  4 roots. origins, heritage,
             family, lineage, house, antecedents, forefathers, foremothers,
             descent, genealogy, family tree, forebears, ancestors,
             predecessors, stock, pedigree; birthplace, motherland,
             fatherland, native land or country or soil, cradle:  Carlotta
             spent years tracing her roots to ancient Rome. The roots of
             civilization first appeared in Mesopotamia. 5 take root. become
             set or established or settled, germinate, sprout, grow, develop,
             thrive, burgeon, flourish, spread:  Good work habits should take
             root at an early age; then they will last a lifetime.

             --v.  6 plant, set, establish, found, fix, settle, embed or
             imbed; entrench, anchor:  The cuttings failed to grow because
             they were not properly rooted.  Hilary's fear of heights is
             rooted in a childhood fall from a tree. 7 root out.  a
             Sometimes, root up. uproot, eradicate, eliminate, destroy,
             extirpate, exterminate:  Any subversives in the organization
             must be rooted out.  b find, uncover, discover, dig up or out,
             unearth, turn up, bring to light:  The survey of accounts is
             aimed at rooting out customers who are slow in paying.

   rootэ     v.  rootle, forage, dig, pry, nose, poke, ferret, burrow,
             rummage, delve, search, ransack:  Harvey has been rooting about
             in the garage looking for his tennis racket.

   root°     v.  Usually, root for. cheer (for), applaud (for); boost,
             support, encourage, urge on:  I'm rooting for our side to win.

   rooted    adj.  firm, established, set, fixed, fast, settled, deep-rooted,
             deep-seated, entrenched, ingrained or engrained, (firmly)
             embedded or imbedded, implanted, instilled; chronic, inbred,
             inherent, intrinsic, essential, fundamental, basic, radical:
             Have you any rooted objections to the principle of living with
             someone of the opposite sex without being married?

   rope      n.  1 line, cord, cable, hawser; strand, string:  This rope is
             too light for mooring the boat. She wore a rope of baroque
             pearls. 2 the ropes. the routine, the procedure, one's way
             around, the ins and outs; the truth, the (real) situation;
             Colloq what's what, the score, Brit the gen:  It didn't take her
             long to learn the ropes.

             --v.  3 tie, bind, lash, hitch, fasten, secure; tether, attach:
             Rope these two crates together. The horses were roped to the
             post.  4 rope in. attract, draw (in), tempt, entice, lure,
             persuade:  They are going to use a lottery to rope the customers
             in to supporting our cause.

   ropy      adj.  1 ropey, viscous, stringy, viscid, glutinous,
             mucilaginous, gluey, gummy, thready, fibrous, filamentous:  The
             plastic resin emerging from the vat looks somewhat ropy, like
             mozzarella cheese. 2 questionable, inadequate, inferior,
             deficient, indifferent, mediocre, substandard, unsatisfactory,
             poor, sketchy:  Greenwood's plan for increasing profit margins
             looks pretty ropy to me. 3 sickly, ill, unwell, hung-over, below
             par, out of sorts, Colloq under the weather, poorly, rough, not
             up to snuff, off one's feed:  I was feeling pretty ropy on
             Saturday morning after that do at your place on Friday.

   rostrum   n.  platform, stage, dais, podium, stand; pulpit; lectern,
             reading-stand:  As the crowd hooted and booed, the speaker
             descended from the rostrum.

   rosy      adj.  1 pink, rose-coloured, red, roseate, reddish, pinkish,
             cherry, cerise, ruddy, flushed, glowing, blushing, ruby,
             rubicund, florid; rose-red:  During the skiing holiday, they all
             developed healthy rosy complexions.  2 optimistic, promising,
             favourable, auspicious, hopeful, encouraging, sunny, bright:
             Caldwell has a rosy future ahead of him.

   rot       v.  1 decay, decompose, fester, spoil, go bad or off, be
             tainted, be ruined, mould, moulder, putrefy; corrode, rust,
             disintegrate, deteriorate, crumble or go or fall to pieces:
             When the power went off, all the food in the freezer rotted. The
             piers holding up the far end of the bridge have all rotted away.
             2 waste away, wither away, languish, die, moulder, decline,
             deteriorate, degenerate, decay, atrophy:  Despite repeated
             appeals for clemency, he's been rotting away in jail all these
             years.

             --n.  3 decay, decomposition, mould, putrefaction, putrescence,
             blight, corrosion, corruption, disintegration, deterioration:
             Once the rot has set in, the job of revitalization can be
             overwhelming.  4 (stuff and) nonsense, balderdash, rubbish,
             bunkum, tommy-rot, twaddle, drivel, hogwash, eyewash, trash,
             Colloq claptrap, bunk, boloney or boloney, bosh, malarkey,
             moonshine, poppycock, tosh, Slang crap, bull, codswallop, Brit
             (a load of (old)) cobblers, Taboo balls, bullshit:  He knows
             nothing whatsoever about linguistics and is just talking a lot
             of rot.

   rotate    v.  1 turn, revolve, go round, spin, gyrate, pirouette, whirl,
             twirl, wheel, pivot, reel:  As the gear rotates, its teeth mesh
             with those of the other gear, causing it to turn in the opposite
             direction. 2 change, exchange, alternate, interchange, switch,
             trade places; take turns, Colloq swap or swop:  Rotate the
             positions of the tyres for more even wear. We rotate the chores
             in our family.

   rote      n.  1 routine, ritual:  He acquired a rote knowledge of the
             words, without knowing what they mean. 2 by rote.  a by heart,
             from memory:  He can recite the entire Prologue of Canterbury
             Tales by rote.  b unthinkingly, automatically, mechanically:
             She learned the French dialogue by rote but doesn't understand a
             word of it.

   rotten    adj.  1 rotted, decayed, decomposed, decomposing, putrid,
             putrescent, putrescing, mouldy, mouldering, spoilt or spoiled,
             mildewed, rancid, fetid or foetid, stale, rank, foul, feculent,
             tainted, contaminated, festered, festering, corrupt, bad, off,
             turned, overripe, soured, sour:  One rotten apple in the barrel
             can spoil the rest. The stench of rotten meat filled the room. 2
             rotted, rusted, corroded, deteriorating, disintegrating,
             crumbling, crumbly, falling to pieces, friable:  He stepped on a
             spot where the wood was rotten and his foot went right through
             the stair. 3 immoral, corrupt, dishonest, deceitful, venal,
             shameless, degenerate, villainous, iniquitous, evil, wicked,
             vile, debased, base, perverted, depraved, unscrupulous,
             unprincipled, amoral, warped, Slang bent:  These drug dealers
             are rotten at the core.  4 heinous, evil, vile, base, miserable,
             despicable, wretched, awful, terrible, horrible, horrific,
             nasty, contemptible, filthy, mean, low, Colloq lousy, stinking,
             low-down, dirty-rotten:  Pairing me off with Vera at the dance
             was a rotten trick.  5 ill, unwell, sick, nauseated, awful;
             hung-over, Colloq lousy, ropy or ropey, rough:  I feel really
             rotten - maybe it was those mushrooms I ate last night.

   rotund    adj.  1 round(ed), circular, orbicular, globular, spherical:
             His rotund, cherubic little face simply invited a pinch of the
             cheek. 2 full, full-toned, deep, resonant, reverberant,
             reverberating, sonorous, rich, round, mellow; pear-shaped:  They
             thrilled to hear the rotund notes issuing from Caruso's lips as
             he sang 'Vesti la Giubba'. 3 chubby, podgy or chiefly US pudgy,
             (pleasingly) plump, portly, tubby, heavy, fleshy, corpulent,
             stout, fat, obese, overweight, Colloq roly-poly:  Jack's rotund
             figure was easily recognizable waddling up the street.

   rou‚      n.  playboy, womanizer, ladies' man, rake, lecher, Lothario, Don
             Juan, Romeo, Casanova, charmer, flirt, libertine, debauchee,
             Old-fashioned masher, gay dog, Colloq wolf, lady-killer, dirty
             old man, Taboo slang gash-hound:  Alistair was quite a rou‚ in
             his youth but has settled down since turning 50.

   rough     adj.  1 uneven, irregular, coarse, jagged, rugged, bumpy, lumpy,
             broken:  The next mile or so we slogged over some very rough
             terrain.  2 agitated, turbulent, choppy, stormy, storm-tossed,
             tempestuous, roiled:  We negotiated a very rough patch of water
             before sailing into the calm, sheltered bay. 3 brusque, bluff,
             curt, short, abrupt, unpleasant, churlish, discourteous,
             impolite, rough-spoken, ungracious, surly, disrespectful, rude,
             uncouth, loutish, unrefined, uncivil, uncivilized, uncultured,
             vulgar, unladylike, ungentlemanly, coarse, ill-mannered,
             ill-bred, inconsiderate:  Ian can be a bit rough, I know, but
             underneath he is a true and loyal friend. 4 tough,
             rough-and-tumble, roughneck, rowdy:  There are some very rough
             characters frequenting that pub.  5 harsh, violent, unfeeling,
             unjust, severe, cruel, tough, hard, brutal, extreme; ungentle:
             They were subjected to very rough treatment when being
             questioned by the police. 6 dirty, obscene, smutty,
             pornographic, vulgar, crude, raw, rude:  After midnight they
             watch the rough shows beamed by satellite from Italy. 7 hard,
             tough, Spartan, difficult, arduous, laborious, rugged,
             unpleasant:  It was pretty rough going with almost no money and
             all those expenses.  8 harsh, grating, cacophonous, discordant,
             jarring, strident, raucous, rasping, unmusical, inharmonious,
             gruff, husky:  In acknowledgement he made a rough, growling
             noise.  9 unfinished, incomplete, uncompleted, imperfect,
             rudimentary, crude, rude, formless, unformed, raw,
             rough-and-ready, rough-hewn, roughcast, undeveloped, unshaped,
             unworked, unwrought, unprocessed, unrefined; uncut, unpolished;
             shapeless, unshaped, undressed:  I only saw the sculpture in its
             rough state and cannot say how it looked when finished. The
             stones are rough, as they were when taken from the ground. 10
             general, approximate, inexact, cursory, quick, hasty, sketchy,
             vague, hazy; foggy, Colloq ballpark:  Can't you give me even a
             rough idea of how much you want for the house? 11 unfair,
             unjust, bad, tough; unlucky, unfortunate:  We went through a
             spell of rough luck last year. This is a rough time for
             everyone. 12 See rotten, 5, above.

             --n.  13 rowdy, tough, hooligan, ruffian, thug, brawler, yahoo,
             Slang roughneck, Australian larrikin, US mug:  Phil will get
             into trouble if he continues to associate with those roughs at
             the Lantern. 14 sketch, (rough) draft, mock-up, outline:  Let me
             see roughs of the presentation before the meeting with the
             client.

             --v.  15 rough out or in. sketch, draft, mock-up, outline, mark
             out, trace, block out:  Our escape plan was roughed out by
             Captain Gallagher.  16 rough up. beat (up), thrash, attack,
             batter, assault, pummel or pommel, lay on, knock about,
             belabour, lambaste, Colloq wallop:  Some of the boys roughed him
             up a bit when they learned that he was an informer.

             --adv.  17 violently, savagely, brutally, brutishly:  You'd best
             not mention Cassie or Henry might cut up rough.

   rough-house
             n.  1 boisterousness, rowdiness, rowdyism, violence, brawling,
             disorderliness, disorderly conduct, ruffianism:  The police were
             called in to quell the rough-house that broke out at the dance.

             --v.  2 brawl:  If you want to rough-house, do it outside!

   roughly   adv.  1 approximately, around; about, nearly:  The British
             Museum is roughly in the same direction as Euston.  It cost
             roughly two weeks' wages. Roughly two years later I saw her
             again. 2 harshly, unkindly, severely, sternly,
             unsympathetically, brutally, violently, savagely, inhumanly,
             mercilessly, unmercifully, ruthlessly, pitilessly, cruelly,
             heartlessly:  The police were accused of dealing too roughly
             with those suspected of harming a fellow officer. 3 clumsily,
             rudely, crudely, awkwardly, primitively, inexpertly,
             amateurishly, maladroitly, heavy-handedly, ineptly,
             inefficiently, unskilfully, inartistically:  This roughly hewn
             block of local granite is what the council paid a fortune for as
             'sculpture'.

   round     adj.  1 circular; disc-shaped, discoid, disc-like:  I prefer a
             round table to a square one. She made a round motion to
             demonstrate the shape. 2 ring-shaped, annular, hoop-shaped,
             hoop-like:  The track is oval, not round.  3 spherical,
             ball-shaped, ball-like, globular, spheroid, spheroidal,
             globe-shaped, globelike, globate, orb-shaped, orb-like,
             orbicular:  You will never convince me that the earth is round -
             I know what I see. 4 curved, curvilinear, rounded, arched:  The
             round chisel is used to cut these grooves.  5 exact, precise,
             complete, entire, full:  That makes a round hundred times you
             have asked me the same question.  6 approximate, rough, rounded
             (off or up or down), whole:  In round numbers, that makes 40 per
             cent For and 60 per cent Against.  7 rounded, mellow, full,
             vibrant, reverberant, reverberating, sonorous, rich,
             mellifluous, orotund, pear-shaped:  Couldn't you listen forever
             to those beautiful round tones sung by Fischer-Dieskau? 8 plain,
             honest, straightforward, direct, unvarnished, unembellished,
             unelaborated, outspoken, candid, truthful, frank, open, blunt,
             Colloq upfront:  They delivered what they had to say in round,
             assertive statements.  9 Chiefly Brit return:  We made the round
             trip to Bristol in less than three hours.

             --n.  10 circle, disc; ring, hoop, annulus; ball, sphere, globe,
             orb, bead:  The moulding has a repeated pattern of a round
             alternating with three vertical grooves. 11 cycle, series,
             sequence, succession, bout, spell:  The current round of talks
             on the economy is expected to last for three days. There was the
             usual round of parties on New Year's Eve. 12 Often, rounds.
             beat, route, routine, circuit, course, tour, turn, ambit:  The
             milkman still makes his daily rounds in England.  13 heat,
             stage, level, turn:  After each round in the tournament, the
             losers are eliminated, reducing the competitors by half. 14
             spell, period, run, spate, bout, outburst, burst, volley:  Each
             new acrobat who added to the human pyramid got a round of
             applause. 15 bullet, cartridge, charge, shell, (single) shot:
             Each man was given only ten rounds of ammunition.

             --v.  16 turn, go (a)round:  The car rounded the corner on two
             wheels.  17 orbit, circumnavigate, go (a)round, circle,
             encircle:  He rounded the earth in the fastest recorded time.
             18 round off or out. complete, close, end, bring to an end or
             completion or a close, finish:  Tim suggested we round off the
             evening with a rubber of bridge.  19 round up. gather, assemble,
             muster, draw or pull or get together, collect, herd, marshal, US
             and Canadian (of cattle or horses) corral, wrangle:  The police
             are rounding up witnesses who might have seen the shooting.
             More than 10,000 head of cattle have been rounded up for the
             drive.

             --prep.  20 about, around, encircling, enclosing; orbiting:  The
             fence round the site ought to keep out the curious. The new
             bypass round town ought to reduce local traffic. 21 here and
             there in, about, around, throughout, all over, everywhere in:
             Dad used to smoke and kept dozens of ash trays round the house.
             22 about, around, nearby, in the neighbourhood or vicinity or
             (general) area of:  Whenever I want to see you alone, there are
             always people round you. Just look round you if you don't
             believe me.

             --adv.  23 around, about, in a circle or ring, on all sides:
             Gather round and I'll tell you a story. Pass the hat round for
             Harry's farewell party. 24 from beginning to end, from start to
             finish, through:  He now lives in France the year round.  25 in
             perimeter or periphery, around:  The indoor track is exactly one
             fifth of a mile round.  26 about, around, in the neighbourhood
             or vicinity or (general) area:  There isn't a soul for miles
             round.  27 around, in a circle or circuit, in or by a circular
             or circuitous route or path, circuitously:  This road goes round
             to the other side of the lake.

   roundabout
             adj.  1 circuitous, circular, indirect, long:  We had plenty of
             time so we came the more scenic, roundabout way.  2 devious,
             circuitous, evasive, indirect, oblique:  If you wanted to borrow
             some money, asking me for tax advice was quite a roundabout way
             of asking.

             --n.  3 merry-go-round, carousel or carrousel, Old-fashioned or
             dialect whirligig:  The children weren't the only ones who
             enjoyed themselves on the roundabout. 4 Brit mini-roundabout, US
             and Canadian rotary, traffic circle:  When you come to the
             roundabout, turn right and keep going till you come to a traffic
             light.

   round-up  n.  1 gathering, assembly, rally, collection, herding, US and
             Canadian (of cattle or horses) corralling, wrangling:  The
             round-up of suspects by the police was focused on the
             Bournemouth area. 2 summary, synopsis, digest, outline,
             recapitulation, review, survey, Colloq recap:  And now, with a
             round-up of the news, here is Moira Lawley.

   rouse     v.  1 arouse, call, waken, awaken, wake (up), get up, arise:  I
             was roused from a deep slumber by a dog's barking.  2 stir (up),
             arouse, bestir, stimulate, inspirit, animate, invigorate,
             electrify, excite, provoke, prompt, goad, prod, galvanize,
             incite, whet, move, work up, fire up:  Bruce's unquenchable
             enthusiasm roused many to become involved in the campaign.

   rousing   adj.  stimulating, inspiriting, animating, enlivening,
             energizing, inspiring, invigorating, vitalizing, electrifying;
             fervent, vigorous, energetic, enthusiastic, spirited, brisk,
             lively, animated, Colloq peppy:  The huge crowd gave the team a
             rousing cheer as they jogged out onto the field.

   rout      n.  1 defeat, trouncing, ruin, overthrow, subjugation,
             vanquishment, d‚bѓcle, conquest, thrashing, drubbing, beating;
             dispersal, retreat, collapse; Colloq licking, hiding, US and
             Canadian shellacking:  Owing to the government's overwhelming
             forces, there was a complete rout of the rebels.

             --v.  2 defeat, win (out) over, trounce, ruin, overthrow, bring
             down, subjugate, subdue, suppress, vanquish, conquer, overwhelm,
             overpower, put to rout or flight, worst, best, trample, overrun,
             thrash, trim, whip, drub, beat, crush, batter, smash, shatter,
             cut to pieces or ribbons or shreds, destroy, devastate, wipe
             out, eliminate, put down, seal the doom or the fate of,
             eradicate, obliterate, Colloq lick, wipe the floor with, polish
             off, knock off, Hyperbolic sports jargon pulverize, make
             mincemeat of, ride roughshod over, demolish, mangle, ravage,
             mutilate, flatten, squash, topple, lay waste, wreak havoc
             (up)on, ravage, massacre, murder, exterminate, annihilate,
             liquidate, smother, stifle, do away with, Slang clobber, do in,
             US skunk, Chiefly US and Canadian cream:  Queens Park Rangers
             routed Manchester United 6-0.

   route     n.  1 way, itinerary, course, direction, path, road, avenue:  If
             you have the time, take the scenic route. John's route to the
             chairmanship is strewn with his colleagues' corpses.

             --v.  2 direct, convey, carry:  Goods destined for Cleveland
             will be routed through Northampton.

   routine   n.  1 custom, habit, procedure, practice, method, schedule,
             plan, programme, formula, pattern, way, usage, wont, Colloq
             chiefly Brit drill:  Chalmers has always been a stickler for
             routine. What's the routine here when you want to order a new
             chair? 2 act, piece, bit, performance, number, part, Colloq
             thing, shtick:  The fat lady doesn't sing till after Joe Miller
             finishes his routine.

             --adj.  3 customary, habitual, usual, rote, accustomed,familiar,
             conventional, regular, ordinary, everyday; programmed, assigned,
             designated, scheduled:  Her routine responsibilities include
             proofreading.  4 boring, tedious, tiresome, unimaginative,
             uninteresting; hackneyed, trite, stereotypic(al), clich‚d,
             run-of-the-mill, ordinary; unvaried, unvarying, unchanging,
             monotonous, uneventful, rote, automatic, mechanical,
             perfunctory:  He has a routine job on the assembly line.

   rover     n.  wanderer, bird of passage, itinerant, traveller, rolling
             stone, nomad, gypsy, wayfarer, gadabout, sojourner, tourist;
             drifter, tramp, vagabond, vagrant, US hobo, bum:  He's a born
             rover and will never settle down.

   row°      n.  line, rank, tier, bank, string, series, file:  A row of
             trees serves as a wind-break along one side of the farm.

   rowэ      n.  1 altercation, argument, dispute, quarrel, disagreement,
             squabble, spat, tiff, conflict, fracas, Colloq shouting match,
             scrap, falling-out, Brit slanging-match:  We had a silly row
             about where we should spend the Christmas holidays.  2
             commotion, disturbance, clamour, hubbub, racket, din, rumpus,
             tumult, uproar, brouhaha, fuss, stir, turmoil, hullabaloo;
             bedlam, pandemonium, chaos; US foofaraw, Colloq ruckus:  There
             was a tremendous row over the increase in membership fees.

             --v.  3 dispute, quarrel, argue, disagree, wrangle, cross
             swords, have words, bicker, tiff, Colloq scrap, fall out:  They
             are constantly rowing over something, usually some insignificant
             detail.

   rowdy     adj.  1 boisterous, uproarious, disorderly, noisy, loud,
             obstreperous, unruly:  It only takes a couple of rowdy youths to
             start trouble at a match.

             --n.  2 ruffian, tough, hooligan, yahoo, brawler, lout, Brit
             lager lout, skinhead, Chiefly US and Canadian hoodlum, hood,
             Slang Brit bovver boy:  The police arrested three of the rowdies
             involved in last night's fight.

   rowdyism  n.  rowdiness, ruffianism, hooliganism, rough-house, barbarism,
             troublemaking, brawling, unruliness, boisterousness, Slang Brit
             bovver:  Have you any suggestions about what to do to curb
             rowdyism at football matches?

   royal     adj.  1 queenly, kingly, queenlike, kinglike, regal, imperial,
             sovereign, princely, majestic:  The Royal Family usually spend
             their summer holidays at Balmoral.  The establishment proudly
             boasts royal patronage. 2 grand, splendid, stately, impressive,
             august, imposing, superior, superb, magnificent, majestic:  She
             arrived at the ball in a royal coach drawn by six white horses.

             --n.  3 king, queen, prince, princess, duke, earl, duchess,
             viscount, viscountess, baron, baroness, noble, nobleman,
             noblewoman, peer:  Her greatest ambition is to meet a royal in
             the flesh.  4 royals. royalty, nobility, nobles, peerage:  He
             writes the daily column reporting on the activities of the
             royals.

   royalty   n.  1 queenship, kingship, royal house or line or family,
             sovereignty:  Royalty does have its privileges, doesn't it?  2
             percentage, commission, share, payment, compensation:  He
             receives a royalty every time his song is played or sung
             commercially, anywhere in the world. 3 nobility, nobles,
             peerage, Colloq Brit royals:  It is ironic that Americans are
             more impressed than the British with royalty.

18.6 rub...
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   rub       v.  1 massage, knead, stroke; scour, scrub, scrape, abrade,
             chafe, clean; wipe, smooth, polish, shine, buff, burnish:  Rub
             my back, would you? - Not there, a little lower down. You are
             not supposed to rub those plastic baths with abrasive cleansers.
             Before the guests arrived, we rubbed the silver till you could
             see yourself in it. 2 rub in or on. apply, smooth, smear,
             spread, put:  The ache may be relieved a bit if you rub on some
             liniment.  3 rub (it or something) in. emphasize, stress, make
             an issue of, harp on, reiterate, dwell on, hammer away,
             dramatize:  It's bad enough that Caroline did better than I did
             - you don't have to keep rubbing it in. 4 rub off or out.
             expunge, erase, remove, delete, cancel, eliminate, eradicate:
             It's a pity, Peter, that you rubbed out the right reply and
             wrote in the wrong one. The boys were released on the condition
             that they would rub the graffiti off the wall. 5 rub off (on).
             affect, be transferred (to), be communicated or transmitted
             (to), be passed on or along (to), be imparted to:  Your mother
             and I had hoped that some of our love of music might have rubbed
             off on you. 6 rub out. murder, kill, execute, slay:  The
             Godfather ordered all witnesses to be rubbed out.  7 rub
             shoulders with. rub elbows with, associate with, socialize with,
             mix with, fraternize with, keep company with, consort with,
             Colloq US run or pal or chum around with:  Since getting his
             knighthood Charles no longer rubs shoulders with the likes of
             us. 8 rub (someone) (up) the wrong way. annoy, irritate, irk,
             anger, provoke, go against the grain, Colloq bug, get under
             one's or someone's skin, peeve:  I don't know what it is about
             Underbridge, but every time we meet he manages to rub me up the
             wrong way.

             --n.  9 wipe, stroke, rubbing:  You will have to give that stain
             a good rub to make it come out.  10 massage, rub-down:  After
             exercising, Jane always has an alcohol rub.  11 the rub. the or
             a catch or hitch or snag or hindrance or set-back, the or an
             obstacle or impediment, the or a difficulty or problem or
             trouble:  The only rub I can see is that Warren may not agree to
             resign.

   rubberneck
             v.  1 gape, stare, goggle, gawk:  They spent a weekend in New
             York, rubbernecking at the skyscrapers.

             --n.  2 tourist, sightseer, rubbernecker, US out-of-towner:
             Buses for the rubbernecks leave Trafalgar Square every hour or
             so.

   rubbish   n.  1 refuse, waste, debris, rubble, detritus, litter, garbage,
             sweepings, dross, dregs, residue, leftovers, remnants, lees,
             scraps, fragments, leavings, residuum, junk, rejects, Chiefly US
             trash Slang chiefly US dreck:  Private companies are now
             contracted to remove household rubbish weekly. 2 (stuff and)
             nonsense, balderdash, moonshine, gibberish, gobbledegook or
             gobbledygook, tommy-rot, bunkum, trash, garbage, twaddle, Colloq
             rot, flapdoodle, crap, hokum, codswallop, bosh, piffle, hooey,
             bunk, malarkey, poppycock, boloney or baloney, eyewash, hogwash,
             bilge-water, bull, Scots havers, Brit tosh, gammon, US a crock,
             horse feathers, gurry, Slang rot, Brit (a load of (old))
             cobblers, Taboo slang bullshit, horseshit, US a crock of shit:
             What she told you about how I treated her is absolute rubbish.

             --v.  3 criticize, attack, destroy, Colloq clobber, pan, Chiefly
             US trash, Slang jump on, Chiefly US and Canadian bad-mouth, jump
             all over:  In his latest book he rubbishes the newspaper that
             had given his previous book a bad review.

   rude      adj.  1 impolite, discourteous, disrespectful, ungracious,
             ungallant, unmannerly, ill-mannered, uncivil, bad-mannered,
             ungentlemanly, unladylike, ill-bred, unrefined, unpolished,
             uncouth, boorish, churlish, oafish, loutish, coarse,
             uncivilized, uncultured, unceremonious:  It was rude of him not
             to get up when she came in, but he doesn't know any better. 2
             impertinent, impudent, discourteous, insulting, insolent,
             offensive, saucy, bold, disrespectful, uncivil, flippant,
             brusque, curt, gruff, tactless, outrageous, Colloq fresh:  I
             simply asked the chambermaid to make up my room early and she
             responded with a rude remark. 3 naughty, unrefined, ribald,
             bawdy, indecent, indelicate, vulgar, obscene, dirty, filthy,
             lubricious or lubricous, lewd, gross, smutty, taboo,
             pornographic:  Chris has an extensive collection of rude
             photographs.  4 crude, rough, clumsy, awkward, unskilful,
             unskilled, artless, inartistic, imperfect, unpolished,
             inaccurate, gauche, bumbling, raw, inelegant, makeshift,
             homespun, primitive, misshapen, ill-formed, unfinished,
             rough-hewn, simple, basic, bare:  The replica on view in the
             local museum is only a rude approximation of the original.

   rudimentary
             adj.  1 basic, essential, elementary, fundamental, rudimental,
             primary, introductory, abecedarian, formative, first, initial,
             elemental, primal, seminal:  The purpose of the course is
             provide students with a rudimentary knowledge of computer
             programming. 2 crude, coarse, unshaped, unfinished, imperfect,
             primitive, undeveloped, vestigial, embryonic, primordial,
             immature:  These fish, which spend their lives in darkness, have
             only a rudimentary organ for an eye.

   rudiments n.pl.  basics, elements, essentials, fundamentals, first
             principles:  She learnt the rudiments of musical composition
             from the maestro himself.

   ruffle    n.  1 trimming, flounce, frill, ruff, peplum, flare, smocking,
             ruche, ruching, gather, gathering:  Doesn't that ruffle at the
             back of the skirt make it look a bit old-fashioned? 2 ripple,
             wavelet, disturbance, flurry, bustle, stir, perturbation,
             wrinkle:  The news of the divorce caused a slight ruffle at
             court.

             --v.  3 agitate, disconcert, confuse, discompose, discomfit,
             upset, disturb, stir up, perturb, unsettle, disorient, unnerve,
             fluster, affect, bother, intimidate, unstring, put out, vex,
             trouble, worry, Colloq rattle, throw, shake up, Chiefly US and
             Canadian discombobulate, voodoo, hex, psych out, Slang chiefly
             US and Canadian get (someone) all shook up, spook:  She was
             ruffled by questions concerning her relationship with the
             deceased. 4 disarrange, dishevel, disorder, rumple, mix up,
             tousle, tangle, disorder, Colloq mess or muss (up):  His
             unpleasant attitude ruffled quite a few feathers in the
             department.

   rugged    adj.  1 rough, uneven, broken, stony, rocky, irregular, bumpy,
             pitted, jagged, ragged:  The horses picked their way slowly
             across the rugged terrain.  2 tough, rough, severe, hard, harsh,
             difficult, arduous, Spartan, rigorous, onerous, stern,
             demanding, burdensome:  It is amazing how that small band of
             pioneers withstood the rugged life in the untamed West. 3 hardy,
             durable, strong, sturdy, hale, robust, tough, vigorous, hard,
             rough-and-ready, stalwart; independent, individualistic,
             self-reliant, self-confident, self-sufficient, bold:  WANTED:
             Five rugged pioneering types to join an expedition to the source
             of the Amazon river. 4 rude, uncouth, uncultured, uncivilized,
             unrefined, unpolished, crude, ungraceful, churlish:  I admit
             that Charlie's manners are a bit rugged, but he's one of the
             best men we have.

   ruin      n.  1 downfall, destruction, devastation, havoc, breakdown,
             breakup, d‚bѓcle, collapse, fall, disintegration, ruination,
             dissolution, wiping out, failure, decay, undoing, end; conquest,
             defeat, overthrow; bankruptcy, liquidation, failure:  Alexander
             was responsible for the ruin of the Persian empire.
             Overwhelming debts spelt Theo's financial ruin. 2 degradation,
             dishonour, debasement, defilement, corruption, vitiation,
             seduction, degrading, dishonouring, debasing, defiling,
             corrupting, vitiating, seducing; deflowering, defloration:  Who
             was the libertine who brought about the ruin of Lord Harecombe's
             daughter? 3 nemesis, curse, end, bane, curse:  That boy will be
             my ruin!  4 gin, mother's ruin, blue ruin, Slang rot-gut:  After
             eating, we sat down and polished off a bottle of mother's ruin.
             5 hag, witch, crone, beldam; dotard, (old) fogy or fogey,
             fossil, fuddy-duddy, antique, Brit OAP (= 'old-age pensioner'),
             Chiefly US retiree, Colloq (old) geezer, wreck, Slang dodo:
             It's hard to understand what those two old ruins see in each
             other.  6 ruins. debris, wreckage, fragments, rubble, remains:
             He stood among the ruins of the burnt-out house wondering what
             to do next. She was trying to piece together the ruins of her
             disastrous marriage.

             --v.  7 destroy, devastate, demolish, annihilate, dissolve, wipe
             out, undo, overthrow, lay waste, raze, shatter, wreck, crush,
             flatten, wreak havoc (up)on, reduce to nothing or naught,
             pulverize, smash, bring to ruin:  The bomb ruined the entire
             centre of the city.  8 spoil, disfigure, damage, botch, mess up,
             make a mess of, mar, uglify:  The county office building
             completely ruins the Aylesbury skyline.  9 spoil, destroy,
             wreck, nullify, damage, harm, hurt, impair, poison, Slang louse
             up, screw up, put the kibosh on, US bollix up, Taboo slang
             chiefly Brit make a balls-up of:  I think that your behaviour at
             the office party may just have ruined your prospects for
             promotion. 10 bankrupt, pauperize, impoverish, reduce to penury
             or poverty or destitution or indigence:  Paying off the loan
             virtually ruined me.  11 violate, deflower, ravish, seduce, lead
             astray, dishonour, defile, corrupt, debase, defile:  She claimed
             that it was the local squire who ruined her, despite evidence to
             the contrary.

   ruinous   adj.  disastrous, destructive, catastrophic, calamitous,
             deleterious, pernicious, crippling, cataclysmic, baleful, fatal,
             toxic, poisonous, noxious, harmful, injurious, nasty, Archaic
             baneful:  Smoking can be ruinous to your health. Who was behind
             the ruinous decision to move the factory to the north-east?

   rule      n.  1 regulation, order, law, ordinance, ruling, decree, ukase,
             statute, principle, direction, guide, guideline, precept:  We go
             by the Golden Rule here, Jim, 'Do unto others before they do
             unto you'. 2 dominion, authority, control, sovereignty, sway,
             command, ascendancy, direction, oversight, supervision, mastery:
             How could such a despised monarch maintain rule over a people
             for so long? 3 fact, standard, customs, practice, form, routine,
             convention, policy, way things are:  Honesty and integrity among
             our students are the rule rather than the exception. 4 as a
             rule. generally, usually, normally, customarily, for the most
             part, mostly, ordinarily, mainly, in the main, chiefly, on the
             whole, commonly, more often than not:  As a rule, we require
             payment in advance.

             --v.  5 Sometimes, rule over. reign (over), govern, be in
             control or charge or command (of or over), be in power (over),
             hold sway (over), wield the sceptre, wear the crown, run;
             prevail, hold sway, dominate, predominate, control:  The hand
             that rocks the cradle rules the world. Supposedly, the majority
             rules in a democracy. 6 direct, guide, manage, control, lead,
             head (up), preside (over), superintend, oversee, supervise,
             regulate, govern, run:  The company is ruled by a committee made
             up of employees and directors.  7 decide, judge, hand down a
             judgement or decision, decree, deem, resolve, settle, determine,
             find, declare, pronounce:  The referee ruled that Jones had
             committed a foul.  8 rule out. ban, bar, prohibit, exclude,
             eliminate, forbid, preclude, proscribe, negate, dismiss,
             disregard, bypass, ignore, overlook:  The programme committee
             ruled out Birmingham as the site of next year's conference.

   rummage   v.  1 search, hunt, comb, scour, scrabble, look through, sift
             through, turn inside out or upside down, examine, Colloq
             scrounge:  We rummaged about in four dustbins before finding the
             discarded receipt.

             --n.  2 jumble, miscellanea, knick-knacks, odds and ends,
             hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge:  May we borrow your car to
             collect items for the church rummage sale?

   rumour    n.  1 rumour, news, gossip, hearsay, information, scoop,
             tidings, chat, chit-chat, tittle-tattle, on dit; grapevine,
             jungle telegraph, Colloq low-down, info, US and Canadian poop,
             Slang chiefly US nautical scuttlebutt:  The rumour is that they
             are moving from Reading to Exeter. Rumour has it that you are
             not going with them.

             --v.  2 bruit about, noise abroad, circulate, pass around,
             intimate, breathe, suggest, whisper, leak, reveal, make known,
             put about, say, report, tell:  It has been rumoured that she is
             going to have his baby.

   rumple    v.  Sometimes, rumple up. wrinkle, crumple, crush, crease, fold,
             crinkle, dishevel, ruffle, tousle, scrunch (up), pucker, muss
             (up), mess (up):  When she stood up, the back of her dress was
             all rumpled.

   rumpus    n.  commotion, disturbance, fuss, confusion, uproar, tumult,
             to-do, ado, mayhem, bedlam, brouhaha, stir, pother, affray,
             fracas, row, m€l‚e or melee, rough-house, brawl:  You have no
             idea what a rumpus he created just because my dog went in his
             garden.

   run       v.  1 sprint, race, scamper, scurry, scud, dart, bolt, dash,
             flit, tear (along), scoot, scuttle, zip, whiz or whizz, gallop,
             jog, trot, lope; rush, hurry (up), hasten, scramble, hustle,
             step lively, hop (to) it, step on it, put on some speed, Archaic
             hie, Colloq get a move on, hoof it, leg it, hotfoot (it), stir
             one's stumps, Brit hare, US step on the gas, hump (it), Slang
             get cracking, US get the lead out (of one's pants or taboo ass),
             Chiefly US get a wiggle on:  If you run, you might catch her
             before she gets on the train.  2 run away or off, flee, escape,
             take flight, take to one's heels, bolt, decamp, make off, clear
             out, show a clean pair of heels, abscond, cut and run, (beat a
             (hasty)) retreat, retire, make a getaway, (make a) run for it,
             Colloq beat it, scram, skedaddle, take off, skip (out), take
             French leave, fly the coop, Slang head for the hills, Brit
             scarper, do a bunk, US and Canadian take a (run-out) powder, lam
             out of (somewhere), take it or go on the lam, US vamoose:  The
             minute the enemy appeared, the entire troop ran. Cavendish ran,
             hoping the police wouldn't catch him. 3 go, cover, pass over,
             sprint, race:  He ran the mile in just under four minutes.  4
             wander, rove, roam, meander, drift:  Some farmers allow their
             animals to run free, rather than penning them up. 5 Often, run
             for. compete (for), be a candidate (for), vie, struggle,
             contend, fight (for), stand (for):  As she has already said she
             would not stand again, I doubt that she will run for re-election
             in the council elections. 6 pass, flow, pour, stream, flood,
             gush, spill, dribble, spurt, issue, move, trickle, seep,
             discharge, cascade, spout:  You can see where the rainwater has
             run down this crack in the roof and into the room below. 7 flow,
             diffuse:  The colour ran when he washed his red underwear with
             some white shirts in very hot water. 8 melt, liquefy, dissolve,
             fuse:  It was so hot that the icing on top of the cake began to
             melt and run down the sides. 9 keep, maintain, support, sustain,
             manage:  It is very expensive to run a large house.  10 operate,
             manage, direct, supervise, oversee, conduct, superintend,
             control, handle, manipulate, head, carry on, lead, regulate,
             take care of, look after, administer, be in charge of,
             coordinate:  She must be a terrifically high achiever to run a
             huge international conglomerate like that! 11 operate, perform,
             function, work, tick, go:  Even after all that abuse, the watch
             kept running and kept good time. 12 extend, stretch, reach;
             amount, add up, total up, come (up):  The balance of payments
             deficit is running to twice last year's figure. His bill at the
             restaurant last night ran to more than њ200. 13 convey,
             transport, give (someone) a lift, drive, take, bring:  Tom said
             he would run me home in his new car.  14 bootleg, smuggle, deal
             or traffic in, Chiefly US and Canadian rustle:  During
             Prohibition, his father ran whisky from Canada to the US.  15 be
             in effect or force, be effective, have force or effect:  This
             lease has another year to run.  16 incur, invite, encourage,
             attract, be subjected to:  Aren't you running a risk asking
             Sheila to handle your money?  17 propel, drive; steer, guide,
             navigate:  If you are inept enough to run a boat aground, at
             least have the sense to do it at low tide. 18 unravel, come
             undone, Chiefly Brit ladder:  My stocking ran just before I had
             to leave for the dance!  19 Sometimes, run off. print, offset,
             lithograph, reproduce, publish, display; imprint, position,
             place, locate, lay out:  They are going to run his story in the
             next issue of The Londoner! We'll run the photographs of the
             fire alongside the article on page one. 20 run across. meet (up
             with), run into, come across, find, stumble on or upon, hit or
             chance or happen upon, Colloq bump into:  Guess whom I ran
             across at Harrods yesterday.  21 run after. chase, pursue, go
             after, court, woo, Colloq set one's cap for:  The City is filled
             with young men and women running after big money. Mick is
             running after this girl half his age, and he hasn't a clue that
             she's leading him on. 22 run along. go away, leave, Slang get
             lost:  Sue wanted to get rid of Wayne and told him to run along.
             23 run around. philander, be unfaithful, gallivant, Colloq sleep
             around, play the field:  How does she cope with his constant
             running around?  24 run around with. associate with, spend time
             with, dally with, consort with:  Cynthia is running around with
             a bad crowd these days.  25 run away. See 2, above.  26 run
             down.  a trace, track, hunt, stalk, follow, pursue, dog, shadow;
             find, locate, track down, discover:  We ran down the suspect in
             an abandoned barn in Little Fakenham.  b criticize, decry,
             defame, vilify, disparage, deprecate, depreciate, denigrate,
             Colloq knock, pan:  If you keep running him down like that he'll
             develop an inferiority complex before he's seven. c weaken,
             tire, expire, play (itself) out, burn out, run out, fail, Colloq
             peter out:  Once the batteries have run down, we will no longer
             be able to transmit a distress-signal. d strike, hit, smash or
             crash or slam into, run over, knock over or down, collide with:
             On the way home, he almost ran down a boy on a bicycle.  27 run
             in. arrest, take into custody, jail, apprehend, take or bring
             in, Colloq pinch, nab, pull in, bust, collar, Brit nick:  This
             is the third time this week that Minette has been run in for
             soliciting. 28 run into. See 20, above.  29 run off.  a See 2,
             above.  b  duplicate, print, copy, turn out, produce, make,
             manufacture, generate, Colloq do, churn out:  How quickly can
             you run off 1000 copies of this brochure?  30 run out.  a be
             exhausted, expire, terminate, (come or draw to a) close, end,
             cease:  The time for renewing your subscription has run out.  b
             finish, go, be exhausted, be used up, Colloq peter out:  The
             food had run out and we had no water when we were rescued.  31
             run out of. use up, consume, eat up, exhaust, be out of:  We've
             run out of milk - can you nip down to the shop and get some? 32
             run out on. desert, abandon, leave high and dry, forsake, leave
             in the lurch, leave holding the baby:  Despite all his promises,
             Edgar ran out on her when she became pregnant. 33 run over.  a
             See 26 (d), above.  b  scan, run through, go over, look over,
             flip or leaf or thumb through, look at, skim (through), browse
             through, dip into, review:  I promised Casey I would run over
             his article if I had the time.  c overflow, spill (over), brim
             over, slosh over, pour over; extend, reach, spread over, stretch
             over; exceed, go beyond, overreach, overshoot, surpass,
             transcend:  She accidentally let the bath run over, ruining the
             ceiling below.  This article will run over onto the next page.
             McClelland always runs over the time allotted to his part of the
             proceedings. d rehearse, run through, repeat, practise, review,
             go over, study, learn, memorize:  You'd best run over your
             speech again before the banquet.  34 run through.  a pierce,
             stab, transfix, stick, spit:  In the last scene, the hero runs
             the villain through with his sword before succumbing to his own
             wounds. b squander, consume, use up, waste, fritter away,
             exhaust, deplete, spend, dissipate, throw away, Slang blow:  It
             didn't take Hugh more than a year to run through his
             inheritance.  c See 33 (b), above.

             --n.  35 sprint, dash, race, jog, trot:  They go for a two-mile
             run every morning before breakfast.  36 trip, journey, visit,
             drive, expedition, trek, outing, excursion, jaunt, junket,
             sojourn, Colloq spin, joyride:  He has to make a run over to
             Paris for the weekend, supposedly on business. 37 route,
             routine, circuit, passage, trip, cycle, round; beat:  I was on
             the Murmansk run during the war.  38 period, spate, interval,
             time, spell, stretch, course; engagement, booking, Colloq patch:
             Roger has had a run of bad luck and could use some help. The
             show had a long run on Broadway. 39 access, freedom, liberty:
             The children had the run of the house for a week while their
             parents were away. 40 return, satisfaction, reward, recompense,
             compensation, requital, expiation, atonement, repayment,
             remuneration:  Although the odds are never in your favour, you
             get a good run for your money at Diamond Lil's Gambling
             Emporium. 41 series, sequence, stream, spate, string,
             succession, progression:  Will attributed his poor showing at
             the tournament to a bad run of cards. 42 stream, brook, runnel,
             creek, rill, rivulet, Brit beck, Scots burn, US branch, kill:
             There is a small run at the bottom of the hill.  43 demand,
             call, request:  Bouillon cubes seem to have enjoyed quite a run
             lately.  44 type, category, class, kind, sort:  Mark seems to be
             a bit more refined than the usual run of guest at Lisa's
             parties. 45 trail, track, piste, path, slope; way, runway:  She
             skied down the north run in record time.  46 enclosure, yard,
             pen, compound, runway; paddock; pound:  There is a good-sized
             run at the kennel where we board the dogs when we go on holiday.
             47 Music roulade, cadenza, arpeggio, riff:  The soprano treated
             us to a marvellous run in which each note was distinct and pure.
             48 in the long run. eventually, finally, after all, ultimately,
             in (due) time, in due course, in fine, in the end, at the end of
             the day, in the final analysis, all things considered, when all
             is said and done:  Regardless of early troubles, things always
             seem to turn out all right in the long run in his plays. 49 on
             the run.  a hastily, in haste, hurriedly, while under way, in a
             hurry, at speed, in a rush:  It isn't supposed to be good for
             you to eat breakfast on the run every day. b on the loose,
             fleeing, escaping, running, in flight, running (away), Slang US
             on the lam:  He was on the run from the police and desperate to
             find Duncan.  c running, retreating, on the move or the go:
             They kept the enemy on the run for a week.  50 the runs.
             diarrhoea, dysentery, upset stomach, Jocular tummy rot, Delhi
             belly, Aztec hop, turista or tourista, Mexican foxtrot or
             two-step or toothache, Montezuma's revenge, curse of Montezuma,
             Rangoon runs, Tokyo trots, Lambeth run(s):  I came down with the
             runs when we got to Ankara.

   run-around
             n.  evasive treatment; slip:  Every time he applied for help he
             was given the run-around.

   runaway   n.  1 fugitive, escapee, refugee, deserter, truant, absconder:
             The lad is a notorious runaway who has escaped four times
             before.

             --adj.  2 wild, uncontrolled, unchecked, rampant, renegade,
             unsuppressed; driverless, riderless, loose; escaped:  Runaway
             inflation is ruining the economy of the country. The runaway
             horses were finally brought back. 3 easy, effortless,
             overwhelming, uncontested:  The incumbent enjoyed a runaway
             victory in yesterday's election.

   run-down  adj.  1 wearied, exhausted, debilitated, weakened, worn out,
             peaked, fatigued, enervated, tired, drained, spent, out of shape
             or condition, below par, in bad shape; unhealthy, sickly, ill:
             He was found in a badly run-down condition, but was soon back on
             his feet. 2 ramshackle, dilapidated, tumbledown, decrepit,
             rickety, broken-down:  The family lives in a run-down cottage on
             the edge of the moor.

             --n.  3 run-through, synopsis, summary, survey, pr‚cis, r‚sum‚,
             (thumbnail) sketch, outline, rough idea, review, recapitulation,
             briefing; highlights, high points:  Give me a quick run-down of
             what happened while I was gone.

   run-in    n.  disagreement, argument, dispute, altercation, quarrel,
             confrontation, contretemps:  We had a run-in with our neighbour
             about playing his hi-fi too loud.

   runner    n.  1 sprinter, racer, jogger, hurdler, miler:  Gordon is one of
             our best runners and ought to make the Olympic team. 2
             messenger, courier, errand-boy, errand-girl, messenger-boy,
             messenger-girl, page, dispatch-bearer or despatch-bearer,
             dispatch-rider or despatch-rider, Colloq US gofer:  The runner
             said that the package fell off his motor cycle and he lost it. 3
             sucker, tendril, creeper, shoot, branch, stem:  Tie these
             runners to the frame in order to train the vine.  4 blade:  The
             runners on your skates need sharpening.

   running   n.  1 operation, management, direction:  Who attends to the
             everyday running of the business while you are away? 2
             competition, contest, meet, tournament, race, match; event,
             game:  If he is found to take steroids, he'll be out of the
             running.

             --adj.  3 continuous, on-going, continual, perpetual, sustained,
             constant, uninterrupted, ceaseless, unceasing:  Where do they
             get the energy to keep up a running argument on the same silly
             subject?

   runt      n.  dwarf, pygmy, midget:  Save the runt of the litter for me.

   run-through
             n.  1 rehearsal, practice, trial, test:  Let's have one more
             run-through before tomorrow's dress rehearsal.  2 See run-down,
             above.

   rupture   n.  1 break, rift, split, fissure, fracture, cleavage, bursting;
             breaking, splitting, break-up, breach, schism, disunity,
             breaking up, severance, division, separation:  The rupture was
             caused by the expansion of the water on freezing.  There was no
             rupture in friendly relations between the families. 2 hernia:
             He is to undergo surgery for a rupture.

             --v.  3 break (up or apart), split, fracture, cleave, divide,
             breach, separate; disrupt, part, sunder:  The fabric of the
             balloon ruptured, the gas escaped, and the basket plummeted
             earthward.

   rural     adj.  1 country, pastoral, sylvan, bucolic, rustic, Arcadian,
             exurban; agricultural, agrarian, Literary georgic:  They always
             preferred rural life to life in the city. Constable painted
             mainly rural scenes. He sells farm equipment, strictly a rural
             business. 2 See rustic, 2, below.

   ruse      n.  trick, device, deception, manoeuvre or chiefly US maneuver,
             dodge, pretence, pretext, subterfuge, stratagem, ploy, hoax,
             wile, artifice, imposture:  His feigned friendship was only a
             ruse to get them to reveal their next move.

   rush      v.  1 hurry (up), hasten, run, race, hustle, bustle, make haste,
             dash, speed, scurry, scramble, scoot, jump, sprint, scamper,
             scuttle, Colloq move (it), hotfoot (it), skedaddle, step on it,
             make it snappy, US hightail (it), step on the gas , Slang get
             moving, get cracking, get a wiggle on, go like a bat out of
             hell, shake a leg:  If you want the job, you'll have to rush to
             send in your application.  Don't rush - there's plenty for
             everyone. 2 attack, assault, charge, storm, blitz:  If we rush
             them, we might take them by surprise.

             --n.  3 hurry, haste, hustle, bustle, dash, speed, turmoil,
             turbulence, flurry, commotion, ferment, pother, ado, to-do,
             excitement, pell-mell, harum-scarum:  What's the rush?  4 surge,
             sensation, thrill, charge:  I felt a rush of pleasure when I saw
             her coming down the street.

             --adj.  5 urgent, hurry-up, exigent, high-priority,
             top-priority, emergency:  This is a rush job that must be
             completed today.

   rustic    adj.  1 See rural, 1, above.  2 peasant, plain, simple,
             uncomplicated, unsophisticated, na‹ve, ingenuous, guileless,
             artless, unrefined, unpolished, countrified, uncultivated,
             uncultured, boorish, crude, rough, unmannerly, hill-billy,
             backwoods, awkward, ungainly, cloddish, plodding, oafish, gawky,
             lumpen, loutish:  Who could dream that such a rustic homebody
             would some day be famous for the most fashionable literary salon
             in London?

             --n.  3 peasant, bumpkin, boor, yokel, hill-billy, countryman,
             countrywoman, country boy or girl, oaf, country cousin, Colloq
             clodhopper, Derogatory and offensive bog-trotter, US and
             Canadian hayseed, hick:  In those days, few rustics ever even
             visited a city.

   rustle    v.  1 whisper, swish, sibilate, susurrate:  Outside my window,
             the leaves rustled in the evening breeze.

             --n.  2 whisper, whispering, rustling, swish, swishing,
             sibilation, sibilance, susurration, susurrus:  I heard the faint
             rustle of satin and knew she was listening at the door.

   rut       n.  1 groove, furrow, wheel-mark, track, trough:  In the winter
             the ruts in the lane fill with water and freeze, making driving
             difficult. 2 pattern, habit, routine, groove, grind, treadmill,
             dead end, Colloq rat race:  After 27 years as a horse groom, I'm
             beginning to feel I'm stuck in a rut.

   ruthless  adj.  pitiless, unpitying, cruel, unsympathetic, merciless,
             unmerciful, harsh, fierce, remorseless, uncompassionate,
             vicious, savage, ferocious, hard-hearted, callous, unfeeling,
             tough, severe, heartless, inhuman, brutal, brutish, unrelenting,
             relentless, Chiefly US and Canadian mean:  The jail houses some
             of the country's most ruthless criminals.  In all of history
             there was no more ruthless a tyrant.

19.0 S
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19.1 sabotage...
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   sabotage  n.  1 destruction, damage, wrecking, impairment:  Enemy
             infiltrators were responsible for the sabotage of our radar.  2
             subversion, treachery, treason:  When the radar was found
             damaged, sabotage was suspected.

             --v.  3 undermine, subvert, disrupt, spoil, ruin, cripple;
             damage, incapacitate, disable, destroy, wreck, Colloq Brit throw
             a spanner in(to) the works, US throw a monkey wrench into the
             machinery, Slang Brit queer (someone's pitch):  Only someone who
             had something to lose would have sabotaged our plan for
             reorganization. The engine had been sabotaged by pouring sand
             into the fuel tank.

   sack      n.  1 pouch, bag, Scots and US dialect poke; Technical sac:  She
             bought a 10-pound sack of potatoes.  2 hit the sack. retire,
             turn in, go to bed or to sleep, Slang hit the hay, Brit kip
             (down), US sack out:  I need my beauty sleep so I'm going to hit
             the sack.  3 the sack. dismissal, discharge, firing, Colloq
             heave-ho, the axe, marching orders, US pink slip, bounce,
             Chiefly US and Canadian walking papers, Slang Brit the boot, the
             chop, the push:  Ten of us got the sack when the new management
             took over.

             --v.  4 dismiss, discharge, fire, let go, lay off, Brit make or
             declare redundant, Colloq give (someone) the axe or the (old)
             heave-ho, give (someone) his or her marching orders, Brit give
             (someone) the sack, US bounce, Slang Brit give (someone) the
             boot or the chop or the push:  Now that he's been sacked, Norman
             will be able to spend more time with the children.

   sacred    adj.  1 consecrated, dedicated, hallowed, holy, blessed, blest,
             sanctified, revered, divine, awe-inspiring, venerable,
             venerated, sainted, heaven-sent:  This is a most sacred Islamic
             site.  2 inviolable, inviolate, untouchable, protected,
             sacrosanct:  They held nothing sacred as they ransacked the
             temple.  3 religious, spiritual, ceremonial, church(ly),
             ecclesiastical, priestly, hieratic, ritual, solemn, sacramental,
             liturgical:  He continued to carry out his sacred duties despite
             the war.

   sacrifice n.  1 immolation, surrender, forfeiture, forgoing, giving up,
             yielding up, offering (up), offer, Christian religion oblation:
             The Aztec religion demanded the sacrifice of human beings.  2
             forfeiture, forgoing, giving up, relinquishment, loss:  Mrs
             Clinton continues her charitable work at the sacrifice of much
             of her time.

             --v.  3 immolate, offer (up), yield (up), give up:  In their
             religion, they were required to sacrifice small animals to
             propitiate the gods. 4 give up, forgo, forfeit, relinquish,
             surrender, let go, lose, yield, renounce, forswear; forbear,
             desist, cease, stop, refrain from:  She was quite ready to
             sacrifice her inheritance to see justice done. If you sacrificed
             smoking you could give the money you save to charity.

   sacrificial
             adj.  1 sacrificed, immolated, surrendered, given up, yielded:
             They led the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter.  2 atoning,
             expiatory, propitiatory, conciliatory:  The solemn sacrificial
             ceremonies were carried out by the high priestess.

   sacrilege n.  1 desecration, profanation, debasement, violation,
             prostitution, dishonouring, vitiation, defilement, befouling,
             fouling, contamination, befoulment, misuse, abuse, perversion,
             maltreatment:  The horrendous Buckinghamshire county office
             building is an example of architectural sacrilege. 2 impiety,
             heresy, profanation, outrage, violation, profanity, blasphemy,
             impiousness, irreverence, disrespect, secularization:  It was an
             unscrupulous sacrilege to appropriate to his own use the
             offerings to the gods.

   sacrilegious
             adj.  profane, impious, heretical, blasphemous, irreverent,
             disrespectful:  The inscription contains a curse on any who
             perpetrate any sacrilegious act against the remains of the
             pharaoh.

   sad       adj.  1 unhappy, melancholy, downcast, dejected, depressed, low,
             sorrowful, gloomy, morose, glum, lugubrious, mournful,
             heartsick, crestfallen, chap-fallen, disheartened, downhearted,
             blue, despondent, broken-hearted, heartbroken, woebegone,
             miserable, wretched:  Danny was so sad when his dog died that he
             wept for a week.  2 depressing, gloomy, disheartening, dreary,
             dismal, funereal, sombre, lugubrious, saddening, heartbreaking,
             bleak, distressing, dispiriting, calamitous:  It was a sad day
             for all of us here when the England team lost the semifinal. 3
             unfortunate, unsatisfactory, awful, bad, shabby, dirty,
             lamentable, miserable, sorry, wretched, pathetic, pitiful,
             pitiable, deplorable, terrible, Colloq lousy, rotten:  After two
             weeks under water, the sofa was in pretty sad shape.

   sadden    v.  depress, deject, sorrow, dishearten, distress, dispirit,
             discourage, grieve, aggrieve:  It saddens me to think of all the
             starving people.

   sadistic  adj.  cruel, monstrous, brutal, brutish, beastly, ruthless,
             perverse, Technical algolagnic:  She derives sadistic pleasure
             from reminding me of all my failures.  The scars and bruises
             confirmed the sadistic treatment he had undergone.

   sadly     adv.  1 unfortunately, alas, unhappily, unluckily, lamentably,
             regrettably, deplorably, sad to relate:  Sadly, all our oldest
             oaks were uprooted in the hurricane.  2 unhappily, gloomily,
             morosely, mournfully, despondently, miserably, wretchedly,
             dejectedly, dismally, sombrely, lugubriously:  He told me sadly
             that he did not expect to return to England again.

   sadness   n.  unhappiness, dolour, misery, sorrow, dispiritedness, grief,
             depression, dejection, dejectedness, sorrowfulness, despondency,
             melancholy, gloom, gloominess:  It is hard to describe the
             sadness we all felt when she left.

   safe      adj.  1 unharmed, whole, uninjured, unhurt, (safe and) sound,
             secure, protected, shielded, sheltered, out of harm's way, all
             right, Colloq OK or okay:  You'll be safe here with me.  2
             harmless, non-toxic, non-poisonous, innocuous; unpolluted:  This
             medication is safe if you do not exceed the recommended dosage.
             Is the water safe to drink? 3 sure, secure, sound, protected,
             risk-free, riskless, safe as the Bank of England, reliable,
             dependable, solid, bona fide, conservative, tried and true, Brit
             safe as houses:  It was previously thought that an investment in
             Alfordyce Ltd was safe. 4 all right, allowable, permissible,
             acceptable, satisfactory, appropriate, suitable, timely, right,
             correct, proper, justifiable, justified, Colloq OK or okay:  Is
             it safe to come out now?  5 secured, protected:  The children
             are safe in bed. Your secret is safe with me.

             --adv.  6 safely, securely:  I won't breathe easy till he's safe
             behind bars.

             --n.  7 vault, crypt, strongbox, safe-deposit or safety-deposit
             box, coffer, chest, repository:  The necklace is kept in the
             safe and I never get a chance to wear it.

   safeguard n.  1 protection, defence, security:  Such a flimsy fence to is
             hardly a sufficient safeguard.

             --v.  2 protect, defend, shield, shelter, keep safe, guard;
             conserve, save, keep, care for, look after:  What is being done
             to safeguard the passengers from attacks by bandits?

   safe keeping
             n.  charge, protection, keeping, custody, care, guardianship:
             The deed to the house is in the safe keeping of Mr Williams, my
             solicitor.

   safety    n.  safeness, protection, aegis, cover, shelter, security,
             refuge; sanctuary, safe keeping:  There's safety in numbers, so
             the more the merrier. We retreated to the safety of the castle
             dungeon.

   sag       v.  1 droop, sink, slump, bend, dip; swag, bag:  The board
             sagged precariously under his weight. Without a breath stirring,
             the banners sagged in the humid air. 2 drop, decrease, decline,
             go or come down, fall, slide, slip, weaken, slump, descend,
             diminish, lessen, droop, subside, flag, falter, wilt:  The value
             of the dollar sagged in world markets today.

             --n.  3 sagging, drop, droop, sinking, sinkage, subsidence, dip;
             reduction, decrease, decline, fall, slide, weakening, slump,
             lessening, flagging, faltering:  If you stand over here you can
             see a definite sag in the roof.  The sag in profits was
             attributed to a poor response to the new model.

   saga      n.  (heroic) legend, narrative, epic, Edda, chronicle, romance,
             roman-fleuve, story, tale, adventure:  Are you really interested
             in the continuing saga of the inhabitants of Coronation Street?

   sage      adj.  1 wise, sagacious, prudent, sensible, perspicacious,
             profound, intelligent, discerning, reasonable, logical,
             judicious, common-sense, commonsensical:  The old woman gave her
             some sage advice about men, which she promptly forgot.

             --n.  2 wise man, savant, expert, elder, doyen or doyenne, guru,
             Nestor, pundit, Solomon, philosopher, oracle, authority:  The
             sage whose counsel you seek lives deep in the forest.

   sail      v.  1 navigate, pilot, steer:  Sail as close to the shore as
             possible to avoid the whirlpool.  2 go sailing or boating or
             yachting, cruise, set sail, put (out) to sea:  Would you like to
             sail to the Isle of Wight for the weekend?  3 drift, move
             lightly, breeze, flow, waft, sweep, coast, float, scud, glide,
             slide, slip, plane, skim, fly, flit:  It was delightful to watch
             the tiny boats sailing, tacking, beating, and running in the
             brisk wind.

             --n.  4 canvas:  The schooner was carrying all the sail she
             could.

   sailor    n.  seaman, seafarer, seafaring man or woman, seagoing man or
             woman, mariner, (old) salt, sea dog, bluejacket, shellback,
             yachtsman, yachtswoman, boatman, boatwoman, deck-hand, captain,
             skipper, Literary Jack Tar, Colloq tar, Naval US swab, swabbie,
             gob:  When she said she had married a sailor I didn't know she
             meant that he had a 100-foot yacht.

   saintly   adj.  holy, blessed, blest, beatific, godly, sainted, angelic,
             seraphic, pure, righteous, virtuous, blameless:  Donald was such
             a saintly man, it was impossible to think ill of him.

   sake      n.  1 benefit, welfare, well-being, good, advantage, behalf,
             profit, gain, account:  Joe and I stayed together for the sake
             of the children. She felt pleased, for his sake, that he had
             managed to get away. 2 purpose(s), reason(s), objective(s):
             Just for the sake of comparison, let us now look at the
             situation in Taiwan.

   salary    n.  income, pay, earnings, compensation, remuneration,
             emolument; wage(s):  I can't afford a new car on my present
             salary.

   sale      n.  1 selling, traffic, vending, marketing, trafficking,
             trading; trade, exchange, transaction:  The sale of alcoholic
             beverages on Sundays is prohibited. Provide a receipt for each
             sale. 2 trade, purchase; trading, buying, purchasing:  We must
             do something to boost sales. The house is very reasonably priced
             for a quick sale. 3 sales event, mark-down, white sale, jumble
             sale, Brit car-boot sale, US rummage sale, garage sale, tag
             sale, yard sale, Colloq sellathon, sales marathon:  We are
             having a sale to clear out things we no longer want or need. 4
             transaction:  She hasn't made a sale in a week.  5 on sale.  US
             marked down, cut-price, bargain-priced; reduced (in price):
             Bacon is on sale this week at half price.  6 (up) for sale. on
             the market, available, in stock, Chiefly Brit on sale, on offer,
             US on the block:  Their house is for sale to the highest bidder.

   salesperson
             n.  salesman, saleswoman, saleslady, salesgirl, sales-clerk,
             clerk, Chiefly Brit shop-girl, Brit shop assistant,
             Old-fashioned counter-jumper:  The shop is noted for its wide
             range of merchandise and the efficiency and courtesy of its
             salespeople.

   salient   adj.  conspicuous, outstanding, pronounced, noticeable,
             prominent, significant, important, marked, impressive, striking,
             remarkable, distinguishing, distinctive, unique, eminent,
             noteworthy, notable, principal, chief, primary:  A salient
             feature of this policy is that it can be converted at any time
             from a straight life to an endowment policy.

   salt      n.  1 common or table salt, sodium chloride, sea salt,
             rock-salt:  A little salt will bring out the flavour.  2 spice,
             spiciness, zest, zestiness, pungency, vigour, vitality,
             liveliness, pep, pepper, poignancy, piquancy, relish, bite,
             savour, seasoning, taste, Colloq zip, zing, punch:  Yes, do
             invite Randolph, for he can be relied on to add a little salt to
             the dinner conversation. 3 (Attic) wit, Attic salt, dry humour,
             sarcasm:  Her conversation is sprinkled with the salt of clever
             aphorisms.  4 See sailor, above.  5 with a grain or pinch of
             salt.  cum grano salis, warily, cautiously, qualifiedly,
             qualifyingly, doubtfully, sceptically, suspiciously, reservedly,
             with reservation(s) or qualification(s):  You have to take what
             he says with a grain of salt.

             --v.  6 season, spice, flavour, pepper:  The pirate's speech was
             salted with expressions like 'Shiver me timbers!', 'Avast
             there!', and 'Blow me down!' 7 pickle, cure, preserve, corn,
             marinate, souse:  The book gives several recipes for curing ham
             and salting beef.  8 salt away. save (up), hoard, put or lay or
             set by or aside, squirrel away, store up, stockpile, amass,
             accumulate, pile up, Colloq stash away, US and Canadian sock
             away:  They were always terribly stingy, claiming they were
             salting something away for their old age.

             --adj.  9 salty, saline, brackish, briny:  The water had a salt
             taste.  10 pickled, kippered, marinated, soused; corned; cured:
             Do you like salt herring?

   salute    v.  1 greet, hail, address, accost:  The moment I stepped in at
             the door I was saluted with the peremptory question, 'Where have
             you been?' 2 pay respects or homage or tribute to, honour,
             recognize, acknowledge:  Wherever she went she was saluted as a
             heroine.

             --n.  3 greeting, address, salutation:  He returned my salute
             with a nod.

   salvage   v.  1 save, recover, rescue, redeem, deliver, retrieve, reclaim:
             Were you able to salvage anything of value after the fire?

             --n.  2 recovery, rescue, retrieval, redemption, deliverance,
             reclamation, salvation:  The salvage of a vessel or cargo at sea
             invests the salvager with legal rights under certain conditions.

   salve     n.  1 balm, ointment, unguent, dressing, cream, lotion,
             demulcent, embrocation, liniment:  The doctor applied a salve to
             the wound and bandaged it.  2 emollient, balm, palliative,
             tranquillizer, opiate, anodyne, narcotic, relief, assuagement:
             The money was more a salve to his conscience than a token of his
             charity.

             --v.  3 mitigate, relieve, ease, alleviate, assuage, palliate,
             soothe, mollify, comfort, appease:  There must be something you
             can do to allow them to save face and to salve their wounded
             pride.

   same      adj.  1 identical, exact (same), selfsame; very:  When I said
             they were wearing the same dress I meant that they were wearing
             identical dresses. That's the same tie you wore when we first
             met. 2 unchanged, unchanging, changeless, unmodified, unaltered,
             constant, uniform, unvaried, unvarying; word-for-word, verbatim:
             As you can see, it's the same old Charley you used to know and
             love. Professor Spicer is still giving the same lecture that he
             has given all these years. 3 all the same. at the same time,
             nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, yet, but, anyway, anyhow, in
             any case, in any event, at any rate, regardless, still (and
             all), in spite of or despite the fact, notwithstanding, for all
             that, that (having been) said, having said that, after all is
             said and done, just the same:  Of course you have a right to go;
             all the same, I wish you had let me know.

   sample    n.  1 specimen, example, representative, representation,
             illustration, sampling, sampler, cross-section; swatch; bite,
             nibble, taste:  I should like to see a sample before deciding
             whether to place an order with you.

             --v.  2 test, try, taste, experience:  Anyone is welcome to
             sample the merchandise on request.

             --adj.  3 representative, specimen, illustrative,
             representational, trial, test:  A sample copy of the book is
             available for examination.

   sanatorium
             n.  rest-home, convalescent home, nursing home, clinic, health
             farm, US also sanitarium:  After spending a month recuperating
             in a Swiss sanatorium, Gladys was as good as new.

   sanctify  v.  1 consecrate, hallow, make sacred or holy, glorify, exalt,
             canonize, enshrine; Rom Cath Ch beatify:  The site was
             sanctified and is visited by pilgrims throughout the year. 2
             purify, cleanse:  According to Scripture, some are sanctified
             before birth.  3 confirm, sanction, ratify, justify, legitimate,
             legitimatize or legitimize, legalize, license:  Her family
             insisted that the marriage be sanctified at the church in
             Suffolk, where they live.

   sanctimonious
             adj.  hypocritical, self-righteous, canting, mealy-mouthed,
             holier-than-thou, Pharisaical, pietistic, unctuous, Tartuffian,
             Colloq goody-goody, Chiefly Brit smarmy Slang Brit pi:  I
             wondered what happened to all that sanctimonious talk about
             putting his family first?

   sanction  n.  1 confirmation, ratification, secondment, authorization,
             legalization, legitimatization or legitimization, validation,
             licence, certification, approval, permission, imprimatur, seal
             or stamp (of approval), signet:  If you get the sanction of the
             rest of the members, then I shall agree. 2 help, aid,
             encouragement, support, advocacy, backing, sponsorship, favour,
             countenance:  You will need the sanction of the entire committee
             in order to win a vote of confidence. 3 agreement, concurrence,
             acceptance, affirmation, assent, acquiescence, compliance,
             approval, OK or okay:  He would never have proceeded with the
             invasion without the sanction of his generals. 4 ban, penalty,
             punishment, retribution, discipline, retaliation, redress:  The
             government decided to introduce sanctions against the regime on
             account of their atrocious record on human rights.

             --v.  5 confirm, ratify, second, authorize, legalize,
             legitimatize or legitimize, validate, license, certify, approve,
             permit, allow, notarize, vouchsafe, subscribe to, commission,
             consent to:  If the board sanctions the purchase of the company,
             it is then up to the shareholders to vote. 6 support, encourage,
             advocate, back, sponsor, favour, countenance, help:  You know I
             cannot be seen to sanction your plan in preference to others.

   sanctity  n.  piety, holiness, saintliness, divinity, grace, sacredness,
             godliness, devotion, dedication:  The arguments of the
             anti-abortionists were based on a belief in the sanctity of all
             human life.

   sanctuary n.  1 sanctum, shrine, chapel, temple, church, house of worship,
             house of God; synagogue, mosque, pagoda:  All of us retire at
             this time to the sanctuary for evening prayer.  2 asylum,
             refuge, retreat, protection, shelter, safety:  Formerly,
             criminals could seek sanctuary in churches.  3 (nature or
             wildlife) reserve or preserve, reservation, conservation area,
             national park:  If housing is built here, it will destroy the
             bird sanctuary.

   sanctum   n.  1 sanctuary, holy of holies, shrine:  No one is allowed into
             the sanctum except the high priestess.  2 sanctum sanctorum,
             den, study, retreat; hiding-place, hide-out, hideaway,
             cubby-hole:  After dinner Roger goes to his sanctum to write.

   sane      adj.  normal, of sound mind, rational, compos mentis,
             well-balanced, right-minded, level-headed, rational, reasonable,
             sensible, judicious, Colloq right in the head, all there:  They
             decided that the killer was sane and fit to stand trial.

   sang-froid
             n.  cold-bloodedness, coolness, cool-headedness, indifference,
             composure, phlegm, self-possession, self-control, poise,
             imperturbability, equanimity, Colloq unflappability, cool,
             coolth:  What amazed us was the remarkable sang-froid displayed
             by even the smallest children in the face of bullying.

   sanguinary
             adj.  1 bloodthirsty, cruel, brutal, brutish, gory, merciless,
             remorseless, ruthless, pitiless, heartless, savage, barbarous,
             slaughterous, grim, fell, murderous, homicidal:  The axe murder
             was the most sanguinary crime that the division had ever been
             required to investigate. 2 bloody, sanguineous, sanguinolent:  I
             am unsure how I survived such a sanguinary battle.

   sanguine  adj.  optimistic, rosy, confident, hopeful, forward-looking,
             anticipatory, expectant, enthusiastic, fervid, zealous:  Some
             experts took a more sanguine view, saying that they expected to
             see the start of an economic upturn in the next few months.

   sanitary  adj.  clean, sterile, hygienic, antiseptic, disinfected,
             aseptic, germ-free, bacteria-free; healthy, unpolluted,
             salubrious, healthful, salutary, wholesome:  With such shortages
             of personnel and equipment, it was impossible to maintain a
             sanitary hospital environment.

   sanity    n.  saneness, reason, mental health or soundness, normality,
             rationality, reason, reasonableness, stability, balance:  Have
             you any reason for suspecting her sanity?

   sap°      n.  1 (vital) juice or fluid, bodily or US also body fluid,
             lifeblood, essence, Literary ichor:  He apostrophized about how
             the sap of youth had shrunk from his veins. 2 fool, idiot,
             nincompoop, ninny, ninny-hammer, simpleton, ignoramus, nitwit,
             dim-wit, dunce, ass; dupe, gull, US thimble-wit; Colloq chump,
             drip, Brit (right) charlie, noddy, noodle, wet, Chiefly Brit
             twit, Slang patsy, sucker, (easy) mark, pushover, sap-head, Brit
             muggins, US schnook, schlemiel or schlemihl or shlemiel, fall
             guy:  You certainly were a sap to fall for that old line!

             --v.  3 bleed, drain, draw, tap, rob, milk:  I could feel the
             strength being sapped from my body.

   sapэ      v.  undermine, sabotage, weaken, cripple, wreck, devitalize,
             deplete, drain, erode, enervate, debilitate:  They did
             everything they could to sap my self-confidence.

   sarcasm   n.  scorn, contumely, derision, ridicule, bitterness, acrimony,
             acrimoniousness, acerbity, harshness, acridity, acridness,
             asperity, venom, poison, venomousness, poisonousness, virulence,
             spite, spitefulness, malice, maliciousness, malevolence, satire,
             irony, cynicism, disdain:  Kathy was too thick-skinned to
             appreciate the sarcasm of Tom's cutting commentary on her
             acting.

   sarcastic adj.  scornful, contumelious, derisive, derisory, ridiculing,
             bitter, biting, cutting, trenchant, incisive, acrimonious,
             acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, harsh, acrid, aspersive,
             venomous, poisonous, virulent, spiteful, malicious, malefic,
             malevolent, satiric(al), ironic(al), cynical, disdainful,
             mocking, contemptuous, critical, censorious, captious, carping,
             cavilling, sardonic, scathing, caustic, nasty:  I don't think he
             knows how hurtful his sarcastic remarks can be.

   sardonic  adj.  ironic(al), derisive, derisory, mocking, cynical,
             sarcastic:  She said that she was leaving him, but his only
             response was a sardonic smile.

   satanic   adj.  1 diabolic(al), fiendish, devilish, Mephistophelian,
             demonic, demoniac(al), infernal, cacodemonic, ghoulish, hellish,
             infernal, evil, wicked, iniquitous, corrupt, depraved,
             perverted, perverse, godless, ungodly, impious, unholy,
             sinister, dark, black, immoral, amoral:  They practise
             witchcraft and other satanic inventions.  2 dire, monstrous,
             heinous, atrocious, hideous, horrible, horrendous, horrid,
             horrifying, loathsome, vile, abhorrent, unspeakable,
             unutterable, damnable, despicable, abominable:  The miners
             worked under positively satanic conditions.

   satellite n.  1 moon, spacecraft, Old-fashioned sputnik:  The sky is
             crowded with artificial satellites orbiting the earth.  2
             follower, attendant, retainer, disciple, acolyte, aide,
             aide-de-camp, minion, lieutenant, assistant, helper, hanger-on,
             dependant, shadow, right-hand man, vassal, parasite, sycophant,
             Colloq sidekick:  Boswell became the obsequious satellite of
             Samuel Johnson.

   satiate   v.  1 stuff, glut, gorge, cloy, surfeit, overfill, overstuff,
             glut, pall, overindulge, saturate, choke, deluge, flood, choke,
             suffocate, weary, exhaust, bore, tire, jade:  The travellers
             were so satiated with food and drink that nothing could wake
             them. 2 slake, satisfy, quench, content, gratify, sate:  I felt
             the it would take at least a gallon of water to satiate my
             thirst.

   satiety   n.  surfeit, glut, superabundance, overindulgence, saturation,
             nimiety, excess, superfluity:  The painting exudes a mood of
             sexual languor and satiety.

   satire    n.  1 ridicule, irony, sarcasm, mockery, spoofing, exaggeration,
             caricature:  Often, the best way to comment on a distasteful
             political situation is through satire. 2 burlesque, lampoon,
             parody, travesty, pasquinade, spoof, cartoon, caricature, Colloq
             take-off, Chiefly Brit send-up:  For several years he wrote
             mainly satires of life among the wealthy.

   satirical adj.  satiric, ironic, sarcastic, mocking, spoofing, irreverent,
             exaggerating, Hudibrastic, derisive, disparaging, abusive,
             scornful, flippant, ridiculing, chaffing:  After a number of
             satirical plays, he returned to writing novels, which, he felt,
             reached a wider audience.

   satirize  v.  lampoon, burlesque, parody, caricature, travesty, poke fun
             at, (hold up to) ridicule, make fun or sport of, pillory,
             deride, mock; mimic, imitate; Colloq take off, put down, Brit
             send up:  Since ancient times writers have satirized the follies
             of their age.

   satisfaction
             n.  1 gratification, comfort, fulfilment, contentment, delight,
             joy, enjoyment, pleasure, happiness:  They get a great deal of
             satisfaction out of seeing their children happily married. 2
             payment, requital, repayment, compensation, recompense,
             remuneration, reparation, indemnity, indemnification,
             restitution, vindication, damages, amends, redress, atonement,
             expiation:  The purpose of the lawsuit is to demand satisfaction
             for the wrongs done to our family.

   satisfactory
             adj.  adequate, sufficient, acceptable, passable, all right, not
             bad, good enough, fair, Colloq OK or okay:  I'd say that the
             food at Michelle's is satisfactory but not outstanding.

   satisfy   v.  1 gratify, fulfil, comfort, please, content, placate,
             appease, pacify:  It takes a lot to satisfy him: he is one of
             the fussiest men I have ever worked with. 2 fill, meet, fulfil,
             provide for, look after or to, serve, answer, comply with,
             resolve, solve, gratify, indulge; slake, quench, sate, satiate:
             Your desire for better working conditions can probably only be
             satisfied by a change of job. What will it take to satisfy your
             thirst for adventure? 3 convince, persuade, reassure, assure,
             put (someone's) mind at rest, content:  He was satisfied that
             emigration to Australia was the only option open to him. 4 pay,
             repay, redress, make good, indemnify, write off, liquidate:  I
             shall see to it that the debt is satisfied at once.

   satisfying
             adj.  gratifying, satisfactory, fulfilling, filling, satiating;
             comforting, pleasing, pacifying, pleasurable:  That was a very
             satisfying meal. It is a satisfying feeling to know that you are
             happy.

   saturate  v.  soak, wet, drench, steep, fill, imbue, souse, suffuse,
             impregnate, permeate; waterlog; Technical ret:  I got caught in
             the rain and came home saturated. Make sure that you saturate
             the earth round the tree once you have finished planting.

   sauce     n.  1 gravy, condiment:  That sauce on the meat was truly
             delicious.  2 impertinence, sauciness, impudence, audacity,
             insolence, brazenness, pertness, disrespect, disrespectfulness,
             Colloq cheek, cheekiness, lip, back talk, backchat, brass,
             nerve, gall, Slang crust, US and Canadian sass, sassiness:  She
             had the sauce to tell me to pay at once or get out.

   saunter   v.  walk, stroll, amble, meander, ramble, wander, Colloq mosey,
             traipse:  An oddly dressed man sauntered over and asked if I had
             ever bet on a horse before.

   savage    adj.  1 wild, untamed, undomesticated, feral, unbroken:  These
             savage beasts had never seen a man before.  2 vicious,
             ferocious, fierce, beastly, bestial, brutish, bloodthirsty,
             brutal, cruel, ruthless, pitiless, merciless, harsh, bloody,
             unmerciful, fell, barbarous, barbaric, murderous, demonic,
             demoniac, sadistic:  The boy was subjected to a savage attack by
             the defendant's dog.  The king's guards were selected for their
             savage nature. 3 wild, uncivilized, uncultivated, primitive,
             inhuman, bestial, barbaric, barbarous, untamed, rude:  The
             savage behaviour of some New Guinea tribes included cannibalism.

             --n.  4 wild man or woman, brute, barbarian; Caliban:  When the
             explorers landed on the island, they were welcomed by the
             savages who lived there.

   save      v.  1 (come to someone's) rescue, deliver; (set) free, liberate,
             release, redeem, bail (someone) out; recover, salvage, retrieve:
             What can be done to save me from the drudgery of doing the
             laundry?  She saved only one thing of value from the fire. 2
             keep, preserve, guard, safeguard, protect, conserve, secure,
             shelter, shield:  One way to save dried flowers is to press them
             between the leaves of a book. 3 lay or put aside, lay or put by,
             lay or put away, keep, retain, set apart, hold, reserve,
             preserve, conserve; economize, scrimp, scrape:  Soon he had
             saved enough money to buy a new car. If you keep on saving, you
             may soon have enough for a new suit. 4 obviate, preclude, spare,
             prevent:  A little extra care taken now will save a lot of
             trouble later on.

   saving    adj.  1 redeeming, redemptory or redemptive or redemptional,
             compensating, compensatory, qualifying, extenuating,
             extenuatory:  His one saving grace is that he has a lot of
             money.  2 parsimonious, economical, thrifty, provident, frugal,
             sparing, prudent:  It was only because of Alison's saving nature
             that we had enough to live on during the strike.

             --n.  3 economizing, economization, economy, thrift, providence,
             frugality, prudence, scrimping, scraping, sparingness:  It was
             only by her saving that we survived.  4 savings. resources,
             reserve, cache, hoard, nest egg:  Our savings are to pay for
             your education, not for having a good time.

   saviour   n.  1 rescuer, salvation, friend in need, Good Samaritan,
             liberator, redeemer, deliverer, emancipator, champion, knight
             errant, knight in shining armour:  Because he gave her a job
             when she most needed it, she regarded him as her saviour. 2 the
             or our Saviour.  Christian religion Christ (the Redeemer),
             Jesus, the Messiah, Lamb of God, Our Lord, Son of God, King of
             Kings, Prince of Peace, Islam Mahdi.

   savoir faire
             n.  tact, tactfulness, sophistication, finesse, urbanity,
             discretion, knowledgeability, diplomacy, urbanity, smoothness,
             polish, suavity or suaveness, poise, grace, style, skill,
             adroitness, knowledge, comprehension, Slang savvy:  She felt a
             vague sense of social inferiority, an uneasy lack of savoir
             faire.

   savoir vivre
             n.  breeding, upbringing, comity, knowledge, sophistication,
             polish:  He has at least enough savoir vivre to know that one
             doesn't drink red wine with oysters.

   savour    n.  1 taste, flavour, zest, tang, smack, piquancy:  These
             poached peaches have a savour of brandy about them.  2 hint,
             suggestion, odour, scent, fragrance, smell, perfume, redolence,
             bouquet, breath, trace, quality, soup‡on, dash:  He preferred
             talking about the savour rather than the odour of sanctity, for
             alliteration's sake.

             --v.  3 taste, sample, perceive, detect, sense, discern, mark,
             descry, observe, notice, note, identify; enjoy, luxuriate in,
             relish, indulge in, bask in, appreciate, revel in, delight in,
             value, cherish, Colloq lick or smack one's lips or chops over:
             One could savour a trace of honey in the wine. For a week we
             savoured the delights of the Costa Brava.

   savoury   adj.  1 palatable, delicious, delectable, tasty, toothsome,
             appetizing, flavourful, flavorous, flavoursome, ambrosial,
             luscious:  Pettigrew bit greedily into the savoury flesh of the
             ripe melon.  2 tasteful, honest, proper, decent, reputable,
             respectable, honourable, creditable, upright, decorous, seemly,
             wholesome, innocent:  I am not sure that Victoria is travelling
             in particularly savoury society.

             --n.  3 appetizer, hors-d'oeuvre; dessert, sweet; morsel,
             dainty, titbit or US tidbit, Chiefly Brit starter, Archaic
             warner:  I think I'd like the Welsh rabbit as a savoury.

   saw       n.  proverb, maxim, (old) saying, aphorism, apophthegm or
             apothegm, axiom, adage, epigram, gnome; slogan, motto,
             catchword, catch-phrase, byword; dictum, platitude, truism,
             clich‚, commonplace:  She always quoted to him the old saw, 'A
             fool and his mother are soon parted'.

   say       v.  1 state, affirm, declare, maintain, hold, aver, remark,
             assert, claim, asseverate, announce:  She said that I had to go
             at once, and I said, 'I shall never leave you!' 2 assert,
             allege, report, mention, rumour, reveal, bruit about, disclose,
             divulge, bring to light, put about, noise abroad, suggest, hint,
             whisper:  It was said that spies had already infiltrated the
             party.  3 pronounce, articulate, utter; phrase, rephrase,
             translate:  How do you say gemЃtlich? How do you say it in
             English?  4 tell, put, express, verbalize, communicate, explain,
             reveal, bring up, break, impart:  I don't quite know how to say
             this, Harry, but you have bad breath.  5 reply, respond, answer:
             What have you to say to her allegation that it is all your
             fault?  6 guess, estimate, conjecture, venture, judge, imagine,
             believe, think:  I'd say you look about 60 years old.  7 mean or
             intend or try to say, think, contemplate, imply, suggest:  Are
             you saying that you would steal if you had the opportunity?  8
             predict, prognosticate, foretell:  The newspaper says that
             shares will go down.  9 signify, denote, symbolize, communicate,
             indicate, convey, suggest, imply, mean:  What does a red light
             say to you?  10 order, require, demand, bid, stipulate, command,
             give the word:  If I say that you are to go, then you go - and
             quickly.  11 deliver, utter, speak:  Say your lines and exit
             stage left without waiting for a reply.

             --n.  12 voice, authority, influence, power, weight, sway,
             clout:  Does she have that much say about how the money should
             be spent?  13 turn, chance, opportunity, vote:  You've had your
             say, now let's hear from Ackroyd.

             --adv.  14 approximately, about, roughly, circa, nearly:  The
             snake was, say, twenty feet long.  15 for example, for instance,
             as or for an illustration, eg or US e.g.:  Take any novel, say,
             Wuthering Heights, and analyse the characters.

   say-so    n.  authority, word, say, order, dictum; authorization:  I
             shouldn't do it just on his say-so if I were you.

19.2 scale...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   scale°    n.  Often, scales. balance:  We need new bathroom scales: the
             old one gives too high a reading.

   scaleэ    n.  1 flake, imbrication; scurf, dandruff; Technical squama,
             plate, scute or scutum, lamina, lamella:  Scrape the scales off
             the fish with a sharp knife before gutting it. 2 coating,
             encrustation or incrustation, crust, overlay, layer, cake,
             caking, tartar, plaque:  The hardness of the water causes the
             scale inside the kettle.

   scale°    n.  1 range, compass, rank, ranking, gradation, graduation,
             register, spectrum, calibration, progression, hierarchy, scope,
             gamut:  As we ascend in the scale of life we rise in the scale
             of longevity.  2 proportion, ratio:  The scale of these drawings
             is One Foot = One Centimetre.

             --v.  3 climb, ascend, mount, clamber up, surmount, go up,
             escalade:  Using grappling hooks and ropes, we scaled the wall
             in minutes.  4 regulate, adjust, proportion, Chiefly US and
             Canadian prorate:  The size of the cable is scaled to the weight
             it must carry.  5 scale up or down. increase, enlarge, raise;
             decrease, reduce, diminish, lower:  Depending on the expanse of
             the fa‡ade, the windows ought to be scaled up or down
             accordingly.

   scaly     adj.  1 rough, imbricated, shingly, Technical lamellar, laminar,
             lamellate, scutate:  The scaly covering of reptiles and fishes
             is related to the feathers of birds. 2 scabby, scabrous,
             squamous, squamulose, squamosal, squamose, scurfy, furfuraceous,
             scruffy:  The medication causes the skin to dry and become
             temporarily scaly.

   scan      v.  1 glance at or through, look over, skim, read over, flip or
             thumb or leaf through:  I didn't have time to read it
             thoroughly, but I did scan it.  2 study, pore over, examine,
             investigate, scrutinize, inspect, delve into, research, explore
             (in depth), sweep, Archaic con:  Scan the horizon for hostile
             planes.

             --n.  3 look, survey, inspection, examination, overview:  A
             microscopic scan revealed no trace of blood.

   scandal   n.  1 shame, disgrace, embarrassment, sin, outrage:  It is a
             scandal how much of the money raised for charity goes into the
             pockets of the fund-raisers. 2 discredit, damage, calumny,
             ignominy, obloquy, dishonour, degradation, disrepute, infamy:
             The scandal resulting from their being found together could
             never be lived down. The breath of scandal never touched her. 3
             slander, libel, aspersion, innuendo, insinuation, abuse, dirt,
             defilement, defamation, slur, smear, taint, blemish, spot,
             stigma, smirch, black mark or spot, blot (on the escutcheon),
             (badge of) infamy, skeleton in the cupboard, Brit blot on one's
             copybook:  His cowardice brought scandal to the name that could
             never be lived down.

   scandalize
             v.  appal, shock, outrage, affront, offend, horrify, upset,
             disturb; rankle, stick in (someone's) craw or throat, gall:
             They were scandalized to learn the truth about Cooksley's
             father.

   scandalous
             adj.  1 shocking, disgraceful, ignominious, improper,
             indecorous, unseemly, infamous, outrageous, shameful, immodest,
             dishonourable, disreputable, sordid, despicable, flagitious,
             wicked, sinful, evil, iniquitous, profligate, immoral, indecent,
             lewd, lascivious, lustful, licentious, lecherous, atrocious,
             heinous, disgusting, fulsome, taboo, unmentionable, unspeakable:
             The scandalous goings-on at the Hellfire Club are well
             documented.  2 defamatory, libellous, slanderous, calumnious,
             calumniatory, aspersive, abusive, scurrilous, injurious,
             defamatory:  The newspaper published a scandalous article about
             him which they refused to retract.

   scanty    adj.  1 scant, sparse, scarce, little, meagre, minimal; barely
             adequate or sufficient, limited, restricted, Colloq measly:  The
             news from the front was scanty. We received only scanty support
             from the Arts Council. 2 skimpy, short, small, sparse, minimal,
             meagre, in short supply, Colloq chiefly Brit thin on the ground:
             Investor interest in the new share offering seemed to be scanty.

   scapegoat n.  victim, front, dupe, gull, cat's-paw, whipping-boy, Brit man
             of straw, Aunt Sally, US straw man, Colloq fall guy, Slang
             sucker:  We have to find a scapegoat to take the punishment for
             us.

   scar      n.  1 blemish, mark, damage, disfigurement, wound, injury,
             scratch, mar, cut, burn, brand, cicatrix:  Fortunately, the cut
             is shallow and shouldn't leave a scar.

             --v.  2 blemish, mark, damage, disfigure, wound, injure,
             scratch, mar, cut, burn, brand; dent:  The blow scarred him for
             life.

   scarce    adj.  scanty, scant, insufficient, inadequate, deficient,
             wanting, lacking, rare, unusual, at a premium, in short supply,
             meagre, few and far between, seldom met with, hard to come by,
             Chiefly Brit thin on the ground:  Good editors are very scarce.

   scarcely  adv.  1 hardly, barely, (only) just, not quite:  He had scarcely
             uttered the magic words when the rock split open.  2 (probably
             or certainly or surely or definitely) not, in no way, not at
             all, not in the least, by no means, on no account, under no
             circumstances, nowise, Colloq US noway:  I scarcely need remind
             you that you are getting married tomorrow.

   scarcity  n.  lack, want, need, paucity, dearth, insufficiency, shortage,
             inadequacy, inadequateness:  The teaching of foreign languages
             is not improved by the scarcity of qualified teachers.

   scare     v.  1 frighten, alarm, startle, shock, dismay, daunt, appal,
             give (someone) a shock or a fright, terrify, terrorize,
             threaten, menace, cow, intimidate, horrify, US and Canadian
             spook, Colloq scare the pants off, scare the life or the living
             daylights or the hell out of, scare out of one's wits, make
             one's hair stand on end, make one's flesh creep or crawl, give
             one goose bumps or goose-pimples, US scare the bejesus out of,
             Taboo slang scare or frighten the shit out of, scare shitless,
             US scare shitty:  A sudden noise scared me, and I ran out of the
             cave as fast as I could. 2 scare up. scrape together or up,
             find, gather, collect, raise, dig up, get, come by, scrounge
             (up):  I can't scare up that much money in one day!

             --n.  3 fright, shock, surprise, start:  I had a terrible scare
             when I saw what I thought was blood.

   scared    adj.  frightened, alarmed, afraid, appalled, shocked, terrified,
             horrified, startled:  Don't be scared, I won't hurt you.

   scary     adj.  frightening, eerie, terrifying, frightful, hair-raising,
             unnerving, blood-curdling, horrifying, spine-chilling,
             intimidating, daunting; horrendous, horrid, horrible, creepy,
             crawly, Colloq spooky:  Aren't you afraid to watch scary movies
             on TV when you're home alone?

   scathing  adj.  searing, withering, damaging, harmful, severe, harsh,
             stern, nasty, biting, acrid, acrimonious, mordant, incisive,
             cutting, sharp, keen, virulent, vitriolic, acid, scorching,
             burning, fierce, savage, ferocious:  She was totally unprepared
             for the critics' scathing attack on her book.

   scatter   v.  1 spread, diffuse, shower, litter, sprinkle, strew,
             circulate, distribute, disseminate, sow, broadcast:  As the
             seeds of dissent were scattered far and wide, we became aware of
             a ground swell of hatred for the regime. 2 disperse, separate,
             dissipate, dispel, disband, break up, go off:  My notes were
             scattered all over the floor. Immediately after dividing up the
             loot, the gang scattered to the four winds.

   scatterbrained
             n.  hare-brained, rattle-headed, rattle-brained, frivolous,
             flibbertigibbet, giddy, dazed, flighty, wool-gathering, Colloq
             dippy, dizzy, dopey or dopy, slap-happy:  It irritates me to
             think that our lives might depend on such a scatterbrained fool.

   scattering
             n.  smattering, sprinkling, trifle, bit, suggestion, soup‡on,
             hint:  It is true, there was a scattering of rebellious
             sentiment in the town.

   scenario  n.  1 (master or ground or floor) plan, (grand) scheme, plot,
             schema, design, outline, layout, framework, structure; sequence
             of events, routine:  According to this scenario, the bank will
             provide the financing and we shall organize the take-over. 2
             (plot) summary, pr‚cis, r‚sum‚, synopsis; (working or shooting)
             script, screenplay:  The scenario for the film was a joint
             venture between the director and the author of the book on which
             it was based.

   scene     n.  1 location, site, place, area, locale, spot, locality,
             whereabouts, sphere, milieu, backdrop, background:  The scenes
             of my youth are always in my mind.  2 action, episode, part,
             chapter, section, segment; (stage) setting, mise en scЉne;
             scenery:  The next scene takes place in Venice. Is the Venice
             scene ready?  3 commotion, upset, exhibition, display, row,
             brouhaha, disturbance, furore or US furor, tantrum, argument,
             altercation, uncomfortable or disagreeable situation, episode,
             incident:  She made an unpleasant scene in the restaurant when
             he refused to sit next to her. 4 view, scenery, sight,
             landscape, seascape, panorama, vista, picture, view, prospect:
             The scene from the terrace was completely tranquil.  5 behind
             the scenes. secretly, privately, clandestinely, confidentially,
             surreptitiously, on the q.t.  or Q.T.:  Sigrid operated behind
             the scenes and her identity was never revealed to MI5. 6 make or
             do the scene. socialize, appear, get around or about, go out,
             participate:  We used to make the scene in the Village back in
             the forties, but no more.

   scenic    adj.  picturesque, panoramic, pretty, beautiful, grand, awesome,
             awe-inspiring, impressive, striking, spectacular, breathtaking:
             The train passes through some incredibly scenic routes in
             Switzerland.

   scent     n.  1 fragrance, aroma, perfume, redolence, smell, odour,
             bouquet, whiff, trace:  The room was filled with the scent of
             wild flowers.  2 trail, spoor, track:  In drag hunting, the
             scent is laid down by a sack dragged along the ground.

             --v.  3 perceive, detect, find out, determine, discern,
             distinguish, recognize, sense, smell, sniff (out), get wind of,
             learn or hear about:  Scenting possible trouble, he decided he
             had better take along my revolver. 4 perfume:  She had left
             behind her handkerchief, scented with Chanel No.  19.

   sceptic   n.  doubter, questioner, doubting Thomas, disbeliever,
             nullifidian, agnostic, scoffer, cynic:  You'll always find some
             sceptics who don't believe that a woman could be a good prime
             minister.

   sceptical adj.  doubting, dubious, doubtful, questioning, disbelieving,
             incredulous, agnostic, scoffing, cynical, mistrustful,
             distrustful:  We were sceptical at first whether anything would
             come of it, but then things began to happen.

   scepticism
             n.  doubt, dubiety, dubiousness, doubtfulness, disbelief,
             incredulity, incredulousness, agnosticism, cynicism, mistrust,
             distrust, mistrustfulness, distrustfulness:  At first, the
             entire matter was greeted with some scepticism; but then the
             Berlin Wall came tumbling down.

   schedule  n.  1 programme, timetable, plan, calendar, agenda, outline,
             list, listing, record, register:  I'd like a complete schedule
             of your work for the next month on my desk tomorrow.

             --v.  2 programme, organize, plan, outline, list, record,
             register, arrange, book, time, slate, appoint, assign, allot,
             dedicate, earmark:  Schedule the next meeting for the 15th of
             the month. Alistair is scheduled to speak tomorrow.

   schematic adj.  1 diagrammatic(al), representational, graphic, charted:
             We have the schematic drawings showing the placement of the
             equipment.

             --n.  2 diagram, blueprint, layout, (floor or game) plan,
             scheme, design, representation, graph, (flow or PERT) chart:
             Give copies of the schematics to the electricians so that they
             can plan where to put the wiring.

   scheme    n.  1 plan, plot, design, programme, system, course (of action),
             schema, outline, exposition, projection, draft, method,
             technique, approach, game plan, scenario:  In my scheme,
             compensation would be dependent on productivity, merit, and
             length of service. 2 pattern, arrangement, layout, design,
             diagram, blueprint, chart, map, drawing, schematic, disposition,
             order, organization, schema:  This alternative scheme shows the
             executive offices on the second floor. 3 plot, plan, ploy,
             manoeuvre, strategy, stratagem, tactic, machination, subterfuge,
             trick, device, dodge, wile, ruse, intrigue, Colloq racket, game,
             move:  Ashton's scheme was to lure the security guards into the
             outer room, then lock them in.

             --v.  4 plan, plot, devise, contrive, intrigue, organize,
             formulate, hatch, conspire, machinate, manoeuvre, connive,
             concoct, Colloq cook up:  Clifton had been scheming to get his
             revenge on them ever since the Manchester episode.

   scheming  adj.  conniving, plotting, nefarious, treacherous, crafty,
             cunning, artful, sly, wily, devious, Machiavellian, intriguing,
             slick, calculating, tricky, foxy, slippery, underhanded,
             duplicitous, deceitful:  Wait till I lay my hands on the
             scheming little thief!

   schism    n.  split, rift, break, breach, division, rupture, separation,
             disunion:  The schism was caused by a group of left-wing
             idealists.

   schismatic
             adj.  schismatical, separatist, breakaway, divisive, dissident,
             heretical:  The schismatic movement in art was marked by one
             faction's abandonment of realism.

   scholar   n.  1 academic, professor, teacher, pedagogue, authority,
             expert, pundit, savant, bookman, book-woman, man or woman of
             letters, intellectual, highbrow, bookworm, Colloq egghead,
             brain, US longhair:  Professor Read is one of the most respected
             linguistics scholars in the world. 2 student, pupil, schoolboy,
             schoolgirl, undergraduate:  Cosgrove was a failure as a scholar,
             preferring football to physics.

   scholarly adj.  learned, erudite, lettered, scholastic, profound, deep,
             intellectual, academic, highbrow(ed), ivory-tower(ed), Colloq
             egghead, brainy, US longhair, long-haired:  Her scholarly
             achievements are not limited to scholarly articles for learned
             journals.

   scholarship
             n.  1 learning, erudition, knowledge, lore, education,
             schooling, training, preparation, Colloq know-how:  Elsa Cairn
             brings to her appointment as headmistress considerable
             scholarship and experience. 2 grant, endowment, award,
             fellowship, Brit exhibition, Chiefly Scots and New Zealand
             bursarship, bursary:  Without the scholarship, I should never
             have been able to continue my education.

   school    n.  1 (educational) institution, kindergarten, nursery school,
             primary or grammar or secondary or high school, institute,
             college, university, seminary; Alma Mater; boarding-school,
             day-school; public school, private school, Brit State school;
             lyc‚e; Lyceum, Brit first or middle school, US junior high
             school:  His mother was very upset when he hinted that he might
             quit school.  2 set, coterie, circle, clique, group,
             denomination, faction, sect, followers, devotees, adherents,
             votaries, disciples; style, kind, form, manner, fashion:
             Burne-Jones belonged to the Pre-Raphaelite School of painters.
             3 philosophy, principles, creed, set of beliefs, way of life,
             persuasion, credo, dogma, teaching, view, opinion, faction,
             approach:  Regarding the creation of the universe, do you
             support the big-bang school or the steady-state school?

             --v.  4 teach, educate, drill, inculcate, instil, indoctrinate,
             instruct, tutor, train, discipline, coach, prepare, prime,
             equip, ready; mould, shape, form; school in, imbue with, infuse
             with:  Young ladies were schooled in all the social graces.

   school-book
             n.  text(book), primer, grammar (-book), reader, manual,
             handbook, exercise book, notebook, copybook, Rare enchiridion,
             Old-fashioned hornbook, abecedarium:  All I did was ask if I
             could carry her school-books!

   schooling n.  education, teaching, instruction, tutelage, tuition,
             guidance, training, preparation, indoctrination, edification,
             enlightenment; learning, study, research:  How many years of
             schooling are needed to become a doctor?

   schoolteacher
             n.  teacher, professor, instructor, tutor, pedagogue,
             schoolmaster, schoolmistress, Scots dominie, Colloq school-ma'm:
             It is not often realized what a profound influence
             schoolteachers have on one's entire life.

   science   n.  1 (body of) knowledge or information, (body of) laws or
             principles, discipline, study, branch, field, area, subject,
             realm, sphere:  Many new sciences have sprung up even in the
             past fifty years.  DNA research falls properly into the science
             of microbiologic genetics. 2 skill, art, technique, expertise,
             proficiency, method, system:  He made a science of brewing tea.

   scientific
             adj.  (well-)organized, (well-)regulated, (well-)controlled,
             (well-)ordered, orderly, systematic, methodical, precise,
             meticulous, thorough, painstaking, detailed:  A scientific
             approach to the problem would start with a complete analysis of
             present conditions.

   scintillating
             adj.  1 sparkling, coruscating, flashing, dazzling, gleaming,
             glittering, twinkling, shimmering, glistening, shining,
             lustrous, radiant, effulgent, brilliant, Literary nitid:  Madame
             Irena appeared wearing a scintillating silver lam‚ gown. 2
             exciting, engaging, lively, effervescent, fascinating,
             entrancing, stimulating, invigorating, dynamic, vivacious:  I
             cannot remember when I last found myself in such scintillating
             company.

   scoff°    v.  Often, scoff at. deride, belittle, dismiss, disparage, mock,
             make light of, sneer (at), poke fun (at), ridicule, spoof,
             lampoon, jeer (at), chaff, tease, twit, rib, kid, Brit rag:
             It's easy for you to scoff at Clare's tantrums - you don't have
             to live with her. Don't scoff: your turn might come next.

   scoffэ    v.  1 devour, put away, gorge oneself on, wolf (down), bolt,
             stuff (oneself with), gobble (up or down), guzzle, gulp (down),
             Brit gollop:  The two of them scoffed every crumb they could
             find.

             --n.  2 food, victuals, rations, edibles, provisions, Colloq
             grub, eats, chow, Slang Brit prog:  In no time at all, they had
             cleared out every last bit of scoff in the larder.

   scold     v.  1 reprimand, chide, reprove, upbraid, criticize, censure,
             find fault (with), rebuke, reproach, lecture, berate, rate,
             castigate, take (someone) to task, find fault with, rap
             (someone's) knuckles, slap (someone's) wrist, Colloq bawl out,
             dress down, give (someone) hell, give (someone) what for, jump
             on (someone), jump down (someone's) throat, call (someone) to
             account, bring (someone) to book, let (someone) have it with
             both barrels, give (someone) a piece of (one's) mind, give
             (someone) a tongue-lashing or a talking-to, give (someone) a
             hard time, rake or haul (someone) over the coals, tell (someone)
             off, tick (someone) off, skin (someone) alive, call or have
             (someone) on the carpet, light or rip or tear or lace or sail
             into (someone), US chew out, jump all over (someone), Brit
             carpet:  When their mother scolded them, they began to cry.

             --n.  2 nag, shrew, termagant, virago, fishwife, beldam,
             harridan, hell-cat, fury, amazon, tigress, Xanthippe, Colloq
             battleaxe:  In the old days, they used to take scolds, tie them
             in a chair at the end of a pole, and dunk them in a pond till
             they cooled off.

   scoop     n.  1 ladle, dipper, bailer, spoon:  Use the scoop to skim the
             fat off the soup.  2 exclusive:  Fergus's story on the
             minister's illegal business dealings was a real scoop for the
             paper. 3 (latest) news, (inside) story, revelation, truth,
             Colloq latest, low-down, info, dope, Brit gen, US poop:  What's
             the scoop on that man seen coming out of her bedroom?

             --v.  4 Often, scoop up. bail, dip, ladle, spoon:  They scooped
             up some sand and spread it on the ice for traction.  5 scoop
             out. gouge out, excavate, spoon out, hollow out, dig, cut:
             Scoop out some melon balls for the fruit salad.  6 scoop up.
             pick up, gather (up), sweep up or together, take up or in:  He
             scooped up the money and ran out of the bank.

   scope     n.  1 range, reach, field, area, extent, compass, expanse,
             breadth, sphere, orbit, span:  The scope of her interests
             includes both the sciences and the arts. 2 leeway, space, room,
             elbow-room, freedom, opportunity, capacity, stretch, latitude,
             spread:  Have you allowed enough scope for growth?

   scorch    v.  sear, blacken, burn, roast, singe, char:  Though scorched in
             the fire, the papers were saved intact.

   scorching adj.  1 hot, torrid, searing, parching, shrivelling, tropical,
             hellish, sizzling, broiling, boiling, sweltering:  Scorching
             heat waves are dangerous for the very young and the elderly. 2
             critical, caustic, scathing, mordant, vituperative, excoriating,
             harsh, acrimonious, bitter:  The shadow minister for finance
             issued a scorching condemnation of the government's tax
             policies.

   score     n.  1 record, account, reckoning, register, tally, amount,
             number, count, sum, total; mark, grade:  What was your best golf
             score? Chester got a score of 80 in the French test. 2 nick,
             groove, scratch, line, mark, stroke, notch, cut, Archery nock:
             Every time he won, he made a score on his walking-stick.  3
             twenty:  And the days of our lives shall be three score years
             and ten.  4 Often, scores. dozens, hundreds, (tens or hundreds
             of) thousands, millions, number(s), drove(s), horde(s), host(s),
             multitude(s), herd(s), legion(s), lot(s), mass(es), myriad(s),
             shoal(s), pack(s), covey(s), bevy or bevies, swarm(s), flock(s),
             army or armies, crowd(s), throng(s):  Passengers by the score
             angrily protested against the airline's policy of overbooking
             flights. Scores of animals were fleeing before the forest fire.
             5 music, accompaniment, Technical full or short or vocal score:
             Boito might have written the libretto, but the score was by
             Verdi.  6 situation, story, news, status (quo), condition, word,
             Colloq latest, scoop, US poop:  What's the score on your
             applications to medical school?  7 dupe, gull, victim,
             greenhorn, Colloq fall guy, chump, goat, sitting duck, Slang
             sucker, patsy, mark, Brit mug:  That fellow in the Hawaiian
             shirt looks a likely score for our little scam. 8 ground(s),
             basis, account, reason, rationale, provocation, cause:  On what
             score can you justify eliminating him from the competition?  9
             settle or pay off or even a score or the score or old scores.
             get revenge, retaliate, get even, avenge, repay, get an eye for
             an eye, give tit for tat, give measure for measure, pay
             (someone) back in his or her own coin, give (someone) a taste or
             a dose of his or her or their own medicine, Colloq get one's own
             back:  He tried to find out where MacTavish moved had moved to
             as he had an old score to settle with him.

             --v.  10 mark, line, incise, scratch, nick, notch, cut, groove,
             graduate; scrape, deface, mar, gouge, slash:  The dipstick is
             scored at intervals to indicate how much oil is in the
             crankcase. 11 gain or make a point or points, record, tally,
             account for:  George scored a hat trick in the game against
             Hotspurs.  12 count (for), reckon for or as:  The ace scores
             either 1 or 11 in vingt-et-un.  13 succeed, be successful,
             triumph, win, make an impression, have an impact, Colloq make a
             hit:  Your plan really scored with the boss.  14 succeed in
             seducing, Slang make out, get laid:  Did you score with Ava last
             night?

   scorn     n.  1 contumely, contempt, contemptuousness, disdain,
             deprecation; rejection, dismissal:  He treated their demands
             with the utmost scorn.  2 mockery, derision, derisiveness,
             sneering, ridicule, scoffing, jeering, taunting:  The crowd's
             scorn was directed at the politicians who failed to deliver what
             they had promised.

             --v.  3 reject, rebuff, disown, disavow, disregard, ignore,
             shun, snub, flout, contemn, treat with or hold in contempt, have
             no use for, disdain, spurn, despise, turn up one's nose at, curl
             one's lip at, look down on or upon, look down one's nose at,
             thumb one's nose at, Colloq pooh-pooh, put down, Brit cock a
             snook at:  His parents offered to finance his education, but he
             scorned their help. 4 mock (at), deride, sneer at, ridicule,
             scoff at, jeer at, taunt, poke fun at, make fun of, laugh at:
             People scorned him because he said the earth was round.

   scornful  adj.  contumelious, contemptuous, disdainful, deprecative,
             disparaging, derisory, derisive, snide, supercilious, mocking,
             sneering, scoffing, haughty, overweening, high-handed, superior,
             Colloq snooty, Slang snotty:  The people were scornful of his
             attempt to reassure them, and continued to demand action.

   scoundrel n.  villain, rogue, wretch, good-for-nothing, scapegrace,
             blackguard, rascal, scamp, cur, Old-fashioned bounder, cad,
             knave, Colloq heel, Slang louse, Brit rotter:  Politicians tend
             to treat their opponents as liars and scoundrels.

   scour     v.  1 scrub, clean, cleanse, wash, rub, abrade, polish, burnish,
             buff, shine:  The pots were scoured until they shone.  2 scrape
             (about or around), rake, comb, turn upside down, search,
             ransack:  I scoured the shops looking in vain for the coffee
             filters you wanted.

   scourge   n.  1 curse, misfortune, bane, evil, affliction, plague,
             adversity, torment, misery, woe:  He questions whether AIDS
             should be considered the scourge of the 20th century. Was it
             Attila who proved himself the scourge of Rome? 2 whip, lash,
             cat-o'-nine-tails, knout, quirt, horsewhip, bull-whip:  They saw
             fit to punish themselves with scourges.

             --v.  3 whip, flog, beat, lash, horsewhip, whale, belt,
             flagellate:  Some medieval sects scourged themselves as they
             went in procession through the cities. 4 punish, castigate,
             chastise, discipline, afflict, torment:  In the old days,
             students were scourged if they made a mistake.

   scout     v.  1 Often, scout about or around. reconnoitre, investigate,
             study, research, examine, explore, spy, search or look (about or
             around) (for), hunt (about or around) (for), cast around or
             about (for), Colloq check (about or around):  I am going to
             scout about to find a key that fits.  2 scout up or out.
             discover, find, locate, uncover, Colloq dig up:  I was finally
             able to scout up a key that fits.

   scowl     v.  1 glower, frown, grimace, glare, look daggers, lower or
             lour:  It's hard to tell if he's ever pleased because he's
             always scowling.

             --n.  2 frown, grimace, glare, dirty look:  I do wish she would
             wipe that scowl off her face and try to look more pleasant.

   scramble  v.  1 climb, clamber, crawl, scrabble, struggle:  We scrambled
             up the rocky hillside with the big cat in pursuit.  2 rush,
             hurry, scamper, run, hasten, race, scurry, scoot, scuttle, dash,
             hotfoot (it), hustle, Chiefly US and Canadian, hightail (it),
             Colloq skedaddle:  When the siren sounded, we scrambled down to
             the air raid shelter.  3 Often, scramble up. mix up, confuse,
             jumble, intermingle, mingle, commingle:  Contestants,
             spectators, and officials were all scrambled together.

             --n.  4 scrimmage, struggle, tussle, contention, clash,
             competition, contest, race, rush, clash, conflict, disorder,
             commotion, riot, m€l‚e or melee, pandemonium, Colloq
             free-for-all, hassle, Brit scrum or scrummage:  Thousands were
             involved in the scramble for tickets to the rock concert. In the
             scramble for a directorship Jeremy lost. 5 struggle, climb:  She
             twisted her ankle in the scramble over the rocks.

   scrap°    n.  1 mite, bit, shred, bite, morsel, piece, fragment, shard or
             sherd, particle, sliver, snippet, snip, crumb, whit, iota, jot
             or tittle, snatch, drop, drip, grain, speck, molecule, atom,
             dab, trace, scintilla, hint, suggestion:  There wasn't a scrap
             of evidence to link him with the crime.  2 scraps. remnants,
             remains, leftovers, leavings, residue, vestiges, traces,
             scrapings, discards, rejections, rejects:  In the alley, two
             cats were fighting over some scraps of garbage.  3 waste,
             debris, rubbish, Colloq junk:  Any computer more than five years
             old isn't even worth its weight as scrap.

             --v.  4 discard, throw away, reject, abandon, give up, consign
             to the scrap heap, forsake, forget, get rid of, dispose of,
             dispense with, Colloq junk, US trash:  If I were you, I would
             buy a new car and scrap this one.

   scrapэ    n.  1 fight, brawl, fracas, fray, affray, rumpus, scuffle,
             Donnybrook, battle (royal); row, dispute, argument, quarrel,
             disagreement, wrangle, squabble, tiff, spat, Colloq ruckus,
             set-to, dust-up:  A terrible scrap broke out in the pub last and
             the police were called in. Our neighbours were having a scrap
             about who should take the dog for a walk.

             --v.  2 fight, brawl, spar, scuffle, battle, row, wrangle,
             argue, disagree, squabble, bicker:  Let's not scrap over trifles
             - only important things.

   scrapbook n.  album, portfolio, collection:  She keeps a scrapbook of
             reviews of her stage triumphs.

   scrape    v.  1 abrade, graze, scratch, bark, scuff, skin, bruise, damage,
             injure:  I scraped my knee on the pavement when I fell.  2
             Often, scrape off or away or out. remove, rub off or away, scour
             or scrub or clean (off or away), scratch off or away, claw (at
             or away or out), gouge out, scrabble (at), dig out or away at:
             As I scraped away the grime, a beautiful mosaic was revealed.
             Each sled dog scraped out a hole in the snow and snuggled into
             it. 3 skimp, scrimp (and scrape), save, stint, be frugal or
             stingy or parsimonious or thrifty, pinch and save or scrape,
             economize; struggle, US scrabble:  Only by scraping were we able
             to pay the increased taxes.  4 bow and scrape. make obeisance,
             kowtow, salaam, genuflect, kiss the feet or hem or ring, grovel,
             demean or lower oneself, prostrate oneself, toady, Colloq
             boot-lick:  He can bow and scrape all he likes, but Jones will
             get nowhere with the foreman. 5 scrape by or through. get by,
             cope, (barely) manage, survive, scrape or get along, Colloq
             squeak by, barely make it:  We are just about able to scrape by
             on the little that Nigel is making. 6 scrape together or up.
             glean, garner, scratch or get or rake together or up, dredge up,
             scrabble for, gather, save (up), get hold of, marshal, amass,
             muster, accumulate, aggregate, compile, pile up, stack up,
             assemble, Colloq scrounge (up):  By the time we finally managed
             to scrape up enough for a down payment on a house, the prices
             had gone up.

             --n.  7 abrasion, bruise, scratch, graze, scuff, damage, injury:
             He was very annoyed when he found a scrape on his brand-new car.
             8 predicament, difficulty, quandary, dilemma, plight, (fine)
             kettle of fish, muddle, stew, situation, position, pinch, Colloq
             pickle, fix, mess, the crunch, (tight or tough) spot:  I got
             into a terrible scrape by forgetting our wedding anniversary.
             Can you lend me some money to help me out of a scrape?

   scratch   v.  1 mar, mark, gouge (out), gash, abrade, graze, scuff, grate
             against, bruise, damage, injure; claw:  If you glue some felt to
             the bottom, the lamp won't scratch the table. 2 chafe, rub:  If
             you scratch those mosquito bites you might get an infection.  3
             Often, scratch out or off. erase, obliterate, rub out or off,
             cross out, delete, strike out or off, expunge; exclude,
             eliminate, US x out:  You can scratch my name from the list of
             candidates. She scratched out what she had written and started
             again.

             --n.  4 mark, gouge, gash, abrasion, scrape, graze, scuff,
             bruise, damage, injury; line:  Where did you get that scratch on
             your face? 'It's only a scratch', Sandy protested as they tried
             to remove the spear from his shoulder. 5 up to scratch. up to
             standard or par, adequate, sufficient, good enough, competent,
             satisfactory, competitive, Colloq up to snuff:  Cynthia's
             performance is not yet up to scratch, so she might not make the
             team.

             --adj.  6 hasty, hurried, impromptu, unplanned, haphazard,
             rough, casual, informal, unprepared, unpremeditated, makeshift,
             extempore, Colloq off the cuff, US pick-up:  We didn't have time
             to practise, so we are racing with a scratch crew.

   scratchy  adj.  1 itchy, irritating, prickly:  The pullover was as
             scratchy as a hair shirt.  2 rough, hoarse, raw, grating, sore,
             raspy, dry:  My throat feels a bit scratchy and I need something
             to drink.

   scrawl    n.  1 scribble, Colloq squiggle, US hen-scratch,
             chicken-scratch:  I can't read that scrawl of his.

             --v.  2 scribble, scratch, doodle:  How do pharmacists read the
             prescriptions that doctors scrawl?

   scrawny   adj.  bony, skinny, spare, drawn, reedy, haggard, lean, lank(y),
             scraggy, gaunt, raw-boned, angular, emaciated, cadaverous;
             anorectic or anorexic:  She certainly has changed from that
             scrawny kid I used to know.

   scream    v.  1 shriek, screech, squeal, yowl, wail, caterwaul, howl, cry:
             She screamed when I applied iodine to the cut.  2 laugh, roar,
             hoot, howl, guffaw:  The women screamed hysterically as the male
             stripper got down to the bare essentials.

             --n.  3 shriek, screech, squeal, yowl, wail, caterwaul, howl,
             cry:  When she saw what had happened, she let out a
             blood-curdling scream.  4 Colloq card, panic, riot,
             thigh-slapper:  Phyllis is such a scream when she talks about
             the silly things that happen to her.

   screen    n.  1 partition, (room) divider, paravent, wall:  In their
             one-room flat a bookcase serves as a screen to separate the
             living area from the sleeping area. 2 shelter, protection,
             shield, cover:  A row of poplars acts as a screen against the
             wind.  3 curtain, blind, shroud, cloak, cover; concealment,
             camouflage:  The gauze fabric was too transparent to act as a
             screen.  4 sieve, mesh, strainer, filter, colander, riddle:  The
             sand has to be shovelled through a screen to get rid of the
             stones. 5 motion pictures, movies, silver screen; television,
             small screen, home screen, Colloq box, telly, US boob tube:  She
             is a star of both the big and small screens.

             --v.  6 partition (off), separate, divide, wall off:  Why not
             use a beaded curtain to screen the kitchen area from the
             dining-room? 7 shelter, protect, shield, cover, guard, conceal,
             camouflage, mask, veil, hide:  A decorative pierced wall screens
             the ladies of the harem from the prying eyes of visitors. 8
             sift, separate (out), sort (out), filter, select, cull, process,
             interview, evaluate, grade, gauge, qualify, examine, scan,
             Chiefly Brit vet:  The agency screens all candidates before
             sending them to see a client.

   screw     n.  1 bolt, screw-bolt, machine screw, lag-bolt, lag-screw:
             This screw is too small to hold that door hinge.  2 helix,
             spiral, corkscrew:  The screw of a spiral staircase should not
             be too small for safety.  3 sexual intercourse; sexual partner,
             Slang lay, Taboo slang fuck:  When arrested for kerb-crawling,
             he said that he was just looking for a screw. 4 put the screws
             on (someone). pressure, influence, force, constrain, press,
             oblige, require, demand, coerce, compel, apply pressure, bring
             pressure to bear (on); insist; Chiefly Brit pressurize, Colloq
             twist (someone's) arm, put the squeeze on (someone):  I believe
             that someone put the screws on him to leave town.

             --v.  5 twist, turn, rotate:  Screw the bolt in clockwise.  6
             Often, screw out of. defraud, cheat, swindle, gull, bilk, do out
             of, Slang take, clip, fleece:  They screwed him by convincing
             him that the bonds were real. He was screwed out of all his
             savings. 7 screw up.  a raise, increase, stretch, strain;
             summon, call up, call upon, tap, draw on or upon:  I screwed up
             my courage to ask for a salary increase.  b ruin, destroy, make
             a mess of, botch, bungle, muddle, mismanage, mishandle, Colloq
             make a hash of, Slang louse up, Brit make a muck-up of, US
             bollix up, Taboo slang fuck up, Brit bugger up, ballocks or
             bollocks up, make a balls-up of:  It is hard to see how they
             could have screwed up such a simple operation. c contort, twist,
             deform, warp:  At the suggestion of cauliflower, Ambrose screwed
             up his face in displeasure.

   scribe    n.  1 copyist, copier, transcriber, Archaic scrivener;
             amanuensis, clerk, secretary:  Before the invention of movable
             type printing, copies of books and documents were prepared by
             scribes. 2 writer, author, penman, scrivener, wordsmith,
             scribbler, hack, penny-a-liner; dramatist, dramaturge,
             playwright, poet, novelist, essayist, columnist, technical
             writer; journalist, gentleman or lady of the press,
             newspaperman, newspaperwoman, reporter, rewrite man or woman or
             person, editor, reviewer, commentator, newswriter, sob sister,
             agony aunt or uncle, Miss Lonelyhearts, gossip columnist, member
             of the fourth estate, Brit paragraphist, leader-writer, US Grub
             Streeter, Colloq Brit journo:  In a general way, he refers to
             all writers as 'scribes', but particularly those he considers a
             bit old-fashioned.

             --v.  3 inscribe, incise, etch, engrave, mark, scratch, score,
             grave, scrimshaw, carve, chase or enchase:  The shotgun was
             scribed with the most beautiful designs, some inlaid in gold.

   scrimmage n.  skirmish, scuffle, fray, affray, disturbance, brouhaha,
             m€l‚e or melee, riot, row, brawl, struggle, scramble, tussle,
             fracas, rumpus, Donnybrook, battle, fight, Colloq ruckus,
             set-to, dust-up, free-for-all, scrap, Brit scrum or scrummage,
             Slang Brit (bit of) bovver:  The police were called when what
             started as a minor scrimmage began to develop into a riot.

   script    n.  1 handwriting, hand, (cursive) writing, penmanship;
             calligraphy:  These love-letters are written in an unusually
             beautiful script.  2 manuscript, scenario, book, play,
             screenplay, teleplay, libretto, continuity:  Stick to the script
             - I don't want you ad libbing!

             --v.  3 write, pen, prepare, create:  The new series was
             scripted by the same writer who wrote 'Out in the Outback'. 4
             plan, organize, design, arrange, lay out, order, configure,
             pattern:  The take-over of the company had not been scripted in
             their business forecasts.

   Scripture n.  Scriptures, sacred writings, Bible, Good Book, Holy Writ or
             Scripture(s), Word of God, Gospel(s); Book of Mormon; Koran;
             Upanishad(s), Bhagavad-Gita:  Throughout his life, he did only
             those things approved in Scripture.

   scrounge  v.  1 ferret out, seek out, nose or smell out, come up with,
             scrape together or up, scratch up; importune, cadge, beg (,
             borrow, or steal), Colloq US freeload, bum:  Did Hedley try to
             scrounge some money from you, too?

             --n.  2 scrounger, cadger, parasite, Colloq sponger, US
             freeloader:  Hedley, that scrounge, has just asked me for a
             cigarette.

   scrub     v.  1 See scour, 1, above.  2 cancel, call off, abort, scratch,
             drop, terminate, give up, end, abandon, stop, cease,
             discontinue, do away with:  Something went wrong with the fuel
             computer, so they scrubbed today's satellite launch.

   scruple   n.  1 compunction, qualm, reluctance, misgiving, second
             thoughts, doubt, (twinge of) conscience, hesitation, uneasiness,
             discomfort, squeamishness:  Peter hadn't the slightest scruple
             about taking the money from his aunt.

             --v.  2 pause, falter, hesitate, vacillate, have doubts or
             compunction (about), demur, waver, shrink from or at, have
             misgivings or qualms (about or over), be loath or loth (to),
             think twice (about), stick at, be reluctant, balk (at), have
             scruples (about):  Susan didn't scruple for a moment about
             keeping the money she found in the street.

   scrupulous
             adj.  1 careful, cautious, meticulous, exacting, precise,
             over-nice, strict, rigid, rigorous, severe, critical,
             fastidious, neat, conscientious, finicky or finical, fussy,
             painstaking, punctilious:  Andrew has always been scrupulous
             about his toys, his books, his clothes, etc. 2 ethical,
             honourable, upstanding, moral, righteous, principled,
             high-minded, just:  Meg was always scrupulous in her business
             dealings.

   scrutinize
             v.  examine, analyse, dissect, investigate, probe, study,
             inspect, sift, go over or through, check:  I have scrutinized
             the results of the blood tests and can find nothing abnormal.

   scrutiny  n.  examination, analysis, investigation, probe, probing, study,
             inspection, sifting, inquiry or enquiry, exploration, check:
             The tax inspectors have subjected the company books to close
             scrutiny but have found nothing amiss.

   scud      v.  fly, skim, race, scoot, speed, shoot:  We scudded along in
             the catamaran at a good 30 knots.

   sculpture n.  1 figure, figurine, statue, statuette, group, head, bust,
             relief; bronze, marble:  His favourite sculpture is Rodin's
             Burghers of Calais .

             --v.  2 sculpt or sculp, model, model, chisel, carve, cast,
             form, fashion:  The students are learning how to sculpture in
             clay.

   scurrilous
             adj.  foul-mouthed, thersitical, gross, indecent, profane,
             Fescennine, vulgar, obscene, licentious, Sotadean or Sotadic,
             foul, vituperative, low, coarse, scabrous, vile, nasty,
             defamatory, derogatory, disparaging, vilifying, calumnious or
             calumniatory, malign, aspersive, opprobrious, offensive,
             abusive, insulting:  Clifford was an inveterate collector of
             scurrilous limericks.

   scurry    v.  dash, scramble, scamper, scoot, dart, fly, race, sprint,
             scuttle, hurry, hasten, speed, hustle, rush, tear, zoom, zip,
             bolt, rip, scud:  A rat scurried across the floor. We went
             scurrying round the shops on Christmas Eve.

   scurvy    adj.  low, miserable, contemptible, vile, base, despicable,
             rotten, sorry, bad, ignoble, dishonourable, mean, worthless,
             shabby:  Robbing poor old ladies is a pretty scurvy activity.

19.3 sea...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   sea       n.  1 ocean, deep blue sea, high seas, Literary (briny) deep,
             (bounding) main, Neptune's or Poseidon's kingdom or domain,
             Nautical blue water, Davy Jones's locker, Colloq briny, drink,
             pond (= 'Atlantic Ocean'):  For years he sailed the seas in
             search of adventure.  2 swell, breaker, wave:  As the wind
             increased, huge seas began to wash over the boat.  3 plethora,
             quantity, abundance, surfeit, profusion, flood, multitude,
             spate, legion, mass, Colloq lot(s), heap(s), pile(s), ton(s),
             mountain(s), load(s), oodles, gobs, scads:  Hamlet's sea of
             troubles was nothing compared to mine if this book isn't
             completed soon! 4 (all) at sea. confused, disoriented, at sixes
             and sevens, bewildered, perplexed, baffled, mystified, lost,
             adrift:  They were clearly not expecting her and were completely
             at sea as to what to do.

   sea-coast n.  seashore, shore, coast, seaside, seaboard, shoreline,
             coastline, littoral, sand(s), beach, strand:  The people in the
             villages along the sea-coast depend mainly on fishing for their
             livelihood.

   seafaring adj.  maritime, nautical, naval, marine:  Britain was at one
             time the largest seafaring nation in the world.

   seal      n.  1 symbol, token, mark, insigne (pl. insignia), sign, signet,
             crest, bearing, coat of arms, escutcheon, emblem, badge,
             monogram, identification, cartouche, design, imprint, stamp:
             The seal on his ring showed a crouching lion.  2 authentication,
             confirmation, verification, validation, affirmation,
             attestation, ratification, corroboration, assurance, guarantee
             or guaranty, endorsement, substantiation, evidence, notice,
             notification:  Management set their seal of approval on the
             plans.

             --v.  3 Sometimes, seal off or up. close (off or up), shut
             (off), zip up, plug (up), stop (up), lock, bolt, secure, batten
             down, make airtight or waterproof; cork:  All exits had been
             sealed off. They sealed up the windows so that no air could get
             in. 4 authenticate, confirm, verify, validate, affirm, attest,
             ratify, clinch, corroborate, assure, ensure, guarantee, endorse:
             The peace treaty was sealed by the marriage of the king to the
             emperor's daughter.

   seam      n.  1 junction, juncture, joint, suture, Technical commissure;
             scar, ridge, line, cicatrix:  It is easy enough to see the seam
             where the parts meet.  2 lode, vein, stratum, bed, layer,
             thickness:  The miners have been working on a new seam
             discovered at the end of Tunnel 4.

   seamy     adj.  sordid, nasty, dark, disreputable, shameful, unwholesome,
             unpalatable, unsavoury, distasteful, unseemly, squalid, low,
             depraved, degenerate, degraded, foul, vile, odious, abhorrent,
             contemptible, scurvy, rotten, unattractive, ugly, repulsive,
             repellent:  In his later work, he painted the seamy side of life
             in the slums.

   search    v.  1 Often, search through. examine, scrutinize, check, comb
             (through), explore, go through, investigate, scout out, inspect,
             look at or into, probe, scour, sift through, pry into, hunt or
             rummage through; inquire or enquire of, Colloq plough through:
             She searched through several encyclopedias but could not find
             the information she was looking for. Search your conscience to
             determine the best course. 2 Often, search for. look (about or
             around), cast about, seek, leave no stone unturned:  I searched
             high and low but couldn't find my key.

             --n.  3 hunt, pursuit, quest:  The search for the killer went on
             for years.  4 researching, analysis; exploration, examination,
             scrutiny, probe, study, perusal, sifting, inspection, scouring,
             inquiry or enquiry:  A thorough search of the documents failed
             to turn up anything useful. The police made a house-to-house
             search of the neighbourhood.

   searchingly
             adv.  penetratingly, piercingly, intently, deeply, fixedly,
             concentratedly, eagerly:  She looked searchingly into my eyes
             for some glimmer of hope.

   season    n.  1 time, period, occasion, opportunity:  This is the season
             when the birds migrate north. Is the silly season upon us again
             so soon? 2 in season. ripe, ready, edible, seasoned, seasonable,
             available:  Fresh strawberries will be in season soon.

             --v.  3 spice, salt, flavour, pep up, enliven:  One of the great
             things about chicken is that you can season it in many different
             ways. 4 ripen, mature, age, condition, mellow:  The wood should
             be well seasoned before being made into furniture.

   seasonable
             adj.  appropriate, opportune, suitable, apt, timely, fitting,
             providential, well-timed, proper, fit, propitious, welcome,
             well-suited, happy, lucky, fortunate, convenient, auspicious,
             favourable, advantageous, expedient:  The success of the book
             was owing largely to its seasonable publication, just at the end
             of the cold war.

   seasoned  adj.  experienced, trained, long-standing, long-serving,
             practised, well-versed, habituated, acclimatized or acclimated,
             accustomed, familiarized, prepared, established, veteran,
             tempered, hardened, toughened, inured:  It was a pleasure to be
             working with so seasoned a performer as Margie.

   seasoning n.  spice, zest, flavour, relish, sauce:  The fact that a former
             film star was running for office lent just the right seasoning
             to the campaign.

   seat      n.  1 place, chair, bench, sofa, settee, settle, stool, throne:
             He found a seat and waited to be called.  2 focus, base, centre,
             heart, hub, site, capital, cradle, headquarters, fountain-head:
             In those days, Paris was the main seat of learning in western
             Europe. Istanbul was established as the seat of the Turkish
             empire. 3 membership, position, incumbency:  His grandfather
             held a seat in the House of Commons.  4 bottom, buttocks,
             posterior(s), rump, hindquarters, fundament, derriЉre, Colloq
             behind, butt, backside, rear (end), Brit bum, US fanny, tushie,
             tush, tokus, hinie, Slang tail, Brit arse, US ass:  He needs a
             swift kick in the seat to get him to move.  5 abode, residence,
             home, domicile, estate, mansion:  The duchess used to spend the
             summer at her country seat in Norfolk.

             --v.  6 hold, accommodate, have room or space or capacity for,
             contain, sit:  The new auditorium will seat more than four
             thousand.  7 install or instal, enthrone, ensconce, instate,
             invest, establish, place, swear in:  Once Lord Carter has been
             seated, it will be difficult to get rid of him.

   seating   n.  accommodation, capacity, space, room:  At present, the
             auditorium has seating for only 500.

   secede    v.  withdraw or resign or retire (from), abandon, forsake,
             apostasize, break with or away (from), drop or pull out (of),
             turn one's back to or on, quit, separate from, leave, wash one's
             hands of, have nothing further to do with:  The City of New York
             occasionally threatens to secede from the United States.

   secession n.  withdrawal, seceding, defection, break, breaking,
             disaffiliation, retirement, separation, splitting off or away,
             apostasy:  The secession of the splinter group was welcomed by
             virtually all the other members.

   secluded  adj.  1 private, separate, isolated, lonely, cloistered,
             sequestered, detached, solitary, retired, eremitic, monastic:
             He lives a very secluded life on an island in the Outer
             Hebrides.  2 off the beaten track, out-of-the-way, remote,
             far-away, far-off, separate, segregated, private:  He chose a
             secluded island in the Outer Hebrides for his vacation.

   seclusion n.  privacy, private, separation, isolation, loneliness:  He
             prefers to live in complete seclusion.

   second°   adj.  1 subsequent, following, next:  He let the first target go
             by and aimed for the second one.  2 subordinate, next:  If the
             colonel isn't here, who is the second officer?  3 alternative,
             second-best:  She refuses to settle for second choice.  4
             alternate, other:  The laundry is picked up and delivered every
             second Tuesday. His second language is Italian. 5 other, later,
             younger, newer, more recent:  After his first wife died, he took
             her nurse as his second wife.  6 another, duplicate:  The boy is
             a second Einstein.

             --n.  7 defective or imperfect or damaged or faulty or deficient
             or flawed or impaired or marred or blemished or bruised or
             inferior merchandise:  The prices of these shirts have been
             reduced because they are seconds. 8 subordinate, assistant,
             number two, lieutenant, aide-de-camp, man Friday, girl Friday,
             right hand; understudy, stand-in, substitute, surrogate, double,
             alternate, backer, supporter; Colloq US gal Friday:  Not being
             ambitious, Helen would prefer to be a second to the person who
             runs the business.

             --v.  9 support, back, aid, help, assist, approve (of), advance,
             promote, subscribe to, espouse, sponsor, patronize, favour,
             encourage, go along with:  Madam Chairwoman, I would like to
             second this proposal.  10 transfer, move, assign, shift,
             relocate:  After the Falklands War, he was seconded to fleet
             headquarters for a year.

             --adv.  11 secondly, in the second place, secondarily, (number)
             two, b or B:  I want to go: first, because it'll be interesting,
             and second, because Jake'll be there.

   secondэ   n.  moment, instant, flash, minute, twinkling or wink or bat (of
             an eye), split second, Colloq sec, jiffy, two shakes (of a
             lamb's tail), Brit tick, half a mo:  I'll be with you in a
             second, as soon as I finish writing this letter.

   secondary adj.  1 less important, unimportant, inessential or unessential,
             non-essential, non-critical, subsidiary, ancillary, minor,
             inferior, subordinate:  These secondary matters can be dealt
             with after the important ones. 2 derivative, derived, indirect,
             second-hand, unoriginal, not original; copied, imitated:  His
             biography of Queen Victoria was based entirely on secondary
             sources. 3 auxiliary, second-line, backup, extra, reserve,
             spare, provisional, supporting, supportive, alternate,
             alternative:  We were forced to rely on our secondary defences
             after the enemy cavalry broke through.

   second-hand
             adj.  used, old, worn, Colloq hand-me-down:  When we were
             children our parents could only afford to dress us in
             second-hand clothes. His much-vaunted novels are for the most
             part based on second-hand ideas.

   secrecy   n.  1 mystery, concealment, confidentiality, stealth,
             secretiveness, surreptitiousness, privacy, furtiveness,
             covertness, clandestineness:  Why was there so much secrecy
             surrounding the publication date of Jennie's book? 2 in secrecy.
             secretly, mysteriously, confidentially, stealthily, secretively,
             surreptitiously, privately, furtively, covertly, clandestinely,
             sneakily:  They carry on much of their business in secrecy.

   secret    adj.  1 concealed, hidden, private, covert, shrouded,
             clandestine; confidential, covert, quiet, under cover,
             secretive, unpublishable, unpublished, Colloq hush-hush:  There
             is a secret passageway leading from the cave to the cove.  Keep
             secret what I shall tell you. She revealed to me her most secret
             desires. 2 cryptic, private, arcane, mysterious,
             incomprehensible, esoteric, recondite, abstruse; cryptographic,
             encrypted, encoded:  We used to communicate by secret code. Did
             you receive my secret message?

             --n.  3 private or confidential matter or affair, mystery:  If I
             tell you my secret will you tell me yours?  4 in secret.
             privately, confidentially, secretly, on the q.t.  or Q.T.;
             surreptitiously, under cover, by stealth, stealthily, furtively,
             quietly, on the sly, clandestinely:  The office manager told me
             in secret that John was going to resign.  They see one another
             in secret.

   secrete°  v.  hide, conceal, cache, bury, cloak, shroud, enshroud,
             camouflage, mask, disguise, Slang stash away:  They secreted the
             haul from the robbery in the cellar of a house in Balham.

   secreteэ  v.  yield, excrete, pass, generate, release, ooze, seep, exude,
             discharge, leak, drip, drop, dribble, trickle, run, drain, emit,
             give off, emanate, transude, Technical extravasate:  The ants
             herd aphids for the substance they secrete. The wound will
             secrete pus for a while.

   secretion n.  secreting, release, escape, oozing, seeping, seepage,
             discharge, discharging, leak, leaking, leakage, drip, dripping,
             drop, dropping, dribbling, trickling, trickle, running, drain,
             draining, emission, emitting, giving off, exudation,
             transudation, excretion, excreting, emanation, emanating,
             generation, Technical extravasation; transudate, excreta,
             Technical extravasate:  The secretion of perspiration may be
             profuse under such circumstances.  The secretion is highly acid
             in content.

   secretive adj.  reticent, silent, close-mouthed, taciturn,
             uncommunicative, reserved, tight-lipped, close, Colloq mum:
             Robert is very secretive about where he goes every day at
             lunch-time.

   secretly  adv.  surreptitiously, quietly, privately, covertly, on the q.t.
             or Q.T., furtively, stealthily, mysteriously, clandestinely, in
             secret, confidentially, on the sly, slyly, sub rosa, sub
             sigillo:  I can tell you secretly that she is wanted by the
             police. Henry secretly rents videotape cartoons to watch at
             weekends.

   sect      n.  1 religious order or group or denomination or body or cult
             or persuasion or subdivision:  At times it seems as if there are
             as many sects as worshippers.  2 school (of thought), faction,
             ism, set, clique, cabal:  He belonged to a small sect that
             promulgated the Ptolemaic cosmogony.

   sectarian adj.  1 cultist, cultish, clannish, cliquish, partisan, partial,
             dogmatic, doctrinaire, factional:  They seldom mingle with
             others, maintaining their sectarian existence.  2 parochial,
             narrow, narrow-minded, limited, insular, provincial, rigid,
             fanatic(al), prejudicial, prejudiced, bigoted:  Because they
             refused to consider ideas other than their own, they gradually
             became more and more sectarian in their views.

             --n.  3 adherent, member, sectary, votary, cultist, partisan:
             They tried to banish Anabaptists, Lutherans, Calvinists, and
             other sectarians. 4 (true) believer, dogmatist, fanatic, bigot,
             zealot, extremist, Slang nut, bug, fiend:  Some of the
             sectarians engage in the ritualistic handling of live
             rattlesnakes.

   section   n.  1 part, division, department, branch, sector, group,
             detachment, segment, portion, subdivision, component, element:
             Sadler has been assigned to work in the research section. I
             never read the the sports section in the Sunday papers. Which
             sections of the country will vote for you? The string section
             needs practice before tonight's concert. 2 sample, slice,
             cross-section, fraction:  It can be faulty to assume that the
             characteristics of the whole are necessarily represented in a
             small section of it. I examined a section of tissue under the
             microscope. 3 part, stage, segment, portion, leg:  The first
             section of the journey was more comfortable than the last.

             --v.  4 cut (up), divide (up), segment, split, cleave, measure
             out, apportion, allot, allocate:  The land was sectioned into
             four-acre parcels.

   secular   adj.  worldly, terrestrial, mundane, temporal, material, lay,
             laic or laical, non-clerical, non-ecclesiastic(al),
             non-spiritual, non-religious, civil, state:  Once he had taken
             his vows, he put aside secular matters.

   secure    adj.  1 safe, shielded, sheltered, protected, immune,
             unthreatened, unexposed, unimperilled, snug, cosy:  Fiona feels
             quite secure in her new house. Considering the success of the
             company, Bill's job looks secure. 2 firm, steady, stable, fixed,
             fast, moored, anchored, immovable, closed, shut, fastened,
             locked (up), tight, sound, solid, sturdy, strong:  That button
             on your jacket doesn't look very secure. Make sure that the
             house is secure before you go to sleep. 3 reliable, safe, good,
             profitable, healthy, solid:  Telephone shares looked like a
             secure investment at the time.  4 sure, certain, assured,
             ensured, definite, inevitable, assumed, evident, obvious,
             unquestionable, established, probable, easy:  With only two
             minutes left to play, victory seemed secure for Rangers.

             --v.  5 obtain, get (hold of), come by, acquire, procure, win;
             gain, get or take possession of, arrogate:  Tim has secured a
             responsible position at the bank. She always manages to secure
             the sympathy of older men. 6 guarantee, underwrite, hypothecate,
             collateralize:  We used our house to secure the loan.  7
             protect, shelter, shield, defend, guard, safeguard, preserve:
             It seems impossible to secure young children from bullying at
             school. 8 fasten, make fast, fix, affix, attach, anchor:  Secure
             the cases to the roof-rack with strong rope.

   security  n.  1 safety, shelter, protection, fastness, refuge, safe
             keeping, sanctuary, asylum:  During the air raids, we retired to
             the security of the basement.  2 confidence, certainty, surety,
             assurance, conviction:  He has the security of knowing that he
             is right in this instance.  3 guarantee or guaranty, collateral,
             deposit, gage, pledge, insurance:  What are you going to offer
             as security for the loan?  4 surveillance, safeguarding,
             guarding, safe keeping, protection, custody, custodianship,
             care:  What plans does the company have for the security of the
             office building?

   sedate    adj.  1 composed, serene, peaceful, calm, tranquil, cool,
             collected, even-tempered, detached, imperturbable, unruffled,
             undisturbed, unperturbed, controlled, placid, grave, serious,
             sober, solemn, Colloq unflappable:  Despite all the turmoil
             round her, Sarah remained quite sedate.  2 dignified, decorous,
             refined, formal, stiff, staid, proper, strait-laced, prudish,
             fussy, prim, conventional, old-fashioned:  Donald prefers a
             sedate waltz to boogying and jiving.

   sedative  n.  1 narcotic, tranquillizer, opiate, sleeping-pill, soporific,
             calmative, anodyne, depressant, hypnotic, barbiturate, lenitive,
             Colloq downer, knock-out drop, Slang Mickey (Finn):  The doctor
             has given him a sedative and he should sleep now.

             --adj.  2 narcotic, tranquillizing, relaxing, soothing, calming,
             allaying, opiate, soporific, sleep-inducing, calmative, anodyne,
             lenitive, depressing, hypnotic:  I found that listening to a
             recording of surf splashing on a beach has a sedative effect.

   sedentary adj.  seated, sitting, stationary, fixed, immobile, unmoving,
             housebound, desk-bound:  You should find a more sedentary
             occupation to follow while you recover. As a writer, I lead a
             sedentary existence and get little exercise.

   sediment  n.  lees, dregs, deposit, grounds, precipitate, remains,
             residue, settlings, residuum, detritus:  Periodically, the
             sediment must be cleaned out of the filters.

   sedition  n.  agitation, incitement (to riot), rabble-rousing,
             fomentation, instigation, firing-up, stirring up, whipping up;
             mutiny, insurrection, insurgency or insurgence, rebellion;
             treason, treachery:  Because he had organized the strike in the
             munitions plant during wartime, he was accused of sedition.

   seditious adj.  rebellious, mutinous, revolutionary, insurgent,
             inflammatory, rabble-rousing, insurrectionist, insurrectionary,
             refractory, subversive, treacherous, dissident, disloyal,
             turncoat, unfaithful:  One seditious action on the part of the
             colonists was to dump tea into the harbour at Boston,
             Massachusetts.

   seduce    v.  1 lure, entice, attract, allure, tempt, mislead, beguile,
             deceive, decoy, draw on, charm, captivate, vamp, entrap,
             ensnare, trap, Colloq sweet-talk:  He was seduced into giving
             her his life's savings.  2 dishonour, ruin, corrupt, lead
             astray, defile, debauch, deflower, violate, ravish:  How many
             girls have been seduced in the name of undying love?

   seducer   n.  See also seductress, below. rake, libertine, rou‚, playboy,
             lady-killer, lecher, debauchee, debaucher, lover, cicisbeo, Don
             Juan, Lothario, Casanova, Colloq wolf:  She can't really be
             going out with that wretched seducer!

   seductive adj.  alluring, attractive, tempting, tantalizing, enticing,
             inviting, seducing, enchanting, entrancing, bewitching,
             fascinating, flirtatious, coquettish, captivating, beguiling,
             provocative, siren, irresistible, winning, appealing,
             prepossessing, Colloq sexy:  He was lured into the whirl of the
             financial world by the seductive five-letter word - money. Never
             had Helena looked more seductive than on that night in Rio.

   seductress
             n.  See also seducer, above. temptress, siren, femme fatale,
             enchantress, Circe, Lorelei, Jezebel, vamp:  That clever
             seductress will soon have him eating out of her hand.

   see       v.  1 perceive, note, notice, mark, spot, watch, witness,
             recognize, behold, discern, distinguish, observe, look at,
             regard, sight, catch sight of, descry, espy, spy, make out, look
             upon, view, glimpse, catch a glimpse of, Slang get a load of, US
             glom:  I saw him buy a bottle of whisky. We saw two
             yellow-bellied sapsuckers in one day! Can you see the sea from
             your suite? Did you see the Houses of Parliament when you were
             in London? 2 understand, comprehend, apprehend, perceive,
             appreciate, fathom, grasp, take in, realize, know, be aware or
             conscious of, get the idea or meaning of, Colloq dig, get, get
             the drift or the hang of:  I see what you are saying, but I
             don't agree. After her speech, I saw Gladys in a new light. 3
             foresee, foretell, imagine, envisage, envision, visualize,
             picture, divine, conceive (of), dream of, conjure up, accept:  I
             can see a day when warming from the greenhouse effect will make
             the sea level rise. Ted said he can't see you as a married man.
             4 determine, ascertain, find out, investigate, discover, learn:
             See if the bakery has any macaroons. I'll see what she thinks.
             5 Often, see to it. ensure, assure, make sure or certain, mind,
             be vigilant:  It's cold outside, so see that you dress warmly.
             6 accompany, escort, show, lead, conduct, usher, take, convoy,
             bring, walk, drive:  I was seeing Nellie home from a soir‚e at
             Aunt Dinah's.  7 go out with, socialize with, keep company with,
             consort with, associate with; court, woo; Colloq go steady with,
             Chiefly US date:  Are you still seeing that boy you met at the
             school dance?  8 make up one's mind, think over, mull over,
             consider, ponder (on or over), contemplate, decide, reflect
             (on), meditate (on or over or about), ruminate (on or over),
             brood over:  Mother said she'd see whether I could go. Then I
             asked father, and he said he'd see. 9 receive, meet (with), talk
             or speak with, confer with, consult (with), have a word with,
             sit down with, visit with, interview; welcome, greet:  The
             ambassador will see you now.  10 undergo, experience, go
             through, endure, survive:  He saw service overseas during the
             war.  11 help, aid, assist, support, finance, pay the way for;
             guide, shepherd:  She saw three children through university
             without anyone's help.  12 see about.  a see to, attend to, look
             after, take care or charge of, look to, organize, manage, do,
             undertake, sort out; think about, consider, give some thought
             to, pay attention or heed to:  Could you please see about
             feeding the horses while I am away?  I asked Martin and he said
             he'd see about it. b investigate, study, probe, look into, make
             enquiries or inquiries, enquire or inquire about:  The teacher
             said she would see about letting us out early before the
             holiday. 13 see off. bid adieu or bon voyage:  We went to the
             airport to see them off.  14 see through.  a penetrate, detect,
             perceive, Slang be wise to:  She saw through your subterfuge at
             once.  b see (something) through. persevere, persist, manage,
             survive, last, ride out, Colloq stick out:  Once you start on
             something, I wish you'd see it through.  c see (someone)
             through. provide with help or aid or assistance, help, aid,
             assist, last:  We'll give you enough money to see you through.
             15 see to. See 12(a), above.

   seed      n.  1 grain, spore, kernel, pit, tuber, bulb, corm, Technical
             ovum, ovule, embryo, egg, germ:  Add water and the seeds will
             soon germinate.  2 origin, source, cause, root, provocation,
             reason, basis, grounds; motive, motivation, motivating factor:
             The seeds of suspicion were sown by the continuous police
             presence in the neighbourhood. 3 offspring, children, progeny,
             young, issue, descendants, heirs, successors:  Yea, and verily I
             say unto you that his seed shall populate the earth. 4 go or run
             to seed. run down, become dilapidated or worn out or shabby,
             decay, go downhill, decline, degenerate, deteriorate, go to rack
             and ruin, Colloq go to pot:  If he doesn't start to look after
             it, the entire place will go to seed.

             --v.  5 scatter, sow, distribute:  Don't walk on the freshly
             seeded lawn.

   seedy     adj.  1 shabby, dilapidated, worn (out), decayed, deteriorated,
             run-down, broken-down, mangy, grubby, decaying, tatty, scruffy,
             squalid, sleazy, Colloq ratty:  They live in a seedy little
             shack on the other side of town.  2 tired, weary, wearied,
             run-down, worn out, unwell, out of sorts, ailing, ill, sickly,
             Colloq poorly, under the weather, off one's feed:  I begged off
             at dinner time because I was feeling a bit seedy.

   seeing    conjunction.  in view of (the fact that), whereas, in (the)
             light of, inasmuch as, since, considering:  Seeing that you are
             here, you might as well tell her yourself.

   seek      v.  1 look (for), search (for), hunt (for), go or be after,
             quest after, pursue:  They are seeking a really good site for a
             grand luxury hotel.  Seek and ye shall find. 2 hope, aim,
             aspire, try, essay, endeavour, undertake:  They are seeking to
             recruit members for the new party.  3 ask for, request, beg,
             solicit, invite; demand:  He sought her help and she refused
             him.

   seem      v.  appear, look (as if or non-standard in US like), sound,
             feel, have (all) the hallmarks or earmarks of, give every
             indication or appearance of:  He seems all right to me. She
             seems to have forgotten her key again. It seems as if I've never
             been away at all. He seemed frightened.

   seeming   adj.  apparent, evident, ostensible, outward, superficial,
             surface, assumed, feigned, pretended, false, so-called, alleged,
             specious, purported, professed:  She was shocked by his seeming
             indifference to her problems.

   seemingly adv.  apparently, evidently, ostensibly, outwardly,
             superficially, falsely, allegedly, speciously, purportedly,
             professedly, on the face of it, possibly, feasibly, conceivably,
             plausibly, believably:  The purpose of this seemingly honest
             confession was to throw the detectives off the scent.

   seemly    adj.  1 proper, fitting, appropriate, becoming, suited,
             suitable, fit, befitting, apt, comme il faut, right, apropos,
             apposite, characteristic, meet, reasonable, sensible:  You can
             count on Felix to do the seemly thing in such cases.  2 decent,
             decorous, proper, dignified, genteel, gentlemanly, ladylike,
             diplomatic, discreet, prudent, politic:  She behaved in a seemly
             manner, in keeping with what was expected of a princess.

   seer      n.  soothsayer, fortune-teller, sibyl, oracle, prophet,
             prophetess, augur, vaticinator, prophesier, clairvoyant,
             psychic, crystal-gazer, star-gazer:  The seer foretold a grave
             famine and much suffering in the land.

   see-saw   n.  1 teeter:  The children were playing on the see-saw.

             --v.  2 teeter, totter, waver, vary, vacillate, oscillate,
             alternate, fluctuate, swing, switch:  He couldn't make up his
             mind and kept see-sawing between staying and going.

   seethe    v.  1 boil, stew, simmer, foam:  In the kitchen, a large pot of
             stew seethed on the stove.  2 stew, simmer, foam (at the mouth),
             fume, smoulder, burn, rage, rant, rave, become livid or
             feverish, be in ferment, be furious or incensed, Colloq blow
             one's stack or top, carry on, take on, get hot under the collar,
             get red in the face, get all steamed up:  The ball sailed
             through Mr Griffiths' new greenhouse and he came out seething
             with rage.

   see-through
             adj.  sheer, diaphanous, gauzy, transparent, translucent,
             gossamer, filmy, peekaboo:  She was wearing a see-through
             neglig‚e when she appeared at the door.

   segment   n.  1 section, part, division, portion, component, element;
             piece, fraction, fragment, length, joint, slice, wedge:  Only a
             narrow segment of the population supports the new measures.  She
             divided the orange into three equal segments.

             --v.  2 divide, partition, section, separate, part, cleave,
             split, subdivide, fragment:  The department was then further
             segmented into smaller units, each with its own manager.

   segregate v.  separate, segment, partition, isolate, seclude, sequester,
             set apart, compartmentalize, exclude, ostracize, discriminate
             against:  In the sorting process, each size must be segregated
             into its own compartment. Their policy was to segregate the
             Blacks from the rest of the population.

   segregation
             n.  separation, segmentation, partition, isolation, seclusion,
             sequestration, setting apart, compartmentalization, exclusion,
             ostracism, discrimination, apartheid, US Jim Crowism:  No modern
             culture can long survive a segregation of the races.

   seize     v.  1 Sometimes, seize on. grab, grasp, clutch, take (hold of),
             grip, snatch:  Robin felt that he had to seize every opportunity
             that presented itself. The dog seized the robber by the seat of
             the pants. 2 capture, catch, arrest, take into custody, take
             prisoner, apprehend, round up, Colloq pinch, nab, collar, pick
             up, Brit nick, Slang bust:  The police seized him as he was
             trying to leave the country.  3 catch, transfix, stop, hold,
             possess, take possession of, afflict, beset, visit, subject:  I
             was seized by a sudden desire to kiss those quivering, pouting
             lips. 4 take advantage of, make good use of:  When their
             attention was diverted, I seized the opportunity to escape. 5
             confiscate, take (away), commandeer, appropriate, capture, take
             possession of, impound:  Ten tons of cannabis was seized in the
             raid.  6 seize up, bind, jam, stop, lock (up), stick, freeze
             (up):  Because of the excessive heat, the gears seized and the
             engine stalled.

   seizure   n.  1 seizing, confiscating, confiscation, appropriation,
             impounding, commandeering, capture, taking, possession,
             annexation, sequestration, usurpation:  Police today announced
             the seizure of a shipment of 2000 pounds of cocaine. 2 spasm,
             attack, fit, paroxysm, convulsion, Technical ictus:  He has had
             another seizure and is not expected to live.

   seldom    adv.  rarely, infrequently, not often, hardly ever, very
             occasionally:  Since they moved away, we seldom see the
             Pattersons.

   select    v.  1 choose, pick, show (a) preference for, prefer, opt for,
             single out, hand-pick, distinguish:  Select any two books from
             this pile. Anne was delighted to be selected from hundreds of
             candidates.

             --adj.  2 selected, chosen, hand-picked, choice, special,
             preferred, preferable, favoured, favourite, exceptional,
             excellent, first-rate, first-class, superior, supreme, prime,
             better, best, finest, tiptop:  We have set aside some of our
             select jewels for you to consider, Your Ladyship. 3 limited,
             restricted, restrictive, exclusive, privileged, ‚lite, closed:
             He belongs to one of those select clubs that accept you only if
             your family can be traced back five hundred years.

   selection n.  1 choice, pick, preference, option:  Please make your
             selection from the merchandise in this display.  2 assortment,
             variety, collection, range, batch, number, set, series, group:
             Tonight I shall play for you a selection of jazz recordings made
             at the Savoy. 3 selecting, choosing, picking, singling out,
             electing, settling on, voting for, opting for, choice, pick,
             election:  Selection has been delayed till tomorrow.  4 extract,
             quotation, excerpt, abstract, passage, piece, quote:  I shall
             read you a selection from Blake's Songs of Innocence and
             Experience .

   selective adj.  particular, discerning, discriminative, discriminating,
             discriminatory, eclectic, exacting, demanding, choosy, Colloq
             picky:  Thea has been very selective in her choice of partners.

   self-abuse
             n.  masturbation, onanism, self-gratification, auto-eroticism or
             autoerotism, self-stimulation, self-manipulation,
             self-pollution, self-defilement, self-contamination, Technical
             manustupration:  Victorian schoolboys were punished if suspected
             of self-abuse.

   self-confidence
             n.  confidence, self-assurance, self-respect, self-esteem,
             assurance, poise, aplomb, self-reliance, self-sufficiency:
             Harrigan has demonstrated that he has the self-confidence to run
             the department.

   self-confident
             adj.  confident, self-assured, assured, poised, self-reliant,
             secure, sure of oneself, positive, definite, assertive,
             independent:  She seems much more self-confident, relaxed, and
             contented these days.

   self-conscious
             adj.  embarrassed, coy, diffident, shy, modest, self-effacing,
             sheepish, shrinking, retiring, unsure, apprehensive, reserved,
             insecure, affected, awkward, nervous, uncomfortable, hesitant,
             timid, timorous:  Phil felt a bit self-conscious about asking
             Maria to the dance.

   self-contained
             adj.  1 self-possessed, unemotional, self-controlled, in
             control, composed, serene, peaceful, calm, tranquil, cool,
             collected, even-tempered, detached, imperturbable, unruffled,
             undisturbed, unperturbed, controlled, placid, grave, serious,
             sober, solemn, Colloq unflappable:  Sometimes I think Frank is a
             little too self-contained.  2 reserved, controlled, distant,
             aloof, formal, withdrawn, reticent, standoffish:  Gregory is so
             self-contained that he did not tell anyone that he was ill, not
             even his wife. 3 whole, entire, complete, stand-alone, unitary:
             The house has been divided into five self-contained apartments.

   self-control
             n.  1 self-discipline, self-restraint, restraint, self-denial,
             control, will-power, strength (of character or of mind or of
             will), mettle, fortitude, moral fibre, determination,
             self-possession, resoluteness, resolve, will, constancy,
             steadfastness, perseverance, doggedness, obduracy, persistence,
             Facetious US won't-power:  Can I exercise the self-control
             needed to stop smoking?  2 calmness, tranquillity, serenity,
             placidity, imperturbability, cool-headedness, coolness, poise,
             level-headedness, patience, aplomb, dignity, equanimity,
             forbearance, control, restraint, self-restraint, even temper:
             You exhibited marvellous self-control by not losing your temper
             when you were insulted.

   self-denial
             n.  1 self-sacrifice,self-abnegation, renunciation,
             selflessness, altruism, unselfishness, magnanimity:  His
             contributions must have been made at the cost of some
             self-denial.  2 hardship, suffering, self-mortification,
             asceticism, privation, renunciation, renouncing, abstemiousness,
             abstinence, abstention, self-deprivation, keeping away from,
             refusal, refusing, giving up, desisting, Colloq swearing off:
             As far as certain foods are concerned, a little self-denial is
             good for one's health. 3 See self-control, 1, above.

   self-esteem
             n.  1 conceit, vanity, egoism, narcissism, self-centredness,
             egotism, amour propre, self-approbation, self-satisfaction,
             self-admiration, self-love, self-adulation, self-idolatry,
             smugness, self-importance, self-regard:  The arrogant,
             overweening self-esteem of some of the club members is
             unbearable. 2 See self-confidence, above.

   self-evident
             adj.  evident, obvious, patent, clear, incontrovertible,
             definite, express, distinct, clear-cut, apparent, unmistakable
             or unmistakeable, undeniable, inescapable, incontestable, plain,
             axiomatic, proverbial, manifest, true, palpable, tangible:  Her
             guilt seemed self-evident at first. The gradual destruction of
             the beaches is self-evident.

   self-government
             n.  1 self-rule, independence, self-determination, home rule,
             autonomy, freedom:  The satellite countries, one by one, voted
             for self-government.  2 See self-control, 1 above.

   self-important
             adj.  conceited, self-centred, self-seeking, self-absorbed,
             vain, egotistic(al), self-satisfied, smug, pompous,
             swollen-headed, swell-headed, arrogant, overweening,
             overbearing, vainglorious, self-glorifying, self-engrossed,
             presumptuous, snobbish, haughty, Colloq snooty, Slang snotty,
             stuck-up:  That self-important little cockalorum ought to be
             taken down a few pegs.

   self-indulgent
             adj.  self-gratifying, selfish, self-gratifying, extravagant,
             sensual, intemperate, overindulgent, greedy, immoderate,
             hedonistic, sybaritic, epicurean, gluttonous, gormandizing,
             pleasure-bound, pleasure-seeking, dissolute, dissipating,
             licentious, profligate, debauching:  David's self-indulgent
             habits take no account of his wife and children.

   selfish   adj.  1 greedy, covetous, grasping, avaricious, self-indulgent,
             self-aggrandizing, acquisitive, self-seeking, self-loving,
             self-centred, self-absorbed, self-interested, self-serving,
             egotistic(al), egoistic(al):  They pursue success for their own
             selfish ends.  2 stingy, mean, mercenary, tight, tight-fisted,
             narrow, penurious, parsimonious, miserly, niggardly,
             penny-pinching, cheese-paring, ungenerous, illiberal, grudging,
             uncharitable, possessive, inconsiderate, thoughtless:  He is so
             selfish that he won't even give you the right time.

   selfless  adj.  open, charitable, unselfish, self-denying, generous,
             altruistic, ungrudging, magnanimous, considerate, thoughtful;
             self-sacrificing:  Always ready to help anyone with a need,
             Archer is the most selfless man I know.

   self-made adj.  independent, self-reliant, entrepreneurial,
             self-sufficient:  She is a self-made woman and has accomplished
             it all without anyone else's help.

   self-possessed
             adj.  composed, cool, serene, placid, collected, self-assured,
             peaceful, calm, tranquil, even-tempered, detached,
             imperturbable, unruffled, undisturbed, unperturbed, controlled,
             dignified, refined, Colloq unflappable:  Considering what she
             has been through, Tanya is quite self-possessed for a teenager.

   self-respect
             n.  honour, dignity, integrity, self-regard, self-esteem, pride,
             amour propre, morale:  He managed to maintain a semblance of his
             self-respect despite the accusations hurled at him.

   self-righteous
             adj.  Pharisaic(al), sanctimonious, holier-than-thou, pietistic,
             mealy-mouthed, hypocritical, complacent, smug, self-satisfied,
             priggish, superior, tartuffian, canting, Colloq goody-goody,
             Slang Brit pi:  Butter would not melt in the mouth of that
             self-righteous hypocrite!

   self-styled
             adj.  would-be, self-called, soi-disant, professed,
             self-appointed, self-christened, so-called, quasi-:  The
             building has been designed by a firm of self-styled
             'neo-traditionalist' architects.

   self-sufficient
             adj.  independent, self-reliant, self-supporting,
             self-sustaining:  Agriculture will soon reach the point where
             the country is self-sufficient for food.

   self-willed
             adj.  headstrong, determined, forceful, refractory, stubborn,
             obstinate, pigheaded, wilful, ungovernable, uncontrollable,
             unruly, unmanageable, intractable, contrary, perverse,
             uncooperative, contumacious, recalcitrant, stiff-necked,
             vexatious, difficult, incorrigible, disobedient:  That
             self-willed, overindulged little brat needs a good spanking.

   sell      v.  1 vend, transfer, convey (title), trade, barter, exchange,
             dispose of:  Sorry, but I sold that car last week.  2 market,
             deal in, merchandise, trade in, traffic in, peddle, vend, hawk,
             handle, retail, carry, stock, furnish, supply, offer, Colloq
             push, Slang Brit flog:  We no longer sell that model. She has a
             shop selling second-hand clothes. 3 Often, sell out. betray,
             inform against, deliver up, give away, Slang rat on, grass on,
             tell on, tattle on, sell down the river, blow the whistle on,
             double-cross, Brit shop:  He swore he'd get the man who sold
             him.  4 promote, push, put across or over:  He couldn't sell
             sand to a beach flea.  5 be sold on. persuaded,convinced, won
             over:  After seeing that film, I was sold on a holiday in
             Mexico.

   seller    n.  dealer, vendor, merchant, retailer, shopkeeper, salesperson,
             salesman, saleswoman, saleslady, sales agent, representative,
             traveller, travelling salesman, peddler, hawker, colporteur,
             sutler, chandler, Old-fashioned counter-jumper, Brit shop
             assistant, -monger (as in costermonger, ironmonger, fishmonger,
             etc.), US and Canadian sales-clerk, clerk, shop-girl, Colloq
             rep, US drummer:  Time ran out on his job as a seller of
             water-clocks and hourglasses.

   semblance n.  1 appearance, image, likeness, resemblance, form, figure,
             bearing, aspect, air, look, mien, exterior, mask, fa‡ade, front,
             face, show, veneer:  Beneath that semblance of tranquillity lies
             a turbulent, tortured mind. 2 guise, face, front, fa‡ade, air,
             show, veneer, look, pretence, show, cloak, simulation,
             impression, affectation, Rare superficies:  You might try to
             give the sculpture at least a semblance of reality.

   seminal   adj.  1 original, basic, creative, primary, prime, formative,
             innovative, imaginative, new, unprecedented, precedent-setting,
             landmark, benchmark, important, influential, telling:
             Michaelson's paper is considered the seminal work on the
             subject.  It sets forth many seminal ideas. 2 embryonic,
             germinal, potential, undeveloped, incipient:  Each seed contains
             a seminal plant.

   seminary  n.  academy, school, institute, institution, college,
             university, training ground:  His three daughters had all
             attended an exclusive seminary on the East Coast.

   send      v.  1 Sometimes, send off. dispatch or despatch, commission,
             charge, depute, delegate, assign:  The pope sent an emissary to
             London.  2 communicate, transmit, convey, deliver, consign,
             address to, mail, post, fax, remit, ship, forward; broadcast,
             telecast, televise, radio, telegraph:  The message is being sent
             to all concerned.  3 release, discharge, shoot, propel, fire,
             fling, project, hurl; cast, throw, toss, let fly:  With a great
             burst of flame the satellite was sent into orbit.  4 delight,
             please, charm, enrapture, stir, thrill, move, electrify, Slang
             turn (someone) on:  That saxophone solo really sends me.  5 send
             down. imprison, incarcerate, send away, jail or Brit also gaol
             Slang US send up (the river):  If she doesn't mend her ways,
             she'll be sent down.  6 send for. call for, summon, order,
             request, ask for:  I have sent for a taxi which should be here
             shortly.  7 send forth or out. emit, radiate, discharge, give
             off, exude, grow:  The object sent forth a strange
             phosphorescent glow. In the spring, the vine sends forth
             tendrils. 8 send off. send (someone) away, send (someone) away
             or off with a flea in his or her ear, dismiss, discharge, send
             (someone) packing, send (someone) about his or her business,
             Colloq give (someone) his or her walking papers, Slang give
             (someone) the brushoff, US give (someone) the brush:  I went to
             the office as you instructed, but they just sent me off with no
             explanation. 9 send up.  a lampoon, satirize, burlesque, parody,
             make fun of, Colloq take off, spoof, Brit take the mickey out
             of:  In Britain one of the enduring forms of humour is in
             sending up the government. b imprison, incarcerate, send away,
             jail or Brit also gaol, Slang US send up the river:  He was sent
             up for insider trading.

   senile    adj.  (of a woman) anile; senescent, decrepit, declining,
             failing, in one's dotage, doting, doddering, in one's second
             childhood, dotty, simple, feeble-minded; forgetful, Colloq past
             it:  He's senile and needs constant care.

   senility  n.  (of a woman) anility; senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease,
             senescence, decrepitude, decline, dotage, second childhood, loss
             of one's faculties:  An increased life-span has created
             increased cases of senility.

   senior    adj.  elder, older, Brit (postpositive) major; (higher-)
             ranking, superior, chief:  The senior members of the club are
             impossibly stuffy. You must not address your senior officer in
             such a manner.

   senior citizen
             n.  elderly person, retired person, pensioner, Brit OAP
             (='old-age pensioner'), grey panther, Chiefly US retiree,
             golden-ager:  Special tax provisions have been made for senior
             citizens.

   sensation n.  1 feeling, sense, impression, perception, foreboding,
             presentiment, prescience, awareness, suspicion, Colloq sneaking
             suspicion, funny feeling, hunch:  I had the distinct sensation
             of having been there before.  2 commotion, stir, thrill, furore
             or US furor; excitement:  The news of the wedding caused a
             sensation.  3 hit, coup de th‚ѓtre, success, Colloq
             show-stopper, crowd-puller, crowd-pleaser:  Edith Piaf was a
             sensation at Le Th‚ѓtre de la Verdure in Nice.

   sensational
             adj.  1 exciting, stimulating, electrifying, galvanizing,
             shocking, hair-raising, spine-tingling, thrilling, stirring,
             breathtaking, amazing, astonishing, astounding, staggering,
             mind-boggling, unbelievable, incredible, spectacular, Slang
             mind-blowing:  They certainly put on a sensational show - the
             best I have ever seen. 2 lurid, vivid, overdone, overdrawn,
             extreme, melodramatic, exaggerated, dramatic, extravagant:  The
             weekly I worked for insisted that each issue's first page carry
             a sensational story - whether it was true or not. 3 (very) good,
             great, marvellous, wonderful, superior, superb, matchless,
             peerless, unequalled, nonpareil, extraordinary, terrific,
             phenomenal, splendid, fabulous, fantastic, stupendous, Colloq
             super, smashing, Slang far-out:  Suzanne Peters's performance
             was sensational in Carmen .

   sense     n.  1 faculty:  It's not always easy to tell if Brown's senses
             are all functioning.  2 common sense, intelligence, perception,
             quick-wittedness, quickness, (mother) wit, judgement, reason,
             wisdom, sagacity, discrimination, discernment; sanity, Colloq
             brains, Slang Brit nous:  Fancy doing something like that! - she
             hasn't the sense she was born with! 3 See sensation, 1, above.
             4 meaning, intelligibility, coherence, head or tail, drift,
             gist, import, purport, nuance, significance, message, substance:
             I was unable to get any sense out of what she was saying. Yes, I
             wasn't able to make sense out of it either. 5 sentiment,
             atmosphere, impression, intuition, sensation:  I had a sense of
             being de trop - that I was not wanted.

             --v.  6 feel, perceive, detect, divine, intuit, have a hunch or
             feeling, have or get or be under the impression that, suspect,
             Colloq have a funny feeling that, feel (something) in one's
             bones, pick up:  I sensed a certain antagonism in that last
             remark. I sensed that he was getting bored with me.

   senseless adj.  1 insensible, unconscious, (knocked) out (cold), stunned,
             insensate, comatose:  Agatha's head hit the fire-grate and she
             was borne senseless to her room. 2 numb(ed), insensate,
             unfeeling, benumbed, unfeeling, insensible, anaesthetized, dead,
             deadened, insentient:  My feet are senseless from the cold.  3
             pointless, purposeless, ridiculous, ludicrous, unintelligent,
             illogical, irrational, incongruous, meaningless, absurd, wild,
             mad, crazy, demented, insane, asinine, nonsensical, imbecilic or
             imbecile, idiotic, moronic, simple-minded, fatuous, stupid,
             foolish, silly, dizzy, halfwitted, mindless, brainless, witless,
             empty-headed, thimble-witted, pea-brained, bird-brained,
             hare-brained, feather-headed, rattle-brained, addle-pated,
             muddle-headed, Colloq daft, US daffy, nutty, batty, Slang wacky,
             dippy:  Many of the government's objections to the plan are just
             senseless posturing. He is promoting some senseless plan for
             double-decker motorways.

   sensibility
             n.  1 See sensitivity, 3, below.  2 Often, sensibilities.
             feelings, responsiveness, responsivity, emotions, sentiments:
             Personal events are more likely to affect our sensibilities than
             major disasters in which we are not involved.

   sensible  adj.  1 reasonable, realistic, logical, common-sense,
             commonsensical, rational, reasoned, sound, practical, prudent,
             judicious, discreet, intelligent, sage, wise, sane;
             down-to-earth, matter-of-fact, well-thought-out:  Do you really
             think it sensible to go out in this storm? Andrew has a very
             sensible way of dealing with junk mail - he returns it to
             sender. 2 perceivable, perceptible, detectable, evident,
             discernible, recognizable, ascertainable, apprehensible,
             cognizable, manifest, palpable, physical, tangible, corporeal,
             substantive, material, visible, observable, seeable:  Some
             maintain that in addition to the sensible world there is another
             world, an anti-world, that we do not normally encounter. 3
             sentient, feeling, sensitive, live, conscious, aware:  Who among
             us ever regards microbes as sensible creatures?  4 Usually,
             sensible of or to. conscious (of), aware (of), acquainted
             (with), cognizant (of), sensitive (to), alive to, mindful (of),
             understanding (of), in touch (with), observant (of), awake (to),
             alert (to), Slang wise (to), hip or old-fashioned hep (to):  The
             people of the village are ever sensible to the needs of their
             neighbours. There are some things to which we are not at all
             sensible. 5 appreciable, significant, considerable, substantial,
             substantive, noticeable:  The theory is that an increased
             interest rate will have a sensible effect on the rate of
             inflation.

   sensitive adj.  1 delicate, tender, sore, susceptible:  My arm is still
             sensitive where I got the injection.  2 touchy, susceptible,
             susceptive, reactive, responsive, attuned, impressionable,
             emotional, thin-skinned, vulnerable, supersensitive,
             hypersensitive, testy, irascible, quarrelsome, irritable,
             volatile, excitable, temperamental, petulant, hot-tempered,
             quick-tempered:  Liz is very sensitive on the subject of being
             unmarried, and I shouldn't bring it up. 3 finely tuned,
             delicate, responsive, subtle, acute, reactive, receptive:  We
             need a more sensitive test to detect neutrinos. This radio is
             not sensitive enough to receive distant stations.

   sensitivity
             n.  1 sensitiveness, delicacy, touchiness, over-sensitivity,
             hypersensitivity, supersensitivity; soreness, irritability:  The
             sensitivity of teenagers to criticism is well known to teachers
             and parents. She complained of sensitivity and pain in the
             pelvic region. 2 compassion, concern, sympathy, tenderness,
             tender-heartedness, kind-heartedness, kindliness, warmth,
             feeling:  The nurses exhibit a genuine sensitivity for the
             problems of the handicapped. 3 awareness, consciousness,
             acuteness, perception, understanding, intuition, feeling, sense,
             sensitivity, sensitiveness, receptivity or receptiveness,
             receptibility, appreciation, appreciativeness, susceptibility,
             susceptivity or susceptiveness:  Harvey has a keen sensitivity
             for the feelings of others. Sometimes I think the duke lacks the
             sensitivity needed to sympathize with the needy.

   sensual   adj.  physical, appetitive, voluptuous, carnal, bodily, fleshly,
             erotic, sexual, lustful, unchaste, abandoned, dissolute,
             profligate, dissipated, licentious, lewd, lascivious, lubricious
             or lubricous, goatish, hircine, lecherous, libidinous,
             salacious, prurient, rakish, wanton, debauched, Cyprian, loose,
             dirty, Slang randy:  Cranston pursued his sensual pleasures with
             no regard for morality.

   sensualist
             n.  lecher, profligate, wanton, debauchee, rou‚, rake, Romeo,
             Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, libertine; voluptuary, hedonist,
             sybarite, bon viveur, bon vivant, epicure, epicurean, gourmet,
             gourmand, gastronome, pleasure-seeker:  The main character in
             the film is a self-seeking sensualist who betrays every woman in
             his life.

   sensuous  adj.  sensory, sybaritic, epicurean, hedonist(ic), sumptuous,
             luxurious, rich:  She felt sensuous delight in the scents and
             sounds of the island.

   sentence  n.  judgement, decision, ruling, verdict, decree, determination;
             punishment, Slang rap:  It is up to the judge to announce the
             sentence of the court. Asked by his teacher for an example of a
             short sentence, Johnny replied, 'Thirty days'.

   sentiment n.  1 attitude, feeling, sensibility, emotion, susceptibility,
             tenderness, tender-heartedness, sentimentality, sentimentalism:
             He wanted to preserve the old village square more out of
             sentiment than because it was historically important. 2 Often,
             sentiments. view, outlook, opinion, position, attitude,
             judgement, thought, belief, feeling, emotion:  His sentiments
             regarding apartheid are better left unexpressed.

   sentimental
             adj.  1 emotional, sympathetic, compassionate, tender,
             warm-hearted, tender-hearted:  Has he returned for sentimental
             reasons or for practical and mercenary ones? 2 romantic,
             nostalgic, emotional, maudlin, mawkish, over-emotional, tender,
             tearful, weepy, sickening, nauseating, simpering, sweet,
             saccharine, Colloq sloppy, gooey, sticky, tacky, mushy, slushy,
             gushy, soppy, drippy, tear-jerking, ill-making, sick-making,
             Slang corny, schmaltzy, icky, yucky or yukky:  His last tune is
             always some sentimental ballad like 'Good Night, Sweetheart'.

   sentimentality
             n.  romanticism, nostalgia, pathos, emotionalism, maudlinism,
             bathos, mawkishness, over-emotionalism, tenderness, tearfulness,
             weepiness, sweetness, Colloq sloppiness, gooeyness, mushiness,
             slushiness, gushiness, soppiness, drippiness, US stickiness,
             tackiness, Slang corn, corniness, schmaltz, schmaltziness,
             ickiness, yuckiness or yukkiness:  The role of the bereaved
             mother was overplayed with enough gushing sentimentality to make
             one sick.

   sentinel  n.  sentry, guard, watchman, watch, picket, lookout, patrol:
             The sentinels measured out the ramparts of the fortress with
             their regular paces.

   separable adj.  distinguishable, segregable, detachable, divisible,
             severable, removable, fissile, scissile:  Unfortunately, as
             history demonstrates, morality and religion are separable.

   separate  v.  1 disjoin, pull or take or break apart, come or fall apart,
             fall or take or break to pieces, split or divide or break (up),
             split or break (off or away), disconnect, disengage, part,
             partition, sort (out), uncouple, disarticulate, disassemble,
             unhook, detach, disunite, unyoke, disentangle, unravel:  In
             order to clean it, I first have to separate all the individual
             elements of the motor. The glue didn't hold, and the vase
             separated into a dozen fragments. Separate this yarn into
             different piles. 2 distinguish, discriminate, analyse, sort,
             break down, classify, segregate, single out, sequester, type,
             codify, organize, split up; group, collate:  What criteria are
             used to separate the men from the boys, the sheep from the
             goats, or the wheat from the chaff? 3 split or break up, part
             (company), divide (up), disband, divorce:  After ten years we
             separated, and each went our own way.  4 fork, split (up or
             off), bifurcate, diverge, branch:  Beyond the river, the road to
             Norton separates from the main road.

             --adj.  5 divided, separated, disjoined, disconnected, detached,
             isolated, discrete, distinct, individual, independent, solitary,
             different:  Sort these books by subject into separate piles.  6
             different, independent, unrelated, other:  How you behave when
             you are not at home is a separate matter.  7 withdrawn,
             solitary, alone, shut or closed off or away, apart, detached,
             removed, cloistered, secluded, sequestered, isolated, separated:
             He prefers a separate existence, far away from the rest of the
             world.

   separately
             adv.  individually, independently, singly, one by one, one at a
             time, personally, alone, severally:  Each child approached
             separately to wish her Bon Voyage.

   separation
             n.  1 rift, break, split, split-up, divorce, break-up, disunion,
             estrangement:  Their separation, after forty years, was a
             surprise.  2 partition, division, split, schism, dividing line,
             dissociation, disassociation, severance:  The United States
             constitution provides for the separation of church and state. 3
             disintegration, shattering, break-up, fragmentation,
             dismemberment, taking or keeping apart, segregation, division,
             disjoining, disjunction, fission, scission, rupture, schism,
             splitting, split, fracturing, fracture, break:  After a crash,
             investigators supervise the separation of the aeroplane into its
             tens of thousands of component parts.

   sepulchre n.  tomb, mausoleum, burial-vault, grave, crypt, pyramid,
             burial-place:  Beneath the floor of the church are the
             sepulchres of important people.

   sequel    n.  follow-up, upshot, issue, result, consequence, development,
             supplement:  The ruling went against him, but there was a
             curious sequel when he was suddenly offered an out-of-court
             settlement. They are showing the film Jean de Florette ,
             together with its sequel Manon des Sources .

   sequence  n.  succession, progression, order, series, chain, string,
             course, cycle, arrangement, organization, train, line, set, run,
             concatenation, system:  His description conflicts with the
             sequence of events as recorded by the video camera. Some of
             these dates are out of sequence.

   sequential
             adj.  successive, ordered, orderly, serial, progressive,
             organized, systematic, cyclic, continuous:  Would you please put
             these periodicals into sequential order?

   seraphic  adj.  angelic, celestial, divine, heavenly, blissful, sublime,
             empyrean, Elysian, ethereal, holy, saintly, godly:  In her later
             years, Anna's beauty took on a detached, seraphic quality.

   serene    adj.  1 peaceful, tranquil, calm, pacific, peaceable, restful,
             halcyon, idyllic, bucolic, pastoral, undisturbed, unruffled,
             imperturbable, unperturbed, untroubled, quiet, still:  With the
             turmoil of the love affair behind her, Sharon looked ahead to a
             more serene life. 2 calm, cool, collected, placid, composed,
             self-possessed, poised, unexcitable, even-tempered, temperate,
             nonchalant, easygoing, cool-headed, easy, Colloq unflappable:
             Beneath William's serene exterior lay a seething, churning
             miasma of violent lust.

   serenity  n.  1 peacefulness, peace, tranquillity, calm, calmness,
             restfulness, quiet, stillness:  The serenity of the warm
             summer's evening was shattered by an enormous explosion. 2
             tranquillity, peacefulness, peaceableness, unexcitability,
             calmness, calm, composure, self-possession, poise, aplomb,
             even-temperedness, temperance, nonchalance, cool-headedness,
             placidity, Colloq unflappability:  The serenity of her nature
             was like a safe harbour to the friends who sought comfort from
             the turbulence of their lives.

   serious   adj.  1 grave, solemn, earnest, unsmiling, poker-faced,
             straight-faced, sedate, sober, pensive, thoughtful; humourless,
             sombre, grim, dour, severe:  One should be wary of the person
             who is always serious, who cannot see the ludicrous side of
             life. 2 grave, important, vital, dangerous, weighty,
             significant, momentous, crucial, consequential, life-and-death
             or life-or-death, urgent, pressing; no laughing matter, of
             consequence or moment or importance:  Things like the greenhouse
             effect and the hole in the ozone layer are serious concerns for
             all mankind. 3 sincere, straightforward, not joking or fooling,
             genuine, honest:  Is he serious about wanting me to fetch him a
             left-handed wrench?  4 acute, critical, life-threatening, bad,
             dangerous, nasty, perilous, alarming, grave, severe, precarious:
             His condition is serious and we might have to operate tonight.
             She had no idea that measles could be such a serious illness.

   seriously adv.  1 gravely, badly, severely, critically:  Two men were
             seriously injured in the explosion.  2 really, honestly, Scout's
             honour, sincerely, truly, candidly, openly, Colloq joking or
             kidding aside, no joking or kidding or fooling, cross one's
             heart (and hope to die):  Seriously, kids, I meant what I said
             about going to bed on time, or no treats tomorrow at the beach.
             3 soberly, earnestly, unquestioningly, without a doubt, at face
             value:  What teacher takes seriously that old story about a
             grandmother's illness as an excuse for absence?

   sermon    n.  1 lecture, lesson, preaching, reprimand, reproach, reproof,
             remonstration, remonstrance, scolding, harangue, Colloq
             talking-to, dressing-down:  Mother gave me a long sermon last
             night about getting home late.  2 homily, address, exhortation,
             lesson, lecture, speech, talk, discourse:  We thought that
             Father Keiller's sermon on vanity was especially appropriate.

   serpentine
             adj.  1 evil, bad, diabolical, satanic, Mephistophelian,
             reptilian, devilish, wily, cunning, conniving, sneaky, shrewd,
             artful, crafty, slick, sly, insidious, shifty, tricky, scheming,
             plotting, Machiavellian:  With serpentine deceit she swore that
             she had returned the ring.  2 twisting, winding, tortuous,
             snaking, snakelike, sinuous, anfractuous, roundabout,
             meandering, ambagious, indirect, devious, crooked, labyrinthine,
             vermicular, vermiculate, complex, complicated, Byzantine:  The
             amulet was traced through a serpentine trail of ownership back
             to Xerxes.

   serrated  adj.  sawlike, saw-shaped, sawtoothed, toothed, notched, zigzag,
             jagged, serrate, serriform, serratiform, serrulate(d),
             crenellated, crenulate, crenate, denticulate:  A knife with a
             serrated edge would cut the meat more easily.

   serried   adj.  ranked, tiered, row on row, ranged, assembled, packed,
             close, compacted, compact:  The serried army of brightly clad
             warriors stretched as far as the eye could see.

   servant   n.  1 domestic (servant), help, retainer; maid, maidservant,
             parlour-maid, upstairs maid, lady's maid, cleaner, cleaning man,
             cleaning woman, amah; housekeeper, chatelaine, major-domo,
             factotum, steward, seneschal, butler, houseman, houseboy, boy,
             page; valet, man, gentleman's gentleman, manservant,
             serving-man, footman, foot-boy, chauffeur, driver, attendant,
             groom; governess, au pair (girl), nurse, nursemaid, ayah; cook,
             chef, waiter, waitress, stewardess, wine steward, sommelier (des
             vins); menial, lackey, dogsbody, Archaic servitor, Historical
             coachman, postilion, serving-woman, serving-girl, servant-girl,
             serving-wench, scullery-maid, scullion, Literary cup-boy,
             Ganymede, Chiefly Brit nanny, Brit boots, charwoman, charlady,
             daily, tweeny, US scrubwoman:  Who can afford to keep domestic
             servants these days?  2 civil servant. civil-service employee or
             worker, public servant, (government or State) official,
             office-holder, government worker:  In his capacity as a civil
             servant, Richard has worked for several different governments.

   serve     v.  1 attend (to), wait on or upon, minister to, look after (the
             needs of), be at (someone's) beck and call, assist, help, be of
             assistance or help, be in the service of, oblige, accommodate,
             gratify:  After a patron is seated and settled, approach him and
             ask, 'May I serve you, Sir (or Madam, as the case may be ) ?' We
             serve all customers with equal consideration.  2 fulfil or carry
             out or perform or discharge (a function or a duty or one's
             duty), work (for), do (duty) (as or for), do one's part,
             suffice, be used or of use or useful (to or for), function (as
             or to), act (as or to), fill the bill, be serviceable (as or
             for), be available (for), answer (for), be sufficient or
             adequate or suitable, suit, be advantageous or of advantage
             (to); fight (for), be obedient (to), take one's part:  This
             catch will serve to keep the door closed. I had no screw driver,
             but a coin served just as well. They also serve who only stand
             and wait. 3 distribute, deal out, dole out, give out, present,
             set out, provide, supply, offer, pass out or about or around,
             make available, come (a)round with, dish up or out:  They will
             serve hors-d'oeuvres at seven-thirty. Dinner is served, Madam. 4
             be convenient or opportune or favourable (to):  If the
             opportunity serves me, I shall repay you many times over.  5 not
             fail, not play tricks (on), work or function (for), be accurate
             or correct:  If memory serves, he was last here about ten years
             ago.  6 go through, complete, spend, last, endure, survive:
             Henryson served ten years in Dartmoor for that crime.

   service   n.  1 help, assistance, aid, use, usefulness, utility, benefit,
             advantage:  May I be of service to you? You could do me a great
             service by not saying anything of this to my mother. 2
             maintenance, overhaul, servicing, checking, repair, mending:
             Must we send the copier out for service or can they do it in the
             office? 3 serving, accommodation, amenities, waiting, care:  The
             food is good but the service leaves much to be desired.  4
             employment, employ:  How long have you been in my service,
             Jones?  5 use, utilization, usage, handling:  This old teapot
             has seen much service.  6 assignment, post, appointment,
             Military Brit secondment:  Oscar was on service in the Far East
             during the war.  7 rite, ceremony, ritual, worship:  I shall be
             attending a memorial service for Grimes on Saturday.  8 Often,
             services. army, navy, air force, marines; armed forces or
             services, military:  He was a pianist before joining the
             service.  9 Often, services. talents, help, professional care,
             work, advice:  You will need the services of a good accountant.
             10 serve, serving; putting into play:  Clarke's tennis service
             is faster and more accurate than before.

   serviceable
             adj.  1 workable, working, functional, functioning, usable,
             useful, operative, operating:  It seems unlikely that the old
             tractor will still be serviceable.  2 hard-wearing,
             long-wearing, durable, utilitarian, long-lasting, tough,
             wear-resistant:  I need to buy a serviceable pair of hiking
             boots.

   servile   adj.  submissive, subservient, menial, craven, acquiescent,
             abject, cringing, slavish, mean, fawning, deferential,
             mean-spirited, vile, low, base, ingratiating, grovelling,
             obsequious, toadying, toadyish, sycophantish, sycophantic,
             truckling, wheedling, unctuous, slimy, flattering, time-serving,
             boot-licking, Colloq chiefly Brit smarmy, US and Canadian
             apple-polishing, Slang Brit arse-kissing, US ass-kissing, Taboo
             slang brown-nosing, Brit arse-licking, US ass-licking:  Victor
             is constantly trying to gain favour with the directors in the
             most servile way.

   servility n.  submissiveness, submission, subservience, servileness,
             acquiescence, abjectness, abjection, cringing, slavishness,
             meanness, fawning, mean-spiritedness, vileness, baseness,
             grovelling, obsequiousness, obsequence, toadying, toadyism,
             sycophancy, sycophantism, truckling, wheedling, unctuousness,
             sliminess, flattery, boot-licking, Colloq chiefly Brit
             smarminess, US and Canadian apple-polishing, Slang Brit
             arse-kissing, US ass-kissing, Taboo slang brown-nosing, Brit
             arse-licking, US ass-licking:  We are sick of the servility with
             which Victor treats the directors.

   servitude n.  bondage, slavery, thraldom, serfdom, subjugation,
             enslavement, subjection, vassalage:  They were sentenced to ten
             years' penal servitude.

   session   n.  1 sitting, seating, assembly, conference, meeting, hearing:
             Parliament is in session at this very moment.  2 term, period:
             The bill will be introduced again at the next session of
             Parliament.

   set       v.  1 set down, place, put, situate, locate, site, plant,
             position, station, stand, lay, install or instal, lodge, mount,
             park, deposit, plump, drop, plunk or plonk (down):  Please set
             that blue box over here.  2 go down, sink, decline, subside:
             The sun is setting.  3 jell or gel, congeal, freeze, solidify,
             stiffen, harden, clot, coagulate, thicken, cake:  The concrete
             takes a long time to set in this weather.  4 establish, fix,
             fasten on, appoint:  The date of the wedding has been set for
             May 23rd.  5 focus on, home or zero in on, pinpoint, pin down:
             When Ivor sets his mind on doing something, it usually gets
             done.  6 adjust, regulate, turn, synchronize, fix, calibrate,
             coordinate:  Set your watches to Greenwich Mean Time. Set the
             counter back to zero. 7 present, introduce, establish,
             determine, stipulate, lay down, define, indicate, designate,
             specify; set or mark off, delineate:  Who set the pattern for
             such behaviour? You'll have to set the rules. 8 prepare, set up,
             concoct, lay, arrange, fix:  I think we ought to set a trap for
             the burglar.  9 set forth, propound, present, devise, work out
             or up, make up, select, choose, decide, settle, establish:  Who
             is going to set the questions for the examination?  10 arrange,
             lay, spread:  If you set the table, I'll serve dinner.  11
             adjust, move, tilt, fix, place, position, lodge:  He set his hat
             at a jaunty angle and strode out of the restaurant.  12 set
             about.  a get or make ready, start, begin, get to work, set in
             motion, get under way, start the ball rolling, break the ice,
             undertake, launch, tackle, address oneself to, enter upon,
             Colloq get cracking:  It's time you set about deciding what you
             want to do for a living.  b attack, assail, assault, beat up:
             The gang set about him with clubs.  13 set against.  a compare,
             evaluate, rate, balance, weigh, juxtapose, contrast:  If you set
             his assets against his liabilities, he comes off pretty well. b
             antagonize, set at odds, alienate, divide, disunite:  They
             succeeded in setting brother against brother.  14 set apart.  a
             distinguish, separate, differentiate:  His talent for language
             sets him apart from the others.  b reserve, put or set aside,
             store, earmark, put away, lay away, set by, save, keep back:  I
             set apart this piece of chocolate just for you.  15 set aside.
             a See 14 (b), above.  b annul, cancel, nullify, declare or
             render null and void, reverse, repudiate, abrogate, quash,
             overturn, overrule, discard:  The judge set aside the ruling of
             the lower court.  16 set back. put back, hinder, slow, hold up,
             retard, delay, impede, obstruct, stay, thwart, frustrate,
             inhibit:  Completion has been set back because the materials
             failed to arrive.  17 set down.  a write (down), put in writing,
             put down, record, register, mark or jot down, list:  The
             secretary laboriously set down every word the official said.  b
             ascribe, assign, attribute, impute, charge:  She set down her
             failure to win promotion to prejudice on the part of management.
             c put down, land:  See if you can set the plane down in that
             field over there.  18 set forth.  a express, voice, propose,
             propound, state, offer, submit, suggest, broach, make a motion,
             move:  Hugo set forth various proposals for the expansion of the
             company.  b set out or off, put forth or out, begin, start
             (out), get under way, go, embark, sally forth, push off, depart,
             leave:  After much hemming and hawing, Clive finally set forth
             on his big adventure. c set out, present, declare, describe,
             propose, state, articulate, enunciate:  Hermione's theory is set
             forth in a lengthy report.  19 set in. begin, become
             established, arrive, come:  Winter has set in quite early this
             year.  20 set off.  a ignite, kindle, detonate, light, touch
             off, trigger, trip:  That little spark set off an explosion that
             destroyed the entire plant. b dramatize, enhance, highlight,
             throw into relief, show (off), display:  The engraving is
             beautifully set off by the new mat and frame.  c See 18 (b),
             above.  21 set on. set upon, attack, assault, pounce on or upon,
             fall on or upon, fly at:  You were set on by a pack of dogs in
             the park?  22 set out.  a See 17 (b) and (c), above.  b put out,
             lay out, arrange, dispose, display:  The stallholders are all
             setting out their wares for the jewellery fair this morning. 23
             set up.  a build, put up, erect, assemble, construct, raise,
             elevate, put together, arrange, prepare:  They are setting up
             the Christmas displays over the weekend.  b start, begin,
             initiate, organize, establish, found; finance, fund, invest in,
             back, subsidize:  The Crockers are setting up their third shop
             in Halsted. His father set him up in business. 24 set upon.
             attack, assault, ambush, beat up, fall upon, set about Colloq
             mug:  The gang set upon him as he was getting home from work.

             --n.  25 collection, group, combination, number, grouping,
             assortment, selection, arrangement, series:  Brackenhall bought
             a set of Hogarth etchings from the gallery.  26 clique, coterie,
             group, company, circle, ring, crowd, faction, sect, gang:  The
             set she associates with think nothing of flying to Rio for the
             weekend. 27 kit, outfit, rig; equipment, apparatus:  When I was
             ten, my father bought me a chemistry set.  28 setting, stage set
             or setting, scene, mise en scЉne, mounting, scenery:  Hunter's
             set for Waiting for Godot won a prize.

             --adj.  29 fixed, established, determined, predetermined,
             arranged, prearranged, decided, customary, usual, normal,
             regular, agreed, conventional, habitual, definite, defined,
             firm, unvarying, unvaried, unchanging, wonted, rigid, strict,
             settled, scheduled:  There is a set order in which these things
             are done.  30 stereotyped, trite, hackneyed, routine, standard,
             traditional, unchanged, unvaried, invariable:  He made his set
             welcoming speech, as usual dripping with condescension, to the
             incoming classes. 31 prepared, ready, fit, primed:  Are you all
             set to go?

   set-back  n.  hindrance, hitch, check, reverse, reversal, impediment,
             block, obstruction, defeat, hold-up, delay, check, rebuff,
             upset; relapse; Colloq hiccup:  The reduction in arts funding
             has resulted in some severe set-backs in certain programmes.
             Derek has suffered a set-back and will remain in hospital for a
             while.

   setting   n.  mounting, scenery, background, backdrop, locale, location,
             surroundings, habitat, home, environs, environment, milieu,
             frame, context, site, placement; stage set or setting, mise en
             scЉne, scene:  It is quite interesting to see how the animals
             live in their natural setting. The setting of Hardy's novels is
             in the West Country.

   settle    v.  1 arrange, order, dispose, organize, straighten out, put in
             or into order, compose, sort out, classify, coordinate, resolve,
             set to rights, reconcile:  Ben settled his affairs before
             undergoing surgery.  2 Often, settle on or upon. fix (on),
             decide (on), establish, appoint, set, confirm, affirm, conclude,
             make sure or certain (of), determine, agree (upon or on), pick,
             choose, select:  Have you been able to settle on a suitable time
             to visit Max and Maddy? 3 decide, reconcile, resolve, put an end
             to, conclude, clear up, patch up, adjust, negotiate, mediate:
             We have settled our differences.  4 Often, settle down. take up
             residence, go or come or move to, dwell, reside, make one's
             home, abide, remain, stay, live, set up home or house,put down
             roots, locate, inhabit, US set up housekeeping, locate:  They
             have decided to settle in Australia after George retires.  5
             Sometimes, settle down. light, alight, land, come down, put
             down, set down, (come to) rest or (roost), descend, perch:  The
             butterfly settled on the tip of Alice's nose.  6 populate,
             people, colonize, pioneer:  That part of the country wasn't
             settled till late in the 19th century. 7 Usually, settle down.
             calm down, subside, quiet down, be or become tranquil, Chiefly
             Brit quieten (down):  The class settled down and we began the
             lesson. I must settle down and get back to work. 8 calm, quiet,
             soothe, tranquillize, relax, Chiefly Brit quieten:  He drank
             some camomile tea to settle his nerves.  9 subside, sink,
             decline, fall:  A great crack appeared in the wall when the
             house settled a bit.  10 Often, settle up. pay, square, dispose
             of, clear, balance, liquidate, discharge:  If you settle the
             bill, we can leave.  11 Often, settle out. gravitate, sink,
             fall, precipitate (out):  Stop shaking the container and let the
             sand settle to the bottom.  12 clarify, clear:  After about an
             hour, the particles will start to settle.

   settlement
             n.  1 colony, outpost, post, camp, community, encampment,
             village, hamlet:  The first colonists established a small
             settlement on the bank of the river. 2 colonization, settling,
             populating, settling:  The settlement of the valley was mainly
             by Scandinavians.  3 agreement, rapprochement, resolution,
             adjustment, elimination, reconciliation, working-out,
             accommodation, arbitration, arrangement:  Settlement of the
             dispute was supervised by a union representative.  4 payment,
             defrayal, discharge, liquidation, satisfaction, settling,
             quittance, clearing, clearance:  The settlement of our debts is
             of paramount importance.  5 deciding, settling, setting,
             decision, conclusion, confirmation, affirmation, establishment,
             stabilization, determination, agreement, choice, selection:  The
             only thing on his mind was the settlement of their holiday
             destination - should it be France or Thailand?

   settler   n.  colonist, frontiersman, frontierswoman, pioneer, immigrant:
             The early settlers cleared the land for farming.

   set-up    n.  1 arrangement, system, organization, layout, regime,
             structure, make-up, composition, framework, frame, construction;
             conditions, circumstances:  This set-up of interlocking
             directorships makes it difficult to see who answers to whom and
             who owns what. What, exactly, is the set-up between you and
             Eustace? 2 prearrangement, trap, Slang put-up job:  As soon as I
             saw the police car, I knew we had walked into a set-up.

   sever     v.  1 cut off or apart or in two, lop or chop or hew or hack
             off, slice or shear off, cleave, dock, bob, dissever, split,
             separate, divide, disjoin, detach, disconnect:  The animal's
             foot was severed by the trap.  2 separate, disunite, dissolve,
             break off or up, terminate, end, cease, stop, discontinue,
             suspend, abandon, put an end to:  The final divorce decree
             severed us from one another once and for all.

   several   adj.  1 some, a few, not too or very many, a handful or a
             sprinkling or a number of:  Several people asked for you at the
             party last night.  2 various, sundry, a variety of, diverse,
             divers, different, respective, individual, distinct, disparate,
             particular, certain, specific, discrete, dissimilar:  There are
             several stages one must go through before reaching the end.

   severe    adj.  1 strict, harsh, rigorous, austere, hard, stony,
             stony-hearted, hard-hearted, flinty, inexorable, iron-handed,
             oppressive, unbending, rigid, uncompromising, relentless,
             unyielding, obdurate, pitiless, punitive, merciless,
             unsympathetic, unfeeling, cruel, brutal, mean, savage, inhuman,
             beastly, ruthless, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannical,
             autocratic, demanding, exacting, painstaking, fastidious,
             exigent, taxing:  Nicholas Nickleby was subjected to extremely
             severe treatment at Dotheboys Hall. Mr Bradshaw was a severe
             taskmaster. 2 stern, forbidding, dour, glowering, grave, grim,
             stiff, strait-laced, serious, unsmiling, sober, cold, frigid,
             aloof, austere:  If he so much as dropped a spoon the master
             would give Nicholas a severe look. 3 dangerous, critical,
             dreadful, awful, life-threatening, acute, dire; mortal, fatal,
             terminal:  She has had a severe attack of the flu.  4 stringent,
             punitive, harsh, punishing, burdensome, tough, onerous,
             grievous, painful, Draconian or Draconic:  There are severe
             penalties for breaking the parking laws in this city. 5 harsh,
             bitter, cold, inclement, keen, violent, stormy, intense,
             turbulent, fierce, wicked:  Granny couldn't live through another
             severe winter at Fort William.  6 stark, bare, plain, austere,
             Spartan, ascetic, primitive, simple, sparse, spare, monastic,
             modest, unadorned, unembellished, crude, undecorated,
             unembroidered:  The severe d‚cor in the servants' quarters gave
             the appearance of a prison.

   severely  adv.  1 acutely, seriously, badly, dangerously, dreadfully;
             permanently, fully, entirely:  The accident left him severely
             handicapped.  2 strictly, harshly, rigorously, austerely,
             oppressively, relentlessly, mercilessly, cruelly, brutally,
             savagely, inhumanly, tyrannically:  The boys were severely
             maltreated at the school.  3 sternly, forbiddingly, dourly,
             gloweringly, gravely, seriously, grimly, unsmilingly, soberly,
             coldly, coolly, austerely:  Mrs Gladwin regarded me severely
             over the top of her pince-nez.  4 stringently, punitively,
             harshly, onerously, grievously, painfully:  One is punished
             severely for the slightest infraction of the law.  5
             dangerously, acutely, critically, dreadfully, awfully; mortally,
             fatally, terminally:  I am afraid to say that your mother is
             severely ill.  6 starkly, plainly, barely, modestly, austerely,
             ascetically, monastically, primitively, simply, crudely,
             sparsely, sparely:  The room is furnished a bit severely for my
             taste.

   severity  n.  1 strictness, harshness, rigour, rigorousness, austerity,
             hardness, flintiness, inexorability, inexorableness, stringency,
             oppression, oppressiveness, rigidity, inflexibility,
             relentlessness, obduracy, obdurateness, pitilessness,
             mercilessness, cold-bloodedness, abusiveness, cruelty,
             brutality, meanness, savagery, inhumanity, beastliness,
             ruthlessness, despotism, tyranny, fastidiousness, exigency:  The
             severity of the discipline was almost unbearable.  2 coldness,
             aloofness, sternness, gravity, grimness, frigidity, austerity,
             solemnity:  The severity of his look froze me to the spot.  3
             dangerousness, acuteness, seriousness, gravity, ferocity,
             fierceness, virulence, violence, intensity:  The severity of the
             fits has diminished since we put the patient on new medication.
             4 stringency, punitiveness, punishment, harshness, onerousness,
             grievousness, painfulness, burdensomeness, oppressiveness:  The
             severity of the sentence is not inappropriate to the heinousness
             of the crime. 5 harshness, inclemency, violence, storminess,
             intensity, ferocity, fierceness, fury, furiousness,
             tempestuousness:  The severity of the weather has interfered
             with our maintenance of the electrical power lines. 6 plainness,
             starkness, austerity, asceticism, bareness, modesty, simplicity,
             primitiveness, spareness, sparseness, monasticism, crudeness:
             The severity of the cells at the monastery was equalled by the
             austerity of the regimen.

   sew       v.  sew up, stitch, darn, mend, repair; sew on, attach, fasten;
             tack, baste, hem:  Would you sew up a hole in my sweater for me
             and, while you're at it, would you mind sewing a button on my
             shirt?

   sex       n.  1 gender:  It is difficult to determine the sex of some of
             the lower animals.  2 sexual intercourse or relations, coitus,
             coition, mating, copulation, (sexual) congress or union,
             intimacy, lovemaking, making love, coupling, Colloq making out,
             going to bed, shacking up, Slang having it away, Taboo slang
             screwing, shafting, shagging, fucking, Chiefly Brit bonking:
             They feel that there is too much sex and violence on television
             these days.

   sexual    adj.  1 sex, reproductive, genital, procreative or procreant,
             sex, progenitive, propagative:  Their current project is an
             investigation of sexual behaviour in young adults. 2 sensual,
             sensuous, erotic, carnal, fleshly, voluptuous, libidinous,
             earthy, bodily, physical, lustful, animal, Colloq sexy:  They
             have a deep sexual attraction to one another.

   sexy      adj.  1 erotic, arousing, exciting, sensual, sensuous,
             seductive, suggestive, provocative, inviting, alluring, bedroom,
             flirtatious, appealing, fascinating, striking, tempting,
             captivating, enchanting, stunning, Colloq come-hither:  She
             thought he had a sexy smile.  2 sex, dirty, pornographic,
             obscene, filthy, smutty, lewd, foul, lascivious, indecent,
             explicit, gross, X-rated, vulgar, rude, coarse, off colour,
             risqu‚, titillating, bawdy, ribald, lusty, immodest, rough,
             indelicate, suggestive, unseemly, improper, indecorous, naughty,
             shameless, Slang raunchy:  They sat there leering over a sexy
             magazine.

19.4 shabby...
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   shabby    adj.  1 worn, dingy, faded, worn out, threadbare, tatty,
             tattered, frayed, raggedy, ragged, scruffy, dilapidated, ratty,
             dirty, bedraggled, mangy, run-down, seedy, (much) the worse for
             wear, Brit down at heel, US down at the heel(s), Colloq grubby,
             scrubby, gungy, tacky, US grungy:  He was wearing a shabby suit
             and down-at-heel shoes.  2 poor, peremptory, unpleasant, nasty,
             disagreeable, mean, contemptuous, demeaning, grudging,
             ungenerous, impolite, rude, unfriendly, unhelpful, shoddy,
             ungentlemanly, unladylike, dishonourable, unworthy, scurvy,
             Colloq rotten:  We were subjected to very shabby treatment at
             the office where we applied for work. 3 dilapidated, tumbledown,
             broken-down, shattered, battered, run-down, ramshackle, seedy,
             neglected, dirty, squalid, slum-like, slummy, Colloq beat-up,
             crummy:  Sam lives in a shabby little house near the canal.  4
             mean, stingy, ungenerous, niggardly, contemptible, low, lowly,
             base, mean-spirited, despicable, vile, uncouth, discreditable,
             inferior, disreputable, infamous, abominable, dishonourable,
             ignoble, atrocious, ignominious, odious, detestable,
             opprobrious:  The shabby apology for their behaviour fell on
             deaf ears.

   shack     n.  hut, hovel, shanty, cabin, lean-to, Colloq dump:  The shack
             was built out of scrap lumber and cardboard boxes.

   shackle   n.  1 Often, shackles. fetter(s), leg-iron(s), chains, iron(s),
             bilboes, gyve(s), ball and chain, manacle(s), handcuff(s),
             restraint(s), bond(s), trammel(s), Colloq cuff(s), Slang
             bracelet(s), Brit darbies:  When those shackles went round his
             ankles, he thought he'd never see them taken off. 2 Usually,
             shackles. restriction, restraint, deterrent, impediment, check,
             obstacle, obstruction, barrier, hindrance, bar, encumbrance:
             When shall we throw off the shackles of ignorant prejudice and
             see a truly free world?

             --v.  3 chain, fetter, manacle, handcuff, bind, restrain, tie,
             secure, truss, pinion, tether:  He was shackled to the mast and
             whipped for disobedience. In this glorious spring weather I
             resent being shackled to a desk. 4 restrain, hold back, check,
             deter, hinder, discourage, hobble, handicap, restrict, curb,
             rein, bridle, control, fetter, inhibit, limit:  Freedom of
             expression has been shackled during all those years of
             oppression.

   shade     n.  1 shadow, shadiness, dimness, duskiness, semi-darkness,
             gloominess, murkiness, dusk, gloom, murk, darkness, obscurity,
             Literary shades:  We rested in the shade of an old oak to get
             out of the hot sun.  2 tint, tinge, tone, colour, hue,
             intensity:  The curtains should be of a lighter shade to match
             the wallpaper.  3 hint, intimation, tinge, suggestion, modicum,
             sprinkling, soup‡on, trace, suspicion, undertone, overtone,
             touch, speck, dash, nuance, atom, grain, scintilla, iota, jot or
             tittle:  Did I detect a shade of sarcasm in your voice,
             Aloysius?  4 ghost, spectre, apparition, phantom, phantasm,
             spirit, wraith, vision, banshee, Colloq spook:  As night came
             on, horrifying shades took shape amongst the leafless trees. 5
             blind, window-blind, curtain, venetian blind; lampshade; screen,
             cover, covering, protection, veil, awning, canopy, shield,
             shelter, umbrella, parasol:  We need shades to reduce the glare
             of the light. We had only a light tent as a shade against the
             broiling sun. 6 fraction, hair's breadth, bit, hair, Colloq
             smidgen or smidgin:  Try moving the picture a shade to the left.
             7 variation, variety, nuance, degree:  Do you really think his
             approval would make a shade of difference to me? 8 put (someone)
             in or into the shade. overshadow, exceed, surpass, outstrip,
             outclass, eclipse, outshine, best, better, beat, put to shame,
             outplay, outperform, outdo, Colloq run rings or circles around,
             show up:  Your record time in the 1000-metre put other
             contenders in the shade. 9 shades. sun-glasses:  Take off those
             shades so I can see what you are thinking.

             --v.  10 screen, protect, shield, shelter, cover:  You should
             shade your eyes from the direct sunlight.  11 darken, opaque,
             black out, blacken:  She shaded in parts of the diagram to give
             a better effect.  12 dim, shadow, veil, blot out, cloud,
             conceal, hide, obscure, shroud, screen, mask, camouflage,
             disguise:  The house is shaded from view by trees on the south
             side.

   shadow    n.  1 darkness, gloom, dimness, dusk, obscurity:  In the shadow
             I could make out the dim outline of a figure.  2 cover, screen,
             covering, shield, veil, curtain, protection, concealment:  He
             stole past the sentry under the shadow of darkness.  3 hint,
             intimation, suggestion, suspicion, trace, vestige; remnant:  I
             do not have the slightest shadow of doubt that she is telling
             the truth. Martin is merely a shadow of his former robust self.
             4 cloud, blight, curse:  A terrible shadow has fallen upon the
             family name.  5 See shade, 4, above.  6 companion, alter ego,
             comrade, Colloq sidekick, crony, chum, (bosom) pal, US (bosom)
             buddy:  Boswell was Johnson's shadow for almost twenty years.

             --v.  7 follow, trail, track, dog, stalk, pursue, trace, Colloq
             tail, US and Canadian bird-dog:  For a month detectives shadowed
             the suspect.

   shadowy   adj.  1 dark, shady, bowery, leafy, shaded, gloomy, dusky, dim,
             Literary bosky:  The hotel bar was a shadowy place with pink
             lights on the tables.  2 vague, dim, dark, obscure, faint,
             indistinct, indefinite, hazy, ill-defined, unclear,
             indeterminate:  The photograph was too shadowy for us to
             identify anyone in it.  The years before he came to London are
             part of his shadowy past. 3 spectral, ghostly, phantom,
             phantasmal, wraithlike, phantasmagoric(al), illusory, dreamlike,
             imaginary, visionary, chimerical, hallucinatory, unreal,
             unsubstantial, fleeting, impalpable, transitory, ethereal,
             immaterial:  He saw shadowy figures lurking near the tomb. The
             plaintiff's case is shadowy, to say the least. 4 See shady, 2,
             below.

   shady     adj.  1 See shadowy, 1, above.  2 indistinct, indefinite,
             questionable, doubtful, uncertain, unreliable, suspicious,
             suspect, dubious, shifty, disreputable; devious, tricky,
             slippery, underhand(ed), unethical, unscrupulous, dishonourable,
             dishonest, Colloq fishy, crooked, bent, not (strictly) kosher:
             The minister's shady past will be revealed in the next issue of
             Tribune . She got involved with some shady character who had
             just come out of prison.

   shaft     n.  1 pole, rod, staff, stick, stem, shank, handle, helve;
             pillar, column, post, stanchion, upright:  The shaft of the
             harpoon splintered as the whale suddenly plunged downwards.
             These shafts help support the upper storey. 2 beam, ray, gleam,
             streak, pencil:  At exactly noon on the winter solstice a shaft
             of light struck the altar at the centre of the stone circle. 3
             thrust, barb, sting, dart, gibe or jibe, barb, Colloq slap (in
             the face), knock, put-down:  After the episode in the
             restaurant, Barbara had to suffer the shafts of her colleagues
             and their teasing. 4 mine-shaft, tunnel, adit, well, pit;
             air-shaft, duct, flue:  How many men went down the shaft in the
             first shift? The screen over the ventilating shaft must be kept
             clean.

   shaggy    adj.  hairy, woolly, unkempt, unshorn, uncut, hirsute,
             dishevelled, matted, untidy:  They had a large black dog with
             shaggy hair and a great bushy tail.

   shake     v.  1 quiver, quake, shudder, waver, wobble, tremble, shiver:
             The poor child is shaking from the cold.  2 wiggle, wriggle,
             squirm, shimmy, twitch, joggle, jiggle, waggle, sway, swing,
             roll, bump, grind, vibrate, oscillate, pulsate, gyrate:  When
             Lola shakes her hips the strongest men have been known to
             weaken. 3 weaken, undermined, impair, harm, damage, discourage;
             disenchant, disappoint, disaffect:  The incident shook my faith
             in the political party I had supported all my voting life. 4
             wave, brandish, flourish, display, show off, parade, exhibit,
             vaunt, waggle, flap, flutter:  It was thrilling to see the
             once-banned flag being shaken under the noses of the deposed
             leaders. 5 Often, shake up. agitate, stir (up), mix (up); upset,
             distress, frighten, scare, shock, disturb, unnerve, unsettle,
             disconcert, discomfit, worry, fluster, disquiet, confound,
             confuse, perplex, puzzle, Colloq rattle, get to, US throw (for a
             loop):  Shake the medicine before taking it. I was really shaken
             by the news that Sheila had quit. 6 shake down.  a break in,
             condition, test, prove, Colloq debug:  We shook down the
             submarine on a 30-day cruise.  b blackmail, extort or extract or
             squeeze or wrest money from, hold up, squeeze, threaten:  The
             shopkeepers were so frightened that the gang easily shook them
             down. 7 shake off. get rid of, discard, dislodge, drop, brush
             off, elude, evade, lose, throw off, rid oneself of, give the
             slip to:  We finally shook off our pursuers: at last we felt
             safe.

             --n.  8 shaking, quivering, quaking, shuddering, wavering,
             wobbling, trembling, shivering, quiver, quake, shudder, waver,
             wobble, tremble, shiver, wiggle, wriggle, twitch, joggle,
             jiggle, sway, swing, roll, gyration:  The dog gave a shake of
             its tail and bounded towards them.  9 agitating, agitation,
             shaking, stirring (up), jolt, jar, jarring, jounce, jolting,
             jouncing:  Give him a good shake and he'll wake up.  10 the
             shakes. trembling, tremors, delirium tremens, Colloq D.T.'s:
             She's had so much to drink that she's got the shakes.

   shake-up  n.  reorganization, rearrangement, overhaul, revamp,
             restructuring, rehabilitation, make-over, realignment:  With new
             owners you can expect a complete shake-up of top management.

   shaky     adj.  1 uncertain, wobbly, unstable, precarious, unsound,
             flimsy, weak, unsteady, unsupported, unsubstantiated,
             undependable, unreliable, tenuous, untrustworthy, dubious,
             questionable, doubtful, Colloq iffy:  The evidence against him
             is very shaky indeed.  2 wobbly, wobbling, unstable, precarious,
             dilapidated, ramshackle, on its last legs, decrepit, falling
             down or apart, rickety, flimsy, unsteady, insecure, unsound,
             unsubstantial, insubstantial, feeble:  Surely, you can't expect
             that shaky old chair to support your weight!

   shallow   adj.  1 surface, skin-deep, superficial, thin, empty, flimsy,
             trivial, unimportant, slight, frivolous, idle, foolish:  If you
             read only comic books, your thoughts are bound to be shallow.  2
             Often, shallows. shoal(s), sand bar, sandbank, bank, shelf:
             This boat draws too much water to go fishing in the shallows.

   sham      n.  1 fake, fraud, counterfeit, imitation, hoax, humbug,
             pretence, forgery, copy, imposture, Colloq phoney or US also
             phony:  Their call for reform is a sham, as they have no
             intention of disturbing the status quo.

             --adj.  2 fake, fraudulent, counterfeit, imitation, paste,
             simulated, false, make-believe, fictitious, made-up, bogus,
             spurious, mock, ersatz, artificial, synthetic, Colloq phoney or
             US also phony, pseudo:  He sat there feigning interest, a sham
             smile on his face.

   shambles  n.  chaos, devastation, mess, disaster, Augean stables, pigsty,
             muddle, pigpen:  I can't find anything in this shambles. The
             campaign degenerated into a complete shambles.

   shambling adj.  shuffling, lumbering, dragging, scuttling, awkward,
             clumsy, lurching, unsteady, faltering:  The old beggar hobbled
             off with a shambling gait.

   shame     n.  1 embarrassment, humiliation, mortification, chagrin,
             ignominy, shamefacedness, loss of face, abashment:  Watts felt
             abysmal shame at being discovered stealing from petty cash. 2
             disgrace, ignominy, dishonour, disrepute, degradation,
             opprobrium, vilification, calumniation, infamy, obloquy, odium,
             contempt, scandal, denigration, loss of face, defamation,
             discredit, disesteem, disfavour, derogation, disparagement:  To
             think that one knight's single act of cowardice in 1249 could
             have brought such shame to all his descendants. 3 pity,
             calamity, disaster, catastrophe; outrage:  What a shame that
             Gerry failed the exam!  4 humility, modesty, (sense of) decency
             or decorum or propriety, respectability, decorousness,
             diffidence, shyness, coyness, prudishness, timidity,
             shamefacedness:  The people who wear bathing suits like that
             obviously have no shame at all. 5 put to shame.  a surpass,
             eclipse, outclass, overshadow, cast into the shade, outdo,
             outstrip, outshine, show up:  Cochrane put his opponents to
             shame when they failed to score a single point against him. b
             See 8, below.

             --v.  6 embarrass, humiliate, mortify, humble, chagrin,
             disconcert, discountenance, put down, bring down, abash,
             chasten, Colloq bring (someone) down a peg, suppress, subdue:
             He hated the teacher because she had shamed him in front of his
             friends. 7 coerce, force, drive, bully, push; embarrass,
             humiliate, mortify, humble:  The other boys shamed him into
             admitting that he had done it.  8 disgrace, embarrass,
             dishonour, scandalize, calumniate, degrade, debase, defame,
             discredit, stigmatize; smear, blacken, stain, taint, besmirch,
             tarnish:  I am sure, son, that nothing you ever do would shame
             the family or me.

   shamefaced
             adj.  1 bashful, shy, modest, self-effacing, diffident, timid,
             meek, coy, sheepish, timorous:  He felt shamefaced as a
             schoolboy when they awarded him a medal for bravery. 2 ashamed,
             shamed, abashed, embarrassed, humiliated, dishonoured,
             mortified, humbled, chastened, chagrined, uncomfortable,
             discomfited, remorseful, red-faced:  Shamefaced, she finally
             admitted the truth about where she had been.

   shameful  adj.  disgraceful, dishonourable, base, low, mean, vile,
             degrading, indecent, inglorious, deplorable, discreditable,
             corrupt, disreputable, infamous, ignominious, humiliating,
             embarrassing, mortifying, humbling, chastening, discomfiting,
             shaming, blameworthy, scandalous, outrageous, unprincipled:
             Quentin was known for his shameful behaviour both at school and
             in the army.

   shameless adj.  wild, flagrant, unreserved, uncontrolled, immodest,
             wanton, indecorous, indecent, rude, improper, forward, bold,
             unembarrassed, unblushing, audacious, brazen, brash, unabashed,
             unashamed, impudent, shocking, outrageous:  He was roundly
             condemned for his shameless neglect of his responsibilities.
             Her behaviour was shameless, even wanton.

   shape     n.  1 form, figure, build, body, physique; lines, profile,
             silhouette, contours:  I've never heard anyone complain about
             Marilyn Monroe's shape.  2 form, pattern, configuration,
             structure, aspect:  The discussion is on the shape of things to
             come in the double-glazing trade. The new swimming-pool will be
             in the shape of a figure of eight. 3 form:  Gradually, the
             shopping mall began to take shape.  4 state, condition, fettle,
             status, (state of) health, order, trim:  When I saw Wayne
             yesterday, he seemed in very good shape indeed.  5 guise,
             disguise, form, appearance, likeness, image:  Zeus visited Dan„e
             in the shape of a golden shower, and fathered Perseus on her.

             --v.  6 form, fashion, mould, cast, make, model, sculpture,
             sculpt; cut, carve, hew, hack, trim:  Using primitive tools,
             they were able to shape the clay into bowls.  The topiary shrubs
             were shaped into the forms of birds. 7 determine, give form to,
             control, govern, regulate, affect, condition, influence, decree,
             frame, define,:  There are many factors that shape our future.
             8 word, express, embody in words, put, formulate, form:  Perhaps
             you could shape your question differently.  9 change, modify,
             remodel, accommodate, fit, adapt, adjust:  The box was shaped
             especially for this bottle.  10 shape up.  a take form, take
             shape, develop, evolve, proceed:  The plan is shaping up very
             nicely.  b conform, improve, progress, go or move or come along,
             show improvement, come up to snuff; behave better:  Those who
             cannot shape up will have to ship out.

   shapeless adj.  1 amorphous, formless, nebulous, unformed, indefinite,
             unstructured, vague:  Sculptors start with a shapeless mass of
             clay.  2 unshapely, deformed, misshapen, distorted, twisted,
             bent, battered:  The wreckage was a shapeless tangle of steel
             and mortar.

   shapely   adj.  curvaceous, comely, well-proportioned, graceful, neat,
             well turned out, good-looking, pleasing; voluptuous, Colloq
             sexy:  That slinky black dress certainly sets off her shapely
             figure to advantage.

   share     n.  1 portion, allotment, division, apportionment, allocation,
             ration, appropriation, dispensation, allowance, part, due,
             percentage, interest, dividend, quota, portion, helping,
             serving, Colloq cut:  Each of us is entitled to a share in the
             profits. We made sure that all participants got their shares. 2
             interest, piece, part, stake, equity, slice:  Do you own any
             shares in the stock market? My share in United Telephone is
             worth twice what I paid for it.

             --v.  3 share out, divide up, allot, apportion, allocate,
             ration, appropriate, share in, split, partition, parcel or deal
             or dole out, pay out:  Ownership in the company is shared
             equally among the employees.  Let's just take one car, and share
             the expenses.

   sharp     adj.  1 acute, keen; razor-sharp, knife-like, knife-edged,
             sharpened; pointed, needle-sharp:  How do you keep the telescope
             in sharp focus? You need an extremely sharp knife for boning
             fish. This pencil isn't sharp enough. 2 abrupt, sudden,
             precipitous, sheer, vertical, marked:  Just round the corner is
             a sharp dip in the road. There was a sharp rise in prices on the
             London Stock Exchange today. 3 keen, keen-witted, keen-minded,
             sharp-witted, shrewd, intelligent, smart, alert, bright, quick,
             agile, astute, clever, on the qui vive, penetrating, observant:
             Penny has a very sharp mind and a good eye for detail.  4
             caustic, bitter, biting, acrid, hot, spicy, pungent, piquant,
             tangy, harsh, sour, acid, acidulous, tart:  That lemon sorbet is
             a little too sharp for my taste.  5 acid, acidulous, acerbic,
             vitriolic, acrimonious, cutting, piquant, biting, bitter,
             unkind, strict, hurtful, spiteful, virulent, sarcastic,
             sardonic, trenchant, severe, scathing, malicious, nasty,
             malignant, venomous, poisonous:  How does one escape the sharp
             comments of the critics? She was unprepared for the sharp
             exchange between the guests on her chat show. 6 clever, shrewd,
             artful, crafty, sly, cunning, foxy, calculating, unscrupulous,
             dishonest, Colloq sneaky, fly:  There is evidence that the stock
             manipulators were engaged in very sharp practice. 7
             high-pitched, shrill, penetrating, piercing, strident, harsh,
             ear-splitting, loud:  Jane gave a sharp cry when she felt the
             ice break under her feet.  8 poignant, severe, cutting, intense,
             sudden, piercing, extreme, acute, fierce:  Complaining of a
             sharp pain in his chest, he fell down.  9 chic, dapper, spruce,
             stylish, smart, fashionable, dressy, Colloq snappy, natty,
             classy, nifty, swell, swanky:  If you want to see the latest
             collection of sharp clothes, go to the disco.

             --adv.  10 sharply, precisely, exactly, punctually, on the dot,
             Colloq on the button, US on the nose:  Our appointment was for
             seven o'clock sharp.  11 sharply, suddenly, abruptly:  I was
             pulled up sharp by her mention of the Black Rose.  12 sharply,
             alertly, attentively, vigilantly, watchfully, carefully:  Listen
             sharp to what I tell you.

   sharpen   v.  hone, grind, strop, whet:  Of what use is a knife if you
             don't sharpen it periodically?

   sharp-eyed
             adj.  sharp-sighted, eagle-eyed, hawk-eyed, lynx-eyed,
             gimlet-eyed, keen-sighted, wide awake, wakeful, watchful,
             observant, (on the) alert, on the qui vive, wary, circumspect,
             Argus-eyed, cautious, careful:  It takes quite a sharp-eyed
             person to check the accuracy of these circuits.

   sharply   adv.  1 severely, sternly, harshly, cuttingly, acerbically,
             peremptorily, angrily, strictly, firmly:  Her teacher sharply
             rebuked Hilary for smiling.  2 suddenly, quickly, abruptly,
             precipitously, precipitately:  Prices increased sharply for the
             third day in succession.  3 acutely, distinctly, definitely,
             definitively:  These new cameras automatically remain sharply
             focused on the object.

   shatter   v.  1 disintegrate, burst, pulverize, shiver, smash, demolish,
             break (to smithereens), splinter, fragment, fracture, dash to
             pieces:  If you hadn't caught the vase, it would have shattered
             into a million pieces. 2 destroy, ruin, devastate, wreck, dash,
             crush, demolish, torpedo, undermine, blast:  Any dreams he might
             have had of being published were shattered by the rejection
             letter. 3 upset, disturb, perturb, trouble, unnerve, overcome,
             overwhelm, crush, devastate, depress, deject, rattle, shake
             (up), unsettle, agitate, confound, confuse, stupefy, daze, stun,
             paralyse, Colloq throw:  He was shattered by the news of Mill's
             death.

   shave     v.  1 shear (off), cut (off), trim, clip, crop, snip off,
             remove:  He made a mistake in shaving off his beard, as it hid
             his weak chin. 2 pare, scrape, plane, whittle:  If you shave
             just a hair off this side, it will fit into the hole.

             --n.  3 close shave. narrow escape, Colloq narrow or near
             squeak, US squeaker:  That was a close shave! - You almost fell
             out the window!

   shed°     n.  lean-to, shelter, structure, addition, penthouse, hut,
             shack, stall, booth, pen, cote, hutch:  The tools are in the
             shed alongside the barn.

   shedэ     v.  1 spill:  Much blood has been shed in the name of freedom.
             2 shine, spread, scatter, throw, cast, let fall, impart,
             release, focus, pour forth, let fall, radiate:  Can you shed a
             little light on a matter that has puzzled me for years? 3 pour
             or stream or flow or surge or spill (out or forth), discharge,
             emanate, emit, drop; exude, ooze, weep:  The clouds shed their
             snow and the world below turned white. Don't shed any tears over
             me. 4 cast off, doff, drop, abandon; moult, defoliate,
             desquamate, peel (off), flake (off):  The trees shed their
             leaves. She rushed into the bathroom, shedding her clothes as
             she went.

   sheen     n.  shine, gleam, polish, lustre, shininess, burnish,
             brightness, gloss, glow, glimmer, shimmer, radiance, glint,
             dazzle:  The sheen of the horse's coat glistened in the
             sunlight.

   sheepish  adj.  1 timid, withdrawn, passive, docile, obedient, compliant,
             sheeplike, manipulable, tractable, pliable, meek, amenable:
             Dashworth might seem sheepish but he doesn't like to be bullied.
             2 See shamefaced, above.

   sheer     adj.  1 steep, precipitous, abrupt, perpendicular, bluff,
             vertical:  There is a sheer drop of 2000 feet to the valley
             below.  2 absolute, unmitigated, unqualified, downright,
             out-and-out, unalloyed, unadulterated, pure, unmixed, plain,
             simple, rank, total, complete, arrant, thorough, thoroughgoing,
             utter:  Johnson said that he had got his definition of 'pastern'
             wrong out of 'sheer ignorance'. 3 transparent, see-through,
             thin, diaphanous, filmy, gauzy, gossamer, translucent, peekaboo:
             Kathryn was wearing the sheer nightgown he had given her for her
             birthday.

   sheet     n.  1 bed-sheet, crib-sheet, fitted sheet, flat sheet, US
             contour sheet:  How often do you change the sheets on your bed?
             2 leaf, folio, page:  He tore a sheet of paper from the
             notebook.  3 pane, panel, plate, slab:  The desk has a sheet of
             glass on top for protection.  4 lamina, lamination, layer,
             stratum, veneer, membrane:  Plywood is made up of a number of
             thin sheets of pressed wood bonded together for strength. 5
             area, expanse, stretch, layer, film, coat, coating, covering,
             blanket, cover, surface, skin, veneer:  The sheet of ice on the
             road made driving hazardous.  6 newspaper, journal, paper,
             tabloid, gazette, daily, weekly, monthly, Colloq rag:  Have you
             got a copy of the sheet that published the article about you?

   shell     n.  1 cartridge, projectile, shot:  We huddled in the foxhole as
             the shells whistled overhead.  2 exterior, outside, fa‡ade,
             framework, frame, chassis, externals, skeleton, hull:  After the
             earthquake, only the shell of the building was left standing.

             --v.  3 shuck, husk, peel, hull, excorticate, decorticate:
             Would you mind shelling the peas while I peel the potatoes?  4
             fire on or upon, bombard, barrage, attack, bomb, blitz,
             cannonade, Slang Brit prang:  The enemy shelled our position
             relentlessly.  5 shell out. pay out, give out, disburse, spend,
             expend, hand over, hand out, Colloq lay out, fork out, dish out,
             Chiefly US ante up:  I had to shell out a month's salary for
             that suit.

   shelter   n.  1 protection, cover, refuge, asylum, sanctuary, haven,
             safety, security:  During the hailstorm, we sought shelter in a
             cave.  2 cover, covering, concealment, screen, umbrella:  Under
             the shelter of a moonless night, they stole quietly past the
             guards. 3 dwelling-place, habitation, home, dwelling, housing,
             accommodation:  He feels that everyone is entitled to food,
             clothing, and shelter.

             --v.  4 protect, screen, shield, safeguard, guard, keep, secure,
             harbour:  The parapet sheltered the guards from the icy wind.  5
             seek or take refuge or shelter, hole up, Colloq lie or lay low:
             Mike sheltered in a mountain hut until the hue and cry died
             down.

   shelve    v.  postpone, defer, put off or aside or on ice or on the shelf,
             pigeon-hole, lay aside, hold in abeyance, US table:  We will
             have to shelve this matter until we have more information.

   shepherd  v.  lead, convoy, escort, conduct, guide, usher, take, pursue:
             I want you, personally, to shepherd Miss Jones through the
             plant.  As this project requires special care, I shall shepherd
             it through personally.

   shibboleth
             n.  password, catchword, catch-phrase, buzz-word, byword,
             watchword, jargon:  As Simon knew none of the shibboleths of
             teenagers' slang, he remained an outsider to his classmates.

   shield    n.  1 protection, guard, safeguard, defence, screen, bulwark,
             shelter:  Education is a poor shield against poverty.

             --v.  2 protect, guard, safeguard, keep, defend, screen,
             shelter:  The mother bear will shield the cubs from harm or die
             in the attempt.

   shift     v.  1 move, change position; edge, budge, relocate, rearrange,
             transpose, switch:  Shift the picture slightly to the left.
             Marla shifted over closer to me on the bench. I almost broke my
             leg because you shifted the chair as I was about to sit on it. 2
             Usually, shift for (oneself). manage, succeed, make do, look
             after, take care of, get or scrape by or along, fend for
             (oneself), make it, paddle one's own canoe:  Cyril prefers to
             live alone and shift for himself.  3 sell, market, move:  The
             object of advertising is to shift merchandise.

             --n.  4 hours, stint, schedule; workforce, relay, crew, cadre,
             staff, workers, squad, team, corps, group, party, gang:  I
             prefer to work the morning shift. The night shift comes on at
             1600. 5 change, movement, switch, transfer, swerve, deflection,
             veer:  Owing to a wind shift, it became impossible to manoeuvre
             among the rocks. 6 smock, chemise, muu-muu; caftan or kaftan:  A
             light cotton shift is the most comfortable thing to wear in such
             scorching weather.

   shiftless adj.  unambitious, lazy, indolent, uninspired, unmotivated,
             idle, lackadaisical, irresponsible, uncaring, unenterprising,
             aimless, slothful, otiose, ineffective, ne'er-do-well,
             good-for-nothing, fain‚ant, pococurante:  He calls Geoff a
             shiftless vagabond, virtually a tautology.

   shifty    adj.  tricky, artful, shrewd, canny, cunning, foxy, wily, sharp,
             devious, slick, evasive, smooth, slippery, scheming, designing,
             conniving, calculating, underhand(ed), conspiratorial,
             treacherous, traitorous, deceitful, deceiving, duplicitous,
             two-faced, Janus-faced, dishonest, crooked, untrustworthy,
             Colloq bent:  The shifty scoundrel gave me a bad cheque and did
             a moonlight flit.

   shilly-shally
             v.  hem and haw, dilly-dally, teeter-totter, see-saw, yo-yo,
             vacillate, waver, alternate, fluctuate, dither, falter,
             tergiversate, Brit haver, hum and haw, Scots swither; delay,
             hesitate, dawdle:  Stop shilly-shallying and decide whether you
             want chocolate or strawberry!

   shimmer   v.  1 shine, gleam, glow, glimmer, glint, glisten, ripple,
             flicker:  The desert shimmered like a lake under the relentless
             sun.

             --n.  2 shimmering, shine, gleam, glow, glimmer, glint, gloss,
             flicker, light:  As Julia slunk up to the microphone, the
             spotlight picked up the shimmer from her black satin gown.

   shin      v.  Usually, shin up. climb, clamber up, scramble up, scale, US
             shinny up:  The lad shinned up the flag-pole carrying the
             banner.

   shine     v.  1 gleam, glow, shimmer, radiate, beam, glare, flare,
             glisten, glitter, coruscate, twinkle, sparkle, scintillate,
             glint, flash, flicker:  The light of a candle shone from her
             window. The stars are shining brightly. I want that brass
             polished till it shines. 2 polish, burnish, rub (up or down),
             buff, brush, brighten:  You'd best shine your shoes before going
             for the job interview.  3 excel, surpass, stand out, outshine,
             be outstanding or pre-eminent or excellent or prominent or
             conspicuous:  She had shone at tennis from a very early age, and
             first entered Wimbledon when she was twelve.

             --n.  4 gleam, glow, shimmer, sparkle, brightness, radiance,
             gloss, lustre, sheen, glaze, patina:  That shine was achieved
             with a little wax and elbow-grease.  5 take a shine to. like, be
             attracted to, take a fancy to, fancy:  Her Great Dane has taken
             a shine to me and likes to sit on my lap.

   shiny     adj.  gleaming, glowing, shimmering, glossy, shimmery, lustrous,
             glassy, radiant, bright, beaming, glistening, polished,
             burnished, glittering, dazzling, coruscating, twinkling,
             sparkling, scintillating, glinting, flashing, flashy,
             flickering, lambent, fulgent:  She loves riding about in her
             shiny new car.

   ship      n.  1 vessel, (ocean or passenger) liner, steamer, wind-jammer,
             cutter:  The statue is dedicated to the men who go down to the
             sea in ships.

             --v.  2 send, move, ferry, transport, deliver, carry, dispatch
             or despatch, freight, haul, truck, cart:  You need a specialized
             company that ships computers and other delicate equipment. 3
             ship out. leave, depart, embark, set sail, take off, get out,
             quit, Slang scram:  You'll ship out if you know what's good for
             you.

   shipshape adj.  neat, trim, spotless, orderly, Bristol fashion, spick and
             span, tidy:  Pick up your clothes and make this room shipshape
             at once!

   shirk     v.  avoid, evade, shun, dodge, get out of, shrink from, Colloq
             duck (out of), Brit skive, Military Brit scrimshank, US gold
             brick:  Stop shirking your responsibilities and get to work! Is
             Callum shirking again?

   shiver°   v.  1 shake, quake, tremble, shudder, quiver:  We sat in our wet
             clothes, shivering in the cold. The old shack shivered in the
             wind. 2 vibrate, luff, flap, flutter, chatter, rattle, shake,
             wallop:  The sails shivered violently in the stiff breeze.

             --n.  3 shake, quake, tremble, shudder, quiver, thrill, frisson,
             trembling, tremor, flutter:  She gave a little shiver and then
             snuggled into my arms.  4 the shivers. trembling, shivering,
             goose-pimples or goose bumps, Colloq the shakes, US the chills:
             He's had malaria and occasionally gets the shivers. Those horror
             films give me the shivers.

   shiverэ   v.  shatter, fragment, splinter, disintegrate, rupture, explode,
             implode, smash (to smithereens), crash:  The light-bulb fell and
             shivered into a million fragments.

   shock     v.  1 startle, surprise, stagger, jar, jolt, shake (up), stun,
             numb, paralyse, daze, stupefy, dumbfound or dumfound, bowl over,
             appal, astonish, astound, frighten, scare, petrify, traumatize,
             horrify, outrage, disgust, nauseate, repel, revolt, sicken,
             upset, disquiet, disturb, perturb, discompose, unsettle, Colloq
             throw, US throw for a loop, flabbergast, give (someone) a turn:
             He shocked us when he announced his resignation. We were shocked
             to learn of the train wreck.

             --n.  2 trauma, stupor, paralysis, prostration, breakdown,
             collapse, nervous exhaustion:  He is in a state of shock after
             the accident.  3 surprise, thunderbolt, bolt from the blue,
             bombshell, revelation, shocker, eye-opener, jolt:  It came as a
             shock to learn whom I had been talking to so casually.  The
             death of her husband was a terrible shock. 4 tingle, jolt,
             impact:  You'll get a nasty shock if you touch those wires.

   shocking  adj.  1 surprising, astounding, astonishing, amazing, striking,
             stupefying, numbing, sudden, unexpected, electrifying,
             startling, Colloq mind-boggling, mind-blowing:  It was shocking
             to see the way the neighbourhood had deteriorated.  2
             disgusting, revolting, nauseating, nauseous, sickening,
             repulsive, abominable, hideous, horrible, horrifying, horrific,
             horrid, foul, loathsome, abhorrent, ghastly, hideous,
             unspeakable, dreadful, distressing, outrageous, appalling,
             monstrous, scandalous:  The conditions in the concentration
             camps were shocking.

   shoddy    adj.  shabby, tatty, inferior, poor, rubbishy, cheap, pinchbeck,
             meretricious, tawdry, gaudy, Brummagem, plastic, artificial,
             tinsel, tinselly, second-rate, trashy, junky, Colloq crappy,
             cheapjack, tacky, US chintzy:  They can't get away for long with
             selling such shoddy merchandise.

   shoo      interjection.  1 Scat!, Go away!, Away with you!, Be off!, Get
             out!, Begone!, Colloq Get lost!, Beat it!, Scram!:  I shouted
             'Shoo!' and the chickens scattered.

             --v.  2 Often, shoo away or off. scare off, frighten away, drive
             away, force to leave:  She shoos away anyone who disturbs her
             while she is painting.

   shoot     v.  1 scoot, dart, whisk, speed, bolt, run, race, rush, flash,
             fly, dash, hurtle, streak, scuttle, bound, leap, spring, Colloq
             zip, whiz:  The instant the baby cried out, its mother shot over
             to protect it. 2 discharge, fire, open fire; let fly, launch,
             propel, project, fling, hurl, throw, toss:  Don't shoot till you
             see the whites of their eyes! With all his strength he shot the
             arrow into the beast's neck. 3 wound, hurt, harm, injure; kill,
             slay, assassinate, execute, Slang fill or pump full of lead,
             plug, blast, zap, knock off, snuff (out):  He insulted her, so
             she shot him. He's to be shot at sunrise.  4 sprout, germinate,
             burgeon, flourish, grow, spring up, mushroom, develop:  Owing to
             the perfect weather, the corn shot up very quickly.

             --n.  5 sprout, stem, bud, branch, offshoot, slip, scion,
             sucker:  If you want fruit, the new shoots have to be pinched
             back.

   shop      n.  1 store, boutique, department store:  Would you stop at the
             shop and buy some lettuce?  2 workshop, machine shop:  Henry
             gained experience in operating a lathe at my father's shop.

             --v.  3 betray, inform on or against, Slang peach on, rat on,
             snitch on, blow the whistle on:  The police persuaded Luke to
             shop his accomplices in exchange for a lighter sentence. 4 shop
             for. buy, purchase, seek, look for, research:  I've been
             shopping for a new dishwasher.

   short     adj.  1 small, little, slight, petite, diminutive, wee, tiny,
             elfin, minuscule; midget, dwarfish, squat, dumpy, runty, stubby,
             stunted, Colloq pint-sized, knee-high to a grasshopper,
             sawn-off:  Did you know that Queen Victoria was quite short?  2
             shortened, brief, concise, compressed, compendious, compact,
             pocket, US vest-pocket; abbreviated, abridged, cut:  A short
             version of the book was published in paperback.  3 laconic,
             terse, succinct, pithy, sententious, epigrammatic:  He made a
             few short remarks that were very much to the point.  4 abrupt,
             curt, terse, sharp, blunt, bluff, brusque, sharp, offhand,
             gruff, testy, snappish, discourteous, uncivil, impolite:  It is
             unnecessary to be so short with the staff.  5 direct, straight,
             straightforward, short and sweet:  In reply to your request for
             permission to leave early, the short answer is 'No'. 6 Usually,
             short of. deficient (in), lacking (in), needful (of), wanting,
             inadequate, shy (of), low (on):  The hotel is short of clean
             linen because the laundry failed to deliver. 7 brief, limited;
             transitory, temporary, short-lived, momentary, quick, transient:
             HQ had a short life but a happy one. I'll just make a short stop
             in here and will join you in a moment. 8 impecunious,
             straitened, pinched, underfunded, poor, penniless, deficient:
             I'm a bit short today and wonder if you could lend me some
             money?  9 in short supply. rare, scarce, scanty, unplentiful,
             meagre, sparse, Colloq chiefly Brit thin on the ground:  Good
             editors are in short supply these days.  10 short of. before,
             failing, excluding, exclusive of, barring, eliminating,
             precluding, excepting, except for, leaving out, apart from,
             setting aside:  Short of killing him, I am not sure what she
             could have done in the circumstances.

             --adv.  11 abruptly, suddenly, peremptorily, without warning,
             instantly, unexpectedly, hurriedly, hastily, out of the blue:
             She stopped short in the middle of the road and made me get out.
             12 cut short.  a trim, curtail, shorten, abbreviate, cut:  I
             must cut my visit short because I have a train to catch.  b
             stop, cut off, terminate, cut in on, break in on, interrupt;
             butt in:  I am sorry to cut you short, but it is getting on for
             midnight.  13 fall or come short. fail, be or prove inadequate
             or insufficient:  These grades fall short of our expectations,
             Bobby.

             --n.  14 in short. briefly, in a word, all in all, to make a
             long story short, in a nutshell:  He told me, in short, that
             there was no job and there never had been one. 15 shorts.
             Bermuda shorts, knee-breeches, knee-pants, hot pants:  I usually
             wear shorts to play tennis.

   shortage  n.  deficit, deficiency, shortfall, dearth, scarcity, lack,
             want, paucity:  They are predicting a shortage of water again
             this summer.

   shortcoming
             n.  failure, defect, deficiency, weakness, frailty, drawback,
             liability, imperfection, weak point, flaw:  One might
             justifiably regard colour-blindness as a shortcoming in an
             interior decorator.

   shorten   v.  1 cut, curtail, cut off or down or short, reduce, diminish,
             trim; lop off, dock, prune; hem:  Please shorten the time you
             spend in the bathroom in the mornings.  This skirt has already
             been shortened. 2 condense, abridge, abbreviate, digest,
             compress:  Can one shorten the book without losing too much of
             the characterization?

   short-lived
             adj.  ephemeral, evanescent, temporary, fleeting, transitory,
             transient, passing, fugacious, volatile:  He enjoyed a
             short-lived reputation that died with him.

   shortly   adv.  1 soon, presently, anon, before long, in a (little) while,
             by and by, Archaic ere long:  I'll see you shortly.  2 just,
             immediately, soon, right:  We had dinner with him shortly before
             he went abroad.  3 abruptly, briefly, peremptorily, curtly,
             brusquely, sharply, tersely, testily, gruffly, rudely, tartly:
             'Leave me alone', said Bill shortly.

   short-sighted
             adj.  1 near-sighted, myopic, dim-sighted:  He wears thick
             spectacles because he's so short-sighted.  2 unimaginative,
             unprogressive, improvident, imprudent, injudicious, rash, brash,
             impulsive, reckless, impolitic, limited, unwary, incautious,
             careless, thoughtless, unmindful:  Lewis's short-sighted view
             makes no provision for the future.

   short-staffed
             adj.  undermanned, short-handed, understaffed:  We are usually
             short-staffed during the summer because of the holiday
             schedules.

   short-tempered
             adj.  testy, irascible, short, curt, abrupt, gruff, peremptory,
             bluff, rude, tart, acid, acidulous, terse, brusque, crabbed,
             crabby, irritable, touchy, petulant, peevish, bearish, snappish,
             waspish, shrewish, curmudgeonly, crusty, surly, discourteous,
             grouchy, disagreeable, caustic, acrimonious, acerbic:  Henry is
             often short-tempered if he has slept badly.

   short-winded
             adj.  short of or out of breath, winded, breathless, panting,
             huffing (and puffing), gasping (for air or for breath),
             Technical dyspnoeal:  He is very short-winded because he smokes
             too much.

   shot      n.  1 discharge, shooting:  The town was captured without a shot
             being fired.  2 bullet, ball, slug, cannon-ball, buckshot,
             pellet, projectile, missile:  A dumdum bullet is a piece of soft
             shot with a hollowed-out nose.  3 attempt, try, opportunity,
             chance, go, essay, endeavour, guess, conjecture, Colloq stab,
             crack, whack:  You are allowed three shots at the answer.  4
             marksman, markswoman, sharpshooter, sniper, rifleman:  Geraghty
             is an excellent shot and favourite for an Olympic gold.  5
             photograph, snapshot, picture, Colloq snap, photo:  Miller took
             some excellent action shots using stroboscopic lighting.  6
             injection, inoculation, vaccination:  The doctor gave me a flu
             shot this morning.  7 drink, jigger, tot, dram, nip, spot,
             swallow, Colloq finger, swig, slug, snort:  Will you have a shot
             of whisky with me, Muldoon?  8 (space) launch or launching:  The
             moon shot scheduled for today has been postponed owing to
             technical difficulties. 9 call the shots. run or direct or
             manage or administer or control things or affairs or matters,
             run the show, rule the roost, be in command or the driver's
             seat:  Ravelli calls the shots around here, and don't you forget
             it.  10 like a shot. quickly, swiftly, rapidly, speedily,
             hurriedly, hastily, at once, like a flash, immediately,
             instantly, instantaneously, Colloq in two shakes of a lamb's
             tail, like greased lightning, before you can say 'Jack
             Robinson':  All I had to do was mention ice-cream, and the
             children were in here like a shot. 11 (not) by a long shot. no
             way, under no circumstances, by no means, on no account, by no
             chance, never:  You ask if he can get elected and my response
             is, 'Not by a long shot'. 12 shot in the arm. boost, stimulus,
             encouragement, incentive, inducement, provocation, motivation:
             The team needs a shot in the arm to improve morale.

   shoulder  n.  1 side, edge, verge, margin; breakdown lane:  If you have a
             flat tyre, drive onto the hard shoulder and phone for help. 2
             give (someone) the cold shoulder. rebuff, snub, ostracize, send
             (someone) to Coventry, cold-shoulder, put (someone) down,
             reject, exclude, freeze (someone) out, shun, avoid, Colloq cut
             (dead):  After his court case, they gave Nicholas the cold
             shoulder at his club. 3 put (one's or the) shoulder to the
             wheel. make every effort, make an effort, strive, work hard,
             pitch in, apply oneself, roll up one's sleeves, set or get to
             work, Colloq knuckle down, buckle down:  If we put our shoulders
             to the wheel, we ought to be able to get our candidate elected.
             4 rub shoulders (with). associate (with), hobnob (with),
             socialize (with), consort (with), mix (with), fraternize (with),
             keep company (with):  Once in a while, she condescends to come
             down and rub shoulders with the common people. 5 shoulder to
             shoulder. side by side, united, as one, cooperatively, jointly,
             arm in arm, hand in hand, in partnership:  If we fight shoulder
             to shoulder, we can defeat this menace and regain our freedom. 6
             straight from the shoulder. directly, straightforwardly,
             candidly, frankly, honestly, openly, unabashedly, unashamedly,
             unambiguously, unequivocally, plainly, bluntly, man to man,
             (with) no holds barred, outright, Colloq without beating about
             the bush, without pulling (any) punches:  I want to tell you,
             straight from the shoulder, Willie, you're the best pal in the
             world.

             --v.  7 push, shove, jostle, hustle, thrust aside, elbow, force:
             She shouldered everyone aside roughly to fight her way to the
             bargain counter. 8 support, carry, bear, take upon oneself, take
             on, accept, assume:  Are you ready to shoulder the
             responsibilities of caring for a family?

   shout     v.  1 yell, scream, bellow, bawl, howl, roar, cry (out), call
             (out), whoop, Colloq holler:  We lined up when the sergeant
             shouted out our names.

             --n.  2 yell, scream, bellow, howl, yelp, roar, cry, call,
             whoop, Colloq holler:  Nobody on shore could hear the boys'
             shouts when their boat capsized.

   show      v.  1 display, present, expose, demonstrate, indicate, exhibit,
             manifest, (lay) bare, disclose, reveal, betray, make known,
             divulge, register, express, make clear or plain or manifest,
             elucidate, clarify, explain:  Show your identification as you
             enter. Your persistent refusal to associate with Dominic shows
             how you feel very clearly. They showed me how the new machine
             works. 2 escort, accompany, conduct, usher, lead, guide, direct;
             steer:  Please show Mr Sorenson to his table.  3 prove,
             demonstrate, confirm, corroborate, verify, substantiate, bear
             out, certify, authenticate:  This signature shows that the will
             was signed personally by your father. 4 teach, instruct, tell,
             inform, let (someone) in on, give (someone) an idea of:  Would
             you please show me how to use this washing-machine?  5 appear,
             become or be visible, peek through, can or may be seen:  The
             floor was showing through a hole in the carpet.  6 exhibit,
             reveal, indicate, display, register:  A thermometer shows the
             temperature, a barometer the atmospheric pressure. 7 make an
             appearance, appear, show up, arrive, come:  Do you really think
             that the Jack Nicholson will show at the club tonight? 8
             represent, symbolize, depict, portray, picture, illustrate:
             This drawing shows what happens to children who bite their
             fingernails.  9 present, play, put on, stage, screen; be (being)
             presented or played or playing or put on or staged or screened:
             They are showing The Maltese Falcon at the local cinema. What is
             showing there tomorrow?  10 grant, accord, bestow:  They finally
             showed mercy and let the hostages go.  11 show off. make an
             exhibit or a spectacle of, flaunt, advertise, display, parade;
             pose, swagger, posture, boast, brag, US and Canadian grandstand:
             They invited us to show off their new house. Quilty shows off
             too much for my taste. 12 show up.  a expose, give away, reveal:
             His collection of animal trophies shows him up for what he
             really is. b stand out, be conspicuous, be noticeable, contrast:
             The white dress shows up nicely against your suntan.  c
             embarrass, (put to) shame, mortify, upstage, overshadow,
             outshine, eclipse:  John only runs in the marathon to show me
             up.

             --n.  13 display, demonstration, exhibition, exposition, fair,
             presentation, Colloq expo:  There will be a computer show at the
             convention centre next week.  14 production, presentation,
             drama, musical, entertainment:  We flew to New York for a week
             to see a few Broadway shows.  15 ostentation, display,
             appearance, pretentiousness, pretension, affectation:  Those
             paintings are there just for show, not because they enjoy art.

   showdown  n.  confrontation, climax, moment of truth, final settlement,
             moment of decision, US face-off:  It's come to the point where
             we must have a showdown about who's boss.

   shower    n.  1 sprinkle, sprinkling, drizzle:  Scattered showers are
             predicted for this afternoon.  2 deluge, torrent, flood, stream,
             barrage, overflow, abundance, profusion:  Showers of confetti
             rained on the parade from the offices.

             --v.  3 sprinkle, rain, pour, spray, bombard, fall, descend,
             drop:  Debris and ash from the volcano showered down on the
             village.  4 lavish, inundate, overwhelm, heap, load (down):  On
             return from her triumphant tour, Sylvia was showered with gifts
             and praise.

   showman   n.  producer, impresario, director:  P. T. Barnum was possibly
             the greatest showman in modern history.

   show-off  n.  braggart, exhibitionist, swaggerer, egotist, boaster, Colloq
             blowhard, windbag:  Sit down and stop being such a show-off,
             Tetsworth.

   showy     adj.  flashy, garish, flamboyant, conspicuous, ostentatious,
             pretentious, bravura, gaudy, US show-off; elaborate, fancy,
             florid, ornate, fussy, intricate, baroque, rococo, Byzantine,
             arabesque:  Their house is very showy, with gargoyles and lions
             and unicorns everywhere you look.

   shred     n.  1 scrap, fragment, bit, tatter, sliver, snippet, rag,
             remnant, chip, piece; atom, trace, whit, grain, jot or tittle,
             scintilla, trace, hint, suggestion, iota, speck:  We found
             shreds from his shirt caught on the thorn-bushes. There isn't a
             shred of evidence to suggest that she killed him.

             --v.  2 fragment, tear (up), tatter, rip (up); destroy,
             demolish; throw away, dispose of, scrap, US trash:  At the news
             of the break-in, he dashed to his office and shredded the
             incriminating evidence.

   shrew     n.  harridan, virago, termagant, vixen, scold, fishwife, nag,
             fury, spitfire, maenad, harpy, witch, hag, crone, hell-cat,
             beldam, bitch, banshee, Xanthippe, Thyiad or Thyad, Colloq
             battleaxe, dragon:  His mother is an old shrew who does nothing
             but complain all the time.

   shrewd    adj.  clever, smart, astute, cunning, canny, acute, sharp,
             keen-minded, keen, quick-witted, crafty, artful, manipulative,
             calculating, calculated, foxy, sly, wily, perceptive,
             percipient, perspicacious, discerning, wise, sage, sagacious,
             long-headed, intelligent, ingenious, Daedalian, inventive,
             resourceful:  He is a shrewd politician, very good at knowing
             exactly what people want to hear him say.

   shriek    n.  1 scream, cry, screech, squeal, squawk, squall:  The girls
             collapsed in shrieks of laughter.

             --v.  2 scream, cry, screech, squeal, squawk, squall:  It is
             very boring to listen to one's neighbours shrieking at each
             other day and night.

   shrill    adj.  high-pitched, ear-splitting, piercing, ear-piercing,
             sharp, piping, screeching, screechy, penetrating:  She let out a
             shrill cry when she saw what had happened.

   shrink    v.  1 wither, shrivel (up), contract:  My woollen pullover
             shrank because you washed it in hot water.  2 Often, shrink
             from. withdraw (from), draw back, recoil (from), back away
             (from), retreat (from), cower, cringe, flinch, shy away (from),
             wince, balk (at):  Once committed to a responsibility, nothing
             could persuade Ella to shrink from it.

   shrivel   v.  Often, shrivel up. shrink, wrinkle, pucker (up), curl (up),
             wizen, contract; wither, wilt, dry up, desiccate, dehydrate:
             The soil had dried up and all the plants had shrivelled.

   shroud    v.  1 screen, veil, mask, disguise, camouflage, cover, shield,
             blanket, shade, hide, conceal, protect, cloak, swathe, wrap,
             envelop:  The tanks were shrouded from view in the forest. His
             activities are shrouded in mystery.

             --n.  2 winding-sheet, cerement, cerecloth, grave-clothes:  They
             wrapped his body in a shroud and buried him in the churchyard.
             3 veil, cover, shield, cloak, blanket, mask, mantle, pall,
             screen, covering, cloud:  A shroud of secrecy descended over the
             Morocco affair.

   shrubbery n.  shrubs, planting(s), hedge(s), hedging, hedgerow, thicket,
             underbrush, brake, bracken, undergrowth, coppice or copse:  The
             fox lay low in the shrubbery till the dogs flushed him out.

   shudder   v.  1 quiver, shake, tremble, shiver, jerk, convulse, quaver,
             quake; vibrate, rattle:  I shudder to think what he might do
             next. Olive slammed on the brakes and the ancient car shuddered
             to a stop.

             --n.  2 quiver, shake, tremble, twitch, shiver, convulsion,
             paroxysm, spasm, quaver, quake; vibration, rattle:  He gave a
             shudder at the prospect of having to clean out the stable.

   shuffle   v.  1 mix (up), intermix, disarrange, rearrange, interfile,
             intersperse, jumble, confuse; shift (about), mess up, turn
             topsy-turvy, scatter, disorganize:  I shall cut the cards after
             you have shuffled them. Osbert shuffled the papers on his desk.
             2 scuff or drag (one's feet), scrape along, shamble:  The boy
             shuffled into the headmaster's office, guilt written all over
             his face. 3 equivocate, hem and haw, bumble, shift, cavil,
             fence, be evasive or shifty, dodge, niggle, split hairs,
             quibble, prevaricate, Brit hum and haw, Colloq waffle:  The
             suspect shuffled when asked the names of his accomplices.

             --n.  4 shamble, shambling, scuffling, scraping:  Whenever he
             was lying, he did a funny little shuffle with his feet. 5
             sidestep, evasion, subterfuge, trick, dodge, shift,
             prevarication, quibble, shuffling:  Tell me what you've done
             with the money - and no shuffle!

   shun      v.  avoid, keep or shy away from, steer clear of, eschew, shrink
             from, fight shy of, run or turn (away) from, flee or escape
             from; forgo, give up; disdain, spurn, rebuff, reject,
             cold-shoulder, give the cold shoulder to:  After her experience,
             Penelope shunned the company of men for several years.

   shut      v.  1 close, fasten, secure, shut up; lock, bolt, seal:  Come in
             and shut the door.  2 shut down. close down, discontinue, cease,
             suspend, halt, leave off, shut up; switch or turn or shut off,
             stop:  We shut down operations at the Enfield factory last week.
             Make sure you shut down the machinery before leaving. 3 shut in.
             a confine, seclude, keep in, pen, fence in, secure:  We shut the
             dog in before we went out.  b See 6, (a), below.  4 shut off.  a
             switch or turn off, shut down, Colloq kill, douse, cut (off):
             They shut off the lights while I was shaving.  b separate,
             isolate, seclude, segregate, sequester, bar, shut out, cut off,
             send to Coventry:  The more violent cases are shut off in
             another wing.  c close (off), shut (down):  To save on heating,
             we shut off part of the house in the winter.  5 shut out.  a
             exclude, eliminate, bar, debar, lock out, ban, keep out or away,
             disallow, prohibit:  Aliens without work permits are shut out
             from employment. We shut out all hooligans and rowdies. b keep
             out, screen, exclude, block out, cut out:  This window shade
             shuts out the direct sunlight.  c screen, mask, hide, conceal,
             veil, cover:  The house is shut out from view by the hedge.  6
             shut up.  a confine, shut in, coop (up), cage (in), bottle up,
             box in; imprison, jail, incarcerate, intern, immure:  People
             suspected of being subversives were shut up during the war. b
             silence, keep quiet, stifle, mute, gag, shush, Chiefly Brit
             quieten:  As soon as Colin wants to say something, Sidonie shuts
             him up.  c See 1, above.  d See 2, above.

             --adj.  7 closed (up), sealed (up), locked (up), bolted,
             fastened:  There is not much hope of penetrating their shut
             minds on this issue.

   shuttle   v.  commute, alternate:  He shuttles daily between London and
             Paris.

   shy       adj.  1 diffident, coy, bashful, retiring, withdrawn,
             withdrawing, reserved, timid, meek, modest, sheepish,
             unconfident, self-conscious, introverted, nervous, apprehensive,
             timorous, Rare verecund:  Casey is quite shy and you have to
             draw him out gently.  2 timorous, cautious, wary, chary, leery,
             guarded, afraid, fearful, frightened, anxious, worried,
             suspicious, distrustful, cowardly, craven, uncourageous:  The
             local people are shy of anyone or anything unfamiliar.  3
             missing, lacking, deficient in, short of:  The shipment is shy a
             few dozen shoelaces we ordered.

             --adv.  4 fight shy of. avoid, be unwilling or reluctant or
             averse or loath or loth or disinclined or not disposed; be wary
             or cautious or watchful:  The children fight shy of talking to
             strangers.

19.5 sick...
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   sick      adj.  1 Chiefly Brit nauseated, queasy, sick to one's stomach,
             squeamish, qualmish; seasick, carsick, airsick, Colloq green
             around the gills:  Patrick felt a bit sick after the rough ferry
             crossing.  2 ill, unwell, unhealthy, sickly, indisposed, infirm,
             ailing, diseased, afflicted, Colloq under the weather, on the
             sick-list, poorly, laid up, not (feeling) up to snuff:  If you
             feel sick, you'd best see a doctor. I've been sick for a week. 3
             affected, troubled, stricken, heartsick, wretched, miserable,
             burdened, weighed down:  I was sick with worry to learn of the
             problems you have been having with your business. 4 mad, crazy,
             insane, deranged, disturbed, neurotic, unbalanced,
             psychoneurotic, psychotic, Colloq mental, US off ((one's) rocker
             or trolley):  Anyone who could have committed such a crime must
             be sick.  5 peculiar, unconventional, strange, weird, odd,
             bizarre, grotesque, macabre, shocking, ghoulish, morbid,
             gruesome, stomach-turning, sadistic, masochistic,
             sado-masochistic, Colloq kinky, bent, far-out, US off:  In 30
             years as a policeman, I've seen some sick things, but this is
             the end. 6 sickened, shocked, put out, upset, appalled,
             disgusted, revolted, repulsed, offended, repelled, nauseated;
             annoyed, chagrined, irritated:  She was sick at what she saw in
             the army field hospital. The way you do things sometimes makes
             me sick. 7 Sometimes, sick of. (sick and) tired, bored, weary,
             Colloq fed up with:  Don't you get sick of telling them the same
             thing so many times?

   sicken    v.  1 fall ill, take sick, contract, be stricken by, come down
             with or catch something or a bug, fail, weaken:  After he seemed
             to be recovering so well, he suddenly sickened and died. 2 make
             ill or sick, afflict, affect, disgust, nauseate, turn one's
             stomach, upset, appal, shock, repel, revolt, repulse, offend,
             make one's gorge rise; put out:  The scene in the abattoir
             sickened me.

   sickly    adj.  1 See sick, 2, above.  2 ailing, feeble, delicate, wan,
             weak, pallid, pale, drawn, peaked, peaky, peakish:  Jennie looks
             sickly and must build up her resistance.  3 mushy, mawkish,
             maudlin, cloying, insipid, weak, watery:  The sickly
             sentimentality of the episode about the boy and his lost puppy
             was unbearable.

   side      n.  1 Sometimes, sides. flank(s), edge(s), verge, margin(s),
             rim, brim, brink, border(s); bank; boundary or boundaries,
             perimeter, periphery, limit(s):  This side of the road is in
             West Sussex, the other in East Sussex.  The sides of the
             swimming-pool are tiled. 2 surface, face, plane; facet:  The
             smallest possible number of sides of a pyramid is four.  3
             faction, interest, party, part, sect, camp, (point of) view,
             viewpoint, aspect, opinion, standpoint, stand, cause, angle,
             position, attitude, school, philosophy:  Which side do you
             support in the controversy?  4 team; string, squad; American
             football and Association Football or Soccer and Cricket eleven,
             Australian Rules football eighteen, Baseball nine, Basketball
             five, Gaelic football and Rugby Union fifteen, Rugby League
             thirteen:  Whichever side Craig is on seems likely to win. The
             local side is now coming out onto the field. 5 affectation,
             pretension, haughtiness, arrogance, insolence, pretentiousness,
             airs:  Chauncy puts on a bit too much side for my taste.  6 side
             by side. together, jointly, cheek by jowl:  These paintings
             should not have been hung side by side.  7 take sides. show
             preference, be partial, show favouritism:  A judge must avoid
             taking sides.

             --adj.  8 secondary, incidental, subordinate, tangential,
             subsidiary, indirect, ancillary, marginal, lesser, minor,
             unimportant, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant:
             The main point is that he refuses to cooperate, and his reasons
             are entirely a side issue. 9 auxiliary, secondary:  We live in a
             quiet side-road just off the High Street.

             --v.  10 side with. take sides with, show preference for, be
             partial to, show favouritism to or for, support, favour, prefer,
             go in or along with, join ((up) with), ally with, be or become
             allied with, Colloq US throw in with, team up with:  You can be
             sure that Kenneth will always side with the favourite candidate.

   sidelong  adj.  oblique, indirect, sideways, covert, surreptitious:  He
             marched straight ahead, without so much as a sidelong glance in
             her direction.

   sidestep  v.  avoid, dodge, circumvent, skirt, evade, shun, steer clear
             of, Colloq duck:  The minister neatly sidestepped all questions
             about her retirement.

   sidetrack v.  divert, deflect, draw off or away, distract, turn aside;
             shunt:  Where was I? I got sidetracked by your comment about
             being overweight.

   sidewalk  n.  walk, Chiefly Brit pavement, footpath, footway:  You may
             play on the sidewalk, but don't you dare step into the street.

   sideways  adv.  obliquely, laterally, edgeways, edge on, sidelong,
             crabwise, indirectly, US and Canadian edgewise:  The dresser
             will go through the door if you turn it sideways.

   sidle     v.  edge:  She sidled towards the door, opened it, and was gone.

   siege     n.  1 blockade, encirclement, beleaguerment, besiegement:  The
             siege of Troy lasted ten years.

             --v.  2 lay siege to, besiege, blockade, beleaguer, cordon off,
             encircle, box or pen or shut in, bottle up:  They sieged the
             city and the inhabitants surrendered when they ran out of food
             and water.

   sift      v.  1 strain, sieve, riddle, filter, screen, bolt; winnow,
             separate, weed out, sort out, select, choose, pick:  It is not
             easy to sift out the promising manuscripts.  2 examine, analyse,
             study, probe, screen, scrutinize, investigate:  The police are
             sifting the evidence of the witnesses.

   sigh      v.  1 breathe, sough; suspire:  Troilus sighed forth his soul to
             the tent where sleeping Cressid lay. 2 sigh for. bemoan, lament
             or mourn or grieve or weep for, bewail; yearn or pine for:  Now
             and then, all of us sigh for the good old days.

             --n.  3 murmur, exhalation, sound; suspiration:  I gave a sigh
             of relief as the train left the station.

   sight     n.  1 eyesight, vision, eyes:  His sight was completely restored
             by the operation.  2 field of view or of vision, range of
             vision, ken, perception, view, eyeshot, gaze:  We turned a
             corner, and at last the welcoming lights of the pub came into
             sight. 3 spectacle, scene, show; rarity, marvel, wonder,
             phenomenon; pageant:  I shall never forget the sight of Biffy
             Harbottle, stark naked, standing on that table in the officers'
             club. We went to Rome to see the sights. 4 mess, disaster,
             eyesore, monstrosity, Colloq fright, atrocity:  The flat looked
             a sight after the boys finally moved out.  5 catch sight of.
             spot, notice, descry, spy, espy, glance at, (catch a) glimpse
             (of), (get a) look or peep or peek at, Colloq take a gander at,
             get a look-see at, Slang get a load of, US glom, pipe:  We
             caught sight of a sinister-looking person slipping behind a
             pillar. 6 out of sight.  a remote, distant, far-away, unseeable,
             imperceptible, invisible:  She soon walked out of sight down the
             road. The mortar emplacement is out of sight, over the hill. b
             unusual, rare, extraordinary, outrageous, imaginative,
             awe-inspiring, incredible, shocking, unreal, moving, jolting,
             Colloq neat, cool, Brit brilliant, brill:  The gig last night
             was out of sight, man.

             --v.  7 look, view, (take) aim, peer, peek, peep, draw a bead:
             Sight along this stick and you'll see a cluster of stars called
             the Pleiades. 8 spot, see, catch sight of, mark, observe,
             behold, view, distinguish, discern, identify, note, notice,
             remark, glimpse, descry, espy, spy:  A group of bird-watchers
             have sighted a golden eagle recently in the Grampians.

   sightseer n.  tourist, traveller, globe-trotter, Colloq rubberneck(er),
             Brit tripper, day-tripper:  As usual, the streets of Oxford were
             crowded with sightseers and tourists.

   sign      n.  1 token, symbol, indication, mark, signal, indicator;
             notice:  I interpreted the shouts of the crowd as a sign that I
             had won the race. 2 movement, gesture, motion, signal, cue,
             gesticulation:  She made a sign motioning me to come over.  3
             trace, indication, evidence, mark, clue, hint, suggestion,
             vestige:  She waited for an hour but there was no sign of him.
             4 device, mark, symbol, representation, emblem, trade mark,
             badge, brand, stamp, seal, ideogram, ideograph, lexigram,
             phonogram, grapheme, hieroglyph, cartouche, rebus, logo(type),
             colophon, ensign, standard, banner, flag; monogram, initials,
             cipher or cypher:  Sir Roger fought under the sign of a rampant
             lion.  5 signboard, advertisement, placard, poster, US
             broadside; shingle, notice, announcement:  You can't miss the
             huge supermarket sign at the corner.  6 omen, augury, warning,
             forewarning, foreboding, portent, indication, writing on the
             wall, prophecy, prognostication, foreshadowing:  We took the
             rumbling as a sign of an imminent earthquake.

             --v.  7 autograph, put one's signature on or to, inscribe,
             countersign, endorse, witness, put or set one's hand to, mark;
             sign on the dotted line; Colloq US put one's John Hancock on or
             to:  I have already signed the petition, have you? The painting
             is valueless unless signed by the artist. 8 sign away. forgo,
             relinquish, give up, abandon, abandon or quit claim to, waive,
             release, surrender, dispose of, sacrifice, get rid of:  With one
             stroke of the pen, he signed away most of his fortune.  9 sign
             off. close down, discontinue (broadcasting, writing a letter,
             etc.):  It is midnight, time for us to sign off till tomorrow.
             10 sign on or up.  a enrol, enlist, sign up (for), register,
             volunteer, join (up), contract:  I signed on to be a bodyguard,
             not a nursemaid.  b enrol, enlist, hire, employ, put under
             contract, retain, engage, take on, Colloq take on board, bring
             aboard:  We signed up three new engineers this week.  11 sign
             over. assign, consign, transfer, make over, deliver, give,
             donate, present, dispose of, turn over:  Aunt June was persuaded
             to sign over the ownership of the business to her nephews.

   signal    n.  1 See sign, 1, above.  2 incitement, stimulus, spur,
             impetus, goad, prick:  The waving of the flag will be the signal
             to advance.

             --adj.  3 remarkable, conspicuous, striking, extraordinary,
             unusual, unique, singular, special, noteworthy, notable,
             exceptional, significant, important, outstanding, momentous,
             consequential, weighty:  The British forces won a signal victory
             at Khartoum that day.  Winning the competition is a signal
             accomplishment.

             --v.  4 motion, indicate, gesture, gesticulate, communicate,
             announce, notify; whistle, wink, blink, nod, beckon, wave, sign:
             When your turn comes, a clerk will signal you to approach the
             counter. Peter raised his hand as a request to leave the room
             and the teacher signalled his assent.

   significance
             n.  1 meaning, sense, signification, denotation, message, idea,
             point, import, purport, implication, portent, content, pith,
             essence; gist, drift, vein, impression, connotation:  The
             significance of words like God and love is different for almost
             everyone who uses them.  2 importance, weight, weightiness,
             consequence, moment, relevance, value:  The significance of the
             agreement lay not in its wording but in the fact that it was
             drawn up at all.

   significant
             adj.  1 important, weighty, momentous, consequential, critical,
             substantial, substantive, noteworthy, notable, valuable, valued,
             meritorious, outstanding, impressive, historic, relevant,
             signal:  Appleton made significant contributions to knowledge
             about the ionosphere. 2 meaningful, eloquent, pithy, expressive,
             pregnant, suggestive, informative:  It is significant that they
             prefer the term Britain to England, Scotland, and Wales .

   signify   v.  1 sign, signal, indicate, communicate, make known, convey,
             symbolize, betoken, represent, express, announce, declare,
             denote, say, mean, specify; connote, intimate, suggest, reveal,
             disclose, impart:  She signified her agreement by a nod. What
             does the phrase 'pursuit of happiness' signify to you? 2 matter,
             count, be significant or important or consequential, be of
             significance or of importance or of consequence, carry weight,
             impress, stand out, deserve or merit consideration:  It
             signifies little that they were found innocent of a crime we all
             believe they committed.

   silence   n.  1 quiet, quietness, stillness, soundlessness, noiselessness,
             calm, calmness, hush, quietude, tranquillity, peace,
             peacefulness, serenity:  The silence was so complete that I
             could hear my heart beating.  2 speechlessness, muteness,
             dumbness, reticence, taciturnity, uncommunicativeness:  Do not
             construe his silence as agreement.

             --v.  3 quiet, mute, hush, still, shush, calm, tranquillize,
             soothe, Chiefly Brit quieten:  The audience was silenced by the
             start of the overture.  4 mitigate, temper, mollify, take the
             sting out of, propitiate, pacify, blunt, suppress, repress,
             restrain, subdue, draw the fangs or teeth of, inhibit, put down,
             damp, mute, squelch, quash, emasculate, muzzle, muffle, shut
             off, gag, stifle, smother, deaden (the effect of):  Only a full
             account of what lay behind these events will silence criticism
             in the media.

   silent    adj.  1 quiet, still, soundless, noiseless, tranquil, hushed,
             shushed, mute; calm, serene, placid, peaceful, pacific,
             unagitated, unruffled, untroubled, undisturbed, Literary stilly:
             After the children left the house fell silent. Not a mouse
             stirred in the silent city. 2 uncommunicative, mute,
             close-mouthed, taciturn, reticent, reserved, mum, tight-lipped,
             secretive:  Millie told me a great deal about her children but
             was silent on the subject of her own activities. 3 unspeaking,
             unspoken, mute, unexpressed, tacit, understood, implicit,
             implied, unstated, unsaid:  There is a silent agreement among
             the islanders not to reveal where the whisky is hidden. 4
             inactive, non-participating, passive, quiescent, Brit sleeping:
             Although John runs the company, he has several silent partners.
             5 unpronounced, unuttered, not sounded, Technical aphonic:  The
             g in sign is silent, like the k in know and the l in could .

   silently  adv.  quietly, soundlessly, noiselessly, with catlike tread, as
             quietly as a mouse, stealthily; wordlessly, speechlessly,
             mutely:  They fold their tents like the Arabs, And silently
             steal away.  He stood by silently, allowing his brother to do
             all the talking.

   silhouette
             n.  outline, profile, contour, form, figure, shape, shadow,
             configuration, periphery, perimeter:  I could see the silhouette
             of a person on the window-blind.

   silky     adj.  silken, silklike, delicate, sleek, soft, smooth, satiny,
             shiny, glossy, lustrous, Technical sericeous:  Her long, silky
             black hair hung below her shoulders.

   silly     adj.  1 senseless, nonsensical, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous,
             laughable, risible, asinine, inane, preposterous, idiotic,
             childish, puerile, foolish, foolhardy, irresponsible,
             unreasonable, illogical, irrational, pointless, fatuous, stupid,
             unwise, imbecilic, crazy, mad, insane:  It would be silly to pay
             for it if you can get it for nothing.  2 stunned, stupefied,
             daze, giddy, dizzy, muzzy, benumbed:  Culley said something rude
             and the girl knocked him silly with a karate chop.

             --n.  3 fool, nincompoop, idiot, dunce, ninny, halfwit,
             simpleton, numskull or numbskull, dim-wit, booby, dolt, jackass,
             twit, dolt, blockhead, bonehead, nitwit, ignoramus, clod, US
             thimble-wit, Colloq dope, dummy, knuckle-head, goose, drip,
             silly billy, Brit clot, Slang US and Canadian jerk, nerd:
             Warren is such a silly to spend so much money on a girl who
             cares nothing for him.

   silt      n.  1 deposit, sediment, alluvium, ooze, sludge:  The irrigation
             pumps get clogged up with silt.

             --v.  2 Usually, silt up or over. become clogged or choked or
             obstructed or dammed or congested:  The channel silts up and has
             to be dredged yearly so that the boats can pass through.

   silver    n.  1 silverware, sterling, (silver) plate; cutlery, US
             flatware; hollowware:  Guests are coming so I'll have to polish
             the silver.  2 white, greyish, whitish-grey, greyish-white,
             grey:  When your hair has turned to silver, I will love you just
             the same.

             --adj.  3 silvery, shiny, shining, polished, burnished,
             lustrous, pearly, nacreous, bright, gleaming, Literary or
             heraldry argent; white:  The moon's silver crescent hung low in
             the sky. Her hair is more silver than grey. 4 silvery,
             silver-toned, silver-tongued, sweet, pretty, euphonious,
             melodious, mellifluous, mellifluent, dulcet, musical:  The
             silver tones of the muezzin echoed in the streets, calling the
             faithful to prayer.

   similar   adj.  1 like, almost identical, comparable, equivalent, nearly
             the same; alike:  That brooch is similar to the one I bought for
             my mother. The two may be similar, but they are not the same. 2
             be similar to. resemble, be like, correspond to, compare
             favourably with:  This letter is very similar to the one I
             received yesterday.

   simmer    v.  1 seethe, stew, cook, boil, bubble:  A huge cauldron of soup
             simmered on the fire.  2 chafe, seethe, stew, steam, smoulder,
             fume, rage, burn, Colloq US do a slow burn:  Father is still
             simmering because you scratched his car.  3 simmer down. calm or
             cool down, cool off, calm oneself, become quiet, control
             oneself, get control of or over oneself, Chiefly Brit quieten
             down, Slang cool it:  Yesterday he was in a towering rage, but
             he has simmered down a bit today.

   simple    adj.  1 uncomplicated, plain, uninvolved, unsophisticated,
             understandable, intelligible, (easily) understood,
             comprehensible, clear, lucid, straightforward, easy, elementary,
             basic:  At the age of four, Jan was able to do simple
             mathematical calculations.  2 plain, unadorned, undecorated,
             unembellished, basic, fundamental, elementary, elemental, mere,
             unostentatious, unassuming, unpretentious, modest, classic,
             uncluttered, stark, clean, severe, austere, Spartan, homely;
             unvarnished, naked, honest:  Thea was stunning in a simple black
             dress with a colourful scarf and gold jewellery. The simple
             truth is that he came home from work to find the house broken
             into and his wife gone. 3 sincere, frank, candid, open,
             unaffected, uncomplicated, unpretentious, straightforward,
             above-board, simple-hearted, uncontrived, direct, upright,
             square, forthright, four-square, righteous, honest, na‹ve,
             guileless, artless, undesigning, childlike, ingenuous,
             unsophisticated, innocent, green:  The colonel was a simple man
             who was respected because he always said just what he meant. A
             simple heart may be its own best guide. 4 unsophisticated,
             na‹ve, slow, slow-witted, stupid, thick, thickheaded,
             simple-minded, feeble-minded, oafish, bovine, dense, obtuse,
             dull, dull-witted, witless, halfwitted, brainless, backward,
             imbecilic or chiefly Brit imbecile, cretinous, Colloq dumb,
             moronic:  That chap Dawson is far too simple to understand what
             you are asking him. 5 lowly, humble, inferior, mean, base,
             subservient, common, subordinate:  The lord of the manor
             regarded his tenants as simple folk, a breed apart from himself
             and his family.

   simplicity
             n.  1 uncomplicatedness; understandability, comprehensibility,
             lucidity, straightforwardness, clarity, intelligibility,
             decipherability:  Consider the simplicity of some life forms in
             contrast to the complexity of others. The simplicity of the
             Bible can be deceptive. 2 plainness, cleanness, clarity,
             severity, starkness, austereness, asceticism, restraint,
             bareness, purity:  She prefers the simplicity of classical or
             very modern design to baroque and rococo clutter. 3 sincerity,
             openness, artlessness, candour, guilelessness, frankness,
             unsophisticatedness, ingenuousness, straightforwardness,
             forthrightness, unaffectedness, unpretentiousness, modesty,
             na‹vety; plainness, directness, inelegance, rusticity,
             pastoralism:  Many have been charmed by the simplicity of the
             local folk art.  4 stupidity, slow-wittedness, thickheadedness,
             simple-mindedness, feeble-mindedness, oafishness, cloddishness,
             obtuseness, dullness, dull-wittedness, witlessness,
             halfwittedness, imbecility, brainlessness:  The simplicity of
             some of those yokels is incredible.

   simplify  v.  clarify, clear up, make easy, paraphrase, explain,
             explicate, disentangle, untangle, unravel, streamline:  Simplify
             your request and we shall be able to do what you ask.

   simply    adv.  1 merely, barely, purely, only, solely, just, entirely,
             fully, totally, wholly, altogether, absolutely, really:  Is it
             true that they met regularly simply to discuss politics?  2
             totally, completely, altogether, entirely, just, plainly,
             obviously, really, unreservedly, unqualifiedly:  If you believe
             that, you're simply too stupid for words!  3 na‹vely, artlessly,
             guilelessly, openly, innocently, ingenuously, unaffectedly,
             unpretentiously, plainly, naturally:  He asked her very simply
             what she did as a 'working girl'.  4 plainly, modestly, starkly,
             severely, sparely, sparsely, austerely, ascetically:  His home
             is simply furnished, without paintings or any other decoration.
             5 distinctly, unambiguously, plainly, obviously, unmistakably or
             unmistakeably:  The instructions must be written simply so that
             they are understandable to anyone.

   simultaneous
             adj.  coincident, coinciding, concurrent, contemporaneous,
             synchronous; contemporary:  The simultaneous appearance of two
             books on such an obscure subject was very unusual.

   sin       n.  1 trespass, transgression, offence, wrong, impiety, misdeed,
             profanation, desecration, iniquity, evil, devilry, sacrilege,
             crime, infraction, misdeed, dereliction, infringement,
             violation, misdemeanour, fault, foible, peccadillo:  How many
             sins have been committed in the name of righteousness!  It's a
             sin to tell a lie. The seven deadly sins are anger,
             covetousness, envy, gluttony, lust, pride, and sloth. 2
             wickedness, sinfulness, vice, corruption, ungodliness, badness,
             evil, wrongfulness, iniquity, iniquitousness, immorality,
             depravity, impiety, irreverence, impiousness, sacrilege:  His
             brother Edmund was conceived in sin, and sin ruled his entire
             life.

             --v.  3 transgress, offend, fall (from grace), lapse, go wrong,
             stray, go astray, err, Biblical or archaic trespass:  Strictly
             speaking, we can sin only against God.

   sincere   adj.  honest, truthful, true, veracious, genuine, heartfelt,
             true-hearted, undissembling, unfeigned, open, (open and)
             above-board, straightforward, direct, frank, candid, guileless,
             artless, Colloq upfront, on the level, on the up and up:  I took
             her criticism as a sincere desire to see improvement in my work.
             You have always been sincere in your emotional involvements.

   sincerely adv.  truly, honestly, really, wholeheartedly, candidly,
             frankly, unequivocally, seriously, earnestly, genuinely, deeply,
             fervently:  When they say they love each other, they mean it
             sincerely.

   sincerity n.  honesty, truthfulness, straightforwardness, openness,
             forthrightness, frankness, candour, candidness, seriousness,
             genuineness, uprightness:  Everyone appreciates sincerity in
             dealings with others.

   sinew     n.  1 ligament, tendon; muscle, thew:  After the climb, I ached
             in every sinew.  2 Usually, sinews. strength, force, power,
             energy, brawn, vigour, might, stamina, vitality:  The sinews of
             his argument were considerably weakened by her disarming
             candour.

   sinewy    adj.  strong, powerful, muscular, mighty, stout, wiry, robust,
             tough; strapping, brawny, burly:  She looked so tiny and fragile
             cradled in his huge sinewy arms.

   sinful    adj.  corrupt, evil, wicked, bad, wrong, wrongful, iniquitous,
             vile, base, profane, immoral, profligate, depraved, criminal,
             sacrilegious, ungodly, unholy, demonic, irreligious, impious,
             irreverent:  Anything that you like as much as you like
             chocolate must be sinful.  They would never condone such sinful
             behaviour in our church.

   sing      v.  1 chant, intone, carol, vocalize, trill, croon, pipe, chirp,
             warble; chorus; yodel:  It was a wonderful spring day and
             Barbara felt like singing. Can you sing On the Road to Mandalay
             ?  2 whistle, pipe, peep:  I have just bought a singing kettle.
             3 tell, tattle, name names, Slang rat, snitch, squeal, blow the
             whistle, peach, spill the beans:  They found out that Johnny had
             been singing to the cops about the bank job.

   singe     v.  char, blacken, sear, scorch, burn:  Unfortunately, I singed
             the tail of my shirt while ironing it.

   singer    n.  vocalist, soloist, songster, crooner, chanteuse,
             nightingale, minstrel, troubadour, balladeer, caroller,
             chorister, choirboy, choir girl, choir member, chorus-boy,
             chorus girl, chorus-member, Colloq songbird, canary, thrush:
             She used to be a professional singer.

   single    adj.  1 unmarried, unwed, unattached, free; celibate:  She
             remained single till she was twenty-two.  2 singular,
             individual, distinct, solitary; one, only, sole, lone, unique,
             isolated:  There wasn't a single person there who could think
             for himself.  A single shot rang out. 3 separate, distinct,
             individual, solitary:  Every single hair is rooted in its
             follicle.

             --v.  4 single out. select, choose, pick, separate, take or put
             or set aside or apart, distinguish, cull, segregate, fix or
             fasten on:  Why was she singled out for special treatment?

   single-handed
             adj.  1 solo, lone, solitary, independent, unaided, unassisted:
             Chichester was the first winner of the single-handed
             transatlantic sailing race.

             --adv.  2 single-handedly, by oneself, alone, solo, on one's
             own, independently:  He sailed round the world single-handed.

   single-minded
             adj.  dedicated, devoted, resolute, steadfast, persevering,
             firm, determined, dogged, unswerving, unwavering, tireless,
             purposeful:  Single-minded perseverance saw him through the
             completion of the work in eight years.

   singly    adv.  one at a time, separately, individually, one by one,
             successively, one after the other, seriatim:  Taken singly, the
             facts are not hard to assimilate.

   singular  adj.  1 unusual, different, atypical, eccentric, extraordinary,
             remarkable, special, uncommon, strange, odd, peculiar, bizarre,
             outlandish, curious, queer, outr‚, offbeat, Slang far-out:
             Ideas that yesterday were considered singular have today become
             quite commonplace. 2 outstanding, prominent, eminent,
             pre-eminent, noteworthy, significant, important, conspicuous,
             particular, notable, signal, exceptional, superior:  Stempel
             made a singular contribution to the development of microscopy.
             3 lone, isolated, single, separate, uncommon, rare, unique,
             distinct, one of a kind:  Some medieval philosophers denied the
             existence of general realities, and claimed that all things that
             exist were particular and singular.

   singularity
             n.  1 individuality, distinctiveness, uniqueness, idiosyncrasy:
             Personality demonstrates its singularity even in handwriting.  2
             eccentricity, peculiarity, strangeness, oddness, queerness,
             outlandishness, uncommonness:  The singularity of the marriage
             ceremony among these tribes was often remarked on by
             anthropologists. 3 Technical black hole:  The ultimate collapse
             of the star results, theoretically, in a singularity.

   sinister  adj.  1 fateful, inauspicious, unfavourable, foreboding,
             threatening, menacing, minacious, minatory or minatorial,
             portentous, ominous, unpropitious, disastrous, dark, gloomy:
             There was a sinister meaning in the look he gave her.  2 evil,
             bad, corrupt, base, malevolent, malignant, malign, harmful,
             pernicious, treacherous, nefarious, wicked, diabolic(al),
             baleful, villainous, insidious, sneaky, furtive, underhand(ed):
             The poor girl fell under the sinister influence of a real-life
             Svengali.

   sink      v.  1 founder, submerge, go down, go under, plunge, descend, be
             engulfed:  The ship was struck below the water-line and sank in
             minutes.  2 subside, cave in, collapse, subside, settle, drop,
             fall in, go down, slip away:  The earth suddenly sank beneath
             our feet.  3 descend, go down, drop, fall, move down or
             downward(s), go down to or on:  The parachute slowly sank to the
             ground. When he saw the statue move, he sank to his knees,
             terrified. 4 decline, weaken, worsen, degenerate, subside,
             deteriorate, flag, fail, diminish, die, expire; languish; Colloq
             go downhill:  Grandfather, sinking fast, summoned the family to
             his bedside.  5 disappear, vanish, fade away, evaporate; set, go
             down, descend, drop:  After a meteoric rise, many rock stars
             sink into oblivion. As the sun sank slowly in the west, we
             returned to our hotel to reminisce about our day at the
             pyramids. 6 settle, precipitate, descend, drop:  After a few
             minutes, the sand sinks to the bottom.  7 bore, put down, drill,
             dig, excavate, drive:  A special shaft will be sunk just for
             ventilating the mine.  8 submerge, immerse, plunge:  He sank his
             hand deep into the mud and came up with a small box.  9 stoop,
             bend, get, go, lower or humble oneself:  I never dreamt that he
             would sink so low as to beg in the streets.  10 invest, venture,
             risk, put:  He sank his life's savings into his son's business,
             only to see it go bankrupt. 11 sink in. be understood,
             penetrate, register, make an impression on, get through to:  How
             many times do I have to tell you in order for it to sink in?

             --n.  12 basin, wash-basin, wash-bowl, lavabo; Church font,
             stoup, piscina:  The kitchen has a large double sink.  13
             cesspool, cesspit, pit, hell-hole, den of iniquity, sink-hole,
             Colloq dive:  We found him playing piano in some sink frequented
             by the worst element of society.

   sinking   adj.  1 queasy, nervous, uneasy, tense, apprehensive, unquiet,
             fretful, shaky, jittery, jumpy, anxious:  Just thinking about
             the way they treat hostages gave me a sinking feeling in the pit
             of my stomach. 2 depressed, dejected, miserable, dolorous,
             doleful, mournful, forlorn, woeful, desolate, despairing,
             stricken, heavy-laden:  I had a sudden sinking feeling when she
             announced that she had something important to tell me.

   sinner    n.  transgressor, wrongdoer, miscreant, offender, evil-doer,
             malefactor, reprobate, Biblical or archaic trespasser:  Few
             people nowadays believe that sinners are punished in hell for
             all eternity.

   sip       v.  1 taste, sample, sup:  She was sitting on a bar stool,
             sipping a cocktail.

             --n.  2 taste, sample, soup‡on, drop, bit, swallow, mouthful,
             spoonful, thimbleful, nip, dram, Colloq swig:  She took a sip,
             savoured it, then turned to me with a smile.

   siren     n.  1 whistle, warble, wailer, horn, foghorn; signal, alarm,
             warning, alert, tocsin:  The air raid siren sounded and everyone
             ran for shelter.  2 temptress, seductress, enchantress, charmer,
             sorceress, femme fatale, Circe, Lorelei, Colloq vamp, US
             mantrap:  Have you seen the latest siren to whom John has fallen
             prey?

   sissy     n.  milksop, mama's boy, mummy's boy, namby-pamby, weakling,
             baby, cry-baby, mollycoddle, US milquetoast, Colloq softie or
             softy, Brit wet:  The boy you remember from school as a sissy is
             now a football star.

   sit       v.  1 be seated, settle, sit down, take a seat, rest, Colloq
             take the weight or a load off one's feet:  Come in and sit with
             me for a while. If you sit on that chair it will break. 2 hold a
             session, be in session, assemble, meet, convene; gather, get
             together:  The Supreme Court of the United States will be
             sitting next week.  3 Often, sit on. have or hold or occupy a
             seat (on), participate (in), be a member (of):  Kathy sits on
             the board of directors.  4 remain, stay, lie, rest; relax, mark
             time, abide, dwell:  Let the dough sit a while to rise. Anita
             sat in Vienna awaiting her instructions. 5 seat, contain, hold,
             accommodate, have seats or seating for, have room or space or
             capacity for seating:  The auditorium sits only 600.  6 sit in.
             a Often, sit in on. play, join (in), participate (in), take part
             (in); observe, watch:  Mind if I sit in on your poker game? We
             invited Mary Lou to sit in during our discussion. b substitute,
             fill in, stand in, double, Colloq cover, sub, US pinch-hit:
             Mary Lou often sat in for our pianist if he had another gig.  7
             sit out. wait out, outwait, outstay, outlast, outlive, last
             through, live through:  Will sat out endless dances. He sat out
             the whole evening merely waiting to walk home with Lily. 8 sit
             tight. wait, hang back, hold back, be patient, bide (one's)
             time, play a waiting game, take no action, delay, temporize,
             Colloq hold (one's) horses:  Just sit tight till you hear from
             them - don't jump the gun.  9 sit up. awaken, pay attention,
             notice, become alert or interested or concerned:  Jennie's
             performance in the hurdles made many track coaches sit up. 10
             sit (with). Often, sit well or right (with). agree with, be
             agreeable to; seem, appear, look:  The way Ashton handled the
             matter did not sit well with the directors.

   site      n.  1 location, place, plot, plat, spot, locale, area, milieu,
             neighbourhood, locality, purlieus, placement, position;
             situation, orientation:  A site near that of ancient Pergamum
             has been acquired for the building. The site alongside the river
             has much to recommend it.

             --v.  2 locate, position, place, put, situate, install or
             instal:  The building has been sited to take maximum advantage
             of the sun.

   situate   v.  place in a position or situation or location, place,
             position, locate, set, spot, put, install or instal:  Harwood is
             very well situated to learn what the high command is planning.
             The greenhouse should be situated on the south side of the
             house.

   situation n.  1 place, position, location, spot, site, locale, setting:
             The situation of the monastery, high on the mountain, makes it
             almost inaccessible. 2 state (of affairs), condition,
             circumstances, case, status (quo), lay of the land, picture;
             plight, predicament; Colloq ball game; kettle of fish:  The
             present situation calls for careful planning. The chancellor's
             policies have done little to improve the economic situation. 3
             position, place, job, employment, post, Colloq berth:  Jenkins
             likes his new situation as Lord Fortescue's valet.

   size      n.  1 magnitude, largeness, bigness, bulk, extent, scope, range,
             dimensions, proportions, measurement(s), expanse, area, square
             footage, volume, mass, weight; hugeness, immensity, greatness,
             vastness, enormousness:  How do astronomers determine the
             distance and size of stellar objects? A shape of extraordinary
             size suddenly loomed up in the darkness.

             --v.  2 dimension, measure:  The furnishings are sized in
             proportion to these miniature room displays. 3 size up. assess,
             judge, evaluate, measure, take the measure of, appraise, assay,
             make an estimate of, estimate, value, gauge, rate:  She looked
             him up and down, sizing him up as a prospective husband.

19.6 sketchily...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   sketchily adv.  cursorily, superficially, incompletely, patchily, roughly,
             perfunctorily, skimpily, vaguely, imperfectly, crudely, hastily,
             hurriedly:  His account of the event was sketchily written.

   sketchy   adj.  cursory, superficial, incomplete, patchy, rough,
             perfunctory, skimpy, imperfect, crude, hasty, hurried, vague,
             ill-defined, fuzzy, indistinct, inexact, imprecise, unrefined,
             unpolished, rough-hewn, unfinished:  We received only sketchy
             reports of what was going on in the capital.  This will do as a
             sketchy outline, but eventually the details will need to be
             filled in.

   skilful   adj.  skilled, accomplished, adept, adroit, dexterous, expert,
             proficient, masterly, masterful, gifted, apt, able, clever,
             talented, capable, professional, trained, qualified,
             experienced, practised:  Julio is a skilful enough driver to
             race tomorrow. I have to admire the skilful way he handles
             people.

   skill     n.  1 talent, ability, aptitude, expertness, expertise,
             facility, skilfulness, art, artistry, cleverness, adeptness,
             adroitness, mastery, dexterity, handiness, ingenuity,
             experience, proficiency, finesse, knack, quickness, deftness,
             technique:  It requires great skill to operate this machine.  2
             accomplishment, forte, strength, gift, capability, know-how,
             faculty:  Her skill is in teaching others how to be skilful
             sales people.

   skim      v.  1 Often, skim off. separate, cream, scoop or ladle off, take
             off, remove:  After the water has come to a boil, skim off the
             scum that has collected on top. 2 Often, skim through or over.
             scan, flip or thumb or leaf through, skip through, glance at or
             through, dip into:  I only had time to skim through your report,
             but at a glance it looks good. 3 soar, glide, skate, slide,
             sail, fly:  Along came Calabro on his sailboard, skimming along
             the tops of the waves.

   skin      n.  1 epidermis, derma, integument, hide, pelt, fleece, fell:
             Her skin reddens in the sun. How many skins are needed to make a
             coat? 2 coat, film, coating, crust, incrustation, husk, peel,
             rind, outside, shell, pellicle, veneer, outer layer, lamina,
             overlay:  The frame is first covered with a tough plastic skin
             to make it waterproof.

             --v.  3 flay, strip, decorticate, excoriate:  I shall skin that
             boy alive if I catch him!  4 peel, hull, husk, shell:  This
             machine skins the fruit automatically.  5 abrade, scrape, graze,
             bark:  She skinned her knee on the edge of the coffee table.

   skin-deep adj.  superficial, shallow, surface, slight, external,
             unimportant, trivial, unprofound, insubstantial:  The impression
             he makes on people is only skin-deep.

   skinny    adj.  thin, underweight, gaunt, bony, scraggy, lank, lanky,
             gangly, gangling, raw-boned, meagre, spare, emaciated,
             half-starved, undernourished, spare, pinched, hollow-cheeked,
             wasted, shrunken:  Two skinny children were clinging to their
             mother's skirts.

   skip      v.  1 leap, cavort, caper, gambol, frisk, prance, jump, hop,
             romp, bound, dance:  Eleanor came skipping down the walk to the
             house.  2 omit, leave out, pass by, overlook, pass over, avoid,
             ignore, disregard, steer clear of, cut:  In my haste, I skipped
             over your name. Please skip the reading of the roll today.

             --n.  3 leap, cavort, caper, gambol, frisk, prance, jump, bound,
             dance, hop, romp:  He had a curious way of walking, giving a
             little skip before each step. 4 lacuna, gap, omission,
             avoidance, disregard; miss, Colloq go-by:  There was a skip of
             32 pages after page 64. If you take my advice, you will give
             that restaurant a skip.

   skipper   n.  captain, master, commander; boss, leader, chief:  The
             skipper gave orders to put him in irons.

   skirmish  n.  1 fight, encounter, fray, brush, clash, engagement,
             confrontation, showdown, combat, battle, conflict, struggle,
             set-to, contest, scrimmage, fracas, tussle, m€l‚e or melee, Law
             affray, Colloq scrap, dust-up, Brit scrum:  There was a brief
             skirmish when the troops met a band of partisans.

             --v.  2 fight, clash, struggle, battle, tussle, clash:  At the
             edge of the convoy a destroyer skirmished with a submarine.

   sky       n.  1 heaven(s), skies, arch or vault of heaven, firmament,
             (wild) blue (yonder), ether, Archaic or literary welkin,
             empyrean, azure:  The dour, overcast sky gave the bleak moor a
             chilling sense of foreboding. 2 to the skies. overly,
             excessively, extravagantly, fulsomely, profusely, inordinately,
             highly:  If I praise him to the skies people will get the idea
             that I benefit from his success.

19.7 slab...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   slab      n.  slice, wedge, piece, hunk, chunk, tranche, Colloq Brit
             wodge:  The keeper threw a large slab of meat into the lion's
             cage.

   slack     adj.  1 remiss, careless, indolent, negligent, lax, lazy, idle,
             neglectful, delinquent, inattentive, otiose, dilatory,
             cunctatory, laggard, easygoing, slothful, sluggish, lethargic,
             shiftless, do-nothing, fain‚ant, Colloq asleep at the switch or
             the wheel, asleep on the job:  Production has fallen off because
             the workers are getting slack.  2 loose, flabby, flaccid, soft,
             limp, baggy, drooping, droopy, bagging, sagging, floppy:  The
             flag hung down, slack in the still air.

             --v.  3 Often, slack or slacken off or up.  a let go, let run,
             let loose, release, slacken, loose, loosen, relax, ease (out or
             off), let up (on):  Slack off the stern line a bit.  b slow
             (down or up), delay, reduce speed, tire, decline, decrease,
             diminish, moderate, abate, weaken:  Barnes could not keep up his
             terrific pace and is beginning to slack off. Business has
             slackened off since Christmas. 4 neglect, shirk, Colloq Brit
             skive (off), US goof off, Chiefly military gold-brick, Taboo
             slang US fuck the dog:  Don't let the foreman find you slacking.

             --n.  5 lull, pause, inactivity, cut-back, lessening, reduction,
             abatement, drop-off, downturn, diminution, decline, fall-off,
             decrease, dwindling:  How do you compensate for the slack in
             sales of ski equipment during the summer? 6 room, looseness,
             slackness, play, give:  There's too much slack in that mooring
             line.

   slacker   n.  shirker, loafer, idler, Slang Brit skiver, Military
             scrimshanker, US gold brick, goof-off:  We have tight deadlines
             to meet, so there is no room for slackers on the team.

   slake     v.  satisfy, quench, gratify, allay, assuage, ease, relieve:
             Nothing would slake my thirst better right now than a pint of
             ice-cold lager.

   slam      v.  1 shut, fling closed, bang:  Gillian said that she hated
             encyclopedias, and slammed the door in the salesman's face. 2
             crash, smash, smack, dash, ram, bang, slap:  Not looking where
             he was going, Newland slammed his car into a street lamp. 3
             criticize, attack, vilify, pillory, run down, disparage,
             denigrate, denounce, put down, flay, pounce on or upon, Colloq
             shoot down, pan, Chiefly Brit slate:  The critics slammed his
             play because of the way it portrayed women.

   slander   n.  1 defamation (of character), calumny, obloquy,
             misrepresentation, slur, vilification; libel:  He spread lies
             about me and I am suing him for slander.

             --v.  2 defame, calumniate, disparage, slur, traduce, malign,
             smear, vilify, decry; libel:  He must be stopped from slandering
             people and ruining their reputations.

   slanderous
             adj.  defamatory, calumnious, disparaging, smear, deprecatory,
             depreciative, discrediting, decrying; libellous:  I understand
             that she made some slanderous remarks about your relationship
             with your ex-wife.

   slant     n.  1 angle, viewpoint, (point of) view, standpoint, approach,
             twist, idea, aspect, attitude:  The article reflects a new slant
             on why governments are sometimes out of touch with the
             electorate. 2 bias, prejudice, partiality, one-sidedness, turn,
             bent:  Carla's reporting has a feminist slant which occasionally
             distorts the facts. 3 slope, incline, tilt, ramp, gradient,
             pitch, lean, leaning, deflection, angle, rake, cant, camber:  A
             window sill normally has an outward slant. The road has a slant
             downwards to the right on right-hand curves.

             --v.  4 tilt, angle, incline, pitch, cant, slope, bend, lean,
             list, tip, bevel, shelve:  The land slants downwards near the
             lake. Notice how his writing slants upwards at the ends of the
             lines. Cut the edges to slant outwards. 5 bend, distort,
             deviate, twist, warp, colour, weight, bias:  The editor slanted
             the story to put the minister in a favourable light.

   slap      v.  1 smack, cuff, whack, rap; spank; Colloq clout, wallop:  He
             said something extremely rude so she slapped him.  2 flap, slat,
             whip, beat, bat:  Can't you stop that blind from slapping in the
             wind?  3 fling, toss, splash, hurl, throw, sling:  If you slap
             some paint on it, no one will know the difference.

             --n.  4 smack, blow, cuff, whack, rap, Colloq clout, wallop:  He
             got a hard slap on the cheek for using foul language.  5 Often,
             slap in the face. reprimand, reproof, rebuff, criticism,
             censure, rebuke, shot, thrust, attack, put-down, insult,
             offence, smack in the eye:  The speaker's reference to Anne's
             paper as 'trivial' was a severe slap in the face.

             --adv.  6 slap on. exactly, directly, precisely, straight,
             point-blank, right, squarely, plumb, smack, bang:  As usual,
             Barry's comments were slap on the mark.

   slash     v.  1 cut, gash, hack, score, slit, knife, lacerate; wound;
             scar:  The guide slashed away at the undergrowth with his
             machete.  2 lash, whip, scourge, flog, beat, horsewhip, flail,
             flagellate, flay, lambaste, thrash, beat:  In those days, a
             convicted felon was beaten and slashed in front of a crowd in
             the market-place. 3 cut, reduce, decrease, drop, mark down,
             trim, lower:  Prices were slashed to clear out last season's
             styles.

             --n.  4 cut, gash, incision, slit, slice, gouge, rent, rip,
             score, laceration:  There is a slash in each sleeve that reveals
             the colourful fabric underneath. 5 cut, reduction, decrease,
             mark-down:  The department stores continued their price slashes
             to the end of January.

   slattern  n.  slut, tramp, sloven, trollop, hussy, wanton, whore,
             prostitute, harlot, streetwalker, lady of the evening, woman of
             ill repute, loose or fallen woman, trottoise, Colloq call-girl,
             pro, Slang tart, hooker, hustler, US roundheels, bimbo:  His
             reputation will not be enhanced if he associates with slatterns.

   slaughter n.  1 butchery, butchering, Rare abattage:  Most of the cattle
             were sent for slaughter.  2 massacre, killing, bloodshed, blood
             bath, murder, homicide, manslaughter, carnage, extermination,
             execution, liquidation, slaying, blood-letting, butchery,
             pogrom, genocide, mass murder or execution or extermination,
             sacrifice, hecatomb:  1930 to 1945 saw the slaughter of millions
             in Europe and the Far East.

             --v.  3 butcher, kill, murder, slay, execute, exterminate,
             massacre, put to the sword, put to death, liquidate, destroy:
             How many more must be slaughtered before war is made obsolete?
             4 defeat, beat, win (out) over, vanquish, overcome, overwhelm,
             smash, crush, thrash, destroy, rout, upset, trounce, Colloq
             clobber:  Our school soccer team slaughtered the visitors 10--0.

   slave     n.  1 lackey or lacquey, scullion, serf, slave-girl, slaveling,
             odalisque or odalisk, bondservant, bondslave, bondsman or
             bondman, bondswoman or bondwoman, bondmaid, vassal, Derogatory
             chiefly Brit skivvy, Archaic esne, helot, hierodule, Colloq Brit
             slavey:  In ancient times, captured peoples and those of lower
             social status were kept as slaves. 2 drudge, workhorse, hack,
             grind, toiler, labourer, Chiefly Brit fag, dogsbody, Colloq US
             gofer:  Susan was a slave to her job for years, only to be
             sacked without a pension by the new owners.

             --v.  3 labour, toil, moil, grind, grub, drudge, sweat, burn the
             midnight oil, lucubrate, work one's fingers to the bone, work
             like a Trojan or a horse, Brit skivvy:  He was slaving over an
             essay that was due the following morning.

   slaver°   v.  1 drool, salivate, slobber, drivel, dribble, spit, Dialect
             slabber:  The wolf opened its slavering jaws.

             --n.  2 drool, saliva, drivel, dribble, spit, spittle, Dialect
             slabber:  The slaver formed on his lips as he raged on.  3
             nonsense, drivel, rubbish, twaddle, piffle:  The slaver spewed
             forth by the critics set her teeth on edge.

   slaverэ   n.  1 slave ship, slave-trader:  Conditions were so bad aboard
             the slavers that many of the poor souls died before reaching
             their destination. 2 blackbirder, slave-trader; White slaver,
             pimp, panderer:  He was ashamed that his grandfather had been a
             South Sea slaver.

   slavery   n.  1 enslavement, bondage, thraldom, thrall, enthralment,
             servitude, serfdom, vassalage, yoke; subjugation, captivity,
             Historical US peculiar institution:  All of those ancient
             cultures that we venerate practised slavery.  2 slave-trade,
             blackbirding:  No one ever mentions that the family fortune had
             been made from slavery. 3 toil, moil, drudgery, travail, grind,
             strain, (hard) labour:  She remembered the years of slavery she
             had spent at the kitchen sink.

   sleazy    adj.  1 unsubstantial or insubstantial, flimsy, slight, shabby,
             poor, gimcrack, jerry-built, tawdry, cheap, tatty, ramshackle,
             rickety, slipshod, Colloq US chintzy:  Her garish dress was made
             from some sleazy synthetic material.  2 disreputable, low-class,
             low-grade, squalid, dirty, base, seedy, sordid, contemptible,
             trashy, run-down, mean, cheap, Colloq crummy, slummy, Slang
             crappy, cheesy:  He was lying low in a sleazy hotel while the
             police searched for him.

   sleek     adj.  1 smooth, slick, velvety, lustrous, shiny, shining,
             glossy, silky, silken:  The seals' sleek fur glistened in the
             sunlight.  2 graceful, trim, streamlined:  For her birthday
             Edmund gave her a sleek convertible.  3 suave, unctuous, slimy,
             fawning, oily, specious, hypocritical, Chiefly Brit smarmy:  His
             explanations sounded plausible enough, but we soon found out
             what a sleek rogue he really was.

   sleep     v.  1 doze, (take a) nap, catnap, rest, repose, slumber, drowse,
             drop or nod off, be in the land of Nod, be in the arms of
             Morpheus, snore, Colloq snooze, saw wood, catch or log a few
             zees (Z's), take or have a zizz, catch forty winks:  I was so
             tired, I slept for a full ten hours.

             --n.  2 nap, doze, slumber, rest, siesta, Colloq forty winks,
             snooze, zizz, beauty sleep:  As she grew older, she found she
             needed less sleep.

   sleepless adj.  1 restless, wakeful, insomniac, disturbed:  Your mother
             and I spent a sleepless night worrying about you.  2 alert,
             watchful, vigilant, unsleeping:  Mark's wife kept a sleepless
             vigil at his bedside.

   sleepwalking
             n.  1 noctambulism, somnambulism, noctambulation,
             somnambulation:  Because of his sleepwalking, he had to be
             strapped in at night.

             --adj.  2 noctambulant, somnambulant:  Proper drugs will control
             her sleepwalking activities.

   sleepy    adj.  1 drowsy, somnolent, tired, nodding, dozy, lethargic,
             torpid, slumberous, sluggish, oscitant; weary, fatigued,
             exhausted, Colloq dead on one's feet, (knocked) out, beat, US
             and Canadian pooped:  All that exercise has made me sleepy.  2
             boring, inactive, dull, quiet, soporific, slow, sluggish:  He
             grew up in a sleepy little village in the Outer Hebrides.

   slender   adj.  1 slim, lean, willowy, sylphlike, svelte, lissom or
             lissome, lithe, graceful, snake-hipped, thin, spare, slight,
             lanky:  By exercising regularly, she has retained her slender
             figure.  2 slim, narrow, slight, poor, unlikely, small, little,
             scanty, remote, meagre, weak, feeble:  Prospects for a quick
             recovery of the stock market are slender.  3 slim, slight,
             little, scanty, inadequate, insufficient, insignificant,
             trifling:  The evidence against the defendant was too slender
             for a conviction.

   sleuth    n.  detective, (private) detective, (private) investigator, US
             P.I., Colloq private eye, Sherlock, snoop, Brit tec or 'tec, US
             hawkshaw, Slang US dick, shamus, US and Canadian gumshoe:
             Dissatisfied with the progress of the police, we hired a private
             sleuth to investigate the theft.

   slice     n.  1 slab, piece, rasher, collop, shaving, layer, Cookery
             scallop, escalope, scaloppine (pl. of scaloppina) or scaloppini
             (pl.):  May I have another slice of ham?  2 portion, piece,
             part, wedge, share, sliver, helping:  He wants to make certain
             he gets his slice of the pie.  3 spatula; slicer:  The Cabots
             gave us a silver fish slice for a wedding present.

             --v.  4 cut, carve, divide:  They watched their mother slicing
             bread for sandwiches.

   slick     adj.  1 smooth, sleek, glossy, silky, silken, shiny, shining,
             glassy, slippery:  His slick hair looked as if it had been
             greased.  2 smooth, urbane, suave, smooth-spoken, glib, smug,
             plausible; sycophantic, unctuous, Colloq smarmy:  Thomas was a
             slick operator and managed to worm his way into a position of
             power. 3 smooth, clever, skilful, adroit, dexterous,
             professional, ingenious, imaginative, inventive, creative,
             Colloq neat:  The performance was slick and well-rehearsed.  4
             superficial, shallow, meretricious, specious, glib:  They have
             made a lot of money publishing slick magazines for the yuppy
             market.

             --v.  5 Often, slick down. smooth, plaster down, grease, oil:
             He likes his hair slicked down to look like Valentino's.

   slicker   n.  1 confidence man or woman, cheat, swindler, mountebank,
             Colloq con man, city slicker:  That slicker she met in Paris
             tricked Harriet out of a lot of money before he disappeared. 2
             oilskin (raincoat):  Best wear your slicker if you're going out
             in this storm, James.

   slide     v.  1 glide, slip; coast, skim, glissade, skate, plane, skid,
             toboggan, slither:  The drawer slid smoothly out on its runners.
             Terry came sliding down the icy hill, arms and legs flailing. 2
             creep, steal, slip, slink, move:  My contact slid into the seat
             beside me and slipped me a note.  3 decline, decrease, drop,
             fall:  Shares slid to an all-time low on this morning's market.
             4 let slide. forget, ignore, neglect, gloss or pass over, pay no
             heed or mind (to):  When Mr Bartlett borrowed my lawnmower, I
             let the matter slide till he began to think of it as his own,
             and offered to lend it to me!

             --n.  5 landslide, earth-slip, avalanche, mud-slide:  A dozen
             houses were destroyed in the slides caused by the recent
             torrential rains.

   slight    adj.  1 small, little, minor, negligible, unlikely,
             insignificant, inconsequential:  There is always a slight chance
             that you might be wrong, you know.  2 trifling, tiny, slender,
             minute, infinitesimal; trace, perceptible:  He didn't attach the
             slightest importance to the rumours that were going round. You'd
             best wash it again, as there is still a slight odour of garlic.
             3 small, short, petite, thin, slim, slender, delicate,
             diminutive, tiny, miniature, bantam, wee, pocket, pocket-sized,
             US vest-pocket, Colloq pint-sized:  Charlotte's slight build
             seems totally unaffected by the amount she eats. 4 insubstantial
             or unsubstantial, weak, feeble, delicate, dainty, frail,
             unstable, fragile, flimsy, lightly made or built, precarious,
             inadequate, rickety, insecure:  This table is too slight to
             support the computer and the printer.  His arguments were far
             too slight to carry conviction.

             --v.  5 disregard, ignore, disdain, scorn, snub, rebuff, cut,
             disrespect, cold-shoulder:  He thought she had slighted him
             deliberately at the dance.  6 insult, offend, affront, mortify,
             diminish, minimize, depreciate, disparage:  Siobhan felt
             slighted by Harry's inattention.

             --n.  7 insult, affront, slur, indignity, outrage, offence,
             disrespect:  It is hard to understand why she tolerates his
             persistent slights.  8 inattention, neglect, disregard,
             indifference, snub, cold shoulder, coldness, ill-treatment:
             Perhaps she misinterprets his obsessive occupation in his work
             as a slight to her.

   slightly  adv.  a little, somewhat, to a certain or slight or minor extent
             or degree or measure, marginally:  Yes, I do feel slightly
             better, thank you.

   slim      adj.  1 See slender, 1, above.  2 See slender, 2, 3, above.

             --v.  3 reduce, lose or shed weight, diet, Chiefly US
             slenderize:  I really must slim if I am to fit into my summer
             clothes.

   slimy     adj.  1 oozy, slippery, mucky, squashy, squishy, viscous,
             sticky, gluey, mucilaginous, uliginous, glutinous, mucous,
             clammy, mushy, US squushy or squooshy, Colloq gooey, gunky, US
             gloppy:  He had cleverly buried the bag of diamonds in a mass of
             slimy waste where no one would want to look. 2 slippery,
             unctuous, obsequious, sycophantic, toadying, servile, creeping,
             grovelling, abject, Colloq smarmy:  I don't mind his trying to
             sell me insurance, but why does he have to be so slimy about it?

   sling     v.  1 toss, throw, cast, propel, hurl, shy, fling, fire, shoot,
             pitch, let fly, launch, heave, lob, Colloq chuck:  He slung his
             briefcase onto the desk and flopped into a chair.

             --n.  2 slingshot, catapult, trebuchet or trebucket:  It is said
             that David slew Goliath with a stone from his sling.  3 support,
             strap, band; belt:  The doctor ordered him to keep his sprained
             arm in a sling for a few days. The military rifles are supplied
             with leather slings.

   slink     v.  sneak, creep, steal, prowl, skulk:  The dog slunk out of the
             room with its tail between its legs.

   slip°     v.  1 slide, skid, glide, slither:  Waxing the runners helps the
             sleigh slip along more easily.  2 stumble, lose one's footing or
             balance, miss one's footing, trip; fall, tumble:  Mother slipped
             on the ice but luckily didn't fall down.  3 Often, slip up. err,
             blunder, make a mistake, miscalculate, go wrong, botch (up),
             Slang screw up:  He slipped up again by failing to give you your
             telephone messages.  4 let slip. reveal, divulge, blurt out,
             leak, let out, disclose, expose, Colloq come out with, blab:  He
             accidentally let slip the news that you were back in town.  5
             slip away or by. pass, elapse, vanish, go by:  The hours just
             slipped away when I was with Irena.  6 slip away or off or out.
             escape, disappear, leave, vanish, steal, go or run away or off
             or out, break away, get away, give (someone) the slip; sneak
             away or off or out:  After the speech, he slipped away before we
             could interview him.  7 slip in. enter, get in, sneak in; put
             in:  A field mouse slipped in past the wire netting. I managed
             to slip in my suggestion before the meeting was adjourned.

             --n.  8 blunder, error, mistake, fault, oversight, slip of the
             tongue or pen, inadvertence, indiscretion, impropriety,
             transgression, peccadillo, faux pas, Colloq slip-up, Chiefly US
             blooper, Slang Brit boob, bloomer:  She made so many slips in
             the letter that she had to retype it.

   slipэ     n.  1 piece, scrap, strip, sliver; paper, note, chit, permit,
             permission, pass, document:  I'll put my phone number on this
             slip of paper. To go on the outing, each child will have to
             bring in a slip signed by a parent. 2 shoot, scion, cutting,
             sprig, twig, sprout, runner, offshoot:  After the slip is
             inserted, the branch must be bandaged up firmly.

   slippery  adj.  1 slick, sleek, slimy, icy, glassy, smooth, greasy, oily,
             lubricated, Colloq skiddy:  Be careful! Those stairs can be
             slippery when they're wet.  2 evasive, devious, shifty,
             unreliable, undependable, questionable, untrustworthy,
             dishonest, treacherous, disloyal, perfidious, slick, crafty,
             sly, foxy, cunning, tricky, sneaky, false, reptilian, faithless,
             Colloq shady:  I have dealt with some very slippery characters
             over the years, but this one is downright evil.

   slipshod  adj.  careless, slovenly, slapdash, haphazard, messy, untidy,
             disorganized, lax, unorganized, Colloq sloppy:  We refused to
             pay the bill because of the slipshod way they did the repairs.

   slit      v.  1 split, cut, slash, gash, knife, slice:  The bark of the
             log is first slit OBopen, then carefully peeled back.

             --n.  2 split, cut, gash, incision, fissure, groove, slash,
             cleft, aperture, opening:  Off-stage, the rest of the actors
             were watching the audience through a slit in the curtain.

   slither   v.  slide, worm, snake, slip, slink, glide, skitter, creep,
             crawl:  After regarding me for a moment, the cobra turned and
             slithered away.

   sliver    n.  fragment, piece, shard, shred, splinter, slip, shaving,
             paring, flake, chip, bit, scrap, snippet, snip:  Two weeks
             later, we were still finding tiny slivers of glass from the
             broken vase.

   slob      n.  oaf, boor, pig, lout, churl, yahoo, Slang Brit yob, yobbo,
             Chiefly US galoot or galloot, Slobbovian:  He was a complete
             slob - he never tidied his room, and hardly ever washed.

   slogan    n.  war cry, battle-cry, rallying cry, catchword, watchword;
             motto:  The magazine's slogan was 'If you love words, you'll
             love Word '.

   slope     v.  1 incline, decline, ascend, descend, rise, fall, dip, sink,
             drop (off), angle, slant, pitch, tilt, tip:  The lawn slopes
             downwards from the house, then upwards towards that grove of
             trees.

             --n.  2 incline, decline, ascent, descent, acclivity, declivity,
             rise, fall, ramp, dip, sink, drop, angle, slant, pitch, tilt,
             rake, tip, camber, cant, grade, bevel, hill, bank, mount,
             gradient, US grade, upgrade, downgrade:  Sheep can be seen
             grazing on the grassy slopes.

   sloppy    adj.  1 messy, dirty, slovenly, careless, slipshod, untidy,
             disordered, disorderly; draggle-tailed, bedraggled, dishevelled,
             unkempt, dowdy, frumpish, shabby, scruffy, Colloq US grungy:
             She is certainly a sloppy housekeeper. John's teacher complained
             about his sloppy work. 2 wet, slushy, watery, soggy, soppy,
             sopping, sodden, sloshy, muddy, rainy:  The roads were sloppy
             after all the rain. You're lucky you don't have to go out in
             this sloppy weather. 3 sentimental, gushy, gushing, mawkish,
             maudlin, mushy, over-emotional, Colloq slushy, Brit wet, soppy:
             She starts to cry whenever she watches a sloppy film on TV.

   slot      n.  1 groove, fissure, notch, slit, opening, hollow, depression,
             channel, sulcus:  Each of these pieces fits into its own slot.
             Drop a coin in the slot and watch what happens. 2 opening,
             position, vacancy, job, place, assignment, niche, space, spot,
             pigeon-hole:  We filled that slot in the sales department. They
             scheduled the new programme into the half-hour slot after the
             six o'clock news.

             --v.  3 groove, fissure, notch, slit, hollow out:  We slotted
             the stanchions to accommodate the shelf brackets.  4 assign,
             schedule, place, position, pigeon-hole, fit:  Can we slot this
             interview into the documentary on China?

   sloth     n.  idleness, laziness, indolence, slothfulness, inertia,
             apathy, indifference, accidie, torpor, faineance, pococurantism,
             torpidity, sluggishness, languor, languidness, lethargy, phlegm,
             Rare hebetude:  The maharajahs lived a life of sloth and luxury
             at the expense of their poverty-stricken subjects.

   slothful  adj.  idle, lazy, indolent, apathetic, indifferent, torpid,
             inert, pococurante, slack, lax, shiftless, fain‚ant, inactive,
             do-nothing, sluggish, sluggard(ly), slow, laggard, languorous,
             languid, lethargic, lackadaisical, phlegmatic, hebetudinous:
             One cannot pursue a slothful attitude and expect to get anywhere
             in life.

   slouch    v.  1 droop, sag, stoop, loll, slump, hunch:  Sit up straight
             and stop slouching.

             --n.  2 stoop, sag, droop, slump, hunch:  He seems to have
             developed a slouch from the burden of his responsibilities.  3
             Usually, no slouch. sloven, loafer, sluggard, laggard, loafer,
             idler, malingerer, lazybones:  Nellie is certainly no slouch
             when it comes to exercising to keep fit.

   slow      adj.  1 lagging, laggard, dawdling, sluggish, sluggard(ly),
             slow-moving, leaden, ponderous, unhurried, plodding, snail-like,
             tortoise-like, torpid, leaden-footed, creeping, crawling;
             deliberate, slow-paced, leisurely, gradual, easy, relaxed, lax,
             lackadaisical, lazy, US lallygagging or lollygagging:  They
             walked at a slow pace back to the house. Philip has become a
             little slower in his old age. 2 gradual, progressive, moderate,
             perceptible, almost imperceptible, measurable:  The church
             elders have noted a slow decline in moral standards.  3
             unhurried, slow-moving, slow-paced:  The slow funeral cortege
             crept through the streets.  4 behindhand, unpunctual:  I missed
             the train because my watch is five minutes slow.  5 late, tardy,
             behindhand, dilatory, delayed, unpunctual:  You were so slow in
             getting here that everyone has gone.  6 slack, inactive, quiet,
             sluggish, unproductive:  Business is always a bit slow after the
             holidays.  7 dense, dull, slow-witted, dull-witted, obtuse,
             backward, bovine, dim, dim-witted, stupid, unresponsive,
             blockish, cloddish, unintelligent, doltish, simple, stolid,
             unimaginative, Boeotian, Colloq slow on the uptake, thick, dumb:
             I'm afraid I'm a bit slow when it comes to particle physics.  8
             conservative, unprogressive, old-fashioned, out of date,
             backward, old-fogyish or old-fogeyish, behind the times, Colloq
             square, not with it, past it, US out of it:  The council has
             been rather slow in realizing the needs of the community. 9
             boring, dull, tiresome, ennuyant, tedious, dead, sleepy,
             somnolent, torpid, soporific, wearisome, dry-as-dust,
             uninteresting, monotonous, tame, uneventful, humdrum, Colloq
             ho-hum, dead, Brit dead-and-alive:  This town becomes really
             slow in the autumn, till the tourists reappear in the spring. 10
             reluctant, not quick, unwilling, hesitant, disinclined, averse,
             loath or loth, indisposed:  Even when provoked, Cassie tends to
             be slow to anger.

             --adv.  11 slowly, unhurriedly, cautiously, carefully,
             circumspectly:  He failed his test because he drove too slow.
             12 behindhand, tardily, late, unpunctually:  All the trains seem
             to be running a bit slow tonight.  13 slowly, easy, leisurely,
             easily:  They told him to take things slower or he'd have
             another heart attack.

             --v.  14 Often, slow down or up. slack or slacken off, reduce
             speed, hold back, put on the brakes, take it easy:  You'd better
             slow down before you come to Deadman's Hill.  15 relax, take it
             easy, Colloq ease up:  The doctor suggested that at my age I
             ought to slow down a little.

   sludge    n.  muck, mire, ooze, mud, slime, dregs, silt, residue,
             precipitate, Colloq goo:  The mechanic said that there was a lot
             of sludge in the engine.

   sluggishness
             n.  sloth, laziness, slothfulness, languor, lassitude, lethargy,
             languidness, laggardness, torpor, phlegm, lifelessness,
             stagnation, shiftlessness, pococurantism, faineance, accidie,
             Rare hebetude:  A few days' golfing in Scotland will help to
             shake off the sluggishness of your Caribbean holiday.

   slum      n.  Often, slums. ghetto, warren, shanty town, US skid row or
             Skid Road:  Many very famous men emerged from the slums of the
             Lower East Side in New York.

   slump     n.  1 dip, trough, depreciation, decline, downturn, downslide,
             recession, depression, falling-off, fall-off, fall, drop,
             plunge, descent, crash, collapse, failure; nosedive, tailspin:
             A slump in the housing market was one of the early signs of the
             impending recession. The market went into a slump this morning
             from which it barely recovered before closing.

             --v.  2 decline, slip, recede, fall (off), drop, plunge,
             descend, sink, crash, collapse, dive, plummet, take or go into a
             nosedive or tailspin:  Prices on the stock market slumped
             following announcement of a rise in interest rates. 3 See
             slouch, 1, above.

   slur      n.  1 smear, insult, calumny, aspersion, affront, stigma, stain,
             blot, spot, (black) mark, discredit, insinuation, innuendo,
             imputation, slander, libel, slight, Colloq put-down:  She
             resents any slur on her husband's character.

             --v.  2 mumble, misarticulate, garble, stutter, lisp:  Some
             people nowadays slur their speech so badly that one can hardly
             understand them. 3 slur over. gloss over, pass over, disregard,
             give short shrift to, ignore:  The eulogies at the memorial
             service slurred over his faults and focused on his
             accomplishments.

   sly       adj.  1 cunning, artful, crafty, clever, wily, guileful,
             underhand(ed), deceitful, treacherous, foxy, scheming, plotting,
             designing, conniving, furtive, shrewd, sneaky, stealthy,
             insidious, devious, disingenuous, tricky, shifty, sharp, canny,
             Colloq shady:  It was devilishly sly of him to manoeuvre you
             into paying for his party. 2 impish, elfish, roguish,
             mischievous, puckish, devilish, scampish, naughty, arch,
             waggish:  Even as he was flirting with Allison he was giving
             Antonia sly, conspiratorial winks.

             --n.  3 on the sly. slyly or slily, quietly, surreptitiously,
             covertly, stealthily, furtively, sneakily, underhandedly,
             clandestinely, Colloq on the q.t.  or Q.T., on the side:
             Although her parents had forbidden her to see him again, Antonia
             continued to meet Kevin on the sly.

19.8 small...
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   small     adj.  1 little, tiny, short, diminutive, petite, mignon(ne),
             wee, teeny, elfin, Lilliputian, midget, miniature, minute,
             minuscule, baby, bantam, pocket(-sized), mini; undersized,
             immature, young, under age; Colloq pint-sized, US peewee:  She
             was once small enough to fit into a size 7. When I was very
             small, my father took me to my first cricket match. 2 slight,
             secondary, insignificant, trivial, inconsequential, lesser,
             puny, negligible, minor, trifling, unimportant, paltry,
             nugatory:  The opinions of other people were not of the smallest
             importance to him. 3 unimaginative, shallow, unoriginal,
             mundane, everyday, limited, unprofound, uninspired, commonplace,
             matter-of-fact, flat, two-dimensional:  With their small minds
             they were incapable of fully appreciating the scope of the
             project. 4 skimpy, niggardly, stingy, uncharitable, ungenerous,
             scanty, meagre, cheap, petty, parsimonious, grudging, stinting,
             selfish, miserly, tight, tight-fisted, close-fisted, close;
             poor, insignificant, inadequate, insufficient, unsatisfactory,
             negligible, trifling, humble, small-scale, modest,
             unpretentious, Colloq piddling, measly:  With all your money, it
             was very small of you not to contribute more to the scholarship
             fund. We all thought their cheque was too small. 5
             insignificant, limited, negligible, trifling, tiny; little,
             minor, diminished, reduced, slight:  Only a small number of
             people came to the opening night. It was small consolation to be
             told that he had come a good second. 6 feel small. feel
             embarrassed or ashamed or shamed or humiliated or foolish, feel
             discomfited or disconcerted or uncomfortable, feel mortified or
             chagrined, Colloq feel put down:  Doreen always managed to make
             some remark that made Andrew feel small.

   small-minded
             adj.  small, petty, selfish, stingy, grudging, niggardly,
             ungenerous, mean, narrow-minded, narrow, close-minded,
             uncharitable, hidebound, rigid, intolerant, unimaginative,
             short-sighted, near-sighted, myopic:  Charging members of staff
             for local telephone calls seems rather small-minded.

   small-time
             adj.  small, small-scale, unimportant, petty, piddling, minor,
             insignificant, trifling, trivial:  In less than ten years he
             succeeded in building a small-time used-car business into a
             national chain.

   smart     adj.  1 intelligent, clever, bright, brilliant, quick-witted,
             sharp, acute, astute, capable, adept, apt, quick, ingenious:
             Emily is one of the smartest children in the class.  2 canny,
             perspicacious, perceptive, percipient, discerning,
             knowledgeable, au fait, well-educated, well-read, erudite,
             learned, well-versed, aware, shrewd, streetwise, Slang hip,
             tuned in, US savvy:  Brendan is smart enough to avoid trouble.
             3 elegant, chic, fashionable, stylish, modish, … la mode,
             well-groomed, trim, neat, dapper, spruce, soign‚(e), Colloq
             snappy, natty:  You must admit that both Della and Paul are
             smart dressers.  4 pert, pointed, saucy, witty, nimble-witted,
             poignant, trenchant, effective:  I wish he would stop making
             smart remarks when I am trying to explain something. 5 brisk,
             vigorous, animated, active, energetic, spirited, lively; quick,
             alert, jaunty, perky, breezy:  The enemy launched a smart
             counter-attack at dawn. He set off down the road at a smart
             pace. 6 quick, swift, stiff, smarting, stinging, sharp, severe:
             The mugger gave him a smart blow on the back of the neck.

             --v.  7 sting, hurt, pinch, pain, ache, tingle, prickle, burn,
             throb, stab, pierce:  The antiseptic may smart a bit when it is
             put on the cut. The smoky atmosphere made her eyes smart.

             --n.  8 injury, harm, pain, pang, twinge, affliction, suffering,
             smarting:  For years he silently endured the smart of his
             colleagues' ridicule.

   smear     v.  1 daub, rub, anoint, spread, cover, coat, wipe, plaster,
             bedaub; besmirch, dirty, smudge, stain, soil, begrime:  The baby
             smeared ice-cream all over his face. The car windows were
             smeared with dirt from the road. 2 blacken, besmirch, soil,
             sully, calumniate, slander, discredit, tarnish, defile, vilify,
             scandalize, stigmatize, Colloq drag through the mud:
             Politicians regularly smear their opponents with all sorts of
             accusations.

             --n.  3 smudge, daub, stain, splodge or chiefly US splotch,
             blot, taint, spot:  These outrageous lies constitute a smear on
             my good reputation.  There was a smear of blood on his collar. 4
             slander, scandal, libel, vilification, mud-slinging, defamation,
             calumny, aspersion, reflection:  The article contains several
             smears on the character of an MP.

   smell     n.  1 odour, scent, aroma, perfume, fragrance, bouquet, breath,
             whiff:  Don't you love the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the
             morning?  2 stink, stench, fetor or foetor, fetidness, mephitis,
             effluvium, Colloq Brit pong:  The smell from the rotting garbage
             was overpowering.

             --v.  3 scent, sniff, Colloq get a whiff of:  The moment I smelt
             that perfume I knew that Nicole had been there.  4 stink, reek,
             Colloq Brit pong, hum:  The milk had gone off and smelled to
             high heaven.

   smelly    adj.  malodorous, evil-smelling, foul-smelling, foul, mephitic,
             fetid, putrid, reeky, stinking, noisome, rank, offensive,
             miasmic or miasmatic or miasmatical or miasmal, odoriferous,
             rancid, high, gamy, Slang Brit whiffy:  She hid the diamond in a
             washing basket full of smelly clothes.

   smile     v.  1 grin, beam:  He smiled and said he was pleased to meet me.

             --n.  2 grin:  Georgina bestowed on me a sweet, wistful smile.

   smirk     n.  1 leer, sneer, grin, grimace, simpering smile:  Wipe that
             conceited smirk off your face.

             --v.  2 sneer, grimace, leer:  Instead of saying, 'I told you
             so', he just stood there smirking.

   smitten   adj.  1 affected, afflicted, beset, stricken, troubled,
             distressed, burdened, crushed, plagued, haunted, worried,
             bothered, vexed:  Offers of help for the smitten town came
             pouring in.  2 captivated, enthralled, struck, bewitched,
             enchanted, beguiled, charmed, enraptured, infatuated, enamoured,
             ensorcelled, swept off one's feet, Colloq bowled over, gaga:
             Anthea met some rock star and was totally smitten. They were so
             smitten by the beauty of the island that they returned every
             year.

   smooth    adj.  1 regular, even, flush, flat, level, plane, unruffled,
             unbroken, unwrinkled, undisturbed, tranquil, peaceful, calm,
             serene, glassy:  A light breeze rose to ripple the smooth
             surface of Alan's martini.  2 slick, sleek, shiny, glossy,
             glassy, mirror-like, uniform, polished, burnished; silky,
             silken, velvety, satiny:  Optical mirrors for telescopes must be
             as smooth as modern technology can made them. He ran his fingers
             over the smooth fabric. 3 unobstructed, easy, effortless, free,
             uncluttered, even, orderly, well-ordered, uneventful, flowing,
             fluent, unconstrained, uninterrupted:  There were no obstacles
             in the way of a smooth return to normal operations. The road to
             ruin is short and smooth. 4 hairless, bald, bare, naked,
             clean-shaven, smooth-shaven, depilated, glabrous:  His smooth
             pate shone in the moonlight.  5 soothing, mellow, pleasant,
             bland, mild, soft:  That is a very smooth whisky indeed.  6
             suave, slick, slippery, unctuous, silken, silky, glib, urbane,
             soign‚(e), agreeable, winning, plausible, facile, nonchalant,
             courtly, eloquent, honey-tongued, smooth-spoken, persuasive,
             oily, slimy, syrupy, Colloq chiefly Brit smarmy:  With his quick
             understanding and smooth manner, Edward was a very successful
             salesman. 7 sweet, dulcet, pear-shaped, mellow, well-modulated,
             silver-tongued:  The smooth tones of his serenade wafted through
             the evening air.  8 slick, scheming, conniving, crafty, shrewd,
             cunning, tricky, shifty, sly, foxy, Machiavellian,
             sophistic(al), plausible, credible, believable, Colloq cagey:
             Robinson came up with a very smooth plan to bilk wealthy widows
             out of their money.

             --v.  9 Often, smooth out or away. flatten, even, level, iron,
             press, mangle, calender:  Please smooth the wrinkles out of this
             shirt so that I can wear it tonight. 10 prepare, lay, pave,
             ease, ready, clear, open, prime, lubricate, facilitate:  What is
             your policy for smoothing the way for employees joining the
             firm? 11 sand, plane, polish, buff, burnish:  The wood is
             smoothed to a glassy finish before being used for the cabinets.
             12 Often, smooth over. ameliorate, assuage, allay, calm, gloss
             over, minimize, mitigate, lessen, soothe, reduce, temper,
             mollify, smoothen, soften, palliate, appease:  An otherwise
             uncomfortable situation was smoothed over by her quiet words.

   smother   v.  1 suffocate, stifle, choke, asphyxiate; throttle, strangle,
             snuff (out), kill:  He was accused of trying to smother his wife
             with a pillow.  2 be suffocated or stifled or asphyxiated, be
             choked or strangled, be killed:  The infant apparently smothered
             in the blanket.  3 overwhelm, overcome, blanket, inundate,
             cover, shower; envelop, wrap, enshroud, surround:  The children
             crowded round and smothered her with kisses. The banquet table
             was smothered in white roses. 4 repress, subdue, suppress,
             conceal, hide, keep or hold back, cover up, mask, choke back or
             down, check; stifle, muffle, blanket, blank out:  He managed to
             smother his grief and put on a brave face. Our whispers were
             smothered by the noise of the hi-fi. 5 extinguish, put out,
             snuff out:  The foam from the fire extinguisher smothered the
             blaze in a few moments.

   smoulder  v.  burn; seethe, simmer, chafe, rage, fume, foam, boil, stew,
             fester, Colloq get hot under the collar, get (all) steamed up,
             see red, US do a slow burn, get (all) burnt up:  The fire
             continued to smoulder, then flared up again a week later.  He
             has been smouldering ever since his wife confessed she was going
             out with another man.

   smug      adj.  self-satisfied, complacent, holier-than-thou,
             self-important, overconfident, conceited:  She is a bit too smug
             about the security of her job and might get a nasty shock some
             day soon.

19.9 snack...
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   snack     n.  1 bite, nibble, morsel, titbit or chiefly US tidbit,
             refreshment(s), Brit elevenses, Colloq nosh:  Have a little
             snack or you'll be hungry later.

             --v.  2 bite, nibble, Colloq nosh:  He gained all that weight
             just from snacking between meals.

   snag      n.  1 hitch, catch, problem, (stumbling) block, stricture,
             bottleneck, complication, obstacle, impediment, obstruction,
             hindrance, difficulty, US hang-up:  A snag developed that
             prevented my keeping my promise to you.

             --v.  2 catch, tear, rip:  He snagged his new jacket on a nail.

   snake     n.  1 reptile, serpent, ophidian, viper:  A specialist in snakes
             is called a herpetologist.  2 snake in the grass, traitor,
             turncoat, Judas, quisling, betrayer, double-crosser, informer,
             rat, US Benedict Arnold, Slang chiefly US and Canadian fink,
             ratfink:  Eventually they caught the snake who was giving away
             their plans to the enemy.

             --v.  3 slither, glide, creep, crawl, worm:  To avoid being
             seen, he snaked along on his stomach for a few yards. 4 twist,
             wind, curve, bend, turn, zigzag, worm, wander, loop, crook,
             meander:  The road snakes through the jungle for 50 miles or
             more.

   snap      v.  1 break (off), separate, crack; cleave, split, fracture,
             give way, part:  The wind snapped off tree branches like
             matchsticks. The back legs of the chair snapped in two as she
             sat on it. 2 click; pop; crack:  The door snapped shut.  3
             Often, snap at.  a bite (at), nip, gnash or snatch at:  The
             postman ran down the street, the dog snapping at his heels.  b
             attack, lunge at, lash out (at), snarl at, growl (at), bark
             (at), be brusque or short or curt (with), Colloq jump down
             (someone's) throat, fly off the handle (at):  Robin is in a bad
             mood today, snapping at everyone.  4 Usually, snap up or US also
             off. grab (up), snatch (up), seize, pluck, pounce on or upon,
             make off with, take (away), capture, catch, get, secure:  The
             people who arrived early at the sale had snapped up all the
             bargains. 5 shoot, snapshot, photograph, click, catch:  He
             always has his camera with him so that he can snap anything
             interesting. 6 snap one's fingers at. disdain, scorn, flout,
             dismiss, contemn, disregard, ignore, defy, mock, deride, thumb
             one's nose at, Brit cock a snook at:  He merely snapped his
             fingers at the dangers when I mentioned them. 7 snap out of it.
             recover, come round or around, revive, awaken, wake up, perk up,
             liven up, cheer up; get a grip or (a) hold on or of oneself,
             pull oneself together, (re)gain control of oneself:  I was
             feeling very blue yesterday but managed to snap out of it.

             --n.  8 crack, crackle, pop, click:  The lid shut with a snap.
             9 spell, period, interval, wave:  During that cold snap we
             thought we were in for a terrible winter.  10 catch, spring
             catch, (snap-)fastener, fastening, clasp:  Do you want snaps or
             buttons sewn on this shirt?  11 energy, vigour, animation,
             liveliness, vitality, bounce, alertness, sprightliness, ‚lan,
             dash, sparkle, verve, Colloq zip, zing, get-up-and-go, pep,
             pizazz:  Granny certainly has a lot of snap left in her.  12
             easy job, Slang picnic, US and Canadian breeze:  There had been
             no need for her to worry, for the exam turned out to be a snap.

             --adj.  13 abrupt, sudden, precipitate, hurried, hasty,
             incautious, rash, unpremeditated, unplanned, not
             well-thought-out, quick, instantaneous, instant:  This is too
             important a matter for a snap decision.

   snappish  adj.  1 short-tempered, testy, petulant, peevish, irritable,
             prickly, touchy, irascible, quick to anger, quick-tempered,
             hot-tempered, waspish, Brit snappy, US on a short string or
             tether:  He fancies that being snappish goes with his 'artistic'
             temperament.  2 curt, short, abrupt, brusque, curmudgeonly,
             cantankerous, sharp, cross, grouchy, gruff, cranky, crusty,
             crabby, crabbed, acid, tart, acerbic, churlish, dyspeptic,
             choleric, splenetic, ill-humoured, ill-tempered, temperamental,
             moody, Brit snappy:  Grandad tended to be snappish when he
             became impatient with our lack of experience.

   snappy    adj.  1 quick, sharp, brisk, smart, crisp, lively, rapid,
             speedy:  If you want to come with us, you'd better make it
             snappy.  2 fashionable, chic, sharp, smart, stylish, dapper,
             modish, Colloq natty, Brit trendy:  Your new friend is a very
             snappy dresser, isn't he?

   snare     n.  1 trap, net, springe, noose, gin:  They had caught only a
             pigeon in the snare.

             --v.  2 trap, catch, entrap, seize, capture, ensnare:  Using a
             different bait, William snared some partridges.

   snarl°    v.  1 growl; snap:  I admit I found three snarling Dobermans a
             bit off-putting. The clerk snarled at me when I asked for a
             form.

             --n.  2 growl:  With a snarl the dog leapt at his throat.

   snarlэ    v.  1 Often, snarl up. tangle, entangle, complicate, confuse,
             scramble, muddle, twist, mix or mess up, Colloq ball up, screw
             up:  This situation is so snarled up that we'll never straighten
             it out. 2 tangle, entangle, knot, twist, ravel, jam, kink:  The
             rope won't feed through the pulley because it's all snarled.

             --n.  3 tangle, entanglement, complexity, snag, problem,
             difficulty, complication, muddle, mess, predicament, fix,
             quandary, dilemma, Colloq snarl-up, tight spot, pickle:  The
             situation was full of snarls and problems.  4 jungle, maze,
             labyrinth, knot:  The drain was clogged by a snarl of hair.

   snatch    v.  1 grab, grasp, seize, clasp, clutch, pluck, take (hold of),
             catch, lay hold of, wrest, latch on to, capture, snap up, win,
             get, lay or get one's hands on:  The thief snatched her purse
             and ran away. One must snatch every available opportunity for
             happiness. 2 Chiefly US kidnap, abduct:  They snatched the kid
             and are holding him for ransom.  3 save, rescue, deliver,
             remove:  At the very last moment, we were snatched from the jaws
             of death.

             --n.  4 grab, clutch, grasp:  He made a snatch for her necklace,
             but she managed to duck out of the way. 5 scrap, bit, fragment,
             snippet, segment, morsel, specimen, sample:  We were able to
             hear only brief snatches of their conversation through the
             closed door.

   sneak     v.  1 lurk, slink, steal, creep, skulk, cower, lurk, pad, prowl,
             sidle, Colloq pussyfoot:  We caught Francis sneaking about the
             house last night.

             --n.  2 informer, Colloq tattle-tale, Brit grass, Slang
             stool-pigeon, snitch, Brit and Australian nark, US stoolie,
             Chiefly US and Canadian fink, ratfink, US shoo-fly:  Frank
             picked up a little money acting as a sneak for the police.

   sneaking  adj.  1 persistent, lingering, lurking, nagging, worrying,
             worrisome, niggling, intuitive, deep-rooted, deep-seated, Slang
             gut:  She had a sneaking suspicion that Stephen was a police
             informer.  2 innate, intuitive, inherent, private, secret,
             suppressed, hidden, unexpressed, undeclared, unvoiced, unavowed,
             unconfessed, unrevealed, unadmitted, undivulged, undisclosed,
             covert:  I have a sneaking sympathy with the underdog.

   sneaky    adj.  underhand(ed), devious, furtive, sly, slippery,
             disingenuous, deceitful, dishonest, unscrupulous, shifty:  He
             took a sneaky look at his friend's homework before starting his
             own.

   sneer     v.  1 smirk, curl one's lip, sniff:  Don't sneer - you might be
             the next to lose your job.  2 scorn, disdain, despise, contemn,
             turn up one's nose (at), sniff (at), jeer (at), laugh (at),
             deride, mock, ridicule; underrate; Colloq sneeze at, Slang
             knock:  They sneered at her ambition to become a serious
             athlete.

             --n.  3 scorn, jeer, disdain, contempt, derision, mockery,
             ridicule; sneering, jeering:  Barry endured his classmates'
             sneers without a word.

   sneeze    v.  1 sternutate:  I was about to sneeze, so I grabbed a tissue.
             2 sneeze at. See sneer, 2, above.

             --n.  3 sternutation; sneezing:  The sneeze is an involuntary
             convulsive action.

   snicker   v.  1 snigger, chuckle, giggle, titter, laugh up one's sleeve,
             mock, scorn, laugh (at), jeer (at):  It was embarrassing when
             the audience began to snicker at the ineptitude of the juggler.

             --n.  2 snigger, chuckle, giggle, titter:  The villain gave a
             little snicker when he thought he had her in his clutches.

   sniff     n.  1 whiff, breath, odour, scent:  I got a sniff of her perfume
             as she walked by.  2 hint, spirit, feeling, suggestion:  There
             is the sniff of spring in the air.

             --v.  3 smell, snuffle, snuff:  Why is your dog always sniffing
             at my shoes?  4 sniff (at). See sneer, 2, above.

   snip      v.  1 nip, clip, crop, cut, lop, prune, dock:  When the blossoms
             begin to fade, snip them off.

             --n.  2 cut, slit, gash, slash, incision, nick:  We could watch
             the audience through a small snip in the curtain.  3 bit, scrap,
             shred, snippet, fragment, cutting, clipping, remnant, morsel:
             You are welcome to the leftover snips of fabric.  4 snips.
             scissors, shears, tinsnips:  This duct can be cut with the
             snips.

   snipe     v.  Usually, snipe at. shoot at, fire at; attack, criticize,
             deride, find fault with, carp at, pick apart:  Newby has been
             sniping at the organization for years and we simply ignore him.

   snivel    v.  sniffle, snuffle, blubber, whimper, whine, mewl, pule; cry,
             Colloq Brit whinge:  I'll buy some of your matches, little girl,
             but only if you stop snivelling.

   snobbery  n.  snobbism, snobbishness, pretentiousness, pretension,
             hauteur, haughtiness, superciliousness, condescension,
             loftiness, contemptuousness, presumptuousness, lordliness,
             disdainfulness, disdain, pompousness, pomposity, affectation,
             inflatedness, self-importance, conceit, vainness, vanity,
             narcissism, self-admiration, self-centredness, egotism,
             smugness, Colloq uppishness, uppitiness, snootiness, snottiness:
             It is commonplace to criticize the nouveau riche for their
             snobbery.

   snobbish  adj.  condescending, superior, patronizing, arrogant, haughty,
             lordly, lofty, putting on airs, disdainful, supercilious,
             contemptuous, pretentious, smug, scornful, self-important,
             affected, conceited, egotistic(al), vain, self-satisfied,
             complacent, pompous, Colloq snooty, snotty, highfalutin or
             hifalutin, on one's high horse, uppity, hoity-toity, high and
             mighty, stuck-up, Brit uppish, Chiefly US high-hat, Slang Brit
             toffee-nosed:  Since he got his knighthood, Cathcart has become
             so snobbish he'll have nothing to do with us.

   snoop     v.  1 pry, spy, interfere, meddle, intrude, butt in(to), Colloq
             stick or poke one's nose; be nosy, nose around or about:  He
             couldn't stop snooping into other people's affairs.

             --n.  2 busybody, Paul Pry, meddler, spy, intruder, snooper,
             peeper; private detective or investigator; Colloq Nosy Parker,
             US buttinsky or buttinski; private eye, US shamus:  There was a
             snoop here today, asking a lot of personal questions.

   snug      adj.  cosy, comfortable, intimate, relaxing, restful, warm,
             sheltered, friendly, easy, homely, casual, Colloq comfy:  Curled
             up on the sofa, Chris looks as snug as a bug in a rug.

   snuggle   v.  cuddle, snug down, nestle, nuzzle:  The puppies snuggled up
             close to their mother for warmth and protection.

19.10 soak...
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   soak      v.  1 drench, saturate, wet, immerse, souse, douse or dowse,
             bathe, steep, inundate, ret:  You'd better let the tablecloth
             soak for a while to get out those wine stains. 2 soak up.
             absorb, take in, sponge up; assimilate, learn:  The parched
             earth soaked up the water like a sponge. Let me just lie here
             and soak up some sunshine. She spent years soaking up the
             culture of the Cameroons.

             --n.  3 alcoholic, drunkard, drunk, dipsomaniac, drinker,
             tippler, toper, sot, Slang sponge, souse, boozer, US dip, lush,
             juicer:  You'll never get a straight answer out of that old
             soak.

   soaking   n.  1 drenching, wetting, dousing or dowsing, immersing,
             saturating:  We got a thorough soaking when we were caught in
             the storm.

             --adj.  2 wet, sopping, drenched, dripping, saturated, soaked,
             wringing wet, streaming, sodden, waterlogged:  Take off your
             soaking clothes and sit by the fire in this robe.

   soar      v.  1 rise, fly, hover, float, hang:  The glider soared over the
             hills, catching every updraught.  2 rise, increase, escalate,
             climb, spiral upwards, shoot up or upwards, rocket, sky-rocket:
             To counteract inflation, interest rates began to soar.

   sob       v.  cry, weep, blubber, shed tears, snivel, whimper, sniff,
             snuffle, pule, wail, moan, boohoo, mewl, pule, bawl, howl, yowl:
             The poor, lonely child sobbed quietly.

   sober     adj.  1 teetotal, temperate, US dry, Colloq on the (water-)
             wagon:  Because he was driving, he stayed sober at the party
             while everyone else got drunk. 2 serious, solemn, earnest,
             dispassionate, unruffled, unflustered, unexcited, unperturbed,
             steady, sedate, staid, composed, dignified, cool, calm, serene,
             tranquil, collected, cool-headed, level-headed, sane, balanced,
             practical, realistic, rational, clear-headed, Slang together:
             We invited you because we respect your sober judgement.  3
             sedate, sombre, plain, simple, subdued, quiet, repressed,
             dreary, dark, drab, colourless, neutral:  At the funeral the
             widow wore a sober black costume.

             --v.  4 sober up. detoxify, recover, Colloq dry out:  When she
             finally sobered up she awoke to find herself in custody.

   sobriety  n.  1 teetotalism, abstemiousness, abstention, abstinence,
             non-indulgence, temperance:  Since taking the pledge, Oscar has
             been a model of sobriety.  2 seriousness, soberness, solemnity,
             staidness, gravity, temperateness, sedateness, formality,
             dignity:  They made him promise to do nothing to upset the
             sobriety of the memorial service.

   so-called adj.  1 styled, self-styled, designated, soi-disant, called,
             professed:  They found themselves fighting for Kolchak, the
             so-called supreme ruler of all the Russias. 2 alleged,
             pretended, supposed, ostensible; misnamed, misdesignated;
             suspect:  She bought it through the so-called Honest Used Car
             Dealers Association.

   sociable  adj.  friendly, affable, approachable, social, gregarious,
             outgoing, extrovert(ed) or extravert(ed), companionable,
             accessible, amiable, amicable, genial, congenial, convivial,
             warm, cordial, neighbourly, hail-fellow-well-met, Colloq chummy,
             cosy:  The people in this area are quite sociable, and we get
             together often.

   social    adj.  1 communal, community, common, collective, group, public,
             popular, societal:  In many New England towns, the business of
             government is a social activity. Crime is a social, not an
             individual problem. 2 sexual, sexually transmitted, venereal:
             The clinic was established specifically to deal with social
             diseases.  3 See sociable, above.

   socialize v.  mix, get together, fraternize, keep company, go out, get
             out; associate:  They haven't had much time for socializing
             since the birth of their baby.

   society   n.  1 fellowship, brotherhood, association, intercourse,
             companionship, company, camaraderie, friendship:  Few people can
             be happy for long without the society of others.  2 mankind,
             people, the public:  I fear that Bob is not yet ready to mingle
             with society again.  Do you believe that society demands too
             much? 3 culture, civilization, community, way of life, world;
             organization, system:  The hunting society was replaced largely
             by the agricultural some 10,000 years ago. 4 high society, haut
             monde, beau monde, upper classes, polite society, ‚lite, gentry,
             Colloq upper crust:  The purpose of the debutante ball is to
             introduce young ladies of about 18 to society. 5 organization,
             club, association, circle, league, institute, academy, alliance,
             guild, group, fraternity, sorority, brotherhood, sisterhood,
             fellowship, union, consociation, sodality, Verein, bund or Bund:
             The society, founded to advance and support linguistic
             scholarship, is now 100 years old.

   soft      adj.  1 yielding, cushiony, plushy, spongy, squeezable,
             compressible, squashy, squashable, flexible, plastic, pliable,
             pliant, supple, flexile, flexuous, unstarched:  This mattress is
             much too soft for my back.  2 easy, comfortable, undemanding,
             Colloq cushy:  His uncle got him a soft job at the Labour
             Ministry.  3 gentle, mild, balmy, pleasant, moderate, warm,
             halcyon, springlike, summery, restful, tranquil, relaxing, lazy:
             Alexandra was looking forward to a week in the soft Caribbean
             climate. 4 subdued, toned or turned down, muted, low, quiet,
             melodious, mellifluous or mellifluent, mellow, gentle, faint,
             softened, soothing, smooth:  Riley thought she might succumb to
             the influences of the wine and the soft music and lights. 5
             easygoing, tolerant, kind, compassionate, gentle, merciful,
             lenient, indulgent, permissive, liberal, lax, easy, docile,
             tame, submissive, deferential, benign, tender-hearted,
             sympathetic, kind-hearted, kind:  Some believe that the jailers
             were too soft with the criminals.  His parents were far too
             soft. 6 Usually, soft in the head. foolish, silly, simple,
             Colloq chiefly Brit daft, US off:  Kevin must have gone a bit
             soft in the head if he thinks that Clara still loves him. 7
             depressed, declining, in decline, in recession, slow,
             unprofitable, borderline, questionable, weak:  Owing to the
             stormy, cold summer, the resort business has been soft this
             year. 8 downy, silky, silken, satiny, furry, fluffy, feathery,
             fleecy, fuzzy, velvety, smooth (as a baby's bottom):  The wool
             from the lambs is much softer.  9 pastel, pale, delicate, fine,
             subdued, light, matte or matt, quiet, diffuse(d), soothing:  He
             wanted the bedroom painted in soft shades of greenish blue.  10
             harmless, non-addictive:  Some consider cannabis a soft drug.
             11 fuzzy, woolly, blurred, blurry, foggy, diffuse(d):  The soft
             focus photos of the wedding looked very romantic.  12 weak,
             feeble, frail, effete, delicate, non-physical, non-muscular,
             puny, flabby, out of training or condition or shape, pampered;
             namby-pamby, effeminate, unmanly, unmanful, Colloq sissified,
             sissy:  He had been out of the marines for so long they thought
             he had gone soft. 13 easy, luxurious, pampered, rich, opulent,
             plush, posh, Colloq ritzy, swank(y):  Since selling his
             business, Aubrey Quinton has been living the soft life on the
             Costa del Sol.

   soften    v.  1 Often, soften up. melt, affect, mollify, mellow, palliate,
             soothe, relax, appease:  Nothing would soften the heart of that
             cruel tyrant.  2 mitigate, assuage, diminish, moderate, reduce,
             cushion, lessen, weaken, allay, ease, lighten, abate, temper,
             relieve:  Can't you think of some way to soften the blow of such
             bad news?  3 muffle, deaden, damp, soft-pedal, lower, still,
             quiet, tone down, lessen, diminish, lighten, turn down, quell,
             Chiefly Brit quieten:  Try to soften the high notes and bring up
             the bass.  4 give in, succumb, surrender, yield, agree, consent,
             concur, assent, give way, relax, ease (up), let up:  The
             committee finally softened and allowed the park to be used for
             games.

   soft-hearted
             adj.  tender-hearted, compassionate, tender, warm-hearted,
             sentimental, charitable, generous, giving, sympathetic,
             indulgent, kind, kind-hearted, responsive:  Alison is quite
             soft-hearted when it comes to animal causes and contributed
             willingly.

   soil°     v.  1 dirty, stain, begrime, muddy, smear, spot:  His shirts
             were returned by the laundry still soiled.  2 pollute,
             contaminate, sully, defile, foul, befoul, tarnish, besmirch,
             disgrace, muddy, smear, blacken; blot:  The scandal soiled his
             previously spotless reputation.

             --n.  3 dirt, filth, muck, mire, mud, sludge, dregs, refuse;
             excrement, waste (matter):  The soil is carried away by these
             pipes into the main sewer.

   soilэ     n.  earth, loam, dirt, ground, turf, humus; clay:  The men who
             dug the swimming-pool took away the soil from the pit.

   sojourn   n.  1 stay, stop, stopover, visit, rest, holiday, vacation:  We
             had a very pleasant sojourn in Toronto on our way home.

             --v.  2 stay, stop (over), visit, rest, holiday, vacation,
             tarry:  Next year we plan to sojourn in Bermuda for a while.

   solace    n.  1 comfort, consolation, condolence, relief, balm, support,
             help, succour; reassurance, cheer:  The children brought her
             solace in her bereavement.

             --v.  2 comfort, console, condole, support, help, succour,
             soothe, allay, alleviate, ameliorate, mitigate, assuage,
             relieve; cheer (up), reassure, hearten:  There was little to
             solace James's misery.

   soldier   n.  1 serviceman, servicewoman, recruit, fighter, infantryman,
             foot-soldier, trooper, warrior, military man, man-at-arms, Brit
             Tommy (Atkins), US enlisted man or woman, Colloq Brit squaddie,
             US GI or G.I. (Joe), Old-fashioned (WWI) doughboy:  Enemy
             soldiers had been reconnoitring our position during the night. 2
             fighter, stalwart, supporter, militant:  He has been a soldier
             in the fight against poverty all his life.

             --v.  3 serve (in the army):  In his family the men have been
             soldiering for generations.  4 soldier on. continue, persist,
             persevere, endure, drive, keep going, keep on or at, grind,
             drudge:  Despite the set-backs, they soldiered on to complete
             the project in time.

   sole      adj.  lone, only, singular, unique, solitary; particular,
             exclusive, individual, personal:  As Susan is the sole surviving
             heir, she has the right to sell the house if she wishes.

   solecism  n.  error, slip, impropriety, fault, breach, violation, lapse,
             mistake, misusage, incongruity, inconsistency, barbarism,
             blunder, gaffe, bungle, fumble, gaucherie, faux pas, botch or
             botch-up, Colloq boo-boo, US flub, Slang boner, Brit boob,
             bloomer, Chiefly US and Canadian blooper:  Solecisms in his
             writing include failure of subject and verb to agree.

   solemn    adj.  1 serious, sober, reserved, grave, earnest, sedate, staid,
             taciturn; morose, morbid, mirthless, unsmiling, gloomy, sombre,
             grim; glum, long-faced, saturnine:  We observed a moment of
             solemn silence in memory of our fallen comrades. They knew from
             their father's solemn expression that something was wrong. 2
             ceremonial, ritualistic, liturgical, religious, ecclesiastical,
             holy, divine, sacred, hallowed, sacramental, reverential,
             devotional:  We attended a solemn service to celebrate the
             return of the hostages.  3 ceremonious, ritual, formal,
             dignified, stately, grand, august, imposing, impressive,
             awe-inspiring, awesome, important, momentous:  The Trobriand
             islanders regarded the rights of passage as most solemn.

   solemnity n.  solemnness, gravity, seriousness, soberness, reserve,
             sedateness, taciturnity, staidness, earnestness, impressiveness,
             grandeur, importance, momentousness, consequence:  All who
             attended the service were affected by the solemnity of the
             lighting of the eternal flame.

   solicit   v.  1 entreat, beseech, ask (for), implore, petition, importune,
             appeal for or to, call on or upon, beg, supplicate, pray, crave:
             He has solicited my help on more than one occasion.  2 accost,
             approach, entice, lure, pander to, Slang hustle:  You can't go
             out in that neighbourhood without being solicited.

   solicitor n.  lawyer, attorney, US counselor-at-law:  I have turned the
             matter over to my solicitor.

   solicitous
             adj.  1 concerned, caring, considerate, uneasy, troubled,
             anxious, apprehensive, worried:  She seemed genuinely solicitous
             over the state of my health.  2 eager, earnest, zealous, keen,
             anxious, desirous, ardent, avid:  She seems sincerely solicitous
             to please the firm's customers.

   solicitude
             n.  concern, consideration, regard, disquiet, disquietude,
             uneasiness, anxiety, apprehension, worry, nervousness, fear,
             fearfulness, alarm:  As she had not yet made him her sole heir,
             his solicitude over her health was understandable.

   solid     adj.  1 three-dimensional, cubic:  The perspective drawing is a
             representation of a solid object.  2 filled (in or up), packed,
             jammed, crowded, teeming, congested, crammed, swarming,
             compressed, concentrated, Colloq chock-a-block, jam-packed,
             chock-full:  By the time I arrived, the gallery was solid with
             people.  3 compact, firm, hard, stable; unshakeable or
             unshakable, unshaky, substantial, concrete, sturdy, sound,
             stout, strong:  The vessel floated through the air before coming
             to rest on solid ground. His theories rest on a solid
             foundation. 4 consistent, homogeneous, uniform, unalloyed,
             unmixed, pure, continuous, unbroken, real, authentic, true,
             genuine, 24-carat, unadulterated, Slang honest-to-God:  This
             mountain seems to be solid iron all the way through. John gave
             me a solid gold necklace for my birthday. 5 law-abiding,
             upstanding, upright, decent, stout, substantial, powerful,
             reliable, regular, steady, steadfast, stalwart, straight,
             estimable, sure, trusty, trustworthy, true-blue, worthy,
             dependable, sober:  Mr Hart is one of the solid citizens of this
             town. He has always been a solid defender of the underdog. 6
             steady, stable, stalwart, dependable, sturdy, strong,
             substantial, sound, firm, well-built, well-constructed,
             well-made, tough, durable, rugged, stout:  That chair is not
             solid enough for you to stand on.  7 cogent, sound, concrete,
             weighty, proved, provable, valid, reasonable, sensible,
             rational, sober, well-founded, authoritative, indisputable,
             incontrovertible, irrefutable, incontestable, good, powerful,
             potent, forceful, convincing, persuasive:  He presents a solid
             argument for a sales tax.  8 firm, downright, vigorous, telling,
             effective, forceful, potent, powerful, mighty, dynamic,
             thorough, through-and-through, intensive:  Jan struck a solid
             blow against the supporters of abortion.  9 See solvent, 1,
             below.  10 entire, complete, whole, continuous; uninterrupted,
             undivided, unbroken, unrelieved, blank, windowless:  I had to
             wait at the dentist's for a solid hour. Around the park they
             erected a solid wall.

   solidarity
             n.  unity, unanimity, unification, accord, concord, concordance,
             harmony, concurrence, like-mindedness, agreement, mutuality,
             single-mindedness, singleness (of purpose), community of
             interest, esprit de corps, camaraderie, comradeship, sodality,
             Solidarnos€'c€':  It was through solidarity, not the pursuit of
             individual interest, that freedom was achieved.

   solidify  v.  1 harden, freeze, set, cake, compact, compress, crystallize;
             jell or gel, clot, congeal, coagulate, thicken, Technical
             inspissate; sublime:  The lava flowed round the bodies of those
             who died and solidified, preserving them in their final
             attitudes. 2 consolidate, unite, unify, pull or draw together:
             Studying the speeches of politicians enables me to solidify my
             own views.

   solitary  adj.  1 lone, single, sole, individual; unattended, solo,
             companionless, friendless, lonesome, lonely, unsocial,
             cloistered, secluded, reclusive, separate, eremitic(al),
             hermitic(al), remote, withdrawn, distant, out-of-the-way,
             unfrequented, desolate:  There is not a solitary exception to
             the rule. Flora's solitary style of living allows her to
             concentrate on her writing. There is a solitary little inn where
             we go for weekends.

             --n.  2 solitary confinement:  The prisoner has been in solitary
             for striking a guard.

   solitude  n.  1 solitariness, aloneness, isolation, seclusion, privacy:
             Peter enjoys the solitude of living on an island.  2 loneliness,
             remoteness; emptiness, wilderness:  How long could one person
             survive in the solitude of interstellar space?

   solo      adv.  1 alone, unaccompanied, on one's own:  Jack flew solo for
             the first time yesterday.

             --adj.  2 individual, unaccompanied, solitary:  Let Eugene play
             the solo trombone part.

   solution  n.  1 solving, working or figuring out, discovery, finding out,
             unravelling, explication, deciphering, decipherment,
             elucidation, revelation, clarification, explanation; answer,
             key:  The solution of the problem should be left up to the
             experts.  Several solutions have been found through computer
             analysis. 2 settlement, settling, resolution, result, denouement
             or d‚nouement, outcome, conclusion:  It seems unlikely that we
             shall be able to bring this matter to a solution in a one-day
             meeting. 3 mixture, blend, compound, infusion; liquid, fluid;
             Technical emulsion, suspension, colloid or colloidal solution or
             colloidal suspension:  After mixing the powder with water, use
             the solution to bathe the wound. 4 dissolving, dissolution,
             mixing, mixture:  The solution of these ingredients in alcohol
             was first accomplished in ancient times.

   solve     v.  work or figure out, unravel, disentangle, untangle, clarify,
             clear up, make plain or clear, interpret, explicate, decipher,
             crack, explain, elucidate, reveal, answer, resolve:  Oedipus'
             problems began in earnest when he solved the Riddle of the
             Sphinx.

   solvent   adj.  creditworthy, (financially) sound, solid, reliable;
             debt-free; profitable:  The auditors rate the business as
             solvent.

   sombre    adj.  1 gloomy, morose, lugubrious, funereal, morbid, louring or
             lowering, melancholy, sad, dismal, unhappy, cheerless, joyless,
             serious, sober, doleful, dolorous, mournful, depressed,
             depressing, grave, grim, grim-faced, grim-visaged, Literary
             melancholic, darksome:  Despite his sombre appearance, Sid was
             one of the funniest men I've ever met. 2 dark, gloomy,
             foreboding, bleak, depressing, shadowy, murky, leaden, grey,
             black, dismal, dreary, overcast, dusky, dim, dingy, darkling,
             dull, subfusc or subfuscous:  The sombre sky set the mood for
             the proceedings that were to follow.  3 staid, sedate, sober,
             solemn, dark, dull, subfusc:  A young person like you ought to
             dress in less sombre colours.

   somebody  pron.  1 one, someone, some person:  There must be somebody who
             will take you to the dance.

             --n.  2 personage, celebrity, dignitary, VIP, luminary, notable,
             star, superstar, Colloq hotshot, bigwig, big wheel, big gun, big
             noise, big White Chief, big Daddy, big Chief, big-timer; hot
             stuff; Old-fashioned big cheese; US Mr Big:  He must be a
             somebody to merit such treatment.

   somehow   adv.  someway, in one way or another, in some way, somehow or
             other, by hook or by crook, by fair means or foul, Colloq come
             hell or high water:  Somehow, we have to get into the vault for
             those papers.

   sometime  adj.  1 former, erstwhile, past, recent, one-time, quondam:
             Crawford was a sometime student of the occult.

             --adv.  2 at some time or other, someday, one day, any time, on
             a future occasion, when or if the opportunity arises, soon, by
             and by, one of these days:  Come up and see me sometime.  3
             sooner or later, in (due) time, in the fullness of time, in the
             long run, one fine day, Un bel di, eventually, when all is said
             and done, before long, before you know it:  You can be sure that
             the tax man will find out about it sometime.

   sometimes adv.  occasionally, on occasion, (every) now and then, now and
             again, off and on, at times, from time to time, every so often,
             (every) once in a while:  Sometimes Ambrose used to visit his
             grandchildren twice a week.

   somewhat  adv.  rather, quite, relatively, more or less, moderately,
             pretty, fairly, to some or a certain extent or degree or
             measure, slightly, a bit, a little, Colloq sort of, kind of:
             Ingrid was somewhat put out by my refusal.

   song      n.  1 tune, air, melody, ditty, number:  Together, they wrote
             some of the most popular songs of this century.  2 for a song.
             cheaply, inexpensively, at a bargain price:  That old book you
             wanted went for a song at the auction.  3 (old) song and dance.
             a fuss, to-do, commotion, bother, ado, Colloq flap, performance,
             Brit kerfuffle:  I cannot see why they made such a song and
             dance of telling us they couldn't come. b evasion, tale,
             prevarication, (long) story, (long) explanation:  To excuse his
             absence he gave me the old song and dance about his grandmother
             being ill.

   soon      adv.  1 before long, presently, ere long; in the near future,
             any minute (now), before you know it, in good time, in a little
             while, in a minute or a moment, momentarily, shortly, anon, in a
             second, Colloq in a jiffy:  Soon another year will have passed.
             The doctor will be with you soon. 2 quickly, speedily, at once,
             promptly, immediately, directly, without delay, straightway,
             straight away, right away, forthwith, in short order, on the
             double, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), in a wink, tout de
             suite, without delay, Colloq pronto, US and Canadian
             lickety-split:  If he doesn't come soon, dinner will be spoilt.
             3 quickly, speedily, promptly, swiftly:  I'll be there as soon
             as I can.  4 willingly, lief, gladly, happily, readily:  I'd
             just as soon be left alone, if you don't mind.  5 sooner or
             later. at some time or other, some time, one day, in time, in
             due course, eventually, ultimately, in the end, when all is said
             and done, at the end of the day, in the last or final analysis,
             at bottom:  Don't worry, she'll come home sooner or later.
             Sooner or later they will have to yield.

   soothing  adj.  1 relaxing, restful, serene, peaceful, pacifying, calm,
             calming, quiet, soft, quieting:  I put on some soothing music
             and offered her a cocktail.  2 mollifying, comforting,
             palliative, lenitive, demulcent, balsamic, emollient:  The
             doctor prescribed a soothing ointment to relieve the pain.

   sophistic adj.  sophistical, specious, fallacious, deceptive,
             hypocritical, false, unsound, baseless, groundless,
             casuistic(al), Jesuitic(al), captious, misleading, bogus, sham,
             untenable:  The politicians advanced their usual sophistic
             arguments for continuing a war that no one wanted to support.

   sophisticated
             adj.  1 cultivated, cultured, refined, experienced, worldly,
             cosmopolitan, polished, elegant, urbane, worldly-wise,
             knowledgeable, knowing, suave, soign‚(e), blas‚, chichi, slick,
             Slang hip or hep, cool, with it:  The Gordons mix with a pretty
             sophisticated crowd.  2 advanced, complex, complicated,
             intricate, elaborate, subtle, refined, multifaceted:  The
             desk-top computers of today are much more sophisticated than
             most older main-frame systems.

   sophistication
             n.  1 worldliness, urbanity, culture, refinement, knowledge,
             knowledgeability, cosmopolitanism, polish, elegance, poise,
             suavity or suavit‚, savoir faire, savoir vivre, finesse,
             discrimination, discernment, awareness, taste, tastefulness,
             style:  They want him on the board of directors of the museum
             because he lends it sophistication. 2 complexity, intricacy,
             subtlety, refinement:  There is a staggering amount of
             sophistication built into modern integrated circuits.

   sorcerer  n.  sorceress, magus, necromancer, wizard, witch, warlock,
             enchanter, enchantress, magician, thaumaturgist, shaman,
             witch-doctor, medicine man:  The law demanded death for the
             sorcerers and for those who dealt with them.

   sorcery   n.  witchcraft, enchantment, sortilege, necromancy, wizardry,
             (black or white) magic, shamanism, black art, diabolism:  Once
             Vera works her sorcery on you, you obey her every whim.

   sordid    adj.  1 base, vile, corrupt, low, ignoble, debased, degraded,
             abased, mean, ignominious, dishonourable, despicable,
             disreputable, shabby, shameful, scurvy, rotten, execrable:  He
             forced his family to do the most sordid things to raise money.
             2 avaricious, greedy, grasping, mercenary, piggish, hoggish,
             selfish, rapacious, money-grubbing, stingy, parsimonious:  His
             most sordid plan was to pretend he was collecting money for the
             handicapped. 3 dirty, foul, filthy, squalid, unclean, untidy,
             mean, slummy, seamy, seedy, wretched, unsanitary, insanitary,
             offensive, defiled, polluted, fetid, feculent, mucky, maggoty,
             putrid, fly-blown, slimy:  The conditions of some of the homes
             the social workers visit are indescribably sordid. 4 wretched,
             miserable, poor, poverty-stricken, down-and-out, impoverished,
             ramshackle, hovel-like, tumbledown, dingy, seamy, seedy, slummy,
             deteriorated, sleazy, back-alley:  When he first came to town,
             he lived in a sordid shack lent him by a farmer.

   sore      adj.  1 painful, sensitive, tender, raw, angry, burning,
             stinging, smarting, hurting; irritated, inflamed, chafed:  My
             finger is still sore round the cut.  2 sensitive, delicate,
             tender, embarrassing, awkward, ticklish, touchy, thorny,
             prickly:  Failing to complete medical school is a sore point
             with her.  3 dire, serious, acute, extreme, critical, urgent,
             pressing, desperate:  He is in sore need of some good advice.  4
             angry, angered, annoyed, irritated, vexed, irked, upset, Colloq
             peeved:  Don't get sore at me because you got low marks in your
             exams.  5 painful, troublesome, grievous, aggrieved,
             distressing, distressful, harrowing, severe, agonizing, bitter,
             fierce, burdensome, onerous, heavy, oppressive:  Melanie's
             marital troubles proved a sore trial for her friends.  6 sore
             straits. difficulty, trouble, distress, danger, dangerous or
             precarious condition:  The business is in sore straits, I fear.

             --n.  7 injury, damage, swelling, rawness, infection,
             inflammation, bruise, abrasion, cut, laceration, scrape, burn,
             canker, ulcer:  If that sore on your arm doesn't heal, you'd
             better see a doctor.

   sorrow    n.  1 sadness, heartbreak, grief, unhappiness, dolour, misery,
             woe, anguish, distress, suffering, torment, agony, wretchedness,
             heartache, desolation, desolateness:  How can one deal with the
             sorrow of the loss of a child?  2 affliction, trouble, trial,
             tribulation, misfortune, hardship, adversity, bad or hard luck,
             cares, pressure, strain, travail:  It is unbelievable that
             anyone could survive a life filled with such sorrow.

             --v.  3 grieve, lament, mourn, regret, keen, bemoan, agonize,
             moan, bewail:  She is sorrowing over the loss of her nephew.

   sorrowful adj.  1 sad, unhappy, regretful, sorry, depressed, dejected,
             crestfallen, chap-fallen, gloomy, downcast, blue, dispirited,
             melancholy, in the doldrums, wretched, woebegone, miserable,
             heartsick, disheartened, piteous, heavy-hearted, broken-hearted,
             rueful, woeful, tearful, disconsolate, inconsolable,
             grief-stricken, Colloq down in the mouth, down in the dumps:
             The entire family was sorrowful to learn of Carriston's death.
             2 distressing, lamentable, doleful, unfortunate, bitter,
             distressful, troublous, grievous, unlucky, hapless, afflictive:
             What a sorrowful life some of those miners' families have led!

   sorry     adj.  1 regretful, penitent, remorseful, contrite,
             conscience-stricken, guilt-ridden, repentant, apologetic,
             penitential:  I am sorry if I offended you.  2 abject,
             miserable, depressing, wretched, pitiful, pitiable, pathetic,
             deplorable, stark, grim, sordid, dismal, base, star-crossed,
             ill-starred:  Crackham has led a rather sorry life, most of it
             as a vagrant.  Agnes again made a sorry spectacle of herself at
             the Christmas party. 3 See sorrowful, 1, above:  I was indeed
             sorry to learn that you are moving away, Peggy.

   sort      n.  1 kind, variety, type, class, classification, group,
             category, brand, make, mark, stamp, description, mould, stripe,
             ilk, feather, kidney, character, nature; manner, species:  A
             1928 Alfa-Romeo coup‚ is not exactly the right sort of car for a
             family. Lewis is a person of a different sort. What sort of
             person is he? 2 kind, type, manner:  This sort of behaviour must
             stop.  3 species, genus, family, phylum, subgenus, subspecies,
             race, breed, strain, stock, kind, variety, type:  Aberdeen Angus
             is a better sort of beef for steaks.  4 person, individual, lot;
             thing:  He is not really such a bad sort.  5 of sorts. of a
             sort, of a mediocre or passable or admissible or not (too) bad
             or fair or sufficiently good or adequate or undistinguished or
             indifferent kind or quality or proficiency:  Yes, one might say
             that he is a violinist of sorts.  6 out of sorts. not oneself,
             not up to snuff, unwell, ailing, indisposed, (slightly) ill,
             low, Colloq off one's feed, under the weather:  He is out of
             sorts after last night's revelries.  7 sort of. See somewhat,
             above.

             --v.  8 assort, classify, file, order, rank, grade, class,
             categorize, separate, divide, combine, merge, arrange, organize,
             systemize, systematize, catalogue, group, sort out:  Sort these
             names into alphabetical order.  9 describe, characterize,
             categorize, cast, throw, combine, mould, type:  I did not enjoy
             being sorted together with thieves and murderers.  10 sort out.
             a organize, set or put straight, straighten out, resolve, tidy
             (up), clarify, clear up, solve; decide:  Someone will have to
             sort out how we are to proceed.  b choose, select, separate,
             divide:  Sort out all the books that you want to keep from those
             to be donated to the library.

   so so     adj.  mediocre, all right, average, undistinguished, passable,
             not (too) bad or good, adequate, fair (to middling), middling,
             indifferent, ordinary, tolerable, comme ci, comme ‡a, modest:
             Sabrina, whose singing is just so so, will never be a star.

   soul      n.  1 (vital) spirit or force, being, (inner or true) self,
             essence, psyche, heart, mind, intellect, reason, anima:  He
             finally surrendered, body and soul.  2 person, individual, man,
             woman, mortal, (human) being:  I won't tell a soul about our
             conversation. What a sweet old soul she is! 3 incarnation,
             embodiment, personification, typification, essence,
             quintessence:  You can count on me as the soul of discretion.  4
             emotion, feeling, sentiment, sincerity, fervour, ardour, warmth,
             dynamism, vivacity, energy, spirit, vitality, force:  Alice puts
             a lot of soul into her singing, and that comes across to the
             audience.

   soulful   adj.  sincere, deep, profound, moving, emotional, warm, ardent,
             intense, fervent, expressive:  The lovers exchanged soulful
             looks.

   sound°    n.  1 tone; noise; din; cacophony; report:  This piano has a
             tinny sound. We could hear the sound of laughter from below. I
             heard nothing over the sound of the crowd. Sounds of gunfire
             echoed in the valley. 2 ring, tone, impression, characteristic,
             quality, effect, aspect, look:  I didn't like the sound of that
             remark.  3 hearing, range, earshot:  Anyone within the sound of
             his voice could tell that he was angry.

             --v.  4 resound, reverberate, echo, resonate:  The noises sound
             very close.  5 seem, appear, look; strike one, give one the
             impression or feeling or sense (that); resemble, sound or seem
             or look like:  It sounds as if you don't want to come to my
             party. That sounds like Russian to me. 6 ring, (be) activate(d),
             (be) set or touch(ed) off, signal:  Anyone walking into the room
             sounds the alarm. The alarm sounds when the beam is broken. 7
             Sometimes, sound out. articulate, pronounce, enunciate, utter;
             voice, vocalize:  I was taught to speak clearly, to sound each
             consonant and vowel.  8 Sometimes, sound out or off. shout
             (out), cry out, yell (out):  Sound out those numbers loud and
             clear!  9 sound off. vituperate, complain, bluster, grumble,
             Slang bitch:  Today Mr Morrison was again sounding off about the
             service in the caf‚.

   soundэ    adj.  1 undamaged, uninjured, whole, unmarred, in good condition
             or shape, intact, unimpaired, unscathed:  When the vase was sold
             to you it was sound.  2 healthy, hale (and hearty), fit (as a
             fiddle), robust, vigorous, blooming, rosy, ruddy:  Old Tom is as
             sound as ever.  3 firm, solid, substantial, strong, sturdy,
             tough, rugged, durable, well-built, well-constructed,
             dependable:  A business, like a building, must be built on sound
             foundations if it is to last. 4 sane, balanced, normal,
             rational, wholesome, reasoning, reasonable, clear-headed, lucid,
             right-minded, responsible, practical, prudent, politic, wise,
             sensible, logical, common-sense, commonsensical, astute,
             far-sighted, perceptive, perspicacious, percipient; valid, good,
             judicious, reliable, useful:  As Juvenal said, 'Mens sana in
             corpore sano,' or 'A sound mind in a sound body'. My old teacher
             gave me a lot of sound advice. 5 safe, secure, good,
             conservative, non-speculative, solid, riskless; profitable:  Are
             you sure that utilities are a sound investment now?  6 unbroken,
             uninterrupted, undisturbed, untroubled, peaceful, deep:  I drank
             the potion and at once fell into a sound sleep.

   sound°    v.  1 Often, sound out. plumb, probe, test, check (out or into),
             fathom, inquire or enquire of, question, poll, canvass,
             investigate, examine, survey:  Sound out the membership on their
             feelings about increasing the dues. 2 dive, plunge, submerge:
             The great whale sounded, almost taking the tiny boat down with
             it.

   sound4    n.  inlet, strait(s), fiord or fjord, bight, (sea) loch, bay,
             arm of the sea, cove, Scots firth:  The breeze freshened as we
             sailed across the Sound of Mull.

   sour      adj.  1 acid, acidic, tart, vinegary, lemony, acidulous or
             acidulent, acidulated, acescent, acerbic:  This apple has a
             pleasant, slightly sour taste. Do you like sour dill pickles? 2
             turned, bad, (gone) off, fermented, curdled, rancid, spoilt or
             spoiled:  If the food is sour, throw it away.  3 disagreeable,
             unpleasant, distasteful, bad, nasty, bitter, terrible:  The poor
             service and facilities made the entire holiday a very sour
             experience. 4 acrimonious, bitter, embittered, unpleasant,
             churlish, ill-natured, ill-tempered, bad-tempered, crusty,
             curmudgeonly, crabbed, crabby, grouchy, cross, cranky, testy,
             petulant, impatient, abrupt, nasty, curt, caustic, brusque,
             peevish, snappish, edgy, sullen, morose, gloomy, discontented:
             The waitress's sour expression matched her sour disposition.

             --v.  5 turn, spoil, curdle, go bad or off, ferment:  Milk sours
             quickly in this climate if you don't refrigerate it.  6
             embitter, acerbate, disenchant, exasperate, vex, Colloq peeve:
             Being forced to practise for hours when a child was what soured
             my enjoyment of playing the piano.

   source    n.  1 fountain-head, well-spring, origin, provenance,
             provenience, inception, start, outset, beginning, root(s),
             commencement, rise:  We set out to find the source of the Blue
             Nile. The mineral bauxite is the source of aluminium. 2
             originator, author, creator, begetter:  Who is credited as the
             source of this quotation?  3 authority, documentation;
             informant, Colloq horse's mouth:  To verify the information, go
             to the source.

   sovereign n.  1 monarch, ruler, emperor, empress, king, queen, prince,
             princess, potentate, chief, master, mistress, shah, sultan;
             Akund (of Swat), Gaekwar (of Baroda), Nizam (of Hyderabad),
             Mehtar (of Chitral), Nucifrage of Nuremberg, Sheikh of Araby,
             Colloq supremo:  She is the sovereign and must be obeyed.

             --adj.  2 supreme, paramount, highest, principal, foremost,
             greatest, predominant, dominant, ranking, leading, chief,
             superior, pre-eminent, ruling, regnant, reigning, governing,
             all-powerful, absolute, unlimited:  The first-born of the
             monarch is vested with sovereign authority upon the monarch's
             death. 3 royal, regal, majestic, noble, lordly, aristocratic,
             kingly, queenly:  He was hailed as the sovereign ruler of all
             the islands.

   sovereignty
             n.  suzerainty, hegemony, dominion, rule, pre-eminence, power,
             jurisdiction, authority, leadership, command, sway, supremacy,
             ascendancy, primacy:  Anyone who doubted his sovereignty was
             seized and thrown into a dungeon.

   sow       v.  seed, disseminate, broadcast, plant:  The grand vizier sowed
             the seeds of dissension amongst the subjects of the caliph.

19.11 space...
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   space     n.  1 spaciousness, room, place, expanse, elbow-room, leeway,
             margin, latitude, play:  There was no space for another desk.  2
             blank:  When the spaces are filled in, the puzzle is done.  3
             interval, lapse, period, time, hiatus, lacuna, span, while,
             duration, extent, spell, stretch, pause, wait, intermission,
             gap, break, interruption:  After a short space we were home
             again.  4 accommodation, seat, berth, room, place:  Luckily, I
             got the last available space on the plane.

             --v.  5 arrange, organize, array, set out, align, range, order,
             rank, lay out, measure (out):  Space the trees about eight feet
             apart.

   spacious  adj.  vast, large, extensive, enormous, wide, broad, commodious,
             ample, expansive, roomy, huge, sizeable, large, capacious,
             great, immense, outsize(d), voluminous, oversize(d):  The house
             was more spacious than it looked from the outside. Siberia
             offers spacious territory, ripe for habitation over the next
             century.

   span      n.  1 bridge, link, stretch, overpass, Chiefly Brit flyover:  We
             drove across the entire span in less than five minutes.  2
             course, extent, interval, stretch, period, time, term, spell:
             In the short span of six hours we had crossed the Atlantic.

             --v.  3 cross, stretch over, reach over, extend over, go over,
             bridge:  A rude bridge spans the river at Lexington. Their lives
             spanned more than a century.

   spank     v.  slap, smack, put or take over one's knee, thrash, paddle;
             chastise, punish, castigate; Colloq wallop, tan (someone's)
             hide, paddywhack, whack, give (someone) a (good) licking or
             hiding:  In those days when you misbehaved you were spanked.

   spanking  adj.  1 spic and span, smart, bright, snappy, gleaming,
             brand-new, fine, remarkable, outstanding, big, large, great:
             You ought to see Jim Trowbridge's spanking new yacht.  2 brisk,
             lively, crisp, bracing, fresh, freshening, rattling, strong,
             invigorating, blustery:  A spanking breeze blew up from the
             west.  3 quick, rapid, swift, lively, snappy, fast, smart,
             energetic, vigorous, brisk:  The pony drew the dogcart at a
             spanking pace.

   spar°     n.  Nautical mast, yard, yard-arm, boom, boomkin, gaff, jigger,
             mizen, Colloq stick, pole:  The first gusts of the storm tore
             the remaining canvas from the spars.

   sparэ     v.  1 fight, box, exchange blows; shadow-box:  He was once the
             champion's sparring partner.  2 dispute, argue, bicker,
             squabble, wrangle, bandy words, have words; fight, Colloq scrap:
             I have better things to do than spar with you over breakfast
             every day.

   spare     adj.  1 extra, surplus, supernumerary, auxiliary, supplementary,
             additional; odd, leftover; in reserve, in addition:  We got a
             puncture, so Dad stopped and put on the spare wheel.  Give them
             the spare room. Have you a spare cigarette? 2 unoccupied,
             leftover, leisure, free, surplus, extra; not spoken for:  Her
             demanding job left her very little spare time.  3 thin, skinny,
             scrawny, cadaverous, gaunt, raw-boned, meagre, gangling,
             lank(y), wiry, slim, slender; all skin and bones:  The spare,
             ragged figure crouched in the shadows, his hand outstretched in
             supplication. 4 See sparing, below.  5 meagre, frugal, small,
             skimpy, modest, scanty:  Their meals were spare but wholesome.

             --v.  6 save, rescue, deliver, redeem:  Bill spared me from a
             fate worse than death. Spare me the embarrassment of having to
             ask for my money back. 7 pardon, let go, release, have mercy on,
             let off, free, liberate:  At the last moment, the judge spared
             him.  8 allow, relinquish, let go (of), give, award, bestow, let
             have, donate, part with, give, yield:  She decided she could
             spare a couple of pounds for the disaster appeal. Buddy, can you
             spare a dime? 9 avoid, dispense with, manage or do without, give
             up, forgo, forsake, surrender, sacrifice:  We spared a great
             deal of trouble by settling the dispute. Spare the rod and spoil
             the child.

   sparing   adj.  1 thrifty, saving, frugal, spare, careful, prudent,
             parsimonious, economical, penurious, mean; penny-pinching,
             stingy, niggardly, miserly, close, close-fisted, cheap, Colloq
             tight, tight-fisted, Brit mingy:  As sparing in his praise as he
             was in his purse, General Waller rarely complimented his troops.
             2 See sparse, 2 below.

   spark     n.  1 scintilla, flicker, glimmer, glint, sparkle, speck, hint,
             suggestion, vestige, atom, whit, jot (or tittle), iota:  As long
             as a spark of life remained in his body he fought for freedom
             and justice.

             --v.  2 Often, spark off. set or touch off, ignite, kindle,
             enkindle, electrify, animate, trigger, energize, galvanize,
             activate, excite, stimulate, set in motion, bring about, start
             (up), begin, initiate, inspire, inspirit, provoke, precipitate:
             Was there any single factor that sparked the Renaissance?

   sparkle   v.  1 glitter, scintillate, glint, flicker, shine, twinkle,
             wink, blink, glimmer, flash, coruscate, blaze, burn, flame:  The
             setting sun sparkled on the sea. Brian's eyes sparkled with an
             inner fire. 2 effervesce, fizz, bubble:  We ordered a jeroboam
             of sparkling Burgundy.

             --n.  3 glitter, scintillation, twinkle, coruscation, dazzle,
             spark, gleam, brightness, brilliance, radiance:  I fear that the
             sparkle has gone out of her smile.  4 vivacity, liveliness,
             fire, brightness, wittiness, effervescence, ebullience,
             excitement, animation, vigour, energy, spirit, cheer, joy,
             light-heartedness, ‚lan, zeal, gusto, dash, life, gaiety, cheer,
             cheerfulness; certain something; Colloq vim, zip, zing, pizazz,
             oomph:  It is easy to see that she gets her sparkle from her
             mother.

   sparse    adj.  1 thin (on the ground), few (and far between), meagre,
             scanty, (widely) dispersed or scattered, spread out, spotty, in
             short supply, scarce:  Tourists are sparse in Scotland in
             January. Sparse blooms appeared on the rose-bushes this year. 2
             little, limited, meagre, scant, sparing, inappreciable, not
             much, insignificant:  Sparse use was made of the new tennis
             court because of the rain.

   Spartan   adj.  austere, strict, severe, harsh, hard, stern, rigorous,
             rigid, ascetic, stringent, controlled, disciplined,
             self-denying, abstinent, abstemious:  He gave up all luxuries
             and today lives a Spartan life in the forest.

   spasm     n.  1 convulsion, throe, fit, twitch, paroxysm:  Deprived of his
             medication, Brian might go into spasms.  2 fit, seizure,
             convulsion, paroxysm, spell, outburst, burst, eruption:  After
             that, every time he said 'furniture', the crowd went into spasms
             of laughter.

   spasmodic adj.  1 spasmodical, paroxysmal, convulsive, jerky, jerking,
             sudden, Technical spastic:  John was quite uneasy, unaware that
             Cynthia's spasmodic winking was due to a tic. 2 fitful,
             irregular, intermittent, arrhythmic, random, interrupted,
             sporadic, erratic, occasional, periodic, unsustained,
             discontinuous, pulsating, cyclic(al), broken:  Spasmodic peals
             of thunder shook the house.

   spate     n.  flood, inundation, onrush, onset, rush, deluge, outpouring,
             outflow, outflowing, flow:  What did I say to provoke that spate
             of foul language?

   spatter   v.  splash, splatter, speckle, bespatter, spray, dabble, daub,
             bedaub, sprinkle, besprinkle, Brit splodge, US splotch:  When
             she dropped the pan the grease spattered all over my new white
             flannels.

   spawn     v.  give birth to, yield, bear, bring forth, breed, beget,
             create, father, sire, produce, generate, engender, give rise to,
             bring about, cause:  Donald's arrogance over his wealth spawned
             a great deal of resentment.

   speak     v.  1 talk, converse, discourse:  We were not allowed to speak
             during lessons.  2 talk to, converse or discourse with, address,
             say (something or) anything to:  She was speaking quietly to the
             children. That is no way to speak to your elders. 3 talk,
             communicate in, discourse or converse in, communicate in, utter
             in, articulate in, use:  Can you really speak Chinese?  4
             express, utter, say, state, tell, pronounce, enunciate, voice;
             articulate, make known, communicate, reveal, indicate:  He is
             speaking the truth.  5 symbolize, betoken, signify, communicate,
             convey, indicate:  Her refusal to return your love-letters
             speaks volumes.  6 so to speak. as it were, in a manner of
             speaking, figuratively or metaphorically (speaking):  When it
             comes to employee benefits, the boss is Scrooge himself, so to
             speak. 7 speak for.  a support, uphold, defend, stand up for,
             plead for, make a plea for, recommend, Colloq stick up for:  Be
             quiet and let Simon speak for himself.  b act on or in behalf
             of, act for, represent, act as agent for:  He is speaking for
             the whole staff when he expresses worries about the cuts. c
             demand, require, beg, request, ask for:  The situation speaks
             urgently for an effective drug rehabilitation programme. 8 speak
             for itself. be self-evident, be obvious, be significant:  The
             fact that both your son and the ring are missing speaks for
             itself. 9 speak of. mention, advert to, allude to, refer to,
             make reference to, comment on, speak or talk about:  I begged
             you not to speak of her again in my presence.  10 speak on.
             discuss, address, discourse upon or on, speak to, treat (of),
             deal with, examine, touch upon or on:  In his presentation Dr
             Andrews spoke on the role of natural predators in pest control.
             11 speak out or up.  a talk (more) loudly or clearly, make
             oneself heard:  I cannot hear you unless you speak up a bit.  b
             talk freely or unreservedly, express one's opinion, speak one's
             mind, declare, come out, state one's position, take a stand:  I
             heard a mother of ten speak out against birth control.  12 speak
             to.  a reprove, scold, reprimand, rebuke, admonish, warn,
             lecture:  After his father spoke to him, Nicholas stopped
             staying out so late. b be meaningful to, appeal to, influence,
             affect, touch:  Constance's poetry effectively speaks to the
             heart.  c accost, address, talk to, Formal apostrophize:  I have
             to speak to the teacher after class.  d See 10, above.  13
             spoken for. reserved, engaged, bespoke, set aside, accounted
             for, chosen, selected:  I'm afraid that the purple dress has
             already been spoken for, madam.

   speaker   n.  orator, lecturer; keynoter; rabble-rouser, demagogue, Colloq
             tub-thumper, spieler:  It was my function to introduce the
             speaker.

   spearhead v.  1 launch, initiate, lead (the way), take the initiative,
             pioneer, blaze the trail, break the ice, take the lead, be in
             the van or vanguard:  He spearheaded medical research into
             arthritis.

             --n.  2 vanguard, advance guard, van, forefront, cutting edge:
             They claim to be the spearhead of space technology.

   special   adj.  1 particular, specific, exceptional, uncommon, especial,
             rare, unusual, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, different,
             unorthodox, unconventional, unique, precise, individual,
             singular, distinctive, specialized, certain, remarkable,
             inimitable, idiosyncratic, curious, peculiar, odd, strange,
             bizarre, weird, one of a kind; distinguished, notable,
             noteworthy:  They have a special way of communicating with each
             other. I bought something very special for your birthday. A
             special relationship sprang up between us. 2 significant,
             important, momentous, earth-shaking, memorable, red-letter;
             gala, festive, celebratory:  The fifth of September is a special
             day in our family.  3 pointed, concerted, deliberate,
             particular, extra, determined:  After I had made a special
             effort to get there, nobody was home.  4 exclusive, express,
             individual, extra:  Send the packet by special messenger.  5
             dear, intimate, particular, good, close, bosom, staunch, loyal,
             faithful, devoted, steadfast; dearest, best, closest; esteemed,
             valued:  I wasn't aware that John Spencer was a special friend
             of yours.  6 prime, primary, major, prominent, paramount:  I
             shouldn't attach any special importance to her demands.

             --n.  7 See speciality, 2 below.

   specialist
             n.  expert, authority, professional, master, connoisseur,
             maestro, artiste, artist, adept:  Pierre Legrand is a specialist
             in matching antique furniture finishes.  Such work requires
             specialist knowledge.

   speciality
             n.  1 expertise, talent, genius, gift, skill, aptitude, trade,
             craft, accomplishment, ability, strength, forte, strong point,
             capability, adeptness, art, sphere, field, area, subject,
             concentration, specialization, m‚tier, Chiefly US and Canadian
             specialty, Colloq bag, thing, cup of tea, baby, claim to fame:
             Dr Mann's speciality is tropical diseases.  2 piЉce de
             r‚sistance, sp‚cialit‚ de la maison, special, Chiefly US and
             Canadian specialty, US blueplate special:  Today's speciality is
             calves' brains au beurre noir.

   specially adv.  especially, particularly, custom, expressly, exclusively:
             I had this suit specially made for me.

   specific  adj.  1 definite, precise, exact, particular, explicit, express,
             unambiguous, definitive, clear-cut, unequivocal, (well-)defined,
             determined, specified, individual, peculiar, certain, limited,
             indicated, predetermined, established, spelt or spelled out,
             delineated, set, distinct, fixed, circumscribed, restricted:
             Each part has its specific function.  2 Often, specific to.
             characteristic (of), unique to, individual (to), sui generis,
             proper (to), typical (of), peculiar to, identified with,
             personal (to), discrete (to), special (to), associated with:
             The disease is specific to one area only. Are these problems
             group-specific?

   specification
             n.  1 identification, identifying, description, describing,
             particularization, particularizing, specifying, naming:  The
             police were relying on a specification of the ringleaders by an
             informer. 2 itemization, itemizing, list, listing, check-list,
             inventory, list of particulars, detail, enumeration:  When can
             you let me have the specifications for the new building?  3
             requirement, qualification, condition, restriction, stipulation,
             consideration:  The specification called for green marble and no
             substitute.

   specify   v.  particularize, enumerate, itemize, name, denominate, list,
             indicate, mention, identify, cite, define, detail, stipulate,
             spell out, set out or forth, individualize, be specific about,
             delineate, determine, disambiguate, establish:  You must specify
             the source of each quotation.

   specimen  n.  sample, example, instance, exemplar, representative,
             representation; illustration, case (in point), type, model,
             pattern:  This is a specimen taken from the Pre-Cambrian strata.
             Using this as a specimen, can you reproduce the entire fabric?

   specious  adj.  deceptive, superficial, casuistic, ostensible, misleading,
             apparent, seeming, fallacious, sophistic(al), plausible, likely,
             conceivable, possible, supposed, purported, presumed,
             presumable, alleged, so-called:  The candidate affected a
             specious show of liberality merely to attract votes. Do not be
             misled by specious reasoning.

   speck     n.  spot, dot, fleck, mote, speckle, mark, bit, particle; crumb,
             iota, jot (or tittle), whit, atom, molecule, touch, hint,
             suggestion, suspicion, tinge, modicum, amount, grain, smidgen or
             smidgin:  There's a speck of soot on your collar. Is there a
             speck of truth in what she says about you?

   speckled  adj.  spotted, mottled, dotted, sprinkled, flecked, stippled,
             dapple(d), freckled, brindle(d); discoloured, spattered,
             bespattered:  I can see by looking at it that it's a speckled
             trout.

   spectacle n.  1 show, display, sight, performance, event, presentation,
             exhibition, exhibit, exposition, demonstration, extravaganza,
             marvel, wonder, sensation:  Instead of criticizing everything in
             life, why not just sit back and enjoy the spectacle? 2 fool,
             laughing-stock, curiosity:  Joan makes a spectacle of herself by
             her solo dancing when she gets a little tipsy. 3 spectacles.
             eyeglasses, glasses, Colloq specs:  He wears spectacles only for
             reading.

   spectator n.  witness, eyewitness, observer, viewer, onlooker, looker-on,
             watcher, beholder:  There were more spectators than participants
             at the spring dance.

   spectral  adj.  ghostly, ghostlike, phantom, eerie, wraithlike,
             incorporeal, unearthly, supernatural, weird, Colloq spooky:  I
             could have sworn there was a spectral figure, dressed in white,
             standing near the window.

   spectre   n.  1 ghost, phantom, wraith, apparition, vision, spirit, shade,
             revenant, Doppelg„nger, chimera, Colloq spook, bogeyman or
             bogyman:  Each year the spectre appeared to her on Christmas
             Eve.  2 image, vision, (mental) picture:  Again the horrible
             spectre of war and pestilence arose.

   speculate v.  1 Often, speculate on or upon or about or over. reflect (on
             or about or over), consider, muse (on or about or over),
             meditate (on or over or about), contemplate (on or about),
             cogitate (on or about), think (about or over or on), ponder
             (over or about), mull over, chew on or over, ruminate (on or
             over or about), wonder (about), deliberate (over or on or
             about), weigh, judge, evaluate, theorize (on or about),
             conjecture (on or about), postulate, hypothesize:  I have been
             speculating about whether I should take a holiday in the
             Algarve. Why not go and enjoy yourself instead of speculating on
             the world's injustices? 2 gamble, wager, take a chance, Colloq
             have a flutter, play the market, take a plunge:  She is too
             conservative to speculate in the stock market.

   speculation
             n.  1 conjecture, guess, hypothesis, theory, guesswork,
             postulation, surmise, supposition, opinion:  My speculations
             have often proved true. Both the steady-state and the big-bang
             theories of the origins of the universe are pure speculation. 2
             thinking, rumination, cogitation, reflection, meditation,
             contemplation, consideration, cerebration, pondering, wondering,
             deliberation, evaluation:  All serious philosophers engage in
             idle speculation.  3 gambling, gamble, wagering, wager, taking
             (a) chance(s) or risk(s), chance-taking:  Her speculation on the
             market paid off handsomely.

   speculative
             adj.  1 intellectual, ideational, abstract, cogitative,
             notional, theoretical, hypothetical, conjectural, suppositional,
             supposititious or suppositious, suppositive, rational,
             ratiocinative, ideal, idealized, idealistic, unrealistic,
             unpractical, impractical, analytical:  Frank's theories about
             climate change were entirely speculative and substantially
             wrong. 2 risky, hazardous, uncertain, unreliable, untrustworthy,
             doubtful, dubious, untested, unproven, unproved, Colloq iffy,
             chancy, Slang dicey:  You ought to invest your money in less
             speculative enterprises.

   speech    n.  1 speaking, talking, articulation, diction, language,
             expression, enunciation, elocution, speech pattern;
             communication:  His speech is marred by a lisp. Martha studied
             speech at a well-known drama school. 2 oration, address,
             lecture, talk, discourse, disquisition, sermon, homily; tirade,
             harangue, philippic; (sales) pitch, line, song and dance; Colloq
             spiel, blast:  Her speech left her audience awed with her
             knowledge of the subject.  When the householder opens the door,
             you launch into your speech about the encyclopedia. 3 dialect,
             idiolect, jargon, parlance, idiom, fa‡on de parler, language,
             tongue, Colloq lingo:  English speech varieties range from Scots
             to Cockney to Texan to Jamaican.

   speechless
             adj.  1 mute, dumb, voiceless:  He was speechless and in shock
             for two days following the accident.  They claim to speak for
             animals who are, of course, speechless themselves. 2 dumbfounded
             or dumfounded, dumbstruck or dumbstricken, wordless, struck
             dumb, tongue-tied, thunderstruck, shocked, dazed, inarticulate,
             paralysed, nonplussed, Slang Brit gobsmacked:  He was speechless
             with fury to find his car missing.

   speed     n.  1 rapidity, fleetness, quickness, speediness, swiftness,
             velocity, dispatch or despatch, hurry, hurriedness, haste,
             hastiness, celerity, alacrity, expeditiousness, expedition,
             briskness, promptness, timeliness; suddenness, precipitateness,
             precipitousness, abruptness:  We reached a speed of Mach 2. What
             is the speed of your new computer?  The speed of her reactions
             will be recorded during the experiment.

             --v.  2 Often, speed up. accelerate, move, expedite, forward,
             advance, facilitate, boost, further, promote, help, assist, aid,
             Colloq give a leg up:  He vowed to do anything he could to speed
             the troops' return from the battlefield. 3 hasten, make haste,
             hurry, rush, charge, dart, bolt, shoot, run, race, sprint, fly,
             streak, scurry, tear, hustle, scramble, scamper, career, bowl
             along, go or fly like the wind, Colloq go hell for leather, go
             like a bat out of hell, belt along, step on it, put one's foot
             down, zip, zoom, skedaddle, go like a shot, US hightail it, step
             on the gas, go like greased lightning, make tracks, Slang US
             burn rubber:  Where the road is straight, cars speed along at up
             to 120 miles per hour.

   speedy    adj.  1 quick, rapid, swift, brisk, expeditious, fast,
             immediate, prompt:  What happened to the form of justice under
             which the accused were guaranteed a speedy trial? 2 hasty,
             precipitate, precipitous, hurried, summary:  Some of the
             townspeople favoured the wrong kind of speedy justice - by
             lynching. 3 fleet, nimble, wing-footed, winged, fast, quick,
             rapid, swift:  Carol is one of the speediest sprinters on our
             team.

   spell°    n.  1 period, interval, time, term, season; stint, turn, run,
             course, shift, tour (of duty), watch, round:  We had a spell of
             bad weather. Each of us had a spell at the tiller during the
             crossing.

             --v.  2 relieve, replace, substitute for, take over for or from:
             After 36 hours of uninterrupted duty, I needed someone to spell
             me for a while.

   spellэ    n.  1 enchantment, allure, charm, magic, witchcraft, witchery,
             fascination, captivation, enthralment:  She had them all under
             her spell.  2 incantation, formula, charm:  The priest uttered
             some spell and I found myself unable to move.  3 attraction,
             lure, allure, appeal, draw, pull, magnetism, fascination,
             influence, mesmerism, hypnotic effect:  We were drawn ever
             onward by the spell of the jungle.

   spell°    v.  1 augur, portend, presage, promise, hold promise of,
             signify, point to, indicate, omen, bode, look like, amount to,
             mean:  Harry's conviction will spell the end of his career as a
             bank robber. 2 spell out. specify, delineate, make clear or
             plain or explicit, clarify, elucidate:  She despises you - I
             can't spell it out for you more plainly than that.

   spellbinding
             adj.  fascinating, enchanting, enthralling, captivating,
             enrapturing, bewitching, mesmerizing, charming, overpowering:
             The preacher put on one of his most spellbinding performances.

   spend     v.  1 pay out, disburse, expend, lay out, Colloq fork out, dish
             out, shell out, Brit splash out:  That man spends more for a
             suit than you earn in a year.  2 squander, throw away, fritter
             away, waste, go through, splurge, lavish, dissipate:  He spends
             money as if it's going out of style.  3 devote, allot, assign,
             invest, put in, pass:  If you don't spend more time with the
             children they'll forget they have a father.

   spendthrift
             n.  1 profligate, wastrel, (big) spender, squanderer, prodigal:
             Because her nephew is such a spendthrift, she put his
             inheritance in a trust fund.

             --adj.  2 wasteful, free-spending, prodigal, profligate,
             squandering, extravagant, improvident:  The chancellor's
             spendthrift budget will increase inflation.

   spent     adj.  1 drained, exhausted, prostrate, tired, fatigued, fagged
             out, weary, wearied, worn out, Colloq (dead) beat, done in, done
             for, all in, dog-tired, played out, burnt- or burned-out, used
             up, Brit knackered, done up, US pooped:  He was totally spent
             after sitting in the airport all night during the storm. 2
             exhausted, used up, emptied, gone, expended, finished, fini,
             consumed, depleted:  At 70, he was wrong to feel that his life
             was spent.

   spew      v.  Often, spew forth or out or up. belch (up or out or forth),
             vomit (up or forth), regurgitate, spit up or out, spout,
             discharge, emit, eject, send forth, spurt, gush, throw up or
             out, disgorge, Slang puke:  The volcano spewed forth lava for
             six days and nights.

   sphere    n.  1 globe, orb, globule, spherule; drop, droplet, bubble:
             Flotation is provided by thousands of hollow plastic spheres.  2
             society, class, level, caste, rank, domain, walk of life,
             station, stratum, position:  They did not belong to the same
             social sphere.  3 area, field, province, subject, discipline,
             range, speciality or US specialty, forte, Colloq bailiwick,
             territory, department, thing, bag:  Are Gregorian chants within
             Stanley's sphere of interest?

   spherical adj.  spheric, globular, round, ball-shaped, ball-like,
             globelike, globe-shaped, globose or globous, globoid,
             globate(d), spheroid(al):  They chose simple, spherical
             lampshades for the sitting-room.

   spice     n.  1 condiment, relish, seasoning, flavour(ing); herb:  Much of
             the purpose of early explorers was to search for spices.  2
             zest, spiciness, piquancy, tang, pungency, bite, sharpness,
             poignancy, gusto, excitement, seasoning, dash, ‚lan, colour,
             life, vigour, interest, stimulation, stimulant, spirit, Colloq
             vim, zip, pep, kick, pizazz, punch, ginger, pepper:  A holiday
             in the Bahamas will add a little spice to our lives.

             --v.  3 season, flavour:  Highly spiced food does not agree with
             many people.  4 Often, spice up. enliven, inspirit, stimulate,
             invigorate:  The proprietor felt that the new editor should try
             to spice up the magazine.

   spicy     adj.  1 zesty, zestful, piquant, tangy, (well-)spiced,
             (well-)seasoned, hot, peppery, sharp, pungent, snappy, biting,
             full-bodied, aromatic, savoury, flavoursome, flavourful:  This
             curry is a little too spicy for my taste.  2 off colour,
             indelicate, suggestive, risqu‚, improper, indecent, indecorous,
             ribald, racy, bawdy, unseemly, offensive, titillating, sexy,
             Colloq hot:  This magazine often publishes spicy nude photos.  3
             scandalous, sensational, outrageous, notorious, revealing,
             revelatory, intimate:  She likes to read about the spicy
             goings-on in Hollywood.

   spike     n.  1 skewer, stake, prong, treenail, nail, peg, picket, pin,
             pike, spine:  To subdue a vampire, drive a wooden spike through
             its heart.

             --v.  2 impale, stab, stick, spear, pierce, spit, lance:  He was
             spiked through the thigh by a bayonet.  3 disable, thwart,
             nullify, disarm, block, frustrate, foil, void, balk, check,
             cancel, annul:  Our plans for the picnic were spiked by the
             weather.  4 strengthen; drug, poison, Slang slip in a Mickey
             (Finn):  I passed out because my drink was spiked.

   spill     v.  1 pour (out or over), overflow, slop or run or brim over:
             The milk spilt all over the floor.  2 waste, throw out, lose:
             Don't cry over spilt milk.  3 spill the beans. reveal or tell or
             disclose or divulge all or everything, blab, tattle, let the cat
             out of the bag, confess, Slang squeal, be a stool-pigeon or
             stoolie, spill one's guts, sing (like a canary), Brit blow the
             gaff:  Finnegan spilled the beans to the cops.

             --n.  4 outpouring, flood, leak, leakage:  Don't tell me there's
             been another oil spill!  5 fall, tumble, accident, Colloq
             cropper, header:  Crutchley had a nasty spill at the third fence
             in the Grand National.

   spin      v.  1 revolve, turn, rotate, gyrate, twirl, whirl, twist, reel,
             pirouette, pivot:  The car spun out of control on the ice. Fred
             spun Ginger around the dance floor. 2 invent, concoct, make up,
             devise, produce, fabricate; weave, relate, retail, recount,
             narrate, tell, unfold:  Each night, father would spin a new
             chapter in the yarn of the vagabond princess. 3 be dizzy, suffer
             vertigo, swim, whirl, be giddy:  My head was spinning from so
             much attention by the media.  4 spin off. separate, derive:  The
             manufacturer spun off two new companies specializing in parts
             and service. 5 spin out. prolong, protract, drag or draw out,
             stretch out, perpetuate, continue, extend, keep alive, keep
             going:  The case was spun out for years in the courts.

             --n.  6 whirl, whirling, twirl, twirling, turn, turning,
             gyration, reel, pirouette, revolution, revolving, rotation,
             rotating:  He puts a spin on the ball when he throws it. Is the
             spin of all planets in the same direction? 7 drive, whirl,
             joyride, ride, tour, excursion, outing, jaunt:  On Sunday
             afternoons we sometimes went for a spin in the car.

   spine     n.  1 backbone, spinal column, vertebrae:  He can't stand up
             straight - he has curvature of the spine.  2 thorn, needle,
             barb, spike, spur, prong, quill, ray, barbel, bristle, prickle,
             Technical barbule, spicule or spiculum or spicula:  The surface
             of the sea urchin is covered with needle-like spines.

   spineless adj.  1 Technical invertebrate:  There are more species of
             spineless creatures than those with internal backbones. 2 weak,
             feeble, flabby, irresolute, weak-willed, indecisive,
             ineffectual, ineffective, impotent, powerless:  After her reign,
             any king would appear spineless.  3 cowardly, dastardly,
             pusillanimous, timorous, lily-livered, white-livered, craven,
             fearful, timid, spiritless, squeamish, Colloq yellow,
             chicken-hearted, chicken, yellow-bellied, wimpish:  She said you
             were spineless because you refused to go into the lions' cage.

   spiral    n.  1 helix, coil, corkscrew, screw, scroll; whorl, volute,
             turn, curl:  In earlier Greek motifs, the spiral is commoner
             than the rectangular fret.

             --adj.  2 helical, coiled, screw, corkscrew, cochlear or
             cochleate; scrolled, volute(d), whorled:  A spiral staircase is
             attractive and space-saving, but hard to use.

   spire     n.  1 column, tower, belfry; steeple, flЉche:  The spire of the
             church was repeatedly struck by lightning that night. 2 top,
             pinnacle, apex, peak, summit, acme, tip, crest, crown, vertex:
             We climbed till we stood on the highest spire above the valley.

   spirit    n.  1 anima, breath, life, vitality, vital spirit, pneuma, soul,
             consciousness, psyche, self, heart, essence:  Though past
             eighty, Mr Wilkins has a great deal of spirit. Even though she
             is gone, Annabel's spirit is still with us. 2 character,
             temperament, temper, persona, disposition, mind, will,
             will-power, attitude, bent, inclination, energy, ardour, desire,
             impetus, drive, urge, eagerness, zest, zeal, zealousness, fire,
             passion(s), enthusiasm, motivation, mettle, resolution, resolve,
             intention, enterprise:  We have always admired the spirit of the
             early pioneers. Bill has shown a lot of the right spirit. 3
             zest, pungency, piquancy, warmth, fire, animation, life,
             liveliness, vivacity, vivaciousness, panache, ‚lan, dash, spice,
             Colloq sauce, pepper:  He needs to put more spirit into his
             sales presentation.  4 See spectre, 1, above.  5 bravery,
             courage, grit, backbone, valour, pluck, daring,
             stout-heartedness, manfulness, manliness, gameness,
             resoluteness, will, will-power, Colloq vim, spunk,
             get-up-and-go, (right) stuff, guts, US sand:  Johnston has the
             spirit to be a marine.  6 meaning, sense, tenor, signification,
             purport, intent, intention, purpose, aim, implication, message,
             essence, quintessence, core, heart, meat, pith, substance,
             marrow:  The spirit of the agreement is different from the way
             the lawyers worded the contract. Is it in keeping with the
             spirit of the law? 7 attitude, principle, thought, idea,
             inspiration, notion, feeling, inclination, impulse:  Christmas
             is associated with the spirit of giving.  8 Often, spirits.
             temper, mood, sentiments, feelings, cheer, humour, frame of
             mind; morale:  I hope he took my criticism in good spirit. You
             seem to be in pretty good spirits today. My spirits are quite
             low. 9 spirits.  a feelings, mood, temper, sentiments; morale,
             esprit de corps, team spirit:  Spirits were high at the annual
             boat races.  b alcohol, liquor, whisky, strong drink, Colloq
             booze, fire-water, Slang chiefly US and Canadian hooch or
             hootch:  It is illegal to sell spirits to minors.

             --v.  10 spirit away or off. abduct, make off or away with,
             carry off, transport, take away, kidnap, steal (off or away
             with), whisk away, abscond with; make disappear:  A thief
             spirited away a painting from the exhibition. She was spirited
             away by a band of elves.

   spirited  adj.  lively, sprightly, energetic, vigorous, animated,
             sparkling, dynamic, buoyant, effervescent, vivacious, ardent,
             mettlesome:  The horse I chose was a bit too spirited. The
             barrister presented a spirited defence for his client. The 1970s
             saw spirited revivals of art nouveau and art deco styles.

   spiritual adj.  1 sacred, ecclesiastic(al), churchly, clerical, priestly,
             devotional, holy, divine, sacerdotal, religious, non-secular:
             Father Craig was in charge of the spiritual aspects of our
             lives.  2 non-material, incorporeal, psychic(al), mental,
             psychological, inner:  Spiritual needs are less easily satisfied
             than physical needs.

   spit      v.  1 expectorate; dribble, salivate, drool, slaver, sputter,
             splutter; discharge, spew (forth), eject:  Spitting is
             forbidden. Don't you hate people who spit when they talk? The
             volcano spat huge boulders into the sky. 2 spitting image or
             spit and image. twin, duplicate, clone, image, counterpart,
             likeness, copy:  She is the spitting image of her mother.

             --n.  3 spittle, saliva, drool, Technical sputum:  A large
             gobbet of spit clung to his beard.

   spite     n.  1 spitefulness, maliciousness, malice, malevolence,
             malignity, ill will, venom, spleen, rancour, animosity, gall
             (and wormwood), resentment, bitterness, hostility, antagonism,
             hatred, hate, Colloq bitchiness:  Just out of spite, Marian saw
             to it that he didn't get the job.  2 in spite of. despite,
             notwithstanding, regardless of, ignoring, in defiance of:  In
             spite of his efforts to be helpful, she despises him.

             --v.  3 annoy, irritate, vex, upset, disconcert, offend,
             provoke, discomfit, pique, put out, hurt, injure, wound, Colloq
             peeve, get under (someone's) skin, needle, US do a number on:
             He would cut off his nose to spite his face. He told her he was
             happy only to spite her for having divorced him.

   spiteful  adj.  rancorous, bitter, acrimonious, malevolent, malicious,
             venomous, hateful, invidious, hostile, antagonistic, unfriendly,
             unforgiving, retaliative or retaliatory, punitive, retributive
             or retributory:  Cutting off Colin's allowance because he forgot
             your birthday was a spiteful thing to do.

   splash    v.  1 spatter, bespatter, splatter, shower, spray, sprinkle,
             besprinkle, Brit splodge or US also splotch; mottle, spot:  The
             painters splashed paint all over the floor. My freshly washed
             car was soon splashed with mud again. 2 blazon, spread, plaster:
             Was that your picture splashed across the front page of
             yesterday's paper?

             --n.  3 spatter, spray, splatter, sprinkle, spot, stain, smear,
             smudge, Brit splodge or US also splotch:  There's a splash of
             tomato sauce on the tablecloth.  4 impression, show, uproar,
             ado, brouhaha, sensation, commotion, excitement, US foofaraw,
             Colloq to-do:  After all the advance publicity, he was sure to
             make a big splash in the theatre.

   splendid  adj.  1 splendorous, magnificent, resplendent, dazzling,
             gorgeous, showy, dashing, marvellous, spectacular, grand,
             glorious, lavish, ornate, sumptuous, majestic, brilliant,
             extraordinary, exceptional, superb, supreme, imposing,
             impressive, awe-inspiring, awesome, lush, plush, rich,
             luxurious, Colloq splendiferous, posh, swank(y), ritzy:  The
             mausoleum built by Shah Jehan for his wife was far more splendid
             than his own palace. 2 impressive, marvellous, brilliant,
             eminent, prominent, superior, noteworthy, notable, celebrated,
             illustrious, famous, distinguished, exemplary, remarkable,
             admirable, conspicuous, outstanding, sublime, striking,
             extraordinary, successful, admirable, meritorious, creditable:
             His splendid victory at Waterloo was the climax of his military
             career. 3 excellent, superior, pre-eminent, fine, marvellous,
             extraordinary, exceptional, unbelievable, incredible,
             first-class, unequalled, unsurpassed, fabulous, peerless,
             matchless, nonpareil, superlative, praiseworthy, laudable, Brit
             brilliant, Colloq great, colossal, supercolossal, stupendous,
             fab, fantastic, super, smashing, A1 or A-1 or A-one, tiptop,
             capital, Brit brill, Slang far-out, way-out, dandy, cool, keen,
             US solid, out of sight, fantabulous, boss, neat, major:  Bill is
             a splendid dancer.

   splendour n.  1 magnificence, grandeur, brilliance, display, radiance,
             resplendence, sumptuousness, stateliness, majesty, panoply,
             spectacle, show, glory, pomp, gorgeousness, dazzle, refulgence,
             beauty, splendidness, exquisiteness, luxuriousness, richness,
             lavishness, luxury, Colloq swankiness, poshness, swank,
             ritziness:  There was nothing to match the splendour of the
             court of Louis XIV. 2 brilliance, shine, lustre, light,
             effulgence, brightness, glitter, dazzle, refulgence, luminosity,
             luminousness, gloss:  The splendour of the city's golden domes
             was reflected in the setting sun.

   splice    v.  1 join, unite, marry, bind, conjoin; knit, entwine,
             intertwine, braid, plait, twist, interlace:  After the two rope
             ends are spliced together, they should be seized with marline.

             --n.  2 joining, union, splicing, joint, connection or Brit
             connexion, tie, bond, binding, fastening, linking, linkage:  A
             proper splice will probably be stronger than the single cable.

   splinter  n.  1 sliver, fragment, piece; scrap, shard, shred, chip:  A
             splinter of glass is stuck in my finger.

             --v.  2 shatter, break, fragment, split, disintegrate, smash to
             smithereens:  The lamp hit the floor and splintered into a
             million pieces.

   split     v.  1 Often, split up or apart. divide, separate, cleave, cut or
             chop apart, cut or chop in two, pull or tear apart, rend, break
             or snap apart or in two, break up, come apart, rupture,
             partition, detach, become detached; bisect, dichotomize:  He
             split the log with one blow of his axe. The ship split apart on
             the reef. The party may split on the tax issue. 2 Often, split
             up. divorce, separate, go separate ways, break up, part company:
             After 30 years, the Hitchcocks have decided to split up.  3
             Often, split up. branch, fork, diverge, separate:  The road
             splits to pass round the pond.  4 Often, split up. divide (up),
             apportion, deal out, dole out, distribute, allot, share or
             parcel out, carve up:  Why don't we split the dinner bill five
             ways?  5 burst, crack or break up, fall apart or about, Slang
             bust:  I laughed so much I thought I'd split!  6 leave, depart,
             go, Slang take a (run-out) powder, take it on the lam, beat it,
             scram, skedaddle:  When they heard the sirens of the police
             cars, they split.

             --n.  7 crack, cleft, fissure, chink, cranny, slit, slot,
             crevice, groove, furrow, channel, sulcus; gap, hiatus, lacuna,
             opening, separation, division, chasm; rift, break, rupture,
             fracture; slash, gash, tear, rip, rent:  The edges of the
             tectonic plates mark splits in the earth's crust.  Pressure
             caused the splits in these plaster columns. I had to borrow a
             tablecloth to cover up the split in my trousers. 8 division,
             dichotomy, schism, breach, rupture, partition, disunion,
             discord; break, separation:  Don't you think that the issue will
             cause a split within the party?

             --adj.  9 divided, separated; halved, bisected, cleft; cut,
             broken, fractured:  The result was a split vote along party
             lines. Their first containers were of split bamboo.

   splurge   n.  1 display, show, ostentatiousness, extravagance, indulgence,
             access, splash, burst, outburst, spree:  In his final splurge he
             bet everything on the number 14.

             --v.  2 Often, splurge on. squander or dissipate or waste or
             burn (up) or throw away money (on), show off or flaunt one's
             money, Slang blow everything (on):  Victor splurged on toys for
             the children.

   spoil     v.  1 ruin, destroy, wreck, queer, mess up, upset, demolish,
             harm, damage, Colloq kill:  You really spoiled everything by
             telling Mum about my pet frog.  Spare the rod and spoil the
             child. 2 damage, mar, injure, harm, deface, disfigure, scar,
             blemish:  The painting was spoiled by some fanatic who slashed
             it.  3 baby, mollycoddle, coddle, indulge, pamper, dote on,
             spoonfeed, Rare cocker:  Barbara really spoils her family
             terribly by indulging their every whim. 4 turn, go off or bad,
             curdle, moulder, decay, decompose, become addle(d), rot,
             putrefy, mildew:  The milk will spoil if not refrigerated.  5 be
             spoiling for. itch (for or after), yearn (for), be eager (for),
             be keen (for), look for, be bent on, be desirous of, crave, be
             after:  If you give Tom a drink he'll be spoiling for a fight.
             Oh, I thought he was always spoiling for a fight.

             --n.  6 spoils. loot, booty, plunder, pillage, prizes, pickings,
             Slang swag, take, goods, boodle:  The Nazis took the paintings
             as spoils of war.

   spoilsport
             n.  killjoy, damper, dog in the manger, Colloq wet blanket, US
             party pooper:  Some spoilsport tipped off Jane about her
             surprise birthday party.

   spoken    adj.  1 oral, vocal, verbal, viva voce:  My spoken commentary
             was recorded for later broadcast. He has an excellent command of
             spoken French. 2 spoken for. See speak, 13, above.

   sponsor   n.  1 backer, supporter, promoter, angel, patron, Maecenas,
             subsidizer:  Make a contribution and we will list you as a
             sponsor of the games.  2 (radio or television) advertiser:  The
             American broadcasting catch-phrase 'A word from our sponsor' is
             not to be taken literally.

             --v.  3 back, support, promote, fund, patronize, subsidize,
             finance, underwrite:  Hughes agreed to sponsor a campaign to
             clean up the environment.

   spontaneous
             adj.  1 unannounced, unpremeditated, unplanned, impromptu,
             extemporaneous, extempore, unprepared, unrehearsed, offhand, ad
             lib, spur-of-the-moment, Colloq off the cuff:  Miss Malkin's
             spontaneous speech could not have been better had it been
             written out. 2 natural, unforced, unbidden, instinctive,
             instinctual, unconscious, reflex, automatic, mechanical,
             immediate, offhand, unguarded, unthinking, unwitting,
             involuntary, impetuous, impulsive, Slang knee-jerk:  How could
             you doubt the sincerity of such an outburst of spontaneous
             affection? My spontaneous reaction is to beg you not to take up
             sky-diving.

   sporadic  adj.  occasional, intermittent, random, irregular, uneven,
             erratic, chance, unexpected; spasmodic(al), fitful,
             periodic(al):  There has been sporadic unrest in that area of
             the city.

   sport     n.  1 recreation, diversion, pastime, amusement, entertainment,
             play, distraction, relaxation, divertissement, pleasure,
             enjoyment, fun:  I fish for sport, not to earn a living.  2
             jest, humour, fun, mockery:  They often call him rude names, but
             only in sport.  3 make sport of. tease, deride, make a
             laughing-stock (of), (hold up to) ridicule, make a fool of:  She
             doesn't like it when you make sport of her husband.

             --v.  4 frolic, gambol, cavort, romp, caper, play, frisk, lark,
             rollick, skip about:  These octogenarians are sporting about
             like young foals.  5 show off, exhibit, flaunt, display, wear:
             Keith arrived, sporting the latest in Italian footwear.

   sportive  adj.  frisky, gambolling, cavorting, frolicking, romping,
             capering, rollicking, sprightly, coltish, spirited, frolicsome,
             buoyant, gamesome, gay, kittenish, merry, playful, gleeful,
             light-hearted, blithe, prankish, waggish:  He watched a sportive
             group of children playing hide-and-seek.

   sportsmanship
             n.  fair play, sportsmanliness, fairness, honourableness,
             honesty, honour, probity, scrupulousness, integrity,
             uprightness, justice, justness:  Good sportsmanship requires
             that the loser congratulate the winner.

   sporty    adj.  informal, casual; stylish, chic, smart, trendy,
             fashionable, modish, … la mode, up to date, showy, rakish,
             Colloq swank(y), loud, Slang classy, swell, flashy, snazzy,
             sharp, US and Canadian spiffy:  He came to dinner wearing sporty
             clothes. Yes, I suppose you might call Fred a sporty dresser.

   spot      n.  1 mark, patch, speck, blot, blotch, blemish, speckle, fleck,
             particle, mote, macula, smudge, stain, stigma, discoloration,
             Brit splodge or US also splotch:  There's a spot of ink on your
             shirt.  2 site, place, locale, location, locality, scene,
             setting, section, area, neighbourhood, quarter:  The Coopers
             picked out a lovely spot to build their new house.  3 morsel,
             bit, bite, Colloq smidgen or smidgin:  Let's stop in here for a
             spot of tea.  4 predicament, situation, quandary, mess:  John
             said he was in a bit of a spot, and needed to borrow њ20 until
             the end of the week. 5 spots. eruptions, pimples, acne,
             pustules, blackheads, comedos or comedones, whiteheads; boils,
             blains, wens; pock-marks; Old-fashioned US and Canadian hickeys:
             Teenagers often get spots.

             --v.  6 see, catch sight of, glimpse, discern, identify, pick
             out, distinguish, single out, detect, sight, recognize, make
             out, descry:  I think I spotted Molly in the crowd.  7 mark,
             stain, fleck, speckle, spray, splash, spatter, bespatter, sully,
             soil, dirty, taint, besmirch, smudge:  The car's shiny new
             paintwork was spotted with mud.

   spotless  adj.  1 immaculate, clean, gleaming, shiny, polished, unspotted,
             spick and span:  The floor is so spotless you could eat off it.
             2 pure, unsullied, unassailable, flawless, faultless,
             untarnished, blameless, irreproachable:  Samantha has a spotless
             reputation.

   spotlight n.  1 arc light, searchlight, US pin spotlight, Colloq US (pin)
             spot:  I couldn't see the audience with the spotlight shining in
             my eyes.  2 focus (of attention), limelight, public eye:  How
             does it feel to have been in the spotlight most of your life,
             Miss Hallward?

             --v.  3 light (up), illuminate, focus (light) upon or on, shine
             or shed or throw or cast light upon or on, emphasize, highlight,
             draw attention to, feature, give prominence to, stress,
             accentuate, accent, point up, underscore, underline, point up:
             The students held a sit-in to spotlight the cuts in their
             grants.

   spotty    adj.  1 spotted, dotted, speckled, freckled, flecked, blotched,
             blotchy, stained, marked, pied, piebald, brindle(d), skewbald,
             mottled, motley, dapple(d), macular, foxed; soiled, dirty; Brit
             splodgy, splodged or US also splotchy, splotched:  Pages of some
             old books are spotty with brown stains.  2 pimply, pimpled,
             blotched, blotchy, acned, pock-marked, pocky, bad, Scots plouky
             or plooky:  Ian used to have a spotty complexion, but it's clear
             now.  3 patchy, irregular, uneven, erratic, sporadic,
             capricious, fitful:  Radio reception in our area is spotty
             during electrical storms.

   spout     v.  1 discharge, emit, squirt, spurt, jet, shoot, gush, erupt,
             spew (up or out or forth), spit, eject, disgorge, vomit (up or
             forth), pour (out or forth), flow, stream:  Steam spouts from
             many vents in Iceland. The water came spouting out of the hose
             and drenched me. 2 ramble on, rant, rave, carry on, pontificate,
             orate, declaim, hold forth, maunder (on), witter on, hold forth,
             expatiate, speechify, talk, Colloq go on, Brit rabbit on:
             Harry, as usual, was spouting about his golf handicap.

             --n.  3 waterspout, gargoyle, downspout, duct, drain, outlet,
             conduit:  The rainwater drains into the gutters, then into the
             spouts.  4 up the spout. gone, lost, destroyed, beyond hope or
             recovery, to be written off or abandoned:  Our dream of finding
             the treasure was now up the spout.

   sprawl    v.  1 spread (out), stretch (out), straddle, ramble, meander,
             wander, straggle, branch out:  Greater Los Angeles sprawls over
             a huge area of some 450 square miles. 2 spread out, stretch out,
             loll, lounge, slouch, slump, recline, lie about or around:  A
             dozen guests were sprawled on blankets at the beach party.

             --n.  3 spread, stretch, expansion, extension:  Some suburbs of
             large cities have been swallowed up in urban sprawl.

   spray°    v.  1 sprinkle, spatter, scatter, shower, disperse, diffuse,
             atomize, spread:  Try to spray the insecticide evenly over the
             plants.

             --n.  2 shower, sprinkling, drizzle, mist, sprinkle, spindrift
             or spoondrift:  The strong wind carried the spray from the
             whitecaps right up into the streets of the town. 3 atomizer,
             sprayer, sprinkler, vaporizer, aerosol:  Richard bought me a
             cologne spray for Mother's Day.

   sprayэ    n.  flower or floral arrangement, nosegay, posy, bouquet, sprig,
             branch, bough:  The scores of tiny roses were interspersed with
             sprays of baby's-breath.

   spread    v.  1 Often, spread out. diffuse, distribute, disperse,
             disseminate, broadcast, sow, scatter, strew, shed, dispel,
             dissipate:  Spread the mulch as evenly as possible to a depth of
             several inches.  2 Often, spread about or around. broadcast,
             publicize, make known, bruit about, air, televise, circulate,
             publish, distribute, disseminate, trumpet, announce, pronounce,
             promulgate, advertise, enounce, make public, tell the world,
             herald, repeat, recite:  Start spreading the news: I'm leaving
             today.  3 Often, spread out. unfold, draw out, display, stretch
             out, open out, extend, lay out, fan out, unroll, unfurl:  Please
             spread the cloth on the table.  4 Often, spread out. stretch
             (out), extend, protract, prolong, drag out, distribute,
             disperse:  The bank said I could spread the payments over twenty
             years.  5 Often, spread out. stretch, extend, separate, put
             apart or out, part:  He spread his arms and Lorna rushed into
             them.  6 grow, develop, increase, broaden, expand, extend,
             widen, enlarge, mushroom, proliferate, sprawl, branch out;
             metastasize:  To meet the demand for the pies, bakeries began to
             spread throughout the country. The cancer, unchecked, was bound
             to spread. 7 smear, apply, smooth, put, rub, cover, layer,
             plaster, plate, coat, wash, glaze, paint, varnish, overlay,
             overspread; cloak, mantle, swaddle, wrap, blanket:  I was
             careful to spread the paint evenly, avoiding streaks. When the
             cake has cooled, spread the chocolate icing over it.

             --n.  8 spreading, extension, extending, expansion, expanding,
             enlargement, enlarging, development, developing, increase,
             increasing, proliferation, proliferating, broadening, growth,
             widening, mushrooming, dispersion, dispersal, dispersing,
             dissemination, disseminating, distribution, distributing,
             dispensation, dispensing:  The spread of the disease is
             uncontrolled. One of the functions of a university is to
             encourage the spread of knowledge. 9 extent, expanse, area,
             span, sweep, vastness, stretch, reach, breadth, depth, size,
             dimensions, compass, limits, bounds, boundary or boundaries:  As
             our craft accelerated past the moon, we were awed by the spread
             of empty space that lay before us. 10 range, extent, scope,
             span, difference:  There was too much of a spread between the
             cost and the selling price. 11 feast, banquet, meal, dinner,
             repast, barbecue; table; Colloq feed:  I have never seen a
             spread like the one laid on for the returning champions. 12
             butter, margarine, jam, jelly, preserve, conserve, confiture,
             paste, US old-fashioned oleo:  What kind of spread do you like
             on your toast?  13 ranch, landholding, holding, property, place,
             plantation, farm, homestead, place:  His spread in Texas
             eventually amounted to 10,000 acres.  14 bedspread, counterpane,
             coverlet, bed-cover, cover, quilt, eiderdown, duvet, afghan, US
             comforter, US and Canadian throw:  Leave the spread off the bed,
             Carlotta, as I want to take a nap.

   spree     n.  frolic, romp, lark, outing, escapade, revel, wild party,
             fling, debauch, orgy, bacchanalia; drinking-bout, carousal,
             Colloq bender, binge, jag:  Bruce has gone off on another of his
             sprees.

   sprightly adj.  lively, chipper, spry, vivacious, cheerful, gay, brisk,
             animated, sportive, active, alert, nimble, agile, energetic,
             jaunty, perky, playful, spirited:  She is quite sprightly for a
             grandmother of 78.

   spring    v.  1 leap, bound, jump, hop, vault, dart, fly, bounce:  He
             sprang to his feet when she came into the room. When Tom came to
             the stream, he sprang over it. The leprechaun sprang out from
             behind a tree. 2 arise, appear, grow, come up, rise, come into
             being or existence, be born, emerge, sprout, shoot up, burst
             forth:  Where the dragon's teeth were sown, an entire army
             sprang up.  3 Often, spring up or from. originate, begin, start,
             evolve; proceed from, stem from, descend from, derive from, come
             from, develop from:  He learned how the practice of scratching
             the head in perplexity had sprung up. I wondered where the term
             horse latitudes sprang from.  4 start or begin or experience or
             cause to occur or appear or happen suddenly or unexpectedly,
             broach, pop, introduce or divulge or reveal or disclose suddenly
             or unexpectedly:  The canoe sprang a leak and started to sink.
             He likes to spring trick questions at candidates in an
             interview. 5 spring for. pay for, treat (someone) to, assume the
             expense(s) of:  If you go to a place I choose, I'll spring for
             dinner.

             --n.  6 leap, bound, jump, hop, vault, bounce, skip:  In one
             spring the cat cleared the garden wall and was off.  7
             bounciness, bounce, resiliency, resilience, springiness,
             buoyancy, elasticity, sprightliness, airiness, flexibility:
             Despite her age, there's still a lot of spring in her step.  8
             source, fount, fountain-head, well-spring, well, origin,
             beginning, root:  From what secret spring does his understanding
             arise?  9 springtime, Eastertide, Maytime:  At 35, James is
             still in the spring of life.

             --adj.  10 vernal:  We exulted in the spring sunshine.

   sprout    v.  bud, germinate, come up, arise, begin, bloom, blossom,
             flower:  With this warm weather, everything in my garden is
             beginning to sprout.

   spruce    adj.  1 neat, dapper, smart, trim, well turned out,
             well-groomed, elegant, Colloq natty:  Peter Thornton turned up
             for dinner looking as spruce as can be.

             --v.  2 spruce up. tidy (up), neaten (up), primp, clean (up),
             straighten out or up, smarten (up), titivate or tittivate:  Some
             people are coming to dinner, so first spruce up your room and
             then spruce yourself up.

   spunk     n.  nerve, courage, pluck, spirit, gameness, resolve,
             resolution, mettle, heart, grit, spunkiness, backbone, marrow,
             Colloq guts, gumption, Brit bottle, US sand:  Frances has shown
             she has tremendous spunk to have got this far despite her
             handicap.

   spur      n.  1 goad, prod, urging, impulse, incitement, instigation,
             prompting, pressure, stimulus, stimulation, incentive,
             provocation, inducement, encouragement, motive, motivation:  The
             company paid the workers a bonus for each piece they completed
             as a spur to productivity. 2 projection, prong, spike, spine,
             gaff, barb, quill, tine, barbel, barbule, process:  The hook has
             a spur that prevents the fish from disengaging.  3 on the spur
             of the moment. impetuously, impulsively, unthinkingly,
             unpremeditatedly, impromptu, on the spot; rashly, thoughtlessly,
             recklessly, hastily, brashly, incautiously, unexpectedly,
             suddenly:  On the spur of the moment, we decided to fly to Cap
             d'Antibes for the weekend.

             --v.  4 goad, prod, urge, egg on, impel, incite, prompt, press,
             push, pressure or Brit pressurize, stimulate, drive, provoke,
             induce, encourage, motivate, excite, animate:  The sales force
             are spurred on by the huge bonuses the company offers.

   spurious  adj.  false, counterfeit, sham, fake, fraudulent, bogus, mock,
             imitation, simulated, unauthentic, ungenuine, forged, feigned,
             pretended, deceitful, meretricious, contrived, factitious,
             artificial, ersatz, synthetic, Colloq pseudo, phoney or US also
             phony:  His brother was jailed for peddling spurious Egyptian
             burial artefacts to archaeologists.

   spurn     v.  reject, disdain, scorn, contemn, despise, rebuff, repudiate,
             refuse, sneer at, snub, brush off, turn down, turn one's back on
             or upon, look down on or upon, Colloq cold-shoulder, turn one's
             nose up at, sneeze at:  Judith spurned her father's offer of a
             loan.

   spurt     n.  1 burst, access, effort, outbreak, spell, interval, spate,
             moment, instant:  With a sudden spurt of speed he caught up with
             me.  2 increase, advance, acceleration, rise, improvement:
             After a brief spurt in business in January, everything stopped.

             --v.  3 gush, spew, squirt, jet, shoot, erupt, burst, surge:
             The minute the plumber left, water began spurting out of the
             drain again.

   spy       n.  1 double agent, foreign agent, secret(-service) agent,
             intelligence agent, undercover agent, mole, fifth-columnist, CIA
             man or woman or agent, MI5 or MI6 man or woman or agent;
             informer, informant, Colloq mole, Slang stool-pigeon, stoolie,
             fink, ratfink:  In those days, everyone was a spy and you could
             trust no one.

             --v.  2 Usually, spy on or upon. follow, shadow, trail, watch,
             observe, reconnoitre, keep under surveillance, US surveil,
             Colloq tail, check out, case:  Why should anyone from a foreign
             government be spying on my mother?  3 espy, glimpse, spot, catch
             sight or a glimpse of, descry, note, notice, see, discern:  I
             spied him getting into a yellow convertible.

   spying    n.  espionage, undercover work, secret service; detection,
             intelligence, surveillance:  Virtually every government engages
             in spying.

19.12 squad...
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   squad     n.  unit, team, band, company, crew, force, troop, cadre, gang,
             section, group, squadron, platoon, party:  They decided to call
             in the drugs squad. Has the work squad returned to base yet?

   square    adj.  1 equilateral, quadrangular, rectangular, right-angled,
             quadrilateral, four-sided, cubic, cubed, six-sided, boxy:  She
             bought a work of art consisting of three square pieces of red
             plastic on a mauve ground. He keeps trying to put square pegs
             into round holes. 2 equal, on a par, even, on equal terms,
             settled, balanced:  With this payment, our accounts are now all
             square.  3 even, true, exact, straight, accurate, precise,
             correct:  Make sure that the corners are perfectly square.  4
             honourable, upright, honest, straightforward, fair (and square),
             decent, ethical, open, (open and) above-board, right, (right
             and) proper, clean, just, equitable, Colloq on the level, on the
             up and up:  I have never had anything but square dealings with
             Fred Latham.  5 healthful, healthy, nutritious, substantial,
             solid, full, generous, satisfying, filling, unstinting:  You
             could always count on three square meals a day when staying at
             Auntie Maisie's. 6 na‹ve, innocent; bourgeois, conservative,
             conventional, unsophisticated, provincial, old-fashioned,
             conformist, strait-laced, unimaginative, predictable, Colloq
             antediluvian, uptight, out of it, not with it, not in the know,
             not hip or hep, unhip, stuffy, behind the times, straight, US
             L-7:  We were at the age when anyone over 25 was considered
             square.

             --n.  7 rectilinear figure, rectangle; cube, block:  He took a
             square of wood and quickly carved it into the shape of a duck. 8
             plaza, piazza, place, park, (village) green, market-place,
             market (square), agora, quadrangle:  We like to sit on the
             benches in the square outside my house and chat with the
             neighbours. 9 bourgeois, conservative, conformist,
             traditionalist, (old) fogy or fogey, die-hard; outsider; Colloq
             stuffed shirt, fuddy-duddy, US longhair, L-7, Slang US nerd,
             dweeb:  My parents did not understand me - they were real old
             squares.

             --v.  10 stiffen, throw back, straighten (up), tense:  I squared
             my shoulders and prepared for the worst.  11 Usually, square
             with. meet, match (with), conform to or with, obey, correspond
             to or with, tally with, accord with, agree with, reconcile with
             or to:  These activities do not square with the plans set out by
             the directors.  12 adapt, adjust, change, modify, harmonize,
             accommodate, arrange, comply with, fit:  Ronald was unable to
             square his beliefs with what they were teaching him at the
             seminary. 13 settle, arrange, come to terms, patch up, clear up,
             satisfy, fix:  Don't worry about the customs officials - I'll
             square it with them later on.

   squawk    v.  1 cackle, screech, shriek, yell, yowl, whoop, hoot, scream,
             call, cry:  The parrot kept squawking 'Where is the treasure?
             Where is the treasure?' 2 complain, grumble, whine, grouse,
             protest, object, (make a) fuss, yap, yowl, Slang bellyache,
             bitch, kick, beef, gripe, kick up a fuss:  Oh, stop squawking
             and get on with your work!

             --n.  3 complaint, grouse, grumble, protest, Colloq kick, beef,
             gripe:  If you have a squawk, take it up with the sergeant.

   squeamish adj.  1 dainty, delicate, prudish, punctilious, demanding,
             critical, exacting, difficult, fussy, scrupulous, fastidious,
             meticulous, painstaking, finicky or finical, Colloq persnickety
             or pernickety, fuddy-duddy:  The museum directors were too
             squeamish to put on an exhibition of nudes. 2 nauseous,
             qualmish, easily disgusted or revolted or nauseated:  Sam was
             too squeamish to watch open-heart surgery on the TV.

   squeeze   v.  1 press, compress, compact, crush, squash, wring, pinch,
             nip, grip, tweak:  Each morning Anne squeezes an orange to make
             fresh juice for Edgar.  Everyone knows that squeezing the nose
             between the thumb and forefinger means that something smells. 2
             extract, wrest, exact, extort, milk, wrench, pry (out), tear,
             Colloq bleed:  It is doubtful that they will be able to squeeze
             a contribution out of old Scrooge. 3 milk, Colloq shake down,
             bleed, lean on, put the screws to, put the squeeze on, twist
             (someone's) arm, US put the arm on:  You'll have to squeeze
             Fletcher if you want to get paid.  4 ram, jam, pack, stuff,
             cram, crowd, force, press, wedge:  We were squeezed into the
             train so tightly that I could hardly breathe. 5 clasp, clench,
             embrace, hug, hold, enfold, fold, clutch, Archaic clip:  She
             squeezed him close as they bade goodbye.  6 squeeze through or
             by. get through or by, pass, (barely) succeed, Colloq squeak
             through or by, (barely) make it:  He managed to squeeze through
             the exam with a pass mark, but it was touch-and-go.

             --n.  7 clasp, embrace, hug, clutch, Colloq clinch:  She gave me
             a little squeeze to signal her affection.  8 pressure:  I was
             beginning to feel the squeeze between inflation and high
             interest rates. 9 crush, jam, crowd, squash, press:  There was
             such a squeeze of people at the sale that I couldn't get in. 10
             girlfriend, mistress, sweetheart, Colloq sweetie, Slang moll,
             broad, Archaic doxy:  Willie showed up with his current squeeze.
             11 put the squeeze on. press, bring pressure to bear on, urge,
             influence, Brit pressurize, US pressure:  The bank was beginning
             to put the squeeze on me to repay my overdraft.

   squelch   v.  1 suppress, subdue, put down, quell, quash, defeat,
             overcome, outdo, humiliate, Colloq shoot or slap down, take down
             a peg (or two), take the wind out of (someone's) sails, settle
             (someone's) hash:  The slightest sign of disapproval from No‰l
             was enough to squelch the most arrogant toady.

             --n.  2 riposte, retort, comeback, quip, sally, gibe or jibe,
             barb, Colloq wisecrack, put-down:  One of the best squelches was
             when Oscar Wilde said, referring to a bon mot, 'I wish I'd said
             that', to which Whistler said, 'You will, Oscar. You will.'

   squire    v.  1 escort, accompany, conduct, go with, take; convoy:  Who
             will squire my sisters to the prince's ball?

             --n.  2 esquire, gentleman, landowner, landholder, landed
             proprietor:  The old squire held his head high among the county
             aristocracy.

   squirm    v.  wriggle, writhe, twist, flounder, shift, fidget, be (very)
             uncomfortable, agonize, Colloq sweat:  The boy squirmed under
             the stern gaze of the headmaster.

19.13 stab...
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   stab      v.  1 stick, puncture, prick, lance, jab, pierce, run through,
             impale, gore, transfix, knife, bayonet, skewer, spike, spit,
             spear, pin; plunge, poke, thrust:  In the melee, George was
             stabbed in the arm. It is said that she stabbed a fork into his
             hand. 2 stab in the back. harm, betray, sell out, double-cross,
             give the Judas kiss, play false with:  As soon as he had left,
             they stabbed him in the back by phoning the authorities.

             --n.  3 puncture, jab, thrust, (stab-)wound:  The coroner's
             office reported that the body had six stabs in the abdomen. 4
             attempt, try, essay; guess, conjecture:  Even if you are wrong,
             you lose nothing by making a stab at the right answer. 5 pang,
             twinge, pain, ache, hurt, stitch:  Doctor, I get a terrible stab
             of pain in my side when I turn that way. 6 stab in the back.
             treachery, betrayal, double-cross, Judas kiss, kiss of death,
             duplicity:  Informing on someone to the tax inspector is a
             really nasty stab in the back.

   stability n.  1 steadiness, solidity, firmness, soundness, sturdiness,
             strength:  These flimsy structures are not known for their
             stability.  2 steadfastness, constancy, dependability,
             reliability, tenacity, resolve, resoluteness, perseverance,
             determination, persistence, durability, lasting quality,
             solidity, permanence:  The stability of the government was in
             doubt as the crisis continued.

   stable    adj.  1 steady, solid, firm, sound, sturdy, strong, durable,
             well-founded, fast, sure, established, deep-rooted, stout:  The
             building is designed to remain stable even in a severe
             earthquake.  2 lasting, enduring, long-lasting, long-standing,
             secure, steadfast, steady, strong, unchanging, unchanged,
             unchangeable, unalterable, fixed, invariable, unwavering,
             immutable, permanent:  A stable relationship has existed between
             our countries for generations.  The relationship you and I enjoy
             has remained stable all our lives. 3 sane, (well-)balanced,
             responsible, reasonable, sensible, competent, accountable:  He
             seemed a nice, stable young man, and nobody would have guessed
             that he had a drugs habit.

   stack     n.  1 pile, heap, mound, mass, accumulation, hill, mountain,
             store, stock, bank, deposit, supply, stockpile, hoard, load,
             bundle, bale, Colloq US and Canadian stash:  This stack of paper
             ought to be enough to last through the next printing. 2
             haystack, cock, haycock, rick, rickle, hayrick, Brit clamp:  The
             stacks were covered with a tarpaulin before it started to rain.
             3 collection, aggregation, accumulation, agglomeration,
             amassment, mass, load, pack, amount, abundance, plenty,
             profusion, volume, array, sea, throng, multitude, swarm, host,
             number, quantity, pile-up:  We have a huge stack of orders to
             process this morning.  4 smokestack, chimney, chimney-stack,
             funnel; Building soil stack:  They built the stack very tall to
             carry the fumes away from the town below. 5 blow one's stack.
             anger, become angry, become furious or infuriated, rage, rant,
             lose one's temper, Slang blow or lose one's cool, get hot under
             the collar, blow one's top:  The boss will blow his stack if we
             miss the deadline.

             --v.  6 Often, stack up. pile (up), heap, accumulate, amass,
             store, stock, stockpile, hoard, collect, aggregate, agglomerate,
             Colloq stash (away), squirrel away:  Stack those boxes neatly in
             the corner. Has he stacked up enough points to qualify? 7 stack
             up.  a make sense, add up, agree, jibe, be verifiable, Colloq
             check out:  The ledgers don't stack up with the cheque-book. The
             two sets of figures simply don't stack up. b compare, measure
             up, hold a candle to, be on a par (with), be as good as:  He
             could never stack up to Olivier.

   stadium   n.  arena, ground, amphitheatre, hippodrome, coliseum or
             colosseum, circus:  The new football stadium can accommodate
             60,000 spectators.

   staff     n.  1 stick, pole, standard, baton, rod, pikestaff, pike, stake,
             cane, stave, shaft, alpenstock, shillelagh, club, truncheon,
             mace, crook, crozier, sceptre, wand, caduceus:  Carrying the
             ceremonial staff and dressed in full regalia, the officer
             impressively opened the royal court proceedings. 2 personnel,
             employees, help, workforce, crew, team, organization:  Before we
             introduced computers, we had a staff of fifty doing nothing but
             filing.

   stage     n.  1 position, situation, grade, level, stratum, tier, echelon,
             step, station, place, point, spot, juncture, division, phase,
             lap; status, condition:  We have to reach the third stage before
             going on to the fourth.  2 platform, dais, podium; rostrum:
             After the performance, the audience threw flowers onto the
             stage.  3 the stage. show business, the theatre, the boards, the
             footlights, Broadway, Chiefly Brit the West End; acting,
             Thespianism; Colloq showbiz:  That first burst of applause
             decided her to make the stage her career.

             --v.  4 put on, produce, present, mount, exhibit:  If we can't
             get the theatre, why don't we stage the show in Mr Kimble's
             barn? 5 put on, contrive, organize, originate, devise, make up,
             concoct, fake, trump up, stage-manage, manipulate, manoeuvre:
             It seems that the enthusiastic reception given his wife had been
             staged solely for his benefit.

   stagger   v.  1 totter, reel, lurch, teeter, sway, walk unsteadily or
             shakily, pitch, rock, wobble:  When he staggered in, they
             thought he was drunk till they saw the knife in his back. I was
             already staggering under the burden of a heavy mortgage and
             three children and two elderly parents to care for. 2 surprise,
             amaze, astound, astonish, overwhelm, overcome, dumbfound or
             dumfound, shock, stupefy, stun, nonplus, floor, confound,
             bewilder, startle, jolt, shake (up), take one's breath away,
             make one's head swim, take (someone) aback, throw (someone) off
             balance, tax, burden, Colloq flabbergast, flummox, bowl over,
             Slang blow (someone's) mind:  The cost of cleaning up the oil
             spill will be staggering. He was staggered by her announcement.
             3 alternate, space (out), vary, rearrange, zigzag, US change
             off:  Working hours will be staggered during the holiday period.
             We could strengthen the structure by staggering the positions of
             the columns.

   stagnant  adj.  motionless, standing, still, quiet, sluggish, unmoving,
             immobile, flat; stale, foul, putrid, putrescent, putrefied,
             polluted, dirty, contaminated, filthy:  The malarial mosquitoes
             thrive in pools of stagnant water in the tropical swamps.

   stagnate  v.  languish, idle, vegetate, deteriorate, degenerate, decline,
             go to seed or pot, decay, rust, moulder, decompose, spoil, rot:
             He felt he had stagnated in a backwater of civilization for far
             too long.

   staid     adj.  sedate, rigid, stiff, prim, dignified, sober, calm,
             composed, quiet, restrained, solemn, serious, serious-minded,
             grave, sober-sided:  One expects a judge to be rather staid in
             his behaviour.

   stain     n.  1 blot, mark, spot, discoloration, blotch, smutch, smirch,
             speck, Brit splodge or US also splotch:  There's a stain on your
             tie.  2 mark, blot (on the escutcheon), stigma, blemish, Brit
             blot on one's copybook, Colloq US black eye:  His cowardice in
             battle was a permanent stain on his reputation.  3 dye, colour,
             colouring, tint, tinge, pigment:  An indigo stain was used to
             bring up certain features in microscopy.

             --v.  4 blot, mark, spot, discolour, blotch, speckle, dye,
             spatter, splatter, tinge, smudge, smutch, splash:  The
             tablecloth was stained red from the spilt wine.  5 spoil,
             defile, ruin, smirch, besmirch, taint, tarnish, stigmatize,
             shame, disgrace, sully, contaminate, soil, corrupt:  Her reign
             was stained with the blood of the thousands she had tortured and
             executed.

   stake°    n.  1 stick, post, spike, picket, paling, pale, pole, pike,
             stave; palisade, pole, upright, pillar, column:  They tied the
             goat to a stake and hid, waiting for the tiger to catch the
             scent. 2 pull up stakes. move (house), resettle, move on,
             migrate, emigrate, leave, depart:  It was time to pull up stakes
             and find a new camp-site.

             --v.  3 tether, tie (up), secure, fasten, picket, lash, leash,
             hitch, chain:  The ponies were staked out in the pasture.  4
             Usually, stake out. (a fence (in or off), confine, pen, enclose,
             close in or off, hem in, shut in, impound, enclose, cage, wall
             in:  We hired a man to stake out a large enough area to keep the
             horses.  b mark off or out, define, delimit, outline, demarcate,
             delineate, circumscribe:  The pioneers had already staked out
             the land they planned to cultivate.

   stakeэ    n.  1 bet, wager, ante, risk, hazard:  If you want to make the
             game interesting, you'll have to raise the stakes. 2 investment,
             interest, share, involvement, concern:  Myra has a considerable
             stake in the outcome of the shareholders' meeting. 3 at stake.
             at hazard, hazarded, at risk, risked, on the table, in jeopardy,
             jeopardized, concerned, involved:  Don't take the matter
             lightly, as Tom's reputation is at stake.

             --v.  4 risk, jeopardize, venture, put (money) on, chance,
             hazard, gamble, wager, bet:  I had staked my last penny on that
             gold-mine.

   stale     adj.  1 old, past its prime, unfresh, dry, dried-out, hardened,
             limp, wilted, withered, flat, sour, turned, (gone) off, mouldy,
             musty, spoiled, rotten:  All the food is stale because you
             failed to wrap it carefully.  2 old, banal, overused,
             antiquated, old-fashioned, threadbare, trite, clich‚d,
             unoriginal, hackneyed, stereotyped, tired, weary, boring,
             tiresome, warmed-over, shop-worn, familiar, stock, well-known,
             Colloq hand-me-down, Brit reach-me-down:  These comedians come
             up with the same old stale jokes year after year.

   stalemate n.  impasse, deadlock, stand-off, standstill, (dead or full)
             stop, tie; check, checkmate, mate; US Mexican stand-off:  As
             both parties refused to back down, the situation was a
             stalemate.

   stalk°    v.  follow, dog, haunt, shadow, trail, track (down), hunt
             (down), pursue, hound, chase, Colloq tail:  The leopard stalked
             its prey in complete silence.

   stalkэ    n.  stem, trunk, cane, main axis, leaf-stalk, shaft, spike:  The
             leaves cluster at the very top, leaving the entire stalk of the
             plant bare.

   stall°    v.  1 stop, halt, die, quit, shut down, fail, cease operating,
             come to a standstill, Colloq conk out:  My car stalled in the
             middle of rush-hour traffic - isn't that typical?

             --n.  2 compartment, stand, booth, cubicle, alcove, section,
             space, area, slot, enclosure, quarters; counter, table:  Several
             antiques dealers had hired stalls in the market.  3 shed, pen,
             cote, fold, coop, sty, corral, enclosure, cowshed, barn, stable:
             The animals belong in their stalls at night.

   stallэ    v.  1 delay, dawdle, dilly-dally, dally, loiter, linger,
             temporize, equivocate, hesitate, prevaricate, play for time,
             waste time, stonewall, be obstructive, put (someone or
             something) off; vacillate, dither, hedge, procrastinate; Brit
             haver, Colloq beat about the bush, drag one's feet, give
             (someone) the run-around:  He managed to stall for a while
             before handing over the money.

             --n.  2 stalling, delay, hedge, hedging, pretext, subterfuge,
             wile, trick, ruse, artifice, stratagem, manoeuvre, move,
             stonewalling, obstructionism, playing for time, procrastination,
             procrastinating, Colloq beating about the bush, run-around,
             foot-dragging:  Her claim that she was dressing was nothing but
             a stall to give her time to hide the pistol.

   stalwart  adj.  1 robust, stout, strong, mighty, powerful, rugged,
             staunch, hardy, sturdy, vigorous, lusty, indomitable, solid,
             able-bodied, brawny, sinewy, muscular, fit, healthy, hale, (hale
             and) hearty, Colloq husky, hefty, beefy:  We shall need a dozen
             stalwart men to carry out the raid.  2 redoubtable, intrepid,
             undaunted, resolute, firm, determined, unbending, steadfast,
             tenacious, unswerving, unwavering, unfaltering, unflinching,
             uncompromising, unyielding, persevering, persistent, unflagging,
             relentless, tireless, untiring, indefatigable:  Although they
             lost, their lawyers put up a stalwart defence.  3 brave,
             courageous, daring, intrepid, valiant, heroic, manly, manful,
             fearless, indomitable, stout-hearted, bold, audacious, game,
             red-blooded, plucky, mettlesome, lion-hearted, spirited:  These
             stalwart knights met at dawn on the battlefield.

             --n.  4 supporter, upholder, sustainer, partisan, loyalist,
             (party) faithful, trouper, hero, heroine:  And most of all I
             want to thank those stalwarts who have supported me throughout
             this victorious campaign.

   stamina   n.  ruggedness, vigour, vigorousness, (intestinal) fortitude,
             robustness, indefatigability, staying power, endurance, energy,
             power, might, mettle, (inner) strength, staunchness,
             stalwartness, courage, indomitability, Colloq grit, guts,
             starch, US stick-to-it-iveness, sand, Taboo slang balls:  Even
             at the age of 70, she still had the stamina to run in the
             marathon.

   stammer   v.  1 stutter, hesitate, hem and haw, stumble, falter, pause,
             Brit hum and haw:  Is he stammering from embarrassment or
             because he has a speech defect?

             --n.  2 stutter:  Many young people who have a stammer lose it
             when they get out of their teens.

   stamp     v.  1 trample, bring down one's foot; tread, step, tramp; Colloq
             stomp (on):  He flew into a rage and stamped on the floor, like
             a petulant child. 2 impress, mark, imprint, print, record,
             document, register, log; engrave, emboss, inscribe; sign,
             initial:  That last night in Rio is stamped forever in my
             memory. Their passports were stamped at the frontier. 3 brand,
             label, mark, tag, term, name, style, identify, categorize,
             classify, characterize, designate, denominate, show to be:  The
             episode on Friday stamped him as someone not to be trifled with.
             4 stamp out. eliminate, eradicate, abolish, get rid of,
             annihilate, exterminate, kill, snuff out, terminate, end, put an
             end to, destroy, put down, put out, extinguish, extirpate;
             quell, subdue, suppress, squelch, repress:  Something must be
             done to stamp out the drug traffic.

             --n.  5 mark, sign, hallmark, earmarks, traits, features,
             characteristics:  Her work bears the stamp of genius.  6 die,
             block, punch, seal, matrix, plate, die-stamp, stereotype, mould;
             signet(-ring):  The stamps for the binding are not quite ready.
             7 seal, (trade or service) mark, brand, logo, logotype, symbol,
             representation, colophon, imprint, emblem, insigne (singular of
             insignia), label, monogram, sign, crest, coat of arms,
             escutcheon, cartouche, signature, initials:  As it bears his
             stamp, it must belong to him.  8 character, kind, sort, make,
             fashion, type, cast, mould, grade, style, cut, genre, class,
             level, kidney, feather, stripe, classification, species, genus,
             variety, description:  Men of Randolph's stamp are hard to find
             amongst gentlemen and scholars alike.

   stampede  n.  1 rout, flight, scattering, panic, rush, dash:  When the
             store opened its doors for its annual sale, we were nearly
             trampled in the stampede.

             --v.  2 panic, frighten, rush, scatter, rout:  Millions of
             buffalo were killed by stampeding them off cliffs.  3 rush, run,
             race, charge, take to one's heels, flee, take flight:  At the
             cry of 'Fire!', the audience stampeded for the exits.

   stance    n.  carriage, bearing, deportment; position, posture, attitude,
             standpoint, stand, viewpoint, point of view:  Legs apart and
             arms akimbo, she assumed a defiant stance at the door. Her
             stance was that she must protect the children at all costs.

   stanch    v.  staunch, stop, stem, halt, check, arrest, stay, end, cease;
             prevent:  Apply pressure with a pad to stanch the flow of blood
             from the wound.

   stand     v.  1 rise, arise, get up, Brit be upstanding:  We all stood
             when the master of ceremonies proposed a toast to McArthur. 2
             Sometimes, stand up.  a set, place (upright), position, put,
             move; up-end:  Please stand the cabinet in the corner.  b stay,
             remain (standing):  Just for that you can go and stand in the
             corner!  3 endure, survive, tolerate, brook, countenance, face,
             confront, last through, abide, allow, accept, take, suffer,
             bear, withstand, undergo, experience, cope with, brave, stand or
             bear up under, stand for, withstand, stomach, weather, handle,
             Colloq put up with:  I could not stand another year in the
             tropics. She can stand neither hypocrites nor vanilla ice-cream.
             4 continue, remain, persist, be or remain in effect or in force,
             prevail, obtain, apply, exist:  The law will stand as it is till
             it is rescinded or modified by the court. 5 stand by.  a
             support, defend, back, stand or stick up for, stand behind, be
             or remain loyal or faithful to, uphold, take the side of, side
             with, sympathize with, US go to bat for:  No matter what he did,
             she always stood by him.  b wait (in the wings), stand or wait
             or stay or remain on the sidelines, be or stand ready or
             available or accessible, be or stand in readiness:  Would you
             mind standing by in case we need your help?  c stick to, adhere
             to, support, maintain, persist in, affirm, reaffirm, confirm,
             abide by:  We shall stand by every word of the agreement.  6
             stand down. resign, quit, step aside, withdraw:  When it was
             revealed that she was taking steroids, she agreed to stand down
             from the team. 7 stand for.  a symbolize, betoken, represent,
             signify, mean, be emblematic of, exemplify, epitomize,
             illustrate, typify, refer to, allude to:  The initials in P. G.
             Wodehouse's name stand for 'Pelham Grenville'.  b support,
             advocate, favour, sponsor, promote, espouse (the cause of),
             subscribe to, back, champion, lend support or one's name to,
             second:  Norma has always stood for the principles of democratic
             freedom.  c campaign for, be or present (oneself) as a candidate
             for, US stump for, run for:  Who will stand for chairman this
             year?  d See 3, above.  8 stand in. substitute (for), understudy
             (for), replace, relieve, double for, take the place of, US and
             Canadian pinch-hit (for), Colloq cover for:  If you can't get to
             the rehearsal, I'll stand in for you.  9 stand out.  a be
             prominent or conspicuous or noticeable, be notable or
             noteworthy:  With her green spike hairdo and a safety pin
             through her cheek, Kylie really stands out in a crowd. His
             farewell speech stands out in my mind as one of his best. b
             protrude, project, stick out, jut out, bulge, obtrude, beetle,
             overhang, extend:  The balcony stands out over the village
             square.  10 stand up.  a stand, rise, arise, get to one's feet,
             get up:  The boys had been taught to stand up when a woman
             entered the room. b endure, last, wear (well), survive:  Today's
             products, with their built-in obsolescence, don't stand up to
             long use. c jilt, break or fail to keep an appointment with:
             After waiting for two hours, he realized that he had been stood
             up. 11 stand up for. support, defend, take the side of, side
             with, champion, uphold, Colloq stick up for:  I shall never
             forget how you stood up for me when they accused me of cheating.
             12 stand up to.  a confront, brave, challenge, encounter,
             dispute, question, resist, defy, withstand:  He's a coward when
             it comes to standing up to authority.  b resist, defy,
             withstand, endure, outlast, last through, suffer:  This material
             will stand up to years of abuse.

             --n.  13 position, attitude, stance, posture, policy,
             philosophy, point of view, viewpoint, standpoint, belief,
             opinion, sentiment, feeling, line:  I disagree completely with
             the Chancellor's stand on the economy.  14 defence, resistance,
             effort:  This campaign will be our last stand in trying to
             retrieve some of the market we lost. 15 stop, stopover, halt,
             stay; performance, show:  We do some one-night stands in the
             country before returning to Manchester. 16 counter, booth,
             stall, table; wagon or Brit waggon, barrow, cart:  He sells
             fruit from a stand in the street.  17 rack, frame, bracket;
             hatstand, coat-rack:  This stand is for displaying a china
             plate. I left my hat on the stand in your office. 18 staging,
             platform, dais, stage, staging, bandstand, summer-house:  We
             like to go to the stand in the park to hear the band play.  19
             copse, grove, wood, thicket, brake, wood, Brit spinney, coppice:
             Near the house was a small stand of beeches.

   standard  n.  1 criterion, measure, benchmark, model, pattern, archetype,
             touchstone, yardstick, gauge, guide, guideline, paradigm,
             paragon, exemplar, example, sample, type, ideal, beau id‚al,
             rule, canon, law, requirement, precept, principle:  The metric
             system has become the standard in many countries. People resent
             having imposed on them the standards of another culture. 2 mean,
             average, norm, par, level, rating:  With many luxuries now
             necessities, the standard of living has improved enormously. The
             course was for students of intermediate standard. 3 flag,
             banner, ensign, emblem, pennant, burgee, insigne (singular of
             insignia), guidon, gonfalon or gonfanon, labarum:  The black
             knight bore a curiously coloured standard into battle.  4 pole,
             post, stanchion, lamppost, column, pillar, support, pedestal,
             pier, footing, (upright) bar or rod or timber:  The car went out
             of control and knocked down two lighting standards.

             --adj.  5 accepted, approved, definitive, defined,
             authoritative, official, required, regulative, regulatory,
             textbook:  Must we follow standard procedure? The tests were
             conducted according to the standard methods. 6 recognized,
             prevailing, prevalent, usual, customary, habitual, orthodox,
             set, established, regular, familiar, ordinary, traditional,
             classic, stock, typical, normal, staple, conventional,
             universal:  People in the south usually regard themselves as
             speakers of standard English.

   standardize
             v.  regiment, systematize, codify, normalize, homogenize:  We
             could save money if we standardized the dimensions of the books
             we publish.

   stand-by  n.  1 supporter, defender, backer, upholder, partisan,
             sympathizer, adherent, stalwart:  His mother had always been his
             stand-by against the severity of his father. 2 substitute,
             surrogate, replacement, backup, understudy, second, US and
             Canadian alternate:  They had a second ambulance as a stand-by
             in case the first broke down or needed servicing. 3 resource,
             support, replacement:  I knew I could always count on you as a
             stand-by in case I had trouble.

   stand-in  n.  double, substitute, stunt man or woman; surrogate,
             replacement, stand-by, backup, understudy, second, US and
             Canadian alternate:  Any time they had to shoot a dangerous
             scene, my stand-in went through the motions.

   standing  adj.  1 established, set, standard, conventional, customary,
             usual, normal, regular, fixed, permanent, continued, continuing,
             regular:  The club has standing rules concerning use of the
             card-room.  2 stagnant, motionless, unmoving, stationary, still,
             static:  Insects bred in the standing pools of rainwater.  3
             continuous, fixed, ongoing, perpetual, unbroken:  Michael placed
             a standing order for six cases of Beaujolais Nouveau every
             November. 4 erect, upright, on one's feet, vertical, unseated:
             Please remain standing till the signal is given to be seated.

             --n.  5 status, rank, station, position, place, grade, order,
             level, stratum:  Considering her standing in the party, Mrs
             Miller ought to win the nomination easily. 6 eminence,
             prominence, repute, reputation:  Foster is a surgeon of
             considerable standing.  7 Usually, long standing. (considerable)
             age or longevity or experience or seniority or duration:  Ivan
             is an art expert of long standing.

   standoffish
             adj.  aloof, haughty, unsocial, reserved, cool, frosty,
             withdrawn, remote, removed, distant, detached, unapproachable,
             inaccessible, uncongenial, unfriendly, unsociable; Olympian,
             lordly, pompous, Colloq highfalutin or hifalutin, snooty:
             Oliver is much too standoffish to deign to come to my party.

   standpoint
             n.  viewpoint, point of view, vantage point, perspective,
             position, angle, view:  From the standpoint of mice, cats do not
             make good pets.

   standstill
             n.  (dead or full) stop, halt:  The car came to a standstill
             with the front wheels overhanging a cliff.

   staple    adj.  1 basic, elementary, essential, necessary, requisite,
             required, vital, indispensable, critical, fundamental, primary,
             principal, main, chief:  These people cannot afford even staple
             commodities like flour and salt. 2 standard, usual, habitual,
             ordinary, customary, prevailing, normal, conventional,
             universal:  The staple fare on television seems to consist of
             old and new sitcoms.

             --n.  3 Often, staples. necessities, essentials, basics,
             fundamentals:  Supermarkets disperse low-cost staples such as
             bread, tea, and milk to force shoppers to pass luxury items.
             Marital and financial problems are the staples of soap operas.

   star      n.  1 celestial or heavenly body; evening star, morning star,
             falling star, shooting star, comet; nova, supernova:  It was a
             beautiful clear night and the sky was full of stars.  2
             celebrity, personage, dignitary, VIP, name, somebody, luminary,
             leading light, leading man or woman or lady, lead, principal,
             diva, prima donna, hero, heroine, idol, superstar, Technical
             slang top banana, headliner, Colloq big shot, (big) draw, celeb,
             big name:  Clancy knows many of the big stars personally.

             --adj.  3 principal, major, leading, important, celebrated,
             famous, famed, prominent, eminent, pre-eminent, distinguished,
             brilliant, illustrious, unequalled, peerless, matchless,
             incomparable, unrivalled, inimitable, unmatched, unparalleled,
             top, foremost:  A new local rock band was the star attraction at
             the Hippodrome.

             --v.  4 feature or be featured; play or act or take the lead or
             the leading part or role:  He began his career starring in
             spaghetti westerns.

   stare     v.  1 gaze, gape, goggle, gawk, watch, Colloq rubberneck, Slang
             Brit gawp:  The people were powerless to do anything but stare
             as the molten lava engulfed the city.

             --n.  2 fixed or blank look; goggle, gaze:  The teacher fixed
             her with a stare and she blushed with guilt.

   stark     adv.  1 completely, utterly, unqualifiedly, wholly, absolutely,
             entirely, totally, fully, altogether, plainly, obviously,
             clearly, certifiably:  Is that an elephant on the beach, or am I
             going stark staring mad? The children were running around stark
             naked.

             --adj.  2 plain, simple, Spartan, severe, unembellished,
             unadorned, cold, bare, harsh, hard, grim, bald, blunt:  The room
             looks less stark with curtains. Just give me the stark facts
             without all the elaboration. 3 harsh, severe, bleak, austere,
             barren, desolate, dreary, grey, depressing, ravaged, empty,
             vacant, Literary drear, Colloq US spooky:  As day dawned, I
             looked out over the stark landscape of the nuclear winter. 4
             sheer, complete, utter, absolute, perfect, pure, thorough,
             thoroughgoing, arrant, unmitigated, out-and-out, downright,
             outright, total, unconditional, unqualified, clear, plain,
             evident, obvious, patent, flagrant, gross, rank:  They were
             shocked by the stark poverty they saw in the rural areas.

   start     v.  1 Often, start off or up. begin, commence, get (something)
             going, get off the ground, originate, initiate, open, set in
             motion, activate, embark on; set in motion, turn or switch on,
             crank up, Colloq kick off:  They started operations at once. I
             can't start my car.  2 Often, start off or up or in. arise, come
             up, come to be or into being, emerge, crop up, develop, begin,
             commence, get under way, originate:  How did this situation
             start?  3 Often, start off or up or in. go, leave, depart, get
             going, move (off or out or on), get under way, set off or out or
             forth, Colloq hit the road, get the show on the road:  You start
             and I'll follow shortly.  4 Often, start in. begin, commence,
             get or start the ball rolling, get things under way, be on one's
             way, get going:  When I went in I found that she had started
             without me.  5 jump, flinch, blench, quail, shy, recoil, wince,
             shrink, draw back:  He started when he saw her suddenly behind
             him in the mirror.  6 cause to spring or leap or dart or jump or
             bound:  Any abrupt movement will start the plovers from cover.
             7 establish, found, begin, set up, initiate, institute, create,
             father, give birth to, beget:  It was her ideas that started the
             current trend in mystery novels.  8 bulge, protrude, stick out;
             Colloq US bug out:  Warping caused these boards to start from
             the floor. When he saw what was in his swimming-pool, his eyes
             started from their sockets.

             --n.  9 beginning, opening, move:  This is not very good, but
             it's a start.  10 beginning, commencement, opening, outset,
             onset, inception, start-up:  The start of the race is set for
             ten o'clock.  11 beginning(s), inception, birth, initiation,
             onset, rise, genesis, creation, emergence, origin:  The start of
             the blues can be traced to New Orleans.  12 opportunity, chance,
             beginning; help, assistance, aid, backing, financing,
             sponsorship, encouragement, Colloq break:  Her father-in-law
             gave her the start she needed in business.  13 head start,
             advantage, edge, lead, Colloq (the) jump, US and New Zealand
             drop (on someone):  Having the inside track gave her a start on
             the competition. If he has a ten-minute start, we'll never catch
             him. 14 inauguration, opening, beginning, initiation, Colloq
             kick-off:  When is the start of the salmon fishing season this
             year?  15 beginning(s), founding, foundation, establishment,
             inception, birth, origin:  This company had its start in 1781.

   startle   v.  frighten, surprise, scare, disturb, unsettle, upset,
             discompose, make (someone) jump, jolt, jar, dismay, perturb,
             stun, take (someone) aback, shock, astound, astonish, Colloq
             shake up, give (someone) a turn, US discombobulate:  He jumped
             out from behind the door and startled me. She was startled when
             she was told that she had to leave at once.

   startling adj.  shocking, terrifying, frightening, astounding,
             astonishing, awesome, staggering, jarring, disturbing,
             unsettling, upsetting, amazing, surprising:  Monica fainted when
             told the startling news.

   starved   adj.  1 starving, (extremely) hungry, famished, ravenous:  Harry
             came in from the fields, declaring he was starved and ready to
             eat a horse. 2 starved or starving for. yearning for, dying for,
             hankering for, hungry or hungering for, pining for, longing for,
             burning for, craving, thirsting for or after, desirous of,
             aching for, Colloq hurting for:  I was starved for a pint of
             cold lager.  3 starved of. deprived of, in need or want of,
             lacking, be reft of:  The children seemed starved of affection.

   state     n.  1 condition(s), circumstance(s), situation, state of
             affairs, status, shape, position:  He was concerned about the
             state of the company's finances.  2 structure, form,
             constitution, shape, phase, stage:  One does not see iodine in
             its gaseous state outside the laboratory.  3 grandeur, pomp,
             style, splendour, magnificence, glory, brilliance:  The prince
             was met at the airport and escorted in state to the palace. 4
             nation, country, land, body politic:  No longer a colony, it
             became an independent state in 1952.

             --adj.  5 governmental, government, national, federal:  The
             State schools in the town had a good reputation.  6 ceremonial,
             formal, dignified, stately, solemn, official; royal, regal,
             imperial, majestic:  We attended a state dinner at the White
             House. The Queen travelled in the state coach from Buckingham
             Palace to Westminster.

             --v.  7 aver, assert, asseverate, declare, affirm, express,
             report, articulate, voice, specify, delineate, claim, maintain,
             allege, submit, confirm; say, testify, hold, have:  He has often
             stated his firm belief in democracy. He stated firmly that he
             was not in the house on the night of the murder.

   stately   adj.  dignified, august, solemn, distinguished, impressive,
             striking, imposing, awesome, grand, lofty, elevated, noble,
             majestic, regal, royal, imperial:  The stately procession wound
             through the streets of the capital.

   statement n.  assertion, allegation, declaration, expression, report,
             account, affirmation, asseveration, averral, announcement,
             annunciation, proclamation, utterance, communication,
             communiqu‚, disclosure:  Your statement is subject to
             interpretation. He made a long and detailed statement about the
             future of the project.

   static    adj.  1 immovable, immobile, unmoving, motionless, stationary,
             fixed, stagnant, inert, still, unchanging, unchanged,
             changeless, unvarying, invariable, constant:  The situation
             remained static for years. A living language is not static but
             dynamic.

             --n.  2 interference, noise, atmospherics; difficulty or
             difficulties, trouble, problem(s), Colloq flak:  With all the
             static, I couldn't understand what she was saying.  You can
             expect some static about being late for your wedding.

   station   n.  1 place, position, spot, post, site, location:  The sentry
             is not to leave his station till relieved.  2 position, place,
             status, rank, caste, standing, class, level:  As a doctor, he
             attained a station in life far above that of his father. 3
             railway station, train station, passenger station, bus station,
             US and Canadian depot:  Let's meet in the waiting-room in the
             station.

             --v.  4 position, place, spot, post, site, locate, assign,
             appoint, garrison, install or instal, Colloq billet:  He was
             stationed in three different places in four years.

   stationery
             n.  writing-paper, letterhead(s), paper and envelopes, writing
             implements or supplies; office supplies or equipment:  We
             consider stationery costs as part of overheads.

   statue    n.  sculpture, figure, figurine, statuette, carving, casting,
             model, bronze, image, icon or ikon, effigy, representation;
             bust, atlas, caryatid, colossus, figurehead, Biblical graven
             image:  A statue of Disraeli stands in the market square of
             Aylesbury.

   statuesque
             adj.  imposing, impressive, majestic, regal, stately,
             magnificent, noble, dignified, august, grand, well-proportioned,
             comely, handsome, queenly, Junoesque:  Julie's statuesque figure
             was well set off by the draped silk gown.

   status    n.  1 eminence, prominence, pre-eminence, standing, stature,
             importance, significance, repute, reputation, rank, station:
             Few could approach Keith's status as a pathologist.  2 See
             standing, 5, above.

   staunch   adj.  1 steadfast, loyal, firm, unflinching, steady,
             unshrinking, unswerving, dependable, reliable, (tried and) true,
             devoted, true-blue, trusty, trusted, faithful, unfaltering,
             undeviating, unwavering:  Charles has always been a staunch
             supporter of the party.  2 strong, solid, sturdy, sound,
             well-built, stout, substantial, well-constructed, well-made,
             tough, rugged, long-lasting; watertight, seaworthy:  The ship's
             staunch oaken hull has withstood much abuse over the years.

   stay°     v.  1 remain, stop, continue, tarry, wait, stand, Colloq freeze:
             Stay where you are or I'll shoot!  2 remain, stop, lodge,
             sojourn, abide, reside, dwell, live, visit:  I heard that Sheila
             was back in town, staying at her aunt's.  3 keep, remain,
             continue to be:  I was having trouble staying awake.  4 stop,
             arrest, thwart, prevent, put an end to, halt, interrupt, block,
             check; curb, retard, slow, impede, foil, obstruct, hamper,
             hinder, discourage, deter; delay, postpone, put off,
             discontinue, defer, Technical prorogue:  Only one man has the
             authority to stay the execution. What can be done to stay the
             advance of the killer bees? 5 linger, loiter, wait, tarry, stop,
             remain, Archaic bide:  I like this part of the world and plan to
             stay here a while.

             --n.  6 stop, stoppage, arrest, set-back, check, halt,
             prevention, discontinuance, discontinuation, interruption,
             blockage, delay, postponement, deferment, deferral, reprieve:
             Have you been able to arrange a stay in carrying out the
             sentence?  7 stopover, sojourn, visit, stop:  We really enjoyed
             our stay at Fred's house in Fort Lauderdale.

   stayэ     n.  1 guy, line, rope, cable, chain, support, brace,
             reinforcement; Technical head-stay, (running) backstay,
             forestay, mainstay, mizen-stay:  If one of those stays gives
             way, the entire structure may fall.

             --v.  2 support, strengthen, secure, reinforce, brace, buttress,
             gird, shore (up):  The mast is stayed by two steel cables, fore
             and aft.

   steadfast adj.  resolute, determined, persevering, resolved,
             single-minded, steady, unflinching, unfaltering, unwavering,
             unswerving, indefatigable, dependable, immovable, stable, firm,
             fixed, constant, persistent, unflagging, tireless, enduring,
             dedicated, deep-rooted, faithful, true, loyal, staunch:  For
             years Janet has been steadfast in supporting the cause. Stephen
             was a steadfast friend and will never be forgotten.

   steady    adj.  1 stable, firm, solid, substantial, sound, stout, strong:
             Is this chair steady enough to stand on?  2 even, regular,
             uniform, habitual, invariable, unvarying, unfluctuating,
             unwavering, undeviating, changeless, unchanging, continuous,
             constant; perpetual, non-stop, round-the-clock, persistent,
             uninterrupted, unbroken, unrelieved, unceasing, ceaseless,
             incessant, relentless, unremitting, never-ending, unending,
             endless:  Steady trade winds could be relied on to carry vessels
             to the Caribbean. Inflation has remained steady for a year. How
             do the children manage to survive on a steady diet of junk food?
             The economists fear a steady rise in inflation. 3 unflinching,
             unblinking, fixed, constant, unfaltering, continuous, direct:
             The boy began to quail under the headmaster's steady gaze.  4
             calm, cool, balanced, equable, controlled:  Steady nerves are
             needed to handle this new breed of fighter plane.  5 devoted,
             firm, staunch, faithful, loyal, long-standing, inveterate,
             consistent, confirmed, persistent:  The Pendergasts have always
             been steady supporters of the museum.  6 staid, sedate, sober,
             dignified, poised, sophisticated, civilized, sensible,
             down-to-earth, settled, serious, level-headed, reliable, Colloq
             unflappable:  WANTED: Steady person as housekeeper to eccentric
             editor.

             --adv.  7 firmly, solidly:  His wife was holding the ladder
             steady while he mended the gutter.  8 go steady. keep company,
             date, socialize:  Is Jane still going steady with Hubert?

             --n.  9 boyfriend, girlfriend, (regular) fellow or girl,
             sweetheart, Colloq guy, gal, woman, man:  Yes, Hubert is still
             Jane's steady.  10 regular, habitu‚, customer, frequenter,
             familiar face:  Gil has been a steady here ever since we opened.

             --v.  11 stabilize, hold fast; brace, secure, support,
             strengthen:  Prices steadied after the first hour of trading. To
             steady the table, merely tighten the screws holding the legs.

   steal     v.  1 take (away), appropriate, filch, shoplift, pilfer,
             purloin, make or walk off or away with, get away with; embezzle,
             misappropriate, peculate; Colloq lift, pinch, hook, snitch,
             borrow, US boost, liberate, heist, hijack, Slang swipe, Brit
             nick, prig, US hoist:  The thieves stole only the emeralds,
             leaving the diamonds. The bookkeeper stole the money by
             diverting it into his own account. 2 plagiarize, pirate, copy,
             imitate, appropriate, usurp, take:  He claims that the story of
             the film was stolen from his short story. 3 sneak, creep, slip,
             tiptoe, prowl, lurk, skulk, Colloq pussyfoot:  Silently, we
             stole into the garden at the rear of the house.

             --n.  4 bargain, (good) buy, Colloq give-away:  At that price,
             the rug was a steal!

   stealing  n.  theft, robbery, robbing, larceny, pilferage, shoplifting,
             poaching, embezzlement, peculation, thievery, thieving,
             filching, burglary, plagiarism, plagiarizing, piracy, pirating:
             Stealing from the church poor-box must be one of the lowest
             things a person can do.

   stealth   n.  furtiveness, secrecy, clandestineness, surreptitiousness,
             sneakiness, slyness, underhandedness:  What the thieves lacked
             in stealth they compensated for in knowledge of art.

   stealthy  adj.  stealthful, furtive, secretive, secret, sly, clandestine,
             surreptitious, sneaky, sneaking, skulking, covert, undercover,
             underhand(ed), backstairs, hugger-mugger, closet:  He was as
             stealthy as a cat in his movements. They were stealthy
             collectors of pornography.

   steamy    adj.  1 humid, steaming, damp, moist, muggy, sticky, dank,
             sweaty, sweltering, sodden, sultry, boiling, wet:  We were not
             prepared for the steamy jungle of equatorial Africa.  2 steamed
             (up), fogged (up), befogged, misty, misted, hazy, clouded,
             cloudy, beclouded, dim, blurred:  Every time I take a hot
             shower, the bathroom mirror gets all steamy.  3 erotic,
             passionate, (sexually) exciting, arousing, hot, Colloq sexy,
             Slang horny:  The film was notorious for its steamy scenes.

   steel     n.  1 sword, dagger, blade, knife, dirk, stiletto:  He saw the
             flash of the cold steel in the moonlight.

             --v.  2 brace, nerve, stiffen, fortify, grit one's teeth, bear
             up, bite the bullet, screw up one's courage (to the sticking
             point); inure, insulate, protect:  People must learn to steel
             themselves against criticism in this business.

   steely    adj.  1 greyish, grey:  His steely blue eyes pierced deep into
             her soul.  2 iron, tough, indurate, adamant, adamantine, hard,
             strong, rugged, unyielding, flinty, sturdy:  She was a woman of
             steely determination.

   steep°    adj.  1 sheer, abrupt, precipitous, bluff, sharp, nearly
             vertical or perpendicular or upright:  In those days, a car had
             to be in first gear to climb such a steep hill. 2 expensive,
             dear, high, overpriced, exorbitant, excessive, extravagant,
             extortionate, Colloq stiff:  The house prices in the city centre
             were much too steep for all but the highest-paid executives.

   steepэ    v.  1 soak, submerge, souse, drench, immerse, saturate, douse,
             wet, ret; pickle, marinate:  Before cooking, the meat has to be
             steeped in brine for at least six hours to tenderize it. 2
             imbue, fill, saturate, immerse, inundate; bury:  He learnt
             Japanese by steeping himself in the language for six months.

   steer     v.  1 guide, pilot, conduct, direct; manage, control, channel:
             Steer the boat closer to the pier. David has steered the company
             to greater profits than ever before. 2 steer clear of. avoid,
             dodge, keep away from, shun, circumvent, give (something or
             someone) a wide berth:  You'd best steer clear of Melissa when
             she's angry.

             --n.  3 Usually, bum steer. (bad or poor) tip or suggestion or
             hint; (bad or poor) guidance or advice or information:  He
             avoids me because I once gave him a bum steer on a horse.

   stellar   adj.  1 astral, star, sidereal:  The sidereal year is based on
             stellar calculations.  2 chief, starring, principal, leading,
             main, headlining:  For years Lee has been a stellar performer on
             the golf circuit.

   stem°     n.  1 trunk, stalk, stock; Technical peduncle, pedicel, petiole,
             shoot:  Three white blossoms are borne on each stem of the
             plant.  2 bows, prow, stem-post:  The ship shook from stem to
             stern.

             --v.  3 come, arise, develop, derive, issue, flow, generate,
             originate, spring, emanate, sprout, grow, descend, result,
             proceed:  The dispute stems from basic differences in the ways
             the parties regard property.

   stemэ     v.  1 check, stop, halt, stanch or staunch, arrest, stay, curb,
             control, quell, suppress; retard, slow, lessen, diminish,
             reduce, cut (back (on)):  The government introduced legislation
             to stem immigration. I was able to stem the bleeding by applying
             the tourniquet. 2 stem the tide (of). resist, withstand, go or
             make headway or advance or make progress against, prevail over
             or against:  They were unable to stem the tide of public
             opinion.

   stench    n.  stink, reek, noisomeness, mephitis, fetor or foetor, foul
             odour, effluvium, Colloq Brit pong:  A terrible stench emanated
             from the cupboard. For decades their government has wallowed in
             the stench of corruption.

   stenographer
             n.  secretary, amanuensis, stenotypist, tachygrapher,
             phonographer:  The court stenographer read back part of the
             testimony.

   stenography
             n.  shorthand, stenotypy, tachygraphy, speedwriting:  Her
             qualification in stenography proved most useful.

   step      n.  1 movement, move:  The steps of the dance were very
             intricate.  2 footfall, footstep, tread:  I think I hear
             father's step on the stair.  3 footstep, footprint, trace,
             spoor, track, trace, mark, impression; imprint, vestige:  In his
             master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted.  4 action,
             initiative, measure, activity, procedure, move, motion:  What
             steps are needed to improve the situation?  5 stage, move,
             gradation, degree, progression:  Can we not proceed from one to
             the other in easy steps?  6 pace, footstep, stride:  My mother's
             cottage is just a few steps away, at the bottom of the garden. 7
             in step (with). in keeping (with), in harmony or agreement
             (with), harmonious (with), agreeable (with), according (with or
             to), concordant (with), attuned (to), in tune (with), consonant
             (with), consistent (with), appropriate (to), fitting (for);
             conventional, traditional, routine:  Do you think that her ideas
             of discipline are in step with the times? I am not sure they are
             in step at all. 8 out of step (with). out of keeping (with), out
             of or not in harmony or agreement (with), not harmonious (with),
             not agreeable (with), not according (with or to), discordant
             (with), not concordant (with), not attuned (to), out of tune
             (with), not consonant (with), inconsistent (with), inappropriate
             (to), not fitting (for); offbeat, unconventional, eccentric,
             Slang kinky:  You must admit that her views are out of step with
             the committee's.  9 step by step. gradually, a step at a time,
             slowly, steadily:  The way to unravel the problem is to analyse
             it step by step.  10 steps.  a course, way, route, direction,
             path, movement, passage; journey, journeying, travels,
             travelling:  After leaving the village, I directed my steps
             southward, towards the coast. b stairway, stairs, stair,
             staircase, stepladder, US and Canadian stoop:  Claire walked
             down the steps to greet me.  11 take steps. proceed, move, begin
             or start or commence to act or to take action, do something:  We
             must take steps to prevent this from happening again.  12 watch
             one's step. tread carefully or cautiously, be cautious or
             careful, exercise care or caution, be wary or discreet, be on
             the qui vive, be or remain alert, be on one's guard, have or
             keep one's wits about one, take care or heed, Colloq pussyfoot
             about:  You must really watch your step with Marnie to avoid
             upsetting her.

             --v.  13 move, walk, look; pace, stride:  Step lively or you'll
             miss your last chance to see the elephants.  14 step down.  a
             resign, abdicate, quit, bow out, retire:  Don't you think it
             time you stepped down from the chairmanship?  b decrease,
             diminish, reduce:  Using this transformer, we can step down the
             voltage gradually.  15 step in. intervene, interfere, intercede,
             become involved:  It seemed the right time for us to step in and
             take over the company.  16 step on it. hurry (up), make haste,
             hasten, speed up:  He'd better step on it if he is going to
             catch his plane.  17 step out.  a go outside or out of doors,
             leave:  Would you mind stepping out for a few minutes while we
             settle this in private? b go out, socialize:  Notice how quickly
             Genevieve has started stepping out again after her bereavement.
             c become disinvolved, withdraw, secede:  Our firm stepped out of
             the negotiations when we saw who was bidding.  18 step up.  a
             improve, progress:  George has certainly stepped up in the world
             since I knew him at university. b increase, accelerate, raise,
             intensify, boost, escalate, up, speed up:  They stepped up the
             pace until she could no longer keep up with them.

   sterile   adj.  1 barren, fruitless, unfruitful, childless, unproductive,
             infertile, infecund:  The first great disappointment of
             Napoleon's life was that Josephine was sterile. 2 pure, aseptic,
             uninfected, unpolluted, uncontaminated, disinfected, sanitary,
             sterilized, germ-free, antiseptic:  Make sure that you always
             use a sterile bandage for a wound.  3 barren, unproductive,
             stale, effete:  Vanessa's greatest fear was that her mind would
             become sterile and she would run out of ideas.

   sterilize v.  1 purify, disinfect, cleanse, clean, fumigate, depurate,
             Technical autoclave:  Sterilize the instruments before using
             them.  2 castrate (males), emasculate (males), geld (horses),
             spay (female animals), alter (animals), neuter (animals),
             caponize (male fowl), eunuchize (males), Technical ovariectomize
             (females), vasectomize (males), Colloq fix (animals), cut (male
             animals), Slang tie (someone's) tubes:  Steers - that is,
             sterilized bulls - yield tenderer meat.

   sterling  adj.  1 genuine, authentic, real, true, pure:  Is this
             candle-snuffer sterling silver?  2 excellent, superior, superb,
             superlative, first-class, exceptional, matchless, peerless,
             unequalled, nonpareil, incomparable, fine, very good, worthy,
             estimable, admirable:  Commander Ian Johnston has acquitted
             himself as an officer of sterling character.

   stern     adj.  1 austere, severe, strict, stringent, demanding, critical,
             rigid, rigorous, flinty, steely, authoritarian, uncompromising,
             hard, tough, inflexible, firm, immovable, unmoved, unrelenting,
             unremitting, steadfast, resolute, determined, unyielding,
             adamant, adamantine, obdurate, hard-hearted, stony,
             stony-hearted, unsparing, unforgiving, unsympathetic, harsh:
             Discipline in the French Foreign Legion is said to be quite
             stern.  2 serious, frowning, grim, forbidding, grave, gloomy,
             dour, sombre, saturnine, lugubrious, gruff, taciturn, crabby,
             crabbed, crusty, churlish, sour:  Beneath that terribly stern
             exterior he really is a pussy-cat.

   stew      n.  1 gallimaufry, goulash, salmagundi, hash, mess, olla
             podrida, olio, mixture, mishmash, Brit hotchpotch, US also
             hodgepodge:  His book is a stew of many different opinions, none
             of them his own. 2 state of excitement or alarm or anxiety,
             dither, pother, bother, lather, sweat, Colloq tizzy, state:  She
             really worked herself up into a stew over the boy Paula is
             engaged to.

             --v.  3 simmer, seethe, agonize, fret, dither, chafe, burn,
             smoulder, Colloq get steamed (up) (over or about), work
             (oneself) (up) into a sweat or lather or state (over):  Paula's
             father is all stewed up over her leaving school to get married.

   stick°    v.  1 pierce, thrust, stab, transfix, pin, spike, impale, spear,
             spit, run through, poke, gore, jab, prick, puncture, punch,
             penetrate, drill, bore, riddle, perforate:  He stuck the wild
             boar with his spear.  2 put, drop, place, deposit, Colloq shove,
             plonk, plunk, plop:  Stick another ice cube in my drink, would
             you?  3 put, poke, push, thrust, prod, dig; insert:  She stuck
             her head out of the window to get a better look. Stop sticking
             your finger in my ribs! 4 attach, fasten, affix, fix, nail, pin,
             tack; glue, cement, paste, gum, weld, solder, bind, tie, tape,
             wire; bond, melt, fuse, unite, join:  What shall we used to
             stick the poster to the wall? How can I stick the pieces of the
             vase together again? 5 Often, stick together. cohere, adhere,
             stay or remain or cleave or cling together:  I cannot make these
             parts stick together.  6 hold, last, endure, go through, be
             upheld, be or remain effective, remain attached:  The prosecutor
             was unable to make a charge of murder stick.  7 linger, dwell,
             remain (fixed), continue, stay; be or become lodged or stopped
             or fixed or fast or immovable or stationary, be or become
             entangled or enmired or bogged down:  Something sticks in my
             mind about your leaving next week. We were stuck in the Sunday
             traffic for hours. The wheel is stuck in the sand. 8 burden,
             weigh down, encumber, saddle with, charge, impose on, force on:
             We stuck Tony with the nasty job of changing the tyre.  9
             baffle, puzzle, bewilder, perplex, confuse, stump, stop,
             nonplus:  I was totally stuck for a solution.  10 stand, abide,
             tolerate, endure, bear:  I can't stick people watching me while
             I am painting.  11 stick around or about. wait, tarry, linger,
             stay, stand by, remain, Colloq hang around or about or on:  Can
             you stick around for a few minutes after the meeting?  12 stick
             at. stop at, hesitate at, pause at, scruple at, be deterred or
             put off by, take exception to, shrink from or at, balk at:
             Barnes sticks at nothing to get his way.  13 stick by. support,
             be loyal or faithful to, stand by:  Arnold will stick by you,
             come what may.  14 stick it (out). persevere, persist, stand
             fast, bear it, be resolute, soldier on, hold (one's) ground,
             grin and bear it, see it through, weather it, Colloq US tough it
             out:  It was a very hard job, but I stuck it out to the very
             end.  15 stick out or up. protrude, jut (out), extend, project,
             poke (out); bulge, obtrude, stand out, overhang, beetle:  Stick
             out your tongue. What is sticking out of your ear? Balconies
             stick out from all sides of the building. 16 stick together.  a
             unite, unify, join (forces), consolidate, merge, confederate,
             amalgamate, cooperate, work together:  The family always sticks
             together at times of crisis.  b See 5, above.  17 stick up.  a
             rob, mug, Colloq hold up, US heist:  They stuck up a bank
             courier this morning, in broad daylight!  b put up, post, affix,
             display:  We went round town sticking up posters for our
             candidate.  18 stick up for. rally to the support of, support,
             stand by or up for, defend, speak for or in behalf of, take up
             the cudgels for; put one's money where one's mouth is, have the
             courage of one's convictions:  A person must stick up for what
             he thinks is right.  19 stick with. persevere, persist, stay or
             remain or continue with, not change one's mind about:  Stick
             with me, kid, and you'll wear diamonds. I'll stick with the
             smoked eel as a starter.

   stickэ    n.  1 stake, twig, branch, baton, wand, staff, rod, cane, pole,
             pike, walking-stick:  We put a stick in the ground to mark the
             place.  2 person, man, fellow, chap, Colloq guy, Brit geezer,
             bloke:  Desmond isn't such a bad old stick after all.  3 the
             sticks. the country, the provinces, the countryside, the
             backwoods, the bush, Brit the hinterland or US the hinterlands,
             Australian the outback, US the boondocks, the boonies:  He hates
             the city and now lives somewhere in the sticks.  4 wrong end of
             the stick. misunderstanding, misreading, misconstruction,
             misinterpretation:  When it comes to understanding a regulation,
             Ed always seems to get hold of the wrong end of the stick.

   stick-in-the-mud
             n.  (old) fogy or fogey, conservative, anachronism, Colloq
             fuddy-duddy, fossil, square, back number:  Her husband was a
             terrible stick-in-the-mud and would never try anything new.

   sticky    adj.  1 gluey, gummy, viscous, tacky, glutinous, viscid, Colloq
             gooey:  Children, please keep your sticky fingers off the car
             windows.  2 awkward, ticklish, tricky, sensitive, delicate,
             uncomfortable, discomfiting, discomforting, embarrassing, Slang
             hairy:  Inviting Steve with his ex-wife might be a bit sticky,
             don't you think? 3 humid, clammy, dank, damp, muggy, close,
             sultry, oppressive, sweltering:  The weather was oppressive and
             sticky, and they kept the fan on constantly.

   stiff     adj.  1 firm, rigid, inelastic, unbending, inflexible, hard,
             unbendable, tough, solid, solidified, stiffened, unyielding,
             brittle:  The table napkins were so stiff with starch that I
             almost cracked one. 2 severe, harsh, punitive, hurtful,
             punishing, abusive, torturous, distressing, afflictive, painful,
             overwhelming, unbearable, tormenting, merciless, excruciating,
             cruel, drastic, US cruel and unusual:  The government here has
             stiff penalties for drug traffickers.  3 strong, potent,
             powerful, overpowering, alcoholic:  After that kind of an
             ordeal, you could use a stiff drink, I'm sure. 4 vigorous,
             energetic, staunch, dogged, tenacious, resolute, resolved,
             determined, stubborn, obstinate, unyielding, indomitable,
             relentless:  They met with stiff opposition in trying to capture
             the fort.  5 strong, steady, powerful, fresh, brisk, spanking,
             gusty, forceful, howling:  We had to reduce sail because of a
             stiff westerly wind.  6 excessive, exorbitant, high, steep,
             expensive, dear:  They are asking a pretty stiff price these
             days for a bottle of good vintage port. 7 cool, haughty, rigid,
             wooden, stuffy, aloof, tense, intense, unrelaxed, forced,
             pompous, stilted, mannered, ceremonious, austere, formal,
             chilly, cold, unfriendly, standoffish, reserved, snobbish,
             Colloq snooty, Slang uptight:  Vince is warm and friendly, but
             his wife is as stiff as a poker.  8 stilted, unrelaxed, wooden,
             forced, artificial, laboured, pedantic, turgid, formal, prim,
             Colloq stuffy:  I have always found her writing to be rather
             stiff.  9 difficult, hard, steep, uphill, laborious, arduous,
             tiring, fatiguing, exhausting, harrowing, toilsome, rigorous,
             challenging, Colloq rough, tough:  It is quite a stiff climb to
             the top of the pyramid of Cheops.  That was a stiff homework
             assignment. 10 solid, semi-solid, firm, hard, thick, dense,
             compact:  If you add a bit more water the next time, the jelly
             won't get quite so stiff.

             --n.  11 corpse, body, cadaver:  Barry had to go down to the
             morgue to identify some stiff they hauled out of the river. 12
             skinflint, miser, Colloq cheapskate, Slang piker, US and
             Canadian tightwad:  A stiff is a customer who fails to leave a
             tip.

   stiffen   v.  1 thicken, coagulate, clot, harden, jell, set, solidify,
             congeal, crystallize:  Beat the egg-whites with a whisk until
             they stiffen.  2 brace, reinforce, tauten, rigidify, toughen,
             strengthen:  The weak support was stiffened by means of a steel
             bar.

   stifle    v.  1 suffocate, smother, choke, strangle, throttle, asphyxiate:
             The firemen were almost stifled by the smoke from the chemical
             fire. 2 choke back, keep or hold back, withhold, repress,
             suppress, hold in, restrain, prevent, curb, cover up, control:
             I stifled a yawn as John went on about his grandchildren.  3
             destroy, crush, demolish, extinguish, stamp out, kill, quash,
             silence, stop, check:  Under his tyrannical rule all artistic
             creativity was stifled for fifty years.

   stigma    n.  brand, (bad) mark, blot, smirch, stain, spot, taint,
             blemish, demerit, blot on the escutcheon, Brit blot in one's
             copybook:  Bankruptcy is no longer the social stigma that it
             used to be.

   stigmatize
             v.  brand, mark, scar, blemish, besmirch, sully, disparage,
             depreciate, denounce, condemn, calumniate, defame, pillory,
             slander:  His foul treachery stigmatized his entire family.

   still     adj.  1 quiet, serene, placid, calm, tranquil, motionless,
             unmoving, peaceful, pacific, at rest, quiescent, even, flat,
             smooth, inert, stationary, undisturbed, unruffled:  In the
             moonlight, the lake lay still and dark.  2 silent, quiet,
             noiseless, soundless; hushed, restful, Literary stilly:  Be
             still or they'll hear you! In the still night I heard the
             distant sound of an owl.

             --n.  3 stillness, hush, quiet, silence, tranquillity,
             noiselessness, peacefulness, calm:  In the still of the evening
             came the call of the nightingale.

             --adv.  4 even now, to or till or until this or that time, (up)
             till or until now, yet:  Henry came for dinner five years ago,
             and he's here still. Do you still smoke? 5 even, in addition:
             Hugh weighed twenty stone when you last saw him, but he's
             heavier still today. 6 notwithstanding, yet, even then:  Are you
             still going to Sue's party, despite what she said?.  7
             motionless(ly), quiet(ly), silent(ly), stock-still:  Lie still
             while I put on this bandage.

             --conj.  8 however, but, notwithstanding, nevertheless, even so,
             in any event, in any case:  She said she'd be here; still, you
             never know, she may come later.

             --v.  9 calm, allay, assuage, alleviate, relieve, silence, lull,
             quiet(en), pacify, soothe, mollify, appease, subdue, suppress:
             A few kind words and she had stilled my fears.

   stilted   adj.  awkward, ungraceful, graceless, clumsy, wooden, stiff,
             turgid, affected, artificial, unnatural, mannered, laboured;
             pretentious, formal, pompous, lofty, bombastic, grandiloquent,
             high-flown, inflated:  Francis has a stilted way of expressing
             himself.

   stimulant n.  1 stimulus, incentive, provocation, spur, prompt, goad,
             urge, prod, fillip, impetus, incitement, drive, impulse, push,
             pull, draw:  She yielded readily to the stimulants of
             literature, science, and the fine arts. 2 energizer,
             antidepressant, tonic, restorative, Colloq bracer, pick-me-up,
             shot in the arm, Slang pep pill, upper, bennie, speed:  He found
             he couldn't get through the day without a stimulant.

   stimulate v.  1 rouse, arouse, waken, awaken, wake up, excite, incite,
             inspire, encourage, spur, quicken, fire, fuel, nourish,
             activate, whip or stir up, goad, galvanize, jolt, inspirit:
             What can be done to stimulate students to study history? Their
             teacher eventually found a way to stimulate their interest. 2
             increase, encourage, prompt, provoke, quicken:  This drug
             stimulates the circulation of the blood.

   stimulating
             adj.  exciting, inspirational, inspiring, arousing, stirring,
             animating, exhilarating, provocative, thought-provoking:  I
             cannot recall having spent a more stimulating evening in the
             theatre.

   sting     v.  1 prick, stab, pierce, stick; bite:  Bees, wasps, scorpions,
             etc. sting you, but mosquitoes, spiders, and snakes bite. 2
             hurt, wound, pain, injure, distress, nettle, cut to the quick:
             He was really stung by Maria's callous remarks.  3 See
             stimulate, 1, above:  We were stung into action by the
             minister's inspiring speech.  4 cheat, overcharge, swindle,
             fleece, defraud, Slang rob, soak, rip off, take for a ride:  You
             really were stung if you paid that much for such an old piano.

   stinker   n.  wretch, villain, scoundrel, cad, heel, beast, cur, viper,
             snake in the grass, skunk, swine, polecat, Rather old-fashioned
             blackguard, rogue, Archaic knave, varlet, dastard, (base)
             caitiff, Colloq stinkpot, louse, creep, rat, Brit nasty piece of
             work, sod, Old-fashioned rotter, bounder, blighter, Slang
             (rotten) bastard, son of a bitch, Brit toerag, bugger, US SOB,
             bum, stinkeroo or stinkaroo, Taboo slang shit, Brit arse-hole,
             US ass-hole:  They were a lovely couple, but their son was a
             real stinker.

   stinking  adj.  1 foul-smelling, smelly, fetid or foetid, mephitic, rank,
             noisome, malodorous, reeking, putrid, miasmal or miasmatic(al)
             or miasmic, rancid, gamy, Colloq Brit pongy, whiffy:  They were
             kept in a stinking dungeon with little food for a month.  2
             wretched, villainous, beastly, vile, contemptible, low,
             despicable, mean, nasty, disgusting, rotten, terrible, awful,
             Old-fashioned dastardly, Colloq lousy, Taboo slang shitty:
             Taking my clothes while I was swimming was a stinking thing to
             do. 3 drunken, drunk (as a lord or US also a skunk),
             intoxicated, inebriated, (be)sotted, under the influence, over
             the limit, high, maudlin, tipsy, woozy, Colloq pie-eyed, loaded,
             in one's cups, under the weather, three sheets to the wind,
             Slang sozzled, soused (to the gills), potted, plastered,
             smashed, bombed, pissed, boozed, boozy, tanked, stoned, canned,
             US in the bag:  The last time I saw Bob, he was so stinking I
             had to pour him onto his train.

   stint     n.  1 share, quota, allotment, bit, assignment, stretch, shift,
             term, time, job, chore, task, routine, turn, tour, duty,
             responsibility, obligation, charge:  She had done her stint of
             washing-up and refused to do any more.  2 control, curb, limit,
             limitation, restriction, check, restraint, constraint,
             condition, qualification, reservation:  The committee is free to
             exercise without stint its power to raise membership fees.

             --v.  3 control, curb, limit, restrict:  Don't stint yourself,
             lunch is on the firm.  4 skimp, scrimp, be stingy or cheap or
             penurious or parsimonious or sparing or frugal, hold back (on),
             withhold, economize, pinch (pennies), cut corners, Colloq Brit
             be mingy:  They certainly didn't stint on the food and drink at
             Andrea's party.

   stipend   n.  pay, salary, payment, remuneration, remittance, recompense,
             compensation, reward, emolument, earnings, income; grant,
             subvention, scholarship, subsidy, allowance, allotment,
             (financial) support:  His stipend barely covers his basic
             expenses.

   stipulate v.  specify, demand, require, covenant, set forth, agree (to),
             provide (for), guarantee, warrant, promise, insist (upon or on);
             call for:  The agreement stipulates that the goods be received
             prior to payment.  The compensation stipulated in the contract
             has been paid.

   stipulation
             n.  condition, demand, essential, given, requirement, requisite,
             prerequisite, specification, undertaking, obligation, covenant,
             clause, proviso, term, agreement, provision, guarantee,
             warranty, promise:  This stipulation calls for payment on
             delivery in full and in sterling.

   stir      v.  1 Often, stir up. agitate, shake (up), mix (up), scramble,
             amalgamate, mingle, commingle, intermingle, merge, blend, fold
             (in), churn (up), beat, whip (up):  Stir all the ingredients
             together.  2 move, rise, arise, get up, bestir (oneself), be up
             and about, Colloq get a move on, get moving, get a wiggle on,
             shake a leg, look or step lively, look alive, stir one's stumps:
             It is about time you were up and stirring.  3 disturb, trouble,
             affect, upset, stimulate, activate:  The play stirred the
             conscience of the king. Mention 'diet' to Roberta and you'll
             stir up a wasp's nest. 4 Often, stir up. motivate, encourage,
             stimulate, energize, galvanize, electrify, animate, excite,
             inspire, provoke, move, rouse, arouse, get, prompt, urge,
             incite, spur, prod, induce, persuade, convince:  What will it
             take to stir the council to take action? The usual
             rabble-rousers were there, stirring up the crowd. 5 Often, stir
             up. awaken, rouse, (cause to) recall or call to mind, revive,
             resuscitate:  Those photographs stir up so many old memories!

             --n.  6 bustle, activity, movement, stirring, action, commotion,
             flurry, confusion, tumult, ado, to-do, fuss, disturbance,
             excitement, hubbub, Colloq Brit kerfuffle:  There was a stir at
             the door, which was flung wide to allow Kitty to sweep in. The
             news of her marriage caused quite a stir. 7 prison, jail or Brit
             also gaol, jail-house, clink, penitentiary, lock-up, Military
             Brit glasshouse, US brig, Slang chiefly Brit quod, US big house,
             pen, slammer, can, calaboose:  He claims he's in stir for
             something he didn't do.

   stirring  adj.  moving, telling, emotional, emotive, emotion-charged,
             rousing, stimulating, inspiring, gripping, evocative, exciting,
             thrilling, melodramatic, dramatic, heady, intoxicating,
             spirited, inspiriting, exhilarating, awe-inspiring:  He was
             treated to the stirring experience of hearing fifty thousand
             people shouting his name in unison, again and again.

   stock     n.  1 supply, store, inventory, stockpile, reserve, reservoir,
             cache, hoard; wares, merchandise, goods, selection, assortment,
             range, variety, array:  One can select something suitable from
             the stock at the local wine shop. 2 pedigree, bloodline, house,
             dynasty, (line of) descent, genealogy, extraction, roots,
             lineage, family, ancestry, parentage, breeding, heritage:  Her
             mother was concerned that she should marry someone of good
             stock. 3 source, progenitor, creator, father, begetter,
             forefather, ancestor, precursor, forerunner, forebear; founder:
             He might well provide the stock for a new line of kings.  4
             livestock, (domestic or farm) animals, cattle, beasts; horses,
             cows, oxen, sheep, goats:  Don't forget to water the stock
             before driving to the village.  5 share, ownership, investment,
             capital, funds; property, assets:  He owned ten shares of stock
             in the corporation. The company's stock is worth next to nothing
             today. 6 take stock. weigh (up), estimate, review, appraise,
             look at, Colloq size up:  We must take stock of the situation
             and decide what to do.

             --adj.  7 routine, stereotyped, banal, clich‚d, commonplace,
             usual, hackneyed, ordinary, stale, staple, run-of-the-mill,
             tired, old, everyday, customary, set, standard, traditional,
             trite, worn out, Colloq corny:  Ask him how he is and you always
             get his stock reply, 'Fair to meddling'. 8 standard, ordinary,
             regular, routine, staple:  The shop does not carry 'extra tall'
             or 'extra short', only stock sizes.

             --v.  9 carry, have, have or make available, handle, deal in,
             market, sell, supply, furnish, provide, offer, trade in, keep:
             The shop stocked a wide range of hardware.  10 Often, stock up
             (on). accumulate, amass, pile up, stockpile, hoard, store (up),
             cache, lay in, inventory:  Everyone stocked up on food in case
             the village was blocked by snow.

   stocky    adj.  thickset, sturdy, chunky, dumpy, solid, stumpy, burly,
             beefy, heavy-set, squat, pyknic, mesomorphic:  He is stocky and
             powerfully built.

   stodgy    adj.  stuffy, dull, heavy, ponderous, elephantine, boring,
             tedious, humdrum, tiresome, turgid, uninteresting,
             unimaginative, dry-as-dust, jejune, vapid, dreary, flat,
             colourless, bland, Colloq ho-hum, blah, deadly:  The speaker was
             boring and gave the stodgiest talk I have ever heard.

   stoical   adj.  stoic, impassive, resigned, apathetic, cool, unemotional,
             emotionless, frigid, imperturbable, calm, dispassionate,
             indifferent, phlegmatic, long-suffering, stolid, disciplined,
             self-possessed, (self-)controlled, Colloq unflappable:  Bertram
             remained stoical as the judge read out the sentence of death.

   stoicism  n.  indifference, self-possession, austerity, self-control,
             fortitude, calmness, calm, coolness, imperturbability,
             longanimity, forbearance, patience, fatalism, resignation,
             Colloq unflappability:  The people accepted the news of one
             defeat after another with increasing stoicism.

   stole     n.  tippet, scarf, boa, shawl:  Mandy was too embarrassed to
             wear her mink stole to the charity ball.

   stolid    adj.  impassive, dull, doltish, obtuse, thick, dense, bovine,
             wooden, slow, lumpish, unemotional, clod-like, phlegmatic,
             lethargic, apathetic, indifferent, uninterested:  He was a
             stolid character, very different from his dynamic younger
             brother.

   stomach   n.  1 abdomen, belly, gut, pot-belly, pot, paunch, Colloq
             corporation, bay window, tummy, bread basket, spare tyre:  His
             huge stomach hung over and concealed his belt.  2 tolerance;
             taste, appetite, desire, hunger, thirst, craving, need,
             inclination, relish, longing, yearning, hankering:  I have no
             stomach for those TV sitcoms featuring precocious
             four-year-olds.

             --v.  3 abide, tolerate, endure, stand, bear, suffer, take,
             accept, swallow, resign or reconcile oneself to, put up with,
             countenance, brook, Brit stick:  He walked out when he could no
             longer stomach her continual criticism.

   stony     adj.  1 stoney, rocky, pebbly, shingly, shingled:  Some of the
             beaches along the Riviera are too stony to lie on directly. 2
             stoney, hard, obdurate, adamant, adamantine, heartless,
             stony-hearted, hard-hearted, indifferent, unsympathetic,
             implacable, intractable, heartless, insensitive, insensible,
             unfeeling, unsentimental, merciless, pitiless, cold,
             cold-hearted, chilly, frigid, icy, tough, callous, steely,
             inflexible, unresponsive, Colloq hard-boiled:  He listened to
             her pleadings in stony silence.  3 bankrupt, penniless,
             indigent, poverty-stricken, poor, Colloq broke, Chiefly Brit
             stoney, stony-broke or stoney-broke, skint:  At the time, I was
             so stony I didn't have two pennies to rub together.

   stoop     v.  1 Sometimes, stoop down. bend (down), bow, duck (down), lean
             (down), hunch (down), hunker (down), crouch (down), scrunch
             down:  She had to stoop down to talk to the child.  2 Often,
             stoop low. condescend, deign, lower or abase or degrade oneself,
             sink, humble oneself; be demeaned or diminished:  She had to
             stoop pretty low to accept a job paying only half of what she
             had demanded.

             --n.  3 hunch, slouch, scrunch, crouch, stooping, slouching,
             Technical lordosis, curvature of the spine, torticollis,
             wryneck:  The orthopaedist thought his stoop could be corrected
             by a back brace.

   stop      v.  1 discontinue, halt, terminate, cease, break off, end, put
             an end or a stop to, bring to a stop or a halt or an end or a
             close, give up, quit, leave off, finish, conclude, desist
             (from), refrain (from), abandon; draw to a close, be over, come
             to a stop or a halt or an end or a close; Colloq cut (out), lay
             off, Brit pack in:  Stop shouting, I'm not deaf. The car stopped
             suddenly. Will the fighting ever stop? 2 bring to a stop or a
             halt or a standstill, check, cut off; arrest, suppress,
             restrain, thwart; block, bar, obstruct, dam, keep or hold back,
             prevent, hinder; slow, impede, stem, stanch or staunch:  The
             main problem was how to stop drug trafficking. Can we stop the
             river from flooding? This tourniquet will stop the bleeding. 3
             Often, stop up. obstruct, block (up), jam (up), plug (up), clog
             (up), choke (up), stuff (up), fill (up), close (up or off):  The
             drain was all stopped up with paper.  4 peter out, be over, end:
             He gave me an injection and the pain finally stopped.  5 pause,
             break, take a break, interrupt, tarry; sojourn, rest, stay, put
             up, lodge, visit, stop off or in or over; pull over, pull up:
             I'd like to stop for a cup of coffee. I stopped at The Bell Inn
             on my way here. We stopped short at the sign.

             --n.  6 halt, end, cessation, termination, ban, prohibition;
             close, standstill, conclusion:  The new law put a stop to
             door-to-door selling. We must bring that practice to a stop. 7
             stay, sojourn, visit, break, rest, stopover, US layover:  We
             thoroughly enjoyed our stop in Brighton.  8 stopping-place,
             station, terminal, stage, terminus, US and Canadian depot:
             There is a bus stop in the next street.  9 blockage, blocking,
             stopping (up), stoppage, closing up, obstruction, block:  A stop
             in the water supply was soon cleared up.

   stopgap   n.  1 makeshift, improvisation, substitute:  The wire served as
             a stopgap until they could get the proper part.

             --adj.  2 makeshift, temporary, improvised, impromptu,
             substitute, emergency, provisional, stand-by; jury-rigged:  A
             broomstick served as a stopgap mast for the dinghy's sail.

   stopper   n.  stopple, cork, plug, bung:  I had problems getting the
             stopper out of the barrel.

   store     v.  1 stock, collect, accumulate, put by, lay away, set aside,
             pile (up), aggregate, amass, cumulate; hoard; assemble:  The
             corn is stored in huge silos.  2 keep, hold, stow (away),
             preserve, warehouse, stockpile:  Apples should be stored in a
             cool, dry place.

             --n.  3 supply, inventory, collection, accumulation, stock,
             stockpile, reservoir, cache, fund:  We keep a large store of dry
             foods for an emergency. Grandfather has an endless store of
             tales about the sea. 4 shop, department store, market, retailer,
             outlet, cooperative (store), Colloq co-op:  You might get a good
             fridge at a department store.  5 set or lay store by. give
             credence to, believe (in), have faith or trust in, trust (in),
             bank or rely on, depend on or upon, count on, value:  I
             shouldn't set much store by what that old gossip tells you.

   storehouse
             n.  warehouse, depository or depositary, repository, storeroom,
             bank, store, (In Asia) godown; arsenal, magazine, armoury:  The
             company maintains storehouses in a dozen countries to better
             supply their customers.

   storey    n.  floor, level, tier, Chiefly US story:  The new building is
             five storeys high.

   storm     n.  1 tempest, disturbance, turbulence; wind-storm, mistral,
             gale, whirlwind, hurricane, tornado, typhoon, cyclone, US and
             Canadian williwaw; shower, cloudburst, downpour, rainstorm,
             deluge, monsoon, thunder-shower, thunderstorm, electrical storm;
             dust-storm, sandstorm, simoom or simoon or samiel, harmattan,
             khamsin, sirocco; snowstorm, blizzard; hailstorm, ice-storm:
             People were evacuated from the area where it was thought the
             storm would strike. 2 outburst, outcry, explosion, eruption,
             outpouring, furore or US furor:  The proposed taxes were met by
             a storm of protest.  3 disturbance, rumpus, stir, commotion,
             agitation, furore or US furor; turbulence, strife, turmoil,
             disorder:  I am not sure the company could weather another
             serious financial storm.

             --v.  4 rage, rant, rave, bluster, fume, explode, thunder, roar,
             raise the roof, raise hell, raise Cain, Colloq fly off the
             handle, blow one's top, US blow one's stack:  When she found out
             where Laura had gone, mother stormed round the house. 5 blow,
             rain, hail, snow, sleet, rage, bluster, squall, howl:  It
             stormed for a week, and much property was destroyed.  6 attack,
             assault, assail, raid, blitz, blitzkrieg, bombard, barrage, fire
             upon or on, shell; besiege, lay siege to, siege:  The enemy
             stormed the castle again and again without effect.

   stormy    adj.  1 violent, tempestuous, blustery, turbulent, wild,
             howling, raging, roaring, foul, nasty, bad, not fit for man or
             beast, inclement:  It was always stormy along the eastern coast
             of the island.  2 violent, tempestuous, turbulent, fierce,
             fiery, frantic, frenetic, nerve-racking or nerve-wracking,
             frenzied, feverish, raving, wild:  He and Kate enjoyed - if that
             is the right word - a stormy relationship for thirty years.

   story     n.  1 narrative, tale, recounting, anecdote, yarn; account,
             recital, chronicle, record, history; legend, myth, fairy tale or
             story, romance, gest or geste, fable, fabliau; epic, saga, Edda;
             joke, Colloq gag; mystery, detective story, whodunit, thriller;
             horror story; allegory, parable; piece, article:  In olden days,
             the historians were the story tellers. George really knows how
             to tell a story. Have any of your stories been published? 2
             contention, testimony, assertion, version, statement,
             representation, allegation:  That's his story and he's sticking
             to it.  3 fib, confabulation, (white or black) lie, alibi,
             excuse, untruth, falsehood; tall tale, fishing or fish story:
             He told us some story about having sailed round the world
             single-handed in a dinghy. Did you believe her story about being
             of royal blood? 4 article, item, report, dispatch, news,
             tidings, release, information, copy, feature; scoop, exclusive:
             A story about China appears on page two.  5 story-line, plot,
             scenario, (plot) outline, summary, book:  The story needs some
             revision before the dialogue can be rewritten.  6 biography,
             curriculum vitae, life (story); facts, experiences, adventures,
             fortunes:  His story is going to be made into a film.

   stout     adj.  1 fat, obese, tubby, overweight, thickset, heavy-set, big,
             burly, corpulent, fleshy, heavy, plump, portly:  She squeezed
             onto the seat between the door and a rather stout man. 2
             valiant, brave, undaunted, dauntless, hardy, courageous,
             gallant, plucky, valorous, staunch, resolute, doughty, bold,
             gallant:  'Stout fellow!' exclaimed the colonel, the ultimate
             compliment he was ever heard to utter. 3 strong, tough,
             substantial, durable:  Tie stout cord round the box before
             posting it.  4 brawny, sturdy, healthy, robust, strapping,
             stalwart, lusty, hulking, athletic, Colloq beefy, husky:  Two
             stout bouncers flanked the entrance to the club.

   stow      v.  pack, store, load, deposit, put (away), place; cram, stuff,
             wedge, bundle, jam; hide, secrete, conceal, cache, Colloq stash
             (away):  We stowed our gear the moment we went aboard. They
             couldn't stow another thing in the basement. Where did he stow
             the pistol when the police searched the place?

   straggle  v.  stray, ramble, loiter, rove, prowl, range, drift, wander,
             meander, (be) spread, Colloq mosey:  Thousands of refugees
             straggled along the road away from the bombed village.

   straight  adj.  1 direct, unbending, undeviating, uncurved, regular,
             linear:  The tracks are straight for as far as the eye can see.
             2 erect, vertical, upright, upstanding, perpendicular; plumb:
             Stop slouching and stand up straight. He stood straight as a
             ramrod.  3 even, square, true, right, flat, smooth, horizontal,
             level:  Are you sure that the billiard table is straight?  4
             honest, frank, straightforward, direct, forthright, legitimate,
             (fair and) square, fair, equitable, just, above-board, upright,
             respectable, decent, trustworthy, honourable, dependable,
             reliable, Colloq upfront:  Sternway seems to be perfectly
             straight in his business dealings.  5 unequivocal, unambiguous,
             straightforward, candid, plain, simple, explicit, blunt,
             unembellished, unelaborated, unqualified, outright, accurate:
             The straight facts are given in this article. The police cannot
             get a straight story out of him as to his whereabouts last
             night. 6 direct, point-blank, straightforward, straight from the
             shoulder, candid, outright, plain, frank, no-nonsense:  Do you
             mind answering a straight question?  7 shipshape, orderly, neat,
             tidy, in order, arranged, organized, sorted out, spruce,
             straightened out:  I wish Leonard would put his room straight
             before the guests arrive.  8 sober, staid, sedate, serious,
             unsmiling, unemotional, impassive, emotionless, taciturn,
             composed, mask-like:  It was impossible to keep a straight face
             during the school play.  9 undiluted, neat, unmixed, pure,
             unadulterated, uncut, unmodified, unaltered, unalloyed:  He
             likes his whisky straight.  10 even, square, settled,
             straightened out, agreed:  The account will be straight when
             Dick makes the last payment.  11 heterosexual, normal, Slang
             hetero:  Till Evelyn came out of the closet, I thought he was
             straight.

             --adv.  12 directly, right, undeviatingly, unswervingly; as the
             crow flies, in a beeline:  I should have known she would go
             straight to the police.  13 (straight) ahead:  Go straight for a
             mile and you'll see it on the right.  14 Sometimes, straight
             out. directly, unequivocally, unambiguously, forthrightly,
             straightforwardly, point-blank, candidly, plainly, simply, in
             plain or simple English, explicitly, outright, honestly,
             accurately:  Just give me the story straight, without beating
             about the bush.  15 Often, straight away or off. immediately, at
             once, without delay, instantly, summarily, directly, right (away
             or off), right off the bat, promptly, Colloq p.d.q. (= 'pretty
             damned quick'):  She went back to work straight after having the
             baby. I told him straight off to leave town. 16 straight up.
             without ice:  I like my gin straight up.

   straighten
             v.  1 Often, straighten out. uncurl, untangle, disentangle,
             unsnarl, unravel, unkink; clear (up), settle, resolve, sort out,
             set or put straight or right or to rights, correct, adjust,
             rectify:  She decided to have her hair straightened. They are
             busy straightening out the matter of father's will. 2 Often,
             straighten out. reform, rehabilitate, organize, reorganize:
             Perhaps psychotherapy will straighten him out.  3 Often,
             straighten out or up. tidy (up), arrange, rearrange, neaten,
             spruce up, put in order, clean (up):  Would you help me
             straighten up the place before you leave?

   strain°   v.  1 stretch, force, tax, overtax, burden, overburden,
             overwork, push; exceed, surpass:  His story that a bushy-haired
             intruder had shot her strained the jury's credulity. 2 push,
             pull, tug, heave, stretch, twist, wrench, struggle:  As he
             strained at his bonds the rope cut more deeply into his wrists.
             3 injure, hurt, harm, impair, damage, overwork, tax, pull, tear,
             twist, wrench:  I strained my back lifting that box of books.  4
             stretch, crane, twist; try (hard), struggle, strive, labour,
             toil, push, make an effort, exert oneself:  She strained to
             catch a glimpse of the prince. They strained to hear every word.
             5 filter, sift, drain, screen, sieve; winnow, draw off,
             separate; purify, seep, percolate:  Strain the soup to remove
             the bones. Strain the dregs from the wine. The water is then
             strained through sand.

             --n.  6 sprain, injury, damage, harm, wrench:  Strains often
             hurt more than broken bones.  7 anxiety, worry; effort,
             exertion, stress, tension, pressure, burden; tax, demand,
             obligation:  The strain began to tell on all of us. Another rope
             was needed to relieve the strain on the first. This advertising
             budget will put a great strain on our resources. 8 Often,
             strains. air, melody, tune, song, sound, music:  In the distance
             I made out the faint strains of skirling bagpipes.  9 tenor,
             tone, drift, inclination, tendency, quality, spirit, mood,
             humour, character, complexion, cast, impression, thread, vein,
             theme:  I detected a mellowing strain in her letters.

   strainэ   n.  1 family, stock, ancestry, roots, extraction, derivation,
             (family) background, heritage, descent, parentage, lineage,
             pedigree, bloodline, race, line, descendants:  This sample of
             sweet pea came from an entirely different strain.  2 trace,
             hint, suggestion, suspicion, soup‡on, streak, trait, mark,
             indication, vestige, evidence, sign:  There was a definite
             strain of ruthlessness in her character.

   strained  adj.  laboured, forced, artificial, stiff, tense, awkward,
             uneasy, uncomfortable, difficult, tension-ridden,
             self-conscious, unnatural, insincere, put-on:  His already
             strained relations with his wife scarcely improved when he met
             Lisa.

   strait    adj.  1 narrow, tight, constricted, constricting, confining,
             confined, restricting, restricted, limited, limiting, rigorous,
             demanding, exacting; difficult, straitened:  Strait is the gate
             and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be
             that find it.

             --n.  2 Usually (except in gazetteers), straits. narrows,
             channel:  We coasted through the Straits of Magellan with all
             sails flying.  3 dire or desperate or sore straits. bad or poor
             state or condition, trouble, predicament, plight, mess, dilemma,
             tight spot, hot water, US bind Colloq pickle, jam, scrape,
             pretty or fine kettle of fish, US box:  We shall be in dire
             straits if father's cheque doesn't come soon.

   straitened
             adj.  inadequate, insufficient, reduced, oppressed, distressed,
             needy, necessitous, poor, poverty-stricken, indigent,
             impoverished, destitute, penniless, insolvent, Colloq hard up,
             US strapped:  As a writer, he was accustomed to living in
             straitened circumstances between sales of his stories.

   strait-laced
             adj.  priggish, prim, conservative, old-fashioned, Victorian,
             old-maidish, proper, prudish, puritanical, moralistic, strict,
             narrow-minded, (over-)scrupulous, fussy, Colloq pernickety or US
             also persnickety, stuffy, goody-goody:  Her aunt has the
             strait-laced notion that girls ought to be home by ten o'clock.

   strange   adj.  1 odd, peculiar, bizarre, weird, curious, uncommon,
             unusual, rare, singular, exceptional, eccentric, weird, funny,
             quaint, fantastic, out of the ordinary, extraordinary,
             out-of-the-way, queer, outlandish, unheard-of, grotesque,
             abnormal, remarkable, surprising, inexplicable, unaccountable,
             uncanny, Colloq offbeat, far-out, Slang kinky, Brit rum, US
             kooky:  I had a strange dream last night.  2 unfamiliar,
             unknown, unaccustomed:  The children were warned not to get into
             strange cars. She was overwhelmed by the strange culture of her
             husband's country.

   stranger  n.  foreigner, outlander, alien, newcomer, visitor:  The people
             in these parts don't take kindly to strangers.

   stratagem n.  trick, artifice, device, dodge, subterfuge, lure, wile,
             ruse, plan, scheme, plot, intrigue, manoeuvre, ploy, tactic:
             What stratagem did they use to tempt you to attend this boring
             affair?

   strategic adj.  tactical, key, crucial, principal, cardinal, critical,
             vital, key:  That line of supply is of strategic importance.
             Sending in the landing force was a strategic manoeuvre.

   strategy  n.  plan, tactic(s), design, policy, procedure, scheme,
             blueprint, Colloq game or master plan, scenario:  The enemy's
             strategy calls for quick air strikes by low-flying bombers.

   stratum   n.  1 layer, level, stratification, table, vein, seam; plane:
             These coal strata have been mined for hundreds of years.  2
             level, caste, class, rank, station, standing, status, bracket,
             group, estate:  She married someone from a higher stratum of
             society.

   stray     v.  1 wander, roam, rove, range, straggle, drift, meander:  They
             found the ponies straying up the valley and across the moor.  2
             deviate, diverge, wander, digress, ramble, divagate, get or go
             off the track or subject, go off on or at a tangent, get
             sidetracked:  She let her mind stray from the matter in hand.

             --n.  3 straggler, vagrant, waif, US dogie:  They have always
             taken in and cared for strays.

             --adj.  4 vagrant, lost, roving, roaming, wandering, homeless,
             derelict, abandoned:  The problem with stray pets increases when
             people abandon them on returning home after the summer. 5
             random, casual, chance, accidental, haphazard, singular, freak,
             accidental, unexpected:  A stray bullet caught him in the leg.
             6 isolated, separate(d), lone, odd, single:  She brushed a stray
             hair from her face.

   streak    n.  1 stripe, striation, strip, stroke, bar, band, line, mark,
             smear, slash, dash, touch, daub, fleck, trace; vein, layer,
             seam, stratum:  The male bird is marked with a streak of bright
             reddish-orange on its throat. A red streak marks the iron
             deposit. 2 flash, bolt:  I saw the dark figure in the light from
             a streak of lightning.  3 spell, spate, period, stretch, run:
             They were celebrating their streak of good luck at the roulette
             table.

             --v.  4 stripe, striate, line, bar, mark, smear, daub, slash:
             Dawn was beginning to streak the sky when she left the party.  5
             race, run, rush, dash, sprint, dart, hurtle, fly, scoot, speed,
             hasten, hurry, tear, whistle, zip, zoom, Colloq whiz or whizz:
             The gang streaked through the village on their motor cycles and
             were gone.

   stream    n.  1 brook, brooklet, streamlet, rivulet, tributary, river,
             freshet, run, watercourse, waterway, channel, Chiefly literary
             rill, runnel, Literary or N Brit dialect beck, burn, Archaic NE
             US except in placenames kill, US creek, branch:  If the streams
             continue to swell, flooding can be expected in low-lying areas.
             2 flow, current, outpouring, effluence or efflux, effusion,
             rush, spurt, surge, fountain, geyser, torrent, flood, deluge,
             cataract, cascade:  A stream of bubbles showed where the diver
             was swimming. A stream of obscenities poured from his lips. 3
             flow, rush, swarm, tide, flood, deluge, succession, series, row,
             line, string, chain, barrage, Brit queue:  Simon has had a
             constant stream of visitors all morning.

             --v.  4 run, flow, course, glide, rush, slide, slip, surge;
             pour, issue, emanate, gush, flood, spout, well up or out or
             forth, squirt, spurt, shoot, jet; cascade:  The rain streamed
             down the windows.  5 issue, emanate; rush, surge, pour, flood,
             file, proceed, march, walk, move:  People streamed in and out of
             the building all day long.

   streamer  n.  pennant, banner, pennon, flag, bannerette or banneret,
             banderole or banderol or bannerol, gonfalon or gonfanon, jack,
             burgee:  A long streamer fluttered from the mast.

   streamlined
             adj.  1 aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, curved, curvilinear; smooth,
             flowing:  Streamlined design began to appear in cars and boats
             in the 1930s.  2 modern, ultra-modern, modernistic, modernized,
             up to date, time-saving, labour-saving, compact,
             (well-)organized, efficient, automated:  Mother always dreamt
             about having a streamlined kitchen.  3 well-run, smooth,
             efficient, automated, labour-saving, time-saving, profitable,
             productive, simplified:  He designed a fully streamlined
             manufacturing process for us.

   street    n.  1 thoroughfare, way, road, roadway, high road, avenue,
             concourse, boulevard, lane, drive, terrace, circle, row,
             passage, alley, byway:  I don't know the name of the street
             where she lives.  2 up (someone's) Brit street or US alley.
             (someone's) cup of tea, in (someone's) bailiwick, suiting
             (someone) to a T:  Crossword puzzles are very much up Eugene's
             street.

   strength  n.  1 power, might, force, mightiness, robustness, toughness,
             stoutness, sturdiness, brawn, brawniness, muscle, sinew:  Do you
             have the strength to lift that by yourself?  2 fortitude,
             backbone, stamina, tenacity, tenaciousness, will-power,
             perseverance, persistence, resoluteness, resolution,
             pertinacity, nerve, grit, pluck, determination, gameness,
             intrepidity, firmness, stability, Colloq guts, gutsiness, spunk,
             US intestinal fortitude, stick-to-it-iveness:  Sally was a tower
             of strength when I needed her the most.  3 talent, ability,
             aptitude, gift, strong point, asset:  One of his strengths is
             being able to sight-read music.  4 concentration,
             concentratedness, intensity, potency:  Coffee of that strength
             would keep me awake all night.  5 vigour, force, energy, power,
             potency, intensity:  The strength of the wind was great enough
             to pick up cars and toss them about. 6 durability, power,
             toughness, stability, reliability, resistance, solidity,
             stamina, ruggedness, endurance, soundness:  The manufacturer
             claims that his product has the strength to resist wear for a
             hundred years. 7 persuasiveness, cogency, weight, force,
             convincingness, incisiveness, soundness:  There is no disputing
             the strength of the argument against smoking.

   strengthen
             v.  1 reinforce, renew, bolster, fortify, support, confirm,
             corroborate, substantiate, buttress, step up, boost:  A thousand
             troops were sent to strengthen the garrison at Fort Old. 2
             encourage, hearten, invigorate, fortify, rejuvenate, nourish,
             energize, vitalize, toughen, brace (up), steel, innervate,
             stiffen:  Whatever she said seems to have strengthened his
             determination to succeed.

   strenuous adj.  1 demanding, taxing, tough, arduous, laborious, toilsome,
             burdensome, tiring, exhausting, difficult, hard, uphill:
             Hauling in the fishing nets was strenuous work.  2 energetic,
             active, vigorous, enthusiastic, zealous, earnest, dynamic,
             intense, indefatigable, tireless, persistent, dogged,
             determined, tenacious, pertinacious, resolute, sincere, eager:
             He has made a strenuous effort to be more accommodating.

   stress    n.  1 emphasis, force, pressure, forcefulness, accent,
             accentuation, prominence, Technical ictus:  Many people place
             the stress on the first syllable of 'controversy'.  2 emphasis,
             significance, importance, weight, force, insistence, urgency:
             She lays too much stress on looks.  3 (stress and) strain,
             burden, anxiety, worry, distress, pain, grief, suffering,
             anguish, pressure, tenseness, tension:  She has four elderly
             people to care for, and the stress is beginning to show.

             --v.  4 emphasize, accent, accentuate, lay stress or emphasis
             on, underscore, underline, mark, note, make a point of, bring
             home, focus on, bring into prominence, spotlight, feature,
             highlight:  The conference succeeded in stressing the importance
             of a good home life. 5 strain, put under strain or stress,
             upset, disturb, burden, worry, distress, Brit pressurize or US
             pressure:  Duncan was terribly stressed after a few months in
             the new job.

   stretch   v.  1 extend, reach; span, spread:  Her memory stretches back to
             the first World War. His Texas ranch stretches as far as the eye
             can see. 2 distend, lengthen, elongate, widen, broaden, swell,
             draw or pull out, balloon, inflate, enlarge, expand, increase,
             dilate, blow up:  Stretch the netting to cover the frame.  3
             overtax, overextend; warp, strain, distort, bend, break:  We
             like to stretch our employees in this company. He is stretching
             the rules by allowing undergraduates to take his course.

             --n.  4 elasticity, give, resilience, resiliency,
             stretchability, stretchiness:  There isn't much stretch left in
             this old rubber band.  5 extent, reach, span, spread, expanse,
             sweep, area, tract, US section:  There is a stretch of desert
             just south of the coast.  6 time, stint, period, spell, term,
             tour (of duty), Colloq US and Canadian hitch:  He signed up for
             a two-year stretch in the navy. He once did a six-month stretch
             in prison for assault.

   strew     v.  scatter, bestrew, sprinkle, disperse, spread, toss,
             distribute; litter:  Rubbish was strewn all over the floor.

   stricken  adj.  1 Usually, stricken by. struck (down) (by), hit (by), laid
             low (by or with), affected (by or with), afflicted (with),
             racked (by or with):  He was stricken by pneumonia but is
             recovering.  2 affected (by), smitten (by), overwhelmed (by or
             with), overcome (by or with), plagued (by or with), tormented
             (by); broken, crushed, demoralized, broken-hearted,
             grief-stricken:  He was stricken by her beauty. During the
             plague year, commerce virtually ceased with the stricken city of
             London.

   strict    adj.  1 rigorous, narrow, close, undeviating, confining,
             constricting, constrictive, rigid, defined, precise, exact,
             exacting, stringent, meticulous, compulsive, punctilious,
             finicky or finical, scrupulous, attentive, conscientious,
             faithful, thorough, complete:  The judge's strict interpretation
             of the law left no room for leniency or sympathy. 2 severe,
             austere, authoritarian, autocratic, stern, firm, hard, tough,
             uncompromising, inflexible, cold-blooded, iron-fisted,
             tyrannical, harsh, ruthless, pitiless, unsympathetic:  Miss
             Wells is remembered by all her students as a strict
             disciplinarian.

   stricture n.  1 interdiction, blockage, restriction, restraint,
             constraint, deterrent, impediment:  The strictures imposed on
             credit have throttled trade.  2 criticism, censure:  He deplored
             conservative strictures against anything new in the arts.

   strident  adj.  shrill, raucous, harsh, loud, grating, stridulous,
             stridulant, scraping, scratching, scratchy, grinding, hoarse,
             rough, guttural, husky, gravelly, rasping, jarring, discordant,
             unharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical, cacophonous, croaking,
             creaking:  Her strident voice could be heard all over the
             building.

   strife    n.  1 discord, disharmony, disagreement, difference, conflict,
             rivalry, competition, contention, dispute, dissension, struggle,
             squabbling, bickering, arguing, quarrelling:  The nation is torn
             by the strife of perpetual labour disputes.  2 animosity,
             friction, hard feelings, bad feeling(s), bad blood, antagonism,
             ill will, hatred, enmity, hostility, unfriendliness:  The strife
             between us will continue because our philosophies differ so
             radically.

   strike    v.  1 hit, deal a blow to, knock, smack, thump, thwack, crown,
             cuff, punch, smite; beat, hammer, belabour, batter, pummel or
             pommel, pelt, buffet, thrash; cudgel, bludgeon, club, whip,
             horsewhip, scourge, lash, cane, flog, birch, slap, Colloq
             wallop, slug, whack, clout, sock, conk, belt, bash, lambaste,
             bop:  Small wonder he struck you after what you called his wife.
             2 deliver, deal, aim, direct:  He struck a blow for freedom.  3
             hit, collide with, land on or in or against, smash or bump or
             bang or crash or dash into, go or run into, impact:  Mrs
             Humphrey's car went out of control and struck a tree.  4 remove,
             take away, take apart, dismantle, knock down; take or pull or
             haul down:  Stage-hands struck the set. As the wind piped up we
             struck the mainsail. 5 Usually, strike off or from or out.
             obliterate, expunge, erase, eradicate, blot out, delete,
             scratch, eliminate, rub out, cross (out), cancel, wipe out, US x
             out:  After the scandal, his name was struck off the register.
             Strike out any references that might be thought libellous. 6
             light, ignite:  He struck a match to see where he was going.  7
             affect, impress, influence, afflict, Colloq hit:  The death of
             her kitten struck Mandy to the heart.  8 make, reach, attain,
             conclude; agree or settle (on), ratify, confirm:  We struck a
             bargain on the sale of the car.  9 occur or come to, dawn on or
             upon, Colloq hit, register (with):  It suddenly struck me that
             you are leaving tomorrow.  10 impress, print, stamp, punch,
             mint, make:  They have struck a new gold coin for collectors.
             11 instil, implant, induce:  Horror films struck fear into our
             hearts when we were children.  12 assume, adopt, put on,
             display, affect, take on, feign:  He struck a supercilious pose
             of insouciant hauteur that annoyed her intensely. 13 Often,
             strike down. afflict, affect, attack, indispose, incapacitate,
             disable, cripple, invalid:  Polio struck her down in the prime
             of life.  14 encounter, come or happen or hit upon, come across,
             chance upon, discover, stumble on, find:  The news is that
             they've struck oil in the North Sea.  15 revolt, rebel, mutiny,
             walk out (of or off the job):  The machinists struck at
             midnight, bringing the industry to a halt. 16 strike on or upon.
             dream up, devise, conjure up, improvise, work out, invent,
             contrive, come up with, hit on or upon, arrive at:  The
             alchemist never did strike upon a way to turn lead into gold.
             17 strike out.  a fail, get nowhere, Colloq US miss the boat,
             flop, come a cropper, Slang US blow it, blow the gaff, come to
             nothing or naught or nought:  Tim always strikes out when it
             comes to girls.  b See 5, above.  18 strike up. (cause to) begin
             or start or commence:  The band struck up. We struck up an
             acquaintance aboard ship.

             --n.  19 attack, assault:  A dawn air strike is planned.  20
             walk-out, sit-down (strike), job action, slow-down, go-slow,
             work-to-rule:  They will call a strike if negotiations break
             down.

   striking  adj.  remarkable, astounding, astonishing, amazing, wondrous,
             awe-inspiring, awesome, stunning, impressive, imposing,
             fabulous, out of the ordinary, unusual, rare, exceptional,
             marvellous, extraordinary, magnificent, superb, splendid,
             stupendous, Colloq great, smashing, Slang old-fashioned Brit
             ripping, ripsnorting, top-hole, topping:  I met the most
             striking girl at the golf club.

   string    n.  1 line, cord, thread, twine, fibre, rope, cable, ligament,
             strand, filament:  To fly a kite one needs the right weight of
             string.  2 leash, lead, leader:  Why does he let her drag him
             around on the end of a string?  3 line, row, series, sequence,
             succession, chain, procession, stream, train, file, Chiefly Brit
             queue:  A string of coincidences led to their meeting again
             after twenty years. 4 necklace, chain, loop, strand, dog-collar,
             choker, chaplet, wreath, riviЉre, Archaic carcanet:  In her hair
             was a string of pearls.  5 pull strings or wires. use or exert
             influence, Colloq throw one's weight around:  He had to pull
             strings to get his son a job on the paper.  6 pull the strings.
             be in control, control, run, operate, dominate, be in command,
             be in the driver's seat, hold the reins, manipulate:  She is the
             one who pulls the strings when it comes to new investments.  7
             strings. conditions, stipulations, provisos, qualifications,
             requirements, prerequisites, terms, obligations, limitations,
             provisions, musts, Colloq catches:  I might have known that
             there would be strings attached to their offer of a free holiday
             in Corfu.

             --v.  8 thread, join:  The children were busy stringing beads to
             make necklaces.  9 Often, string together or up. loop, festoon,
             link, drape, suspend, sling, hang, array, concatenate, chain
             together:  At holiday time, coloured lights are strung round the
             town square.  10 string along.  a follow, go along (with),
             agree, concur, collaborate:  I said I would string along with
             the plan for the time being.  b keep waiting or dangling, keep
             on a string, keep on tenterhooks, Colloq play fast and loose
             with (someone):  She's just stringing you along till her
             boyfriend comes back.  c fool, deceive, bluff, dupe, cheat,
             trick, hoax, Colloq take someone for a ride, put one or
             something over on (someone):  They strung Harold along for
             months before they made off with his life savings. 11 string
             out.  a stretch, reach, extend:  The line of refugees strung out
             as far as one could see.  b delay, postpone, drag out, protract,
             spin out:  He strung out the repayment for as long as possible.
             12 string up. hang, lynch:  He knew that if the jury didn't
             convict him the townspeople would string him up.

   stringy   adj.  fibrous, chewy, sinewy, gristly, ropy, leathery, tough:
             The beef was somewhat stringy and the potatoes were overcooked.

   strip°    n.  band, ribbon, fillet, belt, swath or swathe, stripe:  She
             wore a strip of embroidered silk tied round her head. They began
             farming the strip of land near the lake.

   stripэ    v.  1 peel, skin, bare, uncover, denude, lay bare, decorticate,
             excoriate, flay:  The woodwork will need stripping before you
             repaint it.  2 disrobe, undress, get undressed, unclothe, strip
             down to nothing or to the skin or to the buff or to (one's)
             birthday suit, take off or peel off or divest (oneself) of or
             shed (one's) clothes or clothing, get naked:  The doctor told me
             to go behind the screen and strip.  3 (do a) striptease, US work
             the runway:  Sugar Caine says she enjoys stripping for an
             appreciative audience.  4 remove, take away, confiscate, seize,
             expropriate, Slang rip off:  He was accused of stripping the
             assets from the companies he purchased.  5 rob, pillage,
             despoil, plunder, ransack, loot, sack:  Armies could be raised
             only by letting them strip the cities they conquered.

   stripe    n.  1 band, bar, striation, strip, streak, line, stroke, slash,
             length:  Each railway car has a bright orange stripe along each
             side.  2 style, kind, sort, class, type, complexion, character,
             nature, description, persuasion, kidney, feather:  These new
             students are of a completely different stripe.

   striped   adj.  streaked, lined, striated:  Why not wear your striped
             dress to the party?

   stripling n.  lad, boy, adolescent, juvenile, minor, schoolboy, youngster,
             teenager, youth, young fellow or man, fledgling, Dialect
             gossoon, young 'un, Archaic hobbledehoy:  The police cadet was a
             callow youth, a mere stripling.

   strive    v.  1 endeavour, strain, struggle, make every effort, attempt,
             try (hard), do one's best or utmost, exert oneself, work at,
             Colloq give (it) one's all, go all out:  Jim strove to keep his
             self-control. Jennie strives for perfection in all she does. 2
             compete, contend, fight:  One must often strive against
             unbelievable odds to achieve a goal.

   stroke    n.  1 blow, rap, tap, thump, knock, smack, whack, swipe, slam,
             strike, Colloq wallop:  One stroke of the hammer and the nail
             went in.  2 action, motion, go, move, movement, feat,
             achievement:  She won the leading role and defeated her shyness
             at one stroke.  3 flourish, movement, gesture; mark, dash,
             Colloq splash:  With a stroke of the pen the man's fate was
             sealed.  4 beat, throb, pulse, pulsation, thump:  His heart was
             beating at exactly 72 strokes a minute.  5 attack, seizure, fit,
             apoplexy, apoplectic fit, spasm, paralytic attack or fit;
             Technical embolism, thrombosis, cerebrovascular accident,
             aneurysm:  Gerry has been incapacitated since he had a stroke.
             6 pat, touch, caress:  A few strokes of her fingers on my brow
             and the headache was gone.  7 achievement, accomplishment, feat,
             act, action, work; example; touch:  Your idea of having a jazz
             concert to raise money is a stroke of genius. 8 bit, jot or
             tittle, scrap, iota, touch, stitch, hint, suggestion:  You
             haven't done a stroke of work all morning.  9 occurrence,
             happening, matter:  It was just a stroke of luck that I came
             along when I did.

             --v.  10 caress, pet, pat, fondle; massage, rub, soothe:  His
             heart beat faster when she stroked his hand lightly with her
             fingertips.

   stroll    v.  1 amble, saunter, ramble, walk, wander, promenade, meander,
             stray, Colloq mosey:  I think I'll stroll over and buy a
             newspaper.

             --n.  2 amble, ramble, saunter, walk, wander, promenade,
             meander, constitutional:  Father rarely missed his Sunday stroll
             in the park.

   strong    adj.  1 powerful, muscular, mighty, brawny, strapping, robust,
             sturdy, stalwart, burly, stout, sinewy, athletic, wiry, Colloq
             beefy, hefty, husky:  He was so strong he carried both wounded
             men 500 yards to safety.  2 powerful, concentrated, intense,
             pungent, potent, sharp, piquant, acrid, heady, penetrating,
             aromatic, fragrant, hot, spicy:  There was a strong odour of
             ammonia. The flavour is a little too strong for my taste. 3
             smelly, odoriferous, noisome, stinking, foul, mephitic, miasmic,
             putrid, putrescent, rotten:  There is a strong smell of rotting
             flesh.  4 concentrated, undiluted, potent, intensified:  How can
             you drink such strong coffee and still sleep?  5 vigorous,
             active, dynamic, energetic, eager, unflagging, tireless,
             unfailing, diligent, indefatigable, staunch, true-blue,
             steadfast, dedicated, enthusiastic, ardent, fervent, fervid,
             vehement, rabid, zealous, resolute, determined, unwavering,
             unswerving, firm, uncompromising, regular, persistent,
             tenacious, sedulous, assiduous, hard-working:  We could use
             other strong party supporters like Sandy.  6 competent,
             talented, skilled, qualified, knowledgeable, able, experienced,
             well-versed, trained, efficient, capable:  We are looking for
             someone who is particularly strong in writing advertising copy.
             7 influential, persuasive, convincing, compelling, trenchant,
             unmistakable or unmistakeable, telling, great, profound;
             effective, efficacious, effectual, powerful, formidable:  His
             evidence had a strong effect on the jury. She was taking very
             strong medicine for her migraine. 8 well-supported, irrefutable,
             well-substantiated, cogent, forceful, substantial, convincing,
             conclusive:  The police made out a very strong case against her
             for premeditated murder. 9 well-established, well-founded,
             redoubtable, substantial, powerful, formidable:  The position
             inside the fortress was quite strong.  10 likely, definite,
             substantial, good, better than average, reasonable, sizeable:
             There is a strong possibility that she will be elected. Sales of
             cars were strong during the first quarter. 11 stable, sound,
             solvent, prosperous, flourishing, thriving, affluent:  The
             economists think that the economy will remain strong.  12 solid,
             sturdy, substantial, tough, well-built, reinforced, heavy-duty,
             durable; hard-wearing:  Is the cage strong enough to hold the
             beast?  13 drastic, extreme, Draconian, high-handed, severe,
             forceful, rigorous, harsh, stringent, aggressive, strenuous,
             stiff, tough, Colloq hard-nosed:  We had to resort to strong
             measures.  14 numerous, large, considerable, great; numerically,
             in number, in strength:  They arrived on the battlefield with a
             strong force of ten thousand men. Their army was ten thousand
             strong. 15 vivid, graphic, etched, engraved, imprinted,
             impressed; definite, clear-cut, clear, pronounced, distinct,
             striking, marked:  The memory of her embrace was still strong in
             my mind. He bears a strong resemblance to his brother. 16
             wilful, aggressive, combative, defensive, difficult, assertive,
             incisive, dogmatic, doctrinaire, opinionated, self-willed,
             hard-headed, strong-minded, recalcitrant, stubborn, obstinate,
             emphatic, Colloq pushy:  One cannot deny that Caroline has a
             strong personality.  17 vigorous, forceful, powerful, heavy:
             Strong winds lashed the west coast last night.  18 rugged,
             craggy, rough, weather-beaten:  She was attracted by Martin's
             strong, suntanned good looks.  19 dazzling, glaring, bright,
             garish, brilliant, vivid, bold, blinding:  The strong sunlight
             made her her blink. Shocking pink is too strong a colour for a
             small room. 20 urgent, strongly-worded, emphatic, assertive:  A
             proposal to repeal the tax was met by strong protests.  21
             unvarying, the same, steady, stable, firm, balanced:  The market
             has remained strong all day.  22 emotional, deep-felt,
             deep-rooted, basic, intense, fervent, passionate, deep, earnest:
             Doris has very strong feelings on the subject of feminism.

             --adv.  23 overbearingly, overenthusiastically, offensively,
             aggressively, antagonistically, truculently:  He always comes on
             a bit strong when he's enthusiastic about something.

   strong-arm
             adj.  threatening, menacing, bullying, high-pressure, thuggish,
             violent, brutal, brutish, aggressive, terrorizing, terrorist,
             intimidating, minacious:  The gang use strong-arm tactics to
             force shopkeepers to buy protection.

   stronghold
             n.  fortress, bulwark, bastion, fastness, fortification,
             citadel:  The eastern district was one of the last strongholds
             of the Labour Party.

   strong-minded
             adj.  strong-willed, obstinate, firm, determined,
             uncompromising, resolute, resolved, independent:  He found he
             was dealing with a very strong-minded young woman.

   structure n.  1 form, shape, configuration, organization, arrangement,
             make-up, framework, order, design, formation, system, nature,
             character:  The career structure of the company has served as a
             model for similar firms. 2 building, edifice, house,
             construction:  Planning regulations allow only a certain kind of
             structure in the residential areas.

             --v.  3 construct, build, organize, design, form, shape,
             arrange, systematize:  Their language seems to be structured in
             an unusual way.

   struggle  v.  1 strive, strain, expend energy, exert oneself, labour,
             endeavour, try, attempt:  He struggled to keep his head above
             water.  2 contend, fight, wrestle, battle:  They struggled
             against the twin odds of poverty and sickness.  3 wriggle,
             wiggle, squirm, writhe, twist, worm:  She finally struggled free
             of the ropes.

             --n.  4 effort, exertion, strain; toil, work, travail, labour,
             drudgery, striving, struggling:  Earning even a humble living
             was a struggle in those days. Was the outcome worth the
             struggle? 5 contention, competition, contest, battle, fight,
             tussle, match, clash, encounter, strife:  The struggle between
             good and evil continues.

   strut     v.  swagger, parade, promenade, peacock, prance:  She goes
             strutting about the office as if she were the boss.

   stub      n.  1 butt, end, stump, tail (end), remnant, Colloq Brit
             fag-end:  He produced a stub of pencil from his pocket and began
             to make notes. 2 counterfoil; receipt:  You will need your
             ticket stub for any claim.

   stubborn  adj.  obstinate, unyielding, inflexible, intransigent,
             intractable, uncompromising, mulish, pigheaded, refractory,
             wayward, adamant, recalcitrant, bull-headed, persistent,
             tenacious, pertinacious, unrelenting, dogged, determined:  He
             remains stubborn in his refusal to join the group.

   student   n.  1 pupil, learner, scholar, undergraduate, schoolboy,
             schoolgirl, schoolchild, trainee, apprentice, disciple; Colloq
             Brit swot or swotter or swat, US grind:  Only students of
             advanced standing are admitted to this class.  2 devotee,
             follower, admirer, observer, evaluator, commentator, critic:
             Nicole is a perceptive student of human nature.

   studied   adj.  premeditated, deliberate, calculated, planned,
             intentional, wilful, well-thought-out, conscious, contrived,
             feigned, forced, laboured:  He treated even the greatest crisis
             with a studied air of insouciance.

   studious  adj.  1 assiduous, sedulous, diligent, industrious, attentive,
             careful, painstaking, thorough, tireless:  Miniaturists must pay
             studious attention to detail.  2 scholarly, bookish, academic:
             She refused to allow her athletic achievements to interfere with
             her studious pursuits.

   study     v.  1 learn (about), read, con, memorize, burn the midnight oil,
             lucubrate, Colloq bone up (on), cram, Brit swot or swat, mug up:
             I want to study music. She has to study for an exam.  2
             contemplate, consider, reflect on, think over or about, ruminate
             on, chew over, turn over, weigh, ponder, deliberate over or on
             or about, muse about or on, mull over, meditate on or about or
             over:  I want to study the problem before deciding what to do.
             3 look or go into or over, look at, scan, examine, analyse,
             inspect, investigate, scrutinize, survey, observe:  The crime
             squad studied every square inch of the murder scene.  Avoiding
             the issue as usual, Joyce silently studied her fingernails.

             --n.  4 analysis, review, examination, survey, inquiry or
             enquiry, investigation, scrutiny, research, exploration:
             Government funds are paying for a study of the ecosystem of the
             Norfolk Broads. 5 learning, lessons, bookwork, work, reading,
             contemplation, investigation, Colloq boning up, cramming, Brit
             swotting or swatting:  The study of anthropology is what led him
             to his theory of linguistic universals. 6 library, reading or
             writing-room, sanctum (sanctorum), haunt, studio, retreat, den,
             workroom, office:  Let's go into the study and talk business.

   stuff     n.  1 substance, material, matter, fabric, ingredients, essence,
             essentials, fundamentals, building blocks, makings:  This is the
             stuff that dreams are made on. Is hydrogen the basic stuff of
             the universe? 2 equipment, goods, gear, trappings, kit, tackle,
             accessories, paraphernalia, accoutrements or US also
             accouterments, effects, belongings, possessions, things, bits
             and pieces, impedimenta, baggage, property, chattels, furniture,
             Brit lumber, Colloq junk, rubbish, crap, Brit clobber, Taboo
             slang shit:  Graham left all his stuff with his mother when he
             went west.  3 spirit, attitude, grit, substance, makings,
             talent(s), abilities, capabilities, qualities, attributes:  Is
             Simon the stuff of which commandos are made?  4 nonsense, trash,
             rubbish, stuff and nonsense, twaddle, humbug, bunkum, tommy-rot,
             balderdash, Colloq rot, garbage, bunk, tripe, poppycock, crap,
             malarkey, boloney or baloney, bosh, hogwash, swill, claptrap,
             piffle, hot air, flapdoodle, fiddle-faddle, codswallop, bull, US
             horse feathers, Taboo slang bullshit, horseshit:  You don't
             believe all that stuff you've been reading about me, do you? 5
             creations, accomplishments, things, works, materials, matter:
             Without the attributions, I'd have trouble telling their stuff
             apart.

             --v.  6 jam, ram, cram, crowd, compress, pack, press, squeeze,
             squash, shove, thrust, force:  You couldn't stuff another
             handkerchief into that suitcase.  7 line, fill, pack:  Stuff the
             chicken with the following mixture.  8 overeat, gorge,
             overindulge, gormandize, gluttonize, Colloq make a pig or a hog
             of oneself:  They really stuffed themselves at the wedding
             reception.  9 stuff up. clog, plug, obstruct, choke, block (up),
             stop or US also pack up:  Phone the plumber: the drain is
             stuffed up again. The cold had given her a headache and a
             stuffed-up nose.

   stuffy    adj.  1 close, airless, unventilated, oppressive, stifling,
             suffocating, stale, musty, fusty, mouldy, mildewy, muggy, fetid
             or foetid, frowzy or frouzy or frowsy, Brit frowsty:  It was
             stuffy in the ancient tomb.  2 pompous, pedantic,
             self-important, self-centred, stodgy, old-fogyish or
             old-fogeyish, old-fashioned, strait-laced, staid, conventional,
             prim (and proper), priggish, niminy-piminy, stilted, stiff,
             rigid, Colloq fuddy-duddy, uptight:  What a bore to be trapped
             for an entire evening with those stuffy old codgers!

   stumble   v.  1 falter, blunder, slip, trip, miss one's footing, stagger,
             lurch, flounder:  Minnie caught her heel in the grating and
             stumbled.  2 falter, pause, hesitate, trip, slip, blunder:  He
             was very nervous and stumbled his way through his speech.  3
             stumble on or upon. chance or come or happen on or upon, hit
             upon, come or run across, find, discover, encounter, Colloq bump
             into:  I stumbled on a great new pub when I was out on Saturday.

   stumbling-block
             n.  impediment, obstacle, bar, block, obstruction, hurdle,
             hindrance, barrier, difficulty, snag:  It was often labour
             unions that proved the stumbling-blocks to technological
             progress.

   stump     n.  1 stub, butt, end:  The branches were lopped off, leaving
             only the stumps.

             --v.  2 mystify, confuse, perplex, bewilder, flummox, foil,
             puzzle, baffle, confound, dumbfound or dumfound, stop, stymie,
             nonplus, bring up short:  I am completely stumped as to how the
             trick was done.  3 campaign, electioneer, canvass, US and
             Canadian barnstorm:  The candidates are out stumping in the farm
             areas in Iowa.  4 stump up. pay up or out, contribute, donate,
             Colloq cough up, chip in, shell or fork out:  Everyone at the
             office stumped up for Peter's leaving present.

   stun      n.  1 daze, numb, benumb, knock out:  I was stunned by an
             unexpected blow to the solar plexus.  2 astonish, daze,
             paralyse, stagger, stupefy, overcome, overwhelm, astound, jar,
             shock, jolt, strike dumb, amaze, confound, bewilder, take
             (someone's) breath away, Colloq shake up, bowl over,
             discombobulate, flabbergast:  The children were stunned to hear
             that their mother had been arrested.

   stunning  adj.  1 stupefying, paralysing, staggering, benumbing, numbing;
             knockout:  Another stunning punch to the head and McGinty went
             down.  2 beautiful, dazzling, brilliant, gorgeous, spectacular,
             ravishing, sensational, extraordinary, remarkable, marvellous,
             stupendous, fabulous, wonderful, superb, grand, divine,
             heavenly, sublime, lovely, exquisite, glorious, astonishing,
             astounding, amazing, striking, splendid, staggering,
             overpowering, mind-boggling, earth-shaking, magnificent:  There
             stood the most stunning creature I had ever laid eyes on.  The
             team won a stunning victory in the county tournament.

   stunt°    n.  caper, act, deed, feat, tour de force, exploit, trick, US
             dido:  The dangerous stunts are done by a stand-in for the star.

   stuntэ    v.  stop, limit, delimit, restrict, check, arrest, put an end
             to, end; impede, hamper, hinder, slow, retard:  My parents
             always told me that smoking would stunt my growth.

   stunted   adj.  dwarfed, shrunken, undersized, small, tiny, diminutive,
             little, wee:  We saw a bonsai - a stunted Japanese potted tree -
             that was hundreds of years old.

   stupid    adj.  1 unintelligent, fatuous, obtuse, bovine, dull, dense,
             lumpish, doltish, simple, simple-minded, moronic, imbecilic,
             cretinous, Boeotian, subnormal, feeble-minded, weak-minded,
             stolid, dull-witted, dim, dim-witted, halfwitted, thick,
             thick-witted, thickheaded, slow-witted, witless, brainless,
             mindless, empty-headed, bird-brained, feather-brained,
             feather-headed, rattle-brained, rattle-headed, ox-like,
             boneheaded, addle-pated, addle-headed, addled, Chiefly Brit
             imbecile, Chiefly US dumb, jerky, thimble-witted, Colloq dopey,
             Brit dozy:  He seemed really stupid in comparison with his
             precocious younger sister. 2 foolish, silly, frivolous, asinine,
             hare-brained, crazy, insane, mad, crack-brained, scatterbrained,
             absurd, inane, idiotic, ridiculous, risible, laughable,
             ludicrous, nonsensical, senseless, bootless, irresponsible,
             irrational, ill-advised, foolhardy, half-baked, Colloq cuckoo,
             cock-eyed, damn-fool, Chiefly Brit daft, barmy or balmy, US
             cockamamie or cockamamy:  He came up with one stupid plan after
             another.  3 insipid, dull, tedious, boring, tiresome, humdrum,
             prosaic, monotonous, unimaginative, uninspired, uninteresting,
             vapid, vacuous, Colloq ho-hum:  Most sitcoms feature stupid
             characters doing stupid things.

   stupidity n.  1 fatuity, obtuseness, dullness, denseness, lumpishness,
             doltishness, simplicity, simple-mindedness, imbecility,
             cretinism, feeble-mindedness, weak-mindedness, stolidity,
             dull-wittedness, dimness, dim-wittedness, halfwittedness,
             thick-wittedness, slow-wittedness, thimble-wittedness,
             witlessness, brainlessness, mindlessness, empty-headedness,
             feather-headedness, rattle-headedness, boneheadedness:  In
             public affairs stupidity is more dangerous than knavery.  2
             foolishness, folly, asininity, craziness, insanity, madness,
             absurdity, absurdness, inanity, idiocy, ridiculousness,
             risibility, ludicrousness, nonsense, senselessness,
             bootlessness, irresponsibility, irrationality, foolhardiness:
             The stupidity of such a venture is obvious when you consider the
             enormous risk and the minuscule return.

   stupor    n.  insensibility, stupefaction, torpor, lethargy, listlessness,
             languor, laziness, lassitude, lifelessness, supineness, inertia;
             inertness, coma, trance, unconsciousness, numbness:  His stupor
             might be caused by the medication he is taking for his cold.

   sturdy    adj.  1 strong, solid, stout, rugged, tough, well-built,
             substantial; strapping, muscular, powerful, brawny, burly,
             robust, well-muscled, athletic, hardy, Colloq husky, hefty:
             This ladder should be sturdy enough to hold you. James got that
             sturdy build from exercise. 2 stalwart, staunch, steadfast,
             resolute, firm, vigorous, determined, uncompromising,
             unyielding, unwavering, unswerving, unfaltering, enduring,
             indomitable:  One must admire her sturdy independence in the
             face of all that criticism.

   style     n.  1 type, kind, variety, category, genre, sort, manner, mode,
             make, design, fashion, look, period, pattern, configuration,
             line, cut, shape, form:  That style of jacket looks really good
             on you. They are planning to build the house in the pointed
             Gothic style. 2 fashion, trend, vogue, mode, look, rage, craze,
             Colloq fad, (latest) thing:  The current style is for shorter
             skirts.  3 luxury, high style, comfort, opulence, splendour,
             elegance:  Now that he's won all that money, they live in style
             on the Costa Smeralda. 4 chic, stylishness, taste, smartness,
             flair, dash, ‚lan, panache, cachet, tastefulness,
             fashionableness, elegance, refinement, polish, sophistication,
             sophisticatedness, cosmopolitanism, Colloq pizazz; ritziness:
             Irena has more style in her little finger than you have in your
             whole body. 5 quality, character, mode of expression, approach,
             treatment, vein, colouring, spirit, mood, form, technique;
             tenor, tone, wording, phraseology, phrasing, language,
             vocabulary, word choice, diction, sentence structure:  The
             pointillist style of painting appeals to many. His style of
             writing is reminiscent of Stevenson's. 6 in style. See stylish,
             below.

             --v.  7 characterize, designate, denominate, call, name, term,
             label, tag, brand:  The use of the indicative for the
             subjunctive is no longer styled a solecism in British English. 8
             fashion, design, arrange, set, do, cut, tailor, shape, form:
             Antoine styled my hair in a page-boy for the reception.

   stylish   adj.  chic, fashionable, smart, … la mode, modish, in style or
             fashion or vogue, elegant; chichi; Colloq in, with it, swanky,
             Chiefly Brit trendy, Slang swell, neat, classy, snazzy, US
             spiffy:  Nicole always looks so stylish.

   stymie    v.  thwart, obstruct, block, frustrate, snooker, defeat, spike,
             ruin, foil, confound, stump, nonplus, hinder, impede, Colloq
             flummox:  The government has stymied all efforts to have him
             extradited.

   styptic   adj.  astringent:  The styptic effect of alum stops bleeding.

19.14 suave...
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   suave     adj.  debonair, sophisticated, urbane, cosmopolitan, worldly,
             smooth, gracious, nonchalant, civilized, cultivated, courteous,
             diplomatic, polite, charming, agreeable, affable, bland:
             Fictional detectives range from the suave Simon Templar to the
             earthy Philip Marlowe.

   subconscious
             adj.  1 subliminal, unconscious, suppressed, hidden, latent,
             repressed, inner, innermost, underlying, deep-rooted, Colloq
             Freudian:  Despite his belligerence, he has a subconscious
             desire to be loved.

             --n.  2 (collective) unconscious, inner self; heart:  Her
             subconscious tells her that all confined areas are dangerous.

   subdue    v.  1 put or beat down, quell, repress, suppress, quash, crush,
             control, master, overpower, gain mastery or control or the upper
             hand over, get the better of, dominate, triumph over, hold or
             keep in check, bridle, tame:  Having subdued the uprising,
             government forces are again in control.  2 conquer, vanquish,
             defeat, overcome:  The Mongol horde subdued all the people in
             their path.  3 quiet(en) or tone down, moderate, mellow, temper,
             soften, soft-pedal, check, curb, control:  His anger was subdued
             by her calm words.

   subdued   adj.  1 quiet, mellow(ed), toned down, moderate(d), tempered,
             hushed, muted, low-key, unenthusiastic, repressed, restrained,
             peaceful, tranquil, placid, calm(ed), temperate, reserved:
             There was a little subdued criticism at first, but the bill was
             passed. 2 chastened, sober, sobered, solemn, saddened, dejected,
             sad, down in the mouth, crestfallen, downcast, grave, serious:
             He looked subdued when he emerged from the headmaster's office.

   subject   n.  1 (subject-)matter, topic; issue, theme, angle, thesis,
             gist, substance, business, affair, point:  What is the subject
             of conversation today? The subject under discussion was of
             crucial importance. 2 course (of study), field, area,
             discipline, branch of knowledge:  In which subject did Frank
             take his doctorate?  3 cause, ground(s), motive, reason, basis,
             source, rationale; excuse:  Increased taxes are always a subject
             of complaint.  4 participant, case, guinea-pig, testee:  The
             subjects of the experiment were all in their thirties.  5
             citizen, national; taxpayer, voter; liegeman, vassal:  She
             became a British subject after her marriage to Frank.

             --adj.  6 Usually, subject to. exposed (to), open (to),
             vulnerable (to), susceptible (to), prone (to), disposed (to), at
             the mercy (of), liable (to suffer or undergo):  She is subject
             to asthma attacks. This kind of wood is subject to worm
             infestation. 7 discussed, under discussion, referred to, above:
             The subject book was not returned before the due date.  8
             subject to.  a answerable to, responsible for, bound by,
             obedient to, subservient to, submissive to, controlled by, under
             the control of:  You are subject to the same laws as everyone
             else.  b dependent on, conditional on, contingent on:  All leave
             is subject to the approval of the departmental head.

             --v.  9 subject to. expose, lay open, submit, put through,
             impose on, cause to undergo:  How could anyone subject another
             human being to such cruelty?  10 conquer, subjugate, dominate,
             subdue, enslave, enthral, crush, humble:  The peoples subjected
             by the Romans sometimes fared better than when independent.

   subjection
             n.  subordination, domination, conquest, subjugation,
             enslavement, enthralment, humbling, humiliation:  Their goal was
             the subjection of all peoples in the Mediterranean area.

   subjective
             adj.  1 personal, individual, idiosyncratic; prejudiced, biased:
             His review of the play was entirely subjective.  2 self-centred,
             egoistic, egocentric, selfish, self-serving:  Your approach is
             much too subjective to be of interest to others.

             --n.  3 Technical nominative:  The subjective of 'me' is 'I'.

   subjugate v.  dominate, enslave, enthral, crush, humble, subject, oppress,
             suppress, put down, tyrannize, subdue, reduce, quell, overcome,
             overpower, make subservient or submissive, humble, humiliate:
             Few peoples have been subjugated so ignominiously as the
             American Indians.

   sublimate v.  transmute, alter, transform; channel, divert:  He sublimates
             his aggressions by jogging and marathon running.

   sublime   adj.  1 lofty, high, supreme, exalted, elevated, empyrean or
             empyreal, heavenly, noble, glorious, grand, high-minded;
             honourable, ennobled, eminent, glorified, beatified, canonized,
             sanctified, great, good:  Her poetry evokes sublime emotions.  2
             awesome, overwhelming, inspiring, mind-boggling, overpowering,
             humbling, awe-inspiring, majestic, splendid, empyrean:  The
             architecture of the cathedral was truly sublime.

   subliminal
             adj.  subconscious, unconscious, suggestive:  Advertisers know
             that subliminal techniques can be very effective in TV
             commercials.

   submerge  v.  1 plunge, submerse, immerse, inundate, dip, wash, soak,
             drench, saturate, wet, douse, Colloq dunk:  To cleanse, submerge
             the garment in a basin of warm water for ten minutes. 2 dive,
             plunge, go down, descend, sink, sound, plummet:  The order to
             submerge was given as soon as the planes were spotted.  3 flood,
             immerse, inundate, swamp, bury, engulf, overwhelm, deluge,
             drown; conceal, hide, camouflage, obscure, cloak, veil, shroud:
             He was quickly submerged under an enormous pile of
             correspondence.

   submission
             n.  1 concession, acquiescence, capitulation, surrender,
             yielding, deference, giving in, obedience, compliance,
             resignation, submissiveness, tractability; meekness, docility,
             passivity, timidity, unassertiveness:  After years of oppression
             their abject submission to a new tyrant was not altogether
             surprising. 2 submittal, offering, tender, contribution, entry:
             Submissions for the essay competition should be sent to the
             address given below.

   submissive
             adj.  1 yielding, acquiescent, deferential, compliant, obedient,
             tractable, amenable, agreeable, accommodating, passive,
             unresisting, pliant, flexible, manageable, unassertive, docile,
             meek, timid, resigned, uncomplaining:  As a child she was very
             submissive but she rebelled in adolescence.  2 obsequious,
             abject, subservient, servile, humble, deferential, slavish,
             ingratiating, truckling, biddable, sycophantic, toadying, Colloq
             boot-licking, Taboo slang brown-nosing, Brit arse-kissing,
             arse-licking, US ass-kissing, ass-licking:  She keeps a few
             submissive lackeys about to do her bidding.

   submit    v.  1 Often, submit to. surrender (to), yield (to), capitulate
             (to), give in or up (to), comply (with), agree (to), concede
             (to), consent (to), accede (to), defer (to), bow or bend (to),
             succumb (to), truckle (to), knuckle under (to), resign (oneself)
             (to), be or become resigned (to); respect, accept, Colloq put up
             with:  Despite the threats, he refused to submit. The government
             eventually submitted to the union's demands. 2 offer, proffer,
             tender, enter, propose, present:  Many of the suggestions that
             Alan submitted have been accepted.

   subordinate
             adj.  1 Often, subordinate to. minor; inferior (to), lower
             (than), lesser (than), secondary (to), second (to), junior (to),
             subsidiary (to); next to, below, beneath, under:  He had to
             accept a subordinate position in the new company. His new job is
             subordinate to that of purchasing director.

             --n.  2 assistant, aide, junior, subaltern, staff member;
             underling, hireling, inferior, lackey, servant, slave, vassal;
             Colloq US staffer:  She is a subordinate to the editor-in-chief.

             --v.  3 make (something) secondary:  Too many subordinate
             community interest to personal greed.

   subscribe v.  1 Often, subscribe to. endorse, support, underwrite,
             advocate, back (up), approve (of), agree (with or to), accept,
             consent (to), assent (to), countenance, tolerate, condone,
             allow, permit, brook:  I sympathize with many of their arguments
             but I cannot subscribe to terrorism. 2 Often, subscribe to.
             contribute (to), support, give (to), donate (to), pledge,
             promise, sign (up) (for), Colloq chip in (to or for):  Mrs
             Donaldson has subscribed thousands to Amnesty International.

   subscription
             n.  1 payment, remittance, investment; commitment, dues, fee,
             price, cost:  The subscription is now њ100 a year.  2
             obligation, pledge, promise, underwriting:  If we get enough
             subscriptions, we shall be able to print the book.

   subsequent
             adj.  1 succeeding, following, ensuing, next, future, later,
             successive; resultant, resulting, consequent:  Subsequent
             governments have failed to solve the problem.

             --prep.  2 subsequent to. after, following, succeeding, in the
             wake or aftermath of:  Further problems arose subsequent to
             their second term of office.

   subsequently
             adv.  later (on), afterwards or US also afterward:
             Subsequently, the law was changed to protect witnesses.

   subside   v.  1 sink (down), drop (down), go down, recede, descend,
             decline; lower, settle:  The waters of the swollen river
             subsided. The volcano's centre subsided, leaving a caldera. 2
             abate, quiet(en) (down), calm (down), moderate, let up,
             decrease, diminish, lessen, die (down or off or out), pass
             (away), wear off:  His enthusiasm for sky-diving subsided a bit
             after he broke both legs. When the clamour had subsided, the
             president rose to speak.

   subsidiary
             adj.  Often, subsidiary to. ancillary (to), secondary (to),
             auxiliary (to), lesser (than), additional (to), supplementary or
             supplemental (to), complementary (to), accessory (to),
             subordinate (to), adjuvant (to):  The company offers removal of
             hazardous waste as a subsidiary service.

   subsidize v.  fund, finance, support, aid, sponsor, subvene, maintain,
             underwrite; capitalize, Slang US and Canadian bankroll:  Bill
             and Sue can only afford to live in that big house because her
             parents subsidize them.

   subsidy   n.  funding, financing, subsidizing, sponsoring, sponsorship,
             assistance, aid, contribution, support, grant, subvention,
             maintenance, underwriting, capitalization:  Farmers are hoping
             for increased subsidies.

   subsistence
             n.  1 existence, living, survival, subsisting, being:  You are
             worried about buying beer when I feel my very subsistence
             threatened! 2 food, rations, victuals, provision, sustenance,
             board, nourishment, nutriment, aliment; maintenance, keep,
             upkeep:  We depend on your salary for our subsistence, so forget
             about quitting your job.

   substance n.  1 material, matter, stuff; fabric, composition, make-up:
             She couldn't recognize the substance in the bottle. The comet's
             substance is mainly ice and dirt. 2 essence, pith, heart, core,
             gist, burden, theme, meat, kernel, nub, crux, sum total, sum and
             substance, point, gravamen, haecceity, quintessence, quiddity:
             Explain, in 500 or fewer words, the substance of Hegel's dispute
             with Kant. 3 meaning, import, significance, purport,
             signification, point:  Our visit to San Francisco gave substance
             to all we had read about it. 4 reality, corporeality, solidity,
             actuality, concreteness:  You must learn to deal with the
             substance, not the shadows.  5 means, wealth, property,
             possessions, riches, resources, affluence, assets:  John Culver
             was a citizen of some substance in this town.

   substantial
             adj.  1 material, considerable, significant, great, worthwhile,
             consequential, ample, goodly, respectable, abundant, generous,
             big, large, sizeable, major, Colloq tidy, healthy:  We
             understand that he made a substantial payment to keep his name
             out of the papers. 2 strong, solid, well-built, durable, sound,
             stout, sturdy; big, large, massive, huge, sizeable, impressive,
             vast; numerous, numberless:  A substantial mausoleum was
             constructed for his family. A substantial crowd had gathered. 3
             well-founded, sound, weighty, solid, well-established, telling,
             good, valid, actual:  Many economists produced substantial
             arguments in favour of another cut in interest rates. 4 wealthy,
             well-to-do, rich, affluent, prosperous, profitable, successful;
             landed, propertied:  The Trevelyan Ironworks is a substantial
             business, and Mr Trevelyan is one of our more substantial
             businessmen.

   substantially
             adv.  in substance, essentially, at bottom, fundamentally,
             basically, in essence, intrinsically, in reality, at heart,
             sincerely, truly, actually, in truth, veritably, indeed, in
             fact, as a matter of fact; largely, to a large extent, in large
             measure, materially, practically, in the main, for the most
             part, mostly, virtually, to all intents and purposes; Archaic
             verily:  The article was substantially sound. Do you agree
             substantially with the ruling of the court?

   substantiate
             v.  confirm, affirm, corroborate, support, sustain, back up,
             bear out, authenticate, show (clearly), prove, document, verify,
             certify, validate:  Do not make accusations that cannot be
             substantiated by evidence.

   substitute
             v.  1 Sometimes, substitute for. replace, exchange, displace,
             relieve, supplant; switch; take the place of, stand in for,
             double for, Colloq sub for, cover for, swap or swop, US and
             Canadian pinch-hit for:  She substituted the real diamond with a
             paste replica. I will substitute for you while you are away.

             --n.  2 substitution, replacement, alternative, relief,
             representative, deputy, delegate, stand-in, stand-by,
             understudy, surrogate, succedaneum, Brit locum (tenens), US and
             Canadian alternate:  In those days a man could hire a substitute
             to serve in his place in the militia.

   substitution
             n.  1 exchange, exchanging, change, changing, replacement,
             replacing, supplanting, switch, switching, interchange,
             interchanging, Colloq swap or swop, swapping or swopping:  The
             substitution of certain words distorted the sense.  2 See
             substitute, 2, above.

   substratum
             n.  substrate, foundation, underlayer, basis, fundament, base,
             substructure, groundwork:  The agreement rests on a substratum
             of mutual trust and respect.

   subterfuge
             n.  artifice, trick, device, stratagem, manoeuvre, ploy,
             evasion, deception, dodge, feint, shift, excuse, expedient,
             contrivance, intrigue:  Although he told no lies, he used every
             subterfuge to avoid telling the truth.

   subtle    adj.  1 delicate, fine, refined, exquisite, nice, Archaic
             subtile:  I became aware, almost subconsciously, of the subtle
             odour of jasmine. These subtle shades of green are so peaceful.
             2 abstruse, arcane, recondite, remote, deep, profound,
             concealed, hidden, shadowy, nebulous, vague, obscure, veiled,
             thin, airy, insubstantial, elusive, faint; sophistic(al):  The
             symbolism is so subtle as to be meaningful to the poet alone.  A
             subtle hint gave me to understand that I ought to go. 3 tricky,
             shrewd, cunning, wily, sly, devious, crafty, smart, clever,
             foxy, artful, scheming, designing, underhand(ed), deceptive,
             Jesuitical, Machiavellian, ingenious, skilful, strategic,
             insidious, casuistic, shifty, slick, slimy, Chiefly Brit smarmy:
             You were a fool to allow that subtle serpent to insinuate
             himself into your confidence.

   subtlety  n.  1 refinement, nicety, delicacy, exquisiteness, intricacy,
             fineness, acuteness, elegance, sophistication:  The subtlety of
             the detail in this work is quite unique. One must admire the
             subtlety of expression in her writing. 2 treachery, guile,
             insidiousness, casuistry, cunning, artfulness, craftiness,
             deviousness, slyness, deceptiveness:  The subtlety of her
             deception was revealed only after the war.

   subtract  v.  1 deduct, take away, take off, take (something) from:  First
             calculate the discount, then subtract it from the price.  2
             Sometimes, subtract from. detract (from), diminish, take away
             (from):  Nothing could subtract from the exhilaration of that
             moment.

   subversion
             n.  overthrow, ruin, destruction, undermining, upheaval,
             displacement:  The dictator used extreme tactics to avoid the
             subversion of his leadership.

   subversive
             adj.  1 subversionary, seditious, seditionary, treasonous,
             treacherous, traitorous, revolutionary, insurrectionary:  The
             government regarded as subversive anything and anyone
             disagreeing with their policies.

             --n.  2 traitor, insurgent, saboteur, fifth-columnist,
             collaborator, collaborationist, quisling, radical,
             revolutionary, insurrectionist, insurrectionary; dissident,
             defector:  The security agencies were removing subversives from
             sensitive jobs.

   subvert   v.  overthrow, ruin, destroy, undermine, topple, demolish,
             wreck, sabotage:  The regime was subverted from within, not by
             outside forces.

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

   succeed   v.  1 follow, come after, supervene:  The end of the war in the
             Pacific succeeded the surrender in Europe.  2 be successor (to),
             follow, be heir (to), replace, take the place of, inherit or
             take over from:  Elizabeth I succeeded Mary in 1558.  3 Often,
             succeed in or at. make good, thrive, prosper, flourish, be a
             success, be successful, progress, advance, get ahead or on,
             attain or gain or achieve success, win, triumph, Colloq make it,
             arrive, get to the top:  Has she succeeded in persuading you to
             sing? He always wanted to make a lot of money and now he has
             succeeded. They have succeeded at whatever they have tried.

   success   n.  1 good or happy result or outcome, good fortune,
             achievement, triumph, attainment, ascendancy, prosperity:  The
             success of the fast food business is evident everywhere.  2
             star, celebrity, (big) name, sensation:  She was a great success
             as a singer, dancer, and actress.

   successful
             adj.  1 wealthy, rich, prosperous, fortunate, lucky,
             flourishing, thriving, prospering, well-to-do, affluent, Colloq
             loaded, well-heeled, flush, in the money, US well-fixed:  He is
             a very successful investor.  2 lucrative, booming, profitable,
             fruitful, moneymaking, remunerative:  The shares they bought
             proved to be a successful investment. How successful was last
             year for the company? 3 famous, well-known, famed, celebrated,
             renowned, eminent; prominent, pre-eminent, popular, leading,
             top, best-selling:  Constance is one of our most successful
             poets. That book of mine was also successful. 4 victorious,
             triumphant; first; winning:  Henry was successful in his bid for
             the chairmanship. I want to see a successful conclusion to the
             tour.

   succession
             n.  1 passing (on), handing down or on, transmittal,
             transmission, transfer, transferral, shift, conveyance,
             conveyancing:  According to her will, the succession of the
             property is via her first-born. 2 sequence, progression, order,
             series, turn, course, flow, chain, train, procession:  The
             succession of events was as he described.  3 accession,
             assumption, attainment, elevation, promotion; inheritance:  What
             was the year of Charles II's succession to the Spanish throne?
             4 lineage, descent, birthright, dynasty, ancestry, descendants,
             bloodline:  The 18th century began with the War of the Spanish
             Succession.  5 in succession. one after or behind the other, at
             intervals, successively, consecutively, in a row, running,
             without interruption, uninterruptedly, in order, in line:  They
             published several historical novels in quick succession.

   successive
             adj.  uninterrupted, continuous, unbroken, continual,
             consecutive, succeeding:  Last season he scored in sixteen
             successive matches.

   succinct  adj.  compact, brief, concise, pithy, terse, short, compressed,
             condensed, epigrammatic:  He prefers a succinct style of
             writing, one that gets to the point.

   succulent adj.  juicy, rich, luscious, mouth-watering, toothsome:  He was
             eating a succulent peach with evident enjoyment.

   succumb   v.  yield, give up, give way, surrender, accede, submit,
             capitulate:  I finally succumbed and agreed to their request for
             help.

   sucker    n.  dupe, goat, gull, victim, butt, cat's-paw, fool, Colloq
             (easy) mark, easy or fair game, chump, pushover, soft touch,
             Chiefly US and Canadian fall guy, Slang sap, pigeon, Brit mug,
             Chiefly US and Canadian patsy:  He's asking far too much for his
             car, but some sucker will buy it.

   sudden    adj.  unexpected, unannounced, unanticipated, unforeseen;
             unwonted, surprising, startling; precipitate, abrupt, quick,
             immediate, rapid, swift, brisk; impetuous, hasty, rash,
             impulsive:  His sudden turn caught us off balance. Your change
             of heart was quite sudden.

   suddenly  adv.  1 in a flash or a moment or a split second, all at once,
             instantly, instantaneously, momentarily, fleetingly, in the
             twinkling of an eye, in a trice; quickly, abruptly, swiftly,
             speedily, rapidly:  Suddenly, my whole life flashed before me.
             He suddenly realized why the head of MI6 had summoned him. 2 all
             of a sudden, out of the blue, unexpectedly, without warning, on
             the spur of the moment, hastily, hurriedly, feverishly:
             Suddenly, she turned on her heel and stormed out.

   sue       v.  1 proceed or move or act (against), take (legal) action or
             bring suit or prefer charges (against); summon(s), charge,
             accuse:  He threatened to sue. They are suing him for the
             injuries they sustained. 2 petition, beg, plead, entreat, pray,
             request, solicit, apply, beseech, implore, supplicate:  After
             five years of constant warfare, the country is suing for peace.

   suffer    v.  1 Sometimes, suffer from or with. agonize, smart, hurt,
             writhe, sweat, ache:  He is suffering with a stomach virus. How
             terribly they suffered when their child was kidnapped! 2 endure,
             undergo, experience, bear, live or go through, tolerate,
             withstand, sustain, take, submit to, abide, submit to, Colloq
             put up with:  He suffered years of ill-health before he finally
             died.  3 allow, tolerate, permit, let, admit, humour, indulge:
             They suffer the storks to build their nests on their chimneys.
             4 deteriorate, diminish, decline, go down, fall off, be reduced
             or diminished:  If you discontinue advertising, sales will
             suffer.

   suffering n.  pain, agony, distress, misery, affliction, hardship,
             torment, torture, tribulation, trial:  The man's suffering is
             written in his face.

   suffice   v.  satisfy, serve, do, be sufficient or enough or adequate,
             answer, sate, satiate, quench:  If you are merely thirsty, water
             should suffice.

   sufficient
             adj.  adequate, enough:  Have we sufficient food to last through
             the winter?

   suffix    n.  1 ending, desinence, addition; affix:  The suffix -ness is
             added to many English adjectives to form nouns.

             --v.  2 add (on), join, fasten to, subjoin, amend, Colloq tack
             on:  One can suffix -ness to a huge number of adjectives to form
             nouns.

   suffrage  n.  (right to) vote, voting right(s), franchise, voice, say,
             ballot, option, choice:  They campaigned for universal adult
             suffrage.

   suffuse   v.  overspread, imbue, pour or spread over, bathe, cover,
             permeate, pervade, flood, flush, penetrate, saturate, mantle,
             infuse, transfuse, imbrue or embrue:  A rosy glow suffused her
             face.

   suggest   v.  1 propose, advance, recommend, urge, advocate, support,
             offer, proffer, put or set forward, present, mention, introduce:
             He suggested going out to a pub for dinner. Can you suggest an
             alternative? 2 call to mind, bring up, hint (at), imply,
             insinuate, intimate, make one think, lead one to believe,
             indicate:  His silence suggested that this was not the right
             time to pursue the matter.

   suggestible
             adj.  impressionable, susceptible, receptive, impressible,
             susceptive, open, mouldable, fictile:  Patricia was very
             suggestible at that age and readily believed everything that she
             was told.

   suggestion
             n.  1 proposal, proposition, recommendation, plan, advice,
             counsel, idea, notion, opinion; prompting, urging:  The
             committee rejected your suggestion that membership fees should
             be increased. 2 indication, trace, whisper, insinuation,
             innuendo, implication, intimation, hint, soup‡on, touch, tinge,
             suspicion, breath, iota, jot or tittle:  There wasn't the
             slightest suggestion of animosity in her criticism.

   suggestive
             adj.  1 Often, suggestive of. reminiscent (of), evocative (of),
             indicative (of):  To me, the smell of orange blossom is always
             suggestive of southern California. 2 provocative, naughty,
             risqu‚, ribald, off colour, racy, bawdy, earthy, lusty, rude,
             indelicate, unseemly, immodest, improper, indecent, prurient,
             blue, offensive, vulgar, smutty, dirty, pornographic, lewd,
             salacious, Colloq sexy, spicy, Slang raunchy:  He used to sing
             his suggestive songs in night clubs.

   suit      v.  1 adapt, accommodate, fit, adjust, tailor, make appropriate
             or suitable:  It will require some reorganization to suit the
             office space to our needs. 2 please, satisfy, fill (someone's)
             needs, gratify, be acceptable or suitable or convenient to or
             for, befit; conform to:  Choose whichever room suits you. The
             schedule does not suit my personal plans at all.

             --n.  3 jacket and trousers or skirt, outfit, uniform, ensemble,
             costume, habit; garb, clothing, clothes, livery:  He showed up
             wearing a new silk suit.  4 lawsuit, action, case, proceeding,
             process, cause, trial; litigation:  I do not want to enter into
             a suit over the damage to my car.  5 petition, plea, request,
             entreaty, prayer, solicitation, application, appeal,
             supplication; courtship:  The king rejected all suits for his
             daughter's hand in marriage.

   suitable  adj.  appropriate, apt, fit, fitting, befitting, becoming,
             right, proper, correct, acceptable, satisfactory, applicable,
             meet, seemly; timely, opportune:  John has at last found
             suitable employment. A chandelier is not suitable at all for
             such a low room. Is this a suitable time for me to ask you a
             favour?

   suitcase  n.  bag, valise, overnight bag, holdall, grip or Brit handgrip,
             Brit formerly portmanteau:  She packed enough for a week's
             holiday into one small suitcase.

   suite     n.  1 set, series, collection, number:  They gave us a beautiful
             suite of rooms at the hotel.  2 set:  She bought a new suite of
             dining-room furniture.  3 following, retinue, entourage, train,
             cortЉge, convoy, escort; followers, attendants, retainers:  Her
             suite includes advisors, secretaries, hairdressers, and
             bodyguards.

   suitor    n.  admirer, beau, wooer; boyfriend, paramour, lover, inamorato,
             cicisbeo, escort, Archaic swain:  Madelaine has more suitors
             than I can count.

   sulk      v.  mope, brood, pout, be sullen or moody or ill-humoured:  I
             wish you'd get a job instead of sulking about the house all day.

   sullen    adj.  sulky, sulking, morose, brooding, pouting, gloomy, moody,
             temperamental, dour, lugubrious, funereal, dismal, dreary, grim,
             depressing, depressed, churlish, ill-humoured, glum, grumpy,
             sombre, out of humour, antisocial, unsociable, cross, petulant,
             perverse, crusty, crotchety, choleric, crabby, ill-natured,
             ill-tempered, bad-tempered, splenetic, peevish, dyspeptic, out
             of sorts, US cranky:  He remained quite sullen and refused to
             associate with anyone.

   sully     v.  besmirch, stain, smirch, blemish, mar, defile, soil,
             disgrace, dirty, tarnish, pollute, spoil, ruin, destroy, wreck:
             Sadly, his reputation was sullied when his company was found to
             be involved in insider trading.

   sultry    adj.  1 hot, humid, sticky, stuffy, stifling, oppressive, close,
             muggy, steamy, steaming, moist, damp, sweltering, suffocating:
             I was happy to be languishing again in the sultry warmth of St
             Lucia. 2 lusty, lustful, passionate, erotic, seductive,
             voluptuous, provocative, sensual, Colloq sexy, hot:  She
             continued her sultry, slow, sinuous dance.

   sum       n.  1 total, aggregate, grand total, sum total, whole, totality;
             amount, quantity:  The sum of money found in the satchel was not
             revealed by the police. He would give the neighbourhood children
             small sums to spend on sweets.

             --v.  2 sum up.  a recapitulate, summarize, encapsulate,
             synopsize, digest, abridge, condense, consolidate, epitomize,
             review:  He summed up by reminding the children not to accept
             gifts from strangers. b reckon, add up, calculate, total, tot
             up, measure (up), take the measure of:  They summed up their
             chances of escaping.  c estimate, evaluate, size up, assess:
             She had summed him up the minute she saw him.

   summarily adv.  1 immediately, at once, straightaway, directly, quickly,
             without delay, unhesitatingly, without hesitation, forthwith,
             promptly, swiftly, speedily, expeditiously, instantly, Colloq
             p.d.q. (= 'pretty damned quick'):  Any dog caught without a
             muzzle will be impounded summarily.  2 suddenly, without
             warning, abruptly, peremptorily, precipitately:  He was
             summarily dismissed, with no advance notice.

   summary   n.  1 summarization, recapitulation, encapsulation, compendium,
             synopsis, digest, abridgement, condensation, shortening,
             consolidation, epitome, epitomization, review, distillate,
             conspectus, brief, outline, pr‚cis, r‚sum‚:  I want a summary of
             the meeting on my desk in the morning.

             --adj.  2 abrupt, peremptory, short, quick, brief, laconic,
             perfunctory, curt, terse:  My simple request for some time off
             was denied with a summary, 'No!'

   summit    n.  peak, top, apex, acme, pinnacle, zenith, crown; culmination,
             climax:  The winds at the summit of Annapurna reached hurricane
             force.  There was no doubt that I had reached the summit of my
             achievements.

   summon    v.  1 call, assemble, convoke, convene, send for, invite,
             muster, get together, arouse, rouse:  Why would he summon us to
             the office at midnight?  2 Often, summon up. call or draw on or
             upon, draw up, mobilize, muster (up), work up, gather, invoke:
             I had to summon up all my courage to ask Eve to go out.

   sumptuous adj.  expensive, costly, extravagant, exorbitant, dear, rich;
             lavish, luxurious, de luxe, opulent, palatial, royal, majestic,
             regal, magnificent, dazzling, splendid, showy, Colloq posh,
             plush, ritzy:  The family treated us to a sumptuous repast to
             celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.

   sun       n.  1 (old) Sol, Helios, Phoebus (Apollo), Ra, Sunna, day-star:
             Many early cultures worshipped the sun.

             --v.  2 tan, suntan, sunbathe, bask, bake, brown, bronze:  They
             spent their holidays sunning themselves on the beach.

   sundries  n.pl.  knick-knacks, trinkets, small items, notions,
             miscellanea, miscellany, kickshaws, Brummagem, frippery,
             bric-…-brac, odds and ends:  We might find a button for your
             shirt in a shop that sells sundries.

   sundry    adj.  various, varied, miscellaneous, assorted, different,
             mixed, diversified, divers:  In addition to food, supermarkets
             stock sundry other items.

   sunken    adj.  1 hollow, hollowed-out, haggard, drawn:  From her sunken
             cheeks the child looked as if she hadn't eaten for weeks. 2
             submerged, undersea, underwater, submersed:  The boat hit a
             sunken wreck and foundered.  3 buried, underground, in-ground,
             below-ground, settled, lowered:  The old term for a sunken fence
             is 'ha-ha'.

   sunless   adj.  dark, grim, cheerless, unhappy, joyless, funereal,
             depressing, dreary, drear, sombre, gloomy, grey, Stygian, black,
             pitchy, inky, shadowy, tenebrous, unlit, unlighted, dusky,
             subfusc or subfuscous, darkling:  It was an overcast sunless
             day, with rain in the offing.

   sunny     adj.  1 sunlit, sunshiny, brilliant, bright, radiant, fair,
             fine, cloudless, clear, unclouded:  The enchanting scenery and
             warm sunny climate makes it a perfect place for holidays. 2
             cheerful, cheery, happy, joyous, joyful, light-hearted, smiling,
             beaming, buoyant, blithe, gay, mirthful, jolly, bubbly,
             ebullient, genial, warm, friendly, outgoing:  Being with someone
             who has a sunny disposition was a pleasant change.

   super     adj.  wonderful:  A super collection of synonyms for this word
             appears under superb, below.

   superb    adj.  wonderful, marvellous, excellent, superior, gorgeous,
             glorious, magnificent, outstanding, exquisite, fine, splendid,
             unequalled, sensational, noteworthy, admirable, peerless,
             matchless, unrivalled, first-rate, superlative, perfect,
             classic, exceptional, extraordinary, striking, brilliant,
             dazzling, miraculous, incredible, unbelievable, fantastic,
             fabulous, stupendous, staggering, mind-boggling, breathtaking,
             Woman's dialect divine, Colloq great, super, smashing, magic,
             terrific, fantabulous, unreal, out of this world, mind-blowing,
             super, Slang out of sight, far-out, boss, solid, cool, hot, bad:
             The curator said he had never seen such a superb collection. She
             does a superb Hedda Gabler. We were treated to a superb dinner.

   supercilious
             adj.  haughty, contemptuous, superior, snobbish, disdainful,
             arrogant, condescending, patronizing, overbearing, scornful,
             lordly, high and mighty, pompous, lofty, stuffy, pretentious,
             Colloq hoity-toity, highfalutin or hifalutin, uppity, snooty,
             stuck-up, Brit toffee-nosed, uppish, la-di-da or lah-di-dah or
             la-de-da:  She was very supercilious towards her customers.

   superficial
             adj.  1 surface, external, exterior, shallow, skin-deep, slight,
             outside:  I suffered a superficial wound to the forehead.  2
             surface, slight, external, apparent, skin-deep, outward,
             cursory, insignificant, passing, unimportant, trivial, empty,
             insubstantial; paying lip-service, for appearances' sake,
             cosmetic:  She bears a superficial resemblance to your sister.
             His interest in your welfare is entirely superficial. 3 cursory,
             slapdash, quick, hurried, hasty, perfunctory, nominal,
             meaningless, passing:  The machinery is subjected to a
             superficial inspection before shipping.

   superficies
             n.  (outer) surface, fa‡ade, face, externals, outside:  The
             superficies may appeal to children, but adults appreciate the
             book's profundities.

   superfluity
             n.  excess, superabundance, over-abundance, surplus, oversupply,
             surfeit, glut, superfluousness, profusion, plethora, oversupply,
             supersaturation:  The middle and upper classes wallow in a
             superfluity of goods.

   superfluous
             adj.  excessive, excess, superabundant, over-abundant,
             supererogatory, surplus, unneeded, uncalled-for, unnecessary,
             redundant, extra; needless, dispensable, gratuitous:  The
             superfluous grain that remains unsold should be donated to
             third-world countries. They knew each other so well that words
             were superfluous between them.

   superhuman
             adj.  1 heroic, Herculean, godlike, legendary, valiant,
             courageous, brave, daring, dangerous, death-defying,
             extraordinary, miraculous, phenomenal, incredible, fabulous,
             fantastic, unbelievable, amazing:  His superhuman feats would
             never be duplicated.

             --n.  2 superman, hero, superhero, Ѓbermensch, Hercules:  They
             still believe that one day a superhuman will come along to lead
             them.

   superintendent
             n.  supervisor, foreman, overseer, manager, administrator,
             chief, head, boss; governor, controller, director, conductor:
             Alan has been appointed superintendent of the new project.

   superior  adj.  1 higher, higher-ranking, higher-level, higher-class,
             higher-calibre, upper, upper-level, upper-class, loftier,
             nobler, better; of a higher order or status or standing, Colloq
             classier, tonier:  He was reported to his superior officer.  2
             high-class, elevated, first-rate, distinguished, exceptional,
             excellent, preferred, choice, select, ‚litist, outstanding,
             superlative, matchless, unequalled, peerless, nonpareil,
             sterling, supreme, fine, noteworthy, notable, worthy, estimable:
             Kenneth has had the benefit of a superior education.  3 See
             supercilious, above.

             --n.  4 See supervisor, below.

   superiority
             n.  1 ascendancy, pre-eminence, supremacy, leadership, lead,
             dominance, predominance, primacy, hegemony:  Her superiority in
             the field is unchallenged.  2 excellence, greatness,
             peerlessness, matchlessness, inimitability, superlativeness,
             prominence, eminence, importance, distinction, prestige, renown:
             All commented on the superiority of Mark's contribution.

   superlative
             adj.  unsurpassed, paramount, supreme, consummate, superior,
             best, choicest, finest, matchless, peerless, unequalled,
             unrivalled, singular, unique, incomparable, excellent, superb,
             sterling, dazzling, first-rate, exceptional, extraordinary,
             marvellous, spectacular, capital, Colloq tiptop, super,
             smashing, great, ace, terrific, fantastic, Slang crack:  Max
             turned in a superlative performance in the tournament.

   supernatural
             adj.  preternatural, unusual, extraordinary, exceptional,
             unnatural, miraculous, remarkable, fabulous, preterhuman,
             ghostly, spectral, abnormal, inexplicable, unexplainable;
             metaphysical, other-worldly, unearthly, ultramundane,
             supramundane, extramundane, occult, mystic, paranormal, psychic,
             uncanny, weird, mysterious, arcane, unreal, magical, dark:  Some
             claim to hear supernatural voices speaking to them. Many
             characters in children's stories have supernatural powers.

   supersede v.  replace, succeed, displace, supplant, oust, take the place
             of, substitute for:  The 286 computers have been superseded by
             386 models.

   supervise v.  oversee, overlook, watch (over), manage, run, control,
             superintend, govern, direct, be in or have charge (of), handle,
             keep an eye on, administer:  They are moving you up to supervise
             the production department.

   supervisor
             n.  overseer, foreman, manager, controller, superintendent,
             superior, governor, director, boss, chief, head, administrator:
             As supervisor, you are responsible for the work done in your
             department.

   supervisory
             adj.  managerial, administrative, executive:  Do you think that
             Len is ready for supervisory responsibilities?

   supine    adj.  1 flat (on one's back), lying (down), prostrate,
             recumbent, Formal or technical procumbent, accumbent, decumbent:
             When I found him, he was supine, staring up at the stars.  2
             indolent, lazy, lethargic, idle, listless, indifferent,
             apathetic, unconcerned, uninterested, torpid, languid,
             languorous, sluggish, slothful, phlegmatic, lymphatic,
             lackadaisical, inert, inactive, passive, motionless, inanimate,
             spiritless, abject:  During the entire crisis, the town council
             was completely supine and uncaring.

   supplant  v.  replace, displace, oust, turn out, eject, remove, expel,
             dismiss, unseat, supersede, substitute, exchange:  The council
             should be supplanted by a new group more sympathetic to the
             needs of the people.

   supple    adj.  1 flexible, flexile, pliant, bendable, elastic, resilient,
             pliable, tractile, fictile:  He made a rug-beater out of some
             supple lengths of bamboo.  2 willowy, lithe, limber, nimble,
             pliant, lissom or lissome, graceful, athletic:  She has the
             supple body of a dancer.  3 tractable, compliant, yielding,
             accommodating, obliging, complaisant, acquiescent, submissive,
             unresistant, unresisting, servile, obsequious, ingratiating,
             fawning, toadying:  With supple words the miserable sycophant
             wormed his way into father's confidence.

   supplement
             n.  1 addendum, addition, appendix, epilogue, end-piece,
             postscript, appendage, extension, continuation, adjunct, annexe,
             appurtenance, accessory, codicil, insert, sequel;
             supplementation; Technical suppletion:  The later version
             includes the 1909 supplement.

             --v.  2 add (on or to), extend, augment; complement:  Various
             scholars supplemented the earlier work with their own notes and
             comments. He supplements his income by working at a restaurant.

   supplementary
             adj.  1 additional, added, annexed, adjunct, new:  The
             supplementary buildings increased the size of the hospital
             greatly. 2 supplemental, supportive, contributory, ancillary,
             secondary, subordinate, annexed, additional, attached, added,
             appended, subsidiary, adscititious; extraneous, adventitious,
             supervenient, extra, excess; Technical suppletive:  The
             supplementary material expanded the original work five-fold.

   supplicant
             adj.  1 suppliant, supplicating, entreating, petitioning,
             supplicatory, beseeching, praying, imploring, solicitous,
             importunate, begging, mendicant:  In 1897, he carved a
             supplicant group in white marble, now in the Fraser Museum.

             --n.  2 suppliant, applicant, petitioner, beseecher, suitor,
             pleader, aspirant, appellant, plaintiff, beggar, mendicant:  He
             came to me as a supplicant, begging forgiveness for what he had
             done.

   supplication
             n.  1 entreaty, petition, prayer, appeal, pleading, plea, suit,
             solicitation, obsecration, obtestation, impetration:  Heeding
             the pitiful supplications of the beggars, they gave them some
             money. 2 supplicating, begging, pleading, soliciting,
             petitioning, entreating, beseeching:  All his supplication could
             not wring a farthing from the old skinflint.

   supply    v.  1 furnish, provide, give, endow, present, purvey, deliver,
             come up with, contribute, distribute, sell; stock, accommodate,
             afford, equip, outfit, gear (up), rig (out), fit (out),
             provision, cater to, Chiefly Brit kit out or up; victual:  Her
             company supplies radios to the army. Her husband's firm supplies
             the navy with anti-fouling paint. 2 yield, give, contribute,
             come up with, deliver, provide, furnish:  The farm supplies our
             basic foods.  3 satisfy, fulfil, replenish, fill:  Can you
             supply the demand for clothing?

             --n.  4 stock, stockpile, store, inventory, quantity, reservoir,
             reserve, cache, hoard, accumulation, fund:  Our supply is big
             enough to serve the entire area.  5 furnishing, provision,
             providing, purveying, supplying, distribution, equipping,
             outfitting, provisioning, delivery, stocking, stockpiling:  The
             supply of microchips on a large scale is beyond our capacity.

   support   v.  1 back (up), stand by, help, bolster, uphold, brace,
             strengthen, fortify, buttress, prop (up), shore up, reinforce,
             boost, champion, assist, take up the cudgels for, aid, promote,
             forward, second, advance, advocate, stand up for, be supportive
             (of or in), Colloq stick up for:  Peterson agreed to support him
             in his bid for the presidency.  2 brace, hold up, carry, prop
             (up); strengthen, shore up, reinforce, fortify, buttress:  You
             need a column to support this beam.  3 tolerate, bear, stand
             (for), suffer, submit to, undergo, brook, stomach, endure,
             abide, countenance, face, Brit stick, Colloq put up with:  He
             cannot support the notion that she might be guilty.  4 pay for,
             fund, maintain, keep, finance, subsidize, underwrite, sponsor,
             Colloq US bankroll:  I can no longer support myself or my
             family.  5 sustain, withstand, stand, take, bear, tolerate, hold
             up under, weather:  His legs were too weak to support his own
             weight.  6 verify, corroborate, authenticate, vouch for,
             endorse, confirm, affirm, bear out, attest to, certify,
             substantiate, validate, ratify:  Can anyone support his alibi?

             --n.  7 help, backing, backup, reinforcement, bolstering,
             encouragement, reinforcing, fortifying, assistance, aid,
             succour, sustenance:  Thank you for your support over the years.
             8 brace, prop, stay, frame, foundation, underpinning,
             substructure, truss, beam, column, pillar, strut, guy, guy wire,
             mainstay, buttress, bolster, reinforcement, supporter:  The
             supports failed under the grandstand and it fell, injuring a
             few. Alan was a tremendous support during my illness. 9
             sustenance, (living) expenses, keep, maintenance, subsistence,
             upkeep; finances, funding:  Mona is suing David for the support
             of their child. He lives mainly on government support.

   supportable
             adj.  1 tolerable, bearable, endurable, acceptable, sufferable:
             Thoughts of death are more supportable when it seems remote.  2
             defensible, confirmable, verifiable, demonstrable, tenable,
             believable:  The argument that we should keep the old tax
             structure is simply not supportable.

   supporter n.  1 enthusiast, champion, promoter, fan, aficionado, devotee,
             admirer, backer, follower, support, advocate, exponent,
             adherent, aid, assistant, helper:  I wish to thank my many
             supporters, who were there when I needed them. 2 See support, 8,
             above.

   supportive
             adj.  helpful, sustaining, supporting, encouraging, sympathetic,
             understanding, reassuring:  Among our many friends, Cleo was the
             most supportive during the recent trouble.

   suppose   v.  1 assume, presume, presuppose, surmise, take, take as given
             or as read, take for granted; believe, think, fancy, imagine;
             Colloq take it:  Don't people usually suppose that civil
             servants are honest? I supposed her to be his wife. Do you
             suppose you could return my key today? 2 hypothesize, theorize,
             postulate, posit, assume:  Supposing a reduced rate of
             inflation, will they reduce interest rates? Suppose that you
             have lost the election - what will you do?

   supposed  adj.  1 alleged, assumed, putative, reputed, presumed,
             hypothetical, theoretical, theorized, imagined, suppositious,
             supposititious:  Her supposed drug addiction turned out to be a
             myth.  2 obliged, expected, required; meant, intended:  You were
             supposed to return my key. What is that supposed to mean?

   supposedly
             adv.  allegedly, reputedly, theoretically, hypothetically,
             presumably; rumour has it:  The bridge was blown up, supposedly
             by terrorists.

   supposing conj.  if, even if, in the event that, despite the fact that,
             although, though:  Supposing he says no, what will you do?

   supposition
             n.  assumption, presumption, surmise, belief, thought, fancy,
             theory, hypothesis, postulate, proposal, proposition:  On the
             supposition that your calculations are correct, we will have
             made a profit this year.

   suppress  v.  1 end, discontinue, cut off, cease, stop, terminate, put an
             end to, halt, prohibit, preclude, prevent, repress, censor,
             forbid, interdict, block, obstruct, withhold, stifle, inhibit,
             hinder, arrest:  They have been unable to suppress the
             publication of the book.  2 put down, quell, crush, squelch,
             quash, subdue, check, stamp out, snuff out, smother, extinguish,
             quench, crack down on:  The uprising was suppressed with the
             shooting of the students.  3 keep down, control, keep under
             control, keep or hold in check, restrain, hold in or back,
             repress, cover up, conceal, hide, keep quiet or secret, mute,
             muffle, quiet, silence:  Objections to the guest speaker were
             suppressed at the request of the university's chancellor.

   suppression
             n.  suppressing, ending, end, discontinuation, discontinuing,
             cutting off, cut-off, cessation, ceasing, surcease, stopping,
             stop, terminating, termination, halting, halt, prohibiting,
             prohibition, preclusion, precluding, preventing, prevention,
             repressing, repression, censoring, censorship, forbidding,
             forbiddance, interdicting, interdiction, blocking, obstructing,
             obstruction, withholding, stifling, hindering; putting down,
             put-down, quelling, crushing, squelching, quashing, subduing,
             checking, check, stamping out, smothering, snuffing out,
             extinguishing, extinction, elimination, quenching, cracking down
             on, crack-down; control, controlling, restraining, restraint,
             concealing, concealment, hiding, muting, muffling, quieting,
             silencing:  That constitutes suppression of the freedom of
             speech. The suppression of heresy is a perennial church problem.
             Dictators confuse the suppression of ideas with the oppression
             of people.

   supremacist
             n.  supremist, bigot, racist, racialist, dogmatist, zealot,
             fanatic:  Supremacists' philosophies are based on hatred, not
             love.

   supremacy n.  1 transcendency, pre-eminence, superiority, ascendancy,
             excellence, primacy, peerlessness, matchlessness,
             incomparability, inimitability:  Colonialism depends on military
             supremacy.  2 sovereignty, dominion, sway, mastery, control,
             dominance, (supreme or absolute) rule or authority, autarchy,
             omnipotence, hegemony:  They maintained their supremacy over the
             Iberian peninsula for centuries.

   supreme   adj.  1 highest, loftiest, topmost, greatest, first, foremost,
             principal, unsurpassed, top, uppermost, chief, paramount,
             sovereign:  There is no appeal to a decision of the supreme
             tribunal.  2 greatest, maximum, extreme, uttermost, utmost,
             ultimate:  I fear that your son has made the supreme sacrifice,
             Mrs Atkins.  3 best, greatest, first, outstanding, pre-eminent,
             first-rate, prime, primary, unexcelled, leading, crowning,
             consummate:  Many regard her as the supreme artist of her day.
             4 superb, marvellous, excellent, outstanding, superlative,
             matchless, peerless, incomparable, unparalleled, masterful,
             masterly, sublime, brilliant, transcendent, inimitable, choice:
             There is no doubt that she is a supreme artist.

   supremely adv.  very, extremely, completely, perfectly, superlatively,
             sublimely, transcendently:  I have never been so supremely happy
             as I was in Capri in '38.

   sure      adj.  1 certain, assured, convinced, persuaded, positive,
             definite, unwavering, unswerving, unflinching, steadfast,
             steady, unshakeable or unshakable, confident, satisfied,
             undeviating, unfaltering:  How can you be so sure in your
             opinion that Jack did it? I'm sure I've met you before. 2
             established, firm, solid, trusty, stable, steadfast, secure,
             safe, trustworthy, reliable:  I never travel without my sure
             companions, courage and caution.  3 accurate, reliable,
             dependable, tried and true, unfailing, infallible, foolproof,
             effective, Colloq sure-fire:  A high temperature is a sure sign
             of illness.  4 certain, inevitable, indubitable, unavoidable,
             ineluctable, inescapable, guaranteed:  He who enters the Devil's
             Cave meets sure death.

   surely    adv.  1 certainly, to be sure, positively, absolutely,
             definitely, undoubtedly, indubitably, unquestionably, beyond the
             shadow of a doubt, beyond question, doubtless, doubtlessly,
             assuredly, Colloq sure, US absotively-posolutely:  He is surely
             one of the finest riders I've ever seen.  2 firmly, solidly,
             confidently, unfalteringly, steadily, unswervingly,
             unhesitatingly, determinedly, doggedly, securely:  Slowly but
             surely, the Great Bamboni stepped out onto the tightrope
             stretched across the Reichenbach Falls.

   surface   n.  1 exterior, covering, outside, top, skin, integument,
             fa‡ade, face, boundary, interface, superficies; side, plane:
             Most of the earth's surface is covered by water. How many
             surfaces on an icosahedron? 2 on the surface. superficially, to
             all appearances, at first glance, outwardly, to the casual
             observer, extrinsically, ostensibly:  It looks pretty enough on
             the surface, but it is rotten underneath.

             --v.  3 appear, show up, emerge, materialize, arise, rise, come
             up, Colloq pop up, crop up:  Guess who surfaced after ten years
             in Tierra del Fuego! An enormous turtle surfaced near our boat.
             4 pave, concrete, tarmac:  They are surfacing the road in front
             of my house.

   surfeit   n.  over-abundance, superabundance, plethora, glut, excess,
             surplus, oversupply, overdose, satiety, overflow, flood, deluge,
             superfluity, nimiety:  There has been a surfeit of those dolls
             on the market. She is suffering from a surfeit of rich food and
             alcohol.

   surfeited adj.  gorged, overfed, satiated, sated, stuffed, glutted, jaded:
             He passed the sleeping surfeited diners and stole into the
             library unseen.

   surge     v.  1 swell, wave, billow, bulge, heave, roll, undulate, well
             forth or up, rise and fall, ebb and flow, pulsate; rush, gush,
             pour, flood, stream, flow:  The sea surged through the narrow
             gorge with a roar. The crowd surged round their hero.

             --n.  2 swell, wave, billow, roller, whitecap, white horse,
             breaker, comber, upsurge, eddy, rush, gush, flood, stream, flow:
             The raft was caught by a surge and tossed high up on the beach.

   surly     adj.  unpleasant, rude, crusty, cantankerous, curmudgeonly,
             churlish, crabby, crabbed, choleric, splenetic, dyspeptic,
             bilious, temperamental, cross, crotchety, grouchy, grumpy,
             bearish, testy, touchy, short-tempered, ill-tempered,
             bad-tempered, ill-natured, bad-natured, ill-humoured, peevish,
             quarrelsome, argumentative, obnoxious, uncivil, rough,
             obstreperous:  I see no reason to shop where the sales staff are
             surly.

   surmise   v.  1 imagine, guess, conjecture, speculate, suppose,
             hypothesize, theorize, assume, presume, conclude, gather, infer,
             understand, fancy, suspect, feel, sense:  I surmised that the
             treaty terms were arranged by deputies long before the summit.

             --n.  2 guess, conjecture, speculation, notion, hypothesis,
             theory, supposition, assumption, presumption, conclusion,
             understanding, fancy, suspicion, feeling, sense:  It was an
             early surmise of the experts that man could not survive passing
             through the Van Allen belts.

   surpass   v.  exceed, excel, go or pass beyond, outdo, beat, worst,
             better, best, outstrip, outdistance, outperform, outclass,
             outshine, eclipse, overshadow, top, cap, transcend, prevail
             over, leave behind:  He easily surpassed the statesmen of his
             time.

   surpassing
             adj.  excessive, extraordinary, great, enormous, unrivalled,
             matchless, peerless, unmatched, unequalled, unsurpassed:  I
             could not believe the surpassing gall of the man.

   surpassingly
             adv.  exceedingly, extraordinarily, incomparably, Literary
             surpassing:  The girls on the beach were surpassingly beautiful.

   surplus   n.  1 surplusage, overage, excess, leftover(s), surfeit,
             over-abundance, oversupply, overdose, glut:  The price of oil
             dropped owing to the surplus in the market.

             --adj.  2 excess, leftover, extra, spare, over-abundant,
             superfluous, unused, redundant:  The surplus grain is sold
             abroad.

   surprise  v.  1 shock, astound, astonish, amaze, disconcert, nonplus,
             dumbfound or dumfound, stagger, take aback, strike, hit, Colloq
             floor, bowl over, flabbergast, rock or set (someone) back on his
             or her or chiefly Brit their heels, Brit knock (someone) for
             six, US knock (someone) for a loop:  What surprised me was her
             coolness in the face of danger.  2 take or catch unawares, catch
             red-handed or in the act or in flagrante delicto, catch napping
             or off guard, discover:  When Samuel Johnson's wife found him
             with a maid, she said, 'Dr Johnson! I am surprised!', to which
             he replied, 'No, madam: you are amazed. I am surprised.'

             --n.  3 shock, astonishment, amazement, stupefaction, wonder,
             incredulity:  Imagine my surprise to learn that I was being
             arrested.  4 blow, jolt, shocker, bolt from or US also out of
             the blue, bombshell, eye-opener:  It came as a surprise to me
             that my sister was pregnant.

   surrender v.  1 give up, yield, let go (of), relinquish, deliver (up),
             hand over, forgo, forsake, turn over, turn in, part with, cede,
             concede:  We were forced at gunpoint to surrender our valuables.
             2 give up, yield, quit, cry quits, capitulate, throw in the
             sponge or the towel, raise the white flag, throw up one's hands,
             succumb, submit, give way, acquiesce, comply, give in, concede,
             crumble:  The argument is so overwhelming that I must surrender.

             --n.  3 submission, capitulation, yielding, renunciation,
             relinquishment, yielding, transferral, transfer, transference,
             handing or turning over, conveyancing, ceding, cession,
             concession:  The official surrender of the disputed territory
             took place in the following year.

   surreptitious
             adj.  furtive, secret, clandestine, stealthy, underhand(ed),
             covert, (on the) sly, secretive, private, concealed, hidden,
             veiled, Colloq sneaky:  She stole surreptitious glances at him.

   surround  v.  1 encompass, encircle, envelop, enclose, hem in, ring:  She
             likes being surrounded by flowers. Troops surrounded the
             building.

             --n.  2 environs, environment, surroundings, atmosphere,
             ambience or ambiance, setting:  The formal gardens make a
             charming surround for the art gallery.

   surrounding
             adj.  nearby, neighbouring, local, adjoining, neighbourhood,
             adjacent, bordering, abutting, circumambient, circumjacent:  The
             surrounding countryside was bursting into bloom.

   surveillance
             n.  observation, watch, scrutiny, reconnaissance:  The police
             kept him under constant surveillance.

   survey    v.  1 examine, appraise, evaluate, take the measure of, inspect,
             study, scan, scrutinize, measure, size up, assess, investigate,
             look into or over, review:  He surveyed the situation and found
             nothing wrong.  2 view, look at, get a bird's eye view of,
             contemplate:  From the top of the tower I surveyed the
             surrounding countryside.

             --n.  3 surveying, examination, appraisal, evaluation, measure,
             study, scan, scanning, scrutiny, inquiry or enquiry,
             measurement, investigation, inspection:  Our survey of the
             company finances yielded some very interesting information.

   survive   v.  1 continue, last, live (on), persist, subsist, pull through,
             endure:  The village was destroyed, but its people survived.  2
             outlast, outlive,:  At the age of 114, MacMurtagh has survived
             all his children and many of his grandchildren.

   susceptible
             adj.  1 Often, susceptible of or to. open (to), prone (to),
             subject (to), disposed (to), predisposed (to), receptive (to),
             affected by, responsive (to):  Brass is susceptible of a high
             shine. Are you still susceptible to her blandishments? 2
             impressionable, influenceable, vulnerable, reachable,
             accessible, credulous, suggestible, gullible, na‹ve:
             Susceptible youngsters need protection from commercial
             exploitation.

   suspect   v.  1 disbelieve, doubt, mistrust, distrust, harbour or have
             suspicions about or of, be suspicious of:  Do you suspect the
             butler?  2 feel, think, believe, sense, have a feeling, fancy,
             imagine, theorize, guess, surmise, have a sneaking suspicion,
             think it likely or probable, Colloq expect:  I suspect that the
             butler might have done it.

             --adj.  3 suspicious, questionable, doubtful, dubious, shady,
             shadowy; suspected:  If you ask me, his behaviour since boarding
             the Orient Express has been highly suspect.

   suspend   v.  1 hold up or off (on), withhold, put off, put or hold or
             keep in or into abeyance, shelve, postpone, delay, defer,
             interrupt, stop or check or cease or discontinue temporarily, US
             table:  We suspended payment pending inspection of the work
             already done.  Train services on this route will be suspended
             till further notice.  Suspend your disbelief for a moment to
             consider the possible motive for stealing a prune. 2 hang,
             attach, fasten, dangle, swing:  She suspended the cameo from a
             gold chain which she wore as a necklace. 3 debar, exclude,
             eliminate, reject, expel, eject, evict; deprive of the rights
             of, deny the privileges of; blackball:  A member may be
             suspended if his dues are six months or more in arrears.

   suspense  n.  1 uncertainty, indefiniteness, insecurity, doubt,
             irresolution, expectancy, indecision, not knowing:  May I have
             the envelope please? - I cannot stand the suspense!  2 anxiety,
             tension, apprehension, nervousness, agitation, anxiousness,
             anticipation, expectation, excitement:  A story that creates
             suspense for the reader is often suitable for film treatment.

   suspension
             n.  1 debarring, disbarment, exclusion, elimination, rejection,
             expulsion, ejection, eviction, deprivation, denial:  The
             suspension of privileges cannot last for more than a fortnight.
             2 intermission, moratorium, deferment, hold-up, delay, delaying,
             interruption, postponement, postponing, discontinuing,
             discontinuation, stay:  Luckily, the suspension of hostilities
             lasted till the summer.

   suspicion n.  1 doubt, dubiousness, dubiety, misgiving, mistrust,
             distrust, scepticism, qualm, wariness, apprehension,
             apprehensiveness, cautiousness, hesitation, second thought(s),
             uncertainty, leeriness, Colloq funny feeling, bad vibes:  We all
             had our suspicions about Edward's genuine intentions. My worst
             suspicions have now been confirmed. 2 notion, inkling,
             suggestion, hint, trace, flavour, soup‡on, taste, dash, glimmer,
             tinge, touch, shadow, shade, scintilla, Colloq chiefly US and
             Canadian tad:  If you have even a suspicion of doubt, do not
             find the defendant guilty. Did I detect a suspicion of a sneer?

   suspicious
             adj.  1 doubtful, in doubt, dubious, questionable, debatable,
             suspect(ed), under suspicion, open to doubt or question or
             misconstruction, Colloq shady, fishy:  There is something very
             suspicious about his behaviour.  2 mistrustful, distrustful,
             doubtful, in doubt, sceptical, suspecting, disbelieving,
             unbelieving, leery, apprehensive, wary, uncertain, uneasy:  I
             was suspicious of Douglas from the very beginning.

   sustain   v.  1 uphold, support, keep up, maintain, continue, keep
             (someone or something) going, keep alive, preserve; prolong,
             persist in:  He has been sustained on a life-support system for
             weeks. If Georgette can sustain the pretence of loving him, he
             won't change his will. 2 support, carry, bear, bolster, buoy
             (up), reinforce, keep (someone) going, strengthen, shore up,
             underpin, prop up, buttress:  During those long months as a
             hostage, only prayer sustained him.  3 endure, stand, withstand,
             bear up under, put up with, suffer, undergo, experience,
             tolerate, weather, brave:  It is amazing how much punishment the
             human body can sustain.  4 bear, carry, support:  This column is
             supposed to sustain the weight of half the building.  5 uphold,
             recognize, allow, admit, approve, ratify, sanction, authorize,
             endorse, validate:  The judge sustained the objection by the
             defence.

   sustained adj.  continued, continuous, continual, prolonged, unremitting,
             steady, ceaseless, unceasing, incessant, interminable; uniform,
             even, level, unchanged, unchanging:  The neighbours keep up that
             sustained caterwauling every night.  The audience was thrilled
             by her sustained top C.

   sustenance
             n.  1 nutriment, nourishment, food (and drink), daily bread,
             rations, victuals, provisions, provender, groceries, aliment,
             edibles, eatables, foodstuff(s), viands, meat, Colloq grub,
             eats, chow, nosh, Slang Brit prog, scoff:  My first concern is
             sustenance for my family.  2 livelihood, support, maintenance,
             upkeep, keep, subsistence, living:  The fur trade provided the
             sustenance of early Canadian settlers.

19.15 swagger...
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   swagger   v.  1 strut, prance, parade, Archaic swash, Colloq US sashay,
             cut a swath:  Look at that Charlie swaggering down the street in
             his new suit!  2 boast, brag, show off, vaunt, crow, Colloq Brit
             swank:  He is always swaggering on about his war experiences.

             --n.  3 strut, prance, strutting, swaggering, show, display,
             showing off, ostentation, braggadocio, arrogance, boastfulness:
             Paul's outrageous swagger developed only after he was promoted.

   swallow   v.  1 eat, consume, devour, ingest, dispatch or despatch; drink,
             gulp, guzzle, down, Colloq put or pack away, swig, swill:
             Snakes swallow their prey whole. The amount that man can swallow
             at one meal is incredible. 2 accept, allow, credit, believe,
             take, Colloq buy, fall for:  She swallowed that tale about an
             aeroplane hook, line, and sinker.  3 Often, swallow up. absorb,
             make disappear, engulf, consume, assimilate:  The fugitive was
             swallowed up by the crowd.  4 Sometimes, swallow back. keep or
             choke back or down, repress, suppress, control, stifle, smother,
             overcome, conquer:  Harriet swallowed back the tears. Try
             swallowing your pride just this once.

             --n.  5 bite, nibble, morsel, mouthful; drink, gulp, guzzle,
             Colloq swig:  Have a swallow of this to warm you up a little.

   swamp     n.  1 bog, fen, marsh, quagmire, morass, moor, Chiefly literary
             slough, Scots and No. Eng. dialect moss, So. US everglade:  The
             draining of swamps destroys the breeding places of mosquitoes.

             --v.  2 overwhelm, overcome, flood, inundate, submerge, immerse,
             deluge, overload, overtax, overburden, Colloq snow under:  I'm
             so swamped with work I'm sleeping at the office.  3 scuttle,
             sink, founder:  A huge wave swamped the boat and she sank
             quickly.

   swanky    adj.  smart, stylish, fashionable, chic, chichi, fancy,
             luxurious, grand, elegant, Colloq swank, snazzy, neat, nifty,
             plush, posh, ritzy, Brit swish:  Living in a swanky house and
             wearing swanky clothes - what else would anyone want?

   swarm     n.  1 throng, horde, army, host, multitude, hive, herd, mob,
             mass, drove, flood, stream, cloud, flock, pack, shoal, bunch:
             Swarms of people showed up for our garden party.

             --v.  2 throng, mass, crowd, congregate, flock, gather, flood,
             stream, flow:  The fans swarmed round the rock group.  3 swarm
             with. Often, be swarming with. crawl with, abound in or with,
             throng with, teem with, burst with, bristle with, be overrun
             with:  In two minutes the place was swarming with police.

   swarthy   adj.  swart, black, ebon, ebony, sable, pitch-black, jet-black,
             coal-black, raven, dark:  His swarthy complexion contrasted with
             her china-like pallor.

   swashbuckling
             adj.  adventurous, daring, daredevil, swaggering, roisterous,
             bold, dashing, flamboyant:  Those old swashbuckling films with
             Errol Flynn, Richard Green, and Douglas Fairbanks, formed a
             genre all their own.

   swath     n.  swathe, path, belt, strip:  A flock of birds was feeding
             along the swath cut by the harvester.

   swathe    v.  tie, bind, bandage, wrap, enwrap, swaddle, bundle (up),
             envelop, shroud, muffle (up):  I can't tell who he is as his
             head is swathed in bandages.

   sway      v.  1 wave, waver, swing, sweep, oscillate, undulate, reel,
             totter, swing or move to and fro or back and forth or from side
             to side or backwards and forwards, rock, fluctuate; bend, lean:
             The reeds swayed in the breeze.  2 move, incline, divert, tend,
             veer, tilt, lean, slant, bias; influence, persuade, impress, win
             over, bring round, convince, talk into:  The wind is causing the
             trees to sway towards the east. We tried to sway him to our way
             of thinking.

             --n.  3 sweep, wave, swing, (period of) oscillation, libration:
             There must be a sway of twenty feet in the top of that
             skyscraper.  4 influence, control, power, command, authority,
             dominion, rule, sovereignty, leadership, mastery; grip,
             clutches, grasp:  His ambition was to get the mountain people
             under his sway.

   swear     v.  1 depose, aver, asseverate, declare, insist, assert,
             solemnly affirm or state, testify, promise, take an oath,
             undertake, vow, avow, vouchsafe, warrant, pledge, give one's
             word, agree:  He swore he had not done any such thing.  2 curse,
             blaspheme, imprecate, use profanity, utter profanities,
             execrate, Colloq cuss:  Priscilla stopped her ears at the men's
             swearing.  3 swear by. trust (in), believe in, rely on, have
             confidence in, count on:  The colonel swears by the same old
             fountain-pen he has used for years and will use no other. 4
             swear off. forswear, renounce, abjure, go off, forgo, shun,
             avoid, give up, eschew, forsake, throw over:  Brian tells me
             he's sworn off alcohol for a while.

   sweat     v.  1 perspire, glow:  That workout made me sweat.  2 Often,
             sweat out. worry, be anxious, agonize, anguish, bite (one's)
             nails, be on pins and needles, fret, fuss, stew, torture or
             torment oneself, lose sleep (over), Colloq sweat blood, be in a
             tizzy, US sweat bullets:  The professors really like to make
             students sweat, don't they?  Fiona is sweating it out till the
             results are posted. 3 slave (away), labour, drudge, grind, toil
             and moil, slog, work like a Trojan or a horse, Slang Brit swot
             or swat:  I sweat over a hot stove all day while you're out and
             about town.  4 ooze, exude, squeeze out, transude:  When a boy,
             he believed that dew came from flowers sweating water.

             --n.  5 perspiration, Technical diaphoresis, sudor:  In addition
             to body moisture, salt and other minerals are lost in sweat. 6
             (hard) work, labour, laboriousness, grind, toil, drudgery,
             slogging, sweating, Slang Brit swotting or swatting:  Nothing
             worthwhile is gained without some sweat.  7 state of confusion
             or upset or excitement or distraction or agitation or anxiety or
             distress or worry; pother, Colloq dither, tizzy, lather:  Henry
             has really worked himself up into a sweat over this problem.  8
             No sweat! No problem!, Don't worry!, Everything is taken care
             of!, All is well!, That presents no difficulty!:  When asked to
             change a flat tyre, the stranger's response was, 'No sweat!'

   sweep     v.  1 brush, whisk, clean, clear, tidy up:  This weekend I have
             to sweep out the basement.  2 Often, sweep away. carry or take
             (away or off), destroy, wipe out, demolish, remove, wash (away);
             blow (away):  The raging torrent swept away the bridge. The wind
             swept the debris before it. 3 swoop, flounce, glide, sail,
             march, parade, skim, tear, dash, zoom:  Hattie swept into the
             room majestically.  4 curve, arc, arch, bend, bow, circle, turn:
             The long drive to the house sweeps round the pond and gardens.

             --n.  5 pass, clearance, stroke; purge:  In one clean sweep the
             police rounded up all the suspects.  6 curve, arc, arch, bow,
             bend, curvature, flexure:  Note the sweep of those main arches
             holding up the dome.  7 range, extent, compass, reach, stretch,
             scope, swing, span:  The Hubbell space telescope has a farther
             sweep than any on earth.

   sweeping  adj.  1 comprehensive, (all-)inclusive, general, extensive,
             universal, all-embracing, broad, widespread, wide(-ranging),
             far-ranging, blanket, umbrella, catholic, exhaustive, radical,
             thorough(-going), out-and-out, across the board, wholesale,
             Colloq wall-to-wall:  We must institute sweeping reforms of the
             party before the election.  2 complete, total, overwhelming,
             decisive:  The first team enjoyed a sweeping victory in track
             and field events.

   sweet     adj.  1 sugary, honey-like, honeyed, sweetened:  Sweet breakfast
             cereals are bad for your teeth.  2 fragrant, perfumed, scented,
             aromatic, ambrosial, sweet-smelling, sweet-scented, balmy,
             redolent:  The night air was sweet with jasmine.  3 harmonious,
             melodious, sweet-sounding, euphonious, dulcet, musical, tuneful,
             euphonic, mellifluous, mellow, lyric, silvery, bell-like,
             golden:  I could hear McCormick's sweet voice singing 'Danny
             Boy'.  4 gentle, amiable, agreeable, genial, warm, friendly,
             kind, nice, unassuming, easygoing; attractive, appealing,
             charming, winning, pleasant, pleasing, lovely; cute, pretty:
             Jane normally has such a sweet disposition. Old Mrs Hughes was
             always sweet to me when I was little. Amy looks so sweet in her
             new dress. What a sweet little kitten! 5 dear, beloved,
             precious, prized, treasured, wonderful, marvellous, splendid,
             Colloq great:  How sweet life can be!  6 considerate, attentive,
             solicitous, thoughtful, sympathetic, compassionate, kind,
             kind-hearted, generous, gracious, accommodating:  How sweet it
             was of you to bring flowers!  7 cloying, sentimental, syrupy,
             saccharine, treacly, precious, honeyed, sickening, Colloq
             gushing, gushy, sloppy, soppy, maudlin, sticky, Brit twee,
             Colloq icky:  Claire is so sweet that she really overdoes it
             sometimes.  8 sweet on. fond of, taken with, keen on, devoted
             to, enamoured of, infatuated with, (head over heels) in love
             with, Colloq wild or mad or crazy about, nuts about or over,
             Slang gone on, stuck on, batty about:  We were teasing Rick
             about being sweet on Anne.

             --n.  9 Often, sweets. bon-bon, chocolate, confection,
             sweetmeat, Old-fashioned comfit, US candy:  Harry always brings
             a box of sweets for my mother when he comes to see me. 10
             dessert, Brit pudding, afters:  For a sweet we can offer you a
             choice between chocolate gateau and gooseberry pie.

   sweeten   v.  1 sugar, sugar-coat:  Can you think of nothing that would
             sweeten the bad news?  2 dress up, make more attractive or
             agreeable, sugar-coat, embellish, embroider; make less painful,
             mitigate, alleviate, assuage, lighten, soften, palliate,
             mollify, ease, allay, moderate, temper:  Perhaps the
             shareholders would be more amenable to the take-over were the
             buyers to sweeten the offer.

   sweetheart
             n.  girlfriend, boyfriend, friend, admirer, beau, darling, dear,
             love, beloved, lover, paramour, inamorato, inamorata, lady-love,
             betrothed, intended, fianc‚(e), Archaic swain Colloq heartthrob,
             flame, sweetie, steady:  She married her childhood sweetheart
             and lived happily ever after.

   swell     v.  1 Often, swell out or up. grow, increase, enlarge, expand,
             blow or puff up or out, distend, inflate, dilate, wax; mushroom,
             belly, balloon, bloat, bulge, billow, fatten, rise, tumefy:
             After cooking, the mixture swells to twice its original volume.
             2 grow, increase, mushroom, snowball, accumulate, mount:
             Forgotten for years, her savings had swelled to become a small
             fortune. 3 increase, raise, augment, enlarge, boost, step up:
             Something must be done to swell the number of recruits.

             --n.  4 enlargement, broadening, increase, extension, spread,
             swelling, inflation, expansion, rise, surge:  Have you noted the
             swell in popularity of health foods?  5 wave, surge, billow:  As
             we rose to the top of each swell, we could see the shore.  6
             fop, dandy, gay blade, fashion plate, Beau Brummell, Archaic
             coxcomb, Historical macaroni, Colloq clothes-horse, US fancy
             Dan, Slang nob, Archaic lounge lizard, Brit toff:  He frequented
             the clubs populated by the other London swells.

             --adj.  7 smart, chic, stylish, fashionable, modish, grand,
             luxurious, de luxe, elegant, first-rate, first-class, top-grade,
             Colloq posh, swank, swanky, ritzy:  Charlie always took Diane to
             the swellest places.  8 marvellous, thrilling, splendid,
             spectacular, first-rate, fine, Colloq great, super, terrific:  I
             really had a swell time at your party.

   swelling  n.  enlargement, distension, tumescence, protuberance, bump,
             prominence, bulge, lump, excrescence, protrusion, tumour, node,
             nodule:  It is a good idea to have any unexplained swelling
             examined by the doctor.

   sweltering
             adj.  hot, torrid, steaming, sultry, steamy, muggy, sticky,
             oppressive, stifling, stuffy, suffocating, clammy, humid, wet,
             broiling, boiling, scorching, roasting, baking, wilting,
             melting, tropical, Colloq close:  I cannot live through another
             sweltering summer in the Amazon jungle.

   swerve    v.  veer, career, swing, diverge, deviate, sheer off, skew,
             stray, turn (aside):  The car swerved wildly off the road and
             into a ditch.

   swift     adj.  fleet, fast, rapid, speedy, hasty, lively, nimble,
             expeditious; quick, brisk, sudden, abrupt:  The postman was bent
             on the swift completion of his rounds. What Bill needs is a
             swift kick to jolt him out of his lethargy.

   swiftly   adv.  fast, quickly, speedily, rapidly, expeditiously; briskly,
             hurriedly, hastily, suddenly, abruptly, in a flash, in a trice,
             in the wink of an eye, before you can say 'Jack Robinson',
             before you can say 'knife', like a shot, in an instant, in (less
             than) no time, precipitately, unexpectedly, Colloq like greased
             lightning, US lickety-split, in a jiffy, Slang pronto, like a
             bat out of hell:  The assembly is done much more swiftly by
             machine. Swiftly, I ducked into a doorway to avoid being seen.

   swill     n.  1 hogwash, pigswill, refuse, pigwash, slop(s), garbage,
             waste:  If you saw the swill that pigs eat, you might not eat
             pork.  2 nonsense, rot, rubbish, Slang crap:  That novel of hers
             was the worst swill I've read in a long time.

             --v.  3 drink, guzzle, quaff, swallow, Colloq swig, toss off or
             down, throw down, polish off, knock back or off, US chug-a-lug:
             They waste every evening swilling beer.

   swimmingly
             adv.  smoothly, easily, effortlessly, well, successfully,
             without a hitch or a problem, like a dream, cosily, like
             clockwork, without difficulty, handily, readily:  The plan has
             gone swimmingly thus far.

   swindle   v.  1 cheat, cozen, bilk, defraud, deceive, hoodwink, take in,
             fleece, dupe, fool, mulct, gull, make a fool or sucker (out) of,
             victimize, exploit, trick, Old-fashioned or literary euchre,
             Archaic chouse, Colloq bamboozle, chisel, diddle, pull a fast
             one on, flimflam, pluck, burn, take (someone) for a ride, Brit
             fiddle, US buffalo, Slang con, sting, screw, rook, gyp, rip
             (someone) off:  The gang has swindled several elderly people out
             of their life savings.

             --n.  2 fraud, confidence game or trick, cheating, swindling,
             defrauding, deception, racket, trickery, sharp practice,
             thimblerigging, chicanery, knavery, Colloq Brit fiddle, swizzle
             or swizz, Slang rip-off, scam, con (game), gyp, US bunco:  Those
             old-time swindles are nothing compared with the activities of
             unscrupulous stock brokers.

   swindler  n.  cheat, confidence man or woman, hoaxer, mountebank,
             charlatan, knave, scoundrel, sharper, fraud, trickster,
             thimblerigger, villain, Technical defalcator, Colloq flimflam
             man, Slang con man or woman, US bunco-artist, four-flusher:
             Swindlers tricked them out of all their cash and traveller's
             cheques.

   swing     v.  1 sway, move or go to and fro or back and forth or backwards
             and forwards, come and go, wave, fluctuate, flap, oscillate,
             vibrate, librate, waver, wobble, waggle, zigzag, wigwag,
             flourish:  The branches swung in the wind. They swung their arms
             in time to the music. 2 hang, dangle; be hanged, be suspended:
             They watched the monkeys swinging from tree to tree. He will
             swing for his crime.

             --n.  3 swinging, sway, swaying, toing and froing, coming and
             going, waving, fluctuation, fluctuating, flapping, flap,
             oscillation, oscillating, vibration, vibrating, libration,
             waver, wavering, wobble, wobbling, waggle, waggling, zigzag,
             zigzagging, wigwag, wigwagging, flourish, flourishing, stroke:
             Catch the rope on its next swing. He was caught on the shoulder
             by a wild swing of the bat. 4 sweep, scope, range, trend,
             limit(s); change, switch, shift:  The swing of public opinion is
             unpredictable in these matters.  There has been a small
             percentage swing to the Conservatives. 5 pace, routine, groove,
             pattern:  Don't you find it hard to get into the normal swing of
             things after a long holiday? 6 in full swing. in (full)
             operation, under way, in business, animated, lively, on the
             move, moving, going, Colloq on the hop, cooking:  The party was
             in full swing when we arrived.

   swingeing adj.  huge, immense, enormous, considerable, drastic, severe,
             harsh, stringent, punishing, devastating, painful, excruciating,
             major, daunting, Draconian, oppressive, exorbitant, excessive,
             violent, Colloq thumping:  They have instituted a truly
             swingeing increase in commuter fares.  She gives me a swingeing
             headache.

   swinging  adj.  fashionable, chic, up to date, modern, Colloq …-go-go, in
             the swim, with it, Chiefly Brit trendy, Slang hip, groovy, in
             the groove:  That's what the swinging '60s were like in London.

   swipe     v.  1 Usually, swipe at. swing at, strike at, hit at, lash out
             at:  He swiped away at the golf ball but kept missing it.  2
             steal, filch, pilfer, purloin, Colloq pinch, lift, snitch,
             Chiefly Brit nick, whip, snaffle:  They caught Freddie swiping a
             bag of mints at Woolworth's.

             --n.  3 swing, strike, clip:  Ronald took a swipe at the ball
             with his racket.

   swirl     v.  1 whirl, spin, eddy, churn, circulate, gyrate, surge, boil,
             seethe:  Faster and faster the water swirled round in the
             maelstrom.  2 twist, whirl, whorl, curl, roll, furl, spin,
             curve, spiral, twirl, wind (round):  She swirled her hair round
             her head and fastened it with a large clip.

             --n.  3 twist, whirl, curl, roll, twirl, spiral:  At the fabric
             exhibition swirls of textiles were decoratively displayed.

   swish     v.  1 hiss, whisk, rustle, whisper, susurrate:  I heard Elena
             swish up behind me in her red silk taffeta dress.

             --n.  2 hiss, hissing sound, whoosh, swoosh, rustle, whistle:
             With a quick swish the machete knifed through the underbrush.

             --adj.  3 elegant, fashionable, stylish, de rigueur, smart,
             Colloq posh, plush, ritzy, swell, swank(y):  Liza bought a swish
             new outfit for the wedding.  4 homosexual, effeminate, swishy,
             camp(y), US fruity, limp-wristed, Colloq queer, gay, Chiefly
             Brit bent, US faggy, Slang kinky:  He used to bring his swish
             friends here, but not lately.

   switch    n.  1 twitch, lash, rod, whip, birch (rod), scourge:  He picked
             up the switch as if to hit me with it.  2 change, alteration,
             exchange, shift, change-over, reversal, deflection, trade, swap
             or swop:  A switch of costume was done swiftly backstage,
             yielding the expression 'quick-change artist'.

             --v.  3 twitch, lash, whip, birch, beat, strike, thrash,
             scourge, flog:  The headmaster switched the boys for the
             slightest misdemeanour.  4 change, shift, exchange, divert,
             deviate:  The colonel switched to another subject. They switched
             the two stones, leaving the fake emerald. 5 divert, turn,
             rechannel, redirect, direct:  They switched the funds to another
             project.

   swivel    v.  1 pivot, turn, rotate, spin, revolve, pirouette, move
             freely:  This joint allows the arm to swivel in all directions.

             --n.  2 pivot, elbow-joint, gimbal, ball-and-socket joint:  The
             stern-chaser is fitted with a swivel, allowing it to be fired at
             any angle.

   swollen   adj.  enlarged, distended, inflated, bloated, bulging, puffed up
             or out, tumid, tumescent, expanded, turgid, puffy, oversized,
             outsized, Technical dropsical, hypertrophied, proud:  My knee
             was swollen for three days after that knock.

   swoop     v.  1 descend, dive, sweep down, pounce, stoop:  The eagle
             swooped down across the stream, catching a salmon in its talons.

             --n.  2 descent, dive, sweep, pounce, stoop, stroke, blow, rush:
             The police raid caught several drug dealers in one fell swoop.

19.16 sybarite...
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   sybarite  n.  epicure, epicurean, hedonist, voluptuary, sensualist,
             aesthete, gastronome, gourmet, bon vivant, bon viveur,
             pleasure-seeker, playboy, jet-setter:  These sybarites spend all
             their time and their parents' money in the fleshpots of the
             world.

   symbol    n.  representation, figure, metaphor, allegory, insigne
             (singular; plural is insignia), token, sign, emblem, badge,
             image, logotype, mark, trade mark, colophon, brand, code,
             abbreviation, phonogram, initialism, cryptogram, acronym,
             monogram, password, shibboleth, watchword, code word; arms,
             bearing, armorial bearing, crest, escutcheon, coat of arms,
             banner, flag, pennant, standard, Colloq logo:  This jewel is a
             mere symbol of my devotion and love for you.

   symbolic  adj.  Often, symbolic of. symbolical (of), tokening, betokening,
             emblematic (of), figurative, allegoric(al), typical (of),
             representative (of), symptomatic (of), characteristic (of),
             metaphoric(al), allusive (of), denotative (of), connotative
             (of), mnemonic (of):  From ancient times the laurel, or bay, has
             been regarded as symbolic of praiseworthiness.

   symbolize v.  represent, stand for, denote, connote, suggest, express,
             imply, signify, mean, typify, exemplify, betoken, illustrate,
             embody, epitomize:  Green symbolizes envy and jealousy, red
             anger, blue sadness, white purity, and so on.

   symmetrical
             adj.  symmetric, (well-)balanced, proportionate, proportional,
             well-proportioned, orderly, (well-)ordered, in proportion, even,
             regular, congruous, congruent, uniform, harmonious; equal,
             mirror-image, mirror-like:  The temple was exactly symmetrical,
             with a wing on each side.  The two wings are symmetrical.

   symmetry  n.  balance, proportion, evenness, order, orderliness,
             regularity, uniformity, congruity, congruousness,
             correspondence, agreement, harmony, consistency, equality:  With
             the crudest of tools, the pyramid builders achieved incredible
             symmetry.

   sympathetic
             adj.  1 Often, sympathetic to or toward(s). compassionate (to or
             toward(s)), commiserating (with), commiserative (with),
             understanding (of), supportive (of), caring (to or toward(s)),
             concerned (about or with), solicitous (of or to or (toward(s)),
             warm-hearted (to or toward(s)), kind-hearted (to or toward(s)),
             responsive (to or toward(s)), well-meaning, well-intentioned,
             good-natured (to or toward(s)), considerate (of or to or
             toward(s)), empathetic or empathic (with or to or toward(s));
             sympathizing, kindly, comforting, consoling:  The social workers
             are sympathetic to the people's problems. One should be more
             sympathetic. Julie takes a sympathetic outlook. 2 Often,
             sympathetic to or toward(s). agreeable, pleasant, friendly,
             well-disposed, favourably disposed, encouraging, like-minded,
             responsive, congenial, en rapport, simpatico:  You will find a
             sympathetic ear at the council. The people are not sympathetic
             to a tax increase.

   sympathize
             v.  1 Often, sympathize with. suffer or grieve or mourn (with),
             feel (sorry) (for), have pity (for), empathize (with), condole
             (with), commiserate (with):  I sympathized with you over the
             loss of your grandfather. Now that mine is gone, it is your turn
             to sympathize. 2 Often, sympathize with. harmonize (with), get
             along (with), relate (to), identify (with), go along (with), see
             eye to eye (with), agree (with), side (with), understand, be en
             rapport (with), be in sympathy (with), be simpatico (with), have
             (a) rapport (with), Colloq be or vibrate on the same frequency
             or wavelength (with), Slang dig:  I can sympathize with anyone
             who despises terrorism.

   sympathizer
             n.  condoner, approver, conspirator, co-conspirator,
             collaborator, accomplice, accessory, supporter,
             fellow-traveller, ally:  At one time, they tried to incarcerate
             all suspected of being Fascist sympathizers.

   sympathy  n.  1 compassion, commiseration, pity, concern, tenderness,
             empathy, understanding, solicitousness, warmth,
             tender-heartedness, warm-heartedness, Archaic ruth:  We feel
             great sympathy for any child who loses a pet.  2 agreement,
             harmony, compatibility, rapport, concord, accord,
             fellow-feeling, congeniality, affinity, closeness, unity,
             communion, fellowship, camaraderie:  It is amazing that there
             can be so much sympathy between two such different people.

   symptom   n.  manifestation, evidence, syndrome, mark, token, indication,
             cue, clue, (warning) sign, characteristic, trait, feature,
             earmark, marker:  Esmeralda is extremely jealous - I recognize
             the symptoms.

   symptomatic
             adj.  Often, symptomatic of. indicative (of), representative
             (of), suggestive (of), characteristic (of), emblematic (of),
             symbolic (of), peculiar (to), specific (to), idiosyncratic (of);
             indicating, suggesting:  A high fever is symptomatic of many
             illnesses.

   syndicate n.  1 trust, monopoly, bloc, cartel, syndication:  They were
             part of a syndicate that controlled the worldwide sale of
             nickel. 2 (crime) family, Cosa Nostra, mafia:  Guido used to be
             an enforcer for the syndicate.

             --v.  3 affiliate, ally, associate, amalgamate, consolidate,
             league, confederate, synthesize:  Mrs Cartwright was successful
             in syndicating the milk producers in the entire county. 4
             serialize, distribute:  His business is syndicating old movies
             to television stations.

   synonymous
             adj.  Often, synonymous with or to. equal (to), equivalent (to),
             tantamount (to), identified (with), corresponding (to or with);
             transposable (with), exchangeable (with), identical (to or
             with), interchangeable (with), the same (as):  A word is almost
             never truly synonymous with another in all respects.  Even terms
             like 'salt' and 'sodium chloride' are not synonymous.

   synopsis  n.  summary, condensation, abridgement, epitomization, outline,
             abstract, digest, pr‚cis, epitome, compendium, conspectus,
             aper‡u, r‚sum‚:  He was assigned to write a ten-page synopsis of
             a 600-page book.

   synthesis n.  blend, compound, merge, union, amalgamation, coalescence,
             integration, unifying, unification, composite, composition,
             mixture, combination; compounding, combining, blending, merging,
             union, amalgamation, coalescence, integrating, mixing, fusing,
             fusion, unifying, unification:  This mixture is a synthesis of
             many different ingredients. How do they effect the synthesis of
             coal, water, and air to make nylon?

   synthetic adj.  artificial, man-made, manufactured, ersatz; fake, false,
             counterfeit, sham, bogus, spurious, mock, imitation, pseudo,
             plastic, Colloq phoney or US also phony:  Because of the animal
             rights activists, many women today wear synthetic fur.

   system    n.  1 organized whole, organization, set, group, combination;
             structure, arrangement, pattern, set-up:  Some believe that the
             universe is a vast ordered system, others that it is chaos in
             which only man sees order. It took years to establish the
             banking system in this country. 2 scheme, method, approach,
             modus operandi, way, procedure, methodology, technique, plan,
             process, practice, routine:  There is a proper system for doing
             the job and you should keep to it.

   systematic
             adj.  organized, systematized, planned, methodical,
             businesslike, orderly, well-organized, well-ordered, regular,
             routine, standardized, standard:  There are several systematic
             ways for cataloguing books.

20.0 T
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20.1 tab...
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   tab       n.  1 flap, tag, loop, ticket, sticker, label, flag, lappet,
             strap, handle:  Pull on the red tab and the life jacket inflates
             automatically.  2 charge, bill, account, reckoning, Chiefly US
             check:  They left me to pick up the tab at the restaurant for
             everyone.

   table     n.  1 food, victuals, provender, comestible, edibles, eatables,
             fare, board, provisions:  One can rely on a fine table at Mrs
             McGuire's.  2 plain, flatland, mesa, tableland, plateau, steppe:
             The area is barren lava table from horizon to horizon.  3
             (tabular or columnar) list or listing, register, record,
             tabulation, chart, catalogue, index, inventory, itemization,
             pr‚cis, table of contents:  The figures are easier to understand
             when arranged in a table.

             --v.  4 submit, present, offer, proffer, bring forward, bring
             up, propose:  The bill will be tabled for action today.  5
             shelve, postpone, defer, suspend, put off, stay, pigeon-hole,
             mothball, Colloq put on ice:  When the bill came up we tabled it
             for six months.

   tableau   n.  scene, sight, spectacle, picture, image; composition,
             arrangement, grouping, effect:  The children raptly listening to
             their father telling a story - what a charming tableau!

   tablet    n.  1 (scribbling or writing- or note- or memo) pad,
             (spiral(-bound)) notebook, US scratch pad:  I write all my
             dreams in a little tablet in case I forget to relate them to my
             psychiatrist. 2 slab, plaque, plate, panel, plaquette:  The
             tablet on the base of the statue says it is of Disraeli.  3
             stone, gravestone, headstone, tombstone, memorial:  We each
             contributed to the tablet that marks Croombender's grave.  4
             pill, capsule, troche, pellet, pastille, drop, lozenge, bolus:
             Take three tablets twice a day.

   taboo     adj.  1 tabu, anathema, forbidden, interdicted, off limits, out
             of bounds, verboten, proscribed, banned, prohibited, restricted,
             unmentionable, unspeakable; censored, censorable, unacceptable,
             rude, impolite, indecorous, dirty, explicit; outlawed, illegal,
             illicit, unlawful:  Our holiday in Benidorm is a taboo subject
             in my house. Many people dislike hearing taboo language used on
             radio or television.

             --n.  2 tabu, anathema, interdict, interdiction, proscription,
             ban, prohibition, restriction:  There is still a strict taboo
             against mentioning bodily functions in public.

             --v.  3 tabu, forbid, interdict, proscribe, ban, prohibit:  The
             hotel taboos the sharing of a room by unmarried couples.

   tabulate  v.  systematize, organize, order, group, list, arrange,
             classify, categorize, rate, grade, catalogue, codify,
             pigeon-hole, sort, assort, index, itemize; record, note:  We
             shall report the results of the poll as soon as they have been
             tabulated.

   tacit     adj.  unspoken, undeclared, unsaid, unstated, unvoiced,
             unuttered, silent, understood, unexpressed, implied, implicit:
             The sisters have a tacit agreement not to poach each other's
             boyfriends.  He gave me a look of tacit gratitude.

   taciturn  adj.  silent, uncommunicative, mum, mute, reticent, reserved,
             uncommunicative, unforthcoming, tight-lipped, close-lipped,
             untalkative, quiet:  Even when he was small, Chris was quite
             taciturn, saying little but evidently thinking much.

   tack      n.  1 pin, push-pin, nail, Brit drawing-pin, tin-tack, US
             thumbtack:  Someone keeps stealing the tacks from the bulletin
             board.  2 fastening, stitch, baste:  Could you put some tacks in
             the hem so I can try on the skirt?  3 direction, bearing,
             heading, course, approach; way, path, procedure, method,
             technique, attack, line:  Our new tack was due east. They may
             have to take a different tack to win the contract. 4 tackle,
             gear, equipment, equipage, harness, saddlery, fittings,
             fitments, kit, outfit, rig, rigging, accoutrements or US also
             accouterments:  He has ordered all new tack for his horse.

             --v.  5 pin, attach, fasten, secure, join, couple, unite,
             combine, stick, fix, affix, staple, nail, skewer, peg, screw,
             bolt, rivet; baste, stitch, sew, bind, tie; paste, glue, cement,
             solder, braze, weld:  You were only supposed to tack these
             together lightly, but now I can't pull them apart. 6 change
             direction or heading or course , Nautical go or come about;
             zigzag, veer off or away, Nautical beat:  We tacked quickly to
             avoid striking the buoy.  7 tack on. add (on), append, annex,
             attach, tag on:  When they tacked on a rider to the contract, we
             refused to sign it.

   tackle    n.  1 gear, rig, fittings, equipment, equipage, rigging,
             paraphernalia, outfit, tools, apparatus, trappings,
             accoutrements or US also accouterments, Colloq Brit clobber:
             The steeplejack brought along all his tackle and made ready for
             his climb. 2 block (and tackle), fall, hoisting gear, pulley,
             sheave:  You'll need heavier tackle to lift this cargo.

             --v.  3 come to grips with, grapple with, approach, take on, try
             to solve, (try to) deal or cope with, stand or face up to, face,
             confront, address oneself to, attend to, set about, pursue,
             Colloq take a crack at, have a go at:  Perhaps you'd better
             tackle the parking problem yourself. I'll tackle the boss on the
             matter as soon as I see him. 4 attack, fall upon, devour,
             consume, demolish, destroy:  You've seen nothing till you've
             seen Graham tackle a roast turkey.

   tacky°    adj.  sticky, gluey, gummy, adhesive, ropy, viscous, viscid,
             Colloq gooey:  The varnish is still tacky and must dry before
             sanding.

   tackyэ    adj.  tawdry, cheap, brummagem, gaudy, tasteless, vulgar,
             shabby, tatty, sleazy, chintzy, shoddy, seedy:  Richard
             consistently buys the tackiest suits on the market.

   tact      n.  discretion, diplomacy, sensitivity, savoir faire, judgement,
             politesse, delicacy, finesse, cleverness, prudence, care,
             carefulness, dexterity, dexterousness, discernment,
             judiciousness, adroitness, skill, acumen, acuteness, perception,
             understanding, consideration, thoughtfulness, politeness:  You
             can count on Robert to handle such matters with consummate tact.

   tactful   adj.  discreet, diplomatic, sensitive, politic, judicious,
             delicate, clever, prudent, careful, dexterous, discerning,
             adroit, skilful, acute, perceptive, considerate, understanding,
             considerate, thoughtful, polite:  Even the people working in the
             complaints department are tactful.

   tactic    n.  1 move, manoeuvre, ploy, caper, plan, strategy, stratagem,
             device, ruse, plot, scheme, design:  Inviting her husband along
             was a tactic merely to avert suspicion.  2 tactics. manoeuvres,
             strategy, plans, campaign, generalship, military science,
             military operation(s), orchestration, engineering,
             masterminding:  Entirely different tactics must be employed in
             jungle fighting.

   tactical  adj.  artful, clever, cunning, shrewd, adroit, strategic,
             skilful, adept, politic, smart, tactful:  The general was noted
             for his dazzling strategies and tactical genius.

   tactician n.  strategist, campaigner, mastermind, intriguer, plotter,
             planner, schemer, manipulator, manoeuvrer, orchestrator, Colloq
             operator:  Montgomery was regarded by some as a master
             tactician.

   tactless  adj.  coarse, boorish, uncivilized, unsophisticated, rough,
             rude, uncouth, discourteous, ungentlemanly, unladylike, crude,
             gruff, bluff, abrupt, blunt, brusque, impertinent,
             disrespectful, uncivil, impolite, insensitive, awkward,
             bungling, clumsy, maladroit, inept, undiplomatic, thoughtless,
             gauche, unskilful, impolitic, imprudent, inconsiderate,
             injudicious, indiscreet, unwise:  It was pretty tactless of him
             to ask her out in front of his ex-girlfriend.

   tag       n.  1 label, name or price tag, mark, marker, tab, ticket,
             sticker, stub, docket:  The tag was clearly marked with a
             bar-code.  2 name, epithet, label, designation, title,
             appellation, nickname, Slang handle, moniker:  Called 'Eddie the
             dip', he got his tag 'the dip' because he's a pickpocket.

             --v.  3 label, mark, ticket, identify, earmark:  Please tag all
             these cartons so we'll know what's in them without opening them.
             4 label, name, call, dub, nickname, style, entitle, christen,
             baptize:  I have already said that Eddie was tagged 'the dip'
             because he was a pickpocket. 5 tag along. follow, trail (along)
             after, tail, shadow, attend, accompany, drag along with or
             after:  Does your little brother have to tag along wherever we
             go?

   tail      n.  1 appendage, brush (of a fox), scut (of a hare, rabbit, of
             deer), dock, caudal fin (of a fish), uropygium (of a bird),
             pope's or parson's nose, tailpiece, flag:  I just caught a
             glimpse of the fox's tail as it leapt the fence.  2 rear end,
             tail-end, backside, buttocks, croup, rump, posterior(s), bottom,
             Colloq behind, hinie, Taboo slang Brit bum, arse, US ass:  When
             I catch you, I'll kick your tail!  3 reverse:  The obverse of a
             coin is the head, the reverse is the tail.

             --v.  4 dog, follow, trail, stalk, shadow, track:  We tailed the
             suspect from Newcastle to New Mexico.

   tailor    n.  1 couturier, couturiЉre, costumier, dressmaker, modiste,
             clothier, garment-maker, outfitter, seamstress:  She has all her
             clothing made by her tailor.

             --v.  2 fit, adapt, suit, adjust, alter, accommodate, modify,
             change, convert, cut, fashion, mould, stretch, accustom:  Your
             telephone system can be tailored to your most exacting demands.

   tailor-made
             adj.  1 fitted, custom-made, made-to-order, bespoke; made to
             measure:  He would not wear anything but tailor-made clothes.  2
             ideal, perfect, customized, made-to-order, custom-made, suited,
             suitable, (just) right, Colloq right up one's Brit street or US
             alley:  The job of lighthouse-keeper was tailor-made for a
             misanthrope.

   taint     n.  1 stain, blot, blemish, slur, tinge, tincture, (black or
             bad) mark, stigma, imperfection, flaw, scar, defect; discredit,
             dishonour:  His writing suffers from the taint of pedantry.

             --v.  2 sully, tarnish, stain, stigmatize, smear, harm, hurt,
             damage, debase, vitiate, blacken, foul, contaminate, pollute,
             dirty, muddy, smirch, besmirch, blemish, soil, corrupt, spoil,
             defile, ruin, destroy:  It takes very little to taint one's
             reputation in a small village.

   take      v.  1 grip, seize, grasp, clasp, get, get or take hold of, grab,
             snatch, clutch, catch, capture, obtain, lay hold of, lay (one's)
             hands on, procure, acquire, gain (possession of), take
             possession of, secure, win, carry off, abduct, Colloq nab:  The
             police took him into custody. He takes what he can get. When it
             comes to ineptitude, Sue certainly takes the prize. 2 pick,
             select, choose, opt for, settle or decide or fasten on or upon:
             When you get to the fork, take the road to the left.  3
             appropriate, arrogate, extract, carry off or away, steal,
             purloin, pilfer, filch, palm, rob, shoplift, pocket, remove,
             walk off or away with, run or make off or away with; embezzle,
             misappropriate, peculate; plagiarize, pirate; Colloq lift,
             swipe, snitch, Chiefly Brit pinch, nick, Slang knock off, hook,
             rip off, liberate, US boost, crook:  They took what didn't
             belong to them.  4 reserve, book, engage; hire, rent, lease:  He
             took a room in a small hotel, where he began to write detective
             fiction. 5 acquire, get, adopt; assume, derive, obtain, draw,
             receive, inherit:  He has taken his bad manners from you. The
             film takes its title from the book. 6 accept, receive, bear,
             withstand, stand, endure, weather, tolerate, abide, brave, go
             through, undergo, suffer, submit to, swallow, Colloq put up
             with, brook, stomach, Brit stick:  She took the news about
             Leon's relapse quite well. I have taken quite enough from you
             already. 7 assume, bear, undertake, adopt, arrogate;
             acknowledge, accept:  Kevin took full responsibility for the
             mistake.  8 believe, think, judge, deem, hold, feel; take for,
             assess (as), consider (as), regard (as), view (as), accept
             (for):  I take people to be honest till proven otherwise. She
             took him for a fool when they first met. 9 carry, convey, bear,
             transport, bring, deliver, ferry; haul, cart:  Will this train
             take me to Aylesbury? They took the bicycle to Old Lyme in a
             van. 10 take up, study, be involved or occupied in or with,
             apply oneself to, learn; read, Colloq tackle:  I cannot believe
             that Doreen is taking home economics. He took a course in car
             maintenance. 11 prove or be effective or efficacious or
             operative or functional, take effect, take hold, operate,
             function, work, perform, Colloq do the trick:  If the transplant
             fails to take, the doctors will have to operate again. 12 exact,
             extract, get:  She took revenge by denying him certain
             privileges.  13 swallow, eat, consume, ingest, devour, gulp
             down, gobble up or down, wolf, bolt; drink, imbibe, quaff;
             inhale:  Rudolf takes pills of every conceivable colour. The
             doctor said I could take a wee nip now and then. Sonya stepped
             out to take a breath of fresh air. 14 subtract, deduct, remove,
             take away, take from, take off:  Take three from five. Five,
             take away two, leaves three. It's cheaper when you've taken off
             the discount. 15 end, terminate, annihilate, wipe out; kill:
             The assault on Leningrad took tens of thousands of lives. The
             Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. 16 require, demand, need,
             necessitate, call for:  Remember, it takes two to tango. It took
             him two years to complete the fresco. It takes six to sail his
             yawl. 17 hold, contain, accommodate, accept, fit in:  This
             storage bin cannot take anything else, it's completely full.  18
             convey, lead, conduct; escort, convoy, guide, accompany:  This
             road takes you directly to the yacht club. He asked to be taken
             to the manager's office. 19 understand, gather, interpret,
             perceive, apprehend, deduce, conclude, infer, judge, deem,
             assume, suppose, imagine, see:  I take it from your expression
             that you've had bad news.  20 charm, captivate, capture,
             attract, lure, allure:  There was something about him that took
             her fancy.  21 use, employ, make use of, establish, put in(to)
             place, adopt, put into effect, effect, apply; resort to, have
             recourse to, turn to:  The police have taken measures to ensure
             that it doesn't happen again. 22 clear, get or go over or past
             or round or through:  Browning's Delight took the last jump
             easily. He must have taken that corner at 90! 23 experience,
             entertain, feel:  She seemed to take an instant dislike to me.
             24 express, voice, raise, put forth:  I hope you will not take
             objection or exception to what I am about to tell you. 25 cause
             or make or induce or drive or persuade (someone) to go or be:
             What takes you to M laga in August?  26 act, assume, play,
             perform:  I'm taking the part of the wicked witch in the local
             pantomime.  27 bilk, cheat, swindle, defraud, Colloq con, Brit
             fiddle:  When he examined his wallet he realized he'd been
             taken.  28 take aback. astound, astonish, surprise, startle,
             shock:  She was really taken aback at the news.  29 take after.
             a resemble, look like, be the spitting image or the spit and
             image of, favour, remind one of, Colloq be a chip off the old
             block:  He takes after his grandfather.  b Sometimes, take off
             after. chase, follow, run after, pursue:  When the man stole the
             newspaper and ran, the shopkeeper took after him at a gallop. 30
             take back. retract, withdraw, recant, disavow, repudiate:  He
             now wants to take back what he said about you.  31 take down.  a
             note, make a note or memo or memorandum of, write down, record,
             put or set down, put in writing, document, transcribe,
             chronicle:  Please take down what I am about to tell you.  b
             debase, deflate, lower, diminish, belittle, depreciate,
             deprecate, humble, humiliate, shame, disparage, degrade,
             disgrace:  She certainly took that pompous ass down a peg or
             two.  32 take in.  a accommodate, receive, let in, quarter,
             board, lodge:  When her children grew up and left home, she
             decided to take in lodgers. b deceive, fool, trick, impose upon,
             overcharge, cheat, mulct, defraud, cozen, bilk, dupe, gull,
             hoodwink, swindle, Colloq bamboozle, con, pull the wool over
             (someone's) eyes, Slang Brit do:  He was really taken in by that
             time-share deal.  c include, subsume, embrace, comprise, cover,
             encompass, contain:  Our sales figures take in all of North
             America, not just Canada.  33 take it.  a withstand or tolerate
             or survive punishment or abuse, survive:  The Marines are
             extremely tough and can take it.  b See 20, above.  34 take off.
             a remove, doff, strip or peel off, discard, divest (oneself) of:
             Take off your hat in the house.  b satirize, lampoon,
             caricature, mock, parody, travesty, burlesque, mimic, imitate,
             Colloq spoof, Brit send up:  It is not always easy to take off
             members of the Cabinet.  c depart, leave, go (away), decamp; fly
             off, become airborne, lift off, blast off; Colloq skedaddle,
             make (oneself) scarce, Slang hit the road, scram, beat it,
             split:  You'd better take off before they find you here. The
             plane is due to take off at 18.35. 35 take on.  a hire, engage,
             employ, enrol, enlist, retain:  We are so busy that we have
             taken on ten new people.  b challenge, rival, face, contend
             against, oppose, match or pit (oneself) against, vie with,
             fight:  Are you in any condition to take on the champion?  c
             assume, accept, undertake, tackle:  You might be taking on more
             than you bargained for.  36 take out. entertain, escort, invite
             out; court, woo:  He took her out to dinner at a Chinese
             restaurant.  37 take over. assume or take or usurp or gain
             control or possession or command of:  A huge conglomerate is
             trying to take over our company.  38 take to.  a like, find
             pleasant or pleasing, feel affection or liking or affinity for,
             find suitable:  We took to each other the very first time we
             met. He took to computers as a duck takes to water. b leave or
             depart or take off for, run for, head for, flee to, make for:
             When the attack came, the villagers took to the hills.  39 take
             up.  a pick up, accept, agree to, acquiesce to, accede to:  She
             took up his offer, and they've been married for forty years.  b
             assume, resume, carry on, continue, go on with, follow on with,
             pick up:  After a pause, he took up the thread of the story once
             more.  c espouse, embrace, become interested or involved in,
             support, sponsor, advocate:  She took up the cause of women's
             rights at her age?  d occupy, cover, use (up), fill (up):
             Bernard's exercise equipment now takes up half the living-room.
             e deal with, treat, consider, bring up, raise:  Next week our
             panellists will take up the question, 'Who benefits from
             education?'

             --n.  40 revenue, takings, yield, return, receipts, proceeds,
             gain, profit(s); gate, box office:  How much was the take from
             the first day?

   taken     adj.  captivated, entranced, enchanted, charmed, bewitched,
             infatuated:  I was so taken with Lucinda that I started blushing
             like a teenager.

   take-off  n.  1 flight, flying, taking off, departure, leaving, going;
             launch, lift-off:  The take-off was delayed by bad weather.  2
             satire, lampoon, caricature, mockery, parody, travesty,
             burlesque, imitation, Colloq spoof, Brit send-up:  The annual
             students' entertainment was as usual a take-off of the teachers.

   taking    adj.  attractive, alluring, engaging, captivating, winning,
             winsome, charming, entrancing, enchanting, bewitching, fetching,
             fascinating, delightful, irresistible, compelling, intriguing,
             prepossessing:  Cassie's taking ways won her many friends.

   tale      n.  1 story, narrative, report, account, record, chronicle,
             history, narration, recital, anecdote:  We were brought up on
             tales of the supernatural. Her tale of what happened does not
             agree with the facts. 2 falsehood, lie, fiction, fib,
             fabrication, untruth, falsification, exaggeration, Colloq tall
             tale or story, (cock-and-bull) story, US fish story:  He told
             some tale about having been captured by urban guerrillas.  3
             rumour, gossip, slander, allegation, tittle-tattle, libel,
             story, US chiefly naval scuttlebutt:  I have been hearing tales
             about wild parties at the neighbours' again.

   talebearer
             n.  gossip, rumour-monger, gossip-monger, taleteller,
             talemonger, scandalmonger, tell-tale, troublemaker, quidnunc,
             tattler, informer, sieve, Chiefly US and Canadian tattle-tale,
             Slang bigmouth, blabbermouth, squealer, stool-pigeon, stoolie,
             rat, Brit sneak, nark, US fink, ratfink:  The words, spoken in
             private, were repeated to him by some talebearer.

   talent    n.  1 ability, power, gift, faculty, flair, genius, facility,
             aptitude, capacity, knack, ingenuity, forte, strength;
             endowment:  Bill's extraordinary talent for playing the trombone
             was widely acclaimed. 2 tendency, proclivity, propensity,
             penchant, predilection, predisposition, bent, inclination:
             Annabel certainly has a talent for saying the wrong thing.

   talented  adj.  gifted, accomplished, brilliant, skilled, skilful,
             masterful, expert, adept, adroit, dexterous, deft, clever, good,
             polished, proficient, first-rate, top-drawer, excellent, Colloq
             ace, crack, top-notch, Brit wizard, whizzo, US crackerjack:
             Leslie is the most talented player in the school hockey team.

   talisman  n.  amulet, charm, tiki, fetish or fetich, ju-ju, periapt,
             abraxas; wishbone, rabbit's foot, Brit merry thought:  He was
             given a talisman that was supposed to protect its wearer from
             bad luck.

   talk      v.  1 Sometimes, talk in. speak (in), use, communicate in,
             converse in, express (oneself) in, discourse in:  If you talk
             English I might understand.  2 confer, consult, parley, have a
             (little) talk, (have a) chat, confabulate, Colloq confab, Slang
             US rap:  I think we ought to talk before you decide which offer
             to accept.  3 chatter, prate, prattle, jabber, blather or
             blether, gibber, jibber-jabber, cackle, babble, patter, rattle
             on, go on, Brit natter, witter, rabbit on, Colloq gab, Slang
             gas, jaw , US run off at the mouth:  They talk continuously,
             mostly about nothing.  4 chat, gossip, palaver, Slang chew the
             fat or the rag, shoot the breeze, US chin, schmooze, rap, have a
             bull session, bat the breeze, shoot the bull:  We were just
             sitting around talking when Tom suggested we go for a swim. 5
             inform, confess, give the game away, blab, Colloq come clean,
             Slang rat, squeal, sing, spill the beans, Brit grass:  If they
             give him the third degree, you can be sure he'll talk.  6 speak,
             give or deliver a speech or a talk or an address, lecture:  I
             believe that Professor Hale is talking at the County Library
             tonight. 7 talk about or over or of. discuss, confer about or
             on, parley about:  I don't want to talk about football all the
             time. Can't we talk it over? She talks only of you. 8 talk big.
             boast, brag, vaunt, crow, bluster, exaggerate, blow or toot
             (one's) own horn:  He was never in the war - he just talks big.
             9 talk down.  a depreciate, deprecate, denigrate, disparage,
             belittle, minimize, diminish, criticize, Colloq knock, pan, put
             down:  It's the only thing he's ever done, and you shouldn't
             talk it down. b Usually, talk down to. condescend to, patronize:
             I resent your talking down to me in that way.  10 talk into.
             convince, bring round, sway, persuade:  We have been trying to
             talk him into running in the marathon.  11 talk over. discuss:
             We talked over the best way to prepare the advertising proposal.
             12 talk to or with. speak to or with, communicate with, converse
             with:  Since the episode with the monkey, she refuses to talk to
             me.  I talked with him yesterday. 13 talk up. promote, support,
             sponsor, advertise, publicize, push, Colloq plug, hype,
             ballyhoo:  She has been talking up the book on her radio show.

             --n.  14 oration, lecture, address, presentation, speech,
             discourse, report, disquisition, dissertation; sermon; harangue,
             tirade, Colloq spiel:  Claire delivered a talk on computational
             linguistics. Every week we have to listen to the same talk about
             sin. 15 conversation, conference, discussion, meeting,
             consultation, dialogue, colloquy, parley, palaver, chat,
             t€te-…-t€te, confabulation, Colloq confab, powwow, Slang
             chin-wag, head-to-head, US one-on-one, rap session:  We must
             have a little talk about your school report.  16 subject or
             topic of conversation or gossip or rumour:  Her behaviour at the
             wedding was the talk of the town for weeks.  17 gossip, rumour,
             hearsay, information, news, report, Colloq info, Slang dope:
             There is some talk that you might be leaving.  18 palaver,
             gossip, claptrap, prattle, prattling, chatter, verbiage, cackle,
             bunk, nonsense, rubbish, balderdash, poppycock, hot air, stuff
             and nonsense, twaddle, Colloq malarkey, piffle, hooey, hokum,
             bunkum, bosh, hogwash, horse feathers, Slang bilge(-water),
             crap, bull, tripe, Brit tosh, balls, US apple-sauce, Taboo slang
             horseshit, bullshit:  That's just a lot of talk.  19 dialect,
             speech, way or manner of speaking, fa‡on de parler, language,
             jargon, argot, cant, patois, accent, Colloq lingo:  Can you
             understand musicians' talk? My parents' talk is peppered with
             words long obsolete in standard English.

   talkative adj.  garrulous, loquacious, verbose, long-winded, voluble,
             prolix, wordy, chatty, gossipy, effusive, talky, logorrhoeic or
             logorrhoeal, Colloq gabby, blabby, Slang big-mouthed; US running
             off at the mouth:  The children are so talkative I can't get a
             word in edgeways.

   talker    n.  1 speaker, lecturer, orator, speech-maker, keynoter,
             spellbinder, tub-thumper, rabble-rouser, demagogue, haranguer,
             ranter:  You might disagree with what he says, but you must
             admit he's a great talker. 2 blusterer, blatherskite, swaggerer,
             show-off, Slang windbag, gasbag, lot of hot air, blowhard:  He
             is a big talker, but he never gets anything done.

   tall      adj.  1 high, towering, big, soaring, lofty, giant, gigantic;
             multi-storey:  The giant sequoias of California are the tallest
             trees in the world. There are many tall buildings in most major
             cities. 2 lanky, gangling, rangy, leggy, long-legged, big,
             giant, huge, gigantic, large:  Some of those basketball players
             are unbelievably tall.  3 exaggerated, overblown, far-fetched,
             improbable, unbelievable, incredible, preposterous, outrageous,
             overdone, absurd, Colloq Brit steep:  He told us some amusing
             tall tales about his fishing adventures.

   tally     v.  1 agree, coincide, accord, correspond, fit, compare, match
             (up), square, conform, concur, harmonize, Colloq US jibe:
             Nothing I could do would make my figures tally with those of the
             bank. 2 Sometimes, tally up. count (up or out), enumerate,
             record, register, reckon, add (up), total (up), tabulate,
             itemize, list, calculate, compute:  Please tally up what I owe
             you.

             --n.  3 count, enumeration, record, register, reckoning,
             addition, total, tabulation, itemization, listing, calculation,
             computation:  According to my tally, you owe њ156.72.  4 ticket,
             label, mark, marker, tag, tab:  Each plant can be identified by
             its own tally.  5 counterfoil, stub, counterpart, duplicate,
             mate:  If you lose your tally you cannot get back your luggage.

   tame      adj.  1 tamed, docile, disciplined, obedient, domesticated,
             house-broken, trained, broken:  He used to keep a tame fox in
             his back garden.  2 mild, gentle, fearless, unafraid:  It is
             amazing how tame animals can be when they do not perceive man as
             a threat. 3 tractable, pliant, compliant, meek, submissive,
             mild, under (someone's) control or thumb, subdued, suppressed;
             unassertive, feeble, ineffectual, timid, timorous, cowardly,
             pusillanimous, chicken-hearted, faint-hearted, white-livered,
             lily-livered, yellow, Colloq wimpish:  Charles is far too tame
             to defy Kate.  4 boring, tedious, tiresome, dull, insipid,
             bland, lifeless, flat, vapid, prosaic, humdrum, bland,
             unexciting, uninspired, uninspiring, run-of-the-mill, ordinary,
             uninteresting, dead, Colloq wishy-washy:  As a nightclub, the
             place is much too tame for my tastes.

             --v.  5 break, domesticate, train, house-train, gentle, master,
             subdue, subjugate:  The brown bear is a most difficult animal to
             tame.  6 calm, subdue, control, mollify, pacify, mute, temper,
             soften, curb, tone down, moderate, mitigate, tranquillize:
             After a week the Lord tamed the violent sea and our tiny craft
             was allowed to continue.

   tamper    v.  interfere, meddle, intermeddle, intrude, tinker, mess (about
             or around), Colloq fiddle or fool (about or around), monkey
             (around), muck (about):  Anyone caught tampering with the
             machinery will be prosecuted.

   tang      n.  1 pungency, piquancy, bite, zest, zestiness, sharpness,
             poignancy, spiciness, nip, edge, spice, taste, flavour, savour,
             aroma, smell, odour, Colloq zip, kick:  Ginger root gives the
             dish just the right tang.  2 tinge, flavour, hint, suggestion,
             soup‡on, trace, dab, smack, touch, smattering:  The new version
             has the tang of the original without its obsolete words. 3
             prong, tab, projection, tongue, strip, tine, shank, pin, spike:
             The tang of a good knife goes right through to the end of the
             handle.

   tangential
             adj.  divergent, digressive, off or beside(s) the point,
             peripheral, irrelevant, extraneous, unrelated:  The matter of
             cost is tangential to the main issue.

   tangible  adj.  material, real, physical, corporeal, bodily, somatic,
             solid, concrete, touchable, tactile, manifest, palpable,
             evident, actual, substantial, visible, seeable, discernible,
             perceptible, ponderable, objective, ostensive:  Leaving aside
             intangibles like taste, smell, and colour, the important
             tangible characteristic of food is texture.

   tangle    n.  1 confusion, knot, gnarl, mesh, snarl, twist, kink,
             entanglement, jam, snag, jumble, mess, skein, web, coil:  It
             took hours to straighten out the tangle of ribbons.  2 muddle,
             complication, jumble, puzzle, medley, complexity, complication,
             scramble, mishmash, mix-up, hotchpotch or US and Canadian also
             hodgepodge, jungle, maze, labyrinth:  She was rather bewildered
             by the vast tangle of information on the subject.

             --v.  3 Often, tangle up. confuse, knot, mesh, snarl, gnarl,
             twist, kink, ravel, entangle, jam, snag, intertwist, intertwine,
             interlace, interweave, jumble, mess up, scramble, shuffle,
             muddle:  Now you've tangled all the ribbons I carefully
             straightened out earlier. 4 Often, tangle with. wrangle (with),
             contend (with), fight (with or against), (come into) conflict
             (with), come or go up against, lock horns (with), dispute, cross
             swords (with), disagree (with):  The sheriff is the last person
             I want to tangle with.

   tantalize v.  tease, taunt, provoke, torment, torture, bait, tempt,
             plague, frustrate:  They tantalized him by hanging the keys to
             his cell just outside his reach.

   tantamount to
             adj.  amounting to, as good as, virtually the same as, (pretty)
             much the same as, equal to, equivalent to, like, of a piece
             with, comparable to, commensurate with:  His response, for all
             its politeness, was tantamount to a rejection.

   tantrum   n.  fit (of anger or of passion), outburst, eruption, blow-up,
             explosion, flare-up, storm, rage, fury, Colloq Brit paddy, wax:
             He has a tantrum every time he fails to get his own way.

   tap°      v.  1 rap, knock, dab, strike, peck; drum, beat:  Must you
             continually tap on the table with that blasted pencil?!

             --n.  2 rap, knock, dab, strike, peck, pat; tapping, tap-tap,
             rapping, knocking, pecking, beat, beating, patter, pattering:  I
             felt a tap on my shoulder. The tap, tap, tap of the dripping
             water was driving me mad.

   tapэ      n.  1 cock, stopcock, pet-cock, sillcock, seacock, spigot,
             spout, valve, US faucet:  Replace the washer in the tap to stop
             the leak.  2 bung, stopper, cork, spile, plug, stopple, peg:
             Move the tap from the empty barrel to the new one.  3 wire-tap,
             bug, listening device, electronic eavesdropper:  I think there's
             a tap on my phone.  4 on tap.  a on draught, out of the barrel
             or keg:  They have real ale on tap.  b ready, available, on or
             at hand, waiting, in reserve, on call:  He promised to be on tap
             if I needed him for anything.

             --v.  5 drain, draw (off), siphon off or out, extract, withdraw:
             We tapped the wine directly from the casks.  6 open, drain,
             unplug, sap, bleed, milk, broach, mine, use, utilize, make use
             of, put to use, draw on or upon, turn to account:  Whenever she
             needed money, she tapped her savings.  7 bug, eavesdrop on,
             wire-tap:  M.I.5 still taps her phone.

   tape      n.  1 strip, band, fillet, stripe, strap, belt, ribbon:  She
             wore a colourful woven tape round her head to hold her hair.  2
             (tape) recording, reel, spool, cassette, video:  He played us
             the tape of the whole interview.

             --v.  3 strap, band, bind; seal, stick:  If you tape the packet,
             customs cannot open it for inspection.  4 record; tape-record,
             video:  Programmes can be taped automatically when we are out.

   taper     v.  1 narrow (down), thin, diminish, come or go down:  Note how
             the trousers taper towards the ankles.  2 Often, taper off.
             diminish, reduce, thin out, wind down, decrease, fade, lessen,
             peter out, fall off, wane, subside, let up, slacken, die away or
             down or off or out, decline, slow (down or up), weaken, abate,
             ebb, slump, drop (off), fall (off), plummet:  Sales of ice
             skates can be expected to taper off during the summer.

   tardy     adj.  1 late, unpunctual, behind schedule, overdue, behindhand:
             Yet again you have been somewhat tardy in completing your
             assignments.  2 slow, dilatory, belated, slack, retarded,
             sluggish, reluctant, indolent, lackadaisical, listless,
             phlegmatic, slothful, lethargic, languid:  They have been tardy
             in acknowledging the importance of Allen's work.

   target    n.  goal, object, objective, aim, end; butt, quarry:  The target
             of the charity drive is to raise њ30,000. Why make Peter the
             target of your ridicule?

   tariff    n.  1 tax, assessment, duty, excise, levy, impost, toll, Brit
             rate:  The tariff on imported clothing may be increased.  2
             schedule (of charges), price-list; bill of fare, menu:  I
             stopped by the hotel to ask about their tariff.

   tarnish   v.  sully, disgrace, taint, blacken, blemish, stain, blot, soil,
             spot, dirty, contaminate, defame, injure, spoil, ruin, damage,
             harm, hurt, stigmatize, debase, degrade, denigrate, dishonour,
             asperse, calumniate:  By his behaviour, he has tarnished the
             reputation of his entire family.

   tarry     v.  1 delay, pause, wait, linger, loiter, stall, procrastinate,
             dawdle, bide one's time, temporize, hang back, Colloq hang on or
             about or (a)round:  They tarried in the pub, and missed their
             train.  2 remain, sojourn, stay, stop, rest, dwell, bide (one's)
             time, settle:  She plans to tarry at Eastbourne for a while.

   tart°     adj.  1 sour, acidic, acidulous, acidulated, lemony, citrusy,
             vinegary, acetous, acescent; sharp, tangy, astringent, acerb,
             acerbic, acrid, bitter, pungent, piquant, harsh:  Those grapes
             are a bit tart for my taste.  2 biting, bitter, caustic, acid,
             corrosive, mordant, astringent, acrimonious, trenchant, harsh,
             scathing, stinging, acerbic, incisive, cutting, keen,barbed,
             nasty, curmudgeonly, testy, crusty, abusive, virulent,
             sarcastic, sardonic, satiric(al), vicious, cynical:  You can
             rely on Henry for a tart rebuff every time.

   tartэ     n.  1 pie, tartlet, pastry, turnover, flan, quiche, patty, Brit
             pasty:  Three guesses who stole the tarts from the Queen of
             Hearts.  2 strumpet, streetwalker, prostitute, whore, harlot,
             fallen woman, trollop, wanton, working girl, fille de joie,
             call-girl, loose woman, slut, drab, jade, demi-mondaine,
             courtesan, woman of ill repute, hussy, doxy, lady of the evening
             or the night, woman of easy virtue, Slang floozy, hooker, US
             chippy, roundheels, bimbo:  The paper claimed that the minister
             was involved with a woman that it described as 'a tart'.

   task      n.  1 duty, assignment, business, job, charge, stint, mission,
             work, chore, undertaking:  It will be your task to keep the
             others working.  2 (major) effort, test (of strength), piece of
             work, struggle, strain:  Getting him to do anything at all was
             quite a task.  3 take to task. scold, reprimand, call to
             account, blame, censure, recriminate, reproach, reprove, rebuke,
             criticize, lecture, upbraid, chide, reprehend:  I was taken to
             task for failing to notify the police of the break-in.

   taste     n.  1 drop, soup‡on, dash, pinch, touch, hint, suggestion,
             grain, trace, bit; flavour, savour, relish, tang:  I added just
             the tiniest taste of coriander to the sauce.  2 sample, morsel,
             bite, mouthful, bite, sip, nip, swallow:  I had a taste of the
             sauce and it's superb.  3 palate, desire, inclination, leaning,
             partiality, disposition, penchant, liking, fancy, preference,
             fondness, appetite, relish, stomach, tolerance:  She developed a
             taste for caviare and champagne while working in television. 4
             discernment, discrimination, perception, judgement, cultivation,
             refinement, stylishness, grace, polish, elegance:  Her unerring
             taste leads her to select only the best.  5 style, mode,
             fashion, manner, form, design, motif:  The room was decorated in
             Moorish taste.  6 decorum, discretion, tactfulness, delicacy,
             refinement, politesse, politeness, correctness, propriety,
             tastefulness:  Evan's taste would never allow him to say
             anything rude.

             --v.  7 savour, sample, examine, try, test:  Taste this and see
             if it's too salty.  8 experience, sample, know, have knowledge
             of, undergo, encounter, meet (with), come up against:  As a
             young man he had tasted the pleasures of Paris.

   tasteful  adj.  in good taste, decorous, refined, finished, tactful,
             polite, polished, restrained, correct, harmonious, fitting, fit,
             proper, discriminating, aesthetic, discriminative, fastidious,
             cultivated, comme il faut, elegant, graceful, charming:  Though
             a bit shabby, her clothes were demure and tasteful.

   tasteless adj.  1 in bad or poor taste, garish, gaudy, loud, tawdry,
             meretricious, cheap, flashy, unrefined, inelegant, unaesthetic;
             improper, wrong, indecorous, indelicate, uncultivated, uncouth,
             uncultured, gauche, boorish, maladroit, distasteful, unsavoury,
             coarse, crude, gross, vulgar, base, low:  That is the most
             tasteless dress I have ever seen. He made a tasteless remark
             about her table manners. 2 insipid, bland, dull, flat, watery,
             vapid, flavourless, unsavoury, Colloq wishy-washy:  The tea
             served there is completely tasteless.

   tasty     adj.  delicious, delectable, luscious, flavorous, flavoursome,
             flavourful, savoury, toothsome, palatable, appetizing, sapid,
             mouth-watering, ambrosial, Colloq yummy, scrumptious:  They
             serve a very tasty curry at that Indian restaurant.

   tatter    n.  1 Often, tatters. scrap(s), rag(s), shred(s), bit(s),
             piece(s):  Tatters from the culprit's clothing were found on a
             thorn-bush.  2 in tatters. in ruins, in shreds, destroyed,
             ruined, shattered, in disarray, demolished:  My life has been in
             tatters ever since she left me.

   tattered  adj.  ragged, torn, shredded, rent, threadbare:  Above the altar
             in the chapel hang the tattered standards of the regiment,
             dating from the Crimean War.

   tattle    v.  1 blab, tell, reveal or divulge, give away secrets, Slang
             squeal:  Though sworn to silence, Davis tattled.  2 gossip,
             prattle, prate, babble, chatter, jabber, blather or blether,
             Brit natter, witter, Slang yack:  The old crones were tattling
             away in the kitchen.

   taunt     v.  1 tease, jeer (at), flout, twit, mock, torment, annoy, make
             fun or sport of, poke fun at, deride, sneer (at), scoff (at),
             insult, ridicule, burlesque, lampoon, US ride, Colloq kid, rib,
             roast, put down, Brit guy, Slang bug, rag, hassle, US get on
             (someone's) case:  The boys used to taunt him, calling him
             'Shrimpo' because he was so short.

             --n.  2 jeer, gibe, brickbat, insult, scoff, derision, sneer,
             slap (in the face), raspberry, Colloq dig, US Bronx cheer:  At
             17, he was six feet tall and no longer had to tolerate his
             classmates' taunts.

   taut      adj.  1 tight, tense, strained, stretched, rigid, stiff:  When
             his jaw goes taut like that I know he's angry.  2 Nautical neat,
             tidy, Bristol fashion, shipshape, spruce, (in) trim, smart,
             orderly, well-organized; well-disciplined:  Captain Scriven runs
             a taut ship, no doubt about it.

   tautology n.  repetition, redundancy, battology, pleonasm, iteration,
             tautologism; repetitiousness, repetitiveness, wordiness,
             prolixity, verbiage, verbosity, long-windedness:  Clich‚s like
             'null and void' and 'cease and desist' are tautologies.
             Tautology, when called 'repetition', is often used for
             rhetorical effect.

   tawdry    adj.  gaudy, cheap, flashy, brummagem, showy, meretricious,
             garish, loud, tatty, tinsel, tinselly, plastic, tinny, shabby,
             US tacky, Colloq cheapjack:  She was wearing a tawdry outfit
             picked up at a church jumble sale.

   tax       n.  1 levy, impost, duty, tariff, assessment, tribute, toll,
             excise, customs, charge, contribution, Archaic scot, tithe, Brit
             octroi, cess, rate(s), dues:  Most people try to pay the lowest
             taxes they can get away with.  2 onus, burden, weight, load,
             encumbrance, strain, pressure:  The admission of fifty new
             children put a heavy tax on the school's resources.

             --v.  3 assess, exact, demand, charge, impose or levy a tax
             (on), Archaic tithe:  If the government doesn't tax citizens,
             where will the money come from? 4 burden, strain, put a strain
             on, try; load, overload, stretch, exhaust; encumber, weigh down,
             saddle, Brit pressurize, US pressure:  This misbehaviour is
             really taxing my patience. Our meagre resources were taxed to
             the limit. Mother was taxed with the responsibility of caring
             for us.

   taxi      n.  1 taxi-cub, cab, hackney, Colloq hack:  Please hurry, as I
             have a taxi waiting.

             --v.  2 drive, ride (on the ground):  After landing, the plane
             taxied to the gate.

20.2 teach...
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   teach     v.  instruct (in), inform (about), communicate (to), educate,
             guide, train, tutor, coach, enlighten, edify, indoctrinate,
             inculcate, instil, school in, demonstrate, show, familiarize or
             acquaint with, give lessons (in) (to); drill, discipline:  She
             is qualified to teach chemistry. Captain Ross taught many
             youngsters to sail. She wants to teach when she completes her
             training.

   teacher   n.  schoolteacher, educator, instructor, professor, doctor,
             tutor, fellow, lecturer, master, mistress, schoolmaster,
             schoolmistress, coach, trainer, guide, mentor, guru, cicerone,
             counsellor, advisor; educationist; Brit don, Scots dominie, US
             docent, Colloq schoolma'm:  One can be counted extremely lucky
             to have inspiring teachers.

   team      n.  1 side, line-up, group, band, gang, body, crew, party,
             troupe:  Which team does Lineker play for?  2 pair, yoke, span,
             duo, set, rig, tandem:  They hitched a fresh team of horses to
             the coach and we were soon back on the road.

             --v.  3 Often, team up. join (up or together), band or get or
             work together, unite, combine, link (up), cooperate,
             collaborate; conspire:  If we team up, we'll get the job done
             better and in half the time.

   tear      v.  1 rip, rend, rive, rupture, pull apart, shred, mutilate,
             mangle, claw, split, divide, separate, sever:  The tiger is
             tearing its quarry to shreds. He tore the contract in half and
             stormed out. 2 pull, snatch, wrench:  The force of the blast
             tore the attach‚ case from my grasp.  The child was torn from
             her mother's arms by the soldier. 3 dash, fly, run, gallop,
             race, sprint, rush, scoot, shoot, sprint, speed, bolt, dart,
             flit, scurry, scuttle, career, zoom, hurry, hasten, Colloq zip:
             He is tearing around trying to find the money to cover his loan.

             --n.  4 rip, rent, rupture, hole, split, slash, gore, cut,
             score, slit, gash, fissure, rift, laceration:  Nobody will see
             the tear in your trousers if you remain seated.

   tearful   adj.  weeping, crying, in tears, sobbing, whimpering, dewy-eyed,
             blubbering, snivelling, lachrymose, Colloq weepy:  She was
             tearful as she told him they could not meet again.

   tease     v.  1 bait, taunt, torment, harass, bedevil, bother, nettle,
             plague, chaff, pester, annoy, irritate, needle, goad, badger,
             provoke, vex, twit, tantalize, frustrate, Non-Standard
             aggravate, Colloq guy, pick on, rib, drive mad or crazy, drive
             up the wall, Brit take the mickey out of, Slang rag:  Stop
             teasing the animals! Frances would tease me by agreeing to go
             out and then begging off with a headache. 2 coax, worry, winkle,
             work, manipulate:  He was finally able to tease the broken piece
             of key out of the lock.

   technical adj.  1 complex, complicated, detailed, intricate, specialized:
             This is a technical matter, not easily understood by the layman.
             2 mechanical, applied, industrial, polytechnic, technologic(al):
             We thought he would be happier attending a technical school.

   technique n.  1 technic, method, approach, manner, mode, fashion, style,
             procedure, system, tack, line, modus operandi, standard
             operating procedure, Colloq MO (= 'modus operandi'), SOP (=
             'standard operating procedure'):  After many years, he has
             developed his own technique for building hot-air balloons. 2
             technic, art, craftsmanship, artistry, craft, knack, touch,
             skill, skilfulness, adroitness, adeptness, dexterousness,
             facility, competence, faculty, ability, aptitude, performance,
             proficiency, talent, gift, genius, know-how, knowledge,
             expertise:  Jason's technique remains unsurpassed.

   tedious   adj.  over-long, long-drawn-out, prolonged, endless, unending,
             monotonous, unchanging, changeless, unvarying, laborious,
             long-winded, wearing, wearying, wearisome, tiring, exhausting,
             fatiguing, tiresome, boring, dreary, dull, dry-as-dust, drab,
             colourless, vapid, insipid, flat, uninteresting, banal,
             unexciting, prosaic, prosy, soporific, humdrum, routine,
             repetitious, repetitive, mechanical, automaton-like, automatic,
             Colloq ho-hum, Slang dead, US blah:  For almost fifty years my
             father had a tedious job on an assembly line.

   tedium    n.  tediousness, monotony, changelessness, invariability,
             long-windedness, wearisomeness, tiresomeness, boredom, ennui,
             dreariness, dullness, drabness, colourlessness, vapidity,
             insipidity, insipidness, two-dimensionality, banality, routine,
             repetitiousness:  How do you survive the tedium of getting up
             and going to an office every day?

   teem°     v.  Usually teem with. proliferate (with), be prolific (with),
             abound, be abundant, swarm (with), be alive (with), crawl
             (with), bristle (with), overflow (with), overrun (with), be full
             (of), brim (with):  When the panel was removed, the entire
             foundation was seen to be teeming with termites.

   teemэ     v.  pour, rain, stream (down), Colloq come down (in buckets),
             bucket down, rain or pour cats and dogs:  It teemed with rain
             continuously when we were on holiday.

   teenager  n.  adolescent, youth, boy, girl, young man, young lady,
             juvenile, minor, Colloq kid:  The town ought to provide a place
             where teenagers can get together.

   teeter    v.  balance, wobble, rock, sway, totter, waver, tremble,
             stagger:  She screamed when she saw Bruce teetering on the edge
             of the precipice.

   telegram  n.  cable, cablegram, radiogram, radio-telegram, wire, telex,
             (In France) bleu, pneu, Brit trade mark Telemessage, US trade
             mark Mailgram:  She received a telegram from him, saying that he
             would be arriving on Monday.

   telephone n.  1 handset, phone, Colloq blower, Chiefly US horn:  Mr
             Fraser, the Managing Director is on the telephone for you.

             --v.  2 phone, ring (up), call (up), give (someone) a ring or a
             call, Colloq get (someone) on the blower or chiefly US the horn,
             give (someone) a tinkle or a buzz, buzz:  Telephone when you
             have a chance.

   telescope n.  1 spyglass, Old-fashioned glass; refracting telescope,
             reflecting telescope, radio telescope:  Through the telescope,
             he could just discern the American coastline.

             --v.  2 shorten, compress, abbreviate, curtail, condense,
             summarize, pr‚cis, digest, tighten (up), boil down, abridge,
             truncate, abstract:  Telescope the report into two columns for
             page 2.  3 concertina, squash, crush:  The first three carriages
             of the train were telescoped in the crash.

   television
             n.  TV, video (receiver), small screen, Colloq box, idiot box,
             Brit telly, US boob tube, Slang tube, Brit goggle-box:  My
             television was not working over the weekend.

   tell°     v.  1 relate, narrate, recount, recite:  Tell me a story.  2
             Sometimes, tell of. say, mention, hint at, refer to, touch on,
             utter, state, declare, proclaim, announce, publish, broadcast,
             communicate, make known, report, impart, indicate, release,
             break, let (something) be known, advertise, trumpet, herald,
             bring to light, disclose, divulge, intimate, leak, admit,
             betray, acknowledge, confess, disbosom oneself, get (something)
             off (one's) chest, unburden or disburden (oneself), blab,
             tattle, Colloq talk, let the cat out of the bag, spill the
             beans, let out, let slip, blow the whistle on, give away the
             (whole) show, US pull the plug on, Slang squeal, squeak, rat,
             peach, US spill (one's) guts:  She told of her fears. He refuses
             to tell where the money is hidden.  She talked a lot but told
             very little. 3 apprise, advise, inform, let (someone) know,
             notify, acquaint (someone) with (something):  He has told me
             everything. Tell them that I shall be late. He told them nothing
             of his illness. 4 recount, describe, delineate, outline,
             portray, depict, express, put, word, explain:  I am not sure how
             to tell you this.  5 order, command, require, demand (that),
             charge, direct, dictate (that), instruct, bid:  Tell them I want
             no visitors today. She told him to go.  6 carry weight, be
             influential, be effective, have (an) effect:  What we
             accomplished here today is bound to tell in our favour.  7
             determine, say, confirm, aver, assert, asseverate, swear, take
             an oath, be sure or certain or positive, know (for sure or for
             certain):  It just shows you never can tell.  8 ascertain,
             determine, perceive, understand, make out, discern, identify,
             recognize, distinguish, discriminate, differentiate:  I cannot
             tell if that is George or not. I can't tell George from John in
             this photograph. 9 predict, prophesy, forecast, foretell,
             foresee, forecast, determine, ascertain, know:  Who can tell
             what tomorrow will bring?  10 tell off. scold, reprimand,
             berate, chide, castigate, censure, take to task, rebuke,
             lecture, reproach, reprove, Colloq give (someone) a
             tongue-lashing, rake or haul (someone) over the coals, give
             (someone) a piece of (one's) mind, tick off, Slang tear a strip
             off, US chew out:  He was told off for being late for dinner
             again.  11 tell on. tattle on, blab about, Brit grass on:
             Charlotte never forgave Tim for telling on her to Aunt Jane.

   tellэ     n.  tumulus, mound, barrow, hillock:  Excavation of the tell
             exposed ancient skeletons.

   telling   adj.  1 effective, effectual, influential, weighty, important,
             powerful, forceful, potent, significant, considerable, striking:
             The new colour scheme in the office has had a telling effect on
             morale.

             --n.  2 tattling, (too) revealing, Colloq letting the cat out of
             the bag, giving away the whole show:  I cannot say why her key
             was found in his pocket - that would be telling.

   temper    n.  1 mood, disposition, temperament, humour, state or frame of
             mind, character, personality, nature, make-up, constitution:
             Practising law did not suit his temper, so he became a social
             worker. 2 composure, self-control, self-possession, calmness,
             equanimity, balance, sang-froid, coolness, Colloq cool:  He
             would lose his temper if she ever mentioned another man.  3 ill
             humour, ill temper, foul temper, irascibility, irritability,
             petulance, volatility, peevishness, huffishness, surliness,
             churlishness, hotheadedness, hot-bloodedness:  At the first sign
             of temper, just ignore him.  4 (temper) tantrum, fury, fit (of
             pique), rage, passion, Colloq Brit wax, paddy:  She went off
             into a temper at the mere mention of his name.

             --v.  5 modify, moderate, assuage, mollify, soften, cushion,
             tone down, allay, soothe, mitigate, palliate, reduce, relax,
             slacken, lighten, appease:  The cold currents from the poles are
             tempered by the equatorial waters. She used all her wiles to
             temper his fury. 6 anneal, toughen, strengthen, harden:  Plunge
             the heated blade into water to temper it.

   temperamental
             adj.  1 moody, sensitive, touchy, hypersensitive, volatile,
             irascible, irritable, petulant, testy, short-tempered,
             hot-tempered, hotheaded, hot-blooded, excitable, explosive, on a
             short fuse or US fuze, capricious, impatient, bad-humoured,
             curt, brusque, short, gruff, bluff, curmudgeonly, waspish,
             snappish, peevish, crabby, crabbed, grumpy, huffish, huffy,
             crotchety, US cranky, Colloq grouchy:  He's not usually
             temperamental - must be something he ate.  2 erratic, uneven,
             unreliable, inconsistent, undependable, unpredictable:  That car
             of mine is getting temperamental in its old age.

   temperance
             n.  1 (self-)restraint, moderation, (self-)control, forbearance,
             (self-)discipline, continence:  Temperance is one of the four
             cardinal virtues, alongside justice, prudence, and fortitude. 2
             abstemiousness, teetotalism, abstinence, sobriety, Rechabitism;
             prohibition:  We have always preached temperance to our
             children.

   temperate adj.  1 moderate, reasonable, (self-)restrained, disciplined,
             controlled, forbearing, reasonable, sensible, sane, rational,
             not excessive, composed, steady, stable, even-tempered, equable,
             sober, sober-sided, sober-minded, mild, dispassionate,
             unimpassioned, cool, cool-headed, unexcited, calm, unruffled,
             tranquil, imperturbable, unperturbed, self-possessed, quiet,
             serene:  Even the most temperate of women would lose her cool
             when dealing with a man like that. 2 abstemious, teetotal,
             abstinent, continent, moderate, sober; chaste, celibate,
             austere, ascetic, self-denying, puritanical:  Those who lead
             temperate lives seem to live no longer than those who yield to
             dissipation.

   tempest   n.  1 storm, wind-storm, hailstorm, rainstorm, hurricane,
             typhoon, tornado, cyclone, squall, thunderstorm:  The Red Spot
             on Jupiter is the centre of a perpetual, violent tempest. 2
             storm, commotion, disturbance, upheaval, disruption, furore or
             US furor, turbulence, ferment, tumult, agitation, perturbation,
             hurly-burly, disorder, outbreak, unrest, riot, chaos, uproar,
             brouhaha, Colloq hoo-ha:  After the tempest of protest died
             down, a vote was taken and saner heads prevailed.

   tempestuous
             adj.  stormy, wild, uncontrolled, uncontrollable, disrupting,
             disruptive, turbulent, tumultuous, riotous, chaotic, uproarious,
             boisterous, frantic, frenzied, frenetic, furious, wrathful,
             vehement, fiery, impassioned, fierce:  They had a tempestuous
             relationship, and did not live together for very long.

   template  n.  templet, pattern, mould, guide, model, die:  The work on the
             lathe is matched to the template.

   temple    n.  place or house of worship, holy place, house of God, church,
             synagogue, mosque, pagoda, cathedral, sanctuary, chapel, shrine,
             Yiddish shul or schul:  Temples to gods are found throughout the
             world.

   tempo     n.  cadence, rhythm, beat, time, pulse, metre, measure; pace,
             speed, rate:  The melody should be played in waltz tempo. Living
             in the country, Tom is unaccustomed to the tempo of big-city
             life.

   temporal  adj.  1 earthly, terrestrial, terrene, mundane, worldly,
             non-spiritual, non-clerical, lay, laic(al), secular,
             non-religious, non-ecclesiastic(al), material, civil, profane,
             fleshly, mortal:  He believed that his temporal miseries would
             be compensated for by an eternity in the seventh heaven. 2 See
             temporary, below.

   temporarily
             adv.  1 for the time being, in the interim, pro tem, in or for
             the meantime or the meanwhile, for now:  Mr Peters is
             temporarily out of the office, and will contact you on his
             return. 2 briefly, fleetingly, for a (short or little) while or
             time, for the moment:  Your size is temporarily out of stock,
             madam.

   temporary adj.  impermanent, makeshift, stopgap, stand-by, provisional;
             pro tem, transitory, transient, fleeting, fugitive, passing,
             ephemeral, temporal, evanescent, short-lived, momentary:  I
             suppose it will have to do as a temporary substitute.

   tempt     v.  1 attract, entice, lure, allure, draw (in), invite, lead on,
             whet (one's) appetite, seduce, captivate, persuade, coax,
             cajole:  They had a special offer to tempt new customers.  2
             lead, induce, persuade, prompt, move, incline, dispose:  I would
             be tempted to resign if they treated me that way.  3 provoke,
             dare, (put to the) test:  I shouldn't tempt Providence if I were
             you.

   temptation
             n.  1 tempting, enticing, leading on, seducing, captivating,
             persuading, coaxing, cajoling:  The temptation by advertisers
             never stops, does it?  2 enticement, seduction, captivation,
             persuasion, allurement, invitation, attraction, draw, lure,
             inducement, snare, Colloq pull, come-on:  I could never resist a
             temptation like that.

   tempting  adj.  1 seductive, enticing, inviting, alluring, captivating,
             attractive, tantalizing, appealing, irresistible, titillating;
             fetching, winsome, prepossessing, ravishing, voluptuous,
             sensuous, Colloq sexy, US foxy:  They made her a very tempting
             offer which she found hard to refuse.  He was continually
             distracted by thoughts of tempting young girls. 2 appetizing,
             mouth-watering, delicious, savoury, delectable, succulent,
             luscious, toothsome:  Why does food always look most tempting
             when I am on a diet?

   temptress n.  seductress, vamp, siren, femme fatale, coquette, flirt,
             enchantress, sorceress, Circe, Slang sexpot, man-eater, US foxy
             lady, fox, mantrap:  You warned me against that temptress
             because you wanted her for yourself.

   tenable   adj.  defensible, supportable, justifiable, maintainable,
             workable, viable, defendable, plausible, reasonable, rational,
             arguable, believable, credible, creditable, imaginable,
             conceivable, possible:  Copernicus showed that Ptolemaic
             cosmology was no longer tenable.

   tenacious adj.  1 persistent, dogged, unfaltering, pertinacious,
             unswerving, determined, diligent, resolute, staunch, stalwart,
             steadfast, strong, sturdy, unwavering, strong-willed,
             strong-minded, unshaken, unshakeable or unshakable, obstinate,
             intransigent, stubborn, adamant, obdurate, refractory,
             immovable, inflexible, rigid, firm, unyielding, uncompromising:
             Despite his age, Christopher maintains a tenacious grip on
             reality.  2 cohesive, strong, tough; adhesive, sticky, clinging;
             gummy, gluey, mucilaginous, glutinous, viscous, viscid:  The
             bricks are then smeared over with a tenacious mud, which dries
             hard. 3 Often, tenacious of. clinging (to), grasping,
             maintaining, keeping (up), staying with, retentive (of),
             persisting or persistent (in), retaining:  She is tenacious of
             the old ways of doing things.  4 retentive, good:  Aunt Agatha
             has a very tenacious memory.

   tenacity  n.  1 tenaciousness, persistence, doggedness, perseverance,
             pertinacity, determination, grit, diligence, resoluteness,
             resolution, purposefulness, resolve, staunchness, steadfastness,
             stamina, assiduity, sedulousness, strength, strong-mindedness,
             unshakeability or unshakability, obstinacy, intransigence,
             stubbornness, obduracy, inflexibility, rigidity, firmness,
             uncompromisingness, Colloq US sand, stick-to-it-iveness:  He
             persisted with the tenacity of the English bulldog.  2
             tenaciousness, cohesiveness, strength, power, toughness,
             resilience; adhesiveness, stickiness, gumminess, glueyness,
             mucilaginousness, glutinousness, viscousness, viscidity, US
             cling:  The texture of the surfaces affects the tenacity of the
             bonding cement.

   tenancy   n.  occupancy, occupation, possession, tenure:  Our tenancy of
             the house expires next month. The tenancy of this position is a
             year.

   tenant    n.  occupant, lessee, renter, leaseholder, occupier, resident,
             inhabitant:  We could not redecorate the premises while the
             tenants were there.

   tend°     v.  be inclined or disposed, be liable or apt or likely,
             incline, lean, have or show or exhibit or demonstrate a
             tendency, favour, verge, gravitate, be biased; be prone:  The
             judge might tend towards leniency in your case. I tend to agree.
             Tree growth here tends towards the horizontal.

   tendэ     v.  care for, take care of, look after, look out for, watch
             over, see to, keep an eye on, attend (to), wait on, cater to,
             minister to, serve, nurse, nurture:  Marie tended her father
             lovingly throughout his long illness.

   tendency  n.  inclination, bent, leaning, disposition, propensity,
             predisposition, proclivity, predilection, susceptibility,
             proneness, readiness, partiality, affinity, bias, drift,
             direction, trend, movement:  Brian has always had a tendency to
             being overweight. The particles exhibit a tendency to align
             themselves north and south.

   tender°   adj.  1 sensitive, delicate, fragile, frail, infirm, unstable,
             shaky, weak, feeble, unwell, sickly, ailing, unsound:  His
             condition is still a bit too tender for him to go outside.  2
             chewable, edible, eatable, soft:  The steak will become more
             tender if it is marinated.  3 young, youthful, immature,
             juvenile, inexperienced, impressionable, vulnerable, green, new,
             raw, undeveloped, untrained, uninitiated, callow:  At his tender
             age he could not have known about such things.  4 sensitive,
             touchy, ticklish, dangerous, troublesome, provocative,
             difficult, tricky:  Please avoid mentioning the wedding, it's a
             tender subject around here. 5 gentle, soft, delicate, light,
             sensitive, soothing:  Oh, how he yearned for her tender touch at
             his fevered brow.  6 kind, kind-hearted, loving, affectionate,
             fond, gentle, mild, compassionate, considerate, humane,
             benevolent, sympathetic, feeling, thoughtful, soft-hearted,
             warm, caring, merciful, solicitous, tender-hearted,
             warm-hearted, good-natured:  Wounded and helpless, he succumbed
             to the tender care of the nurses.  7 touching, emotional,
             moving, stirring, soul-stirring, heart-rending, heartfelt,
             passionate, impassioned, impassionate, poignant, sentimental,
             mawkish, maudlin:  Who could forget the tender scene as Cedric
             bade farewell to his mother and went off to war? 8 sore, raw,
             painful, sensitive, inflamed; smarting, burning, hurting,
             aching, agonizing:  This spot, right here, is so tender that it
             hurts just to think about it. 9 loving, affectionate, amatory,
             amorous, adoring, romantic:  They exchanged tender, knowing
             looks.

   tenderэ   v.  1 offer, proffer, present, propose, put forward, extend,
             hold out, submit, advance, put up, set before:  Donald tendered
             his resignation yesterday. She has tendered the committee an
             excellent proposal.

             --n.  2 offer, bid, presentation, proposal, proposition:  The
             city is accepting tenders for the construction of a new bridge.
             3 currency, money, specie, (bank) notes, cash, bills; payment,
             compensation:  Pound notes are no longer legal tender in England
             and Wales.

   tender°   n.  1 dinghy, gig, skiff, launch, boat, row-boat or rowing-boat,
             jolly-boat:  The yacht moved easily through the water towing a
             tender.  2 wagon, truck, vehicle:  The tender of Felix's toy
             train was filled with sweets for his birthday.

   tenet     n.  belief, credo, creed, article of faith, ideology, precept,
             conviction, principle, dogma, idea, opinion, position, view,
             viewpoint, maxim, axiom, canon, teaching, doctrine:  They accept
             the Golden Rule as a fundamental tenet of their organization.

   tenor     n.  drift, tone, spirit, essence, character, gist, bias, import,
             substance, effect, significance, meaning, sense, connotation,
             theme, thread, implication, inference, intent, purpose,
             tendency, purport, direction:  The general tenor of Mark's
             letters was unfriendly.

   tense     adj.  1 taut, strained, stiff, under tension, rigid:  One could
             see how tense the muscles were under the skin.  2 intense,
             nervous, anxious, under (a) strain, highly-strung, high-strung,
             strained, on edge, wrought up, keyed up, worked up, taut, on
             tenterhooks, apprehensive, distressed, upset, disturbed,
             worried, edgy, on pins and needles, jumpy, fidgety, overwrought,
             Colloq wound up, jittery, having a case of the jitters, Brit
             strung up, US strung out, Slang uptight, US antsy:  Try to relax
             and not be so tense.  3 nervous, anxious, worrying, worrisome,
             distressing, disturbing, stressful, nerve-racking or
             nerve-wracking, fraught, disquieting:  Those were tense moments
             while we waited for the winner's name to be posted.

             --v.  4 tighten, stretch, strain, tauten, tension:  The mast
             will be secure once the stays have been tensed.

   tension   n.  1 stress, tightness, tautness, strain, pull, traction,
             pressure, tenseness, force:  Can this cable withstand so much
             tension?  2 nervousness, anxiety, anxiousness, strain, edginess,
             apprehension, suspense, tautness, distress, upset, worry,
             jumpiness, fidgetiness, Colloq jitteriness, (a case of) the
             jitters:  I could feel the tension building among the audience.

   tentative adj.  1 experimental, speculative, exploratory, probative,
             trial, provisional:  We have tentative plans for introducing a
             new work methodology.  2 unsure, hesitant, uncertain,
             indecisive, cautious, timid, shy, diffident, uneasy,
             apprehensive:  The child gave him a tentative smile, not knowing
             what to expect.

   tenuous   adj.  1 thin, slender, thin, fine, attenuated, delicate,
             gossamer, diaphanous, fragile:  The spider descended slowly on
             its tenuous thread.  2 flimsy, insubstantial or unsubstantial,
             paltry, weak, feeble, frail, meagre, vague, negligible,
             insignificant, trifling, sketchy, hazy, nebulous, dubious,
             doubtful, shaky:  Your case rests on very tenuous evidence.

   tenure    n.  1 possession, holding, occupancy, incumbency, tenantry,
             tenancy, occupation, residency, residence:  The laws on tenure
             are extremely complicated.  2 (job) security, permanence,
             permanency:  After five years he was automatically guaranteed
             tenure.

   tepid     adj.  1 lukewarm, warmish:  The gelatine should be tepid before
             refrigerating it.  2 lukewarm, unenthusiastic, cool,
             indifferent, apathetic, uninterested, unconcerned, nonchalant,
             uncaring, neutral, blas‚:  How can he remain tepid on an issue
             like apartheid?

   term      n.  1 name, title, designation, appellation; word, expression,
             locution, phrase:  The term for that is venturi tube. Habeas
             corpus is a term of art in law.  2 semester; time, period (of
             time), interval, length of time, span (of time), duration,
             spell, stretch, while:  During the summer term we played cricket
             every Saturday. He was sentenced to a long term of imprisonment.
             3 sitting, stint, session, course; incumbency, administration:
             During their latest term of office, interest rates were raised
             twice. 4 Often, terms. condition(s), provision(s), article(s),
             clause(s), proviso(s); stipulation(s), qualification(s),
             assumption(s):  According to the terms of the will, proceeds
             from the patent go into a trust fund. 5 come to terms. agree,
             come to or reach an agreement or an arrangement or an
             understanding, reconcile, arrange, settle, compromise:  Can we
             come to terms on the price? He will simply have to come to terms
             with his conscience. 6 in terms of. concerning, regarding, as
             regards, with regard to, in relation to, relative to, relating
             to, in the matter of:  The psychiatrist offered little in terms
             of direct solutions to my problems. 7 terms.  a payment,
             schedule, rates:  What terms have they offered to settle the
             debt?  b standing, position, basis, relationship, relations,
             footing:  I always thought you two were on good terms.

             --v.  8 call, name, label, designate, denominate, entitle,
             title, style, dub; nickname:  Abraham Lincoln was termed, among
             other things, 'The Great Emancipator'.

   terminal  adj.  1 closing, concluding, terminating, ending, final,
             ultimate, extreme; maximum, greatest:  Spencer wrote that the
             human being is at once the terminal problem of biology and the
             initial factor of sociology. 2 deadly, mortal, fatal, lethal,
             incurable:  The cancer was diagnosed as terminal.

             --n.  3 terminus, (terminal) station, end of the line, depot:
             We arrived at the air terminal with five minutes to catch our
             plane. 4 keyboard, monitor, position, station, VDU (= 'visual
             display unit'), PC (= 'personal computer'), module, CRT (=
             'cathode ray tube'), screen, (control) panel:  The computer
             system supported a terminal for each member of the team. 5
             connection, wire, connector, coupler, coupling, conductor:  Do I
             attach the red cable to the positive or the negative terminal?

   terminate v.  stop, end, come to an end, finish; put an end to, cease,
             conclude, discontinue, drop, abort, bring to an end or a close,
             wind up or down, sign off, cut off:  The railway line once
             terminated at the port. They said they wanted to terminate the
             contract.

   termination
             n.  1 end, ending, stop, stopping, stoppage, ceasing, cessation,
             discontinuation, abortion, Colloq wind-up, winding up, close,
             finish, finishing, conclusion:  The rights revert to us at the
             termination of the agreement. Because of her condition,
             termination of the pregnancy was recommended. 2 suffix,
             desinence, ending:  The English termination -ly usually denotes
             an adverb but is occasionally adjectival, as in sickly .

   terminology
             n.  nomenclature, vocabulary, language, words, locutions,
             wording, terms, phraseology, phrasing, jargon, shop-talk, argot,
             cant, Colloq lingo:  Medical terminology requires specialized
             dictionaries.

   terrain   n.  topography, landscape, ground, territory:  These vehicles
             are specially designed for rough terrain.

   terrestrial
             adj.  1 earthly, earthbound, worldly, terrene, tellurian or
             telluric, global, sublunary, subastral; mundane:  He insists
             that we tackle our terrestrial problems before spending a
             fortune on space travel.

             --n.  2 earth-man, earth-woman, earth-person, earthling, mortal,
             human:  My experiences are beyond the imaginations of you mere
             terrestrials.

   terrible  adj.  1 bad, serious, grave, severe, acute, distressing,
             disagreeable, nasty, foul, unbearable, dreadful, loathsome,
             hideous, vile, intolerable, awful, Colloq rotten, lousy,
             beastly:  I've had a terrible virus.  2 bad, remorseful,
             regretful, rueful, sorry, contrite, ashamed,
             conscience-stricken, guilty, distressed, dreadful, awful, Colloq
             rotten, lousy, beastly:  I felt terrible having to tell the
             neighbours about their cat.  3 unhappy, unpleasant,
             disagreeable, awful, miserable, joyless, wretched, unfortunate,
             Colloq rotten, lousy, beastly:  We spent an absolutely terrible
             evening at the theatre.  4 gruesome, grisly, macabre, gory,
             grotesque, brutal, savage, horrible, horrendous, terrifying,
             terrific, harrowing, horrid, horrifying, ghastly, frightening,
             frightful, unspeakable, monstrous, dread, terrible, appalling,
             shocking, alarming, awful, foul:  The casualties that were
             arriving had the most terrible wounds.  5 disgusting, revolting,
             nauseating, nauseous, offensive, vomit-provoking, obnoxious,
             stomach-turning, stomach-churning, abominable, mephitic,
             noisome, noxious, loathsome, horrible, hideous, terrific, awful,
             evil, vile, rotten, awful:  The compost heap was giving off the
             most terrible stench.  6 terrifying, frightening, frightful,
             fearsome, formidable, redoubtable, awesome, awe-inspiring,
             terrific:  The animal gave a terrible roar and charged into the
             clearing.

   terribly  adv.  very, extremely, exceedingly, thoroughly, decidedly,
             unbelievably, incredibly, monumentally, outrageously, awfully,
             fabulously, Colloq frightfully:  They were terribly apologetic
             about being late. I missed him terribly when he left.

   terrific  adj.  1 See terrible, 4, 5, 6, above.  2 wonderful, marvellous,
             splendid, breathtaking, extraordinary, outstanding, magnificent,
             exceptional, unbelievable, incredible, mind-boggling,
             stupendous, superb, excellent, first-class, superior, Colloq
             great, ace, fantastic, fabulous, sensational, smashing, super:
             They really put on a terrific show.

   terrify   v.  alarm, frighten, scare, terrorize, shock, make one's flesh
             crawl or creep, horrify, make one's blood run cold, make one's
             hair stand on end, stun, paralyse, petrify:  Are you trying to
             terrify the child with those horror stories?

   terrifying
             adj.  alarming, frightening, scary, shocking, horrifying,
             paralysing, petrifying:  Being chased by a bull is a terrifying
             experience.

   territory n.  1 area, region, district, neighbourhood, zone, sector,
             tract, land, precinct, quarter, vicinage, vicinity, purlieu:
             Each one of these animals stakes out its own territory and
             protects it. 2 area, bailiwick, domain, province, haunts, patch,
             Colloq stamping-ground, US turf:  Richard would be best advised
             to stick to his own territory.

   terror    n.  1 fright, dread, fear, horror, panic, shock, alarm, anxiety,
             dismay, consternation, intimidation, awe:  They felt a sense of
             terror when they caught sight of the enemy forces. 2 scourge,
             demon, brute, monster, fiend, devil, US mad dog:  The gang of
             teenagers was the terror of the neighbourhood. Her daughter is a
             little terror.

   terrorist n.  subversive, radical, insurgent, revolutionary, anarchist,
             nihilist; bomber, arsonist, incendiary; desperado, gunman, thug,
             felon, criminal:  The shooting was carried out by a previously
             unknown gang of terrorists.

   terse     adj.  1 concise, brief, short, compact, pithy, succinct,
             summary, laconic, short and sweet, to the point, sententious,
             crisp, epigrammatic, aphoristic; distilled, condensed,
             compendious, abbreviated, abridged, shortened, concentrated:  He
             gave a terse account of what had happened.  2 abrupt, curt,
             short, brusque, blunt, gruff, bluff, ungracious, petulant, tart,
             rude:  His answer was terse and unhelpful.

   test      n.  1 trial, examination, exam, proof, evaluation, assay, check,
             check-up, investigation, study, analysis:  My physics test is
             tomorrow. Have you had a blood test lately?

             --v.  2 try (out), check (up) (on), examine, evaluate, assess,
             assay, prove, probe:  Someone ought to test the water for
             purity.

   testify   v.  state, aver, assert, attest, swear, say, affirm, declare,
             give evidence or testimony, bear witness, avow, vouchsafe,
             proclaim, announce:  He testified that he saw you there. Is your
             mother going to testify at the trial? The fingerprints testify
             to the fact that she was here.

   testimonial
             n.  endorsement, certification, commendation, (letter of)
             recommendation, reference, Colloq blurb:  I am happy to write a
             testimonial for you.

   testimony n.  evidence, attestation, affirmation, confirmation,
             verification, authentication, corroboration, avowal, deposition,
             statement, affidavit, declaration, assertion, claim, averral,
             asseveration, information:  We have only his testimony that the
             woman caused the accident.

   testy     adj.  irritable, bad-tempered, irascible, short-tempered,
             petulant, touchy, tetchy, querulous, peevish, hot-tempered,
             crusty, cross, grumpy, grouchy, bearish, crabby, crabbed,
             fretful, captious, waspish, snappish, quarrelsome, fractious,
             contentious, choleric, splenetic, ill-humoured, disagreeable,
             ill-tempered, edgy, on edge, quick-tempered, crotchety,
             cantankerous, US cranky, Colloq and US and Canadian dialect
             ornery:  The old colonel made a few testy remarks about the
             boys' haircuts.  Why make excuses for his being so testy?

   t€te-…-t€te
             n.  1 (cosy or personal) chat, dialogue, causerie, pillow talk,
             private talk or word, parley, interview, Colloq confab, US
             one-on-one:  Will we have time for a brief t€te-…-t€te after
             dinner?

             --adv.  2 intimately, privately, in private, face to face,
             confidentially, secretly, … deux, in secret, Colloq US
             one-on-one:  Could we meet t€te-…-t€te some time?

             --adj.  3 intimate, private, intime, cosy:  I arranged a little
             t€te-…-t€te dinner at my flat.

   tether    n.  1 lead, leash, rope, cord, fetter, restraint, halter, tie,
             chain:  The dog had broken loose from its tether and was running
             around in the yard.

             --v.  2 tie (up or down), restraint, fetter, chain (up or down),
             leash, manacle, secure, shackle, fasten, picket, stake:  Why
             don't you tether the goat where the grass is more plentiful?

   text      n.  1 wording, words, content, (subject-)matter; printed matter,
             (main) body (text), contents:  The editor had no right to make
             changes in the text without consulting the author. The text is
             in 10-point roman type, the footnotes in 8-point. 2 extract,
             abstract, section, quotation, part, paragraph, passage, verse,
             line:  What text from the Scripture are we discussing next week?
             3 subject(-matter), topic, theme, motif, issue, focus:  For
             today's talk I have chosen for my text the problem of
             alcoholism.  4 textbook, school-book, reader, manual, primer,
             workbook, exercise book, Archaic hornbook:  Today's science
             texts are much more advanced than those of twenty years ago.

   texture   n.  feel, surface, character, grain, features, consistency,
             weave; configuration, nature, structure, fabric, constitution,
             substance:  The material has a rough texture. The texture of the
             plot is reinforced by the dialogue.

20.3 thank...
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   thank     v.  1 express or show (one's) gratitude or thanks or
             appreciation, say thank you or thanks, give or offer or tender
             thanks:  Don't forget to thank your uncle for the gift, William.
             2 blame, hold responsible, credit, acknowledge:  You have your
             mother to thank for the present state of affairs.

             --n.  3 thanks. gratitude, appreciation, gratefulness,
             acknowledgement, recognition, thanksgiving:  I gave thanks that
             I was again on dry land.  4 thanks to. owing to, because of, as
             a result of, thanks be given to, in consequence of, as a
             consequence of, by reason of, through, Sometimes non-standard
             due to:  Thanks to you, I have to commute to work by train.

   thankful  adj.  grateful, appreciative, indebted, pleased, glad, obliged,
             obligated, under obligation, beholden to:  I am most thankful
             that you came, doctor.

   thankless adj.  unappreciated, unacknowledged, useless, unrewarding,
             fruitless, unprofitable, profitless, unrequited, vain, futile,
             bootless:  She always regarded housekeeping as a thankless task.

   thaw      v.  1 Sometimes, thaw out. melt, de-ice, liquefy, defrost, warm
             (up), heat (up), unfreeze:  We cannot leave till the river
             thaws. Why not thaw out the shepherd's pie for dinner? 2 soften,
             warm, become (more) cordial or friendly, relax, yield, relent,
             bend, unbend, let (oneself) go:  After he got to know some of us
             better he began to thaw.

   theatre   n.  1 playhouse, (opera) house, (music-) hall, auditorium,
             amphitheatre, theatre-in-the-round, coliseum, hippodrome, arena
             (theatre):  A long run in a West End or Broadway theatre is
             every playwright's dream. 2 drama, stagecraft, dramaturgy,
             melodrama, theatrics, histrionics, staginess, acting,
             performing, performance:  Even the way Mary serves dinner is
             pure theatre.  3 the theatre. drama, the stage, dramaturgy,
             dramatic or Thespian or histrionic art(s), the boards, show
             business, Colloq showbiz:  The theatre is a risky profession.  4
             area, arena, scene, sphere or place or field of action, setting:
             In which theatre of war did you serve?

   theatrical
             adj.  1 theatric, dramatic, stage, histrionic, Thespian;
             repertory:  He joined a theatrical company and his family
             disowned him.  2 stagy, overdone, camp, campy, melodramatic,
             overwrought, exaggerated, forced, overacted, overacting,
             sensational, sensationalistic, fake, false, mannered, affected,
             unnatural, artificial, showy, ostentatious, spectacular,
             extravagant, Colloq phoney or US also phony, ham or hammy,
             grandstand:  Does Fergus's theatrical behaviour ever embarrass
             you?

   theft     n.  robbery, stealing, pilferage, pilfering, filching,
             shoplifting, thievery, purloining, embezzlement, hijacking,
             larceny, Colloq lifting, appropriation, pocketing, pinching,
             swiping, snitching, Chiefly Brit nicking, US boosting, Slang
             heist, knocking off, rip-off:  The theft of the jewellery was
             reported to the police immediately.

   theme     n.  1 subject(-matter), topic, idea, notion, concept, thesis,
             text, thread, keynote, gist, core, substance, point, essence:
             What is the central theme of your article?  2 essay, paper,
             composition, review, article, story, piece, exposition, study,
             exercise, monograph, tract, thesis, dissertation, disquisition,
             treatise:  I have to hand in two themes next week.

   theorem   n.  1 hypothesis, proposition, assumption, conjecture, thesis,
             postulate:  He has set forth a clever proof of the binomial
             theorem.  2 statement, dictum, rule, deduction, formula, axiom,
             principle:  After a lifetime of experience, his theorem is that
             honesty is the best policy.

   theoretical
             adj.  1 hypothetical, conjectural, speculative, untested,
             unproved, unproven, moot, putative, debatable, supposititious,
             suppositional:  The theoretical trajectory will take it beyond
             Uranus.  2 impractical, unrealistic, pure, ideal, abstract,
             academic:  The suggestion was purely theoretical, since we have
             no means of carrying it out.

   theorist  n.  theoretician, speculator, hypothecator, hypothesizer,
             theorizer, philosopher, dreamer:  Leave guesswork to the
             theorists: we need hard facts.

   theorize  v.  guess, hypothesize, conjecture, speculate:  It is logically
             illogical to theorize about articles of faith.

   therapeutic
             adj.  therapeutical, healing, curative, remedial, restorative,
             salutary, health-giving, healthy, beneficial, corrective,
             salubrious, medical, medicinal:  Primitive medicine men knew of
             the therapeutic powers of these herbs.

   therapist n.  psychotherapist, psychologist, analyst, therapeutist,
             psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, counsellor, advisor, Colloq shrink:
             For some problems it is best to seek the advice of a trained
             counsellor or therapist.

   therapy   n.  1 remedy, treatment, remedial programme; cure:  As therapy,
             he suggested I swim a mile every day.  2 psychotherapy,
             psychoanalysis, analysis, group therapy:  If it weren't for my
             weekly therapy sessions, I'd never see anyone.

   therefore adv.  consequently, so, thus, as a result or consequence, hence,
             ergo, for that reason, wherefore, accordingly, that being so or
             the case:  Demand for our products has fallen dramatically, and
             we cannot therefore expect to make a profit this year.

   thesaurus n.  1 treasury, treasure trove, storehouse, armoury, arsenal,
             repository, cache:  It is hoped that this book will be regarded
             as a thesaurus of linguistic treasures. 2 synonym dictionary,
             synonymy, dictionary, lexicon:  He checked in his thesaurus for
             a synonym of 'idea'.

   thesis    n.  1 argument, theory, proposition, point, contention, belief,
             idea, premise or premiss, assumption, view, assertion, precept,
             opinion, notion, theorem, axiom, postulate:  Think how many
             centuries it took man to come to grips with the thesis that all
             men are created equal. 2 See theme, 2, above.

   Thespian  adj.  1 dramatic, theatrical or theatric, histrionic, acting,
             performing; Colloq ham, hammy:  His Thespian talents went
             unnoticed until he appeared as an extra in a James Bond movie.

             --n.  2 actor, actress, performer, trouper, player;
             supernumerary; matin‚e idol, star; Colloq ham:  For many years
             she was one of the most beloved Thespians who ever trod the
             boards.

   thick     adj.  1 broad, wide, solid, thickset, burly, ample, solid,
             bulky, substantial, beamy:  He sank his teeth into the thickest
             sandwich I have ever seen.  She is a bit thicker in the
             mid-section than I had remembered, but a good ketch nonetheless.
             2 Usually, thick with. dense, solid, compact, concentrated,
             condensed, packed, close-packed, compressed, crowded, choked,
             filled, full, deep, clotted, chock-full or choke-full or
             chuck-full, chock-a-block, teeming, swarming, alive, bristling,
             crawling, bursting, crammed, jammed, brimming, Colloq lousy
             with:  The gallery was thick with visitors.  3 compact,
             condensed, compressed, choking, packed, impenetrable,
             impassable, dense; pea-soup, soupy, murky, misty, foggy, smoggy,
             smoky, opaque, obscure, obscuring, hazy:  We plunged deeper into
             the thick jungle. A thick fog blanketed the valley. 4 abundant,
             plentiful, bushy, luxuriant:  Her thick red hair tumbled down
             over her shoulders.  5 dense, viscid, viscous, gelatinous,
             mucilaginous, gluey, glutinous, ropy, coagulated, clotted,
             congealed, jelled, jellied, inspissated, stiffish; stiff, firm,
             rigid, solid:  For a thicker sauce, use cornflour.  6
             thickheaded, thick-witted, thick-skulled, dense, stupid, slow,
             slow-witted, dull, dull-witted, stolid, obtuse, gormless,
             boneheaded, fat-headed, pin-headed, wooden-headed, addle-pated,
             halfwitted, block-headed, doltish, Boeotian, cretinous,
             imbecilic, moronic, US thimble-witted; insensitive,
             thick-skinned; Colloq dim-witted, Slang dopey:  How could anyone
             so thick have become an executive?  7 guttural, hoarse, throaty,
             raspy, rasping, rough, husky, grating, gravelly, indistinct,
             distorted, inarticulate; gruff, raucous:  'I need you,' he
             moaned, his voice thick with emotion.  8 close, friendly, like
             that, inseparable, devoted, hand in glove, on good terms, on the
             best (of) terms, intimate, Colloq chummy, pally, (as) thick as
             thieves, Brit matey, well in, US palsy-walsy:  We were thick in
             the old days, going everywhere together.  9 marked, pronounced,
             strong, decided, obvious, typical:  She speaks English with a
             thick Polish accent.

             --n.  10 core, heart, centre, middle, focus, midst:  If it's a
             fight, you can be sure that Timothy will be in the thick of it.

   thicken   v.  coagulate, clot, congeal, jell, gel, set, solidify, stiffen,
             harden, firm up, cake, incrassate, inspissate:  Cornflour can be
             used to thicken sauces.

   thicket   n.  copse, brake, grove, covert, wood, Brit spinney:  We
             concealed our horses in the thicket and stole ahead on foot.

   thick-skinned
             n.  insensitive, insensate, dull, obtuse, stolid, callous,
             numb(ed), steeled, hardened, toughened, tough, unsusceptible,
             inured, unfeeling, case-hardened, impervious, pachydermatous,
             Colloq hard-boiled:  You must be very thick-skinned not to
             realize that they were getting at you.

   thief     n.  1 robber, burglar, cat burglar, housebreaker, picklock,
             sneak-thief, safe-cracker, pilferer, shoplifter, purloiner;
             embezzler, peculator; pickpocket, cutpurse, purse-snatcher,
             mugger, highwayman, footpad, brigand, bandit, thug, dacoit,
             ruffian, outlaw, desperado, hijacker, gunman, plunderer;
             poacher; Technical kleptomaniac, Australian bush-ranger, US
             road-agent, Colloq hold-up man, crook, US second-story or
             second-storey man, bandito or bandido, Slang cracksman, box man,
             dip, stick-up man:  They caught the thief who took the
             paintings.  2 cheat, swindler, confidence man, mountebank,
             charlatan, sharper, trickster, flimflam artist or man,
             thimblerigger, Colloq con man, con artist, shell-game artist, US
             highbinder:  That thief cheated them out of their savings.  3
             pirate, (sea) rover, picaroon or pickaroon, corsair, freebooter,
             buccaneer, marauder, filibuster, privateer:  They might seem
             romantic in retrospect, but at the time, pirates were no more
             than common thieves.

   thin      adj.  1 slim, slender, lean, spare, slight, lanky, spindly,
             skinny, thin as a rail or reed or rake, wispy, twiggy, skeletal,
             gaunt, gangling, bony, emaciated, cadaverous, meagre, scrawny,
             all skin and bones, scraggy, undernourished, underfed,
             underweight, undersized, puny, sparse, hollow-cheeked,
             (half-)starved, pinched, withered, shrunken, shrivelled (up):
             Douglas is quite thin as a result of his illness.  2 sparse,
             unsubstantial, poor, scant, insufficient, inadequate, slight,
             worthless, unimportant, deficient, skimpy, unplentiful, paltry,
             piddling:  This year's harvest has been very thin.  3
             attenuated, threadlike, stringlike, pencil-thin, fine; narrow:
             Draw a thin line between the columns. Please slice the bread
             thin.  4 flimsy, weak, feeble, slight, unsubstantial,
             insubstantial, fragile, frail, poor, lame; unbelievable,
             unconvincing:  Harry gave some thin excuse for being late.  5
             airy, filmy, diaphanous, gossamer, sheer, light, delicate,
             chiffon, silky, silken, gauzy, translucent, see-through,
             transparent:  She had nothing but a thin negligee to protect her
             from the cold.  6 watery, watered down, dilute(d), weak,
             unsatisfying:  My dinner, as usual, consisted of thin gruel and
             a dry crust.  7 thin on the ground. rare, uncommon, scarce, few
             (and far between), unusual, hard to come by or find, scant,
             scanty:  Good managers are thin on the ground.

             --v.  8 Often, thin down. draw out, attenuate, reduce, trim, cut
             down, prune; sharpen:  At one end, thin the dowel to a point.  9
             Often, thin down or out. dilute, water (down), decrease, reduce,
             diminish:  They always thin the wine with some water. The crowd
             thinned out after a while.

   thing     n.  1 item, (inanimate) object, article, possession:  They went
             without leaving a thing behind.  2 item, subject, matter,
             detail, feature, aspect, affair, constituent, element, factor,
             point:  There's one thing that I forgot to mention. It's a small
             thing, but I like coffee with my breakfast. 3 fad, trend,
             fashion:  Let me show you the latest thing in sports cars.  4
             feeling, reaction, attitude, sentiment, emotional attachment;
             quirk, fixation, preoccupation, obsession; fetish or fetich,
             id‚e fixe, affection, liking, partiality, predilection, fancy,
             love, passion, mania; phobia, fear, terror, aversion, loathing,
             horror, detestation, dislike, Colloq hang-up:  A chocoholic has
             a thing about chocolate. Pet snakes are not Patricia's thing.
             Roger has a thing about going out in public. 5 device, item,
             gadget, object, entity, mechanism, contrivance, apparatus,
             instrument, utensil, Colloq dingus, doodad, whatchamacallit,
             thingumajig, whosis, whatsis, thingummy, thingumabob, Chiefly US
             and Canadian gismo or gizmo:  Where's the thing that is supposed
             to hold the flywheel in place?  6 chore, task, responsibility,
             matter; act, action, deed, activity, proceeding:  The first
             thing I must do is to phone home.  7 opportunity, chance,
             possibility:  See me first thing tomorrow.  8 things.  a
             affairs, matters, business, concerns:  I have to take care of
             some things at the office today.  b circumstances, events,
             happenings:  Things are rarely what they seem.  c belongings,
             luggage, baggage, impedimenta, possessions, paraphernalia,
             effects, clothes, clothing, goods; equipment, tools, utensils,
             implements, apparatus, Colloq gear, stuff, Slang Brit clobber,
             US crap, junk, Taboo slang US shit:  Take your things and leave
             at once! The plumber left his things at the shop.

   think     v.  1 believe, imagine, expect, dream, fantasize, suppose:  When
             do you think that you will retire?  2 judge, reckon, consider,
             deem, regard (as), characterize (as), believe, assume, mark:
             They thought him a fool for making such a fuss.  3 contemplate,
             cogitate (on or over or about), ruminate (over or about),
             reflect (on), meditate (on or over or about), muse (on or over
             or about), deliberate (on or over or about), think about or of
             or over:  He likes to sit in the bath and think. I need time to
             think over your proposal. 4 Often, think of. recall, remember,
             recollect, call to mind:  I simply cannot think of the name of
             that film we saw last week.  5 think of or about.  a consider,
             ponder, weigh, contemplate, muse over, have in mind, mull over,
             entertain the idea or notion of, intend, have in mind, propose:
             Do you ever think of retiring?  b assess, evaluate, value,
             judge:  What do you think about their latest suggestion?  6
             think up or of. devise, concoct, contrive, come up with, invent,
             conceive (of), dream up, create, make up, improvise:  Who thinks
             up the plots for these dreadful TV series?

   thinkable adj.  conceivable, possible, imaginable, feasible, reasonable,
             tenable, not unlikely, plausible, believable, credible:  It is
             hardly thinkable that they can be serious.

   thinker   n.  sage, wise man, savant, Nestor, Solomon, pundit, mastermind,
             philosopher, scholar, learned person, mentor, expert:  She has
             been looked on as one of the great thinkers of her time.

   thinking  adj.  1 rational, sensible, ratiocinative, intelligent,
             reasoning, reasonable; meditative, contemplative, reflective,
             philosophical, cogitative, pensive, thoughtful, intellectual:
             Any thinking person would have done the same as you.

             --n.  2 opinion, judgement, belief, thought, point of view,
             viewpoint, assessment, evaluation, theory, reasoning,
             conclusion, idea, philosophy, outlook:  There is nothing either
             good or bad, but thinking makes it so.  Do you concur with the
             current thinking on education?

   thirst    n.  1 craving, desire, appetite, hunger, eagerness, avidity,
             ravenousness, voracity, voraciousness, lust, passion,
             enthusiasm, fancy, hankering, longing, yearning, Colloq itch,
             yen:  It was the thirst for gold that drove them mad. She has an
             insatiable thirst for knowledge.

             --v.  2 Often, thirst for or after. crave, desire, hunger for or
             after, lust for or after, fancy, hanker for or after, long for,
             yearn for, wish for:  These men are thirsting for power.

   thirsty   adj.  1 parched, dry, dehydrated; arid:  I need another drink -
             I'm really thirsty. The thirsty land welcomes the rain. 2
             desirous, hungry, avid, eager, ravenous, voracious, burning,
             greedy, avaricious, hankering, yearning, craving, Colloq
             itching:  The students are thirsty for knowledge and very
             hard-working.

   thorn     n.  1 barb, spine, spike, prickle, bristle, brier, bur or burr,
             point, bramble, cocklebur:  My sleeve caught on the thorn and
             tore.  2 Often, thorn in (one's) side. bother, irritation,
             annoyance, nuisance, vexation, torment, torture, scourge,
             plague, affliction, irritant, bane, Colloq pain in the neck,
             Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse or US ass:  His nagging
             brother has been a thorn in his side for years.

   thorny    adj.  1 prickly, barbed, spiny, spiked, brambly, spinous,
             Technical spinose, acanthoid, spiculose, spiculate, spinulose,
             aciculate, muricate, barbellate, setigerous, setaceous,
             setiferous, setose:  The insect's feet have tiny thorny
             projections.  2 difficult, hard, tough, prickly, nettlesome,
             painful, ticklish, delicate, intricate, critical, complex,
             complicated, problematic, vexatious, knotty, tangled, involved,
             troublesome, controversial, nasty, worrying, Colloq sticky,
             Slang hairy:  Many thorny questions have vexed us throughout the
             ages.

   thorough  adj.  1 thoroughgoing, complete, downright, perfect,
             through-and-through, total, unmitigated, undiluted, unmixed,
             unalloyed, out-and-out, unqualified, sheer, utter, arrant,
             absolute, proper:  I have rarely encountered such thorough
             stupidity.  2 exhaustive, extensive, painstaking, meticulous,
             assiduous, careful, scrupulous, particular, conscientious,
             methodical:  Police conducted a thorough search but found
             nothing.  3 extensive, exhaustive, detailed, in-depth,
             comprehensive, full, complete, all-inclusive, total,
             all-embracing, encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, universal, A-to-Z,
             Colloq all-out:  We need someone who has a thorough knowledge of
             the terrain.

   thoroughly
             adv.  1 completely, downright, perfectly, totally,
             unqualifiedly, utterly, absolutely, entirely, extremely,
             unreservedly, wholly, fully, positively, definitely, quite:  He
             is thoroughly stupid, as we all know.  2 carefully,
             painstakingly, exhaustively, extensively, assiduously,
             sedulously, methodically, conscientiously, scrupulously,
             meticulously, intensively, comprehensively, completely,
             throughout, from top to bottom, from stem to stern, backwards
             and forwards, in every nook and cranny:  Police searched
             thoroughly again, but could still find no murder weapon.

   though    conj.  1 although, even though, while, in spite of or despite
             the fact that, notwithstanding that, albeit, granted, granting
             or conceding that, allowing or admitting that, even if,
             supposing:  Though it is the right size, I hate the colour.

             --adv.  2 however, nonetheless, nevertheless, yet, but, still,
             even so, be that as it may, all the same, notwithstanding, for
             all that:  She lost the original; I kept a copy though.

   thought   n.  1 thinking, reflection, reflecting, meditation, meditating,
             contemplation, contemplating, cogitation, cogitating, musing,
             pondering, rumination, ruminating, brooding, mental activity,
             mentation, brown study; brainwork, cerebration, deliberation,
             deliberating, consideration, considering:  She was deep in
             thought. The solution may require considerable thought. 2 idea,
             notion, brainstorm, observation:  I have a thought that I'd like
             to share with you.  3 consideration, contemplation, planning,
             plan, scheme, design, intention, expectation, hope, prospect,
             anticipation, dream, vision:  Any thought of taking a few days
             off had to be abandoned.  4 thoughtfulness, consideration,
             kindliness, kind-heartedness, concern, compassion, tenderness,
             kindness, sympathy, attentiveness, regard, solicitude:  I don't
             need any help, but I appreciate the thought.  5 Often, thoughts.
             recollection(s), memory or memories, remembrance(s),
             reminiscence(s):  Now and then he comforted himself with
             thoughts of his happy childhood.  6 intellect, intelligence,
             reasoning, rationality, ratiocination, reason:  Some believe
             that only humans are capable of thought.  7 bit, trifle, touch,
             small amount, trace, soup‡on, little, tinge:  This champagne is
             a thought too sweet.

   thoughtful
             adj.  1 considerate, kind, kindly, kind-hearted, compassionate,
             tender, sympathetic, attentive, solicitous, helpful, charitable:
             Wasn't it thoughtful of Simon to offer his help?  2
             contemplative, pensive, reflective, musing, in a brown study,
             pondering, meditative, engrossed, introspective, rapt, wistful,
             brooding, wool-gathering, day-dreaming:  Every time I mentioned
             Clarissa, he would become thoughtful.  3 prudent, wary,
             cautious, mindful, heedful, thinking, attentive, circumspect,
             careful, caring:  The crew are ever thoughtful of the
             passengers' safety.

   thoughtless
             adj.  1 inconsiderate, rude, impolite, insensitive, tactless,
             undiplomatic, untactful, unthinking:  It was thoughtless of you
             to mention her son, who is serving time for possession of drugs.
             2 rash, imprudent, negligent, foolish, stupid, careless,
             neglectful, reckless, silly, unthinking, unreflective,
             absent-minded, forgetful, remiss, ill-considered, heedless,
             inadvertent, inattentive:  How thoughtless of me to forget your
             birthday!

   thrashing n.  1 beating, drubbing, whipping, flogging, assault, caning,
             belting, mauling, lashing, trouncing, basting, battering,
             pounding, Colloq hiding, tanning, lambasting, hammering,
             pasting:  Every time he stepped into the ring he got a
             thrashing.  2 punishment, chastisement, disciplining,
             discipline, castigation:  He dreaded the thrashing his father
             administered at any sign of disobedience.

   thread    n.  1 fibre, filament, strand, (piece of) yarn; string, line,
             cord, twine:  Threads from his jacket were found clutched in the
             victim's hand.  The glass is spun out into fine threads. 2
             theme, plot, story-line, subject, motif, thesis, course, drift,
             direction, tenor, train (of thought), sequence or train or chain
             of events:  It is difficult to follow the thread of the story
             when it has so many digressions.

             --v.  3 string:  Carefully thread the beads onto the wire.  4
             file, wind, pass, squeeze (through), pick or make (one's) way
             (through), inch, ease:  He threaded his way through the crowd to
             reach the dais.

   threadbare
             adj.  1 frayed, worn (out), worn to a frazzle, ragged,
             moth-eaten, tattered, tatty, scruffy, shabby, seedy, torn,
             wretched, sorry, slovenly:  My old winter coat is looking a bit
             threadbare.  2 trite, hackneyed, overused, overworked, reworked,
             stale, tired, stereotyped, commonplace, clich‚d, clich‚-ridden,
             banal, prosaic, dull, monotonous, tedious, tiresome, boring,
             played out, Colloq old hat:  You'll never make it as a comedian
             by relying on that threadbare material of yours.

   threat    n.  1 intimidation, menace, commination, warning, peril, risk,
             danger, Damoclean sword:  It is not honesty but the threat of
             punishment that deters many from crime. 2 omen, presage,
             portent, foreboding, forewarning, intimation:  The villagers
             lived under a constant threat from the smoking volcano.

   threaten  v.  1 intimidate, menace, terrorize, daunt, cow, bully,
             browbeat, warn, caution:  The headmaster threatened those who
             misbehaved with the most dire punishment. 2 imperil, put at
             risk, endanger, jeopardize, put in jeopardy:  All life is
             threatened if the environment is not better looked after. 3
             impend, loom; augur, portend, presage, forebode:  The creatures
             crawl into their burrows if danger threatens. The gathering
             clouds threatened rain.

   threatening
             adj.  ominous, menacing, portentous, sinister, looming,
             inauspicious, minatory, minacious, comminatory, intimidating,
             foreboding, imminent, impending:  Threatening storm clouds began
             to build in the western sky.

   threshold n.  1 sill, door-sill, doorstep; doorway, entrance:  He stood at
             the threshold and peered into the room.  2 brink, verge, edge,
             beginning, commencement, outset, start, dawn:  The emigrants
             were at the threshold of a new life.

   thrift    n.  economy, husbandry, care, carefulness, prudence, parsimony,
             frugality, thriftiness, sparingness, scrimping, skimping;
             penuriousness, close-fistedness, tight-fistedness,
             niggardliness, stinginess, miserliness:  Only through our thrift
             were we able to save enough for a new car.

   thrifty   adj.  economical, careful, prudent, parsimonious, frugal,
             sparing, scrimping, skimping; penurious, close-fisted,
             tight-fisted, niggardly, stingy, miserly, penny-pinching, cheap:
             He talked about the need to save money and be thrifty in every
             way.

   thrill    n.  1 excitement, titillation, frisson, tingle, tingling
             (sensation), stimulation, Colloq kick, bang, charge, buzz:
             Victor feels a tremendous thrill when his daughter wins a tennis
             match. 2 tremor, quiver, quivering, shudder, shuddering,
             tremble, trembling, flutter, throb, throbbing, tremor,
             pulsation, vibration:  The only warning was a slight thrill in
             the earth just before the main quake.

             --v.  3 excite, stimulate, animate, electrify, galvanize,
             enliven, stir, titillate, touch, strike, move, impassion,
             arouse, Slang send, give (someone) a kick:  They were thrilled
             to discover that they had won an award.

   thrilling adj.  exciting, stimulating, animating, electrifying,
             galvanizing, enlivening, stirring, titillating, striking,
             moving, arousing, rousing, gripping, sensational, riveting,
             spine-tingling, soul-stirring:  Last year's Cup Final was a
             thrilling match, with most sides playing their hearts out. I
             have never had such thrilling rides at the fun fair.

   thrive    v.  succeed, prosper, boom, advance, flourish, grow, bloom,
             burgeon, develop, wax, increase, fructify, ripen:  They thrived
             in the invigorating mountain air.

   throe     n.  Usually, throes. pang, anguish, struggle, chaos, turmoil,
             tumult, paroxysm, spasm, fit, seizure, convulsion, Technical
             ictus:  She was in the throes of despair at the dreadful news
             from home.

   throng    n.  1 horde, crowd, host, assemblage, assembly, gathering, mass,
             crush, jam, multitude, congregation, press, swarm, herd, flock,
             bevy, drove:  Throngs of people packed the shopping mall on
             Saturday.

             --v.  2 crowd (into), fill, pack (into), cram (into), crush
             (into), jam (into), press (into), swarm (into), herd (into),
             flock (into or to); assemble (in or at), gather (in or at), mass
             (in or at), congregate (in or at):  Thousands thronged the
             stadium to watch the tennis matches.

   through   prep.  1 because of, on account of, owing to, as a consequence
             or result of, by virtue of, via, be means of, by way of, with
             the aid or help of, under the aegis or auspices of, Sometimes
             non-standard due to:  It was through his good graces that I got
             the appointment.  2 during, throughout, in the course or middle
             of:  The dog barked all through the night.  3 inclusive of,
             including:  When I say 'the third through the sixth' I mean
             'including the sixth'. 4 to; into:  I went through a lot of
             trouble to find this book.

             --adj.  5 Often, through with. done (with), finished (with); at
             the end of one's tether (with), washing (one's) hands (of):  Let
             me know when you are through. How many times has she sworn she
             was through with him forever?

             --adv.  6 by, past:  I am just passing through.  7 entirely,
             through and through, completely, thoroughly, totally, wholly,
             utterly, fully, to the core, from head to foot or toe, from top
             to bottom, from stem to stern, from one end to the other, in
             every way, in all respects:  By the time I got home, I was
             soaked through.

   throughout
             prep.  1 during, all (the way) through, from the beginning to
             the end of:  We worked throughout the day and night. Throughout
             his life he felt the need for constant support. 2 everywhere in,
             all over, in every part of, in every nook and cranny of, from
             one end to the other of:  I searched throughout the house for my
             keys.

             --adv.  3 all (the way) through, everywhere, from one end to the
             other, wholly, entirely, completely, fully:  They were busy
             tidying the house throughout before his mother came to stay.

   throw     v.  1 toss, cast, hurl, fling, sling, pitch, dash, propel,
             project, shy, bowl, send, launch, Colloq chuck:  He threw the
             ball to the batter with all his might.  2 cast, shed, project:
             I was hoping you might throw some light on the subject. Coming
             events throw their shadow before them. 3 throw or bring down,
             floor, fell, knock down or over, overthrow, upset, overturn:  He
             threw the vase on the floor.  4 dismay, confound, confuse,
             dumbfound or dumfound, baffle, disconcert, unnerve, throw off or
             out, unsettle, put off, put (someone) off his or her or their
             stride or pace or stroke, Colloq discombobulate:  Her frank
             questions about my private life really threw me.  5 throw away.
             a discard, cast off, dispose of, jettison, get rid of, scrap,
             throw out, dispense with, Colloq dump, trash, chuck out, Slang
             ditch:  He is a hoarder, refusing to throw anything away.  b
             waste, squander, lose, forgo, fritter away, fail to exploit or
             take advantage of, Slang blow:  He threw away his last chance
             for a decent life when he left her.  6 throw off.  a eject,
             expel, emit, throw up or out:  The volcano throws off rocks
             every so often.  b shake off, rid or free (oneself) of, get rid
             of, reject, renounce, repudiate:  He finally managed to throw
             off his mother's pernicious influence.  c deceive, mislead,
             decoy, misguide, misdirect, distract, divert, bewilder,
             confound, confuse, Colloq flummox, bamboozle:  He doubled back
             to throw the dogs off.  d See 4, above.  7 throw out.  a
             radiate, emit, send forth, give out or off, diffuse, put out or
             forth, disseminate:  The substance throws out a greenish light.
             b expel, eject, force out, evict, Colloq Brit turf out, Slang
             bounce:  Henry was thrown out of the pub for rowdy behaviour.  c
             See 5 (a), above.  d See 6 (a), above.  8 throw over. jilt,
             leave, abandon, desert, forsake, break or split up with, Colloq
             walk out on, chuck, drop:  She was heartbroken when he threw her
             over and married her sister.  9 throw up.  a vomit, spit up,
             puke, spew up, be sick; regurgitate, disgorge, Colloq heave
             (up):  He felt as if he was going to throw up.  b abandon, quit,
             leave, throw over, give up, relinquish, resign, renounce, Colloq
             chuck:  He threw up a perfectly good job to go and live on a
             boat.  c reveal, bring out or up, bring to the surface or the
             top, bring forward or forth, bring to light or to notice:  Their
             treachery was thrown up in high relief by the events that
             followed. d throw or slap or knock together, jerry-build:  The
             house was thrown up overnight - and it looks like it.  e See 6
             (a), above.

   thrust    v.  1 push, shove, drive, force, impel, ram, jam, butt, propel,
             prod, urge, press; shoulder, jostle, elbow:  A stranger thrust
             this note into my hand. She thrust her way through the crowd. 2
             stab, plunge, stick, jab, poke; lunge:  He thrust the dagger
             into the man's back. She thrust at me with an ice pick. 3
             Usually, thrust upon. press (upon or on), impose (upon or on),
             force (upon or on), urge (upon or on):  They were willing to
             help, but rather thought the problem had been thrust upon them.

             --n.  4 shove, push, drive, lunge, poke, prod, stab:  He
             depended on his agility to avoid the thrusts of the rapier.  5
             propulsion, force, power, energy:  The thrust of the photon
             engines drives the space ship at nearly the speed of light.

   thud      n.  clunk, thump, whomp, wham, clonk, bump:  His head hit the
             wall with a thud.

   thug      n.  hooligan, gangster, desperado, gunman, terrorist, hoodlum,
             robber, assassin, murderer, killer, cutthroat, ruffian, Mafioso,
             (In Paris) apache, tough, mugger, Technical p'hansigar, Brit
             rough, Slang tough, hood, crook, hit man, heavy, US goon,
             Australian larrikin:  Some thugs roughed him up and took his
             wallet.

   thumb     n.  1 Technical pollex.  2 all thumbs. awkward, clumsy,
             maladroit, Colloq butter-fingered, ham-fisted, cack-handed:  I
             am all thumbs when it comes to threading needles.  3 give
             (something) the thumbs down or turn thumbs down (on). disapprove
             (of), reject, rebuff, turn down:  We turned thumbs down to the
             idea of a picnic.  4 turn or give thumbs up (to). approve (of),
             accept, welcome, Colloq OK or okay:  The boss gave thumbs up to
             our request for a Christmas party.  5 under (one's) thumb. under
             (one's) control, wrapped (a)round (one's) little finger, in the
             palm of (one's) hand, eating out of (one's hand), at (one's)
             beck and call:  She has the directors under her thumb.

             --v.  6 hitchhike, Colloq hitch, US hook a ride:  They thumbed
             their way across the country.  7 Often, thumb through. leaf
             (through), flick or flip (through), riffle (through), skim
             (through), browse (through):  I was thumbing through City Life
             and came across your picture, Bernard!  8 thumb (one's) nose at.
             scoff at, deride, jeer at, mock, dismiss, scorn, flout, be
             contemptuous of, show contempt for, exhibit defiance for, be
             defiant of, contemn, Brit cock a snook at:  He has thumbed his
             nose at authority all his life.

   thumbnail adj.  rough, undetailed, cursory, sketchy, superficial; brief,
             short, quick; compact, concise, pithy, succinct:  His poetry is
             a chilling, thumbnail sketch of the way we live now.

   thumping  adj.  1 great, huge, colossal, stupendous, gigantic, enormous,
             immense, monumental, massive, titanic, elephantine, behemoth,
             gargantuan, mammoth, jumbo, Colloq whopping, thundering,
             walloping:  That is the biggest thumping beach ball I have ever
             seen! That was a thumping lie. 2 complete, utter, unmitigated,
             24-carat, perfect:  Anyone who would turn down a salary increase
             must be a thumping idiot.

   thunder   n.  1 roll, reverberation, boom, booming, roar, roaring,
             pealing, rumble, rumbling; crash, crashing, crack, cracking,
             explosion, blast:  We were deafened by the thunder of the tanks
             crossing the bridge above us.

             --v.  2 roll, reverberate, boom, roar, rumble, resound; explode,
             crash, crack, blast:  The noise of the jets thundered through
             the valley.  3 shout, yell, scream, bellow, bark, roar;
             denounce, fulminate against, swear (at), rail (at), curse (at),
             execrate; threaten, intimidate, menace:  'Fee, fie, foe, fum!'
             thundered the giant. No secretary will tolerate his thundering
             at her.

   thunderous
             adj.  roaring, booming, thundering, tumultuous, noisy, loud,
             ear-splitting, deafening:  They took curtain calls to thunderous
             applause.

   thunderstruck
             adj.  dumbfounded or dumfounded, astonished, astounded,
             awestruck, awed, speechless, struck dumb, amazed, taken aback,
             staggered, stunned, shocked, dazed, numb, paralysed, aghast,
             open-mouthed, nonplussed, Colloq flabbergasted, floored, bowled
             over, Brit knocked for six:  We were thunderstruck to learn that
             our team had been disqualified.

   thus      adv.  1 so, in this manner or way or fashion or wise, as
             follows, Non-Standard thusly:  On receipt of the payment, I
             wrote thus to him.  2 therefore, ergo, consequently, as a
             consequence, as a result, accordingly, (and) so, then, for this
             or that reason, hence, in which case or event, that being the
             case, that being so:  He has already decided; thus, your efforts
             to persuade him are useless.

   thwart    v.  1 frustrate, impede, check, stymie, baffle, stop, foil,
             stump, hinder, obstruct, balk, block, oppose, negate, nullify,
             Colloq short-circuit:  They have thwarted all our efforts to
             become friendly.

             --n.  2 brace, cross-brace; (rowing-)seat, bench:  These canoes
             are fitted with two thwarts.

20.4 tickle...
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   tickle    v.  titillate, delight, please, gratify, amuse, entertain,
             divert, captivate, thrill, tickle pink or to death:  The show we
             saw last night really tickled my fancy. She was tickled to
             receive the flowers.

   ticklish  adj.  1 uncertain, unsteady, unsure, unstable, unsettled,
             fickle, touch-and-go, touchy:  Power that relies on the sword
             has a ticklish basis.  2 delicate, precarious, risky, hazardous,
             dangerous, critical, thorny, fragile, awkward:  As the canoe
             drifted towards the waterfall, we found ourselves in a very
             ticklish predicament. 3 delicate, sensitive, hypersensitive,
             difficult, touchy, prickly:  Cornelia is a bit ticklish on the
             subject of her holiday plans.

   tidy      adj.  1 neat, orderly, trim, shipshape, spruce, spick and span,
             clean, well-kept, well-groomed:  Change your clothes and come
             back when you're tidy.  2 well-organized, organized,
             well-ordered, methodical, systematic, trim:  They refused to
             clean his office till he had made it tidy.  3 respectable,
             sizeable, significant, considerable, substantial, good, goodly,
             good-sized, ample, large, big, fair, generous, not
             insignificant; Colloq not to be sneezed at:  They settled a tidy
             sum on their daughter when she was married.

             --v.  4 Often, tidy up. neaten (up), straighten (out or up),
             clean (up), put in order, Colloq fix (up), spruce up, organize,
             reorganize, arrange, rearrange:  You can't watch television
             until you've tidied up your room. Please tidy up the files by
             the end of the week.

   tie       v.  1 bind, fasten, make fast, tie up, lash, secure, truss,
             attach, tether, rope, chain, moor; connect, join, knot, link,
             couple, splice, unite:  He keeps a vicious dog tied to a stake
             in his garden. Tie the ends of the rope together. 2 bind, truss
             (up), tie up, lash, pinion, restrict, confine, restrain; limit,
             tie down, curtail, curb, cramp, hamper, hinder:  His hands are
             tied behind his back. According to the terms of the agreement,
             my hands are tied and I can do nothing. 3 connect, associate,
             unite, join, link, bind (up), affiliate, ally, league, team
             (up):  Our business interests are tied to those of the major
             banks.  4 equal, even, be equal or even (with), match, be neck
             and neck (with):  We tied them for first place. Yesterday, we
             were tied for second.  5 tie down.  a clinch, secure, confirm,
             Colloq nail down:  I tied down the PBT contract this morning.  b
             restrict, restrain, constrain, confine, curtail:  He won't marry
             because he doesn't want to feel tied down.  6 tie in.  a be
             consistent, make sense, correspond, coincide, fit (in), be
             logical, coordinate:  His alibi ties in with the witness's
             testimony.  b relate, connect, link, associate, coordinate:
             They cleverly tie in concern for the environment with their
             product.  7 tie up.  a occupy, engage, (keep) busy:  This affair
             will tie me up till Tuesday.  b use, take up, encroach on,
             impose on:  I won't tie up your time any longer.  c stop, halt,
             bring to a standstill:  The traffic was tied up for hours.  d
             commit, oblige, obligate, bind:  We have tied up all their
             output for a year.  e See 1, above.  f See 2, above.

             --n.  8 link, fastening, bond, band, connection, tie-up,
             relationship, affiliation, liaison, involvement, entanglement:
             Isn't there some tie between those two companies?  9 string,
             cord, lace, rope, thong, ribbon, band, ligature, shoelace, line,
             leash, stop:  The tie of her dressing-gown came loose.  10
             equality, dead heat, deadlock, draw, stalemate:  When there is a
             tie, the game ought to go into 'sudden death' overtime. 11
             cravat, US necktie:  Please put on a tie for dinner.  12 railway
             tie, sleeper:  Ties in Europe are now made of concrete.

   tie-in    n.  tie-up, relationship, relation, association, connection,
             link, linkage:  They say that there is a tie-in between smoking
             and lung cancer.

   tier      n.  row, line, level, order, range, course, series, stratum,
             layer, echelon, file, rank, storey:  The trireme is said to have
             had three tiers of oarsmen.

   tie-up    n.  1 US and Canadian slow-down, slow-up, entanglement,
             stoppage, jam, log-jam, traffic jam, delay, congestion:  The
             tie-up was caused by fog on the highway.  2 See tie-in, above.

   tiff      n.  (petty) quarrel, disagreement, misunderstanding, dispute,
             argument, difference (of opinion), squabble, bicker, row,
             wrangle, US spat:  Clare and Geoff have had their first tiff.

   tiffin    n.  luncheon, lunch, light repast, snack:  The new arrivals were
             to join us for tiffin.

   tight     adj.  1 secure, firm, fast, fixed, secured, close-fitting, snug,
             sealed, hermetically sealed, leak-proof, hermetic, impervious,
             impenetrable, impermeable, airtight, watertight, waterproof,:
             Make sure that the lid is tight.  2 taut, stretched, tense,
             constricting, (too) small, ill-fitting:  She was wearing a very
             tight dress.  3 strict, binding, restrictive, stringent, severe,
             tough, uncompromising, unyielding, rigorous, stern, austere,
             autocratic, harsh, hard and fast, inflexible:  You can't get
             away with anything under such tight regulations.  I have a tight
             schedule next week. 4 Chiefly nautical taut, (well-)disciplined,
             orderly, neat, well-organized, trim, tidy, smart:  He runs a
             tight ship.  5 stingy, niggardly, mean, penurious, miserly,
             parsimonious, penny-pinching, tight-fisted, close-fisted, Colloq
             Brit mingy:  Glenn is much too tight to buy anyone a drink.  6
             close, (almost) even, (highly) competitive, neck and neck,
             evenly matched:  It is going to be a tight race.  7 difficult,
             trying, dangerous, perilous, risky, hazardous, touchy,
             problematic, sticky, tricky, ticklish, precarious, touch-and-go:
             The strike has created a tight situation at the office.  8
             tipsy, drunk, intoxicated, Colloq high, woozy, under the
             influence, Brit tiddly:  When I saw her, she was too tight to
             drive.  9 scarce, scanty, hard to find or come by, rare; dear,
             expensive:  Entrepreneurs have found investment money to be
             pretty tight this year.

             --adv.  10 tightly, securely, firmly; closely:  Keep this door
             closed tight. Hold me tight. Her hands were clasped tight in
             prayer. 11 compactly, densely, solidly, firmly, closely:  We
             were packed so tight in the bus that no one could move.

   tighten   v.  1 Sometimes, tighten down or up. anchor, fasten, fix, tense,
             secure:  Tighten those last two screws and you're finished.  2
             make tighter or tenser or stronger, strengthen:  He tightened
             his grip on my hand.  3 Sometimes, tighten up. make more
             rigorous or strict or stringent or severe or restrictive, close
             gaps in:  We ought to tighten security at the warehouse.  4
             Sometimes, tighten up. tauten, stiffen, tense, close:  I felt
             the noose begin to tighten round my neck.

   tight-lipped
             adj.  close-mouthed, silent, quiet, mum, mute, close-lipped,
             noncommittal, reticent, secretive, taciturn, unforthcoming,
             uncommunicative, reserved:  He remained tight-lipped about his
             activities during the war.

   tightly   adv.  closely, tensely, vigorously, rigorously:  It was a
             tightly fought race.

   tights    n.pl.  US and Canadian and New Zealand panty hose, Australian
             and US also pantihose:  It was much too hot to wear tights.

   till°     v.  plough or US also plow, cultivate, farm, work, dig, hoe,
             harrow, manure, Literary delve:  My family has tilled this land
             for seven generations.

   tillэ     n.  money or cash-drawer, cash-box or register:  He insists that
             the money was in the till when he left last night.

   tilt      v.  1 lean, slant, incline, slope, angle, tip, heel over, pitch,
             list, cant:  She caught the lamp just as the table tilted.  2
             tilt at. joust with, compete with, battle against, contend with,
             spar with, cross swords with, attack:  In tilting at the media,
             he has chosen some formidable opponents.

             --n.  3 lean, slant, incline, slope, angle, tip, heel, list,
             pitch, cant, inclination:  The wall is at a perilous tilt and
             could easily fall.  4 joust, tourney, tournament, meeting,
             tilting, engagement, encounter, match, contest, test, trial,
             fight, combat; dispute, argument, difference, quarrel,
             altercation, squabble, tiff, US spat, Colloq set-to:  I have
             enjoyed the various tilts I have had with the editor over the
             years.

   timber    n.  1 trees, forest, woodland:  The standing timber has been
             seriously depleted in Brazil.  2 wood, beams, boards, planks, US
             and Canadian lumber:  The timber for our new house arrived
             today.  3 material, potential, stuff, character, quality,
             talent, prospect:  Agatha seems to be good management timber.

   timbre    n.  tone (colour or quality), tonality, colour, resonance:
             Kurt's voice has a rich, full timbre.

   time      n.  1 period, interval, stretch, spell, patch:  I was going
             through a bad time when we last met.  2 period, interval,
             stretch, while, span, space, term, duration:  It is a long time
             since I have seen you. In the time I took to write this, she had
             vanished. 3 hour; point, moment:  What time is it? At what time
             is our appointment?  4 age, period, epoch, era, lifetime,
             heyday, day(s):  The novel is set in the time of the Caesars.  5
             opportunity, chance, occasion:  You must make time to visit your
             mother.  6 experience:  I had a wonderful time at your party.  7
             tempo, beat, rhythm, metre, measure:  They are playing 'Teddy
             Bears' Picnic' in march time.  8 ease, leisure; convenience:
             He'll be there in his own time.  9 Often, times. life, things,
             circumstance, conditions, everything, culture, mores, habits,
             values:  How times have changed since we were young!  10 ahead
             of time. (bright and) early, prematurely, beforehand, in good
             time:  He arrived ahead of time and had to wait.  11 all the
             time. always, ever, constantly, continuously, continually,
             perpetually, at all times, without surcease, unceasingly:
             Mother is after me all the time to do my homework.  12 at one
             time.  a once, once upon a time, on one occasion, previously, in
             days of yore, formerly, heretofore, in the (good) old days:  At
             one time you thought me beautiful.  b simultaneously, (all) at
             once, at the same time, together, all together, in unison:  The
             car can only carry five people at one time.  13 at the same
             time.  a all the same, nonetheless, yet, even so, but, however,
             be that as it may, nevertheless, notwithstanding, just the same:
             I love her; at the same time, I cannot live with her.  b See 12
             (b), above.  14 at times. from time to time, occasionally,
             (every) now and then, once in a while, on occasion, every so
             often, at intervals, sometimes, Colloq every so often:  At
             times, Ingrid would come over and cook dinner for me.  15 behind
             the times. old-fashioned, outdated, dated, outmoded, antiquated,
             pass‚, obsolescent, obsolete, Colloq old hat, dead:  Isn't 'The
             Lambeth Walk' a bit behind the times?  16 for the time being.
             for now, for the present, for the moment, meanwhile,
             temporarily, pro tempore, pro tem, Archaic for the nonce:  He
             has been appointed chairman for the time being.  17 in no time.
             at once, forthwith, straightaway, immediately, quickly,
             speedily, without delay, swiftly:  The pizza we ordered was
             delivered in no time.  18 in time.  a in timely fashion, early,
             in good time, in the nick of time:  The doctor arrived in time
             to save the baby.  b soon, one of these days, sometime, someday,
             one day, eventually, sooner or later, anon:  In time, people
             might be living on the moon.  19 on time.  a punctually, on the
             dot, in good time:  He is never on time for his appointments.  b
             in instalments, on terms, on account, on credit, Colloq Brit on
             the never-never, on hire purchase or h.p.:  We bought the car on
             time.  20 take (one's) time. dawdle, dilly-dally, shilly-shally,
             delay, linger, loiter:  He's certainly taking his time with his
             report.  21 time and again. again (and again), repeatedly, (over
             and) over again, time and time again, time after time,
             frequently, often, many times, on many occasions:  Time and
             again I warned him he'd get a ticket if he parked there.

             --v.  22 schedule, set, regulate, control:  The trains are timed
             to arrive five minutes apart.  23 schedule, set, organize,
             adjust, fix:  She timed her entrance to coincide exactly with
             the crash of the cymbals.

   time-honoured
             adj.  established, traditional, habitual, customary, rooted,
             conventional, age-old, set, fixed; venerable, venerated,
             respected, revered, honoured:  We observed the time-honoured
             custom of kissing the Blarney Stone.

   timeless  adj.  eternal, everlasting, immortal, undying, endless,
             unending, ceaseless, abiding, deathless, ageless, changeless,
             unchanged, immutable, unchanging, permanent, indestructible:  He
             was enraptured by the timeless beauty of the heavens.

   timely    adj.  punctual, prompt, well-timed, propitious, opportune,
             convenient, favourable, auspicious:  We welcomed the timely
             arrival of our rescuers.

   time-serving
             adj.  self-seeking, self-serving, selfish, self-indulgent,
             ambitious, mercenary, venal, greedy, profit-oriented,
             fortune-hunting, gold-digging, opportunistic, hypocritical,
             obsequious, sycophantic, toadying, toad-eating, boot-licking,
             subservient, Colloq on the make, on the take, Slang US out for
             numero uno, Taboo slang brown-nosing:  Members of the party were
             known to be time-serving and untrustworthy.

   timetable n.  schedule, calendar, curriculum, programme, agenda, Chiefly
             Brit diary:  My timetable doesn't allow for long lunches.

   time-worn adj.  ageing, old, tired, worn, time-scarred, decrepit,
             dilapidated, tumbledown, ramshackle, run-down, dog-eared,
             ragged, moth-eaten, threadbare, seedy, shabby, archaic, antique,
             well-worn, worn out, pass‚, broken-down, old-fashioned,
             out-dated, dated, antiquated, ancient, obsolescent, obsolete,
             stereotyped, stereotypic(al), hackneyed, stale, trite, overused,
             Colloq old hat:  She went into her time-worn routine about two
             living as cheaply as one.

   timid     adj.  shy, retiring, modest, coy, bashful, diffident, timorous,
             fearful, apprehensive, mousy, scared, frightened, nervous,
             cowardly, pusillanimous, craven, Colloq chicken-hearted, yellow,
             yellow-bellied, chicken, chicken-livered, lily-livered, gutless:
             I knew this strapping marine when he was a timid little boy.

   tinker    v.  trifle, dabble, meddle, mess (around or about), toy, fool or
             play (around or about), Brit potter or US putter (about or
             around), Colloq fiddle or monkey or muck (about or around):
             Graham has always enjoyed tinkering with engines.

   tinny     adj.  1 shabby, flimsy, flimsily or poorly made, shoddy,
             inferior, cheap, tawdry:  He bought himself a tinny old
             rattletrap of a car.  2 metallic, harsh, twangy:  She plays that
             tinny old trumpet day and night.

   tint      n.  1 tincture, wash, hue, colour, cast; tinge, touch, hint,
             trace, dash, colouring, shade, tone, suggestion:  In the west a
             tint of pink lingered in the sky. I thought I detected a tint of
             anger in his voice. 2 dye, rinse, wash, stain, tincture,
             colourant, colouring, touch-up:  What's the harm in granny's
             using blue hair tint?

             --v.  3 dye, stain, colour, rinse, tinge, touch up:  Sandra
             tints her hair to give it a coppery sheen.  4 tinge, colour,
             influence, affect, taint, stain:  A deep pessimism tints all his
             writing.

   tiny      adj.  microscopic, infinitesimal, minute, minuscule, diminutive,
             wee, small, little, miniature, micro, mini, pocket,
             pocket-sized, bantam, pygmy or pigmy, midget, Lilliputian,
             petite, delicate, dainty, elfin, slight, insignificant,
             negligible, trifling, paltry, inconsequential, puny, Colloq
             pint-sized, teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy-weensy, itty-bitty,
             itsy-bitsy:  She wore the tiniest bikini I had ever seen. When I
             saw them together I realized how tiny she is. Forgetting my
             birthday was only a tiny thing.

   tip°      n.  1 end, extremity, peak, apex, summit, vertex, cap, top,
             pinnacle, tiptop, crown, head, terminal, ferrule or ferule,
             finial, nib or neb, point:  The tip of the mountain showed above
             the clouds. He broke off the tip of the billiard cue.

             --v.  2 top, cap, crown, surmount:  The foil is tipped with a
             rubber button to prevent injury.

   tipэ      v.  1 Often, tip over. upset, overthrow, knock or cast or throw
             down, up-end, knock over, overturn, topple (over), capsize:  His
             elbow tipped the lamp, which fell with a crash.  2 slant, lean,
             incline, slant, tilt, cant:  The statue is tipped a bit off the
             vertical.  3 empty, unload, dump, deposit, Slang Brit ditch:
             They tipped their load of gravel all over my driveway.

             --n.  4 (rubbish or US garbage) dump, rubbish or refuse or trash
             heap, dumping-ground:  This old chair belongs in the tip.

   tip°      n.  1 gratuity, baksheesh, pourboire, douceur, lagniappe or
             lagnappe, present, gift, Colloq little something:  That waiter
             didn't deserve a tip.  2 tip-off, (inside) information, warning,
             advice, suggestion, clue, hint, pointer, forecast, prediction,
             Colloq Brit gen:  Louie had a tip that the police were coming.
             Her tip was 'Flapdoodle' to win the fifth race.

             --v.  3 reward:  Why did you tip the barmaid?  4 Usually, tip
             off. advise, warn, caution, alert, forewarn, notify, let
             (someone) know, Colloq let (someone) in on:  The thieves were
             tipped off and never arrived.

   tirade    n.  declamation, harangue, diatribe, philippic, outburst,
             onslaught, screed, jeremiad, denunciation, stream of abuse,
             invective:  He let loose with such a vituperative tirade that I
             walked out.

   tire      v.  1 weary, tire out, fatigue, exhaust, wear out, drain, sap,
             enervate, drain, wear out, debilitate, weaken, Colloq take it
             out of, fag (out), take it out of:  The long climb tired me.  2
             bore, exasperate, weary, irk, irritate, annoy, bother:  I wish
             you wouldn't tire me with your accounts of your shopping
             expeditions.

   tired     adj.  1 exhausted, tired out, worn out, weary, fatigued, spent,
             drained, Colloq all in, (dead) beat, knocked out, fagged (out),
             dog-tired, ready to drop, dead tired, done in, Brit knackered,
             whacked, US bushed, pooped, wiped out:  I was really tired after
             that ten-hour flight.  2 Usually, tired of. bored with,
             exasperated by, weary of, irked or irritated or annoyed or
             bothered by, sick (and tired) of, Colloq fed up (to here) with:
             Perhaps she's tired of your constant nagging.  3 overworked,
             overused, clich‚d, stereotyped, stereotypic(al), hackneyed,
             unimaginative, trite, stale, worn out, unoriginal, commonplace,
             Colloq bromidic:  The gossip columns are filled with the same
             old tired rubbish day after day.

   tireless  adj.  energetic, vital, vigorous, dynamic, spirited, lively,
             indefatigable, hardworking, industrious, untiring, unflagging,
             unfaltering, unfailing, persistent, dogged, tenacious,
             pertinacious, persevering, staunch, sedulous, unwavering,
             unswerving, undeviating, steady, steadfast, resolute,
             determined:  We all appreciate the honorary secretary's tireless
             efforts on behalf of our fund-raising this year.

   tiresome  adj.  1 boring, dull, fatiguing, humdrum, monotonous, flat,
             tedious, wearisome, tiring, uninteresting, insipid, bland,
             dry-as-dust, fatiguing, soporific, hypnotic:  Ibsen wrote plays
             that actors love and audiences find tiresome.  2 irritating,
             irksome, vexing, vexatious, annoying, bothersome, exasperating,
             trying, disagreeable, troublesome, unpleasant:  I wish she would
             take her tiresome problems elsewhere.

   tissue    n.  fabric, network, web, interweaving, combination, chain,
             series, accumulation, conglomeration, concatenation, pile, mass,
             pack:  Their entire testimony was a tissue of lies.

   titbit    n.  delicacy, (dainty) morsel, treat, choice item, bonne bouche,
             US tidbit, Colloq goody:  Sally likes to steal little titbits
             off my plate. I heard a juicy titbit of gossip this morning.

   title     n.  1 name:  You cannot tell much from a book's title.  2
             designation, appellation, epithet:  Aubrey is now an earl, but
             he rarely uses his title.  3 caption, inscription, headline,
             head, subtitle, legend, subhead, rubric:  The title on this
             picture has nothing to do with its subject.  4 championship,
             crown:  He holds the world heavyweight boxing title.  5 right,
             interest, privilege, entitlement, ownership, possession, tenure;
             (title-)deed, documentation of ownership:  My aunt has sole
             title to these lands.

             --v.  6 name, call, designate, style, label, term, entitle,
             christen, baptize, nickname, denominate, tag, dub:  Harold was
             titled King of the Revels.

   titter    v.  1 chuckle, snicker, chortle, giggle; snigger:  He told the
             most awful jokes at which his staff would titter politely.

             --n.  2 chuckle, snicker, giggle, (suppressed) laughter,
             chortle, snigger:  A titter ran through the audience.

   titular   adj.  nominal, so-called, so-designated, so-styled, self-styled,
             soi-disant, token, putative, theoretical:  He may be the titular
             head of the company, but his brother is really the boss.

20.5 toast...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   toast     n.  1 tribute, pledge, salutation(s), greeting(s),
             felicitations, honour, good wishes, appreciation,
             remembrance(s), cheers:  The speaker proposed a toast to the
             editor-in-chief.  2 heroine, hero, favourite, darling, idol:
             Jenny was the toast of the town.

             --v.  3 pay tribute to, salute, drink to, honour, greet,
             congratulate, felicitate:  We toasted our fallen comrades.

   toilet    n.  1 (water) closet, WC, men's (room), ladies' (room), (public)
             convenience, facility or facilities, washroom, bathroom,
             lavatory, privy, outhouse, urinal, (in France) pissoir,
             vespasienne; Nautical head, Chiefly military latrine, Chiefly US
             rest room, New England necessary, Colloq the Gents, the
             Ladies('), powder-room, little girls' room, little boys' room,
             Brit loo, smallest room (in the house), Military ablutions,
             Slang Brit bog, karzy, US and Canadian john, can, crapper:  They
             excused themselves to go to the toilet.  2 Formal or literary
             grooming, dressing, making up, Brit toilette:  She was still at
             her toilet when we arrived.

   toilsome  adj.  arduous, laborious, tough, hard, difficult, strenuous,
             burdensome, onerous, back-breaking, exhausting, fatiguing,
             tiring, enervating, wearying, draining:  After a toilsome ascent
             we finally reached the first camp.

   token     n.  1 coin, disc:  You need to buy a token to get through the
             turnstile.  2 symbol, sign, mark, marker, badge, emblem,
             indication, proof, evidence:  The purple trim on a Roman toga
             was a token of its wearer's elevated status. 3 souvenir,
             memento, keepsake, reminder, remembrance, Archaic remembrancer:
             The miniature Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower are tokens of
             our trips abroad.

             --adj.  4 symbolic, emblematic, representative:  The panel was
             made up of three men and a token woman.  5 superficial,
             cosmetic, surface, perfunctory, minimal, slight, nominal:  We
             encountered only token resistance when taking over the
             communications centre.

   tolerable adj.  1 bearable, supportable, allowable, endurable, acceptable,
             sufferable:  The heat and humidity are barely tolerable.  2
             acceptable, unexceptional, common, fair, common-or-garden
             variety, middling, ordinary, average, so so, mediocre, adequate,
             run-of-the-mill, passable, indifferent, Colloq OK or okay, not
             (too) bad, pretty or fairly good:  They serve a tolerable lunch
             in the hotel bar.

   tolerance n.  1 open-mindedness, toleration, forbearance,
             broad-mindedness, permissiveness, magnanimity, indulgence,
             sufferance, patience, freedom from bigotry or prejudice:  You
             must exercise more tolerance in dealing with people who are
             poorer than you. 2 play, clearance, allowance, variation:  The
             tolerance between these parts is less than a ten-thousandth of a
             millimetre. 3 toleration, resistance, endurance, imperviousness;
             immunity, insensitivity:  His tolerance of the outrages of
             stupidity seems limitless. She has a low tolerance for sugar.

   tolerant  adj.  open-minded, objective, forbearing, unprejudiced,
             unbigoted, dispassionate, broad-minded, indulgent, magnanimous,
             patient, generous, charitable, catholic, latitudinarian,
             permissive, liberal, big-hearted, fair, even-handed,
             considerate:  I am more tolerant of people than of their ideas.

   tolerate  v.  1 stand (for), allow, permit, bear, suffer, brook,
             countenance, abide, admit, indulge, concede, sanction, swallow,
             stomach, turn a blind eye to, Colloq put up with, Brit stick:
             The teacher refused to tolerate any more misbehaviour.  2 bear,
             stand, submit to, endure, weather, take, accept, undergo:  Tests
             show that the product can tolerate considerable wear and tear.

   toll°     v.  1 ring, peal, chime, strike, sound:  The clock tower bell
             tolled three.

             --n.  2 ring, ringing, peal, pealing, chime, chiming, striking,
             sound, sounding, tolling, knell:  Each toll of the bell marked
             the death of another victim.

   tollэ     n.  1 charge, fee, dues, assessment, tariff; excise, duty,
             impost, levy, tribute:  New motorways will be funded by means of
             a toll on traffic using them. 2 loss, penalty, cost, damage(s);
             exaction:  The death toll from the earthquake reached 50,000.

   tomb      n.  sepulchre, crypt, vault, mausoleum, grave, catacomb,
             burial-chamber, final or last resting-place:  Every year his
             tomb is visited by a mysterious woman in black.

   tombstone n.  gravestone, headstone, marker, monument, cenotaph:  The
             tombstones in the military cemetery stood in serried ranks.

   tone      n.  1 sound, note:  Odd tones emanated from the electronic
             music-maker.  2 stress, emphasis, force, accent, intonation,
             modulation, phrasing, inflection, pitch, tonality, timbre, sound
             (colour), tone colour or quality, colour or colouring,
             resonance, sonorousness, sonority, fullness, richness:  The tone
             of his voice is extraordinarily melodic.  3 manner, style,
             attitude, air, aspect, approach, note, tenor, tone of voice,
             mode of expression, temper, vein, spirit, air:  Do not take that
             imperious tone with me!  4 tint, tinge, shade, hue, colour,
             colouring, cast:  The fabric has a silvery tone that makes it
             shimmer.

             --v.  5 tone down. temper, modify, reduce, moderate, modulate,
             soften, quiet(en), dampen, dull, subdue, mute, soft-pedal:
             Please tone down your voice or the neighbours will hear you.  6
             tone up. (re)invigorate, tune (up), brighten (up), (re)vitalize,
             freshen (up), limber up, get into condition or shape:  I really
             have to tone up my body before I put on a swimsuit this summer.

   tongue    n.  1 language, speech; dialect, patois,Creole, idiom, parlance,
             argot, talk, vernacular, fa‡on de parler:  The people in that
             area speak a strange tongue.  2 (verbal) expression, utterance,
             voice, articulation:  Michael is reluctant to give tongue to his
             real feelings.  3 hold (one's) tongue. be or remain or keep
             silent, keep mum, say nothing or nought, not breathe a word,
             keep (one's) counsel, not say a word, Slang shut up:  Hold your
             tongue till you are spoken to!  4 slip of the tongue. slip,
             mistake, gaffe, blunder, faux pas, Freudian slip, Colloq Brit
             boob:  Saying 'bald' when I meant 'bold' was a slip of the
             tongue.  5 (with (one's)) tongue in (one's) cheek. facetiously,
             whimsically, ironically, jocularly, jokingly, not seriously, in
             jest, jestingly, in fun, to be funny, Colloq kiddingly:  As he
             is my older brother, I call him 'Dad' with tongue in cheek, of
             course.

   tongue-lashing
             n.  scolding, berating, reproof, rebuke, reprimand; (verbal)
             abuse, castigation, chastisement, vituperation, revilement,
             Colloq dressing-down, telling-off, talking-to, Brit slating,
             ticking-off, wigging:  For all his efforts to please, he only
             got a tongue-lashing for interfering.

   tongue-tied
             adj.  speechless, at a loss for words, struck dumb, dumbfounded
             or dumfounded, mute, inarticulate:  I was so nervous when the
             Prince of Wales spoke to me that I got tongue-tied.

   tonic     n.  1 stimulant, restorative, invigorant, boost, refresher;
             Obsolete or literary ptisan or tisane, Technical roborant,
             analeptic, Colloq bracer, pick-me-up, pick-up, shot in the arm,
             US picker-upper:  His father made his money selling snake-oil
             tonic.

             --adj.  2 stimulant, stimulating, restorative, invigorating,
             fortifying, bracing, strengthening, reviving, enlivening,
             refreshing, Technical analeptic, roborant:  Seeing Maddie and
             Max again had a tonic effect.

   tool      n.  1 utensil, implement, instrument, device, apparatus,
             appliance, contrivance, aid, machine, mechanism, gadget, Colloq
             contraption, gimmick, Chiefly US and Canadian gismo or gizmo:
             The work would go faster if you had the proper tools.  2 means,
             way, agency, weapon, medium, vehicle, instrumentality, avenue,
             road:  Education is the tool you need to get anywhere in life.
             3 puppet, cat's-paw, pawn, dupe, Slang stooge, sucker:  I had
             been used merely as a tool in her ambitious rise to the top.

             --v.  4 work, carve, cut, embellish, decorate, ornament, dress,
             shape:  This is the shop where the leather is tooled and
             gold-stamped.

   top       n.  1 summit, apex, peak, acme, crest, head, pinnacle, vertex,
             zenith, meridian, crown, culmination, high point, height,
             apogee:  They reached the top of the mountain at dawn. For a
             change, I should like to be at the top looking down. Samantha
             remains at the top of her profession. 2 lid, cover, cap,
             covering, stopper, cork:  Put the top back on the bottle when
             you're through.

             --v.  3 surpass, better, best, outstrip, exceed, outdo, excel,
             beat, transcend:  It would be impossible to top some of his
             achievements.  4 surmount, cover, cap, crown, tip; finish,
             complete, garnish:  The entire concoction was topped by a
             maraschino cherry.  5 trim, crop, lop or cut off, clip, prune,
             nip, pinch (back):  All the trees in this area have been topped
             to let in more sunlight.  6 scale, climb, ascend, surmount:  The
             party topped Annapurna the next day.  7 top up. fill (up),
             refresh, refill, replenish, US freshen (up):  He asked the
             barman to top up our drinks.

             --adj.  8 best, greatest, foremost, leading, pre-eminent,
             eminent, first, first-rate, principal, prime, finest, choicest,
             topmost; excellent, superior, superb, top-drawer, top-grade,
             top-notch, supreme, peerless, unequalled, incomparable, Colloq
             crack, ace, A-1 or A-one:  Is he the top man in his field? She
             is a top economics adviser to the government. 9 uppermost,
             topmost, highest:  The top fruit is the best.

   topic     n.  subject(-matter), matter, issue, question, point, thesis,
             theme, text, keynote, field or area of study or of inquiry:  We
             need to decide on a topic for tonight's discussion.

   topical   adj.  1 contemporary, current, up to date, timely:  Drug
             addiction is certainly a topical subject.  2 local, superficial:
             For a minor injury we give a topical, not a general anaesthetic.

   topple    v.  1 upset, up-end, knock down or over, bring down, fell,
             capsize, collapse:  Scores of buildings were toppled by the
             tornado.  2 bring or throw down, overthrow, defeat, vanquish,
             overcome, overturn, unseat, oust:  The leaders of the coup
             succeeded in toppling the government in a week. 3 fall (over or
             down), drop, collapse, keel over, tumble down:  Seven guardsmen
             toppled over because of the heat on the parade ground.

   topsy-turvy
             adj.  1 upside down, wrong side up, head over heels, inverted,
             reversed, backwards, vice versa:  The children were wearing
             their pyjamas topsy-turvy.  2 chaotic, muddled, jumbled,
             disorderly, disordered, disorganized, confused, mixed-up, messy,
             untidy, in a muddle, higgledy-piggledy, Colloq arsy-versy, every
             which way:  The room was completely topsy-turvy and it was
             impossible to find anything.

   torment   v.  1 torture, abuse, maltreat, mistreat, distress, agonize,
             excruciate, crucify, harrow, rack, pain:  Hunger tormented his
             weary body.  2 worry, trouble, plague, annoy, bedevil, vex,
             harry, badger, hector, harass, pester, nag, persecute, needle,
             nettle, irk, irritate, bother, torture, afflict, Brit chivvy or
             chivy or chevy:  I was tormented by the suspicion that something
             was wrong.

             --n.  3 agony, wretchedness, anguish, distress, misery, pain,
             woe, painfulness, torture, suffering, curse, hell:  How can
             parents endure the torment of losing a child?  4 worry,
             vexation, annoyance, harassment, ordeal, persecution, needling,
             nuisance, bane, irritation, bother, affliction, scourge,
             torture:  For yet another day I had to suffer the torment of
             their company.

   torpid    adj.  sluggish, slow, slow-moving, slow-paced, tortoise-like,
             lethargic, apathetic, indolent, passive, slothful, dull,
             stupefied, sleepy, somnolent, inactive, inert, languid,
             languorous, phlegmatic, spiritless, lifeless, listless,
             fain‚ant, lackadaisical, pococurante, indifferent, uncaring,
             unconcerned, insouciant:  Johnson said that it is a man's own
             fault if his mind grows torpid in old age.

   torpor    n.  sluggishness, sloth, lethargy, apathy, indolence, passivity,
             slothfulness, dullness, stupefaction, drowsiness, sleepiness,
             somnolence, inactivity, inertia, inertness, languor, laziness,
             phlegm, lifelessness, listlessness, idleness, fain‚ance,
             pococurantism, indifference, unconcern, insouciance:  The heat
             produced a certain torpor in all of us.

   torrent   n.  stream, rush, flood, deluge, effusion, gushing, outburst,
             outpouring, spate, inundation, flow, overflow, tide, cascade:
             In minutes the brook became a rushing torrent. They assailed us
             with a torrent of abuse.

   torrential
             adj.  rushing, streaming, copious, profuse, teeming, relentless,
             violent; fierce, vehement, vociferous, ferocious:  The
             torrential monsoons inundated the land. I had never heard such a
             torrential outpouring of oaths.

   torrid    adj.  1 hot, fiery, sultry, stifling, sweltering, broiling,
             sizzling, roasting, blazing, burning, baking, cooking, boiling,
             blistering, blistery, scorching, scorched, parched, parching,
             arid; humid, steamy, steaming, muggy; tropical:  It seemed
             impossible that any creature could survive in such a torrid
             climate. 2 fervent, fervid, passionate, intense, ardent,
             inflamed, impassioned, lustful, amorous, erotic, Colloq sexy,
             hot:  The film was noted for its torrid love scenes.

   tortuous  adj.  1 twisted, twisting, winding, wandering, serpentine,
             turning, crooked, sinuous, bent, curled, curling, curved, curvy,
             curvilinear, flexuous, anfractuous, convoluted, involuted,
             zigzag, maze-like, mazy, labyrinthine:  They followed a tortuous
             trail through the jungle.  2 roundabout, indirect, devious,
             intricate, involved, unstraightforward, complicated, ambiguous,
             ambagious, circuitous, warped, crooked, tricky, misleading,
             deceptive:  We could not help being intrigued by the tortuous
             Machiavellianism of the scheme.

   toss      v.  1 throw, cast, lob, pitch, fling, hurl, heave, shy, launch,
             send, let fly, propel, catapult, sling, bowl, Colloq chuck:  The
             goalkeeper tossed the ball into the middle of the field.  2
             shake, jerk, stir up, agitate, fling:  Lucy disdainfully tossed
             her head.  3 shake (up), stir (up), agitate, jiggle, tumble,
             joggle; wave, lash, thrash:  Don't you put the dressing on
             before you toss the salad? The branches of the huge oak were
             being tossed about in the storm. 4 writhe, wriggle, squirm, toss
             and turn, thrash:  I tossed all night, unable to get a moment's
             sleep.  5 pitch, yaw, wallow, roll, lurch, undulate, plunge:
             Our little boat was tossed this way and that in the heavy seas.

             --n.  6 throw, lob, pitch, heave, shy:  His toss went wild and
             the ball rolled over the cliff.

   tot       n.  child, toddler, infant, baby:  Can you recall when you were
             a tiny tot?

   total     n.  1 sum (total), totality, aggregate, whole, amount, total
             number:  The total of wounded came to only fifteen.

             --adj.  2 whole, entire, complete, full, gross, overall,
             comprehensive:  Total rainfall in that area is only three inches
             per annum.  3 complete, unalloyed, unmitigated, unqualified,
             unconditional, utter, out-and-out, thorough, thoroughgoing,
             perfect, outright, downright, all-out, absolute:  My son is a
             total failure in everything he attempts.

             --v.  4 add (up), tot up, sum up, reckon, compute:  Please total
             my bill.  5 amount to, add up to, come to, mount up to:  The
             bill totals twice the amount I paid yesterday.

   totalitarian
             adj.  absolute, absolutist, arbitrary, authoritarian,
             autocratic, dictatorial, Fascist(ic), undemocratic, illiberal,
             monolithic, Nazi, oppressive, despotic, tyrannical:  Sooner or
             later, totalitarian governments get overthrown.

   totality  n.  total, aggregate, sum (total), whole, entirety, beginning
             and end, alpha and omega, be-all and end-all:  The totality of
             his interests lies in watching soap operas on TV.

   totally   adv.  completely, utterly, entirely, fully, unqualifiedly,
             unconditionally, perfectly, absolutely, thoroughly, wholly,
             consummately:  We then decided on a totally different approach.
             The weather was totally awful.

   totter    v.  waver, topple, falter, tremble, teeter, sway, rock, stagger,
             stumble, wobble, quiver, shake, quake, shiver, dodder:  He
             seemed to totter a bit as he left the pub.

   touch     v.  1 put (one's) hand on, feel, handle:  She leant forward and
             touched my hand.  2 bring into contact with, apply, put, set:
             He touched a match to the fuse and ran.  3 Sometimes, touch (up)
             against. be in contact (with), border, adjoin, meet, come up or
             be (up) against, push or press or lean (up) against, brush or
             rub (up) against, come or be together, abut:  The ladder is
             touching the freshly painted wall.  4 lay a hand or finger on;
             meddle with, have to do with, interfere with, come near,
             approach:  If you touch me, I'll scream.  5 drink, eat, consume,
             partake of, take, use, taste, have to do with:  He swore that he
             would never touch alcohol again.  6 affect, impress, influence,
             disturb, move, stir, arouse, excite, impassion, stimulate,
             strike, Colloq get to:  We were touched by your sympathetic
             note.  7 rival, match, equal, compare with, come up to, be on a
             par with, be a match for, be in the same league or class as or
             with, be on an equal footing with, reach, come or get near or
             close to, hold a candle to, measure up to or against, Colloq US
             stack up to or with or against:  No other car can touch our new
             model for speed and safety.  8 Usually, touch on or upon. refer
             to, have reference to, pertain to, relate to, have a bearing on,
             regard, mention, allude to, speak or write of, tell of, bring up
             or in, raise, deal with, cover:  I must now touch upon a
             delicate matter.  9 have access to, access, use, employ, make
             use of, put to use, avail (oneself) of, take, get, take
             advantage of:  I do not touch the principal, but try to live off
             the interest.  10 touch down. land, alight, come to earth:  We
             touched down for fuel at Gander, Newfoundland.  11 touch off.  a
             detonate, spark (off), set alight, set off, ignite, light, fire,
             put a match to:  We touched off the gunpowder and blew up the
             arsenal.  b instigate, initiate, begin, start, set in motion,
             ignite, set off, trigger, provoke, foment, cause, give rise to:
             Her offhand remark touched off a family row that lasted for
             years.  12 touch up. retouch, patch up; beautify, enhance,
             titivate, renovate, spruce up:  She said that the painting had
             recently been touched up. Mandy is upstairs touching up her
             make-up.

             --n.  13 feeling, feel, texture:  She wants nothing but the
             touch of silk next to her body.  14 pat, tap, blow, hit, stroke,
             brush, caress:  She hated him so much that she cringed at the
             touch of his hand.  15 dash, hint, intimation, suggestion,
             soup‡on, bit, intimation, pinch, jot, spot, trace, tinge, taste,
             suspicion, smattering, colouring, smack, speck, drop, whiff,
             odour, scent, smell:  Cynthia has a touch of hypocrisy about
             her. The salad dressing could use a touch more garlic. 16
             ability, deftness, expertise, dexterity, adroitness, facility,
             skill, skilfulness, knack, capability, genius, talent, gift,
             flair:  Richard has a master's touch in everything he does.  17
             response, feel, responsiveness, feeling, movement, operation,
             performance level:  This piano action has an excellent touch.
             18 signature, trade mark, characteristic, influence, approach,
             style, manner, technique, execution, method:  I thought I
             recognized your touch in the furniture selection.  A woman's
             touch might have helped.

   touching  adj.  moving, stirring, emotional, tender, poignant, pathetic,
             soul-stirring, heart-rending, heart-breaking, sad, pitiful,
             distressing, distressful:  The most touching scene is the one
             where the boy meets his father for the first time.

   touchstone
             n.  standard, yardstick, criterion, reference, benchmark, test,
             norm, measure:  His craftsmanship is the touchstone by which the
             others are judged.

   touchy    adj.  1 (over-)sensitive, supersensitive, hypersensitive,
             highly-strung, tense, thin-skinned, crabby, crabbed, testy,
             irascible, irritable, tetchy, temperamental, grouchy, peevish,
             querulous, petulant, pettish, splenetic, captious, bad-tempered,
             short-tempered, hot-tempered, quick-tempered, crusty, cross,
             curmudgeonly, cantankerous, choleric, dyspeptic, waspish,
             bearish, snarling, snappish, argumentative, disputatious,
             contentious, US high-strung, cranky:  She is very touchy on the
             subject of her family. He's always touchy in the morning. 2
             critical, touch-and-go, sensitive, ticklish, risky, precarious,
             hazardous, chancy, unsure, uncertain, close, hairbreadth,
             dangerous, hair-raising, frightening, terrifying, nerve-racking
             or nerve-wracking, Jocular parlous, Colloq hairy:  There was a
             touchy moment when the fuel leaked into the astronauts' cabin.

   tough     adj.  1 hard, firm, durable, long-lasting, wear-resistant,
             substantial, strong, stout, rugged, sturdy, sound, well-built:
             Only one kind of material is tough enough to endure such
             conditions for so long. 2 stiff, hard, leathery, inflexible,
             chewy, fibrous, cartilaginous, sinewy, ropy, wiry, stringy:
             That steak was as tough as shoe-leather.  3 strong, stalwart,
             brawny, burly, muscular, powerful, virile, manly, sturdy,
             doughty, intrepid, stout, rough, vigorous, strapping, athletic:
             Two tough-looking characters moved towards us, so we left.  4
             difficult, demanding, exacting, hard, troublesome; laborious,
             taxing, strenuous:  We deal with tough complaints every day.
             It's a tough job.  5 baffling, thorny, puzzling, perplexing,
             mystifying, knotty, irksome, difficult:  The examiners asked us
             some very tough questions.  6 stubborn, hardened, inured,
             obstinate, obdurate, hard, harsh, severe, stern, inflexible,
             refractory, intractable, adamant, unyielding, ungiving, rigid,
             unbending, unsentimental, unfeeling, unsympathetic, callous,
             hard-boiled, uncaring, cold, cool, icy, stony, Colloq
             hard-nosed:  He's a tough man to work for, but he's fair.

             --interj.  7 Colloq Too bad!, Tough luck!, Hard luck!, Brit Hard
             cheese!, Slang Tough titty!, Taboo slang Tough shit!:  When I
             told him that my money had been stolen, he said 'Tough!'

             --n.  8 bruiser, hooligan, bully (boy), rowdy, thug, ruffian,
             Colloq roughneck, bruiser, tough guy, gorilla:  A couple of
             toughs who had been threatening the cashier disappeared when
             they saw our uniforms.

   tour      n.  1 journey, trip, excursion, outing, expedition, voyage,
             trek, peregrination, jaunt, junket:  We went on a guided tour
             because we were short of time and wanted to see everything. 2
             stroll, perambulation, walkabout, ramble, walk, drive; round,
             circuit, ambit:  The government representatives are on a tour of
             all nuclear facilities.  3 spell, shift, assignment, turn,
             Military period of service or enlistment:  His tour of duty is
             not finished till midnight.

             --v.  4 journey, travel, voyage, visit, trip, trek, sightsee,
             cruise; Colloq globe-trot:  On retirement we spent a year just
             touring around Europe.

   tourist   n.  traveller, voyager, visitor, sightseer, Colloq
             rubberneck(er), out-of-towner, Brit tripper, day-tripper,
             holiday-maker:  During the summer, this place is inundated with
             tourists.

   tournament
             n.  tourney, competition, contest, match, meeting, event, meet:
             The tennis tournament was delayed by rain.

   tousle    v.  dishevel, disorder, ruffle, disarrange, tangle (up), mess
             (up), rumple, disarray, US muss (up):  Her hair was all tousled
             by the wind.

   tout      v.  1 hawk, peddle, sell, promote, talk up, Colloq push, plug:
             They tout these new headache tablets as miraculous.

             --n.  2 tipster:  He is often seen with racetrack touts.

   tow       v.  pull, drag, draw, haul, lug, trail, tug, trawl:  The boat
             was towing a long purse seine. I arrived just as the police were
             towing away my car.

   towards   prep.  1 toward, in the direction of, to; for, so as to approach
             or near, on the way or road to:  She turned towards me. I'd
             appreciate a lift if you're going towards Aston Clinton. 2
             toward, to, for, as a help to, supporting, promoting, assisting:
             We welcome any contribution towards the charitable works of our
             order. 3 toward, near, nearing, close to, approaching, shortly
             before:  Towards the close of day, the cattle wander back to the
             barns.

   tower     n.  1 bell-tower, campanile, minaret, pagoda, obelisk; belfry,
             spire, turret, steeple, flЉche:  There was a time when the
             church tower was the tallest building in the town. 2 fortress,
             citadel, stronghold, castle, fastness; keep, dungeon, prison:
             The princess was imprisoned in the tower for a year and a day.

             --v.  3 Often, tower over or above. loom, soar, rise, ascend,
             rear:  These ugly high-rise buildings tower over everything,
             blocking out the sun.

   towering  adj.  1 lofty, tall, high, soaring, outstanding, elevated,
             sky-scraping, sky-high, great, impressive, imposing, huge,
             gigantic, supreme, superior, paramount, extraordinary,
             unmatched, unequally, unrivalled, unparalleled, unsurpassed:
             The towering American economy dominated the world for decades
             after World War II. 2 violent, fiery, burning, passionate,
             excessive, vehement, intense, consuming, mighty, overwhelming,
             unrestrained, immoderate, inordinate, intemperate, extreme,
             colossal, enormous:  Every time she mentioned Valentino, he went
             into a towering rage.

   town      n.  township, village, hamlet, community; municipality, city,
             metropolis, borough, burgh:  She was born in Stornoway, a small
             town in the Outer Hebrides.  We have to drive into the town to
             do our shopping.

   toy       n.  1 plaything:  Whenever he visited, Uncle Jed brought toys
             for the children.  2 trifle, trinket, bauble, gewgaw, gimcrack,
             knick-knack, bagatelle, kickshaw, bit of frippery:  After
             marrying her, he treated her as a rich man's toy.

             --v.  3 Usually, toy with. trifle (with), dally (with), play
             (with), sport (with), fool (with), fiddle (with), tinker (with):
             He kept toying with his watch chain.  4 Usually, toy with. flirt
             (with), dally (with), dilly-dally (with), play (with), deal with
             carelessly, amuse oneself with:  The cad was only toying with
             her affections.

             --adj.  5 miniature, tiny, diminutive, small, dwarf:  She breeds
             toy poodles.  6 imitation, fake, phoney or US also phony,
             simulated, artificial:  This is only a toy watch and doesn't
             work.

20.6 trace...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   trace     n.  1 hint, intimation, sign, token, suggestion, touch, vestige,
             indication, mark, record, evidence, clue:  There wasn't any
             trace of the intruders.  2 bit, spot, speck, jot, drop, dash,
             suspicion, remnant, tinge, soup‡on, iota, whiff, suggestion,
             trifle:  The traces of mud on the suspect's shoes proved he had
             been there.  3 Often, traces. track(s), trail, spoor,
             footprint(s), print(s), footmark(s):  They were following the
             traces of a buffalo.

             --v.  4 dog, pursue, follow (in the footsteps of), stalk, track
             (down), shadow, trail, Colloq tail:  We traced him to a seedy
             hotel in Caracas.  5 investigate, discover, ascertain, detect,
             determine, find, seek, search for, hunt down or up, unearth,
             track:  Have you traced her whereabouts? I am able to trace my
             ancestry back to the time of the First Crusade. 6 delineate,
             outline, copy, draw, map, chart, mark (out), record, reproduce,
             sketch:  We traced Marco Polo's route to China and back.

   track     n.  1 line, rail(s), way, railway, US railroad:  New track was
             laid between London and Manchester.  2 path, trail, route,
             footpath, course, road, street, alley:  A rough track leads over
             Sty Head Pass. Are you sure you're on the right track? 3 spoor,
             trail, footprint(s), print(s), trace(s), footmark(s), scent,
             slot, wake:  The last time I saw him he was following the track
             of a yeti.  4 keep track of. trace, track, keep an eye on,
             follow, pursue, monitor, supervise, oversee, keep up with or on,
             watch, keep a record of or on, record:  Using an electronic tag,
             we were able to keep track of the animal's movements. 5 lose
             track of. lose, misplace, mislay, lose sight of, forget:  She
             lost track of some important papers. I lost track of what I was
             saying.

             --v.  6 follow, dog, pursue, trace, stalk, shadow, trail, hunt
             down, chase, Colloq tail:  She was tracked to Istanbul, where
             they lost her.  7 See 4, above.  8 track down. find, seek out,
             ferret out, hunt down, trace, catch, apprehend, capture, smell
             or sniff out, run to earth or ground, Colloq run down:  We
             finally tracked him down at his mother's house in Putney.

   trackless adj.  empty, pathless, untrodden, unexplored, uncharted, virgin,
             untrod:  We found ourselves in the trackless wilderness of
             central Australia.

   tract°    n.  region, area, stretch, territory, expanse, zone, portion,
             section, sector, quarter, district, patch, plot, parcel, US lot:
             The developers own a tract of land where they plan to build a
             shopping mall.

   tractэ    n.  treatise, monograph, essay, article, paper, dissertation,
             disquisition, homily, sermon, critique; pamphlet, booklet,
             brochure, leaflet:  Daphne was distributing tracts to passers-by
             in front of the church.

   tractable adj.  1 docile, amenable, tame, manageable, biddable,
             persuadable or persuasible, compliant, easygoing, willing,
             submissive, obedient, governable, yielding:  It was a pleasure
             to teach a student who was so tractable.  2 manageable,
             handleable, workable, adaptable, malleable, pliable, plastic,
             ductile, fictile:  The new materials are quite tractable and can
             be drawn or moulded with ease.

   traction  n.  grip, gripping power, drag, purchase, friction, adhesion:
             Unable to get any traction on the ice, the car skidded off the
             road.

   trade     n.  1 commerce, business, traffic, exchange, barter, dealing(s),
             buying and selling, merchandising, marketing, mercantilism,
             truck:  Have we any trade in shoes with South Korea? We are
             establishing trade with Eastern Europe? 2 calling, occupation,
             pursuit, work, business, employment, line (of work), m‚tier,
             job, vocation, craft, career, profession:  Just what trade are
             you engaged in?  3 swap or swop, exchange, interchange, barter:
             Was exchanging your microwave cooker for a hi-fi set a good
             trade?  4 customers, clientele, custom, patrons, following,
             patronage, shoppers:  Her shop caters chiefly to the holiday
             trade.

             --v.  5 transact or do business, buy, sell, deal, traffic,
             merchandise, have dealings:  There are laws against Sunday
             trading in some areas.  6 exchange, swap or swop, interchange,
             switch, barter; return:  Having traded his car for the boat, Sam
             has no way of reaching the marina.

   trader    n.  dealer, merchant, businessman, broker, merchandiser,
             distributor, seller, salesman, saleswoman, salesperson, vendor,
             buyer, purchaser, retailer, wholesaler:  All sorts of traders
             can be found in the covered market.

   tradesman n.  1 merchant, dealer, shopkeeper, retailer, vendor, seller:  A
             tradesman had been ringing at the door for several minutes.  2
             artisan, craftsman, journeyman, handicraftsman:  He is a
             tradesman, a skilled cabinet-maker by profession.

   tradition n.  custom, practice, habit, usage, convention, ritual, rite,
             unwritten law, institution, form, praxis, lore:  Exchanging
             gifts on Christmas Eve has long been a tradition in our family.

   traditional
             adj.  customary, usual, routine, habitual, standard, household,
             stock, time-honoured, established, well-known, conventional,
             ritual, unwritten, accustomed, historic, old, ancestral:
             Mazetta mocha tarts were the traditional birthday cakes at home
             when I was a child.

   traffic   n.  1 movement, conveyance, shipping, transport, freight,
             Chiefly US transportation:  Traffic across the border has
             resumed.  2 See trade, 1, above:  Drug traffic has increased
             greatly in recent years.

             --v.  3 See trade, 5, above:  The police think that Baines is
             trafficking in stolen goods.

   tragedy   n.  catastrophe, calamity, disaster, misfortune, adversity,
             blow:  The death of their dog was a terrible tragedy, especially
             for the children.

   tragic    adj.  sad, depressing, lamentable, unhappy, funereal, forlorn,
             melancholy, cheerless, mournful, lachrymose, dolorous, grievous,
             morose, lugubrious, dismal, piteous, pitiable, pitiful,
             pathetic(al), appalling, wretched, dreadful, awful, terrible,
             horrible, deplorable, miserable, distressing, disturbing,
             upsetting, shocking, unlucky, unfortunate, hapless, ill-fated,
             inauspicious, star-crossed, ill-omened, ill-starred, calamitous,
             catastrophic, crushing, disastrous; tragical:  It was really
             tragic that we couldn't get there in time to say goodbye.

   trail     n.  1 (beaten) path, way, footpath, route, way, track, course:
             There is a well-worn trail through the wood.  2 track, spoor,
             scent, smell, trace, footsteps, footprints, path, wake:  The
             trail of the elephant herd was quite easy to follow.  3 See
             train, 2, below:  She was always followed by a trail of
             admirers.

             --v.  4 tow, draw, drag (along), haul, pull, tag along, trawl,
             bring along (behind), carry along (behind):  We were moving
             slowly because we were trailing a dinghy.  5 drag, pull, move,
             be drawn, stream, sweep, dangle:  I heard the whisper of silken
             gowns trailing across Persian carpets.  6 lag (behind), dawdle,
             loiter, linger, follow, straggle, bring up the rear, hang back,
             fall or drop behind:  Our team was trailing three-five in the
             final.  7 follow, pursue, dog, trace, shadow, stalk, track,
             chase, hunt, Colloq tail:  We trailed the suspect to Victoria
             Station, where we lost him.  8 trail off or away. diminish,
             decrease, fade away or out, disappear, dwindle, lessen, die out
             or away, peter out, subside, taper off, weaken, grow faint or
             dim:  As they drove away, the noise of their blasting radio
             trailed off.

   train     n.  1 carriage, coach, Baby-talk choo-choo:  Will this train
             take me to Newcastle?  2 retinue, entourage, cortЉge, suite,
             following, escort, guard, attendants, retainers, followers,
             trail; staff, court, household:  After the duke's coffin came a
             train of several hundred hangers-on.  3 line, queue, procession,
             succession, string, set, sequence, chain, progression, caravan,
             cavalcade, parade, column, file:  The baggage train of the
             advancing army stretched for miles.

             --v.  4 discipline, exercise, tutor, teach, coach, drill,
             school, instruct, prepare, educate, edify, guide, bring up,
             indoctrinate, rear, raise:  We had been trained to put things
             away and avoid clutter.  5 work out, exercise, practise:  Hannah
             is training for the next Olympics.

   trait     n.  feature, characteristic, attribute, quality, peculiarity,
             idiosyncrasy, quirk, lineament, mark, property:  He has some
             unpleasant traits, like spitting when he talks.

   traitor   n.  turncoat, Judas, quisling, betrayer, renegade,
             fifth-columnist, US Benedict Arnold, Colloq double-crosser,
             snake in the grass, double-dealer, two-timer:  Some traitor in
             their midst had revealed their plans to the enemy.

   traitorous
             adj.  treacherous, perfidious, seditious, subversive,
             insurrectionist, renegade, insurgent, disloyal, deceitful,
             untrue, unfaithful, faithless; treasonable, Colloq
             double-crossing, double-dealing, two-timing:  They identified
             the traitorous wretch and hanged him. Consorting with the enemy
             is a traitorous act.

   trajectory
             n.  flight path, course, track:  The missile has a high
             trajectory.

   tram      n.  tramcar, trolley bus, US and Canadian streetcar,
             trolley(-car):  Most cities with a traffic problem have replaced
             trams with buses.

   trammel   n.  1 Usually, trammels. impediment(s), hindrance(s),
             shackle(s), handicap(s), check(s), restriction(s), restraint(s),
             curb(s), deterrent(s), constraint(s), hitch(es), snag(s),
             (stumbling) block(s), obstacle(s), bar:  He managed to avoid the
             trammels of domesticity.

             --v.  2 impede, hinder, handicap, check, restrain, curb, deter,
             constrain, block, obstruct, fetter, confine:  Do not let the
             limitations of what's practical and possible trammel your
             imagination.

   tramp     v.  1 march, hike, trudge, plod, slog, plough, tread, trek,
             walk, US mush:  I must have tramped across half of England
             looking for work.  2 Usually, tramp on or upon. See trample, 1,
             below.

             --n.  3 march, trudge, plod, slog, trek, hike, walk:  Every day
             we had to make the five-mile tramp into the village for water. 4
             derelict, vagabond, vagrant, drifter, rover, gypsy, beachcomber,
             Brit dosser, down-and-out, Australian swagman, US hobo, bum,
             down-and-outer:  The police do not allow tramps to sleep in
             public parks.  5 step, tread, footfall, footstep:  She couldn't
             get to sleep until she heard her husband's tramp on the stair.

   trample   v.  1 trample on or upon, tramp (on or upon), stamp (on), tread
             (on), step on, crush, press, squash, flatten, Colloq stomp (on
             or upon), squish, squush or squoosh:  After the harvest, we
             would take turns trampling the grapes.  2 Often, trample on or
             upon. violate, damage, harm, hurt, infringe or encroach on, ride
             roughshod over, set at naught, scorn, contemn, disdain, defy,
             disregard, ignore, fly in the face of, fling or cast or throw to
             the winds:  The military regime trampled on the people's civil
             rights.  3 Usually, trample out. trample down, trample
             underfoot, stamp out, extinguish, put out, destroy, crush, break
             down:  The left-wing parties were trampled in a military coup.

   trance    n.  daze, stupor, semi-conscious or half-conscious or hypnotic
             or cataleptic or dream state, state of semi-consciousness or
             half-consciousness or catalepsy or suspended animation or
             stupefaction or abstraction or (complete) absorption or
             exaltation or rapture or ecstasy; brown study:  He walked about
             all day in a trance, oblivious to what was going on around him.

   tranquil  adj.  calm, serene, placid, quiet, peaceful, still, smooth,
             unagitated, halcyon, relaxed; unruffled, sedate, steady,
             regular, even, dispassionate, self-possessed, cool,
             self-controlled, cool-headed, unexcited, undisturbed,
             untroubled, unperturbed:  He often thought back to the tranquil,
             sultry summer days of his youth. How can Eleanor be so tranquil
             when everything about her is so chaotic?

   tranquillize
             v.  calm, soothe, pacify, still, quiet, relax, lull, compose,
             sedate:  He soon fell asleep, tranquillized by the medication
             that had been administered to him.

   tranquillizer
             n.  bromide, barbiturate, opiate, sedative, anti-psychotic,
             anti-anxiety drug, Slang downer, red:  She had been prescribed
             tranquillizers, and developed severe side-effects.

   transact  v.  do, carry on or out, conduct, manage, handle, negotiate,
             transact, administer, discharge, perform, enact, settle,
             conclude, complete, finish:  We are flying to Frankfurt today to
             transact some business.

   transaction
             n.  1 deal, dealing, negotiation, matter, affair, business,
             action, proceeding, agreement, arrangement, bargain:  This
             transaction must not be revealed to the stock market.  2
             transactions. proceedings, record(s), acta, minutes, annals,
             Colloq goings-on, doings:  The Society's transactions are
             published annually.

   transcend v.  surpass, outstrip, exceed, go beyond, outdistance, overstep,
             outdo, excel, overshadow, top, outdistance, outvie, rise above,
             outshine, beat:  Her performance at La Scala transcended that of
             every other Mimi I have heard.

   transcendent
             adj.  peerless, incomparable, unequalled, matchless, unrivalled,
             unparalleled, unique, consummate, paramount, superior,
             surpassing, supreme, pre-eminent, sublime, excellent, superb,
             magnificent, marvellous; transcendental:  Can there be any doubt
             of Einstein's transcendent genius?

   transcribe
             v.  1 copy, reproduce, replicate, duplicate:  I am busy
             transcribing my lecture notes.  2 translate, transliterate,
             write out, render, represent, show, interpret:  The Rosetta
             Stone has the same text transcribed in Egyptian hieroglyphics
             and in demotic as well as in Greek.

   transcript
             n.  1 transcription, translation, transliteration, rendering,
             interpretation, representation:  Most linguists regarded writing
             as a mere transcript of language.  2 (carbon or machine or Xerox
             or photostatic or xerographic) copy, carbon, duplicate,
             duplication, photocopy, reproduction, Photostat, Colloq dupe:  I
             have requested a transcript of the court proceedings.

   transfer  v.  1 move, transport, convey, remove, carry, take, deliver,
             bring, transmit, cart, haul, shift, hand (on or over), turn
             over, give, pass (on or along or over):  The documents will be
             transferred to you today.

             --n.  2 move, conveyance, transmittal, transmission, delivery,
             change:  The papers documenting the transfer of the property are
             here.

   transfix  v.  1 pin, fix, impale, skewer, nail, pierce, spear, spike,
             spit, stick:  The shrike, or butcher-bird, transfixes its prey
             on a thorn, then picks its bones clean. 2 enrapture, galvanize,
             electrify, hypnotize, mesmerize, rivet,,fascinate, bewitch,
             enchant, ensorcel, engross, root to the spot, stun, paralyse,
             Colloq stop dead (in one's tracks):  The felon stood transfixed
             with terror as the judge pronounced sentence.

   transform v.  change, modify, transfigure, alter, transmute, metamorphose,
             turn into, convert, transmogrify, mutate, permute:  What will it
             take to transform these students into civilized human beings?

   transformation
             n.  change, modification, transfiguration, transfigurement,
             alteration, transmutation, metamorphosis, conversion,
             transmogrification, mutation, permutation:  The transformation
             in her appearance over a few short months was miraculous.

   transfuse v.  1 instil, transmit, transfer, inject:  Her greatest success
             was to transfuse a sense of history to her students. 2 infuse,
             permeate:  An embarrassed blush transfused his face.

   transgress
             v.  1 sin, trespass, offend, err, lapse, fall from grace,
             disobey, misbehave, go wrong or astray, do wrong:  She knew she
             had transgressed and was ready to atone.  2 break or violate or
             contravene or go beyond or exceed or overstep or infringe or
             defy or disobey (the law):  He had blatantly transgressed the
             laws of decency.

   transgression
             n.  sin, trespass, offence, error, lapse, fall from grace,
             disobedience, misbehaviour, wrong, violation, fault, misdeed,
             misdemeanour, crime, wrongdoing, infraction:  How should he be
             punished for his transgressions?

   transgressor
             n.  sinner, offender, criminal, felon, culprit, lawbreaker,
             trespasser, wrongdoer, evil-doer, villain, miscreant,
             malefactor, delinquent:  The majority of transgressors are
             apprehended within 24 hours of the crime.

   transient adj.  transitory, temporary, brief, fleeting, momentary,
             passing, ephemeral, fugacious, fugitive, evanescent,
             short-lived, short-term, impermanent, fly-by-night, volatile:
             The peace was transient, as the outbreak of civil war soon
             followed.  A souvenir shop obviously sells more to the transient
             trade than to residents.

   transit   n.  1 moving, movement, travel, travelling, motion, passing,
             progress, progression, transition; passage, traverse, traversal,
             traversing:  We were unable to mail any letters while we were in
             transit. The overland transit of the island took three days. 2
             transport, transportation, carriage, haulage, cartage,
             conveyance, transfer, transference, transferral, transmittal:
             The transit of the merchandise will be handled by our regular
             shipping company.

             --v.  3 cross, traverse, go or move or pass or travel across or
             over or through:  They were advised to check with authorities of
             every country visited or transited during their journey.

   transition
             n.  1 change, alteration, metamorphosis, change-over,
             transformation, transmutation, mutation, development, evolution,
             conversion, modification, metastasis:  Tracing the transition
             from tadpole to frog is exciting for young pupils. 2 See
             transit, 1, above.

   translate v.  1 convert, paraphrase, change, rewrite, interpret,
             transcribe, render, decode, decipher, metaphrase:  Can you
             translate this German document?  2 transform, convert, change,
             mutate, turn, transmute, metamorphose, transubstantiate, alter,
             transmogrify:  Why are people always trying to translate the
             dross of reality into the gold of dreams? 3 interpret, rewrite,
             explain, reword, elucidate, spell out:  Can you translate this
             technical legal jargon into plain English?  4 transfer, convey,
             carry, move, transport, forward, ship, send, dispatch or
             despatch:  Soon after being made bishop of Worcester, he was
             translated to Winchester.

   translation
             n.  1 conversion, paraphrase, interpretation, transcription,
             transliteration, rendering, rendition, metaphrase, gloss,
             decipherment, decoding:  It was Michael Ventris who was
             responsible for the translation of Linear B. 2 metamorphosis,
             change, alteration, transmutation, transfiguration,
             transformation, transmogrification, transubstantiation,
             conversion:  The translation from the caterpillar to the
             butterfly is miraculous.  3 interpretation, rewriting, rewrite,
             explanation, rewording, elucidation:  He is well known for his
             translation of abstract ideas into terms that an intelligent
             layman could cope with. 4 transfer, transference, transferral,
             conveyance, carrying, moving, movement, transportation,
             transport, forwarding, shipping, shipment, sending,
             transmission, dispatch or despatch:  His translation to a minor
             consular post in the south Pacific was expected.

   transmission
             n.  1 transfer, transference, transferral, transferring,
             conveyance, carrying, moving, movement, transportation,
             transport, transporting, forwarding, shipping, shipment,
             sending, transmittal, transmitting, dispatch or despatch,
             dispatching or despatching:  We were unable to arrange for the
             transmission of the papers in time for the meeting. 2 broadcast,
             broadcasting, sending, telecasting, dissemination,
             communication:  Transmission of the new programmes begins next
             year.

   transmit  v.  1 send, transfer, convey, communicate, pass on, deliver,
             forward, dispatch or despatch; post, ship, cable, radio,
             telegraph, fax, telex, telephone, phone, Chiefly US and Canadian
             mail, Colloq wire:  Your message was transmitted last night.  2
             pass or go through, pass on, send, put, direct, conduct,
             channel:  The mirror transmits the light through this filter.

   transparent
             adj.  1 (crystal) clear, pellucid, diaphanous, see-through,
             limpid, crystalline, sheer, transpicuous:  I want completely
             transparent glass in this window, instead of that frosted glass.
             2 plain, apparent, obvious, evident, unambiguous, patent,
             manifest, unmistakable or unmistakeable, (crystal) clear, as
             plain as day, as plain as the nose on (one's) face, undisguised,
             recognizable, understandable, transpicuous:  The origin of many
             English words is transparent because of their spelling. 3
             candid, open, frank, plain-spoken, direct, unambiguous,
             unequivocal, straightforward, ingenuous, forthright,
             above-board, artless, guileless, simple, na‹ve, undissembling,
             Colloq on the level, upfront:  His transparent honesty makes
             Clive unsuited to a career in diplomacy.

   transpire v.  1 become known, be rumoured, be revealed, come to light:  It
             transpired that she had been seeing him while she was still
             married. 2 Sometimes non-standard happen, occur, take place,
             come about, come to pass, materialize, arise, turn out:  No
             improvement has yet transpired in their living conditions.

   transplant
             v.  displace, move, remove, relocate, shift, uproot, resettle,
             transfer:  This is the third time the company has transplanted
             Harry in a year!

   transport v.  1 carry, bear, convey, move, remove, transfer, deliver,
             fetch, bring, get, take, ship, haul, transmit, send, forward:
             The goods were transported by ship.  2 exile, banish, deport,
             send away:  Australia was settled mainly by people who had been
             transported from England. 3 carry away, enrapture, captivate,
             delight, charm, spellbind, bewitch, fascinate, enchant,
             entrance, hypnotize, mesmerize, electrify, ravish:  Flavia's
             parents were totally transported by her winning the decathlon.

             --n.  4 transportation, carrier, conveyance, shipping, transfer,
             transferral, shipment, haulage, cartage, carriage, moving:
             Can't you give me any idea of what the transport costs might
             come to? 5 Usually, transports. rapture, ecstasy, exaltation,
             exultation, euphoria, delight, (seventh) heaven, happiness,
             bliss, elation, exhilaration, thrill, Elysium, paradise; Elysian
             Fields, Colloq cloud nine:  Helen succumbed to transports of
             delight at seeing her son receive such an important award.

   transpose v.  exchange, interchange, metathesize, switch, swap or swop,
             trade, commute, transfer:  The bank transposed two figures on my
             statement, reducing my balance by њ500.

   trap      n.  1 snare, pitfall, gin, springe, deadfall, booby-trap:  After
             the Pied Piper left, Hamelin had no further need for rat traps.
             2 trick, subterfuge, wile, ruse, stratagem, ambush, deception,
             device, artifice, ploy:  Oscar was the man for whom Esther set a
             neat trap.  3 mouth, Slang yap, gob, mush, face:  Shut your trap
             or get out.

             --v.  4 snare, ensnare, entrap, catch, net:  We dug a pit to
             trap the marauding lion.  5 imprison, confine, lock, hold, keep:
             The boy was trapped in the cave without a means of escape.  6
             trick, deceive, fool, dupe, beguile, inveigle:  Esther finally
             trapped Oscar into marrying her.

   trappings n.pl.  accoutrements or US also accouterments, panoply,
             caparison, equipage, apparatus, equipment, paraphernalia,
             appointments, furnishings, furniture, gear, rig, habiliments,
             decoration(s), embellishment(s), accessories, frippery or
             fripperies, adornment(s), trimmings, raiment, fittings, finery:
             Many respect the trappings of office more than the
             office-holder.

   trash     n.  1 rubbish, (stuff and) nonsense, balderdash, moonshine,
             gibberish, gobbledegook or gobbledygook, tommy-rot, bunkum,
             garbage, twaddle, Colloq rot, flapdoodle, crap, codswallop,
             bosh, piffle, hooey, bunk, malarkey, poppycock, boloney or
             baloney, eyewash, hogwash, bilge-water, bull, Scots havers, Brit
             tosh, gammon, US a crock, hokum, gurry, horse feathers, Slang
             Brit (a load of (old)) cobblers, Taboo slang bullshit,
             horseshit, Brit balls, US a crock of shit:  Don't believe him -
             he is talking trash.  2 (Chiefly US and Canadian) junk,
             brummagem, knick-knacks, gewgaws, trifles, bric-…-brac, frippery
             or fripperies, bits and pieces, odds and ends, trinkets, tinsel,
             'Not Wanted on Voyage':  There was mostly trash in the flea
             market, but there were one or two more valuable items. 3 (In US
             and Canada) rubbish, litter, garbage, waste, refuse, junk,
             debris, rubble, dregs, dross, scoria, slag, offscourings, dirt,
             sweepings, Slang crap:  The service comes to remove the trash
             once a week.

             --v.  4 Slang chiefly US destroy, ruin, wreck, vandalize,
             deface:  The lodgers trashed the flat before doing a moonlight
             flit.

   traumatic adj.  shocking, upsetting, disturbing, painful, agonizing,
             distressing, harmful, hurtful, injurious, damaging, wounding,
             traumatizing:  Few experiences are more traumatic than losing a
             child.

   travel    n.  1 travelling, tourism, touring, globe-trotting:  Travel is
             an enriching experience. Travel by air is the commonest means of
             long-distance transport. 2 travels. trips, expeditions,
             journeys, excursions, tours, voyages, touring, treks, trekking,
             travelling, wanderings, peregrinations, junkets, pilgrimages:
             In all your travels, have you ever encountered an honest man?

             --v.  3 journey, go, move, proceed, roam, rove, traverse, tour,
             take or make a trip or tour or excursion or junket or journey,
             trek, voyage:  As one who has travelled far and wide, what is
             your favourite country? 4 go, move, socialize, fraternize,
             associate, Colloq hang around or about:  Cordelia and I do not
             travel in the same circles.

   traveller n.  tourist, voyager, sightseer, globe-trotter, gypsy, wanderer,
             hiker, rover, wayfarer, Jocular bird of passage, Colloq
             rubberneck(er), jet-setter, Chiefly Brit tripper, day-tripper,
             holiday-maker:  Travellers have been greatly inconvenienced by
             the strike of customs officials.

   travelling
             adj.  itinerant, wandering, peripatetic, roving, mobile,
             nomadic, touring, wayfaring, migratory, restless:  At fourteen,
             he joined a travelling circus.

   traverse  v.  1 cross, criss-cross, travel or pass or move over or
             through, walk, cover, travel (over), roam, wander, range, tramp,
             tour:  He has traversed the country from end to end innumerable
             times.  2 cross, criss-cross, go across; lie or extend across or
             athwart, bridge, intersect:  The road traverses the river
             several times at Newtown.  3 oppose, cross, thwart, go or act
             against, go or act in opposition or counter to, conflict (with),
             controvert, contravene, counter, obstruct, contradict, gainsay,
             deny:  The policies of today seem to traverse those set forth
             only last year. 4 examine, look into, scrutinize, inspect,
             investigate, review, study, look at, consider, contemplate,
             scan, look over, check, survey, reconnoitre, observe:  Certain
             areas of knowledge are seldom traversed by scholars.

   treasure  n.  1 wealth, riches, money, fortune, valuables, cash, cache,
             hoard:  The existence of the treasure came to light only last
             week.  2 pride (and joy), delight, joy, darling, ideal, apple of
             (one's) eye, Colloq jewel, gem, prize, find, catch:  Kathy is a
             treasure and I don't know what we did before we hired her.

             --v.  3 hold dear, cherish, value, prize, esteem, rate or value
             highly:  We treasure the signed letter that Churchill wrote to
             my father.  I treasure every moment we can spend together.

   treasury  n.  exchequer, bank, cache, resources, funds, money(s):  There
             was not enough money in the treasury to pay for the scheme.  The
             Treasury indicated their concern at the current state of the
             economy.

   treat     v.  1 handle, manage, behave or act toward(s), deal with; use:
             Why should we treat female employees any differently?  2 handle,
             manage, deal with, discuss, touch on or upon, consider, take up,
             study, examine, explore, investigate, scrutinize, analyse, go
             into, probe, survey, expound (on), criticize, review, critique:
             That subject is treated in Chapter VI.  3 nurse, doctor, attend,
             care for, look after, prescribe for, medicate:  He is being
             treated for gallstones.  4 entertain, take out, pay for, regale,
             play host to; wine and dine:  Our visitors treated us when we
             went out to dinner yesterday.  5 treat (someone) to (something).
             pay (the bill) for, buy (something) for:  Edward treated us all
             to ice-cream.

             --n.  6 favour, gift, present, boon, bonus, premium, Colloq US
             and Canadian freebie:  Put your money away - this is my treat.

   treatment n.  1 Often, treatment of. behaviour (towards), conduct
             (towards), action (towards), handling (of), care (of),
             management (of), dealing(s) (with), manipulation (of), reception
             (of); usage (of):  I am not accustomed to such rude treatment.
             Your treatment of our customers must be more courteous, Miss
             Davidson. 2 therapy, care, curing, remedying, healing:  They
             received extensive medical treatment for the injuries they had
             sustained.

   treaty    n.  pact, agreement, alliance, concordat, entente, covenant,
             deal, contract, compact, accord:  They entered into a treaty not
             to violate each other's borders.

   tremble   v.  1 quiver, shake, quake, shiver, shudder, quaver, quail;
             vibrate, rock:  Her first big role and she was trembling like a
             leaf! The earth trembled as the tanks rolled past.

             --n.  2 quiver, shake, quake, shiver, shudder, quaver, tremor;
             vibration:  There was a little tremble, and then the building
             collapsed.

   tremulous adj.  1 trembling, a-tremble, quivering, shaking, quaking,
             shivering, shuddering, quavering, hesitant, wavering, unsure,
             unsteady, faltering, doubtful, nervous, shaky, palpitating,
             jumpy, Colloq jittery:  His tremulous hands revealed just how
             apprehensive he was.  2 timid, shy, bashful, anxious, worried,
             timorous, fearful, afraid, frightened, scared:  I cannot
             remember when I felt so tremulous before meeting someone.

   trenchant adj.  cutting, keen, acute, sharp, pointed, poignant,
             penetrating, incisive, biting, mordant, mordacious, sarcastic,
             bitter, acerbic, acid, vitriolic, tart, acrid, acrimonious,
             acidulous, corrosive, caustic:  The critics dismissed the play
             with a few trenchant remarks.

   trend     n.  1 tendency, leaning, bias, bent, drift, course, inclination,
             direction:  The trend seems to be towards shorter skirts.  2
             fashion, style, vogue, mode, look, rage, Colloq fad, craze,
             thing:  Why is she so compulsive about keeping up with the
             latest trends?

             --v.  3 tend, lean, be biased, bend, drift, incline, veer, turn,
             swing, shift, head:  At the convention, the party leaders
             trended more to the left of centre.

   trendy    adj.  1 fashionable, stylish, … la mode, modern, up to date, up
             to the minute, in vogue, voguish, all the rage, Slang hot, now,
             with it, groovy, in the groove, in, flash:  Sibyl travels with
             that trendy set from Belgravia.

             --n.  2 show-off, clothes-horse, coxcomb, exhibitionist, Slang
             Brit pseud, grandstander:  Don't you just hate those trendies
             down at Cole's wine bar?

   trial     n.  1 test, testing, experiment, proof, try-out, trying out,
             trial run, examination, check, checking, Colloq dry run:  The
             trials of the new life-jackets are to be conducted soon.  2
             hearing, enquiry or inquiry, examination, inquisition,
             litigation, judicial proceeding, lawsuit, contest:  Throughout
             the trial, the accused protested his innocence.  3 try, attempt,
             endeavour, effort, venture, essay, Colloq go, shot, stab, fling,
             whirl, crack, whack:  This was their first trial at climbing the
             north face.  4 trouble, affliction, tribulation, hardship,
             adversity, suffering, grief, woe, misery, distress, bad or hard
             luck, misfortune, hard times:  Mona acknowledged the trial of
             having ten children and no husband.  5 nuisance, irritation,
             bother, bane, annoyance, pest, irritant, thorn in the flesh or
             side, US bur or burr under the saddle, Colloq plague, hassle,
             pain (in the neck), headache, Taboo slang pain in the Brit arse
             or US ass:  William, who is full of mischief, is a constant
             trial to his mother.

             --adj.  6 sample, experimental, exploratory, provisional,
             probationary, tentative, conditional, pilot:  Will you consider
             a trial subscription to Verbatim, The Language Quarterly?

   tribe     n.  race, stock, strain, nation, breed, people, seed, (ethnic)
             group, gens, clan, blood, pedigree, family, sept, dynasty,
             house; caste, class:  It was important in that society to marry
             someone from the same tribe.

   tribunal  n.  court (of justice), bar, bench, judiciary, Inquisition, Star
             Chamber:  Should he be tried before a judicial tribunal or
             pilloried by the tribunal of public opinion?

   tributary n.  branch, offshoot, streamlet, feeder, brook, rivulet, run,
             rill, runnel, runlet, streamlet, Scots and No. Eng. burn, No.
             Eng. beck, US creek, NE US kill:  The Teviot is one of the
             tributaries of the Tweed.

   tribute   n.  1 honour, homage, recognition, celebration, respect, esteem,
             testimonial, compliment, encomium, acknowledgement, acclaim,
             acclamation, commendation, praise, kudos, laudation, panegyric,
             eulogy, glorification, exaltation:  No greater tribute could be
             bestowed than recognition by one's fellows. 2 tax, exaction,
             impost, duty, excise, levy, dues, assessment, tariff, charge,
             surcharge, payment, contribution, offering, gift; ransom; tithe,
             Peter's or Peter pence:  In exchange for their freedom, the king
             demanded an annual tribute of a thousand oxen.

   trick     n.  1 ruse, artifice, device, stratagem, wile, deception,
             manoeuvre, deceit, fraud, hoax, imposture, intrigue,
             machination, conspiracy, subterfuge, dodge, confidence trick,
             sham, Slang con:  The government's 'dirty tricks squad'
             perpetrated crimes against their political adversaries. 2 prank,
             frolic, antic, (practical) joke, hoax, tomfoolery, antic, caper,
             jape; sport, horseplay, mischief; Scots cantrip, Colloq
             leg-pull, gag, shenanigans, US dido:  The boys meant no harm,
             they're just up to their tricks.  3 art, knack, technique,
             skill, secret, gift, ability, Colloq hang:  He has developed the
             trick of persuading people to buy life insurance.  4 Usually, no
             mean trick. feat, accomplishment, deed:  It was no mean trick to
             train a cat to fetch his slippers.  5 sleight of hand,
             legerdemain, magic, stunt:  I have taught him all the tricks I
             know.  6 trait, characteristic, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy,
             eccentricity, quirk, practice, habit, mannerism, crotchet,
             weakness, foible:  He has an odd trick of winking while giving a
             sly smile.  7 do the trick. work, answer, fulfil the need,
             suffice, be effective, solve or take care of the problem, do or
             accomplish the necessary, US turn the trick, Colloq fill the
             bill:  Replacing the battery cable did the trick.

             --v.  8 fool, hoodwink, dupe, mislead, outwit, outmanoeuvre,
             deceive, misguide, misinform, gull, bilk, cheat, defraud, cozen,
             take in, swindle, humbug, Colloq bamboozle, take, put something
             over on (someone), pull the wool over (someone's) eyes, Brit
             gammon, Slang rook:  I knew I had been tricked when I missed my
             wallet. For years the couple made a living tricking tourists out
             of their money. She tricked me into taking her to dinner.

             --adj.  9 See tricky, 3, below.

   trickery  n.  chicanery, deception, deceit, guile, shrewdness, craftiness,
             slyness, shiftiness, evasiveness, artfulness, artifice, craft,
             imposture, swindling, knavery, duplicity, double-dealing, fraud,
             cheating, Colloq hanky-panky, skulduggery, funny or monkey
             business, jiggery-pokery:  He separated her from her money by
             trickery.

   trickle   v.  1 drip, drop, dribble, drizzle, run, flow, spill; ooze,
             seep, leak, exude:  The water trickled onto the floor. Blood is
             trickling from the wound.

             --n.  2 drip, seepage, spill, dribble, runnel, runlet, rivulet:
             A tiny trickle of saliva appeared at the corner of his mouth.

   tricky    adj.  1 deceitful, shady, deceptive, shifty, dodgy, artful,
             guileful, crafty, duplicitous, shrewd, cunning, dishonest,
             devious, sly, wily, slippery, foxy, double-dealing, cheating:
             Arthur is a tricky chap and I shouldn't trust him.  2 ticklish,
             risky, hazardous, sensitive, delicate, touch-and-go, thorny,
             difficult, awkward, complex, complicated, knotty, uncertain,
             debatable, Colloq iffy, sticky:  It is a tricky decision whether
             you tell a patient how ill he really is. 3 unfair, unjust,
             unsportsmanlike, deceptive, Colloq trick:  There were some
             tricky questions in today's exam.

   trifle    n.  1 knick-knack, trinket, bauble, bagatelle, toy, gewgaw,
             nothing, plaything, b€tise, Colloq doodah:  Oh, it's nothing,
             just a trifle I picked up in the Seychelles.  2 little, bit,
             drop, iota, scintilla, suggestion, dash, dab, pinch, whiff,
             mite, whit, jot, tittle, Colloq smidgen or smidgin, US tad:  I'd
             like a trifle more sugar in my coffee, if you don't mind.

             --v.  3 Usually, trifle with. dally (with), flirt (with), wanton
             (with), mess about (with), toy (with); play (with), fiddle
             (with), dandle, tinker (with), fidget (with):  I hated to see
             the way he trifled with my sister's affections.  While trifling
             with this knob, I was able to get Radio Moscow.

   trifling  adj.  trivial, insignificant, unimportant, puny, minor, paltry,
             slight, petty, inconsequential, frivolous, superficial,
             incidental, negligible, commonplace, inconsiderable, shallow,
             valueless, worthless, US and Canadian picayune, Colloq piddling:
             Their contribution to musical scholarship has been trifling.

   trim      adj.  1 neat, tidy, orderly, well-ordered, well-groomed, well
             turned out, well-kempt, smart, crisp, dapper, spick and span,
             spruce, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), Archaic or dialectal
             trig, Colloq natty, US spiffy:  Nancy arrived wearing her trim
             new flight-attendant's uniform.  2 in good or fine fettle, fit
             (as a fiddle), athletic, slim, slender, clean-cut, shapely,
             streamlined, compact:  Larry looks so trim that I asked him if
             he had lost weight. The new convertible model is a very trim
             little motor-car.

             --v.  3 curtail, shorten, prune, pare, lop (off), crop, bob,
             clip, cut, shave, shear, snip, dock; barber:  They trimmed the
             article by cutting two paragraphs from the end.  He had shaved
             off his beard and trimmed his moustache. 4 decorate, embellish,
             dress up, embroider, adorn, ornament, deck out, caparison,
             beautify:  When should we trim the Christmas tree?

             --n.  5 trimming, edging, piping, purfling, ricrac or rickrack,
             embroidery, border, hem, frill, fringe, ornament, ornamentation,
             decoration, embellishment, adornment:  The skirt was spoilt by a
             rather cheap trim round the hem.  6 condition, state, fettle,
             health, form, order, fitness, repair, Colloq shape:  Sid's car
             seemed to be in good trim when I saw it yesterday.

   trio      n.  threesome, trilogy, triad, triplex, triple, troika,
             triptych, triumvirate, triplet, trine, triune, trinity, three:
             An interesting trio showed up for dinner.

   trip      n.  1 stumble, slip, blunder, false step, misstep, fall:  He
             sprained his ankle in that trip on the stair.  2 stumble, slip,
             blunder, false step, misstep, faux pas, error, mistake,
             indiscretion, lapse, slip of the tongue, lapsus linguae,
             erratum, oversight; Freudian slip; Slang Brit boob:  If it
             hadn't been for that one trip, we would have had a perfect
             score. 3 tour, journey, excursion, outing, expedition, voyage,
             trek, peregrination, jaunt, junket, drive:  We took a short
             side-trip to visit Khios.

             --v.  4 dance, caper, skip, cavort, gambol, frisk, hop, spring:
             Joanne came tripping gaily down the Champs ђlys‚es.  5 stumble,
             slip, blunder, misstep, fall (down), tumble, topple, dive,
             plunge, sprawl, lurch, flounder, stagger, falter:  I tripped on
             the doorstep and went head over heels.  6 Often, trip up. trap,
             trick, catch out, unsettle, throw off, disconcert:  She has been
             trying to trip me up and confess to something I didn't do. 7
             journey, travel, voyage, visit, tour, trek, sightsee, cruise;
             Colloq globe-trot:  They have been tripping all over Europe this
             summer.  8 detonate, set off, trigger, operate, release,
             explode, spark off:  When he touched the wire, he tripped the
             charge.  9 Often, trip out. hallucinate, Slang freak out, turn
             on:  There's no talking to him when he's tripping out on coke.

   triumph   n.  1 victory, conquest, success, achievement, accomplishment,
             attainment, coup, ascendancy:  The discovery of the drug was
             perhaps the greatest of his many triumphs. 2 exultation,
             rejoicing, exulting, elation, delight, rapture, exhilaration,
             jubilation, happiness, joy, celebration, glory:  There was great
             triumph on winning the World Cup.

             --v.  3 Often, triumph over. win, succeed, carry the day, be
             victorious, gain a victory, take the honours, thrive, dominate,
             prevail; defeat, beat, rout, vanquish, best, conquer, overcome,
             overwhelm, subdue:  Does justice always triumph? The book is
             about how man triumphed over pain.

   triumphal adj.  celebratory, rapturous, jubilant, joyful, glorious,
             exultant; commemorative:  A holiday was declared to celebrate
             her triumphal entry into the city. This triumphal arch
             commemorates Trajan's victory over the Dacians.

   triumphant
             adj.  victorious, successful, conquering, winning; undefeated:
             The triumphant hero returns tonight!

   triviality
             n.  1 smallness, unimportance, insignificance, meaninglessness,
             inconsequentiality or inconsequentialness or inconsequence or
             inconsequentness, trivialness, pettiness, paltriness:  I have
             difficulty coping with the triviality of some of my boss's
             requests. 2 trifle, technicality, non-essential, small matter,
             unimportant or insignificant or inconsequential or trivial or
             petty detail, b€tise:  He tends to get bogged down in
             trivialities, unable to see what is important.

   trivialize
             v.  belittle, denigrate, lessen, minimize, undervalue,
             depreciate, underestimate, underrate, make light of, laugh off,
             underplay, dismiss, disparage, misprize, beggar, deprecate,
             slight, scoff at, scorn, run down, decry, Colloq put down, play
             down, pooh-pooh:  Edward tends to trivialize the work of others.

   trophy    n.  1 prize, laurel(s), wreath, cup, award, reward, honour(s),
             medal, citation, palm, bays; booty, spoils, Colloq gold, silver,
             silverware:  He has won trophies for more boat races than I have
             participated in. 2 memento, souvenir, token, record, reminder,
             remembrance, keepsake:  That scar is a trophy of a hand-to-hand
             fight near El Alamein.

   trot      v.  1 jog, run; bustle, hustle, hurry, hasten, scamper, scoot,
             Colloq skedaddle:  I trot round the park every morning for
             exercise. As I need some butter, I'd better trot down to the
             shop before it closes. 2 trot out. bring out, show, display,
             exhibit, flaunt, come out with; dredge up, drag out; recite,
             repeat:  Our neighbour trotted out his new lawnmower for us to
             admire.

             --n.  3 jog, lope, single-foot, pace; run:  It was a delight to
             watch the young horses in a fast trot round the track. 4
             translation, gloss, interpretation, crib, Colloq US pony, horse:
             He couldn't read Homer without a trot.

   trouble   v.  1 bother, upset, anguish, alarm, worry, afflict, agitate,
             disquiet, discomfit, make uncomfortable, grieve, perturb,
             discommode, inconvenience, discompose, discountenance, put out,
             burden, encumber, weigh down:  I don't mean to trouble you with
             my problems, but I have no one else to turn to. 2 annoy,
             irritate, irk, vex, bother, plague, pester, torment, harass,
             hector, harry, provoke, nettle, exasperate, ruffle, Colloq get
             or grate on (someone's) nerves, give (someone) a hard time, get
             under (someone's) skin:  Vincent keeps troubling me for advice
             on starting a new business.  3 discommode, incommode, impose on,
             inconvenience, put out, thank:  I'll trouble you to turn off the
             light when you leave the room.  4 care, be concerned, take the
             trouble or the time, go to the trouble, bother, exert (oneself),
             concern (oneself), take pains:  He never troubled to find out if
             his family was safe.

             --n.  5 distress, worry, concern, difficulty, discomfort,
             unpleasantness, inconvenience, vexation, grief, woe, affliction,
             disquiet, suffering, tribulation, anxiety, torment, anguish,
             strife:  Her trouble began when her ex-husband stopped paying
             for child support. How can someone so insignificant cause so
             much trouble? 6 annoyance, bother, tormenter, irritation,
             nuisance, nag, heckler, pest, Slang US nudnik:  Ever since she
             lost her job, she's been a trouble to her family.  7 disorder,
             agitation, row, disturbance, turbulence, tumult, upset,
             dissatisfaction, unrest, discord, dispute, turmoil, rebellion,
             revolt, uprising, outbreak, fighting, fight, skirmishing,
             skirmish:  The trouble began when workers refused to allow
             management to hire replacements. 8 affliction, defect,
             disability, disease, ailment, illness, sickness, disorder,
             complaint:  With her trouble she ought to see a doctor.  9 in
             trouble.  a in deep trouble, in a mess, in a predicament, in
             dire straits, Colloq in a pickle, in hot water, on the spot, in
             a scrape, Slang Brit in shtook or shtuk or shtuck or schtuck,
             Taboo slang in deep shit, up shit creek (without (the vestige
             of) a paddle):  They will be in terrible trouble if the bank
             forecloses on the mortgage. b unmarried or unwed and impregnated
             or pregnant or with child or expecting or in a delicate
             condition or colloq in a family way:  Most of the girls who are
             in trouble are teenagers.

   troublemaker
             n.  mischief-maker, rabble-rouser, gadfly, firebrand, agent
             provocateur, stormy petrel, incendiary, gossip-monger,
             scandalmonger, malcontent, instigator, meddler, agitator:  As
             far as the police were concerned, any protester was, by
             definition, a troublemaker.

   troublesome
             adj.  worrisome, worrying, annoying, irksome, irritating,
             vexatious, bothersome, distressing, difficult, burdensome,
             Colloq pestiferous, US and Canadian pesky:  We sometimes have to
             put up with troublesome motor-cycle gangs.

   truant    n.  1 malingerer, runaway, absentee, delinquent, dodger,
             shirker, idler, loafer, layabout, Slang Brit skiver, Brit
             military scrimshanker:  Truants were warned that their parents
             would be required to visit the school.

             --adj.  2 malingering, runaway, absent, absentee, delinquent,
             shirking, loafing, Slang Brit skiving:  The officer brought in
             three truant boys found fishing at the lake.

   truce     n.  1 armistice, cease-fire, suspension of hostilities, lull,
             moratorium, respite, let-up, intermission, interval, interlude:
             It looked as if the truce might last.  2 pact, treaty, compact,
             agreement, cease-fire, armistice:  If both sides abide by the
             truce the war might be over.

   truck     n.  1 merchandise, commodities, goods, stock, wares, stuff, odds
             and ends, sundries, junk, rubbish, US trash:  There was no one
             in the shop and all the truck was stacked in the corner. 2
             dealing(s), traffic, business, transaction, trade, commerce,
             communication, contact, connection, (business or social)
             relations:  She refuses to have any truck with the likes of you.

   truckle   v.  kowtow, be obsequious, toady, defer, bow, scrape, genuflect,
             salaam, drop to the ground or to (one's) knees or down on
             (one's) knees, submit, yield, cower, cringe, grovel, crawl,
             quail, fawn (on or upon), Colloq butter up, fall all over, lick
             (someone's) boots, boot-lick, US apple-polish, Slang suck up to,
             Taboo slang brown-nose, kiss (someone's) Brit arse or US ass:
             Just look how Caroline is always truckling to the boss, hoping
             for favours.

   truculent adj.  surly, sullen, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, unpleasant,
             nasty, obstreperous, rude, unpleasant, ferocious, fierce,
             savage, feral, barbarous, harsh, scathing, virulent, combative,
             belligerent, antagonistic, bellicose, hostile, contentious,
             warlike, violent, pugnacious, Colloq scrappy:  I don't care
             enough for this job to endure the boss's truculent attitude a
             moment longer.

   true      adj.  1 accurate, correct, truthful, faithful, literal,
             authentic, veracious, actual, factual, realistic, genuine,
             right, valid, unelaborated, unvarnished, unadulterated,
             verified, verifiable:  Do you swear that this is a true account
             of what actually took place? 2 staunch, faithful, devoted,
             dedicated, loyal, fast, firm, unswerving, steady, steadfast,
             trustworthy, trusty, dutiful, upright, honourable, constant,
             unwavering, stable, dependable, sincere, reliable, true-blue:
             D'Artagnan proved himself to be a true friend.  3 proper, exact,
             accurate, unerring, correct, precise, right, Slang Brit spot on:
             It is important that these matters be seen in their true
             perspective.  If this is a true copy of the original, please
             sign it.

             --adv.  4 truly, truthfully, honestly, accurately, candidly,
             frankly, sincerely, straightforwardly:  Tell me true, do you
             love me? If the report speaks true, then we must find the
             culprit. 5 exactly, correctly; geographically:  We sail true
             north to Iceland.  6 come true. come to pass, occur, take,
             place, happen, be realized, become a reality, be fulfilled:  Her
             dreams finally came true when she bought a little house in Kent.

   truism    n.  commonplace, platitude, bromide, axiom, clich‚, maxim:  You
             can rely on Vera to utter a truism like, 'It's a nice day', on a
             warm, sunny day.

   truly     adv.  1 truthfully, actually, really, honestly, in fact, in
             truth, in actuality, in reality, in all honesty, sincerely,
             genuinely:  Are you truly giving up your job to get married? I
             truly believed her to be guilty. 2 properly, rightly,
             rightfully, justly, legitimately, justifiably, duly, well and
             truly, accurately:  In the circumstances, can we truly condemn
             him for behaving as he did? 3 definitely, really, actually,
             undoubtedly, indubitably, beyond (the shadow of) a doubt, beyond
             question, without a doubt, indeed, unquestionably, absolutely,
             positively, decidedly, certainly, surely:  I believed her to be
             truly guilty.  4 in truth, indeed, really, honestly, sincerely,
             genuinely, Archaic (yea,) verily, Usually ironic forsooth:  I
             love you, darling, truly I do.

   trunk     n.  1 main stem, stalk, stock, Technical bole:  After the
             tornado, only the trunks of the trees remained upright.  2
             torso, body:  All that was found of the corpse was the trunk.  3
             chest, locker, foot-locker, box, case, bin, coffer, casket:  We
             found a trunk full of old books in the attic.  4 snout,
             proboscis:  The elephant reached for the food with its trunk.  5
             (In US and Canada) luggage compartment, Brit boot:  We cannot
             get all the luggage into the trunk of the car.

   trust     n.  1 confidence, reliance, faith, conviction, certitude,
             certainty, sureness, positiveness, assurance, belief:  Place
             your trust in me.  2 credit, reliability, dependability,
             credibility, trustworthiness:  The company will sell you the
             piano on trust.  3 custody, care, keeping, charge, guardianship,
             protection, safe keeping, trusteeship:  The money is in trust
             for Gillian's grandchildren.  4 monopoly, cartel; group,
             corporation, conglomerate:  An international trust controls the
             world market in diamonds.

             --v.  5 rely (on or upon), have faith or confidence (in),
             confide (in), depend or bank or count (on or upon), pin (one's)
             faith or hopes on or upon:  I trust that you will attend the
             meeting. In God we trust - others must pay cash. Can I trust you
             to keep a secret? Don't trust to luck. 6 entrust, commit, give,
             delegate, make or turn or sign or hand over, depute, assign,
             empower, consign:  I shouldn't trust my money to her.

   trusting  adj.  trustful, unsuspicious, confiding, confident,
             unsuspecting; na‹ve, innocent, gullible, incautious, credulous:
             It is a good thing that her husband has a trusting nature.
             Samantha might be a little too trusting and could easily be
             deceived.

   trustworthy
             adj.  reliable, trusty, dependable, accurate; responsible,
             steady, steadfast, loyal, faithful, (tried and) true,
             honourable, honest, ethical, principled, moral, incorruptible:
             Is this thermometer trustworthy? Isaac's former employer said
             that he is completely trustworthy.

   truth     n.  1 genuineness, reality, actuality, correctness, accuracy,
             fact:  The truth of the matter is that he's in love with you.  2
             fact(s):  To tell the truth, I came here to kill you.  3 in
             truth. in fact, truly, actually, really:  In truth, his name is
             not Jack Armstrong at all but Ebenezer Braithwaite.

   truthful  adj.  true, accurate, factual, veracious, true to life, honest,
             realistic, reliable, faithful, trustworthy, straightforward,
             candid, frank, sincere, earnest, forthright, unvarnished,
             unembellished:  He gave a truthful account of his experiences in
             the jungle.

   try       v.  1 attempt, endeavour, essay, seek, undertake, venture,
             strive, struggle, make an effort, try (one's) hand at, Colloq
             have a stab or go or whack (at), take a shot or crack (at):  He
             tried to help me with my homework.  2 test, try out, prove,
             evaluate, examine, inspect, check out, sample, appraise, assay,
             look over, analyse, scrutinize, assess, judge:  I'll try your
             way of solving the problem. You won't know if it works till you
             try it. 3 test, prove, strain, tax:  You are trying my patience
             with your silly questions.  4 hear, sit on, adjudicate, judge,
             adjudge:  There are three more cases to try this month.

             --n.  5 attempt, endeavour, essay, undertaking, venture,
             struggle, effort, turn, Colloq go, stab, whack, fling, shot,
             crack:  You have three tries to pin the tail on the donkey.

   trying    adj.  irritating, exasperating, frustrating, annoying, irksome,
             infuriating, maddening, bothersome, tiresome, vexing,
             troublesome, worrying, worrisome, distressing, disquieting,
             upsetting, dispiriting, taxing, demanding, tough, stressful,
             difficult, tiring, fatiguing:  This must be a trying time for
             you, caring for eight small children.

20.7 tug...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   tug       v.  1 pull, tow, yank, jerk, draw, drag, haul, wrench:  The boy
             was tugging a little puppy along on a lead.

             --n.  2 pull, tow, yank, jerk, drag, haul, wrench:  I gave a tug
             and the doorknob came away in my hand.

   tuition   n.  education, teaching, tutelage, training, schooling,
             instruction, guidance, preparation:  The course fees cover
             tuition and accommodation.

   tumble    v.  1 fall (down), pitch, turn end over end or head over heels,
             roll, drop:  Giggling hysterically, we tumbled in a heap on the
             lawn.  2 drop, toss, dump, jumble:  The waiter tumbled several
             spoonfuls of berries on to my plate.  3 tumble to. understand,
             apprehend, perceive, comprehend, see the light, Colloq get the
             signal or message, catch on, Brit twig to, Slang get wise, wise
             up, dig:  I finally tumbled to what she was trying to tell me.

             --n.  4 fall, slip, stumble, Colloq header, spill:  Joshua took
             a bad tumble on the stairs yesterday.

   tumbledown
             adj.  ramshackle, dilapidated, ruined, in ruins, decrepit,
             rickety, shaky, falling apart or to pieces, disintegrating,
             tottering, broken-down, crumbling, gone to rack and ruin:  He
             lived for years in a tumbledown shanty near the railway.

   tumour    n.  neoplasm, cancer, melanoma, sarcoma, malignancy, carcinoma,
             growth, lump, swelling, protuberance, excrescence:  The doctor
             found a tumour that he said ought to be removed.

   tumult    n.  commotion, disturbance, upset, uproar, riot, disorder,
             disquiet, insurrection, agitation, bedlam, chaos, brouhaha,
             fracas, hubbub, stir, pandemonium, hullabaloo, furore or US
             furor, brawl, Donnybrook, affray, row, m€l‚e or melee,
             turbulence, ferment, ado, turmoil, confusion, rampage, frenzy,
             rage, excitement, rumpus, Colloq US ruckus:  The tumult caused
             by the football hooligans spread through the city.

   tumultuous
             adj.  clamorous, noisy, boisterous, disorderly, turbulent,
             violent, uproarious, chaotic, frenzied, furious, excited,
             agitated, hectic, riotous, rowdy, unruly, unrestrained, fierce,
             savage, wild, hysterical, frantic, rumbustious, boisterous,
             obstreperous, tempestuous, stormy:  The heroes received a
             tumultuous welcome on their return.

   tune      n.  1 melody, air, song, strain, motif, theme:  David presents a
             marvellous half-hour radio programme of show tunes every week. 2
             euphony, pitch, harmony, accord, accordance, consonance, unison,
             correspondence, conformity:  She cannot sing in tune. The guitar
             is out of tune with the piano.  Her husband is out of tune with
             today's fashion.

             --v.  3 tune up, calibrate, adjust, regulate, coordinate, adapt,
             attune, align, set:  That garage charges too much for tuning an
             engine.  4 tune in (on). attend (to), pay attention (to), listen
             (to), understand, be aware (of), be on the qui vive, be alert
             (to), Slang be on the same wavelength or frequency (with):  I am
             not sure that Bernard is tuned in to what his sister does for a
             living. 5 tune out. ignore, disregard, turn a blind eye to, be
             blind to, turn one's back on, turn a deaf ear to:  Sally is able
             to tune out anything she doesn't like to hear.

   tuneful   adj.  melodic, musical, sweet-sounding, melodious, euphonious,
             dulcet, mellifluent, mellifluous, harmonic, catchy, mellow,
             smooth, rich, rhythmic, Colloq easy on the ear(s):  Irving
             Berlin wrote some of the most tuneful music that we have.

   tunnel    n.  1 shaft, subway, (underground) passage(way), underpass;
             burrow, hole; Channel Tunnel, Colloq Chunnel:  The cat got out
             through this tunnel.

             --v.  2 burrow, dig, hole, excavate, penetrate, mine:  The
             prisoners tunnelled under the wall and escaped.

   turf      n.  1 sod, sward, green, grass, greensward, lawn:  We bought
             some turf for the new lawn.  2 territory, bailiwick, area,
             neighbourhood, backyard, Colloq stamping-ground, home ground,
             (personal) space:  You're on my turf now, so you'll do as I say.
             3 the turf. horse-racing, racing, the racing world, racecourse,
             racetrack:  The attractions of the turf keep them from other
             pursuits.

             --v.  4 turf out. eject, dismiss, expel, throw out, oust,
             banish, exile, Colloq sack, bounce, give (someone) the boot or
             the sack or the (old) heave-ho, chuck or toss or kick or boot
             out, fire:  The committee said he had brought the sport into
             disrepute and turfed him out of the team.

   turn      v.  1 rotate, revolve, spin, roll, reel, circle, gyrate, whirl,
             wheel, go (a)round or about, pivot, swivel:  The earth turns on
             its axis. Turn the crank to raise the bucket.  2 move, shift,
             wheel, veer, swing, face:  As she turned I noticed a horrible
             scar.  3 reverse, turn (a)round, alter, change, adapt,
             reorganize, remodel, modify, refashion, reshape, reform,
             transform, make over, convert, bring over:  He has been trying
             to turn the business into a profit-making enterprise.  He has
             turned defeat into advance. She managed to turn one of the most
             loyal membrs of the government. 4 go or pass or move (a)round,
             veer, drive, walk:  Turn left at the corner.  5 go bad, become
             rancid, spoil, curdle, addle, sour, decay, moulder, rot,
             putrefy, Colloq go off:  All the milk in the fridge had turned
             because of the power cut.  6 apply, put, use, employ:  Is there
             any way we can turn this situation to our advantage?  7
             Sometimes, turn aside or away. block, avert, thwart, prevent,
             balk or baulk, parry, deflect, fend off, check:  He deftly
             turned aside the thrust of the dagger.  8 form, make up,
             fashion, formulate, construct, cast, create, coin, concoct,
             express:  Donald certainly knows how to turn a felicitous
             phrase.  9 direct, aim, point:  He turned the gun on himself and
             pulled the trigger.  10 twist, sprain, wrench:  I have turned my
             ankle and cannot walk.  11 twist, wind, snake, curve, bend, arc,
             coil, loop, meander, zigzag:  The road turned this way and that,
             following the river bank.  12 turn against. defy, mutiny, rebel,
             revolt, rise (up) against:  The captain had not expected the
             first mate to turn against him, too. 13 turn back.  a reverse,
             repulse, repel, rebuff, drive back, beat back:  At last we
             turned back the enemy's advance.  b go back, retrace (one's)
             steps, return:  We must turn back before it is too late.  14
             turn down.  a refuse, reject, rebuff, decline, deny:  My request
             for help was turned down.  b decrease or diminish or lessen or
             lower or soften the sound of:  Turn down the radio, I'm on the
             phone.  15 turn in.  a go to bed or sleep, retire, withdraw,
             call it a day, Slang hit the sack or the hay:  I usually turn in
             by eleven o'clock.  b hand in or over, turn over, deliver, give
             in, submit, offer, proffer, tender, give back, return,
             surrender, yield:  Please turn in your visitors' badges before
             you leave.  c turn over, deliver (up), inform on, betray, Colloq
             squeal on, rat on, finger, tell on:  For enough money, he'd turn
             in his own mother.  16 turn into.  a turn to, become, change
             into or to, metamorphose into or to:  Right before her, the
             prince turned into a frog again.  b go or come into, drive into,
             pull into, walk into:  They lost sight of the suspect when he
             turned into a side-street.  17 turn off.  a stop, switch off,
             deactivate, discontinue; extinguish:  First turn off the water,
             then the light.  b disillusion, depress, cool (off), disenchant,
             disaffect, alienate, repel, repulse, bore, offend, put off,
             displease, sicken, nauseate, disgust:  People who don't brush
             their teeth turn me off.  c deviate, diverge:  When you come to
             the fork, turn off to the right.  18 turn on.  a start (up),
             switch on, energize, activate, set in motion, cause to function
             or operate:  Turn on the light.  b depend on or upon, be
             contingent on, hinge on or upon, be subject to:  The success of
             the venture turns on our ability to capitalize it. c excite,
             thrill, arouse, stimulate, titillate, work up, impassion:  He
             was really turned on by the girl in the bar.  19 turn on or
             upon.  a concern, revolve about, relate to:  The discussion
             turned on his ability to write music.  b be hostile to, attack,
             assail, set upon, Colloq tear into:  Oliver is so unpopular that
             his own dog turned on him and bit him. 20 turn out.  a make,
             form, shape, construct, build, fabricate, put together,
             assemble, manufacture, produce, put out, bring out:  The plant
             turns out a thousand cars a week.  b develop, evolve, eventuate,
             happen, result, prove, occur, end up, arise:  As it turned out,
             he lost anyway. It turns out that he knows my sister. c eject,
             evict, throw out, expel, oust, dismiss, terminate, cashier,
             Colloq fire, sack, kick out, axe, Brit turf out:  When they
             found I wasn't a member, they turned me out.  d dress, fit out,
             equip, rig out, accoutre or US also accouter:  She was well
             turned out in a beautiful ball gown.  e come, arrive, appear,
             attend, assemble, meet, Colloq show (up), surface:  55,000
             turned out for the rock concert.  21 turn over.  a consider,
             muse or ruminate over or about, revolve, ponder (over):  I
             needed a while to turn over the job offer in my mind.  b
             reverse, invert, turn upside down:  Turn over the clock and read
             the inscription on the bottom.  c overturn, upset, knock over:
             In my haste, I turned over the punch bowl.  d sell, merchandise:
             A shop in that location ought to turn over a million a year.  e
             rotate, revolve, spin, kick over:  The engine turns over, but it
             won't start.  22 turn tail. run away, flee, bolt, scoot, show a
             clean pair of heels, cut and run, take to (one's) heels, beat a
             hasty retreat, Colloq take off, beat it, scram, skedaddle:  He
             turned tail when I shouted for help.  23 turn to.  a appeal to,
             apply to, resort to:  She turned to me for help.  b advert to,
             refer to, pick or take up, have recourse to:  Please turn to
             your exercise books now.  c get to work, pitch in, buckle or
             knuckle down:  The neighbours turned to in helping clean up the
             mess after the storm. d turn into, change to, convert into,
             become:  Lot's wife was turned to salt.  24 turn turtle.
             capsize, overturn, keel over, upset, up-end, Colloq go bottoms
             up:  The overloaded barge turned turtle and sank in the river.
             25 turn up.  a surface, appear, arrive, Colloq show (up), show
             one's face:  Guess who turned up at our wedding?  b come up,
             arise, Colloq crop up, pop up:  Something will turn up soon for
             you.  c uncover, discover, find, unearth, come across, hit upon,
             dig up, expose, disclose, reveal, bring to light:  We turned up
             a formerly unknown fact about the shipwreck.  d increase or
             raise or amplify or intensify the sound of:  Turn up the TV - I
             can't hear what they're saying.

             --n.  26 revolution, rotation, cycle, spin, whirl, circuit,
             round, roll, twirl; pirouette:  He gave the top another turn,
             just to make sure it was on securely.  27 curve, bend, turning,
             corner, sinuosity, dog-leg, hairpin bend or curve, irregularity,
             meander, twist, zigzag, Colloq toing and froing:  There are many
             dangerous turns on that road.  28 loop, coil, spiral, twist:
             Take two turns of this rope round your waist, then knot it.  29
             deviation, turning, detour, shift, change of direction or
             course:  A turn to the right is not permitted at this corner.
             30 opportunity, chance, say, round, spell, time, watch, shift,
             stint, tour (of duty), move, trick, Colloq whack, crack, shot,
             go:  You have had your turn, now let someone else go.  31 drive,
             spin, ride; airing, constitutional, ramble, saunter, stroll,
             walk, promenade, amble:  Let's take a short turn round the park.
             32 trend, direction, drift:  The conversation took a new turn.
             33 change, alteration, switch:  The doctor says that Valerie has
             taken a turn for the better.  34 Usually, bad turn. disservice,
             harm, injury, wrong:  If you do someone a bad turn, what can you
             expect?  35 Usually, good turn. favour, (good) deed, act (of
             kindness), courtesy, boon, mercy:  One good turn deserves
             another.  36 shock, fright, surprise, start, scare:  You really
             gave me a turn, jumping out like that!  37 form, style, manner,
             mode:  Each turn of phrase in her writing seems original and
             refreshing.  38 disposition, inclination, bent, bias, leaning,
             tendency:  Alistair is of a rather dour turn of mind tonight.
             39 at every turn. everywhere, constantly, always, all the time:
             In Scotland, we met with kindness and hospitality at every turn.
             40 by turns. alternately, reciprocally, in rotation,
             successively, in succession:  The book is fascinating and
             frustrating by turns.  41 in turn. sequentially, one after the
             other, in succession, successively, in (proper) order:  Each
             patient will be treated in turn.  42 out of turn.  a out of
             sequence, out of order:  I don't want you answering questions
             out of proper turn, Jonathan.  b imprudently, indiscreetly,
             improperly, disobediently, inappropriately:  I apologize if I am
             speaking out of turn on this issue.  43 take turns. alternate,
             vary, rotate, exchange:  Let's take turns looking through the
             telescope.

   turn-about
             n.  reciprocity, exchange:  Turn-about is fair play.

   turncoat  n.  renegade, traitor, betrayer, deserter, fifth-columnist,
             double agent, apostate, tergiversator, defector, backslider,
             Vicar of Bray, US Benedict Arnold, Colloq snake in the grass:
             Labour members who voted with the Tories on the issue were
             branded turncoats.

   turn-off  n.  1 exit, side-road, feeder (road), auxiliary (road), ramp,
             Brit slip-road, US (exit or entrance) ramp:  Our shop is at the
             first turn-off after the traffic light.  2 damper, killjoy,
             Colloq wet blanket, Slang US freeze-out:  It was a real turn-off
             to discover that his hobby was model railways.

   turnout   n.  1 assemblage, muster, attendance, audience, crowd, gate,
             throng, gathering:  The turnout for the first day of the sale
             was enormous.  2 output, production, out-turn, volume; gross
             national product, GNP, gross domestic product, GDP:  Turnout has
             improved since the settlement of the labour dispute.  3 gear,
             outfit, clothing, apparel, apparatus, equipment, trappings,
             fittings, equipage:  Have you seen Charlie in his
             mountain-climbing turnout?

   turnover  n.  gross (revenue), (total) business, volume:  Although
             turnover increased by ten per cent, profits were down by two per
             cent.

   tutor     n.  1 teacher, instructor, educator, coach, mentor, guru:
             Bernard engaged a tutor to coach him through the examinations.

             --v.  2 teach, instruct, coach, educate, school, train,
             indoctrinate, drill, enlighten, advise, direct, guide, prepare,
             ground:  Twitchell needs someone to tutor him in the fine art of
             going out with girls.

20.8 tweak...
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   tweak     v.  1 pinch, nip, twitch, squeeze, jerk, grip:  I do wish that
             adults would refrain from tweaking my nose, though it is pretty
             cute.

             --n.  2 pinch, nip, twitch, squeeze, jerk, grip:  He gave her
             nose an affectionate little tweak.

   twee      adj.  precious, sweet, sentimental, quaint, dainty, cute,
             mignon(ne), bijou:  The tearoom atmosphere is a bit too twee for
             my taste.

   twiddle   v.  1 play with, twirl, fiddle (with), wiggle, juggle, toy with,
             fidget with, Colloq fool with, mess with, monkey with:  Stop
             twiddling with the dial on that radio!  2 twiddle (one's)
             thumbs. do nothing, be idle, idle or while away (the) time,
             waste time, bide (one's) time:  I sat there, twiddling my
             thumbs, while you were being entertained royally.

   twig°     n.  sprig, stem, shoot, offshoot, branchlet, stick, sucker,
             sprout, withe or withy, tendril:  Gather up some dry twigs for
             kindling.

   twigэ     v.  understand, grasp, fathom, get, comprehend, see, know,
             sense, divine, Colloq catch on, be or get or become wise to,
             tumble to, Slang rumble, dig:  She twigged the situation at once
             but didn't let on she knew.

   twilight  n.  1 dusk, sunset, gloaming, sundown, half-light, crepuscule or
             crepuscle:  We enjoyed dinner at twilight on the terrace
             overlooking the sea.  2 decline, wane, waning, ebb, downturn,
             down-swing, slump, decay, weakening, declination, diminution:
             Even at the twilight of his career, Jonas enjoyed the respect of
             his colleagues. 3 Twilight of the Gods. G”tterd„mmerung,
             Ragnar”k or Ragnarok:  The world ends at the Twilight of the
             Gods, only to be born anew.

             --adj.  4 evening, crepuscular, dimming, darkening, darkish,
             darksome, shadowy, shady, dim, dark, obscure, sombre, gloomy,
             Literary darkling:  The Nymphs in twilight shade of tangled
             thickets mourn.  5 twilight zone. limbo:  He lives in the
             twilight zone, unable to distinguish reality from fantasy.

   twin      n.  1 double, clone, duplicate, look-alike, counterpart, Slang
             ringer:  I cannot distinguish these twins.

             --adj.  2 identical, matching, matched, duplicate,
             corresponding, look-alike:  The bedroom had twin beds with pink
             covers.

             --v.  3 pair, match, yoke, join, link, couple, combine, connect,
             associate:  Many towns in Britain are twinned with similar towns
             on the Continent.

   twine     n.  1 cord, string; rope, cable, yarn:  Have you some twine for
             tying up this package?

             --v.  2 entwine, braid, twist, intertwine, curl, wreathe,
             spiral, wind, weave, interweave, encircle, wrap:  Annette's
             front door has roses twined all round it.

   twinge    n.  1 stab, pang, cramp, spasm, pinch, stitch, (sharp) pain,
             prick, bite, gripe:  I get a terrible twinge in my back when I
             lift anything heavy.  2 pang, pain:  I felt a twinge of remorse
             at leaving.

   twinkle   v.  1 scintillate, sparkle, coruscate, glitter, shimmer, wink,
             flicker, glisten, glint, flash, fulgurate, spark, dance, blink,
             shine, gleam:  The stars were twinkling in the icy black sky.
             Nicole's eyes twinkled as she told me about Max's latest
             success.

             --n.  2 twinkling, scintillation, scintillating, sparkle,
             sparkling, coruscation, coruscating, glitter, glittering,
             shimmer, shimmering, winking, flicker, flickering, glistening,
             glint, flash, flashing, fulguration, spark, sparking, dancing,
             blinking, shine, shining, gleam, gleaming, dazzle, dazzling:
             From far off, I caught the twinkle of the sun on car
             windscreens.

   twinkling n.  1 (split) second, flash, twinkling or wink of an eye,
             instant, trice, Colloq jiffy, two shakes (of a lamb's tail),
             tick:  Liza called out, and in a twinkling, Joseph was at her
             side.  2 See twinkle, 2, above.

   twirl     v.  1 spin, whirl, rotate, revolve, wheel, turn, gyrate, twist,
             wind (about or around):  The windmills twirled in the breeze.
             Katherine absently twirled a lock of hair round her finger.

             --n.  2 twirling, spin, spinning, whirl, whirling, turn,
             turning, revolution:  He was hypnotized by each twirl of the
             roulette wheel.  3 whorl, winding, convolution, spiral, helix,
             coil, volute:  The pattern consists of interlocking twirls of
             green and brown.

   twist     v.  1 plait, braid, weave, entwine, intertwine, twine,
             interweave, pleach, splice, wreathe, interlace:  She twisted
             together some daisies to make a garland for her hair.  2
             distort, warp, contort, pervert, alter, change, slant, bias,
             colour, falsify, misquote, misstate, garble, miscite,
             misrepresent, violate; misinterpret, mistranslate,
             misunderstand, misconstrue:  He twisted her words so that she
             seemed to be saying the opposite of what she intended. 3
             wriggle, worm, squirm, writhe, wiggle:  The little beggar
             twisted out of my grasp and ran for his life.  4 wind, snake,
             meander, turn, zigzag, worm, bend, curve:  I lost sight of the
             stream where it twisted through the undergrowth.  5 wrench,
             turn, sprain, rick or wrick:  I twisted my ankle on a faulty
             step.  6 twist (one's or someone's) arm. force, coerce, make,
             persuade, bully, Brit pressurize, US pressure:  I didn't want to
             go, but she twisted my arm.

             --n.  7 coil, spiral, skew, zigzag, dog-leg, turn, curve, angle,
             bend, bow, meander:  The road is full of twists and turns.  8
             interpretation, analysis, understanding, slant, angle,
             construction, construal; treatment, approach, version,
             variation:  This book puts a new twist on the fall of the Roman
             Empire.  9 distortion, misinterpretation, contortion,
             perversion, warping, alteration, change, departure, bias,
             colouring, falsification, misquotation, misstatement, garbling,
             misrepresentation; mistranslation, misunderstanding,
             misconstrual, misconstruction:  It was a twist of fate that
             brought us together again. She gave everything he said such a
             twist that he scarcely recognized his own ideas. 10 quirk,
             idiosyncrasy, crotchet, peculiarity, oddity, trick,
             eccentricity, incongruity, inconsistency, irregularity;
             weakness, flaw, fault, foible, failing:  Owing to a twist in his
             character, he has developed a hatred of women. 11 round the
             twist. mad, crazy, insane, eccentric, Colloq daft, Brit round
             the bend, Slang nuts, nutty, bonkers, cuckoo, batty, off (one's)
             rocker, Brit barmy or balmy:  Kevin's gone round the twist if he
             thinks I am going out with his sister.

   twister   n.  1 cheat, swindler, confidence man or woman, rogue,
             scoundrel, swindler, trickster, mountebank, deceiver, fraud,
             impostor or imposter, Colloq con man or woman, crook:  This
             particular twister preys on the elderly.  2 tornado, cyclone,
             typhoon, hurricane, whirlwind; waterspout:  The twister picked
             up my bicycle and dropped it in my neighbour's garden.

   twit°     v.  tease, cajole, taunt, jeer (at), make fun of, banter, tweak,
             gibe or jibe, chaff, ridicule, mock; blame, berate, deride,
             scorn, contemn, censure, revile, reproach, upbraid; Colloq kid,
             pull (someone's) leg:  She never seemed to mind being twitted
             about her height.

   twitэ     n.  nitwit, nincompoop, ass, ninny, ninny-hammer, fool,
             imbecile, blockhead, halfwit, idiot, simpleton, Colloq chump,
             moron, Brit silly billy, Slang dope, US and Canadian jerk:  That
             silly twit told the teacher what we were planning.

   twitter   v.  1 peep, cheep, tweet, chirp, warble, trill, chirrup,
             chatter:  The birds twitter so loudly that they wake me every
             morning.  2 chatter, prattle, gossip, giggle, prate, titter,
             snicker, snigger, simper:  I was embarrassed because my
             classmates always twittered when I did a recitation.

             --n.  3 peep, peeping, cheep, cheeping, twittering, tweet,
             tweeting, chirrup, chirruping, chirp, chirping, warble,
             warbling, trill, trilling:  The twitter of the birds was driving
             me mad.  4 ado, bustle, excitement, flutter, dither, whirl,
             agitation, Colloq stew, tizzy:  The girls were in a twitter of
             apprehension.

   two-faced adj.  double-dealing, hypocritical, duplicitous, dissembling,
             deceitful, Janus-faced, treacherous, dishonest, untrustworthy,
             insincere, scheming, designing, crafty, Machiavellian, sly,
             perfidious, lying, mendacious:  That two-faced liar told you one
             story and me another!

20.9 tycoon...
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   tycoon    n.  mogul, magnate, baron, financier, (multi)millionaire,
             billionaire, merchant prince, potentate, Colloq big shot,
             (big-time) operator, wheeler-dealer, big-timer, US big wheel,
             big cheese:  What makes you think that Castenado is an oil
             tycoon?

   type      n.  1 class, category, classification, kind, sort, genre, order,
             variety, breed, species, strain, group, genus, ilk, kidney:
             Just what type of person would you say the president is?  2
             typeface, Brit fount, US font:  The body text ought to be set in
             Bodoni Book type, the headings in Times bold. 3 prototype,
             paradigm, archetype, epitome, exemplar, model, specimen,
             pattern, personification, standard, quintessence:  She doesn't
             consider him to be the usual type of businessman.

             --v.  4 typewrite; keyboard; transcribe:  She types at a speed
             of about sixty words a minute.

   typical   adj.  1 representative, characteristic, conventional, normal,
             standard, ordinary, regular:  On a typical day I get up at 6.30.
             2 orthodox, classic, conventional, in character, in keeping,
             usual, commonplace, run-of-the-mill, natural, customary, common,
             to be expected, ordinary:  His way of looking at life is typical
             for someone of his educational and social background.

   typify    v.  exemplify, instance, epitomize, personify, represent,
             characterize, embody, evince, symbolize, suggest:  John's views
             typify the conservative approach.

   tyrannical
             adj.  tyrannous, oppressive, dictatorial, Fascistic, despotic,
             autocratic, authoritarian, arbitrary, imperious, overbearing,
             unjust, high-handed, severe, harsh, iron-handed, heavy-handed:
             The people suffered under one tyrannical form of government
             after another for generations.

   tyrannize v.  Often, tyrannize over. domineer over, bully, subjugate,
             enthral, enslave, dominate, intimidate, dictate to, order about
             or around, ride roughshod over, browbeat, keep under (one's)
             thumb, oppress, subdue, suppress, keep down:  The people have
             been tyrannized long enough.

   tyranny   n.  autocracy, Fascism, authoritarianism, absolutism, despotism,
             dictatorship, Stalinism, Nazism; arbitrariness, oppression,
             suppression, subjugation, enslavement, enthralment, domination:
             Tyranny would not survive long were it not expedient for its
             supporters.

   tyrant    n.  dictator, despot, autocrat, martinet, Hitler, bully,
             oppressor, authoritarian, hard taskmaster, slave-driver, Simon
             Legree, overlord:  It seems that no people or part of the world
             is immune to tyrants.

21.0 U
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21.1 ugly
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   ugly      adj.  1 unattractive, unlovely, unprepossessing, unsightly,
             hideous, grotesque, gruesome, ghastly, offensive,
             repulsive-looking, plain, plain-looking, plain-featured,
             bad-featured, ill-favoured, dreadful-looking, awful-looking,
             terrible-looking, horrible-looking, frightful-looking,
             monstrous-looking, US and Canadian homely:  The Georgian houses
             were demolished and replaced by ugly tower-blocks.  2
             objectionable, disagreeable, unpleasant, offensive, nasty,
             loathsome, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, noisome, nauseating,
             nauseous, revolting, sickening, disgusting, obnoxious, mephitic,
             rotten, corrupt, filthy, vile, heinous, bad, sordid, evil, foul,
             perverted, immoral, depraved, degenerate, base, debased,
             detestable, hateful, abominable, execrable, despicable, odious:
             The East End murders were among the ugliest crimes of the
             century.  He sprang from his seat with an ugly curse on his
             lips. 3 disquieting, uncomfortable, discomforting, troublesome,
             awkward, disadvantageous, ominous, dangerous, perilous,
             hazardous:  He found himself in a very ugly position, with no
             apparent means of escape. 4 unpleasant, disagreeable, surly,
             hostile, nasty, spiteful, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, currish,
             irascible, curmudgeonly, cantankerous, crabby, crabbed,
             crotchety, cross, cranky, mean:  He's in an ugly mood till he's
             had his coffee.

21.2 ulcer...
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   ulcer     n.  1 sore, lesion, abscess, ulceration, canker, chancre, boil,
             gumboil, eruption, carbuncle, inflammation:  That ulcer should
             be treated before it gets any worse.  2 cancer, canker,
             festering spot, blight, scourge, poison, disease, pestilence,
             curse, bane, plague:  We must purge this ulcer before it
             corrupts the entire organization.

   ulcerous  adj.  ulcerative, cancerous, cankerous, festering, ulcerated,
             ulcerative, suppurating, suppurative, gangrenous, septic,
             Technical furuncular, furunculous, necrotic, necrosed,
             sphacelated:  The wound is in an ulcerous condition and requires
             immediate surgery.

   ulterior  adj.  1 hidden, concealed, covert, secret, unrevealed,
             undisclosed, unexpressed, private, personal, underlying,
             surreptitious, underhand(ed):  She had an ulterior motive for
             arriving early.  2 outside, beyond, further, remote, remoter:
             What you propose is ulterior to our immediate plan.

   ultimate  adj.  1 final, last, terminating, terminal, end, eventual,
             conclusive, concluding, decisive, deciding:  The ultimate
             outcome will not be known till next week. Who is the ultimate
             authority in such matters? 2 final, maximum, highest, greatest,
             supreme, utmost, paramount:  Her ultimate goal is to win the
             gold medal.  3 elemental, basic, fundamental, underlying,
             primary, essential, final:  He believes that the ultimate truths
             were set down in Scripture.  4 remotest, furthest, farthest,
             extreme, uttermost, last, final:  The ultimate stage of the
             experiment will be at a distance of five light-years.

   ultimately
             adv.  finally, at long last, in the final or last analysis, in
             the end, at the end of the day, after all is said and done, at
             (the) last, in the long run; fundamentally, essentially,
             basically, at bottom:  I thought it might ultimately come to
             this. He came to understand that ultimately people must depend
             on each other.

   ultimatum n.  demand(s), term(s), condition(s), stipulation(s),
             requirement(s):  If we refuse to comply with his ultimatum,
             he'll kill the hostage.

   ultra-    adj.  extreme, immoderate, excessive, drastic, radical,
             fanatic(al), unmitigated, outrageous, unqualified, sheer,
             blatant, out-and-out, complete, thorough, thoroughgoing, dyed in
             the wool, die-hard, rabid, opinionated, unregenerate,
             unrepentant, unreformed, fundamentalist, prejudiced, bigoted,
             Colloq hard-nosed:  Ultra-conservativism marked his views till
             the day he died.

21.3 umbrage...
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   umbrage   n.  Usually, take umbrage. feel or be offended, take offence,
             feel displeasure or annoyance or exasperation or indignation or
             vexation or bitterness or resentment, be piqued or displeased or
             annoyed or exasperated or indignant or vexed or resentful,
             harbour a grudge:  She took umbrage at the way he seemed to
             ignore her.

   umbrella  n.  1 parasol; Colloq chiefly Brit gamp, Brit brolly, US
             bumbershoot:  You will need an umbrella today.  2 protection,
             cover, coverage, aegis, shield, screen, patronage, agency:  What
             benefits are included under the umbrella of this policy?

   umpire    n.  1 referee, arbiter, judge, moderator, adjudicator,
             arbitrator; official; Colloq ref, Australian umpy, US ump:  The
             sides agree to abide by the decision of the umpire.

             --v.  2 referee, arbitrate, judge, moderate, adjudicate;
             officiate:  When Peter Jones umpires a game, the players know
             they will get a fair decision.

   umpteen   adj.  a lot of, many, innumerable, unnumbered, countless, a huge
             number of, very many, numerous, hundreds of, thousands of,
             millions of, billions of, trillions of:  You've been told
             umpteen times, 'Don't go near the water'.

21.4 unabashed...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   unabashed adj.  unashamed, unblushing, unembarrassed, brazen, blatant,
             bold, undaunted, unawed, undismayed, unconcerned:  I couldn't
             put up with his unabashed conceit for another moment.

   unable    adj.  not able, powerless, unfit, unqualified, impotent:  The
             company was unable to give guarantees about continuity of
             employment.

   unabridged
             adj.  1 uncut, whole, full-length, entire, complete, intact,
             uncondensed, unshortened; unbowdlerized, unexpurgated:  This is
             the original, unabridged edition, with nothing removed.  2
             extensive, thorough, comprehensive, exhaustive,
             all-encompassing, (all-)inclusive:  That word is too rare to be
             listed in anything but an unabridged dictionary.

   unaccented
             adj.  unstressed, unemphasized, unaccentuated, weak, Technical
             lenis:  The first syllable of 'before' is unaccented.

   unacceptable
             adj.  unsatisfactory, objectionable, wrong, bad, improper,
             unallowable, undesirable, not de rigueur, distasteful,
             disagreeable, unsuitable, inappropriate, unpleasant, tasteless:
             Murder is generally regarded as an unacceptable way to relieve
             oneself of unwanted company.

   unaccompanied
             adj.  alone, solo, on (one's) own, unescorted, unchaperoned,
             unattended, Music a cappella, Colloq stag:  We went to the dance
             unaccompanied.

   unaccountable
             adj.  1 unexplained, inexplicable, unexplainable, mysterious,
             inscrutable, incomprehensible, unintelligible, strange,
             puzzling, baffling, peculiar, odd, bizarre, unfathomable:  I
             found it unaccountable that anyone would arrive for an
             appointment four hours early. 2 not answerable, not responsible:
             How can you have a governmental committee that is unaccountable
             to anyone? 3 weird, unheard-of, extraordinary, unusual,
             unorthodox, uncanny:  Sophie has unaccountable powers of
             perception.

   unaccustomed
             adj.  1 unfamiliar, unusual, rare, unexpected, uncommon,
             unprecedented, unanticipated, curious, peculiar:  They
             encountered unaccustomed hostility from local people.  2
             unaccustomed to. unused to, inexperienced in or at, amateurish
             at, unpractised in or at, unfamiliar with, uninitiated in:
             Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I had better be brief.

   unadorned adj.  plain, simple, unembellished, undecorated, unornamented,
             stark, bare, austere:  She prefers an unadorned style, without
             frills.

   unaffected°
             adj.  genuine, real, sincere, natural, simple, plain,
             unpretentious, unassuming, ingenuous, unsophisticated,
             unstudied, honest, guileless, artless, unartificial,
             straightforward, unfeigned:  He conveyed in simple unaffected
             language a clear impression of the nightmarish quality of that
             day.

   unaffectedэ
             adj.  Usually, unaffected by. impervious (to), immune (to),
             untouched (by), unmoved (by), unresponsive (to), aloof (to or
             from), uninfluenced (by), unimpressed (by), remote (to or from),
             cool or cold (to), unconcerned (by), unstirred (by):  The
             duchess remained totally unaffected by the children's appeals
             for help.

   unapproachable
             adj.  1 distant, remote, aloof, reserved, standoffish, austere,
             withdrawn, unfriendly, forbidding, chilly, cool, cold, frigid:
             James seems unapproachable, but in fact he's a very warm person.
             2 inaccessible, remote, unreachable, out-of-the-way, out of
             reach, beyond reach:  Her house is unapproachable except from
             the sea.

   unarmed   adj.  unprotected, defenceless, weaponless:  The army began
             shooting unarmed civilians.

   unasked   adj.  uninvited, unrequested, undemanded, unsolicited, unsought,
             unwanted, unprompted, gratuitous, unbidden, spontaneous,
             unwelcome, unasked for:  I wish he would keep his unasked
             opinions to himself.

   unattached
             adj.  1 separate, unconnected, detached, independent,
             unaffiliated, self-governing, self-regulating, self-regulated,
             autonomous, self-reliant, self-sustaining, self-sustained:  The
             committee was established as an unattached body, not associated
             with any organization. 2 single, unmarried, uncommitted,
             unengaged, on (one's) own, unspoken for:  I joined the club
             hoping to meet some unattached people.

   unauthorized
             adj.  unsanctioned, unapproved, unofficial, unlawful, illegal,
             illicit, illegitimate:  Unauthorized use of the company's
             parking spaces is prohibited.

   unavoidable
             adj.  inescapable, ineluctable, inevitable, irresistible,
             inexorable, sure, certain, fated, destined, predestined,
             determined, predetermined, unchangeable, unalterable, settled,
             fixed, definite:  Punishment is an unavoidable consequence of
             getting caught for something you shouldn't have done.

   unaware   adj.  ignorant, oblivious, unknowing, unsuspecting, unconscious,
             uninformed, unenlightened, incognizant, inobservant, insensible,
             heedless, unmindful, unsuspecting:  She was totally unaware of
             the huge spider dangling directly over her.

   unawares  adv.  1 unexpectedly, abruptly, by surprise, suddenly, off
             (one's) guard:  We caught the sentry unawares.  2 inadvertently,
             unconsciously, unintentionally, unknowingly, unwittingly, by
             mistake, mistakenly, by accident, accidentally, in an unguarded
             moment:  She had betrayed her closest friend unawares.

   unbalanced
             adj.  1 uneven, asymmetric(al), unsymmetric(al), lopsided,
             unequal, overbalanced, unstable, wobbly, shaky, unsteady:  That
             stack of chairs is unbalanced and could fall any minute.  2 mad,
             demented, certifiable, crazy, insane, eccentric, non compos
             mentis, touched (in the head), unstable, unhinged, deranged,
             disturbed, of unsound mind, out of (one's) head, Colloq daffy,
             dizzy, Chiefly Brit daft, Slang nuts, batty, off (one's) rocker,
             Chiefly Brit bonkers, US out of one's gourd, loco:  The boy is
             clearly unbalanced, but that doesn't excuse his appalling
             behaviour.

   unbearable
             adj.  intolerable, unsupportable, unendurable, insufferable,
             unacceptable, too much:  The pain in her side was almost
             unbearable.

   unbeatable
             adj.  unsurpassable, undefeatable, excellent, unexcelled,
             incomparable, matchless, unrivalled, peerless, unparalleled,
             superlative, supreme:  She'll go far with such an unbeatable
             combination of looks and brains.

   unbecoming
             adj.  1 unsuited, unsuitable, inappropriate, ill-suited,
             unfitting, unfit, inapt, unapt, out of character, out of place:
             It is unbecoming to wear your mink coat to the Save the Animals
             fund-raising dinner. 2 indecorous, unseemly, indelicate,
             improper, ungentlemanly, unladylike, offensive, tasteless:
             Father said it was unbecoming for her to use such foul language.

   unbelievable
             adj.  incredible, preposterous, inconceivable, unimaginable,
             mind-boggling, implausible, unthinkable:  The amount of money
             they spend on clothes is unbelievable. He told an unbelievable
             tale about having been picked up by a flying saucer.

   unbelieving
             adj.  incredulous, disbelieving, non-believing, doubting,
             mistrusting, distrusting, mistrustful, distrustful, suspicious,
             sceptical, unpersuaded, unconvinced:  The unbelieving world
             thinks that the age of miracles is past.

   uncertain adj.  1 unsure, indeterminate, unpredictable, undeterminable,
             unforeseeable, unascertainable, haphazard, chance, arbitrary,
             random, aleatory, serendipitous, hit-or-miss, casual:  It is
             uncertain whether interest rates will rise again next month.  2
             unsure, in or of two minds, vacillating, undecided, unclear,
             ambivalent, irresolute, indecisive, hesitant, hesitating,
             undetermined, shilly-shallying, Brit at a loose end, US at loose
             ends:  Julia is uncertain about what to do next.  3 unsure,
             indeterminate, up in the air, indefinite, unpredictable,
             unresolved, unsettled, in the balance, conjectural, speculative,
             debatable, touch-and-go, unreliable, doubtful, dubious,
             questionable, vague, hazy:  The future of the company is now
             uncertain. The results of the election are still uncertain. 4
             variable, changeable, inconstant, unfixed, unsettled, irregular,
             fickle, erratic, fitful, unsteady, wavering, unreliable,
             sporadic, occasional; unmethodical, unsystematic:  The pictures
             in the cave danced in the uncertain light of the torch. How can
             we make an appointment if your plans are so uncertain?

   uncharted adj.  unmapped, unknown, unexplored, undiscovered, unfamiliar,
             strange, virgin, trackless:  For weeks he wandered lost in the
             uncharted jungle.

   unchaste  adj.  impure, wanton, immoral, unvirtuous, promiscuous,
             immodest, Cyprian, debased, lecherous, lewd, lascivious:  Her
             unchaste conduct was a topic of conversation throughout the
             school.

   uncivilized
             adj.  1 barbarous, savage, wild, uncultivated, barbarian,
             barbaric, crude, primitive, brutish:  He was an uncivilized man
             living in uncivilized surroundings.  2 unrefined, uncultured,
             uncouth, loutish, coarse, uneducated, untutored, unpolished,
             churlish, boorish, philistine, provincial, rough, rude,
             unlearned, ill-mannered, incondite, unmannerly, unsophisticated,
             inelegant, gross, gauche:  Anna's father forbade her to go out
             with the uncivilized boors in the nearby town.

   unconscionable
             adj.  1 conscienceless, unscrupulous, amoral, unprincipled,
             immoral, unethical, evil, criminal, unjust, wicked, arrant:
             This unconscionable thief stole from his own mother.  2
             excessive, extortionate, egregious, extreme, unwarranted,
             unreasonable, outrageous, inordinate, immoderate, exorbitant,
             indefensible, unpardonable, inexcusable, unforgivable:  When I
             questioned the unconscionable size of his bill, the plumber
             explained that he charges extra for house calls.

   unconscious
             adj.  1 insensible, out (cold), knocked out, senseless, numb,
             stunned, comatose, dead to the world, Colloq blacked-out:  The
             patient was unconscious for hours.  2 Often, unconscious of.
             heedless (of or to), unheeding, unheedful (of), insensitive
             (to), mindless, unmindful (of), reflex, automatic, involuntary,
             unintentional, instinctive, subliminal, unthinking,
             unpremeditated, subconscious, unwitting; blind (to), unaware
             (of), oblivious (to or of), deaf (to):  For Tim, scratching his
             head is an unconscious act. Tim is totally unconscious of how
             irritating his mannerisms are.

   uncontrolled
             adj.  unrestrained, ungoverned, unchecked, untrammelled,
             undisciplined, wild, unruly, boisterous, riotous, out of hand or
             of control, rampant, frenzied, frantic; going berserk, running
             amok or amuck:  He hit his brother in a moment of uncontrolled
             anger.

   under     prep.  1 beneath, below, underneath, covered by:  What is under
             that blanket? The wreck lies a mile under the surface.  2
             subordinate to, answerable to, inferior to, second to, secondary
             to, subservient to, below, beneath, underneath, junior to,
             directed or supervised or controlled by, under (the) control of,
             at the mercy of, at the beck and call of:  The bashibazouks were
             under the sultan's top officers.  3 included or comprised in or
             under, subsumed under:  This should be under the heading, 'What
             is the Stupidest Thing you have done Today?' Under which
             category is 'Software'? 4 under the aegis or protection or eye
             or guardianship or care of:  The prince was trained under the
             grand vizier.  5 less than, lower than:  I paid under њ200 for
             my VCR.  6 under the influence. drunk, tipsy, high, impaired:
             The police charged him with driving while under the influence.

             --adv.  7 below, underneath, beneath:  You looked on top of the
             bed, but have you looked under?  8 underwater, beneath the
             waves, down, out of sight:  We watched helpless as he went under
             for the third time.

   underclothes
             n.  underclothing, underwear, undergarments, lingerie,
             Old-fashioned unmentionables, Colloq underthings, undies, Brit
             smalls, Old-fashioned Brit small-clothes, US skivvies:  When a
             salesman she met on the train said he was in ladies'
             underclothes, she moved to another carriage.

   undercover
             adj.  secret, private, clandestine, confidential:  He doesn't
             look much like an undercover agent.

   undercurrent
             n.  1 undertow, cross-current, rip tide, rip (current),
             underflow:  Caught in the undercurrent, he was carried out to
             sea.  2 undertone, subcurrent, trend, tendency, overtone, tenor,
             suggestion, murmur, implication, connotation, sense, feeling,
             aura, tinge, flavour, atmosphere, ambience or ambiance;
             vibrations, Colloq vibes:  There is a sinister undercurrent of
             gloom about this place.

   undercut  v.  1 undermine, excavate, hollow out, cut out or away, gouge
             out:  If you undercut the roadway it will collapse.  2
             underprice, undercharge, sacrifice, sell cheaply or at a loss,
             undersell:  The supermarkets undercut prices and put the
             independent grocers out of business.

   underdog  n.  loser, scapegoat, victim; vanquished, defenceless; Colloq
             fall guy, little fellow or guy:  It has always been our policy
             to fight for the underdog.

   underestimate
             v.  undervalue, underrate, discount, misjudge, miscalculate,
             misprize, minimize, depreciate, belittle, not do justice to,
             fail to appreciate, set (too) little store by, think (too)
             little of:  No one should underestimate the physical and mental
             effort involved.

   undergo   v.  suffer, bear, endure, experience, live or go through, be
             subjected to, subject oneself to, sustain, submit to, weather,
             stand, withstand:  The hotel has recently undergone extensive
             refurbishing.

   underground
             adj.  1 subterranean, buried, below-ground, sunken, covered:
             They crept through the underground passage into the treasure
             room.  2 secret, clandestine, concealed, hidden, covert,
             undercover, surreptitious, stealthy, private:  The secret
             service has a worldwide underground network of agents.  3
             alternative, radical, experimental, avant-garde, nonconformist,
             revolutionary:  Some underground newspapers that sprang up in
             the 1960s are still being published.

             --n.  4 tube, metro, underground railway, US subway:  Two more
             stops on the underground and we'll be there.  5 resistance,
             partisans or partizans, freedom fighters, (in France) Maquis,
             insurgents, seditionaries or seditionists, insurrectionists,
             guerrillas or guerillas, extremists, revolutionaries;
             fifth-columnists, fifth column, saboteurs, subversives:  The
             underground helped the family to escape to England. The
             government blames the underground for the bombings.

   undermine v.  1 sap, drain, disable, weaken, debilitate, threaten,
             sabotage, subvert, damage, hurt, harm, impair, ruin, dash,
             wreck, spoil, Slang queer, bugger (up):  He said that the entire
             campaign would be undermined if the events of January 17th were
             ever revealed. 2 See undercut, 1, above.

   undersized
             adj.  under-size, little, short, small, petite, tiny, elfin,
             bantam, slight, mignon(ne); stunted, underdeveloped, runty,
             runtish, dwarfish, dwarfed, pygmy, squat; underweight,
             undeveloped:  These cattle are a bit undersized for market.

   understand
             v.  1 grasp, comprehend, see, perceive, discern, make out, get
             the drift or the hang of, appreciate, interpret, take cognizance
             of, recognize, be aware or conscious of, be conversant with,
             know, realize, conceive of, be aware (of), apprehend, penetrate,
             Colloq get (it), dig, catch on (to), tumble to, cotton on (to),
             Brit twig:  I can understand what you are saying. I didn't think
             you understood.  2 accept, agree, arrange, covenant, take:  I
             understand the terms of the agreement.  3 interpret, take, read,
             gather from, construe, surmise from, assume from, infer from,
             view, see:  As I understand the regulation, only residents may
             use the facilities.  4 hear (of), gather, get wind (of), take
             it, be told or informed or advised, have found out or learnt,
             Colloq hear tell:  I understand that you've applied for another
             job.  5 sympathize or empathize (with), be in sympathy (with),
             show compassion (for), commiserate (with); accept, tolerate,
             allow, forgive:  Surely your employer will understand your being
             late because of the funeral.

   understanding
             n.  1 agreement, contract, arrangement, bargain, covenant,
             concession, pact, compact, accord, treaty, concordat, entente,
             alliance, truce, armistice, reconciliation, settlement:  They
             reached an understanding with respect to nuclear weapons.  2
             discernment, sensitivity, sensitiveness, sympathy, empathy,
             perception, insight, good sense, intuition, enlightenment,
             percipience, sagacity, sageness, sapience, wisdom, Colloq savvy:
             Georgianna brings so much understanding to her treatment of the
             aged. 3 Usually, understanding of. comprehension or, awareness
             or grasp or control or idea or conception or knowledge or
             mastery (of), acquaintance or familiarity or intimacy or
             dexterity or skilfulness or deftness or adroitness or adeptness
             (with), competence or skill or expertness or know-how or
             proficiency or expertise (in), Colloq US fix (on), handle (on):
             I know no one with a better understanding of medieval Welsh.  4
             reading, interpretation, opinion, judgement, estimation, notion,
             view, perception, apperception, apprehension:  My understanding
             of what took place is at odds with yours.  5 intellect,
             intelligence, mind, brain, brainpower, sense, reason, reasoning
             power, wisdom, Colloq brains:  I'm afraid that he lacks the
             understanding needed to cope with the subtleties of the
             situation.

   understated
             adj.  subtle, restrained, low-key, simple, basic, unembellished,
             unadorned:  Alexandra was wearing an understated black dress
             with a string of pearls.

   understood
             adj.  accepted, agreed, arranged, given, covenanted, settled,
             conceded:  It was understood that we would be dining together
             that night.  The terms of the agreement are now fully
             understood.

   understudy
             n.  1 second, substitute, stand-in, alternate, backup, double,
             sub, reserve, US pinch-hitter:  The understudy got her break one
             night when the star fell ill.

             --v.  2 substitute for, stand in for, back up, double for,
             second, replace, US pinch-hit for:  He is understudying Hamlet
             as well playing the part of Laertes.

   undertake v.  1 assume, take on or upon (oneself), accept, take or assume
             or bear the responsibility for, enter upon, begin, start, set
             about, embark on, tackle, try, attempt:  Gates might be
             undertaking a bit too much, considering his condition.  2
             promise, covenant, agree, contract, pledge, vow, swear, warrant,
             guarantee, bargain, commit (oneself), stipulate, engage:  Is it
             not true that you undertook to complete the work in six months?

   undertaker
             n.  mortician, funeral director:  The body is available for
             viewing at the undertaker's tonight.

   undertaking
             n.  1 enterprise, affair, business, project, task, effort,
             venture, work, feat:  The scope of the undertaking was far
             beyond her capacity.  2 doing, performing, performance,
             realization, achievement:  Giles's undertaking of the work makes
             me feel more confident.  3 promise, pledge, commitment,
             assurance, contract, agreement, vow, guarantee or guaranty,
             warranty:  You gave an undertaking to complete the work by
             Friday.

   underworld
             n.  1 Usually, the underworld. organized crime, the syndicate,
             the Mafia, the mob, Cosa Nostra, criminals, the criminal
             element, Colloq gangland:  Lorenzo was fast becoming a
             well-known figure in the underworld.  2 nether regions, abode of
             the dead, Hades, Hell, Avernus, Dis, Orcus, Facetious Egyptian
             underground:  I think I prefer contemplating the Happy Hunting
             Ground of the American Indian to the underworlds of Christianity
             and classical Mediterranean culture.

   underwrite
             v.  1 back (up), finance, support, invest in, subsidize,
             subvene, sponsor, uphold, approve, insure, guarantee, US
             subvene:  The company has agreed to underwrite the development
             of your invention.  2 subscribe to, endorse or indorse, sign,
             countersign, consent to, agree to, confirm, accede to, sanction,
             ratify, approve, validate, Colloq OK or okay:  The government
             underwrote the action one day, then denied knowledge of it the
             next.

   undesirable
             n.  1 persona non grata, pariah, outcast, exile, reject, leper:
             The police had many requests to run the undesirables out of
             town.

             --adj.  2 unwanted, objectionable, offensive, unacceptable,
             obnoxious, unsavoury, unwelcome, disliked, distasteful,
             repugnant, unfit, unbecoming, unsuitable:  The parks are filled
             with tramps, drug addicts, and other undesirable elements.

   undeveloped
             adj.  embryonic, premature, immature, incipient, inchoate,
             potential, latent:  His sense of beauty remained undeveloped
             till he visited Rome.

   undiluted adj.  pure, neat, straight, unmixed, uncut, unblended,
             unadulterated, unwatered, unalloyed:  No ice, please - I like my
             whisky undiluted. How do you like the undiluted gall of the
             fellow walking in here uninvited!

   undisciplined
             adj.  untrained, unschooled, unprepared, untutored, uneducated,
             untaught, unpractised, uncontrolled, disobedient, naughty, bad,
             wilful, wayward, unrestrained, erratic, unpredictable, unruly,
             wild:  The sergeant has taken quite a few undisciplined recruits
             and knocked them into shape.

   undisguised
             adj.  open, out-and-out, unmistakable or unmistakeable, overt,
             unconcealed, unreserved, unrestrained, unfeigned, unpretended,
             obvious, evident, patent, clear, explicit, transparent, sincere,
             heartfelt, unalloyed, unmitigated:  They regarded the traitor
             with undisguised contempt.

   undisputed
             adj.  unquestioned, unquestionable, beyond question, accepted,
             acknowledged, admitted, indisputable, indubitable, undoubted,
             certain, sure, unmistakable or unmistakeable, definite,
             explicit, clear, (self-)evident, obvious, uncontested,
             unchallenged, incontestable, irrefutable, incontrovertible,
             undeniable, conclusive:  He proved once again that he is the
             undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

   undistinguished
             adj.  ordinary, commonplace, common, everyday, run-of-the-mill,
             pedestrian, unexceptional, plain, homespun, simple, prosaic,
             unremarkable; mediocre, middling, indifferent, unexciting,
             unimpressive, unpretentious, Brit homely, Colloq so so, no great
             shakes, no big deal, nothing to write home about, nothing
             special or unusual or extraordinary:  It was an undistinguished
             modern building near the roundabout.

   undivided adj.  1 whole, entire, unbroken, uncut, intact, unseparated,
             complete, unsplit:  The family lands remained undivided for
             generations.  2 undiverted, whole, entire, devoted,
             concentrated, full, complete, exclusive, undistracted:  You have
             my undivided attention.

   undo      v.  1 loosen, loose, open, unfasten, unhook, unlace, unzip,
             unsnap, unbutton, untie, unpin; unlock, unbolt:  Help me undo my
             blouse. Don't undo the gate - you'll let the dogs out. 2 unwrap,
             uncover, open, untie, unbind:  Why have you allowed the children
             to undo their Christmas presents a week early? 3 cancel, annul,
             rescind, nullify, void, declare null and void, reverse,
             invalidate:  If one could undo things there would be no such
             thing as regret.

   undoing   n.  1 ruin, ruination, destruction, devastation, defeat,
             downfall, overthrow, fall, collapse, descent, debasement,
             degradation, abasement, mortification, humiliation, shame,
             disgrace:  It is not easy to identify the factors that brought
             about the demagogue's undoing. 2 curse, misfortune, bane,
             affliction, trouble, blight:  As the novelists would have it, a
             beautiful woman was his undoing.

   undone°   adj.  1 ruined, lost, wrecked, crushed, destroyed, devastated,
             shattered, brought to ruin, defeated, prostrated, overcome:
             Brian was completely undone by that gold-digging heart-breaker
             he met in Caracas. If the headmaster finds out about the glue,
             we are undone! 2 open, loose, loosened, untied, unfastened,
             detached, unhooked, unlaced, unzipped, unsnapped, unbuttoned,
             unpinned, unstuck:  Your shoelaces are undone. The knot came
             undone.

   undoneэ   adj.  unaccomplished, uncompleted, incomplete, unfinished,
             omitted, neglected, left (out), skipped, missed, passed over,
             forgotten, unattended to:  From this list of chores, how many
             are still undone?

   undoubtedly
             adv.  indubitably, without (a) doubt, indisputably,
             unquestionably, beyond (a or the shadow of a) doubt, certainly,
             definitely, surely, assuredly, unmistakably or unmistakeably,
             explicitly, clearly, obviously, incontestably, irrefutably,
             incontrovertibly, undeniably:  If they win, they will
             undoubtedly go to the pub to celebrate.

   unduly    adv.  1 disproportionately, excessively, overly, unnecessarily,
             inordinately, unreasonably, irrationally, unjustifiably,
             improperly, inappropriately:  He claimed that he was being
             unduly harassed by the police.  2 immoderately, lavishly,
             profusely, extravagantly:  Don't be unduly generous in tipping
             our waiter - he did spill the soup in your lap.

   unearth   v.  dig up, disinter, exhume; excavate, dredge up, mine, quarry,
             find, pull or root out, come across, discover, turn up, expose,
             uncover:  The artefacts were unearthed at Boghazk”y, ancient
             Hattusas.  They had unearthed some evidence that would put him
             away for years.

   unearthly adj.  1 supernatural, unnatural, preternatural, unworldly,
             other-worldly, psychic(al), extramundane, extraterrestrial,
             extrasensory, supersensory, out-of-(the)-body, asomatous,
             incorporeal, sublime, celestial, astral:  They speculated about
             what unearthly experiences space travel might lead to. 2 weird,
             bizarre, macabre, nightmarish, uncanny, eerie, strange, ghostly,
             spectral, unreal, Literary eldritch, Colloq spooky, creepy:  An
             unearthly creature appeared in a mist before her.  3 strange,
             odd, peculiar, unusual, abnormal, absurd, out of the ordinary,
             extraordinary, outrageous; unheard-of, unreasonable, Colloq
             ungodly:  The baby wakes up at the unearthly hour of three
             o'clock every morning.

   uneducated
             adj.  unschooled, untaught, uncultivated, unread, uncultured,
             illiterate, unlettered, ignorant, unenlightened:  It is
             debatable whether the fault for being uneducated lies with the
             student, the teacher, or the system.

   unemployed
             adj.  out of work, jobless, idle, laid off, out of a job, out of
             work, unoccupied, inactive, Facetious resting, at liberty, at
             leisure, Brit redundant, Colloq Brit on the dole:  He has been
             unemployed ever since he was made redundant.

   unenthusiastic
             adj.  lukewarm, cool, cold, uninterested, indifferent, blas‚,
             unresponsive, apathetic, unexcited, unimpressed:  Bentley
             presented the new design, but the directors were unenthusiastic
             and turned it down.

   unenviable
             adj.  uncoveted, undesirable, unwished for, unattractive:  He
             was given the unenviable task of informing the victim's family.

   unfamiliar
             adj.  1 new, novel, unknown, unconventional, unusual, different,
             uncommon, strange, odd, peculiar, bizarre:  The man spoke in a
             tongue that was totally unfamiliar to me.  2 Usually, unfamiliar
             with. unacquainted with, unaccustomed to, inexperienced in or
             with, unused to, unconversant with, uninformed about, ignorant
             of, unpractised or unskilled in, unskilled at, uninitiated in,
             unversed in:  The Americans were as unfamiliar with cricket as
             the Englishmen were with baseball.

   unflattering
             adj.  1 harsh, unsympathetic; realistic, stark, candid:  Her
             hairstyle was unflattering and made her face look rather heavy.
             2 uncomplimentary, insulting, unfavourable:  Saying that I look
             just like my grandmother is quite unflattering.

   unfledged adj.  undeveloped, immature, unmatured, inexperienced, green,
             callow, young, raw, ungrown:  Take these unfledged recruits and
             turn them into men.

   unfold    v.  1 open (out or up), spread (out), unfurl, stretch out,
             expand, uncoil, unwind, straighten out:  Emerging from the pupa,
             it unfolds its wings and becomes a beautiful butterfly. 2
             develop, evolve, happen, take place, occur, be divulged, be
             disclosed or revealed:  What will unfold next in our little
             drama?

   unforeseen
             adj.  unexpected, surprising, unanticipated, unpredicted,
             unlooked-for, unsought, unhoped for, undreamed of or undreamt
             of, unthought of, startling, surprise, chance, fortuitous:  The
             sales manager's resignation was an unforeseen event.

   unfortunate
             adj.  1 unlucky, luckless; cursed, out of luck, unblessed,
             Colloq down on (one's) luck:  She was unfortunate enough to have
             married early and divorced late. 2 poor, miserable, wretched,
             woebegone, pathetic, dismal, unhappy, forlorn, pitiable, doomed,
             ill-starred, star-crossed, ill-fated:  These unfortunate
             refugees have nowhere to go if we refuse them asylum. 3
             deplorable, terrible, awful, catastrophic, disastrous,
             calamitous, tragic, lamentable, regrettable, distressing,
             upsetting, disturbing, inauspicious, grievous, ruinous:  It was
             an unfortunate decision, and led to many problems. The flood was
             a most unfortunate sequel to the earthquake.

   unfounded adj.  baseless, groundless, unwarranted, unjustified,
             unsupported, unsupportable, unsound, unjustifiable, unattested,
             unproven:  Reports of a typhoid outbreak are completely
             unfounded.

   ungodly   adj.  1 wicked, sinful, impious, blasphemous, heretical,
             irreligious, iconoclastic, atheist(ic), anti-religious,
             sacrilegious, demonic, demoniac(al), diabolic(al), satanic,
             fiendish, hellish, infernal; depraved, godless, corrupt,
             immoral, evil, iniquitous, bad, villainous, heinous, flagitious,
             profane, vile:  The crusaders believed that they had a duty to
             deliver Jerusalem from the ungodly heathens. 2 awful,
             outrageous, indecent, monstrous, nasty, dreadful, terrible,
             appalling, frightful, shocking, Colloq God-awful, unearthly,
             Brit beastly:  Margot and I were subjected to another ungodly
             evening at the Dawsons'.

   ungovernable
             adj.  unruly, refractory, intractable, unmanageable,
             uncontrollable, rebellious, wild, disobedient, unrestrainable,
             incorrigible:  The nursemaid was saddled with two ungovernable
             children whom she had to cosset.

   ungraceful
             adj.  1 awkward, clumsy, ungainly, lubberly, Colloq all thumbs,
             butter-fingered, Slang US and Canadian klutzy:  People in the
             aerobics class are always ungraceful to start off with. 2
             inelegant, graceless, coarse, crude, inartistic, vulgar,
             tasteless, unaesthetic, unrefined, barbarous, unlovely, ugly,
             unharmonious, unattractive, ill-proportioned, unsymmetric(al),
             asymmetric(al):  Some regard the Albert Memorial as a paragon of
             ungraceful Victorian design.

   ungracious
             adj.  discourteous, overbearing, churlish, gauche, rude,
             uncivil, impolite, ill-bred, bad-mannered, unmannerly,
             ungentlemanly, unladylike, gruff, bluff, brusque, abrupt, surly,
             curmudgeonly:  It was ungracious of him not to acknowledge the
             help of his staff.

   ungrateful
             adj.  unthankful, unappreciative, rude; selfish, heedless:  That
             ungrateful wretch never thanked me for all my help.

   unguarded adj.  1 incautious, unwary, careless, inattentive, heedless,
             inobservant, inadvertent, unthinking, unwatchful, unvigilant:
             He let the intruder past him in an unguarded moment.  2
             defenceless, unprotected, undefended, unfortified, open,
             uncovered, exposed, vulnerable:  The sentry insisted that he had
             left his post unguarded for only a few minutes. 3 indiscreet,
             careless, imprudent, unwise, hasty, unthinking, thoughtless;
             guileless, incautious:  He was anxious to restore good relations
             after his unguarded remarks about their associates.

   unhappy   adj.  1 sad, depressed, blue, dejected, melancholy, despondent,
             downcast, gloomy, downhearted, dispirited, heavy-hearted,
             long-faced, disconsolate, sorrowful, miserable, crestfallen,
             cheerless, forlorn, low-spirited, glum, distressed, tearful,
             Formal lachrymose, Colloq down, Slang US bummed out:  Mary is
             very unhappy that John is to be away a whole month.  2 unlucky,
             unfortunate, unpropitious, inauspicious, unfavourable, luckless,
             hapless, cursed, wretched, ill-omened, ill-fated, ill-starred,
             star-crossed, jinxed, disastrous:  Let me tell you how this
             unhappy state of affairs came about.  3 infelicitous, unfitting,
             inappropriate, unsuitable, unsuited, wrong, inexpedient,
             ill-advised, poor, unfortunate:  Vivian was an unhappy choice as
             his successor.

   unhealthy adj.  1 ailing, unwell, ill, sickly, infirm, feeble, frail,
             debilitated, unsound, sick, in poor or delicate health or
             condition, indisposed, invalid, valetudinary:  The boys had
             pasty, unhealthy faces.  2 unwholesome, harmful, noxious,
             detrimental, insalubrious, damaging, injurious, destructive,
             malign:  The doctor said that this climate is unhealthy for
             people with respiratory disorders. 3 risky, dangerous, perilous,
             life-threatening, touch-and-go:  You might find it unhealthy to
             criticize the government here.

   unheard-of
             adj.  1 unknown, unfamiliar, obscure, unidentified, nameless,
             unsung:  She is busy trying to promote some unheard-of sculptor.
             2 unimaginable, undreamed of or undreamt of, unprecedented,
             unimagined, unbelievable, inconceivable, unusual:  They took the
             unheard-of step of requiring that refunds be paid.  Her starting
             salary is an unheard-of њ100,000. 3 shocking, offensive,
             outrageous, disgraceful, extreme, unthinkable, outlandish:  The
             victims were subjected to unheard-of tortures.

   unheralded
             adj.  unannounced, unpublicized, unadvertised; unexpected,
             surprise, unanticipated, unforeseen, unpredicted:  Published by
             some obscure company, the book turned out to be an unheralded
             success.

   unhesitating
             adj.  1 swift, rapid, quick, immediate, instantaneous, prompt,
             ready, unhesitant:  The response was an unhesitating 'No!' 2
             unfaltering, unwavering, wholehearted, unqualified, unswerving,
             undeviating, staunch, steadfast, implicit, resolute:  We
             appreciate your unhesitating devotion to duty.

   unhurried adj.  leisurely, unrushed, easy, easygoing, casual, gradual,
             deliberate, steady, sedate, calm:  We proceeded at an unhurried
             pace, eventually arriving at dusk at the castle gates.

   unidentified
             adj.  nameless, anonymous, unknown, unmarked, unnamed, unknown,
             unfamiliar, unrecognized, mysterious:  The police found the body
             of a unidentified woman in the park.

   uniform   adj.  1 homogeneous, consistent, unvaried, unchanged, unaltered;
             unvarying, unchanging; invariable, unchangeable, unalterable,
             regimented, standard; ordered, orderly, equal, even, like,
             identical; alike:  The mixture is uniform throughout. The rules
             are uniform for everyone.  Line up in ten uniform rows of ten
             each. 2 even, unbroken, smooth, regular, flat:  Not one
             irregularity marred the uniform surface of the plain.

             --n.  3 livery, habit, regalia, costume, outfit; regimentals:
             When I next saw him, he was in the uniform of a Gestapo officer.

   uniformity
             n.  1 regularity, similarity, sameness, homogeneity,
             consistency, symmetry, evenness, invariability, unchangeability,
             similitude, conformity, agreement, concord, accord,
             harmoniousness; harmony, concordance, accordance, conformance,
             correspondence:  One can easily see the lack of uniformity even
             in what is supposed to be a classless society. 2 dullness,
             monotony, drabness, sameness, tedium, featurelessness, flatness,
             invariability, lack of variety, changelessness:  After a few
             days, the uniformity of the routine began to get on my nerves.

   unify     v.  consolidate, unite, combine, amalgamate, coalesce, bring
             together, fuse, join, weld, merge, confederate, integrate:  The
             separate elements were unified into a coherent whole. Successive
             Reform Bills unified the nation.

   unimpeded adj.  unblocked, unchecked, free, unconstrained, unrestrained,
             unhindered, unhampered, unencumbered, open, untrammelled,
             unrestricted:  They insist on having unimpeded access to the
             files.

   unimposing
             adj.  unimpressive, nugatory, trivial, trifling, minor,
             unimportant, puny, inconsiderable, negligible:  It was an
             unimposing building sandwiched between two office blocks.  A
             more unimposing little cockalorum has seldom assailed my
             sensibilities.

   uninformed
             adj.  ignorant, nescient, unknowledgeable, unenlightened,
             uneducated, unschooled, untutored, untaught, uninstructed,
             unaware, incognizant:  The problem is not that they are stupid,
             merely uninformed and misinformed.

   uninhabited
             adj.  desolate, empty, abandoned, deserted, unoccupied, vacant,
             vacated, tenantless, untenanted; desert, unpopulated, unpeopled,
             trackless, depopulated, waste, barren:  Tristan da Cunha, in the
             south Atlantic, is an uninhabited island.

   uninhibited
             adj.  wild, unchecked, unbridled, uncurbed, intemperate,
             boisterous, unrepressed, unconstrained, unrestrained,
             uncontrolled, unselfconscious, unreserved, relaxed, casual,
             easygoing, free (and easy), open, frank, candid, outspoken,
             Colloq upfront:  Their behaviour at the party was totally
             uninhibited. I will tell you what I think only if I can be
             totally uninhibited about it.

   uninviting
             adj.  repulsive, repellent, offensive, unappealing,
             unattractive, unpleasant, disagreeable, distasteful,
             unappetizing, unsavoury, sickening, revolting, obnoxious, nasty,
             disgusting, Brit off-putting:  The food he put on the table was
             cold and uninviting.

   union     n.  1 uniting, unity, combining, combination, joining, junction,
             conjoining, conjunction, allying, alliance, associating,
             association, coalition, amalgamating, amalgamation, fusing,
             fusion, marrying, marriage, confederating, confederation,
             confederacy, synthesizing, synthesis, mixing, mixture,
             federation, togetherness:  Monarchies favour the union of Church
             and State.  2 alliance, association, organization, society,
             circle, fraternity, club, fellowship, team, ring, gang,
             syndicate, coalition, party, confederation, confederacy,
             federation, Bund, league, consortium, bloc, cartel, trust:  The
             countries formed a union to control their joint economies.  3
             joint, seam, splice, junction, conjunction, graft, weld;
             coupling:  The union between the two pieces may be stronger than
             the material itself. 4 agreement, accord, harmony,
             harmoniousness, congruity, coherence, compatibility, unanimity,
             unity:  The union of the various elements in the painting was
             skilfully effected.

   unique    adj.  1 single, lone, (one and) only, solitary, one of a kind,
             sui generis:  Natural forces conspired to create this unique
             situation.  2 unequalled, unparalleled, unrivalled,
             incomparable, inimitable, peerless, unmatched, unsurpassed,
             unexcelled, second to none:  Stimble's genius is unique in the
             annals of proctology.

   unison    n.  in unison (with). in harmony, together, corresponding
             exactly, in (perfect) accord, consonant, harmonious:  Why is his
             singing never in unison with ours? We all responded in unison
             with a rousing 'No!'

   unit      n.  element, component, entity, part, item, constituent, piece,
             portion, segment, section, module:  The units fit together like
             Lego blocks.

   unite     v.  1 combine, unify, merge, coalesce, amalgamate, mix, mingle,
             commingle, intermix, blend, consolidate, fuse:  The splinter
             parties have united to form a coalition.  2 join (forces),
             unify, wed, marry, link, connect, merge:  The two families are
             united by marriage.  3 bond, fuse or weld or solder or glue or
             stick or tie or bind or fasten or fix or fit (together):  Unite
             these pieces and the job is done.

   united    adj.  1 unified, common, mutual, combined, merged, coalesced,
             pooled, shared, collective, joint, amalgamated, connected:  The
             new law will serve our united interests.  2 joint, cooperative,
             common, communal, collaborative, synergetic or synergistic,
             collective, concerted, coordinated, allied; partnership:  We
             must make a united effort if we are to survive.  3 agreed,
             unanimous, in agreement, of one mind, of like mind or opinion,
             like-minded, in accord, in harmony, harmonious:  We are united
             in our assessment of last night's performance.

   unity     n.  1 consistency, unanimity, constancy, uniformity, sameness,
             consensus, agreement, concord, concordance, accord, solidarity,
             compatibility, concurrence, continuity, consentaneousness,
             rapport, sympathy, like-mindedness:  All members of the
             association enjoy a unity of purpose.  2 oneness, singularity,
             integrity, singleness, congruity, uniformity, congruousness,
             homogeneity, identity, sameness, resemblance, likeness,
             similarity, similitude:  If there is little unity between your
             ideas and those of the organization, perhaps you should resign.
             3 unification, uniting, combination:  In unity is strength.

   universal adj.  1 prevalent, prevailing, general, worldwide, widespread,
             ubiquitous, omnipresent, limitless, unlimited, common, pandemic,
             epidemic:  The end of the 20th century is marked by a universal
             preoccupation with greed. 2 cosmic, infinite, boundless,
             limitless, unlimited, measureless, endless, uncircumscribed,
             all-inclusive, all-embracing, all-encompassing, wide-ranging,
             comprehensive:  Renaissance man was regarded as possessing
             universal knowledge.

   universally
             adv.  in every case or instance, in all cases or instances,
             unexceptionally, without exception, uniformly, always,
             invariably:  In those days, it was universally accepted that the
             earth was flat.

   universe  n.  1 cosmos, creation, macrocosm:  What arrogance makes man
             believe that in all the vast universe God pays him any heed? 2
             world, bailiwick, sphere, province, domain, circle, milieu,
             territory, corner, quarter, microcosm:  Such behaviour may be
             acceptable in her tiny universe.

   unkempt   adj.  dishevelled, uncombed, tousled, disarranged, ungroomed,
             wind-blown, untidy, disordered, mussed (-up), messy, messed-up,
             bedraggled, shaggy, scruffy, rumpled, slovenly, frowzy, blowzy,
             Archaic draggle-tailed, Colloq sloppy:  Mother would refuse to
             allow us to the table if we were unkempt.

   unkind    adj.  inconsiderate, unthoughtful, thoughtless, unfeeling,
             unconcerned, insensitive, unkindly, unsympathetic, uncharitable,
             unchristian, uncaring, hard-hearted, heartless, flinty, hard,
             rigid, callous, tough, inflexible, unyielding, unbending,
             severe, harsh, stern, cruel, mean, inhuman:  It was very unkind
             of you to refuse the beggar.

   unknown   adj.  1 unrecognized, unfamiliar, strange, unnamed, anonymous,
             nameless, unidentified; obscure, unheard-of, little-known,
             humble, undistinguished, unsung:  Some unknown person left this
             package for you. Bill is in some unknown place for the weekend.
             An unknown poet won the competition. 2 unfamiliar, unexplored,
             uninvestigated, unresearched, unrevealed, mysterious, uncharted,
             unidentified, dark:  We were now going into unknown territory.
             3 unbeknownst, untold, unrevealed:  Unknown to me, the thieves
             were at that moment breaking in through the kitchen window.

   unlamented
             adj.  unmissed, unmourned, unbemoaned, unbewailed, unloved:
             They destroyed a statue of the late, unlamented Joseph Stalin.

   unlawful  adj.  illegal, illicit, against the law, illegitimate, under the
             table, under the counter, criminal, felonious; outlawed, banned,
             prohibited, forbidden, interdicted, disallowed, proscribed,
             verboten; unauthorized, unlicensed, unsanctioned:  Unlawful
             payments had been made to councillors. Gambling has been
             declared unlawful in that county.

   unlike    adj.  1 different (from), dissimilar (to), unalike, distinct
             (from), opposite (from or to), contrasting or contrastive (with
             or to), separate (from), divergent (from), incompatible (with),
             distinguishable (from), far apart (from), far (from), distant
             (from), ill-matched (with), unequal (to), unequivalent (to):
             His notions of right and wrong are unlike those of other people.
             Although they're brothers, they look quite unlike each other. 2
             atypical, uncharacteristic, untypical:  It is unlike you to
             complain.

             --prep.  3 different from, differing from, in contradistinction
             to, in contrast with or to, dissimilar to, distinct from,
             opposite from or to, contrasting with or to, divergent from,
             incompatible with, distinguishable from, ill-matched with,
             unequal to, unequivalent to:  Unlike you, I've been there and
             know what it's like.

   unlikely  adj.  1 improbable, doubtful, dubious, remote, unthinkable,
             unimaginable, inconceivable, implausible:  His story was
             unlikely, but she decided to believe him. It is not unlikely
             that he will come even if we ask him to stay away. 2 unseemly,
             inappropriate, unfit, unfitting, unsuitable, uncongenial,
             objectionable, unbecoming, unacceptable, unattractive,
             distasteful:  Claire had seldom seen a more unlikely prospect
             for a husband.  3 unpropitious, unpromising, inauspicious:  The
             tiny shop seemed an unlikely place to find a great treasure.

   unlimited adj.  1 unrestricted, unrestrained, limitless, unconstrained,
             unqualified, full, absolute, unconditional, far-reaching,
             unchecked, uncontrolled:  He has unlimited authority to issue
             all the paper money he wishes.  2 limitless, boundless, endless,
             vast, unbounded, immense, immeasurable, measureless, numberless,
             innumerable, inexhaustible, interminable, never-ending,
             infinite, myriad, extensive,:  As the wealthiest woman in the
             world, she has unlimited resources to do as she pleases.

   unload    v.  empty, dump, unpack, offload, discharge; disburden,
             unburden:  We unloaded the cargo at Sulawesi. The camels must be
             unloaded every night.

   unmarried adj.  single, unwed(ded), bachelor, spinster, old-maid, maiden,
             unattached, unengaged, unbetrothed, unplighted, unpromised,
             free, uncommitted:  He was thirty-five, unmarried, and lived
             alone in a tiny flat.

   unmentionable
             adj.  1 unspeakable, unutterable, ineffable, taboo, scandalous,
             forbidden, interdicted; inexpressible:  I will not have Karen or
             her unmentionable boyfriend in this house again! 2 disgraceful,
             indecent, immodest, shameful, shocking, appalling,
             dishonourable, indescribable, obscene, filthy:  In carnivals,
             geeks do unmentionable things with live chickens.

             --n.  3 unmentionables. underclothes, underclothing, underwear,
             undergarments, lingerie, Archaic small-clothes, Colloq
             underthings, undies, Brit smalls, US skivvies:  The woman next
             door insists on hanging out her unmentionables in full view of
             the whole street.

   unmerciful
             adj.  merciless, pitiless, unsparing, unkind, relentless,
             unpitying, heartless, stony-hearted, hard-hearted, flinty,
             unfeeling, unsympathetic, unforgiving, mean, cruel, savage,
             brutal, brutish, vicious, barbarous:  The boys gave him an
             unmerciful beating for cheating.

   unmitigated
             adj.  undiluted, unalloyed, unmixed, untempered, unmoderated,
             unmodified, unabated, unlessened, undiminished, unreduced,
             unrelieved, oppressive, unalleviated, unmollified, unsoftened,
             relentless, unqualified, out-and-out, thorough, thoroughgoing,
             outright, downright, categorical, absolute, immoderate, sheer,
             complete, consummate, total, perfect, true, pure, arrant, utter,
             plain:  That man is an unmitigated bore. The project was an
             unmitigated disaster.

   unmoved   adj.  cool, aloof, calm, collected, unaffected, untouched,
             unsympathetic, unstirred, undisturbed, apathetic, stoic(al),
             impassive, dispassionate, unemotional, unfeeling, unconcerned,
             indifferent, unreactive, unresponsive, stolid, stony, adamant,
             stony-hearted, hard-hearted:  Despite her child's tears, she
             remained totally unmoved.

   unnatural adj.  1 Derogatory abnormal, perverse, perverted, monstrous,
             unusual, peculiar, strange, aberrant, improper, unseemly; Slang
             kinky , Chiefly Brit bent:  There was a scandal when the senator
             was found to have engaged in some unnatural act. 2
             sodomitic(al), bestial, tribadic, tribadistic:  They still coyly
             referred to homosexual activities as 'unnatural acts'. 3
             uncharacteristic, out of character, odd, peculiar, strange,
             unexpected, abnormal, unusual:  Isn't it unnatural for someone
             who has won the sweepstakes to look so unhappy? 4 laboured,
             forced, stilted, stiff, restrained, artificial, false,
             insincere, feigned, contrived, affected, mannered,
             self-conscious, theatrical, stagy:  She has an irritating,
             unnatural laugh.  5 outlandish, weird, uncanny, strange, odd,
             unaccountable, supernatural, preternatural, queer, grotesque,
             bizarre, extraordinary, eccentric, freakish:  Let me tell you
             about the unnatural events that took place in that house.

   unnecessary
             adj.  unneeded, needless, unrequired, dispensable, disposable,
             expendable, unwanted, surplus, superfluous, supererogatory,
             inessential, unessential, non-essential:  The children were
             asleep, so we asked the workmen to avoid making any unnecessary
             noise.

   unnerve   v.  upset, agitate, perturb, ruffle, fluster, rattle, discomfit,
             unsettle, disconcert, dismay, intimidate, stun, stupefy, Colloq
             shake (up), faze:  Peter drove home slowly: the accident he had
             seen had unnerved him.

   unnoticed adj.  unnoted, overlooked, unobserved, undiscovered, unremarked,
             unmarked, unperceived; unseen, unheard:  Fortunately, Martha's
             nasty aside went unnoticed.

   unobtrusive
             adj.  inconspicuous, unostentatious, low-key, retiring, modest,
             self-effacing, unpresuming, unpretentious, unassuming, quiet,
             humble, unaggressive, unassertive, non-assertive, subdued,
             reserved, reticent, suppressed:  Agatha may seem unobtrusive,
             but she's a tigress when aroused.

   unofficial
             adj.  informal, unauthorized, undocumented, off the record,
             private, secret, unpublicized, unannounced:  The builder
             acknowledged having had unofficial meetings with the council.

   unopened  adj.  closed, shut:  The book lay, unopened, on the bedside
             table.

   unorthodox
             adj.  irregular, unconventional, nonconformist, unconforming,
             nonconforming, aberrant, aberrational, deviant, heteroclite,
             unusual, abnormal, uncustomary, uncommon:  Roebuck's unorthodox
             methods almost lost him his job.

   unpaid    adj.  1 payable, outstanding, owed, owing, due, unsettled:  In
             the end he absconded, leaving a pile of unpaid bills.  2
             unsalaried, voluntary, volunteer, honorary, US dollar-a-year:
             On retirement, she took an unpaid job with Oxfam.

   unpalatable
             adj.  distasteful, disagreeable, unpleasant, unsavoury,
             unappetizing, unattractive, repugnant, nasty, offensive; rancid,
             sour, off, turned, bitter, inedible, uneatable:  Without an
             education, they are often offered the unpalatable jobs.  We
             found heavy claret totally unpalatable with the sole.

   unparalleled
             adj.  unequalled, incomparable, matchless, peerless, unrivalled,
             unmatched, inimitable, unexcelled, superior, supreme,
             superlative, unsurpassed, unusual, special, singular, rare,
             unique, exceptional, consummate:  In our experience, the food
             and service aboard the Normandie were unparalleled.

   unperfumed
             adj.  unscented, plain, natural:  This deodorant is available in
             sandalwood, forest pine, mint, or unperfumed.

   unpopular adj.  out of favour, in bad odour, unliked, disliked, shunned,
             avoided, snubbed, ignored, unsought after, unaccepted, unwanted,
             rejected, unwelcome, undesirable; unloved, friendless:  New
             taxes are always unpopular. James had always been an unpopular
             boy at school.

   unprejudiced
             adj.  unbigoted, unbiased, impartial, unjaundiced, just, fair,
             objective, disinterested, fair-minded, non-partisan, liberal,
             open-minded, undogmatic:  An unprejudiced opinion would be
             difficult to find, since everyone has an axe to grind.

   unpremeditated
             adj.  unprepared, unplanned, unarranged, uncontrived, unstudied,
             coincidental, spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment, last-minute,
             impromptu, extemporaneous or extemporary, extempore, ad lib,
             offhand, casual, impulsive, natural, involuntary, automatic,
             unconscious, Colloq off the cuff:  I had no inkling of her
             plans, so my running into her was entirely unpremeditated. Her
             immediate, unpremeditated reaction was to run away.

   unprepared
             adj.  1 unready, surprised, taken aback, (caught) napping or off
             guard, dumbfounded or dumfounded, at sixes and sevens, Colloq
             (caught) with (one's) pants down, Brit caught on the hop, US
             asleep at the switch:  The sudden squall found us unprepared and
             we lost a sail.  2 unfinished, incomplete, uncompleted:  Dinner
             was still unprepared at eight o'clock.  3 unwarned, unreadied,
             not set up, not forewarned:  I was unprepared for the strange
             events that followed.  4 See unpremeditated, above.

   unprofessional
             adj.  1 unbecoming, improper, unethical, unprincipled, unseemly,
             undignified, unfitting, unbefitting, unworthy, unscholarly,
             negligent, lax:  The Medical Association is quick to act against
             doctors whose conduct might be judged unprofessional. 2
             amateurish, amateur, inexpert, inexperienced, untrained,
             untutored, unschooled, incompetent, unskilled, unskilful,
             inferior, second-rate, inefficient, poor, shoddy, low-quality,
             sloppy:  It was an astonishingly unprofessional way to audit
             accounts.  3 non-technical, unspecialized, non-specialist, lay,
             everyday, ordinary, plain (English), understandable:  What does
             all that gobbledegook mean when translated into unprofessional
             language?

   unprofitable
             adj.  1 profitless, ungainful, unremunerative, unfruitful,
             non-profit-making; breaking even; losing, loss-making:  The last
             quarter was unprofitable for car manufacturers.  2 bootless,
             pointless, purposeless, unavailing, futile, useless,
             unproductive, worthless, ineffective, inefficient:  Having
             employees sitting about waiting for the telephone to ring is
             unprofitable.

   unpromising
             adj.  inauspicious, unpropitious, unfavourable, gloomy, ominous,
             adverse, portentous, baleful, hopeless:  The forecast for the
             economy looked unpromising yesterday but has suddenly
             brightened.

   unqualified
             adj.  1 ineligible, unfit, untrained, ill-equipped, unsuited,
             unequipped, unprepared:  He was rejected as unqualified for the
             job of repairing computers.  2 unrestricted, unreserved,
             unconditional, categorical, outright, unmitigated, downright,
             out-and-out, pure (and simple), true, perfect, utter, absolute,
             consummate:  If he told you that he flew jets in the RAF, he is
             an unqualified liar. Cato's unqualified 'Delenda est Cartago'
             was echoed in every speech he made in the Roman senate.

   unquenchable
             adj.  insatiable, unslakeable or unslakable, unsatisfiable;
             inextinguishable, unsuppressible, irrepressible, indestructible:
             She had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Those principles
             have kindled an unquenchable fire in the hearts of the
             oppressed.

   unquestionable
             adj.  unexceptionable, indubitable, undoubted, indisputable,
             incontestable, unimpeachable, undeniable, certain, sure,
             positive, irrefutable, manifest, obvious, patent, clear,
             definite, incontrovertible, unequivocal, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable, conclusive:  Their integrity is unquestionable,
             and I have complete confidence in them.

   unreal    adj.  1 imaginary, fantastic, chimeric(al), fanciful, fancied,
             illusory, make-believe, phantasmagoric(al), phantasmal,
             spectral, figmental, unrealistic, non-existent:  Fear made the
             whole scene unreal to Martha.  2 theoretical, hypothetical,
             mythical, imaginary, made-up, fictitious, make-believe,
             fanciful:  Although the example is unreal, it will serve its
             purpose in my argument. 3 artificial, synthetic, synthesized,
             mock, false, fake(d), counterfeit, fraudulent, dummy, spurious,
             falsified, pretend(ed), sham, pseudo, make-believe:  The
             countryside looked a little unreal, too luxuriant and too
             sculptured.

   unrealistic
             adj.  1 impractical, illogical, unreasonable, unworkable,
             unrealizable, quixotic, romantic, fanciful, visionary,
             delusional, delusive, delusory:  However exciting it is to think
             of travelling faster than light, the notion is unrealistic. 2
             unreal, unlifelike, unnatural, unauthentic,
             non-representational, unrepresentative, inaccurate:  The
             background paintings are poorly done and unrealistic.

   unreasonable
             adj.  1 irrational, illogical, unthinking, absurd, foolish,
             senseless, nonsensical, mindless, brainless, thoughtless, silly,
             mad, crazy, insane, idiotic, moronic, imbecilic, stupid,
             fatuous, ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, preposterous,
             far-fetched, short-sighted, unperceptive, unperceiving,
             undiscerning, myopic, blind:  Some people have an unreasonable
             aversion to anything scientific.  Is it unreasonable to expect
             you to spend a little time with your mother? 2 excessive,
             outrageous, exorbitant, extravagant, immoderate, extortionate,
             inordinate, unconscionable, unjust, unwarranted, inequitable,
             unfair, unequal, improper, unjustified, unjustifiable,
             uncalled-for:  The new tax puts an unreasonable demand on those
             with lower incomes.  3 inappropriate, unapt or inapt,
             unsuitable, unbefitting, impractical, unrealistic:  His conduct
             was quite unreasonable for a man of the cloth.

   unrefined adj.  1 coarse, rude, rough, unsophisticated, uncultured,
             uncivilized, uncultivated, unpolished, inelegant, ill-bred,
             impolite, discourteous, unmannerly, ill-mannered, bad-mannered,
             ignoble, plebeian, undignified, unladylike, ungentlemanlike,
             ungentlemanly, uncourtly, ungracious, boorish, loutish, gross,
             vulgar, uncouth, cloddish, bumbling, awkward, gauche:  Consider
             their background before criticizing them for being unrefined.  2
             impure, unpurified, unclarified, raw, crude, coarse, untreated,
             unfinished, natural, unprocessed:  The unrefined ore is first
             washed thoroughly.

   unrelated adj.  independent, separate, distinct, different, dissimilar,
             incompatible, inappropriate, foreign, alien, unassociated,
             unaffiliated, unconnected, uncoupled, unlinked, unallied,
             uncoordinated:  Why raise a totally unrelated issue?

   unreliable
             adj.  irresponsible, disreputable; untrustworthy, undependable,
             uncertain, unstable, treacherous, flimsy, weak:  He is
             unreliable and unlikely to be there when you need him. The
             equipment was expensive, slow, and unreliable.

   unrepentant
             adj.  unrepenting, unremorseful, impenitent, unapologetic,
             unregretful, unashamed, unembarrassed, unselfconscious,
             remorseless, unreformed, unrehabilitated, unregenerate,
             recidivist or recidivistic or recidivous:  They were quite
             unrepentant, though they had seen for themselves the harm they
             had done.

   unresolved
             adj.  unsettled, open, up in the air, moot, pending, debatable,
             arguable, problematic(al), indefinite, vague, open to question,
             questionable, unanswered, unsolved; undetermined, undecided,
             uncertain, unsure, ambivalent, wavering, vacillating,
             irresolute:  The matter of joining the monetary union remained
             unresolved.  I am still unresolved on the issue.

   unrest    n.  disquiet, uneasiness, distress, anxiety, anxiousness,
             nervousness, anguish, unease, worry, concern, agitation,
             turmoil, disturbance, trouble, strife, agony:  The proximity of
             the huge army on our borders caused considerable unrest among
             the populace.

   unruly    adj.  unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrollable, undisciplined,
             unregulated, lawless, disobedient, insubordinate, rebellious,
             mutinous, fractious, refractory, contumacious, obstreperous,
             wilful, headstrong, stubborn, recalcitrant, intractable,
             defiant, uncooperative, wayward, disorderly, turbulent, riotous,
             tumultuous, violent, stormy, tempestuous:  She had no idea of
             how to handle a capricious and unruly teenager.  The first
             reading of the bill led to an unruly session of Parliament.

   unsatisfactory
             adj.  insufficient, inadequate, inferior, poor, unacceptable,
             displeasing, disappointing, unworthy, inappropriate, deficient,
             weak, wanting, lacking, unsuitable, imperfect, flawed,
             defective, faulty:  The report was unsatisfactory in that it
             failed to meet the committee's demands. Why put up with
             unsatisfactory workmanship?

   unsavoury adj.  distasteful, objectionable, unpleasant, disagreeable,
             unappetizing, unpalatable, offensive, repugnant, obnoxious,
             repellent, nasty, repulsive, revolting, disgusting, nauseating,
             sickening:  Her ex-husband is a totally unsavoury character.
             Even the most unsavoury swill tasted like ambrosia to the
             starving inmates.

   unscathed adj.  unharmed, unhurt, uninjured, unmarked, untouched,
             undamaged, unscarred, unscratched, safe and sound, in one piece,
             as new, Archaic scatheless, Colloq like new:  Miraculously, he
             came out of the battle unscathed.

   unscrupulous
             adj.  unconscionable, conscienceless, unprincipled, amoral,
             unethical, immoral, dishonourable, corrupt, dishonest,
             deceitful, sly, cunning, artful, insidious, shifty, sneaky,
             slippery, roguish, knavish, disingenuous, treacherous,
             perfidious, faithless, false, untrustworthy, wicked, evil,
             Colloq crooked:  Some people are totally unscrupulous in the
             pursuit of their ambitions.

   unseasonable
             adj.  unsuitable, inopportune, inappropriate, untimely,
             ill-timed, inexpedient:  Unseasonable frosts in April caused
             severe damage to the flower buds.

   unseemly  adj.  1 improper, unrefined, unbecoming, indecorous, indelicate,
             unbecoming, unladylike, ungentlemanly, undignified, in poor or
             bad taste, disreputable, discreditable, risqu‚, naughty,
             indecent, shameful, offensive, lewd, lascivious, obscene, rude,
             coarse:  Out of desperation, they engaged in some unseemly
             activities.  2 impolitic, unwise, imprudent, inapt,
             inappropriate, inopportune, inconvenient, uncalled-for,
             unsuitable, improper, inadvisable, ill-advised, unbefitting,
             unfitting, out of place or keeping, awkward, inauspicious,
             inexpedient, unfortunate, ill-timed, untimely:  It would be
             unseemly for you to become involved with such a notorious
             individual.

   unselfish adj.  generous, charitable, open-handed, ungrudging, unstinting,
             unsparing, giving, magnanimous, philanthropic, humanitarian,
             free, liberal, altruistic, selfless, self-sacrificing:  We were
             all greatly impressed by her unselfish concern for the
             well-being of her colleagues.

   unsettled adj.  1 unfixed, unstable, changing, varying, variable,
             changeable, inconstant, ever-changing, protean, unpredictable,
             inconstant, uncertain:  The weather remained unsettled all week.
             They told me of their unsettled life as gypsies. 2 disturbed,
             turbulent, riled, agitated, disquieted, upset, perturbed,
             ruffled, rattled, flustered, restive, restless, unnerved, US
             roiled:  It was being kept in the dark about Father that made us
             feel unsettled.  3 disoriented, confused, mixed up, unorganized,
             disorganized, disorderly, disordered, tumultuous:  The unsettled
             situation in the east worried us.  4 See unresolved, above:
             Some questions about Ian remain unsettled.

   unsettling
             adj.  unnerving, upsetting, disturbing, perturbing,
             discomfiting, disconcerting:  Sorry for being a wet blanket, but
             I have had some unsettling news from home.

   unsightly adj.  ugly, hideous, awful-looking, horrible, frightful-looking,
             unattractive, unprepossessing, unlovely, unpretty, plain, US and
             Canadian homely:  The property borders an unsightly junk-yard.

   unsocial  adj.  unsociable, unfriendly, cool, cold, chilly, aloof,
             uncongenial, unamiable, unforthcoming, standoffish,
             inhospitable, withdrawn, reserved, solitary, retiring, distant,
             detached, reclusive, hermitic(al), eremitic(al), anchoritic or
             anchoretic; antisocial, misanthropic, hostile:  Erwin, who
             prefers to be alone, is definitely unsocial. Donna, who despises
             other people, is unsocial for different reasons.

   unsolicited
             adj.  unlooked-for, unsought, unsought after, unrequested,
             unasked for, uncalled-for, gratuitous, uninvited; Colloq US
             over-the-transom:  Tanya is always offering unsolicited advice
             on every conceivable subject. The publishers receive scores of
             unsolicited book manuscripts each week.

   unsophisticated
             adj.  1 na‹ve, inexperienced, simple, childlike, unworldly,
             innocent, ingenuous, artless, guileless:  Is the unsophisticated
             consumer sufficiently protected against unscrupulous traders? 2
             simple, plain, uncomplicated, undetailed, uninvolved, unrefined:
             The computers of twenty years ago were unsophisticated compared
             with those of today.

   unsound   adj.  1 weak, feeble, frail, rickety, shaky, ramshackle, infirm,
             unstable, wobbly, tottering, unsteady, broken-down, crumbling,
             disintegrating, dilapidated, defective, imperfect, faulty,
             decayed, rotten:  The building inspector condemned the structure
             as unsound and unsafe. 2 unhealthy, diseased, ill, afflicted, in
             poor health, ailing, sickly, sick, unwell, delicate, injured,
             wounded:  The attack of flu left him unsound in wind and limb.
             3 insane, mad, psychotic, unbalanced, unstable, demented,
             deranged:  The doctors said that she was still of unsound mind
             and ought not be released. 4 illogical, faulty, flawed,
             fallacious, untenable, invalid, groundless, unfounded,
             erroneous, defective, specious:  We thought that his arguments
             were unsound, so we rejected his recommendations.

   unspoiled adj.  unspoilt, unsullied, pristine, virgin, whole, untainted,
             unstained, immaculate, uncorrupted, unpolluted, spotless,
             stainless:  The house has been preserved in its original
             condition, unspoiled by modern additions.

   unstable  adj.  1 changeable, variable, unsteady, inconstant,
             inconsistent, insecure, capricious, fickle, irregular,
             unpredictable, unreliable, erratic, volatile, fluctuating,
             flighty, mercurial, vacillating, tergiversating, indecisive,
             undecided, irresolute, indefinite, unsettled:  He seems too
             unstable to maintain a long-standing relationship.  2 See
             unsound, 1, above.

   unsuccessful
             adj.  1 unfortunate, unavailing, vain, abortive, useless,
             bootless, fruitless, unfruitful, unproductive, ineffective,
             ineffectual, inefficacious, worthless, unprofitable, sterile:
             We made an unsuccessful attempt to regain control of the
             company.  2 unlucky, hapless, unfortunate, luckless, defeated,
             beaten, jinxed, cursed, foiled, frustrated, balked:  Trevor
             complained that he had been unsuccessful in business all his
             life.

   unsung    adj.  uncelebrated, unrecognized, unglorified, unexalted,
             unpraised, unhonoured, unnoticed, disregarded, unknown,
             anonymous, unidentified, nameless, obscure, insignificant,
             inconspicuous:  I have no wish to add to the long list of unsung
             authors of the twentieth century.

   unsuspecting
             adj.  unsuspicious, unwary, unknowing, ignorant, unconscious,
             gullible, credulous, na‹ve, ingenuous, innocent, trusting;
             unaware, off guard:  Martin became an unsuspecting dupe in
             Lambert's plot to embezzle money from the bank.

   unsympathetic
             adj.  uncaring, unconcerned, callous, unfeeling, unaffected,
             untouched, unmoved, indifferent, unemotional, dispassionate,
             uncompassionate, unreactive, unresponsive, impassive, stolid,
             cold, cool, aloof, unstirred, apathetic, insensitive, stoic(al),
             stony, adamant, stony-hearted, hard-hearted, unpitying,
             pitiless, ruthless:  We were unable to understand Taylor's
             unsympathetic attitude to the suffering around him.

   untamed   adj.  undomesticated, wild, unbroken, unsubdued, uncontrollable,
             savage, fierce, feral, ferocious:  In the story, the wolf boy
             behaves like an untamed beast.

   untarnished
             adj.  unsoiled, unsullied, immaculate, spotless, unspotted,
             untainted, faultless, uncorrupted, unfouled, chaste, lily-white,
             undefiled, virginal:  Despite the obloquy heaped on his
             colleagues, his own reputation remained untarnished.

   untenable adj.  insupportable or unsupportable, indefensible,
             unsustainable, unmaintainable, unjustified, unjustifiable,
             baseless, groundless, unfounded, flawed, faulty, weak,
             illogical, specious, implausible, unreasonable, unsound:  It is
             beyond me why he holds so tenaciously to such untenable views.

   unthinkable
             adj.  1 inconceivable, unbelievable, unimaginable, incredible,
             incomprehensible, beyond belief, extraordinary, Colloq
             mind-boggling, Slang mind-blowing:  It seemed unthinkable that
             such a mild-mannered man could have been a mass murderer. 2
             unacceptable, absurd, illogical, impossible, improbable,
             unlikely, out of the question, preposterous, ridiculous,
             laughable, ludicrous, Colloq not on:  It is simply unthinkable
             for her to go to the ball unattended.

   unthinking
             adj.  1 thoughtless, mindless, undiscriminating, unconsidered,
             unwitting, unreflecting, unthoughtful, irrational, unreasonable,
             illogical, unperceptive, unperceiving, undiscerning, witless,
             brainless, foolish, senseless, nonsensical, rash, stupid, silly,
             mad, crazy, insane, idiotic, moronic, imbecilic, hasty,
             short-sighted:  It was unthinking of me to ask her mother to go
             out to dinner with us. 2 inconsiderate, impolite, tactless,
             rude, thoughtless, undiplomatic, discourteous, uncivil,
             imprudent, unwise, indiscreet, neglectful:  On the other hand,
             it would have been unthinking of me not to ask her mother.

   untidy    adj.  disorderly, messy, dishevelled, unkempt, slovenly,
             slatternly, bedraggled, rumpled, frowzy, sloppy, dirty;
             littered, cluttered, chaotic, helter-skelter, jumbled, Archaic
             draggle-tailed, Colloq US mussy, mussed-up:  You should never go
             to the door looking so untidy. Ken's papers are always so
             untidy.

   untiring  adj.  unflagging, determined, indefatigable, dogged,
             persevering, perseverant, tireless, unwearying, unwearied,
             dogged, dedicated, unfailing, unfaltering, steady:  Kim has
             always been an untiring perfectionist.

   untold    adj.  1 countless, uncounted, uncountable, unnumbered,
             numberless, innumerable, myriad, incalculable; immeasurable,
             measureless, unlimited:  Untold millions are lost through tax
             fraud each year.  2 unrecounted, unnarrated, undescribed,
             unpublished, unrevealed, undisclosed, undivulged, unreported,
             private, hidden, secret:  How many untold stories are there in
             the naked city?  3 inexpressible, unutterable, indescribable,
             unimaginable, inconceivable, unthinkable, unspeakable:  The
             untold agony that man went through because of his family's
             illnesses!

   untoward  adj.  1 adverse, unfavourable, unpropitious, discouraging,
             inopportune, unpromising, bleak, inauspicious, bad, unfortunate:
             The rainstorm created untoward conditions, causing the river to
             rise dangerously. 2 unbecoming, unfitting, awkward,
             inappropriate, unapt, unsuitable, improper, impolite, rude,
             boorish, ungentlemanly, unladylike, indecorous, indelicate,
             unwarranted, uncalled-for, unrefined, unseemly, unwise,
             imprudent, undiplomatic, tactless, untactful, ill-conceived,
             silly, foolish, stupid, ill-timed, vexatious, vexing,
             irritating, annoying:  Charles made some untoward remark about
             the size of Sandra's feet.

   untried   adj.  untested, unproved or unproven, new:  He may be good at
             homes, but he is as yet untried as the designer of a library.

   untrue    adj.  1 unfaithful, faithless, disloyal, fickle, capricious,
             undependable, unreliable, dishonourable, untrustworthy, false,
             hypocritical, dishonest, insincere, two-faced, duplicitous,
             devious, deceitful, treacherous, perfidious:  Only when I saw
             her with Henry did I realize that Pauline had been untrue to me.
             2 wrong, false, inaccurate, incorrect, erroneous, misleading,
             mistaken, distorted:  What you said about Pauline was simply
             untrue.  3 inexact, non-standard, substandard, imprecise,
             imperfect:  How unfortunate for legend had William Tell's aim
             been untrue!

   unused    adj.  1 (brand) new, untouched, pristine, original, intact,
             fresh, firsthand:  He sold me his unused computer for half what
             it cost.  2 disused, abandoned, derelict, neglected, given up:
             We hid in an old unused factory building.  3 unconsumed,
             leftover, remaining, left:  If dissatisfied with this product,
             return the unused portion for a full refund. 4 unused to.
             unaccustomed to, unfamiliar with, inexperienced in or at,
             amateurish at, unpractised in or at, uninitiated in:  I am quite
             unused to doing that sort of thing.

   unusual   adj.  uncommon, exceptional, atypical, untypical, different,
             unexpected, singular, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, odd,
             peculiar, curious, bizarre, strange, queer, remarkable, unique,
             freakish, unprecedented, unconventional, unorthodox, Slang
             off-the-wall:  It takes an unusual person to be as charitable as
             Jean. Don't you agree that an egg-laying mammal is a bit
             unusual?

   unvarnished
             adj.  plain, simple, pure, unembellished, straightforward,
             straight, direct, honest, unelaborated, naked, stark, sincere,
             frank, candid, outspoken:  My dear, let me tell you the
             unvarnished truth about Marnie and Jim.

   unveil    v.  reveal, expose, uncover, lay bare or open, bare, bring to
             light:  They will unveil a rival bid at tomorrow's meeting. Only
             after William died did Cynthia unveil the truth about his double
             life.

   unwarranted
             adj.  uncalled-for, unasked, unasked for, unjustified,
             indefensible, unjust, unfair, unconscionable, unworthy,
             improper, inexcusable, gratuitous, unmerited, undeserved,
             unprovoked, outrageous, excessive, unreasonable, unrestrained,
             intemperate, untempered, immoderate, undue, unnecessary:  The
             police were accused of unwarranted use of force in ejecting the
             rowdies from the pub.

   unwary    adj.  heedless, careless, hasty, incautious, unguarded,
             imprudent, rash, foolhardy, reckless, thoughtless, indiscreet,
             unthinking, mindless, unwise:  Many perils await the unwary
             traveller. It was unwary of you not to lock the doors and
             windows.

   unwashed  adj.  1 dirty, uncleaned, unclean, uncleansed:  Separate your
             personal things from the unwashed laundry in the hamper.

             --n.  2 the (great) unwashed.  Derogatory the rabble, the
             masses, the mob, the plebs, people (at large or in general), the
             population, the populace, the man or woman in the street, Mr (&
             Mrs) Average, the working class(es), most people, the (silent)
             majority, US John Q. Public:  The effort to sell expensive
             brandy to the great unwashed failed miserably.

   unwelcome adj.  1 uninvited, unsought for, unwished for, undesired,
             undesirable, displeasing, unpleasing, distasteful, unpleasant:
             My day was further ruined by the unwelcome arrival of all those
             bills. 2 unwanted, rejected, unaccepted, excluded; persona non
             grata, anathema:  Following that episode, Curshaw was made to
             feel unwelcome at the club.

   unwholesome
             adj.  1 unhealthy, unhealthful, detrimental, deleterious,
             pernicious, insalubrious, unhygienic, insalutary, harmful,
             noxious, toxic, injurious, destructive:  Fernthwaite finally
             succumbed to the unwholesome climate and had to be sent home. 2
             corrupt, immoral, bad, wicked, evil, sinful, perverted;
             demoralizing, depraved, degrading, corrupting, perverting:  The
             social worker said it was wrong for a child to be raised in such
             an unwholesome atmosphere. 3 ill, ailing, sickly, sick, pale,
             wan, anaemic, pallid, pasty:  Their unwholesome complexion comes
             from malnutrition.

   unwieldy  adj.  awkward, clumsy, bulky, oversized, cumbersome, ungainly,
             unmanageable, unhandy, unmanoeuvrable:  The huge oil tankers,
             though economical, often proved unwieldy in the ports they
             visited.

   unwonted  adj.  infrequent, unusual, uncustomary, uncommon, unfamiliar,
             unprecedented, rare, singular, atypical, abnormal, peculiar,
             odd, strange, irregular, unconventional, unorthodox:  All this
             unwonted physical exercise made them exhausted by evening.

   unworthy  adj.  1 unequal, meritless, unmerited, substandard, inferior,
             second-rate, menial, puny, petty, paltry, unprofessional,
             mediocre, despicable, contemptible, dishonourable, ignoble,
             disreputable, discreditable, unqualified, ineligible, unfit,
             undeserving:  I consider Patrick an unworthy opponent.  2
             unworthy of. unbecoming to, inappropriate to, unsuitable for,
             unfit for, out of character for, inconsistent with or for, out
             of place with or for, incongruous with or for:  That sort of
             petty haggling is unworthy of your position and of you.

21.5 upbeat...
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   upbeat    adj.  positive, optimistic, sanguine, favourable, cheerful,
             encouraging, heartening, buoyant, light-hearted:  Christopher
             has a very upbeat attitude towards life despite his age.

   upbraid   v.  scold, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, berate, castigate,
             chastise, reprove, chide, censure, take to task, Colloq tell
             off, tick off, dress down, give a dressing-down, give (someone)
             a piece of (one's) mind, tell (someone) a thing or two, rake
             (someone) over the coals, jump on or all over, bawl out, US chew
             out:  The boys were soundly upbraided for going near the railway
             tracks.

   upbringing
             n.  rearing, raising, training, education, cultivation, nurture,
             breeding:  The way one behaves through life is really a matter
             of upbringing.

   upheaval  n.  upset, unrest, commotion, change, cataclysm, disruption,
             disturbance, disorder, confusion, chaos, furore, or US furor:
             Those were times of drastic political upheaval in Asia.

   uphold    v.  support, maintain, sustain, preserve, hold up, defend,
             protect, advocate, promote, espouse, embrace, endorse, back,
             champion, stand by:  All demagogues claim to uphold democratic
             principles.

   upkeep    n.  1 maintenance, repair, support, sustenance, preservation,
             conservation, subsistence, running, operation:  The upkeep of
             the infrastructure came to ten per cent of the annual budget
             last year. 2 (operating) costs, (running) expenses, outlay,
             expenditure, Brit overheads, oncosts, US overhead:  Have you
             included upkeep in the annual expenses?

   upper     adj.  1 higher (up), loftier, topmost, more elevated, uppermost:
             Air is less dense in the upper parts of the atmosphere. Our flat
             is on an upper floor. Her best notes are sung in the upper
             register. 2 higher, upland, more elevated; (more) northerly,
             northern:  We visited the cataracts on the upper reaches of the
             Nile. We spent the holiday in upper Canada. 3 later, more
             recent:  These strata were laid down in the Upper Cretaceous
             period.  4 upper case. capital letter(s), capital(s), majuscule
             (letters or characters):  The heading ought to be in upper case.
             5 upper crust. upper class, ‚lite, aristocrats, nobles, blue
             bloods, wealthy, US Four Hundred:  Gregory thinks of himself as
             a member of the upper crust and won't associate with us. 6 upper
             hand. advantage, control, authority, power, sway, superiority,
             supremacy, command, dominance, ascendancy, Colloq edge:  Purvis
             kowtows to whoever has the upper hand.

             --n.  7 on (one's) uppers. poor, indigent, destitute,
             poverty-stricken, Colloq broke:  Stanley has been on his uppers
             since losing his job.

   upper-class
             adj.  1 ‚lite, aristocratic, blue-blooded, well-born, noble,
             high-born, patrician, Colloq upper crust:  Eunice comes from an
             upper-class Irish family.  2 high-class, elegant, fancy,
             luxurious, first-rate, de luxe, royal, regal, sumptuous, Colloq
             swank(y), ritzy, posh:  I'll have you know that we stayed only
             in upper-class hotels on our tour.

   uppermost adj.  1 highest, topmost, loftiest, highest, top:  These curious
             animals live in the uppermost branches of the trees.  2
             foremost, first, most important or prominent or influential or
             telling, principal, paramount, pre-eminent, predominant:
             Uppermost in my mind is the safety of the children.

   uppish    adj.  affected, putting on airs, snobbish, conceited,
             overweening, self-important, Colloq uppity, snooty, high and
             mighty, hoity-toity, highfalutin or hifalutin, stuck-up, on
             (one's) high horse, Slang snotty, Brit toffee-nosed:  Even if
             she is in charge she doesn't have to be so uppish.

   upright   adj.  1 erect, perpendicular, vertical, on end, straight up and
             down, plumb, stand-up, standing up, Brit upstanding:  Few
             upright columns of the Greek temple remained.  2 moral,
             principled, high-minded, ethical, virtuous, upstanding,
             straight, righteous, straightforward, honourable, honest, just,
             trustworthy, unimpeachable, uncorrupt(ed), incorruptible,
             decent, good:  David had long been an upright member of the
             church council.

             --n.  3 post, pole, column, vertical, perpendicular:  We need
             another upright to support the floor over here.

             --adv.  4 perpendicularly, vertically, upward(s), straight up
             (and down):  The javelin was sticking upright out of the ground.
             5 right side up:  Miraculously, the platter with the roast on it
             landed upright on the floor.

   uprising  n.  rebellion, revolt, mutiny, revolution, insurrection, rising,
             putsch, coup (d'‚tat):  The government quelled the uprising with
             water cannons and tear gas.

   uproar    n.  clamour, hubbub, disturbance, commotion, hullabaloo,
             brouhaha, din, racket, pandemonium, tumult, turmoil, pother,
             outcry, outburst, bedlam, agitation, frenzy, broil, rumpus,
             fuss; affray, fracas, brawl; Colloq hoo-ha, to-do, US hoop-la,
             Brit kerfuffle or carfuffle or kurfuffle:  The announcement of
             the new taxes caused a nation-wide uproar.

   uproarious
             adj.  1 clamorous, noisy, deafening, tumultuous, turbulent,
             tempestuous, excited, frenzied, rowdy, riotous, disorderly,
             wild:  We had an uproarious party on New Year's Eve.  2
             hilarious, hysterical, (screamingly) funny, side-splitting,
             Colloq too funny for words, killing:  Leslie told his uproarious
             story about Colonel Cholmondley and the tiger.

   uproot    v.  1 transfer, transplant, move, displace; exile, banish:
             Finney has been uprooted five times in his career with the firm.
             2 deracinate, extirpate, root out, dig out, pluck out, tear out;
             destroy, demolish, ruin, eradicate, annihilate, kill, ruin,
             devastate, ravage:  Thousands of trees were uprooted by the
             hurricane.

   upset     v.  1 disturb, agitate, distress, unsettle, put off, put out,
             perturb, disquiet, fluster, ruffle, frighten, scare, disconcert,
             dismay, trouble, worry, bother, discompose, make (someone)
             nervous:  We once had a nanny who told the children horror
             stories just to upset them. 2 overturn, capsize, topple, up-end,
             tip over, knock over or down, invert, turn topsy-turvy or upside
             down, spill:  That is the third time this week you have upset
             the cream jug.  3 disturb, derange, disrupt, disarrange, mess
             up, disorganize, snarl up, jumble, muddle, Colloq Brit kerfuffle
             or carfuffle or kurfuffle:  The boys upset the entire house with
             their horseplay.  4 overthrow, defeat, beat, worst, thrash,
             rout, conquer, overcome, win out over, get the better of, get or
             gain the advantage over, triumph over, be victorious over,
             vanquish:  The question is whether the challenger will upset the
             champion in the Wimbledon finals. 5 defeat, ruin, spoil, thwart,
             interfere with, destroy, demolish, mess up, disturb, Colloq
             throw a Brit spanner in(to) or US monkey wrench into (the
             works), US discombobulate, Slang screw up, gum up, put the
             kibosh on, Taboo slang fuck up , Brit bugger up:  Your coming
             early upset my plan to shampoo my hair.

             --adj.  6 capsized, overturned, upside down, bottom side up,
             inverted, reversed, toppled, tipped over, topsy-turvy:  We clung
             to the bottom of the upset boat till help arrived.  7 sick,
             queasy:  Eve has an upset stomach and cannot go.  8 perturbed,
             disturbed, disquieted, disconcerted, agitated, distressed,
             worried, troubled, unnerved, distracted, apprehensive, nervous,
             frightened, scared, afraid:  We found Valdimir in a terribly
             upset state at Natasha's disappearance.  9 disordered, confused,
             disorganized, messed-up, jumbled, muddled, disturbed,
             disarranged:  The house is never so upset as after a party.  10
             angry, irate, furious, beside oneself, mad, Colloq fit to be
             tied, Slang freaked out:  Father was upset because I took the
             car without his permission.

             --n.  11 defeat, upsetting, conquest, overthrow, rout,
             thrashing, triumph, victory:  We celebrated the upset of Queen's
             Park Rangers by Manchester United. 12 surprise, unexpected event
             or occurrence:  The upset of the season was when Carridoff won
             the Derby.

   upshot    n.  result, end (result), outcome, ending, conclusion,
             termination, effect, after-effect, fallout, wake, backwash,
             repercussion, after-clap, feedback, resolution, culmination,
             denouement or d‚nouement, issue, Colloq pay-off, US wrap-up:
             The upshot of the nasty business was that Bowles was sent to
             prison for life.

   upstart   n.  parvenu(e), arriviste, nouveau riche, (social) climber,
             status-seeker, pretender, nobody:  That upstart husband of
             Dora's tried to get me to invest in some scheme of his.

   uptake    n.  comprehension, understanding, apprehension, grasp,
             perception, insight, perspicaciousness, perspicacity,
             perceptiveness, sensitivity:  Billie was very quick on the
             uptake, and knew immediately what the man was after.

21.6 urge...
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   urge      v.  1 press, push, drive, force, impel, speed, accelerate,
             hurry, rush, hustle, move, goad, prod, egg on, spur:  He urged
             his steed onward.  2 press, goad, prod, egg on, spur, prompt,
             induce, incite, constrain, exhort, encourage, demand, request,
             ask, plead (with), beseech, beg, entreat, importune:  We've been
             urging the police for months to investigate the goings-on at
             that house. 3 coax, persuade, induce, prevail upon, campaign
             (with), sway, influence, talk into, advise, suggest, counsel:
             The agents urged them to sell their house while the market was
             good. 4 argue, set forth, affirm, state, allege, assert, hold,
             advise, advocate, demand:  The residents urged that the planning
             board should deny permission for a supermarket.

             --n.  5 pressure, impetus, desire, compulsion, impulse, itch,
             longing, yearning, drive, fancy, hunger, thirst, craving, Colloq
             yen:  We stopped because Corey felt the urge to have some
             ice-cream.

   urgency   n.  imperativeness, pressure, stress, extremity, importance,
             seriousness, importunity, necessity, need, insistence, exigency,
             emergency:  She was told to ring back as a matter of some
             urgency.

   urgent    adj.  1 immediate, instant, imperative, pressing, compelling,
             vital, life-and-death or life-or-death, important, serious,
             necessary, exigent, rush, emergency, pressing, high-priority:
             There was an urgent need to do something at once, so she
             screamed.  2 supplicative, begging, solicitous, earnest,
             importunate, insistent, loud, clamorous, active, energetic,
             pertinacious, tenacious, forceful, firm:  Both parties were
             urgent in pressing for tax reform.

   urinate   v.  pass or make water, Technical micturate; Babytalk (make a)
             wee, (go) wee-wee, (have a or US also take a) pee, (make)
             pee-pee, do number one, tinkle, piddle; Euphemistic go to the
             men's or ladies' (room), go to the 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, go to the loo, Slang (take or have a) piss, Brit have a
             or go for a slash:  One symptom of cystitis is pain when
             urinating.

21.7 usage...
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   usage     n.  1 use, custom, habit, practice, routine, convention, form,
             tradition:  British usage reflects decreasing use of the
             subjunctive mood.  2 treatment, use, management, handling,
             operation, manipulation:  It would appear that the car has been
             subjected to some rough usage.

   use       v.  1 employ, make use of, put into practice or operation,
             practise, utilize, exercise, bring into play, have recourse to,
             resort to, put or press into service, put to use, avail
             (oneself) of; say, utter, speak:  If you use a hammer you might
             damage the surface. Why do you have to use bad language? 2
             capitalize on, turn to account, profit by or from, exploit,
             utilize, make use of, take advantage of, manipulate, manoeuvre,
             handle, abuse, misuse, play, work:  She used her smile to lure
             men on. Dorothy never forgave Conrad for the way he used her and
             her contacts to get his job. 3 consume, eat, drink, smoke, take,
             partake of, ingest, inject, Slang shoot (up):  He has never used
             a habit-forming substance.  4 consume, buy, purchase, employ,
             utilize:  Which kind of detergent do you use?  5 use up.
             consume, exhaust, expend, run through, run out of, deplete;
             waste, squander, fritter away, pour down the drain, throw away:
             He used up all the toothpaste. She used up her entire
             inheritance gambling.

             --n.  6 usage, application, employment, utilization; using:  The
             use of unleaded fuel is recommended.  7 function, utility,
             application; advantage, benefit, good, service, interest,
             profit, avail:  What's the use of a radio that doesn't work?  8
             wear (and tear), utilization, treatment, usage, handling:  Long
             use has worn the workbench smooth.  9 usability, usefulness,
             utility, utilization, usage, function, functioning, service(s),
             serviceability, power:  He lost the use of his right arm in an
             accident at work.  10 licence, permission, permit, privilege:
             We paid a high fee for the use of this parking space.  11
             consumption, purchases, buying, acquisition:  The use of
             cigarettes has diminished in the last decade.  12 advantage,
             purpose, point, end, object, reason, basis, ground:  I have
             tried to help him overcome his habit, but what's the use?  Many
             are the uses of adversity. 13 demand, need, necessity, urgency,
             exigency:  The world has as much use for art as for engineering.
             14 See usage, 1, above.  15 have no use for. execrate, detest,
             abhor, hate, despise, scorn, contemn, spurn, reject, dislike:
             We have no use for cowards in this regiment.

   used      adj.  1 second-hand, cast-off, old, worn, Euphemistic pre-owned,
             Colloq hand-me-down, Brit reach-me-down:  You're better off
             buying a good used car, since new ones depreciate so quickly. 2
             utilized, employed, occupied; in use:  We slept in a rarely used
             room.  3 used to. accustomed to, habituated to, acclimatized or
             acclimated to, adapted to, hardened or toughened or inured to or
             against, tempered to, tolerant of; familiar or acquainted with:
             After all those years, Amanda was used to Bill's shouting.

   useful    adj.  utilitarian, functional, serviceable, practical, usable,
             of use, beneficial, salutary, advantageous, expedient,
             profitable, valuable, gainful, helpful, fruitful, productive,
             effective, worthwhile:  Does this knob serve any useful purpose?
             We had some very useful conversations with the bank manager.

   usefulness
             n.  utility, applicability, practicability, purpose,
             purposefulness, point, practicality, benefit, advantage,
             expediency, profit, profitability, value, gain, help,
             fruitfulness, effectiveness, worth:  I never could see the
             usefulness of all the forms one has to fill in.

   useless   adj.  1 ineffective, ineffectual, unserviceable, impractical,
             impracticable, unpractical, unavailing, vain, pointless,
             purposeless, idle, futile, unproductive, unsuccessful, impotent,
             effete, sterile, barren, abortive, unusable, bootless,
             worthless, Rare inutile:  The treatment that she tried was quite
             useless.  2 inefficient, incompetent, unproductive, ineffectual,
             ineffective, hopeless, inept:  My dachshund has proved totally
             useless as a watchdog.

   user      n.  1 consumer, buyer, purchaser, owner; operator:  Users of the
             equipment report excellent results.  2 alcohol or drug or
             narcotic addict:  The police have been interviewing users in
             order to obtain more information about the dealers.

   user-friendly
             adj.  simple, practicable, usable, explicit, accommodating,
             understandable:  The system is designed to be particularly
             user-friendly.

   usual     adj.  same, customary, habitual, accustomed, familiar,
             well-known, common, everyday, established, traditional, set,
             time-honoured, old, conventional, workaday, stock, wonted,
             regular, ordinary, normal, expected, routine, typical,
             run-of-the-mill, stereotypic(al), hackneyed, trite, prosaic,
             worn out, shop-worn, predictable, unexceptional, unoriginal,
             unremarkable, unimaginative:  The usual answer I get is 'Why?' I
             missed my usual train this morning. They still sing the usual
             drinking songs.

   usually   adv.  customarily, as a rule, generally (speaking), most of the
             time, for the most part, most often, mostly, almost always,
             inveterately, on the whole, normally, commonly, regularly,
             predominantly, chiefly, all things considered, in the main,
             mainly, by and large, as usual, Colloq as per usual:  I usually
             walk home from the office. Johnson usually interviews applicants
             in the morning.

21.8 Utopia...
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   Utopia    n.  paradise, heaven, seventh heaven, (Garden of) Eden, bliss,
             cloud-cuckoo-land, Nephelococcygia, never-never land,
             Shangri-La, Cockaigne or Cockayne, heaven on earth, perfection:
             He dreams about a Utopia where everyone is rich and there are no
             taxes.

   utterly   adv.  completely, perfectly, absolutely, thoroughly, fully,
             entirely, wholly, unreservedly, totally, unqualifiedly,
             out-and-out, altogether, overwhelmingly, unequivocally,
             categorically, definitely, properly; extremely, Brit dialect
             proper; (with) no holds barred, body and soul, head over heels:
             The proposal was utterly defeated in the Commons. That was an
             utterly foolish act. She gave herself to him utterly.

22.0 V
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22.1 vacancy...
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   vacancy   n.  1 emptiness, void, gap, lacuna, hiatus, blank, deficiency,
             opening, breach, vacuum:  Only after she left did Hubert sense
             the vacancy in his life.  2 (job) opening, slot, position, post,
             situation:  Her promotion created a vacancy in the personnel
             department.  3 blankness, emptiness, vacuity, absent-mindedness,
             inanity, vacuousness, incomprehension, fatuity, unawareness:  I
             knew by the vacancy of his look that he hadn't any idea of what
             I was talking about.

   vacant    adj.  1 empty, void, hollow, unoccupied, untenanted,
             uninhabited, abandoned, deserted:  The house remained vacant all
             summer.  2 blank, expressionless, deadpan, empty, vacuous, dull,
             absent-minded, inane, uncomprehending, fatuous, unaware:  After
             the accident, she would just sit, for hours on end, with a
             vacant look on her face. 3 unoccupied, free, unused, unutilized,
             spare, extra, idle, unfilled, unengaged, unspoken for:  The
             doctor has a vacant hour tomorrow at ten and could see you then.

   vacate    v.  1 leave, depart (from), withdraw from, quit, evacuate, get
             or go out of; desert, abandon:  In a fire drill, employees must
             vacate the building in five minutes.  2 give up, relinquish,
             sacrifice, renounce, let go, resign, abdicate, cede, give up
             right or claim to, abandon:  We vacated all claims to my aunt's
             property.  3 annul, declare null and void, nullify, void,
             repudiate, override, overrule, rescind, revoke, recall, quash,
             set aside, invalidate:  The judge vacated the defendant's plea
             of diminished capacity.

   vade-mecum
             n.  handbook, manual, ready reference, book, guide:  She always
             had with her a vade-mecum on rare poisons.

   vagabond  n.  1 gypsy, tramp, vagrant, wayfarer, rover, wanderer,
             itinerant, migrant, bird of passage, rolling stone, beachcomber,
             derelict, Chiefly US and Canadian hobo, Australian swagman,
             Colloq US bum, Slang US bindle-stiff:  The police interviewed
             every vagabond they could find for a clue to the murder.

             --adj.  2 vagrant, wayfaring, roving, wandering, itinerant,
             migrant, derelict, nomadic, gypsy, rambling, roaming, drifting,
             peripatetic, transient, peregrinating:  When will he give up his
             vagabond ways and settle down?

   vague     adj.  1 indefinite, indistinct, imprecise, inexact, unclear,
             confused, unspecified or non-specified, general, generalized,
             unspecific or non-specific, inexplicit or unexplicit,
             ill-defined, hazy, fuzzy, ambiguous, obscure, amorphous;
             shapeless, blurred, blurry, filmy, dim, shadowy, veiled, bleary,
             foggy, misty, cloudy, clouded, hardly or barely distinguishable
             or discernible:  I have only a vague recollection of our having
             met. She must have had a vague idea of your intentions. Leon
             could almost make out the vague shape of an approaching figure.
             2 undetermined, indeterminate, unfixed, indefinite, inexact,
             unspecified or non-specified, unspecific or non-specific,
             ambiguous, doubtful, in doubt, uncertain, equivocal, ambiguous:
             For security reasons, her time of arrival was left vague.  3
             veiled, concealed, hidden, shrouded, obscure, ill-defined,
             unspecific or non-specific, inexplicit or unexplicit, ambiguous:
             There had been a vague threat of kidnapping, which should not
             have been ignored. 4 subliminal, subconscious, indefinable,
             unexplained:  I had a vague sensation of being followed.  5
             indefinite, ambiguous, wishy-washy, undecided, indecisive,
             irresolute, vacillating, wavering, inconstant, unsettled,
             uncertain, nebulous, up in the air:  Leonore is vague about her
             plans to run for re-election.  6 vacant, empty, blank,
             expressionless, empty, vacuous, dull; puzzled:  By their vague
             expressions I could see they hadn't understood a word.

   vaguely   adv.  1 distantly, remotely, indefinitely, dimly, subliminally,
             subconsciously, inexplicably:  I became vaguely aware of another
             presence in the room.  2 ambiguously, imprecisely, inexactly,
             unclearly, confusedly, confusingly, hazily, fuzzily, nebulously,
             obscurely:  Kenston claims that he expresses his theories
             vaguely to allow for broad interpretation. 3 idly, vacantly,
             detachedly, absent-mindedly, dreamily, absently, distractedly:
             Manton listened only vaguely to the judge's words.

   vain      adj.  1 proud, conceited, haughty, arrogant, boastful,
             egotistical, cocky, self-important, vainglorious, narcissistic,
             Colloq big-headed, swell-headed, stuck-up, swollen-headed:  They
             are so vain that they have mirrors in every room.  2 worthless,
             profitless, bootless, pointless, unsuccessful, empty, futile,
             useless, unavailing, unproductive, fruitless, ineffective,
             abortive:  Peter sent Carol flowers every day in a vain attempt
             to win her back. 3 in vain.  a vainly, futilely, unsuccessfully,
             fruitlessly, bootlessly:  In vain, we sought the help of the
             police.  b irreverently, blasphemously, disrespectfully,
             improperly:  Despite his mother's admonitions, he continues to
             take the Lord's name in vain.

   valley    n.  glen, dale, dell, vale, dingle, hollow, coomb or coombe or
             combe or comb, No. Brit and Welsh cirque or corrie or cwm, Scots
             strath:  Oh, to stroll once again the cool valleys and the
             heathered hills of home!

   vanity    n.  1 conceit, conceitedness, egotism, narcissism, arrogance,
             cockiness, self-importance, vainglory, haughtiness, pride,
             self-admiration, self-worship, Colloq swell-headedness,
             big-headedness:  It is disgraceful what some people do to
             satisfy their vanity.  2 vainness, emptiness, hollowness,
             worthlessness, futility, unreality, bootlessness, pointlessness,
             uselessness, folly, vapidity, silliness, vacuousness, vacuity,
             foolishness, fatuity, frivolousness:  The vanity of trying to
             complete the book in a year must be obvious by now.

   vapid     adj.  insipid, flavourless, tasteless, bland, watery, watered
             down, wishy-washy, jejune, colourless, unpalatable, flat, tame,
             lifeless, boring, tedious, tiresome, uninteresting, trite,
             wearisome, wearying, humdrum, Colloq blah, ho-hum:  The minister
             attacked green politics as vapid romanticism.

   vapour    n.  1 mist, fog, steam, cloud, smoke, smog, exhalation:  There
             arose from the bog a suffocating, miasmic vapour.  2 the
             vapours. morbidity, hypochondria, hysteria, nervousness,
             depression, rheuminess, Archaic distemper, Colloq the pip:
             Charlotte suffered an attack of the vapours and retired to her
             room.

   variable  adj.  changeable, protean, changing, inconstant, varying,
             wavering, mercurial, fickle, capricious, unsteady, unfixed,
             unstable, uncertain, undependable, unpredictable, fluctuating,
             vacillating, mutable, chameleonic, chameleon-like:  The weather
             can be quite variable depending on the season.

   variance  n.  1 variation, difference, disparity, discrepancy,
             disagreement, deviation, inconsistency, divergence, incongruity:
             The monitor takes account of minute variance in blood pressure.
             2 disagreement, misunderstanding, discord, difference (of
             opinion), dissension, contention, dispute, dissent, controversy,
             quarrel, conflict, argument, debate, lack of harmony, falling
             out, schism, rift:  There has never been any variance between us
             about the disciplining of the children. 3 at variance. in
             dispute, in disagreement, quarrelling, in contention, in
             conflict:  The workforce was at variance with management in the
             matter of day care.

   variant   n.  1 alternative, modification, variation:  'Labor' is an
             American spelling variant of 'labour'.

             --adj.  2 varying, variable, changing, altering, unstable,
             deviant, deviating, different, differing; separate, distinct:
             It is claimed that the law is given variant interpretations
             depending on the social standing of the suspect.

   variation n.  1 change, changing, alteration, altering, variety, varying,
             modification, modifying, difference, differing, diversification,
             diversity, diversifying, modulation, modulating, conversion,
             converting, permutation, permuting:  We have to allow for
             variation in the intensity of the light.  2 variety, choice,
             novelty, diversity, departure (from the norm or usual), change
             of pace, divergence, variegation, deviation (from the norm):
             This restaurant offers considerable variation in its menu.

   varied    adj.  1 diverse, diversified, mixed, miscellaneous, assorted,
             heterogeneous:  An insufficiently varied diet may lead to
             malnutrition.  2 See various, below 3 See variegated, below.

   variegated
             adj.  multicolour(ed), particolour(ed), varicoloured,
             many-coloured, motley, pied, piebald, brindled, mottled,
             polychrome, polychromatic; nacreous, changeant, opalescent,
             opaline:  Plants with variegated foliage always add interest to
             a garden.

   variety   n.  1 diversity, diversification, multifariousness,
             multiplicity, number, range, assortment, medley, mixture, mix,
             miscellany, heterogeneity, choice, selection, collection:  Don't
             you find that the variety of foods in supermarkets today is
             astonishing? There was certainly a wide variety of people at
             their party. 2 difference, heterogeneity, discrepancy,
             diversity, disparity, variation, contrast:  The flora and fauna
             of Australia display great variety.  3 sort, brand, make, mark,
             kind, class, category, breed, type, order, genre, species,
             genus, classification, strain:  Which variety of washing powder
             do you prefer? Rex cultivated only the rarest varieties of
             orchid.

   various   adj.  1 different, a number of, a variety of, diversified,
             diverse, several, many, numerous, sundry, heterogeneous,
             miscellaneous, Literary divers:  We are considering various
             offers for the painting. Catherine held various executive
             positions in the company. 2 different, distinct, individual:
             There are various ways of looking at the problem.

   vary      v.  1 change, alter, diversify, transform, reshape, remodel,
             restyle, modify, reorganize:  We vary the programme each month
             to make it more interesting.  2 change, switch, alternate,
             fluctuate, vacillate:  The manager's attitude varies from
             helpful to downright rude.  3 depart, deviate, differ, diverge,
             shift, veer:  These results do not vary from the average by more
             than five per cent.

   vast      adj.  infinite, unlimited, boundless, limitless, unbounded,
             interminable, endless, never-ending, inexhaustible,
             indeterminate, immeasurable, incalculable, measureless; immense,
             enormous, huge, tremendous, great, prodigious, stupendous,
             gigantic, massive, voluminous, capacious, colossal, monumental,
             mammoth, jumbo, elephantine, behemoth, Cyclopean,
             Brobdingnagian, titanic, Literary vasty, Colloq ginormous,
             humongous:  It is difficult to comprehend the vast distances of
             space. There is a vast difference between the climates of
             California and the Midwest.

   vastly    adv.  immensely, greatly, hugely, enormously, considerably,
             substantially, (almost) entirely, infinitely, exceedingly,
             extremely, very much, Colloq worlds:  Their new house was vastly
             different from the way I had pictured it. Katy looks vastly
             better since she lost two stone.

22.2 vehicle...
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   vehicle   n.  1 conveyance:  The police report that two vehicles were
             damaged in the crash.  2 means, channel, mechanism, carrier,
             conduit, agency, instrument:  Water is the vehicle used in many
             sprays.

   veil      n.  1 covering, cover, screen, camouflage, cloak, curtain, mask,
             shroud:  A veil of silence has been drawn over the meetings. He
             stole away under the veil of darkness.

             --v.  2 cover, conceal, hide, camouflage, cloak, mask, disguise,
             shroud, shield, obscure:  The writer's identity was veiled from
             us till recently.

   veiled    adj.  concealed, hidden, masked, obscure, unrevealed, covert,
             disguised, secret, sub rosa, subtle:  There seemed to be a
             veiled threat in the way he said goodbye.

   vein      n.  1 blood-vessel; nervure:  He killed himself by opening a
             vein in his wrist.  2 streak, seam, stripe, striation, stria,
             thread, line:  The reddish vein gives this marble a warm
             feeling.  3 seam, lode, stratum, course, deposit, bed:  The
             prospector discovered a vein of almost pure gold in the old
             mine. 4 thread, hint, suggestion, touch, trace, streak, line,
             strain, mood, spirit, tone, note, tenor, feeling, attitude,
             disposition, humour, temper; tendency or inclination or
             proclivity toward(s):  Underlying her apparent kindness is a
             vein of bitter hatred.  5 way, manner, course, fashion, style,
             mode, pattern:  He would have continued in that same vein if the
             chairman hadn't stopped him.

   velocity  n.  speed, swiftness, rapidity, fleetness, quickness, briskness,
             alacrity, celerity, pace, rate of speed, miles per hour, m.p.h.,
             kilometres per hour, km/hr:  Our velocity slowed as we neared
             the outer atmosphere.

   venal     adj.  corrupt, corruptible, bribable or bribeable, buyable,
             purchasable, mercenary, unprincipled, dishonourable, rapacious,
             avaricious, greedy, simoniacal, Colloq crooked, Slang bent:  All
             we had to do was to find a venal official, cross his palm with
             silver, and they would release our son.

   vendetta  n.  (blood) feud, quarrel, dispute, conflict, rivalry, enmity,
             bitterness, hatred, ill will, bad blood:  Fifty years after
             leaving Palermo, the vendetta between their families still
             persisted.

   veneer    n.  gloss, fa‡ade, finish, pretence, (false) front, (outward)
             show or display, appearance, mask, guise, aspect, superficies:
             Beneath that veneer of elegance and refinement lie the heart and
             soul of a monstrous criminal.

   venerable adj.  respectable, honourable, estimable, respected, honoured,
             esteemed, august, sedate, impressive, revered, reverenced,
             worshipped:  Venerable old military men were called on for
             advice.

   venerate  v.  respect, honour, esteem, revere, reverence, worship, hallow,
             adore, admire, look up to:  Schweitzer was widely venerated for
             his charitable works.

   veneration
             n.  respect, honour, esteem, reverence, deference, homage,
             devotion, worship, admiration, adoration, idolization, awe:
             Their veneration for their hero turned to contempt when his past
             was revealed.

   venereal  adj.  sexual; genital; social, sexually transmitted, gonorrhoeal
             or gonorrhoeic, syphilitic:  Reports indicate that venereal
             disease has been on the decline since the advent of AIDS.

   vengeance n.  1 revenge, retaliation, retribution, requital, reprisal:
             Her vengeance for what he had done was to disinherit him.  2
             with a vengeance.  a violently, fiercely, ferociously, wildly,
             vehemently, furiously, forcefully:  The wind blew with a
             vengeance all night.  b energetically, to the fullest extent, to
             the utmost or the fullest or the limit, (with) no holds barred,
             enthusiastically, wholeheartedly:  Give Richard a job to do and
             he goes at with a vengeance.

   venial    adj.  forgivable, excusable, pardonable, tolerable, tolerated,
             minor, petty, insignificant, unimportant, remittable or
             remissible:  That hypocrite considers even his most heinous
             crimes to be venial.

   venom     n.  1 poison, toxin:  The snakes are 'milked' of their venom,
             which is collected for research in antitoxins and
             pharmaceuticals. 2 malice, maliciousness, malevolence, ill will,
             malignity, animosity, hate, hatred, hostility, antagonism,
             spite, spitefulness, spleen, rancour, bitterness,
             embitteredness, gall, poison, poisonousness, virulence:  Vinnie
             was totally unprepared for the venom of the attack.

   venomous  adj.  1 poisonous, deadly, toxic, dangerous, life-threatening,
             lethal:  There are few venomous snakes in the British Isles.  2
             poisonous, virulent, malicious, malevolent, malign, malignant,
             savage, baleful, envenomed, hostile, antagonistic, spiteful,
             splenetic, acerbic, rancorous, bitter, embittered, mean,
             vicious:  That venomous little man caused me to lose my job.

   vent      n.  1 opening, slit, slot, hole, aperture, air-hole, blow-hole,
             spiracle, orifice, outlet, inlet, funnel, flue, duct, passage;
             fumarole, fissure, pipe, mofette or moffette:  The tepee has a
             vent at the peak to let the smoke of the fire escape. 2 give
             vent to. See 3, below.

             --v.  3 give vent to, express, verbalize, air, articulate,
             enunciate, declare, voice, announce, communicate, pronounce,
             proclaim, reveal, release, let go, let loose, allow to become
             known, make known, blurt out, make public, broadcast:  Has
             Margie ever vented her true feelings about your work as a bomb
             disposal expert? Arnold vents his spleen on any unfortunate who
             will stand for it. 4 discharge, release, emit, eject, issue,
             empty, dump, expel, send or pour out or forth, throw out:  It is
             illegal to vent poisonous fumes into the atmosphere.

   venture   n.  1 risk, chance, hazardous undertaking, experiment,
             speculation, gamble, plunge, fling:  Their new publishing
             venture turned out to be quite a success.

             --v.  2 dare(say), make bold, hazard, volunteer, tender, offer,
             broach, advance, proffer, put forward:  Ambrose ventured some
             nasty remark and was asked to leave.  3 jeopardize, risk,
             endanger, hazard, imperil; gamble, bet, wager, plunge, put down:
             Thomas ventured his last chip on the number four.

   venturesome
             adj.  1 daring, bold, intrepid, adventurous, courageous, plucky,
             adventuresome, audacious, fearless, doughty, brave, spirited:
             Henderson felt that he was being truly venturesome by sailing
             single-handed round the Isle of Wight. 2 risky, rash, reckless,
             sporting, game, daredevil:  Taking one's family into the
             American West was truly a venturesome undertaking - even in the
             20th century.

   verbal    adj.  1 spoken, oral, vocal, said, uttered, expressed,
             enunciated, articulated, colloquial, conversational, viva voce,
             word-of-mouth, unwritten:  We had a verbal agreement that you
             would behave yourself.  2 word-for-word, verbatim, literal:  We
             have an accurate verbal transcript of the proceedings.  3 word,
             lexical, vocabulary:  She did very well on the verbal parts of
             the examination but poorly on the mathematics.

   verbatim  adj.  1 word-for-word, verbatim et literatim (= 'word-for-word
             and letter for letter'), literal, exact, precise, accurate,
             faithful, strict:  This verbatim translation may be accurate but
             all the poetic expressiveness is lost.

             --adv.  2 word for word, verbatim et literatim, literally,
             exactly, precisely, accurately, faithfully, to the letter,
             strictly:  To make certain there would be no misunderstanding,
             the speech was copied verbatim.

   verge°    n.  1 edge, border, boundary, margin, brink, threshold, brim:
             Frances is jealous of John to the verge of insanity.  2 on the
             verge of. about to, ready to, on the (very) point of, preparing
             to, soon to:  Many smaller companies are on the verge of
             bankruptcy.

             --v.  3 Often, verge on. border (on), approach, come close or
             near (to), Technical be asymptotic to:  Cathy's idea of comfort
             verges on what is more commonly thought of as luxury. Her
             charitable contributions last year verged on zero.

   vergeэ    v.  incline, lean, tend, extend, stretch, turn; approach, draw,
             move:  The road verges southwards after the bridge.

   verify    v.  affirm, confirm, testify to, attest (to), bear witness to,
             vouch for, corroborate, support, substantiate, clinch or clench,
             prove, demonstrate, show, bear out, authenticate, validate,
             certify, guarantee, back up, warrant:  Can you verify the
             accuracy of his testimony?

   veritable adj.  real, true, virtual, genuine, actual, legitimate,
             authentic:  Frank becomes a veritable monster if denied his
             daily doughnut.

   vernacular
             adj.  1 native, local, regional, indigenous, autochthonous:  Old
             Hebrew fell out of use, to be replaced by vernacular Aramaic.  2
             popular, informal, colloquial, conversational, ordinary,
             familiar, everyday, spoken, vulgar, vulgate; plain, simple,
             straightforward, easy:  We have both the vernacular and the
             formal, literary, or clerical levels of language. Can you
             translate this scientific gobbledegook into vernacular English
             that we can understand?

             --n.  3 jargon, patois, argot, cant, idiom, phraseology,
             language, talk, speech:  Alf occasionally slips into the
             vernacular of a Billingsgate fishmonger (his former calling ) .

   versatile adj.  1 adaptable, resourceful, all-round, all-purpose,
             many-sided, multi-purpose, multifaceted, flexible, adjustable,
             protean, dexterous, handy, facile:  Everett is a versatile
             painter who works in many media and styles.  2 variable,
             changeable, protean, changing, flexible, fluctuating:  Any
             versatile organization should be able to accommodate staff
             losses.

   versed    adj.  Usually, well-versed in. well-read or (well-)informed in
             or (well-)trained or (well-)grounded or (well-)schooled or
             (well-)educated or (well-)tutored or learned or cultured or
             lettered or cultivated or literate or competent or accomplished
             or skilled in, (well) posted on, knowledgeable in or about,
             proficient or experienced or practised or expert or good in or
             at, conversant or familiar or (well-)acquainted with:  The
             applicant appears to be sufficiently well-versed in several
             subjects to be qualified to teach them.

   version   n.  1 form, variant, variation, type, model, style, kind,
             variety, manifestation, portrayal, adaptation, rendition,
             interpretation, adaptation, construct, construction, conception,
             idea:  This is yet another modern designer's version of 1920s'
             and 1930s' art deco. 2 story, account, rendering, rendition,
             translation, interpretation, reading, understanding, view, side:
             Simon's version of what happened is completely distorted.

   vertex    n.  top, tip, extremity, zenith, meridian, apogee, peak, apex,
             acme, summit, pinnacle, crest, crown, cap, height(s):  The
             building is surmounted by a pyramidal dome at the vertex of
             which is a statue of Osiris.

   vertigo   n.  dizziness, light-headedness, giddiness, instability, Colloq
             wooziness:  Vertigo suddenly overcame me, and I grabbed a rail
             to steady myself.

   verve     n.  spirit, vivacity, vivaciousness, vitality, life, liveliness,
             animation, sparkle, energy, vigour, exuberance, briskness, brio,
             esprit, ‚lan, dash, flair, panache, flourish, enthusiasm, zeal,
             zest, gusto, Colloq pizazz, zip, vim, get-up-and-go, zing,
             oomph:  Helen's verve adds much to this production of Carmen .

   very      adv.  1 extremely, truly, really, to a great extent,
             exceedingly, greatly, (very) much, profoundly, deeply, acutely,
             unusually, extraordinarily, uncommonly, exceptionally,
             remarkably, absolutely, completely, entirely, altogether,
             totally, quite, rather, hugely, vastly, Dialect right, Brit
             jolly, Colloq damn(ed), terribly, awfully, darned, US dialect
             danged, plumb, Slang Brit bleeding , Chiefly Brit bloody:  The
             Bell Inn has a very fine wine list. Vicky was very attached to
             her pony. I shall be there very soon. 2 most, extremely,
             certainly, surely, definitely, decidedly, unequivocally,
             unquestionably, quite, entirely, altogether:  If you ask her
             out, she is very likely to say no.

             --adj.  3 exact, precise, perfect; same, selfsame, identical,
             particular:  Her hopes were the very opposite of his. I arrived
             the very day she left. He is the very model of a hard-working
             student. 4 least, mere, merest, bare, barest, sheer, sheerest;
             utter, pure, simple:  The very thought of war makes me ill. The
             very mention of her name strikes terror into the hearts of the
             local residents.

   vessel    n.  1 container, receptacle, utensil, holder:  Food was stored
             in vessels neatly arrayed around the sarcophagus.  2 craft,
             boat, ship, ark, Literary barque or US also bark:  The vessel
             docked gently at the airlock of the space station.

   vestige   n.  trace, suggestion, soup‡on, hint, glimmer, inkling,
             suspicion, sign, evidence, mark, token, scent, whiff, tinge,
             taste; remnant, scrap, fragment, memorial, residue, relic,
             remains:  Vestiges of an ancient city have been found in the sea
             off Cyprus.

   vestigial adj.  imperfect, undeveloped, underdeveloped, rudimentary,
             incomplete:  Anatomists regard the coccyx in man and apes as a
             vestigial tail.

   vet       v.  examine, review, investigate, scrutinize, inspect, check
             (out), look over, scan; validate, authenticate; Colloq give
             (something or someone) the once-over, size up:  We engaged an
             expert to vet the definitions of culinary terms for the new
             dictionary.

   veteran   n.  1 old hand, past master, old-timer, trouper, Colloq
             warhorse:  Barlow was a veteran of twenty years' experience in
             the service.

             --adj.  2 experienced, practised, seasoned, mature,
             long-serving, battle-scarred:  Did it never occur to this
             veteran politician that there are degrees of misconduct?

   veto      v.  1 stop, block, deny, ban, turn down, reject, disallow, rule
             out, quash, prevent, prohibit, interdict, taboo, outlaw,
             proscribe, preclude, Colloq put the kibosh on, kill, nix:
             Father vetoed the idea that we go to Brighton for the holiday.
             Any measure he proposed was summarily vetoed.

             --n.  2 denial, ban, stoppage, block, embargo, turn-down,
             rejection, disallowance, quashing, prevention, prohibition,
             interdiction, taboo, proscription, preclusion, vetoing, Colloq
             killing, nixing:  The home secretary's veto of the abortion
             measure greatly angered the women's groups.

22.3 viable...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   viable    adj.  sustainable, supportable, sensible, reasonable, practical,
             practicable, applicable, workable, feasible, possible:  We have
             three days to come up with a viable plan for continuing the
             research project.

   vibes     n.pl.  vibrations, feelings, sensations, resonance(s), rapport,
             empathy, sympathy:  I felt the place had really good vibes the
             minute I walked in.

   vibrate   v.  quiver, shiver, shudder, fluctuate, quake, shake, tremble,
             throb, pulsate, oscillate, pulse, reverberate, resonate, Brit
             judder:  The house began to vibrate, the windows rattled, and
             the dishes danced off their shelves.

   vicarious adj.  surrogate, delegated, deputed, commissioned, assigned,
             indirect, substituted:  He derived vicarious pleasure from
             seeing his children do the things that he no longer could.

   vice      n.  1 immorality, corruption, evil, badness, depravity,
             degradation, degeneracy, iniquity, villainy, venality,
             evil-doing, wickedness, profligacy, sin, sinfulness,
             transgression:  She described the town as a den of indecency,
             exhibitionism, and vice. 2 flaw, defect, fault, imperfection,
             blemish, shortcoming, failing, weakness, frailty, foible,
             infirmity, deficiency:  Rejection without due consideration is a
             prejudicial vice of editors.

   vice versa
             adv.  conversely, contrariwise, to or on the contrary, reversed,
             the other way around:  She made the facts fit her conclusions,
             instead of vice versa.

   vicinity  n.  area, neighbourhood, locale, vicinage, environs, locality,
             precincts, purlieus, territory:  All people living in the
             vicinity of the nuclear plant were tested for radiation
             poisoning.

   vicious   adj.  1 immoral, unprincipled, amoral, barbarous, corrupt, evil,
             bad, base, depraved, vile, atrocious, execrable, degraded,
             degrading, degenerate, venal, iniquitous, heinous, odious,
             perverted, nefarious, wicked, flagitious, devilish,
             diabolic(al), fiendish, monstrous, profligate, shameful,
             shameless, abominable, sinful:  The vicious, bloody dictatorship
             on the island lasted only a dozen years. 2 malicious, spiteful,
             mean, nasty, hateful, malevolent, malignant, bitter,
             acrimonious, rancorous, venomous, vindictive, defamatory,
             slanderous, scandalous, Slang rotten, bitchy:  When they argued,
             they said terribly vicious things to one another.  3 savage,
             wild, untamed, ferocious, fearful, brutal, fierce, fiendish,
             bestial, feral, brutish, ravening, Literary fell:  The local
             children were terrified of his vicious Rottweiler.

   vicissitude
             n.  1 change, mutation, alteration, changeability, mutability,
             variation, variability, variety, alternation, flux, fluctuation,
             unpredictability:  Who seeks stability in life often encounters
             its vicissitude.  2 vicissitudes. fluctuations, changes,
             variations, contrasts, inconstancy, unpredictability,
             uncertainties, Colloq ups and downs, flukiness:  His success is
             amazing in light of the vicissitudes he survived.

   victim    n.  1 sufferer, martyr, casualty, scapegoat, sacrificial lamb,
             injured party:  It is a pity that you had to be the victim of
             her greed.  2 dupe, gull, fool, butt, fair game, Colloq chump,
             fall guy, Slang sucker, sap, Chiefly US and Canadian patsy, US
             schnook, schlemiel or schlemihl or shlemiel:  She was an easy
             victim for any confidence man.

   victimize v.  1 prey on, pursue, go after, pick on, bully, take advantage
             of, persecute, exploit, use:  Increasingly, older people are
             being victimized by unscrupulous relatives. 2 cheat, swindle,
             bilk, defraud, dupe, hoodwink, deceive, gull, fool, trick,
             outwit, outsmart, outfox, Colloq snooker, flimflam, Slang suck
             or sucker in, screw, shaft, take (in), rook:  The confidence
             team used the old Spanish handkerchief trick to victimize
             unsuspecting tourists.

   victor    n.  winner, champion, conqueror, prizewinner:  They came home
             unchallenged victors by an overwhelming 11 point margin.

   victorious
             adj.  triumphant, successful:  Caesar was victorious over the
             Gauls.

   victory   n.  triumph, conquest, supremacy, superiority, success,
             overcoming, mastery, winning, quelling, crushing:  Alexander's
             victory over Darius at Arbela was one of the decisive battles of
             history.

   vie       v.  compete, contend, struggle, strive:  The brothers constantly
             vied for their father's affection.

   view      n.  1 outlook, aspect, prospect, scene, perspective, vista,
             panorama, spectacle, picture, tableau; landscape, seascape,
             cityscape:  From the tower we had a view of the devastation
             below.  2 opinion, point of view, approach, position, judgement,
             belief, way of thinking, conception, understanding, impression,
             feeling, sentiment, notion:  Denham's view is that the country's
             defences are inadequate.  3 aspect, angle, position, prospect,
             perspective, vision, representation, projection:  Here is a
             termite's-eye view of the timbers in your house.  4 inspection,
             survey, vision, sight, observation, scrutiny, examination,
             contemplation, study:  The shroud was pulled away, exposing the
             revolting object to our view. 5 aim, direction, intent,
             intention, purpose, objective, object, expectation, prospect,
             vision, hope, dream:  We cultivated their friendship with a view
             to being invited aboard their yacht. 6 in view of. in light of,
             considering, in consideration of, because of, on account of:  In
             view of your failure to respond to our letters, we must refer
             the matter to our lawyers.

             --v.  7 look at or upon or over, see, take in, watch, observe,
             scrutinize, examine, regard, behold:  From this vantage point
             one can view the entire valley.  8 witness, see, watch, observe,
             take in:  We viewed the entire robbery as it took place.  9
             regard, consider, think of, look on or upon, judge, deem,
             believe, hold, estimate, rate, gauge, assess:  Control views
             Craven as a threat.

   viewpoint n.  standpoint, (point of) view, attitude, angle, slant,
             position, stance, vantage point, perspective, frame of
             reference, way of thinking, context:  From our viewpoint,
             widening the road only encourages speeding.

   vigilance n.  watchfulness, alertness, observance, guardedness,
             circumspection, attentiveness, caution:  While the dog remains
             loose, we must exercise vigilance.

   vigilant  adj.  watchful, alert, sharp, observant, guarded, circumspect,
             attentive, wakeful, cautious, careful, wary, chary, on one's
             guard, on the alert, on the lookout, eagle-eyed, hawk-eyed,
             Argus-eyed, on the qui vive, on one's toes, with one's eyes
             open, Colloq with one's eyes skinned or peeled:  As long as we
             remain vigilant, they will never be able to take us by surprise.

   vigorous  adj.  energetic, active, vivacious, dynamic, brisk, lively,
             spirited, robust, strong, hardy, hale, hearty, vital, fit,
             lusty, stalwart, in good or fine fettle, spry, sprightly,
             resilient, Colloq peppy, full of pep, full of get-up-and-go,
             full of beans:  At 63, he is just as vigorous as he was at 40.

   vigorously
             adv.  energetically, actively, vivaciously, dynamically,
             briskly, spiritedly, robustly, strongly, hardily, heartily,
             lustily, stalwartly, eagerly, with might and main, with a
             vengeance, strenuously, Colloq like mad, like crazy, hammer and
             tongs:  It may not be good for you to exercise vigorously every
             day.

   vigour    n.  vitality, resilience, strength, power, energy, forcefulness,
             force, stamina, endurance, mettle, mettlesomeness, pith,
             dynamism, spirit, liveliness, animation, verve, vivacity,
             exuberance, brio, briskness, zest, zealousness, enthusiasm,
             gusto, eagerness, Colloq spunk, pep, pizazz, vim, oomph, zing,
             get-up-and-go:  When attacked, they defended themselves with
             extraordinary vigour.

   vile      adj.  1 base, abject, contemptible, debased, degenerate,
             depraved, bad, iniquitous, execrable, atrocious, sordid,
             immoral, amoral, wicked, evil, sinful, hellish, fiendish,
             ignoble, revolting, despicable, horrid, horrible, dreadful,
             terrible, corrupt, mean, wretched, miserable, degrading,
             ignominious, disgraceful, shameful, shameless:  In every age,
             the vilest specimens of human nature are to be found among
             demagogues. 2 disgusting, nasty, sickening, nauseous,
             nauseating, foul, loathsome, offensive, noxious, repulsive,
             repellent, repugnant:  It is, indeed, a vile disease, but at
             least it is not contagious.  She had prepared some vile cocktail
             that I refused to drink.

   vilify    v.  depreciate, devalue, deprecate, debase, disparage,
             denigrate, diminish, traduce, defame, speak ill of, revile,
             slander, libel, abuse, defile, sully, smear, tarnish, malign,
             calumniate, asperse, run down, decry, Rare vilipend, Colloq US
             bad-mouth:  His political and religious views became notorious
             and were often vilified.

   villain   n.  wretch, evil-doer, criminal, miscreant, blackguard, rogue,
             rascal, cad, scallywag or scalawag, malefactor, scoundrel, dog,
             cur, viper, reptile, snake in the grass, rat, Archaic
             rapscallion, Literary knave, caitiff, Colloq Brit bounder,
             blighter, Slang bastard, son of a bitch, Brit rotter, US SOB or
             s.o.b. (= 'son of a bitch'):  The villain of the film is a
             smooth-talking charmer who swindles old ladies out of their
             savings.

   villainous
             adj.  1 treacherous, perfidious, dishonest, unscrupulous,
             traitorous, corrupt, faithless, criminal, felonious, murderous,
             Colloq crooked, bent:  Few activities are more villainous than
             being a double agent.  2 See vile, 1, above.

   vindicate v.  1 clear, exonerate, absolve, acquit, exculpate, excuse:  She
             was vindicated of any complicity in the affair.  2 justify,
             support, uphold, prove:  Subsequent events vindicated his
             actions.

   vindictive
             adj.  avenging, vengeful, vindicatory, revengeful, retaliatory,
             spiteful, unforgiving, splenetic, resentful, rancorous,
             implacable:  She later turned vindictive, attacking everyone for
             real or imagined slights.

   vintage   n.  1 year, crop, harvest, origin, generation:  Which vintage is
             the better for Bordeaux, 1949 or 1954?

             --adj.  2 quality, choice, superior, better, good, select, best,
             classic; aged, seasoned, mature(d), mellow(ed):  Mark has become
             an expert in vintage wines.  3 antiquated, old-fashioned,
             old-fogyish or old-fogeyish, antique, bygone, old-time,
             collector or collector's, Colloq over the hill:  Claud used to
             drive his vintage car to work every day.

   violate   v.  1 break, breach, disobey, disregard, contravene, infringe,
             ignore:  He habitually violated the law by carrying a pistol.  2
             dishonour, desecrate, profane, defile, degrade, debase, treat
             irreverently:  Vandals were found to have violated the sacred
             shrine.  3 rape, debauch, ravish, ravage, molest, attack,
             assault, outrage:  The victim identified the man who had
             violated her.

   violation n.  1 infringement, breach, disregard, disobedience,
             contravention, abuse; ignoring, infringing, breaching,
             disregarding, disobeying, contravening, abusing, violating:
             Parking here is a violation of the law. Violation of the rules
             will be dealt with summarily. 2 profanation, profaning,
             sacrilege, desecration, desecrating, defilement, defiling,
             degradation, degrading, dishonour, dishonouring, debasement,
             debasing, violating:  The authorities take a serious view of the
             violation of a place of worship or a cemetery. 3 rape,
             ravishment, molestation, attack, outrage, assault, violating:
             The defendant is charged with the violation of three women.

   violence  n.  1 (brute or physical) force, might, mightiness, power,
             strength, severity, intensity, energy, vehemence, ferocity,
             ferociousness, fierceness, fury, vigour; destructiveness,
             virulence:  The violence of the storm continued unabated
             throughout the night.  The violence of the seizures diminished
             after she was given the medication. 2 bestiality, brutality,
             barbarity, savagery, cruelty, bloodthirstiness, wildness,
             ferocity, frenzy, fury, passion, fierceness, vehemence,
             murderousness:  The marauders attacked with a violence that
             terrified the villagers.  3 do violence to.  a harm, damage,
             injure:  The scandal did violence to her reputation. Humphrey's
             singing could do violence to any melody. b warp, twist, distort:
             In reporting that her views are antifeminist, the newspaper did
             violence to the import of her speech.

   violent   adj.  1 wild, physical, destructive, vehement, brutal, brutish,
             beastly, nasty, cruel, mean, barbarous, inhuman, savage, fierce,
             ferocious, furious, frenzied, uncontrollable, untamed,
             ungovernable, raging, raving, irrational, insane, crazed, Colloq
             fit to be tied:  Tony turned into a violent maniac when he
             suspected her of seeing another man. 2 harmful, injurious,
             damaging, detrimental, destructive, deleterious, catastrophic,
             cataclysmic, ruinous, devastating:  This was the most violent
             earthquake to hit Mexico in recorded history. 3 acute, serious,
             severe, extreme, harsh, trenchant, virulent, intense, energetic,
             forceful, vehement, passionate, impetuous,tempestuous:  The
             proceedings were interrupted by an outburst of violent abuse
             from the public gallery.

   virtual   adj.  effective, essential; practical, understood, accepted:  In
             rush hours, the motorway traffic comes to a virtual standstill.

   virtually adv.  essentially, effectively, practically, almost, to all
             intents and purposes, for all practical purposes, more or less,
             nearly, as good as, substantially, in effect, in essence:  He
             had virtually won the Brisbane-London sailing race when he
             passed the Lizard, but then he hit a rock.

   virtue    n.  1 morality, high-mindedness, honour, goodness, justness,
             righteousness, fairness, integrity, right-mindedness, honesty,
             probity, uprightness, rectitude, decency, worth, worthiness,
             nobility, character, respectability:  You will find the
             Billingses to be people of unassailable virtue.  2 virginity,
             chastity, chasteness, honour, innocence, purity:  As Healey had
             six daughters, he was kept quite busy protecting their virtue. 3
             quality, credit, strength, good point, asset:  Opposing the
             seven deadly sins are the three theological virtues, faith,
             hope, and charity, and the four cardinal virtues, fortitude,
             justice, prudence, and temperance. 4 by virtue of. by dint of,
             owing to, thanks to, by reason of, because of, on account of:
             Gerry was a part owner by virtue of his investment in the
             company.

   virtuosity
             n.  (technical) skill, technique, ability, expertise, mastery,
             excellence, brilliance, craftsmanship, craft, flair, dash, ‚lan,
             ‚clat, panache, pyrotechnics, showmanship, show, staginess,
             Colloq razzle-dazzle:  The concerto was performed with signal
             virtuosity but little imagination or understanding.

   virtuoso  n.  1 master, maestro, expert, genius, talent, prodigy, old
             hand, Colloq wizard, whiz or whizz or wiz, whiz-kid or
             whizz-kid, Chiefly Brit dab hand, US maven or mavin:  Walter is
             a veritable virtuoso on the harmonica.

             --adj.  2 masterful, masterly, expert, talented, brilliant,
             dazzling, bravura, prodigious, excellent, superb, extraordinary,
             exceptional, superior, first-rate, superlative, matchless,
             peerless, sterling, marvellous, remarkable:  His virtuoso
             performance of the B minor sonata won him a standing ovation.

   virtuous  adj.  1 moral, honourable, ethical, honest, good, upstanding,
             high-principled, upright, righteous, pure, uncorrupted,
             incorruptible, just, fair, right-minded, fair-minded,
             high-minded, scrupulous, trustworthy:  Thomas has proved himself
             a virtuous young man.  2 chaste, innocent, virginal, virgin;
             decent, proper, unsullied, faithful, true, uncorrupted:  A
             virtuous woman makes a virtuous wife.

   virulence n.  1 virulency, poisonousness, venomousness, toxicity,
             noxiousness, deadliness, perniciousness, injuriousness,
             destructiveness, malignity, malignancy, violence, balefulness:
             The virulence of his affliction was not recognized till it was
             too late. 2 virulency, acrimony, acrimoniousness, bitterness,
             acerbity, rancour, spleen, poison, poisonousness, venom,
             venomousness, malignity, malevolence, maliciousness, malice,
             spite, hostility, resentment, antagonism, hatred:  We were taken
             aback by the virulence of the priest's attack on Miss Thompson's
             morals.

   virulent  adj.  1 lethal, life-threatening, deadly, fatal, pernicious,
             septic, poisonous, toxic, baleful, noxious, dangerous, harmful,
             injurious, detrimental, deleterious, destructive, unhealthy,
             unwholesome:  He died from a virulent form of dysentery that he
             caught in the tropics. 2 vicious, venomous, bitter, spiteful,
             malignant, malign, malicious, malevolent, poisonous, splenetic,
             acrimonious, acerbic, acid, mordant, sarcastic, nasty,
             trenchant, caustic, antagonistic, hateful, hostile:  What did I
             do to the reviewer of The Herald to merit such a virulent
             review?

   visible   adj.  1 seeable, perceivable, perceptible, discernible,
             detectable, discoverable, noticeable, unmistakable or
             unmistakeable, clear, obvious, observable; visual:  The visible
             part of the energy spectrum is relatively small. The entrance
             holes to their burrows were clearly visible. 2 obvious,
             conspicuous, evident, apparent, prominent, manifest, distinct,
             patent, well-defined, identifiable:  The consequences of the Act
             of Union of 1707 are still visible in Scotland today.

   vision    n.  1 eyesight, perception, sight:  The optician said there is
             nothing wrong with MacKenzie's vision.  2 far-sightedness,
             understanding, imagination, foresight, foresightedness, insight:
             MacKenzie has brought great vision to this scheme for developing
             the Australian outback. 3 view, perspective, perception,
             envisioning, envisaging, dream, idea, plan, scheme:  MacKenzie's
             vision of making the desert bloom seemed impossibly remote. 4
             phantom, apparition, chimera, delusion, hallucination, mirage,
             spectre, shade, eidolon, revenant, phantasm, materialization,
             illusion, ghost, wraith:  A vision appeared to MacKenzie as he
             slept, telling him that her name was Alice Springs. 5 sight for
             sore eyes, (welcome) sight, dream, epitome:  To MacKenzie Alice
             was a vision of great beauty, and he proposed marriage.

   visionary adj.  1 dreamy, speculative, unpractical, impractical, fanciful,
             imaginary, unrealistic, unreal, romantic, idealistic,
             unworkable, Utopian:  It is a pity that none of MacKenzie's
             visionary plans ever came to pass.

             --n.  2 dreamer, idealist, romantic, fantast, wishful thinker,
             Don Quixote:  The world needs more visionaries like MacKenzie.

   visit     v.  1 (go or come to) see, call (in or on or upon), look in on,
             stop in or by, Colloq pop in or by, drop in (on), take in:  I
             plan to visit Leslie. Did you visit the Smithsonian Institution?
             2 afflict, attack, befall, fall upon, assail, seize, smite,
             scourge, descend upon, inflict, affect:  Horrible diseases and
             tortures were said to visit those who denied God.

             --n.  3 stay, call, sojourn, stop, stopover:  The minister will
             be here for only a brief visit.

   visitation
             n.  1 staying, calling, visiting, sojourning, stopping (over):
             The father has visitation rights to his children on weekends.  2
             affliction, ordeal, trial, punishment, disaster, catastrophe,
             cataclysm, calamity, tragedy, curse, scourge, blight, plague,
             pestilence:  In the story, the tyrant succumbed finally to a
             visitation from the Almighty.

   visitor   n.  caller, guest, company; visitant:  May I phone you back
             after my visitors have gone?

   vital     adj.  1 imperative, essential, necessary, needed, requisite,
             required, indispensable, mandatory, compulsory, cardinal,
             fundamental, basic, critical, crucial, central, pivotal:  Air
             and water are vital for the existence of most known organisms.
             2 important, key, central, critical, crucial, life-and-death or
             life-or-death, pivotal, paramount, main:  In an emergency, the
             captain must make the vital decision whether to abandon ship.
             This is a matter of vital concern for us all. 3 lively, full of
             life, vivacious, spirited, vigorous, dynamic, alive, animated,
             brisk, energetic:  We have lost a vital member of the community.
             She took a vital interest in community affairs. 4 invigorating,
             quickening, life-giving, animating, vitalizing, reviving,
             vivifying, enlivening, rejuvenating:  I could feel the vital
             energies returning to my limbs.

   vitality  n.  1 energy, life, life-force, vigour, power, intensity, force,
             liveliness,, vivacity, vivaciousness, animation, sparkle,
             spiritedness, exuberance, Colloq zing, pep, pizazz, oomph,
             get-up-and-go, zip, vim:  My great-grandfather has the vitality
             of a forty-year-old.  2 stamina, hardiness, endurance, energy,
             strength, robustness:  Does this society have the vitality
             needed to take it into the next decade?

   vitalize  v.  stimulate, activate, arouse, vivify, animate, awaken,
             inspirit, invigorate, enliven, inspire, revive, rejuvenate,
             innervate, energize, fortify, reinvigorate, renew, refresh,
             charge (up):  The tonic vitalized him to the point where he felt
             young again.

   vitiate   v.  1 spoil, ruin, harm, impair, mar, sully, corrupt, pervert,
             contaminate, adulterate, weaken, degrade, downgrade, depreciate,
             diminish, depress, vulgarize, lower, reduce, undermine:  Words
             appropriated from other languages tend to enrich rather than
             vitiate modern English. 2 debase, deprave, pervert, corrupt,
             demoralize, defile:  Despite other strengths his entire
             character was vitiated by overriding avarice. 3 invalidate,
             destroy, delete, cancel, nullify, annul, revoke, void, abrogate,
             abolish, withdraw, quash, suppress:  The invoice was effectively
             vitiated by the plaintiff's failure to deliver the goods.

   vituperate
             v.  berate, rate, reproach, revile, vilify, execrate, abuse,
             denounce, decry, deprecate, disparage, devalue, diminish, put
             down, run down, devaluate, depreciate, blame, inculpate,
             censure, find fault with, attack, assail, castigate, scold,
             reprimand, upbraid, rebuke, chide, chasten:  From the pulpit he
             continued to vituperate the vices of the court.

   vituperative
             adj.  abusive, calumniatory, calumnious, scurrilous, derogatory,
             belittling, depreciatory, depreciative, detractory,
             contemptuous, damning, denunciatory, denigrating, deprecatory,
             censorious, aspersive, defamatory, slanderous, libellous,
             castigatory, condemnatory, malign, scornful, withering, harsh,
             sardonic, sarcastic, biting, acid, contumelious, opprobrious,
             insulting, Formal vilipenditory, Colloq down-putting:  Why
             should he have directed this vituperative speech at the very
             person whom he loves?

   vivacious adj.  lively, spirited, sprightly, energetic, animated, brisk,
             ebullient, effervescent, bubbly, gay, cheerful, happy, blithe,
             jaunty, light-hearted, sunny, merry, high-spirited, buoyant,
             chipper, Colloq up, peppy, full of pep, full of beans, zippy:
             Had he not gone on the cruise, Michael would never have met the
             vivacious redhead who became his bride.

   vivid     adj.  1 intense, strong, brilliant, fresh, bright, dazzling,
             lucid, rich, clear, colourful, glowing:  Michel looked splendid
             in a silk dress of vivid yellow.  2 clear, detailed, sharp,
             realistic, graphic, true to life, lifelike, distinct, powerful,
             strong, memorable, dramatic, striking:  It brought back to me
             vivid memories of our first meeting in 1985.  3 prolific,
             fruitful, fertile, fecund, inventive, creative:  That kiss,
             which never took place, is a figment of Bagley's vivid
             imagination.

22.4 vocalist...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   vocalist  n.  singer, soloist, choirboy, choir girl, choir member,
             chorus-boy, chorus girl, chorus-member, chorister, caroller;
             diva, prima donna, chanteuse; cantor, crooner; Colloq songbird,
             canary, thrush, nightingale:  It was sung by a female vocalist
             with a high-pitched girlish voice.

   vocation  n.  calling, trade, m‚tier, business, profession, occupation,
             career, employment, job, pursuit, life's-work, life-work, line
             (of work), Slang bag, thing:  I left university with no
             particular vocation in mind.

   vogue     n.  1 fashion, mode, style, look, taste, trend, rage, craze,
             last word, dernier cri, (latest) thing, Colloq fad, the latest:
             Black leather boots were in vogue once again.  2 popularity,
             favour, preference, acceptance, currency, prevalence,
             fashionableness:  They are capitalizing on the vogue for torn
             jeans.

   voice     n.  1 speech, utterance, articulation, words, expression:  Keith
             found it difficult to give voice to his innermost thoughts.  2
             share, part, vote, participation, say, decision, option, turn,
             chance:  As a junior member of the board, Nicholas had no voice
             in major decisions. 3 spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson,
             representative, agent, agency, instrument; organ, medium,
             vehicle, forum, publication:  Throughout his time in government,
             Logan had served as the voice of the miners.  The Clarion views
             itself as the voice of all the people, though it actually
             represents only a few.

             --v.  4 express, utter, articulate, enunciate, present,
             verbalize, put into words, give utterance or voice or expression
             or vent to, communicate, convey, declare, assert, make known,
             reveal, disclose, raise, bring up, air:  I must voice my
             misgivings about the step you are planning to take.

   void      adj.  1 null and void, invalid, not (legally) binding,
             inoperative, unenforceable, ineffectual, futile, ineffective,
             vain, unavailing, idle, useless, pointless, bootless:  Owing to
             irregularities, the election was declared void. If a card is
             turned face-up, the deal is void. 2 empty, vacant, unoccupied,
             unused, unutilized, unfilled, blank, clear; deserted:  It is up
             to the council to appoint new members as places become void. 3
             void of. devoid of, without, lacking, destitute of:  The man was
             utterly void of imagination. In a minute, the room was void of
             people.

             --n.  4 emptiness, vacantness, vacuum, blankness, nothingness:
             Without a word, he leaped off the edge and plunged into the
             void.  5 space, niche, slot, opening, place, vacancy, gap,
             emptiness:  Who will fill the void left by Edgar's departure?

             --v.  6 nullify, annul, cancel, delete, disannul, declare or
             render null and void, invalidate, quash, vacate, discharge,
             abandon, disestablish, neutralize, disenact, set or put aside,
             rescind, reverse, abnegate, abrogate:  They had to void the
             accusation for lack of evidence.  7 evacuate, discharge, expel,
             emit, purge, clear, empty, drain, eject; pass, excrete, urinate,
             defecate:  The tanker went far out to sea before voiding its
             tanks. This medication will help in voiding the patient's
             bowels.

   volatile  adj.  1 vaporizing, evaporable, evaporative:  A volatile
             solvent, which evaporates quickly, is the vehicle for
             thermosetting plastics. 2 changeable, fickle, flighty,
             inconstant, erratic, restless, unstable, variable, mercurial,
             capricious:  She was so volatile that one could never predict
             what she would do next. 3 explosive, hair-trigger, sensitive,
             charged, eruptive, tense, tension-ridden:  Be careful of
             Christine's volatile temper.

   volition  n.  (free) will, choice, option, choosing, choice, discretion,
             preference:  She pursued a course of her own volition.

   volley    n.  1 salvo, bombardment, barrage, cannonade, fusillade,
             discharge, hail, shower:  A volley of shot struck the tower,
             which collapsed.  2 outpouring, torrent, flood, deluge,
             inundation, burst, storm, outbreak:  The cracks of the
             muleteer's whip were accompanied by a volley of abuse. 3 give
             and take, to-and-fro, interaction, reciprocity, exchange,
             volleying, crossfire, badinage, bantering:  Samuel enjoyed the
             volley of haggling that accompanied every sale.

   voluble   adj.  talkative, glib, fluent, loquacious, garrulous, chatty,
             profuse, gossipy, exuberant, long-winded, bombastic, windy,
             wordy, Colloq blessed with the gift of the gab:  He is the House
             of Commons' most voluble advocate of capital punishment.

   volume    n.  1 amount, quantity, supply, mass, bulk, abundance, sum
             total, aggregate:  The volume of ore from the mine created a
             pile hundreds of feet high. Her volume of output is greater than
             yours and mine together. 2 capacity, size, measure:  The volume
             of this bottle is not more than a litre.  3 loudness:  Turn down
             the volume on that ghetto-blaster.  4 book, tome:  I bought a
             twenty-volume set of Dickens.

   voluminous
             adj.  1 large, extensive, great, spacious, capacious, expansive,
             roomy, loose, ample, big, ample, bulky, cavernous, copious,
             massive, huge, substantial, tremendous, enormous, gigantic,
             mammoth, vast:  Rose's voluminous skirt was supported by a
             farthingale.  2 oversized, out-sized, ample, billowing:  The
             voluminous spinnaker filled and we wafted down the estuary at
             hull speed.

   voluntarily
             adv.  freely, willingly, spontaneously, of (one's) own free
             will, on (one's) own (initiative or recognizance or
             responsibility), without prompting, without being prompted or
             asked, gratis, gratuitously; by choice, intentionally,
             purposely, on purpose, deliberately:  Some of the students spent
             their summer vacation voluntarily helping the needy.

   voluntary adj.  1 free, elective, willing, spontaneous, unsolicited,
             unbidden, unasked, gratuitous, contributed:  All work done on
             behalf of the cause is voluntary.  2 discretionary or
             discretional, unconstrained, intentional, wilful, deliberate,
             intended, premeditated, planned, volitional, optional:  His
             confession was entirely voluntary, and he was not coerced in any
             way.

   voluptuous
             adj.  1 sensual, sensualistic, sensuous, luxurious, voluptuary,
             sybaritic(al), hedonist(ic), pleasure-seeking, pleasure-loving,
             luxury-loving, (self-)indulgent:  He longed to taste once again
             the voluptuous delights of the Corinthian court. 2 seductive,
             attractive, desirable, beautiful, tempting, inviting, appealing,
             enticing, alluring, ravishing, luscious, delicious, gorgeous,
             shapely, buxom, well-proportioned, well-endowed, well-built,
             Colloq curvaceous, sexy, eye-filling, Slang (well-)stacked,
             busty, US built:  As he lolled on silken cushions, voluptuous
             houris danced round him in tightening circles.

   vomit     v.  spew out or up, spit up, belch forth; regurgitate, throw up,
             gag, retch, heave, US keck, Colloq puke, return (food), Brit
             sick up, Slang chiefly Australian chunder, US barf, upchuck,
             toss (one's) cookies, spiff (one's) biscuits:  The ancient steam
             engine vomited smoke and cinders from its huge stack. The very
             thought of going on a sea voyage almost made me vomit.

   voracious adj.  1 insatiable, gluttonous, ravenous, ravening, rapacious,
             piggish, hoggish, cormorant, predacious, edacious, devouring,
             greedy, avaricious, esurient, uncontrollable, uncontrolled,
             unquenchable, enormous, prodigious, US cormorant:  Is there no
             satisfying the man's voracious appetite?  2 thirsty, hungry,
             desirous, avid, eager, zealous, enthusiastic, fervent, fervid,
             ardent, earnest, passionate, devoted:  It was becoming difficult
             to satisfy the public's voracious demand for gossip.

   vote      n.  1 ballot, ticket, show of hands; referendum, plebiscite:  We
             must have a vote on the issue.  2 suffrage, franchise:  Women
             did not have the vote in those days.  3 opinion; voter, elector:
             Do you think your platform can win over the liberal vote?

             --v.  4 opt, choose, come out (for or against), express or
             signify (one's) opinion or preference or desire:  Many people
             vote for a party rather than an individual.

   vouch     v.  Usually, vouch for. support, guarantee, back (up), endorse,
             certify; uphold, sponsor, bear witness, attest to:  My neighbour
             will vouch for me. Can she vouch for your not leaving the house
             all evening?

   vouchsafe v.  1 offer, give (up), yield, accord, supply, grant, impart,
             bestow, deign or condescend to give:  The minister vouchsafed no
             information regarding interest rates.  2 permit, allow, suffer:
             The government vouchsafed the hostages safe passage out of the
             country.

   vow       v.  1 swear, pledge, promise, assure, state, declare, give
             (one's) (solemn) word (of honour):  I vowed to return after the
             war to care for those who had helped me escape.

             --n.  2 oath, pledge, promise, agreement; (solemn) word (of
             honour):  She will keep her vow, you may be certain.

22.5 vulgar...
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   vulgar    adj.  1 indelicate, boorish, uncultured, uncultivated, low,
             unrefined, common, plebeian, inelegant, unladylike,
             ungentlemanly, gauche, uncouth, coarse, tasteless, ostentatious,
             ignoble, low-class, Colloq flash:  The boss's wife was known for
             her vulgar behaviour at the dinner table. 2 tasteless,
             indelicate, indecent, rude, crude, naughty, dirty, improper, off
             colour, risqu‚, ribald, blue, indecorous, nasty, offensive,
             gross, lustful, obscene, lewd, lascivious, licentious, smutty,
             salacious, scatological, filthy, pornographic, Slang US raunchy:
             He made a lot of money through publishing vulgar magazines and
             videos. 3 popular, vernacular, ordinary, everyday, general,
             homespun, commonplace, household, average:  Dictionaries should
             record the vulgar language as well as the literary.

   vulgarity n.  1 coarseness, lack of refinement or sophistication,
             crudeness, rudeness, indelicacy, tawdriness, baseness,
             humbleness, unsophistication, gaucherie, gaucheness, ignobility:
             When you consider his upbringing you can scarcely blame him for
             his vulgarity. 2 impropriety, lewdness, grossness, foulness,
             vileness, filthiness, obscenity, Slang US raunchiness:  The
             magazine was refused an import licence because of its vulgarity.

   vulnerable
             adj.  exposed, defenceless, weak, sensitive, unprotected,
             unguarded, unshielded, helpless, powerless:  She felt vulnerable
             to those who prey on the elderly.

23.0 W
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23.1 wad...
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   wad       n.  1 pad, mass, lump, clod, ball, plug, chunk, hunk, block,
             pack:  He had a wad of cotton wool in each ear.  2 roll,
             pocketful, heap, quantity, load, Colloq US bankroll:  Over
             coffee James handed him a wad of notes.

   waddle    v.  toddle, shuffle, wobble or wabble, totter, paddle, pad,
             waggle, duck-walk, Brit dialect wamble:  He waddled down the
             road, a shopping-bag on each arm.

   wade      v.  1 ford, cross, traverse, walk, make one's way:  The water is
             only knee-deep, and you can wade across.  2 paddle, play,
             splash:  There is a shallow pool where the little children can
             wade.  3 wade in or into.  a enter, get in (or into), join (in):
             When the fight began, Patrick waded in with arms flailing.  b
             attack, approach, get or set to work, plunge or dive into:  I
             have to wade into an enormous pile of mail that accumulated
             while I was away. 4 wade through. plough through, work (one's)
             way through, hammer or pound away at, plod through, peg away at:
             You really have to wade through that entire book to write your
             report.

   waffle    v.  1 Often, waffle on. carry on, jabber (on), prattle (on),
             prate, blather (on or away), Colloq run on, Brit witter (on),
             natter (on), rabbit on, Slang run off at the mouth:  He kept
             waffling on about his new computer and, frankly, I wasn't
             listening. 2 equivocate, hedge, quibble, shuffle, tergiversate,
             hem and haw, prevaricate, Brit beat about the bush, US beat
             around the bush, Colloq fudge:  I wish he would stop waffling
             and say what he means.

             --n.  3 talk, palaver, verbiage, prattle, twaddle, blather,
             prolixity, wordiness, jabber, jibber-jabber, Colloq hot air:
             All I got was a lot of waffle when I asked for the best interest
             rate on a loan.

   waft      v.  1 drift, float, blow, whiff, be borne or carried or
             transported:  The scent of jasmine wafted towards me on the warm
             breeze.

             --n.  2 breath, suggestion, puff, whiff, hint:  A waft of cool,
             fresh air momentarily eased the stench of the dungeon.

   wag°      v.  1 wave, waggle, oscillate, fluctuate, sway, undulate,
             flutter, flap, flip, flicker, shake, vibrate, quiver, nod, rock,
             dance, wobble, bob, bobble, waver, Rare vellicate:  Misty's tail
             wagged as I approached the house.

             --n.  2 wave, waggle, oscillation, fluctuation, sway,
             undulation, flutter, vellication, flap, flip, flicker, shake,
             vibration, quiver, nod, wobble, bobble, waver:  The dying animal
             recognized me and gave a feeble wag of her tail.

   wagэ      n.  comedian, wit, punster, pundit, joker, jester, comic,
             jokester, droll, merry andrew, clown, Colloq card:  A wag said
             that tailors were like storks - known for their big bills.

   wage      n.  1 Often, wages. pay, compensation, emolument, remuneration,
             payment, fee, salary, stipend, recompense, reward, earnings;
             honorarium:  The strikers wanted a ten per cent increase in
             their hourly wage.

             --v.  2 carry on, pursue, conduct, engage in, undertake,
             practise, prosecute, proceed with:  History shows that wars are
             often waged over trifling differences.

   wait      v.  1 tarry, linger, hold on, stay, bide (one's) time, mark
             time, stand by, Colloq cool (one's) heels, stick around, sit
             tight, hang on, Brit hang about, US hang around:  If you wait
             till I've finished this, I'll join you for dinner.  2 be delayed
             or postponed or deferred or shelved or put off, US be tabled,
             Colloq be put on ice or on the back burner:  The quarterly sales
             figures can wait - we haven't yet completed those for this
             month. 3 wait on or upon. serve, attend (to), minister (to):
             Rose made such a fuss that the restaurant staff refused to wait
             on her.

             --n.  4 delay, pause, stay, hold-up, interval, halt, stop,
             stoppage, break, hiatus, lacuna, gap, respite, rest (period),
             intermission, discontinuation, recess:  There was an extra long
             wait between trains because of track repairs further up the
             line.

   waiter    n.  waitress, head waiter, maЊtre d'h“tel, host, hostess,
             sommelier (des vins), wine steward, stewardess; cup-bearer,
             Ganymede, Hebe:  Marie asked the waiter to bring her a clean
             plate.

   waive     v.  1 give up, relinquish, renounce, resign, forsake, forgo,
             cede, sign away, surrender, abandon, yield, dispense with:  I
             waived my right to the inheritance in favour of my daughters.  2
             set or put aside, except, ignore, disregard, overlook, abandon,
             defer, postpone:  We are happy to waive the rules in your case,
             madam.

   waiver    n.  renunciation, relinquishment, forgoing, ceding, cession,
             resignation, surrender, abandonment, setting or putting aside,
             deferral, remission, postponement:  Her waiver of all rights to
             the inheritance was duly recorded.

   wake°     v.  1 Often, wake up. awaken, awake, rouse, waken, bring around;
             stir, bestir (oneself), get up, come to, get going:  Wake me
             when it is over. She didn't wake up till noon.  2 awake, waken,
             awaken, animate, stimulate, enliven, galvanize, fire, quicken,
             inspirit, inspire, activate, liven up, vivify, kindle, vitalize,
             stir, arouse, get (someone) going, bring to life:  When I feel
             this tired, it takes a lot to wake me up. Seeing Margo woke a
             spark in me I thought had long since died.

             --n.  3 vigil, watch, death-watch, funeral:  If you have ever
             been to an Irish wake, you will know what I mean.

   wakeэ     n.  1 track, trail, aftermath, path, backwash, wash, bow wave;
             trace, spoor, scent:  The wake from the passing boats damages
             the docks. No matter where he went, they followed in his wake. 2
             in the wake of. following (on or upon), after, subsequent to; as
             a result or consequence of, on account of, because of, owing to,
             by virtue of:  In the wake of the law's enactment, scores of
             abortions were performed.

   wakeful   adj.  1 awake, sleepless, waking, unsleeping, restless, restive,
             insomniac:  The children were wakeful the entire night in
             anticipation of a visit from Santa Claus. 2 watchful, (on the)
             alert, on the qui vive, sharp, attentive, vigilant, wary,
             cautious, observant, heedful, on the lookout:  We remained
             wakeful, alert to any footstep.

   walk      v.  1 advance, proceed, move, go, wend, go or make (one's) way
             by foot, tread, step, perambulate, stalk, stride, tramp, stroll,
             amble, ramble, ambulate, shamble, pad, shuffle, saunter, trudge,
             trek, plod, slog, hike, parade, promenade, strut, swagger,
             prance, march, goose-step, pace, trip, sidle, tiptoe, sashay,
             flounce, stagger, lurch, limp, waddle, stamp, mince, slink,
             steal, prowl, skulk, sneak, creep, Colloq go by or ride by
             shanks's or shanks' mare or pony, hoof it, foot it, traipse,
             pussyfoot, Slang US boogie:  Guthrie certainly has a peculiar
             way of walking.  2 take, convoy, accompany, escort, go with;
             conduct, lead; empty:  Let me walk you to the station. I have to
             walk the dog twice a day. 3 patrol, trace out, stalk, cover,
             haunt, prowl, wander, roam, rove or range about in or on,
             frequent:  Her mother could not understand why Maizie walked the
             streets nightly. 4 walk out.  a leave, depart, desert; walk out
             on:  She just walked out and no one has seen her since.  b
             strike, go (out) on strike, protest, take industrial action,
             Brit down tools:  Negotiations reached an impasse, so the
             employees walked out.

             --n.  5 path, lane, pathway, pavement, footpath, promenade,
             esplanade, boardwalk, Brit footway, US sidewalk:  We strolled
             along the pleasant walks that lead through the park.  6 gait,
             step, carriage, bearing, stride:  He had great fun imitating
             Groucho Marx's slinky walk.  7 constitutional, stroll, amble;
             slog, tramp, hike:  Lettie likes to take a walk in the park
             after dinner. We had a five-day walk through the jungle before
             reaching civilization.

   wall      n.  1 screen, partition, divider, enclosure, separator,
             bulkhead, barrier, obstruction, obstacle, impediment, block,
             fence:  Marcie built round herself a wall of resentment which no
             one could penetrate. 2 barricade, fortification, protection,
             bulwark, breastwork, embankment, rampart, palisade, stockade:
             It was questionable whether the walls would withstand the
             cannon-balls.  3 drive up the wall. drive crazy or insane or
             mad, madden, exasperate, derange, try, irritate, infuriate,
             enrage:  The constant caterwauling from the next flat is driving
             me up the wall. 4 go to the wall. fail, collapse, be ruined,
             face ruin, go bankrupt, lose everything, Colloq go broke, go
             under, fold (up), Slang go bust:  Unicold went to the wall
             because of increased costs and decreased sales.

             --v.  5 Often, wall up or off. enclose, partition (off), close
             (off), brick up, immure:  A bricklayer was hired to wall up the
             openings where the windows had been.

   wallet    n.  purse, pocketbook, Brit notecase, US billfold:  An anonymous
             good Samaritan found my wallet and sent it to me intact, with
             all the money in it.

   wallow    v.  1 roll or loll about or around, welter, writhe, tumble,
             splash or plash:  He enjoys watching the pigs wallowing in the
             mud.  2 Usually, wallow in. luxuriate in, bask in, revel in,
             glory in, indulge (oneself) in, give (oneself) up to, succumb
             to, take to, appreciate, fancy, enjoy, like, love, savour, Slang
             get a kick or a bang or a boot from or out of:  Now that Gabriel
             is a big rock star, he simply wallows in all the attention he is
             getting. 3 stumble, stagger, lurch, flounder, teeter, totter,
             falter, pitch:  Without its engines, the ship was lifted skyward
             by a wave one moment only to wallow in a trough the next.

   wan       adj.  1 white, sickly, pale, pallid, livid, pasty, ashen,
             bloodless, waxen, whey-faced, sallow, colourless, deathly,
             ghostly, ghastly, cadaverous:  I almost wept at seeing the
             child's wan face against the pillow.  2 weary, weak, hollow,
             feeble, frail, ineffectual, sorry, pitiful:  She offered no more
             than a wan smile in response to questions about her family.

   wand      n.  baton, stick, staff, stick:  The magician pointed with his
             wand and a bottle of gin appeared.

   wander    v.  1 walk, go, roam, rove, range, stray, ramble, stroll,
             saunter, meander, drift, cruise, prowl, Colloq mosey:  We
             wandered about the village square, chatting and window-shopping.
             2 wind, meander, zigzag, turn this way and that:  A trout stream
             wanders past our house.  3 digress, go off, become
             absent-minded, go wool-gathering, lose concentration or focus:
             My mind wandered as the speaker droned on.  4 deviate, digress,
             turn, divagate, stray, drift, depart, go off at a tangent, lose
             (one's) train of thought, lapse:  The speaker tended to wander
             occasionally.

   wane      v.  1 decrease, diminish, grow less, lessen, decline, die out,
             abate, ebb, subside, fade (away), dim, taper off, peter out,
             wind down, weaken:  The waning moon cast its pale light on the
             dying knight. As his strength waned he could no longer lift his
             sword. 2 draw to a close, end, terminate:  The day waned into a
             gloomy evening.

             --n.  3 decrease, diminution, lessening, decline, abatement,
             ebb, subsidence, fading, tapering off, petering out, winding
             down, weakening, deterioration, degeneration:  The 1970s saw the
             wane in popularity of large, gas-guzzling cars.  4 on the wane.
             on the decrease or decline or ebb, diminishing, decreasing,
             declining, abating, subsiding, fading, tapering off, petering
             out, winding down, weakening, deteriorating, degenerating:  The
             economy is recovering, and inflation is on the wane. Since that
             latest illness, my energy has been on the wane.

   wangle    v.  scheme, plot, work out, contrive, manoeuvre, engineer,
             manage, manipulate, machinate, Colloq fix, fiddle, work, pull
             off, finagle, swing:  I hear that you were able to wangle an
             audience with the pope.

   want      v.  1 desire, crave, wish (for), long for, pine for, hope (for),
             fancy, covet, hanker after, lust after, hunger for or after,
             thirst for or after, yearn for, Colloq have a yen for:  I want
             you near me. Ignore his crying - he just wants some ice-cream.
             Maybe he's crying because he wants to go. 2 need, lack, miss,
             require, call for, demand, be deficient in, be or stand in want
             or in need of, necessitate; be or fall short of:  This engine
             wants proper maintenance. The bottle wants only a few more drops
             to fill it.

             --n.  3 need, lack, shortage, deficiency, dearth, scarcity,
             scarceness, insufficiency, scantiness, inadequacy, paucity:  For
             want of good writers, the literary quarterly diminished in size
             and finally disappeared. 4 appetite, hunger, thirst, craving,
             desire, fancy, wish, longing, yearning, hankering, demand,
             necessity, requirement, requisite, prerequisite, Colloq yen:
             She gave up trying to satisfy his wants.  5 poverty, need,
             indigence, homelessness, destitution, privation, pauperism,
             penury, neediness, impecuniousness:  The civilized nations are
             trying to solve the problems of want, which seem to increase
             daily.

   wanting   adj.  1 deficient, inadequate, not up to par or expectations,
             insufficient, leaving much to be desired, unsatisfactory,
             unsatisfying, disappointing, second-rate, inferior, poor,
             shabby, shoddy, flawed, faulty, imperfect, incomplete,
             unfinished, defective, patchy, impaired, damaged, broken,
             unsound:  These robots were tested at the factory and were found
             wanting.  2 absent, missing, lacking, short (of), US and
             Canadian shy (of):  What good is a banjo wanting its strings?

   wanton    adj.  1 immoral, dissolute, profligate, dissipated, depraved,
             loose, promiscuous, lustful, licentious, lecherous, wild,
             libidinous, lewd, lascivious, unchaste:  She is a wanton hussy
             who is no better than she ought to be.  2 abandoned,
             unrestrained, undisciplined, ungoverned, ungovernable,
             unmanageable, outrageous, immoderate, intemperate, untempered:
             It is not the boy's fault, it is the wanton company he keeps.  3
             reckless, rash, uncaring, lavish, extravagant, wilful, heedless,
             irresponsible, careless:  This situation arises from the
             parents' wanton disregard for their children's moral training. 4
             wicked, evil, malevolent, malicious, merciless, inhumane,
             vicious, cruel, violent, unjustified, unprovoked, uncalled-for,
             purposeless, motiveless, unjustifiable, arbitrary, gratuitous:
             We were subject to wanton attacks by the hill people.

             --n.  5 vamp, strumpet, whore, harlot, loose woman, prostitute,
             voluptuary, slut, trollop, Jezebel, Colloq tart, Slang hooker,
             working girl, call-girl:  Who invited that wanton, with her
             tight-fitting, shamelessly low-cut dress?

   war       n.  1 warfare, combat, conflict, fighting, clash, hostilities,
             battle, struggle, engagement, encounter, strife, contention:
             The war, in which several millions died, lasted six years.  2 at
             war. fighting, battling, in combat, in conflict; in
             disagreement, in dispute, in contention, struggling,
             antagonistic, at daggers drawn:  They are at war because an
             ambassador refused to retract some silly insult.

             --v.  3 do battle or fight or struggle or (engage in) combat
             with or against, make or wage war with or against, take up arms
             or strive or campaign or tilt against, cross swords or contend
             or joust with:  We must continue to war against the forces of
             evil.

   ward      n.  1 district, division, precinct, section, zone, quarter:
             Perkin was running for re-election as councillor of the Eastgate
             ward. 2 minor, dependant:  The child was made a ward of the
             court.

             --v.  3 ward off. fend off, repel, avert, avoid, block, thwart,
             keep away or off or at bay or at arm's length, check, repulse,
             chase away or off, forestall:  This brandy should help ward off
             the night chill.

   wardrobe  n.  1 (collection or stock of) clothing or clothes or attire or
             apparel:  At the time, my entire wardrobe consisted of a pair of
             jeans, a shirt, and a dinner suit. 2 clothes-press, closet,
             clothes-cupboard:  In her wardrobe they found more than three
             thousand pairs of shoes.

   warehouse n.  storehouse, store, storeroom, depository, stockroom, depot,
             go-down:  The books are kept in a warehouse and shipped to
             customers as needed.

   wares     n.pl.  merchandise, goods, commodities, manufactures, produce,
             stock-(in-trade), supplies, lines:  A blind man peddled his
             wares on this corner for twenty years.

   warlike   adj.  combative, belligerent, bellicose, aggressive, pugnacious,
             hostile, bloodthirsty; hawkish, militaristic, jingoistic,
             warmongering:  Violation of the border was a warlike act that
             must be punished.  There are warlike factions in every
             government.

   warm      adj.  1 heated, tepid, lukewarm, cosy, comfortable, not
             uncomfortable, balmy:  We chose a beautiful warm day for our
             picnic.  2 passionate, impassioned, excited, animated, fervent,
             fervid, spirited, lively, ardent, zealous, keen, eager,
             emotional, heated, intense, irritated, annoyed, vexed, angry,
             irate, furious, testy, short-tempered, touchy, quick-tempered,
             irascible, irritable, stormy, turbulent, vigorous, violent,
             Colloq worked up, hot under the collar, steamed up:  Charles
             occasionally became a bit warm on the subject of architecture.
             The debate grew warm as we joined in. 3 amiable, friendly,
             cordial, affable, pleasant, genial, cheerful, kindly,
             hospitable, hearty; affectionate, tender, mellow, loving,
             amorous:  After a warm greeting from our host, we went in to
             meet the other guests. Her generous gifts to charity revealed
             that she really has a warm heart. 4 ardent, enthusiastic,
             earnest, eager, sincere:  Our ideas for the new campaign met
             with warm approval from the client. 5 uncomfortable, awkward,
             unpleasant, strained, tense:  The people in this town tend to
             make things a bit warm for strangers.  6 Often, getting warm.
             close or near to making a discovery, about to make a discovery:
             From her look as I approached the cabinet, I knew I was getting
             warm.

             --v.  7 heat (up), warm up or over:  I warmed myself by the
             fire.  8 Often, warm to. become less antagonistic or hostile to
             or toward(s), become enthusiastic or supportive of, become
             excited or animated about or over, be attracted to or toward(s),
             like, feel affection for:  Martin never did warm to my idea of
             using the village notice-board for his message. 9 stir, move,
             please, delight, make (one or someone) feel good:  It warmed me
             to know that she had at last found someone to love.

   warm-blooded
             adj.  1 Technical homoeothermic or homoeothermal or
             homoiothermic or homoiothermal or homeothermic or homeothermal:
             Birds and mammals are warm-blooded, reptiles and fish are
             cold-blooded.  2 passionate, ardent, fervid, hot-blooded,
             impetuous, Colloq randy:  He tried to excuse his behaviour
             towards her by saying that he was just a normal, warm-blooded
             man.

   warmly    adv.  1 affectionately, tenderly, fondly, lovingly:  Linda
             kissed him warmly to thank him for the gift.  2 cordially,
             amiably, amicably, solicitously, warm-heartedly:  We were
             greeted warmly by the manager on our arrival and shown to our
             rooms. 3 earnestly, eagerly, fervently, enthusiastically, well,
             kindly:  The directors are warmly disposed to your plan for
             reorganization.  4 vigorously, intensely, fiercely, intensively,
             intently, energetically, doggedly, persistently, zealously,
             fervently, fervidly, hotly, ardently, enthusiastically:  We
             learned that she was being warmly pursued by Interpol.  5
             heatedly, vehemently, vociferously, forcefully, energetically,
             vigorously, feverishly, frantically, furiously, angrily,
             violently:  The sending of a peace-keeping force was being
             warmly debated in the UN.

   warmth    n.  1 heat:  We basked in the welcome warmth of the sun.  2
             cordiality, heartiness, friendliness, geniality, amiableness,
             kindliness, tenderness, affability, love:  Mother thrives on the
             warmth of a family environment and should not be put in a
             nursing home. 3 ardour, effusiveness, enthusiasm, zeal,
             excitedness, fervour, vehemence, vigour, ebullience, passion:  I
             was taken aback by the warmth of the stranger's greeting. The
             resolution was debated with considerable warmth. 4 irritation,
             annoyance, pique:  The warmth of his reaction to the accusation
             is understandable.

   warn      v.  1 caution, admonish, advise, notify, apprise, inform, give
             (fair) warning, alert, give (prior) notice, put (someone) on
             notice or on guard or on the alert, make (someone) aware (of),
             forewarn, tip off, Rare premonish:  The entire population has
             been warned about the imminent hurricane.  2 advise, counsel,
             caution:  You did warn me against investing in llama farms.

   warning   n.  1 caution, admonition, advice, counsel, caveat, word (to the
             wise), tip, notification, notice, threat; lesson, example:
             Cyril never took seriously his doctor's warning about his
             cholesterol level. Let that be a warning to you not to drink and
             drive. 2 omen, sign, signal, indication, augury, foretoken,
             portent, foreshadowing, forewarning, prophecy:  Sailors take
             that kind of sky and a falling barometer as warning of a
             hurricane.

   warp      v.  1 twist, contort, distort, deform, bend out of shape,
             wrench, pervert, misshape:  Using steam, the timber was warped
             to fit the hull. You certainly have a warped idea of what Yvette
             does for a living.

             --n.  2 twist, contortion, distortion, bias, deformity,
             deformation, bend, wrench, perversion, kink, idiosyncrasy,
             quirk, deviation:  There is too much of a warp in this veneer to
             repair it. Harry has to overcome a serious warp in his attitude
             towards food.

   warrant   n.  1 authorization, sanction, reason, justification, approval,
             validation, licence, right, certification, entitlement, grounds,
             cause, rationale, basis, assurance, carte blanche, guarantee,
             pledge, security, charter, warranty:  We demand to know what
             warrant may exist for such an action.  2 writ, order, affidavit,
             paper, document, credential, permit, entitlement, licence,
             permit, summons, subpoena, mandate, decree, fiat, edict, ukase:
             Do not let them search the premises without a warrant. A warrant
             has been issued for her arrest.

             --v.  3 guarantee, promise, assure, ensure or insure, answer
             for, be answerable for, certify, vouch for, underwrite, back up,
             uphold, stand by or behind:  All these products are warranted by
             the manufacturer for one year.  4 authorize, sanction, justify,
             explain, approve, verify, validate, permit, allow, provide or
             offer grounds or justification or cause or reason for, call for,
             necessitate, entitle, empower, excuse, license:  What is it that
             warrants such accusations of malfeasance?

   warranty  n.  guarantee, assurance, promise, commitment, covenant,
             undertaking, agreement, pledge, bond:  There is a maker's
             warranty that repairs of any defects will be made at no cost to
             the buyer.

   wary      adj.  cautious, careful, on (one's) guard, circumspect, prudent,
             apprehensive, chary, watchful, vigilant, on the qui vive,
             heedful, observant, on (one's) toes, Colloq cagey, Slang leery
             (of):  Phoebe is wary of going out with someone she doesn't
             know.

   wash      v.  1 wash up, clean (up), cleanse, bathe, shower, douche,
             douse, scrub (up), shampoo, soap up, lather, launder, scour,
             soak, rinse, flush, wet, drench, deterge, sponge (off),
             Facetious perform (one's) ablutions, Archaic absterge, Formal or
             literary lave, Brit bath:  Please wash the dishes when you have
             finished eating. I must wash before I do anything else. 2
             Sometimes, wash away or out or off. remove, move, transport,
             carry, bear, convey, deliver, deposit, drive, sweep:  The silt,
             with the gold dust, is washed downstream. In this process, the
             impurities are washed away. 3 splash, spatter, splatter, plash,
             dash, beat, pound, thrash, break, toss, surge, undulate, rush,
             run, lap, ripple, roll, flow:  We stood watching the sea washing
             against the breakwater.  4 Usually, wash away or off. erode,
             wear off or away, remove, delete, erase, expunge, destroy,
             eradicate, obliterate, extinguish, blot out, wipe out:  After
             5000 years, the action of the waves had washed away all traces
             of the Vengorian civilization. 5 Often, wash away or out. erode,
             cut or dig or wear or eat or dredge (away or out), excavate,
             channel:  The river eventually washed out a new course, fifteen
             miles to the west. 6 decontaminate, purify, sift, filter,
             depurate:  The wastes are thoroughly washed in these tanks
             before being discharged into the ocean. 7 overlay, film, coat,
             paint, glaze; plate:  What do you think of colour they washed
             the wall?  8 hold up, stand up, stand the test of time, carry
             weight, bear scrutiny, prove true, make sense, be believable or
             credible, Colloq hold water:  I'm afraid that Helen's
             explanation of her whereabouts at the time of the murder simply
             won't wash. 9 wash down. swallow:  Here, wash the pill down with
             this.  10 wash (one's) hands of. stay or keep away from, disown,
             repudiate, turn (one's) back on, have nothing more or further to
             do with, get rid of, rid (oneself) of, desert, abandon, leave:
             After Neil took the money, Violet washed her hands of him and
             his problems.

             --n.  11 washing, cleaning, cleansing, scrubbing, scrub,
             scouring, shampoo, shampooing, bath, bathing, shower, sponge
             bath, tub-bath; laundering; Facetious ablutions; Colloq Brit
             tub, tubbing:  He always likes a good wash and shave before
             breakfast.  12 wave, wake, surge, backwash:  The wash from
             passing ships almost swamped our skiff.  13 lotion, rinse,
             liniment, salve, embrocation, emulsion, preparation; mouthwash,
             gargle; eyewash, collyrium:  Use this wash twice a day till the
             condition disappears.  14 flow, wave, swell, welling, sweep,
             sweeping, ebb and flow, surge, surging, undulation, rise and
             fall:  Shellfish in the gap cleanse themselves of impurities in
             the constant tidal wash running through there. 15 coat, coating,
             film, overlay, glaze; plating:  There is a microscopic wash of
             gold over the tin to lend the bracelet a little cachet.

   washed out
             adj.  1 wan, pale, pallid, colourless, faded, lacklustre, flat;
             blanched, bleached, etiolated:  Gene looks washed out because he
             never gets out in the sun. She was wearing washed-out jeans and
             a torn t-shirt. 2 exhausted, spent, tired, tired out, weary,
             worn out, fatigued, drained, Colloq dog-tired, bone-tired, done
             in, all in, fagged out, bushed, Brit knocked up, US knocked out,
             Slang beat, US and Canadian tuckered out, pooped:  After a hard
             day in the office, I feel completely washed out.

   washed up adj.  finished, through, failed, done for, played out, over (and
             done with), Slang kaput, fini:  After that last fiasco, he's no
             more than a washed-up has-been.

   washout   n.  failure, disaster, d‚bѓcle, (total) loss, fiasco,
             disappointment, Colloq flop, dud, Brit damp squib, US lead
             balloon:  His attempts to revive the hula-hoop craze were a
             washout.

   waspish   adj.  irascible, bad-tempered, foul-tempered, temperamental,
             testy, grouchy, sensitive, volatile, querulous, edgy, petulant,
             spiteful, peevish, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, cross, crabby,
             crabbed, crotchety, splenetic, grumpy, captious, cranky, crusty:
             Elaine is feeling very waspish today - no one can do anything
             right.

   waste     v.  1 squander, misuse, throw away, fritter away, misspend,
             splurge, dissipate, Slang blow:  Why I wasted so much time on
             him I'll never know. Don't waste your money on such frivolities.
             2 Often, waste away. diminish, deteriorate, dwindle, decline,
             decay, atrophy, wither, shrink, weaken, become debilitated,
             fade, become enervated or enfeebled, regress, ebb, sink:  She is
             just wasting away, and I am seriously worried that she may not
             recover. 3 enervate, enfeeble, emaciate, gnaw, destroy, consume,
             debilitate, exhaust, disable:  Arkwright contracted a terrible
             wasting disease while in the tropics.  4 assassinate, murder,
             kill, Slang put away, rub out, US ice:  Don't worry, Boss, we'll
             waste Andy and you won't have no more trouble.

             --n.  5 misuse, misapplication, squandering, dissipation,
             misemployment, abuse, neglect:  What a terrible waste of talent
             to have such a person doing such lowly work! Do not let that
             genius go to waste. 6 wasting, extravagance, prodigality,
             wastefulness, squandering, indulgence, lavishness, profligacy,
             dissoluteness, improvidence, overindulgence:  Government waste
             is one of our biggest problems.  7 refuse, rubbish, garbage,
             dregs, debris, leavings, scrap, offscourings, sweepings, litter,
             Archaic orts, US and Canadian trash:  Techniques are being
             developed to process the waste in order to avoid using
             landfills, incineration, or dumping at sea. 8 wasteland, desert,
             wilderness, barrens, wilds, emptiness, vastness:  Beyond that
             system were vast wastes of uninhabited space.

             --adj.  9 extra, leftover, unused, superfluous, worthless,
             useless:  The waste food was usually fed to the animals.  10
             barren, unproductive, unusable, unsalvageable, useless,
             unrecyclable, unprofitable, worthless:  The waste products of
             manufacture are a big problem.  11 lay waste. devastate,
             destroy, demolish, despoil, ruin, wreck, ravage, pillage, sack,
             plunder, loot, rob, strip, spoil, gut, ransack, wreak havoc
             (up)on, crush, raze, annihilate, eradicate, extirpate, wipe out:
             These lands and cities, laid waste by the invaders, have never
             recovered.

   wasteful  adj.  extravagant, spendthrift, profligate, prodigal, lavish,
             improvident, unthrifty, uneconomical, overindulgent,
             open-handed, free-handed, penny wise and pound foolish:  It was
             very wasteful of you to buy me that expensive jewellery.

   wastrel   n.  1 spendthrift, profligate, waster, prodigal, big spender,
             squanderer:  That wastrel went through his inheritance in a
             year.  2 idler, layabout, malingerer, loafer, shirker,
             good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, Chiefly Brit drone, Slang Brit
             skiver:  The workhouse is the place for wastrels like you!

   watch     v.  1 observe, regard, look at, gaze at or on, take in,
             contemplate:  Daniel loves to watch the bears at the zoo.  2
             look after, tend, mind, keep an eye on, watch over, mind, guard,
             care for, take care of, safeguard, protect, shield, keep safe,
             supervise, superintend; chaperon, accompany, attend; Colloq
             babysit (for), sit (with):  Could you please watch Suzie while I
             go shopping?  3 observe, note, notice, make or take note of,
             see, pay attention (to), attend (to), follow, (take) heed (of),
             examine, inspect, scrutinize, pore over; eye, peer at; ogle,
             make eyes at:  Watch the way I bone this fish. Ted enjoys
             watching the girls going by. 4 Often, watch (out) for. look for,
             be on the watch or lookout or alert or qui vive (for), guard
             (against), keep an eye open (for), be watchful (for), note, take
             note or notice of, be vigilant (for or of), keep (one's) eyes
             open (for), keep a (sharp) lookout (for), be prepared or ready
             for, be careful of, anticipate, await, wait (for), look for,
             Colloq keep (one's) eyes peeled or skinned (for), keep a weather
             eye open (for):  We were watching for irregularities in the test
             results. Watch where you're going! Watch out for that last step!

             --n.  5 vigil, surveillance, observation, lookout:  Our six-hour
             watch was rewarded by the appearance of a yellow-bellied
             sapsucker. 6 clock, timepiece, pocket watch, wrist-watch;
             chronometer:  I always set my watch by the GMT time signal on
             the radio.  7 sentry, sentinel, guard, watchman:  The midnight
             watch just returned from his rounds.  8 on the watch (for). on
             the alert (for), on the lookout (for), on (one's) guard (for),
             on the qui vive (for), alert (for or to), awake (to), observant
             (of), watchful (of), cautious (of), wary (of), vigilant,
             circumspect:  We remained on the watch for the slightest
             movement in the bushes.

   watchman  n.  (security) guard, sentinel, sentry, watch, night-watchman,
             custodian, caretaker; watchdog:  After retiring from the police,
             he worked as a watchman.

   water     n.  1 H2O; distilled water, tap water, drinking-water, bottled
             water, spa water, still water, soda (water), effervescent water,
             mineral water; sea water, salt water; ditch-water, dishwater,
             bath-water, US branch water, Facetious Adam's ale, Technical or
             Latin aqua; Technical heavy water or deuterium oxide or D2O;
             Brit fizzy water:  Pure water is odourless, tasteless, and
             colourless.  2 not hold water. be illogical or unsound or
             invalid, not be sensible, be inconsistent, not make sense, be
             unbelievable or incredible, be indefensible, be unfeasible or
             unworkable, not work, not function, not hold up under or bear
             scrutiny or examination, not ring true, ring false, Colloq not
             wash:  Her account of her whereabouts that day just doesn't hold
             water.  3 like water. lavishly, extravagantly, freely,
             wastefully, profligately, open-handedly, liberally, excessively,
             copiously, unstintingly, unreservedly:  They've been spending
             money like water since they won the football pools. 4 make
             water. urinate, pass water, Colloq pee, piss:  When a dog makes
             water, it marks off a territory bounded by its scent. 5 of the
             first water. of superior or excellent or first or top or A-one
             or the finest or the highest or the best quality or grade;
             first-grade, top-grade:  These were not industrial stones but
             diamonds of the first water.

             --v.  6 inundate, flood, drench, saturate, soak, douse,
             irrigate, hose, wet, shower, splash, spray, sprinkle, moisten,
             damp, dampen, bedew:  If you don't water the garden, the
             vegetables will die.  7 Often, water down. dilute, weaken, thin
             out, adulterate; cut; mollify, modify, soften, tone down,
             qualify:  We no longer go there because they water the drinks.
             They told the children a watered-down version of what had
             happened.

   water-colour
             n.  aquarelle:  John's water-colours sell as fast as he paints
             them.

   waterfall n.  cascade, cataract, fall(s), chute, Niagara, No. Brit force,
             Scots linn:  In front of them, a waterfall tumbled down a
             rock-face into a deep pool.

   watertight
             adj.  1 sealed, waterproof:  The escape hatch has been made
             watertight.  2 unassailable, impregnable, solid, airtight,
             flawless, faultless, incontrovertible; without loopholes:
             Landry has a watertight alibi for the night of the crime.

   watery    adj.  1 weak, dilute(d), watered down, tasteless, insipid,
             flavourless, bland, flat, dull, thin, runny, pallid, anaemic,
             Colloq wishy-washy:  He asked me in, then gave me some watery
             tea to drink.  2 weeping, teary, tearful, running, weepy,
             lachrymose, rheumy:  The child looked up at him with watery eyes
             and then collapsed, sobbing. 3 wet, swampy, boggy, marshy,
             aqueous, squelchy; soggy, moist, damp, humid; Colloq squushy or
             squooshy:  It took days to make our way across that watery plain
             to the high ground.

   wave      n.  1 swell, undulation, billow, sea, heave, roller, whitecap,
             white horse; ripple, wavelet, breaker, comber:  A huge wave
             tossed me up on the beach.  2 surge, swell, welling up, ground
             swell, movement, flood, upsurge, uprising, current, tide:  The
             period is marked by a wave of materialism and greed that swamped
             all morality and integrity. 3 signal, sign, gesticulation,
             gesture:  Was his wave intended for you or for me?

             --v.  4 undulate, billow, move to and fro, flap, flutter,
             quiver, flip-flop, swing, sway, ripple, oscillate, zigzag,
             fluctuate, shake; wag, whiffle, wigwag, wiggle, waggle,
             brandish:  The streamer waved slowly in the quickening breeze.
             Stop waving that knife at me! 5 signal, sign, indicate, signify;
             gesture, gesticulate:  Hazel waved goodbye from the train.

   way       n.  1 manner, method, mode, fashion, means, system, course (of
             action), procedure, approach, scheme, technique, practice, modus
             operandi, Colloq MO (= 'modus operandi'):  That's no way to talk
             to your mother! We have ways of making you talk. Is that any way
             to treat a lady?! It's the wrong way to deal with the problem. 2
             manner, spirit, feeling, sense, character, approach,
             personality, temperament, disposition, modus vivendi (=
             'lifestyle'), nature, technique, style, conduct, habit,
             behaviour pattern, custom:  He has such a pleasant way about
             him. Lucinda certainly has a way with children and dogs. You
             city people may not approve of our down-to-earth country ways. 3
             path, road, street, avenue, course, route, trail, direction:
             Show me the way to go home. The way to the village lies through
             dark woods. 4 distance; route, trail, course, road:  You've come
             a long way since we last met.  5 progress, passage, advance,
             headway; speed, velocity, motion, (forward) movement:  We made
             our way to the front of the crowd. Who has the right of way at
             the crossing? The tide was too strong for us to get any way on.
             6 aspect, respect, particular, detail, point, sense, feature:
             In certain ways, you remind me of Attila the Hun.  7 clearance,
             pathway, avenue, scope, freedom, opportunity:  When you hear a
             siren, drive to the side and give way. Make way for the Lord
             High Executioner! 8 condition, situation:  She prefers the
             prissy 'in a family way' to the straightforward 'pregnant' and
             the vulgar 'have a bun in the oven'. I saw Luke yesterday and he
             was really in a bad way. 9 by the way. incidentally, moreover,
             by the by, parenthetically:  By the way, have I told you how
             beautiful you look tonight?  10 by way of.  a via, through, by
             means of:  We drove from London to Oxford by way of Reading.  b
             (functioning) as, in (the) way of, in the capacity of,
             equivalent to, more or less, something like:  Richard is by way
             of being an expert on eccentric behaviour.  11 give way.  a
             collapse, break (down), fail, cave in, fall (down), crumble,
             crumple, disintegrate, go to pieces:  The cable gave way,
             causing the bridge to collapse.  b yield, surrender, retreat,
             concede, withdraw, accede, make concessions, acquiesce,
             acknowledge:  The trouble is that they both think they are in
             the right and neither will give way. 12 under way. proceeding,
             progressing, on the move, moving, advancing, going, begun,
             started, in progress, operating, functioning, at work, US in
             work, Colloq in the works, US in the pipeline:  Once under way,
             it takes the ship three days to make the crossing.  Plans are
             under way to reclaim the slum area for a park.

   waylay    v.  1 ambush, lie in wait for, await, intercept, pounce upon or
             on, swoop down on or upon, accost:  You'll have to waylay him on
             his way to lunch if you want to speak to him. 2 attack, mug,
             seize, assault, accost, set upon:  He was waylaid by a band of
             thieves and stripped of his belongings.

   way-out   adj.  1 bizarre, mad, weird, crazy, strange, odd, peculiar,
             freakish, freaky, eccentric, queer, abnormal, offbeat,
             outrageous, wild, exotic, esoteric, Colloq kinky, Slang kooky,
             off-the-wall, far-out, screwy, nutty, US flaky, screwball:  The
             police did not take kindly to the boys' way-out behaviour after
             the party. 2 avant-garde, advanced, original, innovative,
             unorthodox, unconventional, experimental, precedent-setting,
             progressive, exploratory, ground-breaking, Slang far-out:
             Spencer thinks that the way-out art of the 1960s will have great
             value one day.

23.2 weak...
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   weak      adj.  1 feeble, frail, fragile, unsubstantial, flimsy,
             breakable, frangible, delicate, rickety, unsteady, unsound,
             decrepit, shaky, infirm:  That chair is too weak for you to
             stand on.  2 frail, infirm, debilitated, enervated, delicate,
             sickly, anaemic, wasted, decrepit, puny, effete, worn out,
             tired, exhausted:  When I last saw Tindell he was so weak he
             could hardly lift his brandy glass. 3 unassertive, retiring,
             namby-pamby, spineless, irresolute, impotent, ineffectual,
             ineffective, incompetent, feckless, inept, wishy-washy, timid,
             meek, craven, timorous, cowardly, pusillanimous, lily-livered,
             chicken-hearted, Colloq chicken, yellow:  We know which is the
             weaker partner in that marriage, don't we?  4 feeble, lame,
             half-baked, poor, miserable, unconvincing, unpersuasive, empty,
             shallow, flimsy, hollow, pathetic, pitiful, unbelievable,
             untenable:  Edward made some weak excuse for being late. I found
             Mona's argument against birth control very weak indeed. 5
             weak-minded, dim-witted, dull-witted, slow-witted, foolish,
             feeble-minded, simple, simple-minded, soft-headed, stupid, dull,
             moronic, imbecilic, Colloq dumb:  They seek out people of weaker
             intelligence and make fools of them. 6 faint, dim, poor, dull,
             pale, faded, indistinct, vague, hazy, imperceptible,
             indiscernible, unclear, blurred, blurry, muzzy, wavering,
             faltering, ill-defined, feeble, flickering, subdued:  I could
             hardly see her face in the weak light of the candle.  7 feeble,
             subdued, low, soft, hushed, muffled, muted, almost inaudible,
             stifled, indistinct:  When the victim finally spoke, his voice
             was very weak.  8 See watery, 1, above.  9 weak point. See
             weakness, 3, below.

   weaken    v.  1 debilitate, enfeeble, enervate, emasculate, mitigate,
             moderate, dilute, deplete, diminish, lessen, depress, lower,
             reduce, sap, undermine, exhaust, impoverish:  The continuous
             torture helped to weaken Errol's resolve.  2 fade, dwindle,
             tire, droop, sag, fail, give way, crumble, flag:  My
             determination weakened when I saw what had happened to the
             children. 3 give in, relent, acquiesce, give way, yield, accede,
             consent, agree, assent, soften, bend, ease up, let up, ease off,
             relax:  If you ask very politely, she might weaken and allow you
             to go out and play. 4 water (down), dilute, thin (out):  Adding
             the water so weakened the soup that it tasted like dishwater.

   weakling  n.  milksop, baby, mollycoddle, lightweight, namby-pamby, US and
             Canadian milquetoast, Colloq sissy or Brit also cissy, loser,
             cream puff, jellyfish, pushover, softie or softy, Slang wimp,
             twerp or twirp, US weak sister, schnook, schlemiel or schlemihl
             or shlemiel:  If you count on a weakling like Geoffrey, nothing
             will ever get done.

   weakness  n.  1 feebleness, frailty, fragility, delicacy, delicateness,
             vulnerability, infirmity, decrepitude:  They discovered a
             weakness in the structure of the bridge, so it had to be closed.
             2 incapacity, irresolution, irresoluteness, impotence,
             powerlessness, puniness:  He is ashamed of his weakness in being
             unable to stop smoking.  3 weak point, foible, failing, fault,
             shortcoming, flaw, Achilles' heel, defect, imperfection,
             liability:  Her one great weakness is her inability to deny her
             children anything.  4 soft spot, fondness, affection, liking,
             preference, bent, leaning, inclination, fancy, penchant,
             predilection, proneness, proclivity, predisposition, partiality,
             appreciation, appetite, sweet tooth, taste, eye:  The two of
             them share a weakness for good food and wine.

   wealth    n.  1 affluence, riches, money, opulence, prosperity, property,
             holdings, capital, assets, wherewithal, cash:  Most of their
             wealth comes from illicit trade in diamonds.  2 profusion,
             abundance, bounty, plenteousness, bounteousness, copiousness,
             mine, plenitude, fullness, store, cornucopia, richness:  Janet
             has a wealth of ideas for situation-comedy plots.

   wealthy   adj.  rich, affluent, well off, prosperous, well-to-do, opulent,
             comfortable, moneyed, Colloq in the money, on Easy Street,
             flush, well-heeled, in clover, Slang loaded, stinking (rich),
             filthy rich, quids in, rolling in it:  Bill has a wealthy aunt
             who sends him a little something now and then.

   wear      v.  1 be dressed or clothed in, dress in, put on, don, be in,
             step or get into or in, have on, sport:  I shall wear my new
             suit tonight.  2 display, show, exhibit, have, adopt, assume:  I
             wondered why she wore such a curious expression.  3 Often, wear
             down or away or off. damage, impair, harm, fray, erode, abrade,
             corrode, rub (off):  The water has worn down the rocks till they
             are round and shiny.  The inscription on the stone is worn away.
             After years of use, the paint has worn off. 4 Often, wear well.
             last, endure, survive, hold up, bear up, stand up:  I wrote to
             the makers telling them the shoes have worn well.  5 drag, pass
             slowly, creep by or along, go by gradually or tediously:  The
             hours wore on as I waited for the test results.  6 Often, wear
             out. tire, fatigue, exhaust, debilitate, weary, enervate, drain,
             burden:  You must be worn out from carrying those heavy books.
             7 bore, exasperate, harass, vex, annoy, irritate, tax, strain:
             I find it wearing to listen to that music all day long.

             --n.  8 wearing, use, utilization; attire, garb, clothing,
             clothes, apparel, dress, gear:  Did you get much wear out of
             your new hat? Suzanne is modelling a silver lam‚ dress for
             evening wear. 9 wear and tear, attrition, deterioration, damage,
             fraying, chafing, abrasion, erosion, corrosion, friction:  As
             the engine ages, heavier oil is needed to offset the normal
             wear.

   weary     adj.  1 tired, fatigued, exhausted, worn out, drained, spent,
             Colloq all in, ready to drop, fagged (out), done in, dead (on
             (one's) feet), frazzled, dead beat, dog-tired, Brit knocked up,
             US knocked out, Slang Brit whacked, knackered, US pooped, zonked
             (out), shot:  He is so weary after work that he can scarcely eat
             his dinner.  2 boring, irksome, irritating, tedious, vexing,
             annoying, exasperating, burdensome, wearying, tiring, fatiguing,
             draining, taxing, wearisome:  We walked many a weary mile before
             reaching the oasis.  3 bored, impatient, jaded, blas‚, Colloq
             fed up, sick and tired, Taboo slang browned off:  I wish he
             would wipe that weary expression off his smug face.

             --v.  4 Often, weary of. tire (of), be or become bored (with or
             by) or impatient (with) or jaded (with or by), Colloq be or
             become fed up (with) or sick and tired (of):  I soon wearied of
             her nagging.  5 exhaust, enervate, fatigue, tire, debilitate,
             drain, tax, wear or tire out:  The long trek across country had
             wearied us all.

   weather   n.  1 (meteorological) condition(s), climate:  The weather
             suddenly changed, and we arrived home cold and wet.  2 under the
             weather. ailing, ill, sickly, unwell, indisposed, out of sorts,
             sick, Colloq poorly, seedy:  I didn't go sailing because I was
             feeling a bit under the weather.

             --v.  3 stand, survive, suffer, bear up against, endure,
             withstand, rise above, ride out, live through, brave:  Gemma
             didn't think she could weather much more sarcasm from the
             critics.

   weave     v.  1 loom; braid, plait, entwine, intertwine, interlace,
             interweave, knit (together):  These fabrics were woven by hand.
             Weave these leather strands together to make a belt. 2 blend,
             combine, fuse, merge, unite, intermingle, mesh, splice,
             dovetail, join:  The threads of their lives are inextricably
             woven together.  3 construct, make, contrive, build, create,
             fabricate, compose, spin, design:  Oh, what a tangled web we
             weave When first we practise to deceive!  4 zigzag, criss-cross,
             wend or make (one's) way, dodge, bob and weave, shift:  Look at
             that motor cyclist weaving in and out of the traffic!  5 get
             weaving. get started, get a move on, hurry (up), start, Colloq
             shake a leg, Brit get or pull (one's) finger out, Chiefly US get
             a wiggle on:  If you're going to get to work on time, you'd best
             get weaving.

   web       n.  spider's web, cobweb; net, network, entanglement, snare,
             trap:  Don't you just hate getting those webs in your hair? She
             became entangled in a web of deception.

   wed       v.  1 marry, espouse, get married, become husband and wife, say
             or take (one's) (marriage) vows, join or unite in holy wedlock
             or matrimony; lead down the aisle, lead to the altar, Archaic
             wive; Colloq tie the knot, get hitched, get spliced:  They were
             wed on the fourth of July, 1921. That was when Harry wed
             Annabel. 2 combine, unite, ally, marry, blend, merge, join,
             mingle, intermingle, commingle, coalesce, mix, intermix,
             amalgamate, compound, alloy, fuse, homogenize:  As a chef, he is
             extremely fortunate to be able to wed business to pleasure.

   wedded    adj.  Usually, wedded to. intimately or obstinately attached or
             connected (to), enamoured (of):  He has always been wedded to
             the notion of living alone on an island.

   wedding   n.  1 marriage (ceremony), wedding ceremony, nuptials;
             confarreation:  Our son's wedding was attended by members of the
             royal family.  2 combining, combination, uniting, union,
             joining, juncture, blending, blend, allying, alliance,
             associating, association, marrying, marriage, merging, merger,
             mingling, intermingling, commingling, coalescing, coalescence,
             mixing, mixture, intermixing, amalgamating, amalgamation,
             compounding, compound, alloying, alloy, fusing, fusion,
             homogenizing, homogenization:  Through her wedding of vision to
             observation she has produced some truly remarkable paintings.

   wedge     n.  1 block, chock:  A shoe with a wedge heel is called a
             'wedgie'. We forced wedges into the cracks in the stone to split
             it. 2 separation, separator, division, partition, split,
             fissure, cleavage:  That woman tried to drive a wedge between me
             and my husband.

             --v.  3 ram, jam, stuff, cram, crowd, force, squeeze, pack,
             thrust:  You couldn't have wedged another person into the back
             seat of that Mini with a shoehorn.

   wee       adj.  1 tiny, small, diminutive, little, minuscule, midget,
             minute, miniature, Lilliputian, microscopic, Colloq itty-bitty,
             itsy-bitsy, teeny(-weeny), teensy(-weensy):  Johnny caught his
             wee little finger in the door.  2 unimportant, insignificant,
             trivial, little, puny:  It was only a wee thing, of no interest
             to anyone but me.

   weep      v.  1 cry, shed tears, bawl, blubber, keen, sob, lament, mourn,
             bemoan, bewail, moan, grieve, whine, whimper, mewl, pule,
             snivel, Colloq blub, boohoo, Brit and Australian whinge:  A
             small child, sitting by herself, was weeping bitterly.  2 ooze,
             seep, exude, drip:  The wound had started weeping and needed
             bandaging.

   weigh     v.  1 Sometimes, weigh in at or out at.  Colloq tip the scales
             at:  The sailboard weighed in at 250 pounds. I weigh more than I
             should.  2 consider, ponder, contemplate, think on or over or
             about, mull over, turn over in the or (one's) mind, ruminate
             over, chew over, reflect on or upon, brood over, pore over,
             study, examine:  After weighing the qualifications of the
             candidates, we voted for you. Weigh your words carefully before
             responding. 3 judge, estimate, assess, evaluate, value,
             determine:  It is not easy to weigh each person's contribution
             to the effort.  4 Usually, weigh on or upon. lie heavy on,
             burden, depress, prey on, oppress, disturb, perturb, upset:
             Loneliness weighs heavily on Dave's widow.  5 matter, count,
             have (an) effect or influence, carry weight, be of value or
             account, Colloq cut any ice:  Certain factors - like the sizes
             of the bribes - are likely to weigh heavily with the judges of
             this particular beauty contest. 6 weigh down. burden,
             overburden, load, overload, encumber, tax, overtax, strain,
             trouble, worry, depress, oppress:  He's been weighed down by
             financial worries since losing his job.

   weight    n.  1 heaviness, avoirdupois, mass, tonnage, Dialect heft:  They
             sell peaches by weight but melons are individually priced.  The
             weight of these books must be enormous. 2 burden, load,
             millstone, onus, pressure, strain, albatross, cross:  He has to
             support the weight of the entire family's expenses.  3
             influence, authority, power, substance, force, moment,
             importance, consequence, impact, persuasiveness, value, worth,
             Colloq clout:  Clyde brought down his full weight in favour of
             the liberal candidate.  Clyde's opinion carries little weight
             with me. He must stop throwing his weight around. 4 mass,
             majority, preponderance or preponderancy, bulk, superiority:
             The weight of the voters is in favour of reducing taxes. The
             weight of the evidence is against us.

             --v.  5 load, charge, ballast:  The policemen's truncheons are
             weighted with lead.  6 arrange, manipulate, bias, incline,
             slant, Colloq rig:  The statistics are weighted so as to make
             the advertiser's product look superior.

   weighty   adj.  1 heavy, ponderous, massive, huge, bulky, substantial,
             ample, large, mammoth, colossal, immense, enormous, gigantic,
             prodigious; corpulent, fat, obese, adipose, Colloq hefty:  I
             found myself face to face with a rather weighty gentleman who
             was blocking the doorway. 2 important, consequential,
             significant, momentous, grave, crucial, portentous,
             thought-provoking, provocative:  These are weighty matters and
             should be handled with circumspection.  3 influential,
             convincing, persuasive, impressive, telling, powerful, potent,
             leading; forceful:  Weighty arguments have been put forward in
             support of these proposals.

   weird     adj.  strange, odd, peculiar, bizarre, unnatural, eerie, queer,
             grotesque, freakish, outlandish, uncanny, unearthly,
             other-worldly, supernatural, preternatural, Literary eldritch,
             Colloq spooky, freaky, kinky, Slang far-out, way-out:  There was
             something decidedly weird about the creature at the door.

   weirdo    n.  eccentric, madman, madwoman, lunatic, psychotic, Colloq
             crazy, weirdie, nutcase, oddball, queer fish, crank, Slang
             freak, loony, psycho, Brit nutter, US screwball, nut, kook:  Why
             belong to a club whose members are weirdos who refuse to talk to
             one another?

   welcome   v.  1 greet, hail, meet, receive, accept, offer hospitality
             (to):  Everywhere she went she was welcomed with open arms.

             --adj.  2 accepted, acceptable, well-received, desirable,
             agreeable, gratifying, appreciated:  Norma is always a welcome
             guest at my house. Ice cream was a welcome relief from the
             perennial plum duff. 3 freely permitted or allowed, invited,
             entitled, suffered:  At that hotel, guests are welcome to dine
             when they please.

             --n.  4 reception, greeting, salutation:  We gave the ambassador
             a warm welcome.

   weld      v.  1 unite, combine, merge, fuse, connect, link, join; solder,
             braze, cement, bond:  We felt welded together in a brotherhood
             that would last forever.  The brace must be welded all the way
             along the edge.

             --n.  2 seam, joint, juncture, commissure:  The weld must be
             filed down smooth.

   welfare   n.  benefit, good, advantage, well-being, prosperity, (good)
             fortune, profit, interest, (good) health, happiness, felicity:
             It is up to the parents to look after their children's welfare.

   well°     adv.  1 satisfactorily, sufficiently, adequately, agreeably,
             nicely, (well) enough, Colloq OK or okay:  Alan is doing well
             these days.  2 successfully, famously, marvellously,
             wonderfully, fabulously, incredibly, splendidly, admirably,
             spectacularly, excellently, superbly:  Barbara and David really
             get along well together.  3 articulately, understandably,
             expressively, correctly, accurately, properly, proficiently,
             effectively, artistically, poetically; grammatically:  Henry
             will make a good announcer because he speaks well.  4
             comfortably, luxuriously, prosperously, extravagantly, showily,
             pretentiously, ostentatiously, sumptuously, grandly, opulently:
             How can Rita live so well with no visible income? Living well is
             the best revenge. 5 graciously, kindly, highly, favourably,
             glowingly, approvingly, warmly, genially, cordially, amiably,
             kind-heartedly, warm-heartedly, affectionately, lovingly:
             Rudolph has always spoken well of you, Aileen.  6 skilfully,
             expertly, adeptly, proficiently, ably:  Does Anne play well
             enough to compete professionally? Paul sings well. 7 far, by a
             long way, immeasurably, (very) much; far and away, definitely,
             positively, obviously, clearly, plainly, manifestly, evidently,
             unquestionably, decidedly, beyond (the shadow of a) doubt,
             Colloq by a long chalk:  Keep well away from the fuel tank
             before lighting that cigarette.  She is well beyond the beginner
             stage. This painting is well worth what you paid. 8
             good-naturedly, equably, coolly, serenely, calmly, soberly,
             unexcitedly, sedately:  Burt took the bad news about his car
             very well.  9 likely, probably, in all probability, doubtlessly,
             without doubt, not unexpectedly, indeed:  He might well say he
             needs no help.  10 easily, without difficulty:  Though he gave
             her the money, he could not well spare it.  11 completely,
             entirely, wholly:  Before she could well finish her sentence, he
             was out of the house.  12 thoroughly (cooked), (cooked) through
             and through, completely (cooked):  He likes his roast beef well
             done.  13 intimately, closely, familiarly, personally;
             thoroughly, profoundly, soundly, fully:  Do you know Boris well?
             I learnt my lesson well.  14 fairly, justly, suitably, properly,
             adequately, reasonably, fully, generously, amply:  James is well
             paid for his work.  15 happily, mercifully, fortunately,
             luckily:  After the divorce, both said they were well rid of
             each other.

             --adj.  16 healthy, fit, hale, robust, vigorous, hearty, in fine
             or good fettle, Colloq in good shape:  Wendy felt really well
             after her holiday.  17 satisfactory, pleasing, agreeable, good,
             right, all right, fine, proper, OK or okay:  When he phoned the
             office, they told him all was well.

   wellэ     n.  1 well-spring, spring, fountain, well-head, fountain-head,
             fount, source, reservoir:  The well provided a constant supply
             of cool clear water.

             --v.  2 Often, well up or out or forth. flow, spring, surge,
             rise, stream, trickle, brim over, swell, start; gush, spurt,
             jet, spout; ooze, seep, leak:  Tears welled up in the child's
             eyes when she saw the broken doll.

   well-advised
             adj.  prudent, wise, sensible, intelligent, smart:  You would be
             well-advised to avoid Chichicastenango at this time of year.

   well-balanced
             adj.  1 rational, sane, sensible, rational, reasonable,
             level-headed, sober, sound, well-adjusted, cool(-headed), Slang
             together:  Ray is as well-balanced as people seem to be these
             days.  2 even, symmetric(al), harmonious, well-proportioned,
             orderly, well-ordered, well-disposed:  Note the well-balanced
             arrangement of the windows in this Palladian fa‡ade.

   well-bred adj.  well brought up, well-mannered, polite, decorous,
             mannerly, refined, courteous, cultivated, polished, cultured,
             gentlemanly, ladylike, elegant, suave, urbane, sophisticated,
             gracious, courtly, genteel, gallant, chivalrous:  Jane prefers
             bikers to the well-bred gentlemen her mother selects for her.

   well-established
             adj.  long-standing, traditional, set, venerable, well-known,
             accepted, well-founded:  He works for a well-established firm of
             solicitors. It's a well-established fact that the English
             discuss the weather a lot.

   well-fed  adj.  plump, chunky, thickset, chubby, rounded, rotund, portly,
             stout, fleshy, overweight, adipose, fat, obese, gross, Brit
             podgy or US pudgy:  On the westward crossing we were seated with
             a well-fed Austrian couple.

   well-groomed
             adj.  neat, dapper, fastidious, tidy, trim, smart, clean-cut,
             spruce, natty, well-dressed, Colloq nifty, Slang US and Canadian
             spiffy:  Well-groomed gentleman sought as escort to attractive
             widow. Hourly rate. Driving licence essential.

   well-informed
             adj.  knowledgeable, learned, well-read, well-versed,
             well-educated, literate, educated, Colloq in the know, wise, US
             vibrating on the right frequency, Slang hip or hep:  With access
             to all the media, what excuse have you for not being
             well-informed?

   well-known
             adj.  1 known, familiar, (well-)established, acknowledged,
             customary, everyday:  Plain salt is a well-known remover of wine
             stains.  2 famous, noted, notable, celebrated, renowned,
             illustrious, famed, prominent, eminent, pre-eminent:  The
             scandal linked a former Cabinet Minister with several well-known
             City names.

   well off  adj.  comfortable, wealthy, rich, affluent, prosperous,
             well-to-do, Colloq well-heeled, US well-fixed:  They are well
             off and live in a charming house on the edge of the Cotswolds.

   well-thought-of
             adj.  admired, highly regarded, respected, reputable, venerated,
             esteemed, revered, looked-up-to, valued:  Timothy is a
             well-thought-of member of the community.

   well-timed
             adj.  timely, seasonable, opportune, auspicious, favourable,
             advantageous, beneficial:  Tax incentives gave a well-timed
             boost to the economy.

   welsher   n.  non-payer, cheat, cheater, swindler, Slang dead-beat, US
             welcher:  That welsher never paid the money he lost to me at
             poker.

   welt      n.  1 bead, ridge, seam, edge, wale, stripe:  The cushion has a
             welt of contrasting colour binding it.  2 bruise, contusion,
             bump, lump, scar, weal or wale or wheal:  The boy's back was
             covered with red welts where he had been birched.

   welter    n.  1 mass, mess, jumble, tangle, confusion, mishmash, muddle,
             clutter, Brit hotchpotch or US also hodgepodge:  Her assignment
             was to sort out a welter of discarded clothing for the poor. My
             mind was assailed by a welter of disorganized images.

             --v.  2 be sunk or involved in, flounder, be bogged down in, be
             entangled or ensnarled in:  Till I found a new secretary, I
             would have to continue weltering in a sea of correspondence and
             unfiled papers.

   wet       adj.  1 moist, moistened, damp, dampened, soaked, soaking,
             sopping, wringing, dripping, sodden, soppy, saturated, drenched:
             During the rainy season, the ground is far too wet for planting.
             2 rainy, raining, teeming, pouring, drizzling, showery:  We have
             had a very wet spring this year.  3 feeble, weak, irresolute,
             effet, namby-pamby, foolish, ineffectual, ineffective,
             spineless, timorous, cowardly:  She considered some of her
             colleagues too wet to take the tough action needed.

             --n.  4 moisture, water, wetness, dampness, damp, humidity,
             liquid:  The wet stood out on his forehead.  5 rain, wetness,
             mist, dew, fog, damp, humidity:  Come in out of the wet, and
             warm yourself by the fire.  6 milksop, softie or softy,
             lightweight, Colloq drip, loser, Brit weed, Slang wimp, US weak
             sister:  Why is he such a wet about standing up for his rights?

23.3 wheedle...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   wheedle   v.  coax, cajole, inveigle, charm, beguile, persuade, talk;
             butter up; Colloq con, sweet-talk:  Irena always managed to
             wheedle someone into taking her dancing.

   wheel     n.  1 disc, ring, annulus, circle, hoop:  It seems odd that no
             culture in the western hemisphere ever invented the wheel.

             --v.  2 spin, turn, veer, swivel, pivot, swing, whirl:  Medusa
             wheeled to face him and he promptly turned to stone.

   whereabouts
             n.pl. or sg.  1 location, position, place, site, situation,
             locale, neighbourhood, vicinity:  Her present whereabouts are
             unknown to me. The culprit concealed his whereabouts from the
             police.

             --adv.  2 where, in or at or to what place, whither:
             Whereabouts are you going to spend your holiday? Whereabouts are
             you going?

   whet      v.  1 sharpen, hone, grind, file, put an edge on, strop:  He
             whetted the knife on an oiled stone till it was razor-sharp.  2
             pique, sharpen, awaken, arouse, stimulate, kindle, fire,
             increase, excite, enhance:  The cruise on Bill's yacht whetted
             my appetite to own a small sailing-boat.

   whimsical adj.  1 quaint, fey, fanciful, odd, curious, unusual,
             chimeric(al), queer, singular, peculiar, funny, fantastic(al),
             pixyish, playful, puckish, absurd, preposterous, Colloq offbeat:
             When Andrew's whimsical drawings caught on they were bought by
             greetings card makers. 2 capricious, erratic, eccentric,
             wavering, flighty, unsettled, fickle, mercurial, wavering,
             fluctuating, unpredictable, inconsistent, volatile, unsteady:
             The buses in our village run on what could best be termed a
             whimsical timetable.

   whip      v.  1 beat, thrash, lash, flog, horsewhip, scourge, switch,
             cane, birch, flagellate, leather, spank, strap; castigate,
             chastise, punish, discipline; Slang tan, US wale:  They learnt
             right from wrong because father whipped them when they were
             wrong. 2 trounce, defeat, beat, conquer, overwhelm, rout,
             overcome, overpower, thwart, check, best, worst, drub, stop,
             outdo, Colloq lick, wipe the floor with, batter, Slang
             pulverize, clobber, destroy, ruin, murder, slaughter, kill,
             squash, smash, US cream:  Karpilova whipped O'Meara 6-0, 6-2 at
             today's match.  3 run, scamper, scoot, race, scurry, scramble,
             hurry, flit, rush, dash, dart, Colloq zip, zoom, skedaddle:  I
             whipped round the corner and dived behind a tree to hide.  4
             beat, whisk, fluff up:  Whip the egg-whites till they are stiff.
             5 Nautical seize, bind, wind, fasten, tie:  The end of the line
             is whipped to prevent its unravelling.  6 whip out. yank out,
             jerk out, pull (out), whisk out, present, exhibit, flash,
             produce:  He suddenly whipped out a gun and started shooting.  7
             whip up.  a stir up, agitate, arouse, rouse, work up, excite,
             incite:  The rabble-rousers whipped the crowd into a frenzy.  b
             improvise, put together or assemble or prepare quickly or
             hurriedly, Colloq knock together, knock up, US slap together:
             Tina whipped up a snack while we were waiting for Ken to arrive.

             --n.  8 scourge, knout, lash, cat-o'-nine-tails, rawhide, quirt,
             horsewhip, bull-whip, cane, birch, switch, thong, (riding-)crop,
             Colloq cat:  We dreaded it when Dr Hazen eyed the whip hung
             behind the classroom door.

   whipping  n.  1 beating, thrashing, lashing, flogging, horsewhipping,
             scourging, switching, caning, birching, flagellation, spanking:
             Once he had had a whipping, the boy would not misbehave again.
             2 Nautical seizing, binding, tying, winding, fastening:  The
             whipping will prevent the end of the line from unravelling.

   whirlpool n.  maelstrom, vortex, eddy, whirl, swirl, Heraldry gurges:  As
             we watched in horror, the canoe was drawn down into the
             whirlpool and disappeared.

   whirlwind n.  1 waterspout, dust devil, cyclone, typhoon, anticyclone,
             hurricane, extra-tropical cyclone, tropical cyclone,
             Nontechnical tornado, Nautical white squall, Australian
             willy-willy, Colloq US whirly:  A whole row of houses was
             destroyed in the whirlwind.

             --adj.  2 speedy, quick, swift, sudden, precipitous, lightning,
             headlong, hasty, rash, impetuous:  It was one of those whirlwind
             romances that last till the wind dies down.

   whisk     v.  1 rush, dart, sweep, brush:  Agatha whisked about the room,
             aimlessly moving small objects about on tables and shelves. 2
             speed, rush, carry, whip, hasten, hustle, hurry:  The taxi came
             and whisked Fran off to the airport.  3 See whip, 4, above.

             --n.  4 sweep, wave, brush, flick:  With a whisk of his hand he
             dismissed the servants.  5 brush, fly-whisk:  The chief flicked
             his whisk to signal that the audience was ended.  6 beater,
             whip:  It is quicker to whip cream with a whisk.

   whisky    n.  whiskey, alcohol, spirits, John Barleycorn, usquebaugh,
             Scotch, home-brew, mother's ruin (= 'gin'), Scots barley-bree,
             Brit Scotch, US rye, bourbon, white lightning, white mule,
             moonshine, Colloq booze, hooch, rot-gut, US corn, fire-water,
             Slang US Sneaky Pete, smoke:  Peter is a welcome guest who
             always remembers to bring a bottle of whisky.

   whisper   v.  1 breathe, murmur, mutter, mumble, hiss, speak or say softly
             or under (one's) breath, sigh, susurrate:  He whispered sweet
             nothings in her ear.  2 gossip, bruit about, noise abroad,
             murmur, insinuate, hint, rumour, disclose, divulge, reveal,
             breathe a word:  We have all heard Corin whispering of your
             wife's infidelities.

             --n.  3 murmur, undertone, hushed tone(s):  Why do you always
             speak in whispers when talking about Nesta?  4 hint, suggestion,
             soup‡on, suspicion:  There was never the slightest whisper of
             gossip about Eleanor.

   white     adj.  1 snow-white, snowy, chalk-white, chalky, ivory, creamy,
             milky, milk-white, oyster-white, off-white; silver, hoary:  Many
             buildings in the tropics are painted white. Do you believe that
             a person's hair can turn white overnight? 2 pale, pallid, pasty,
             wan, whey-faced, ashen, bloodless, drained, whitish, waxen,
             ghastly, ghostly, anaemic, dead white, deathly white,
             cadaverous, corpse-like:  Her black dress contrasted starkly
             with her white complexion.  3 innocent, pure, unsullied,
             stainless, unblemished, spotless, immaculate, virginal,
             virtuous, undefiled, chaste:  She came to you with white hands,
             which you have sought to dirty with your vicious accusations. 4
             Caucasian, Caucasoid, light-skinned, fair-skinned,
             pale-complexioned:  The American Indian was - and still is -
             treated very unfairly by the White man.

   whitewash v.  gloss over, cover up, sugar-coat, hide, camouflage, conceal,
             qualify, minimize, extenuate, diminish, play down, downplay,
             make light of, rationalize, excuse:  We are being accused of
             whitewashing the dishonest actions of the previous
             administration.

   whittle   v.  1 pare (down or away), shave, trim, cut, carve, hew, shape:
             Remember when Grandpapa used to whittle those tiny figures of
             elves when we were children? 2 Usually, whittle away at or down.
             pare, shave, cut, trim, reduce, diminish, erode, eat away at:
             If he keeps whittling away at his trust fund, he might have to
             get a job.

   whole     adj.  1 entire, complete, uncut, full, intact, unbroken, total:
             I can't believe she ate the whole chicken. Were you here the
             whole time? 2 in one piece, intact, unharmed, undamaged,
             unscathed, unimpaired, unhurt, uninjured:  How could anyone
             emerge whole from that smash-up?  3 well, healthy, sound, fit,
             strong:  The surgeons have made him whole again.

             --n.  4 everything, aggregate, (sum) total, totality, lot,
             entirety; ensemble; Colloq whole kit and caboodle:  I look at
             the whole and don't bother about petty details.  5 on the whole.
             largely, mostly, usually, more often than not, for the most
             part, in general, generally, by and large, with few exceptions,
             all things considered, all in all, as a rule, chiefly, mainly,
             in the main, predominantly:  On the whole, our clients collect
             only originals, not copies or prints.

   wholehearted
             adj.  devoted, dedicated, committed, earnest, sincere,
             unqualified, unmitigated, unreserved, complete, entire,
             unstinting, real, true, genuine, hearty, heartfelt, serious,
             enthusiastic, zealous, warm, fervent, ardent, spirited, eager,
             energetic:  Once I agree to help, you can rely on my
             wholehearted support.

   wholesome adj.  1 healthful, healthy, health-giving, nutritious,
             nourishing, beneficial, tonic, salutary, salubrious,
             strengthening, bracing, stimulating:  Everyone should regularly
             engage in wholesome exercise.  2 moral, ethical, righteous,
             upright, honourable, decent, principled, proper, fit, meet:  I
             am not sure that the child is being brought up in a wholesome
             atmosphere.

   wholly    adv.  1 altogether, entirely, absolutely, quite, totally,
             thoroughly, completely, in toto, fully, in all respects, in
             every way, all in all, utterly, unqualifiedly, every inch, 100%;
             lock, stock, and barrel; root and branch; backwards and
             forwards; from the ground up; Colloq bag and baggage; hook,
             line, and sinker; to the nth degree; (the) whole hog, US up one
             side and down the other:  We are wholly on your side in this
             matter. The company has been wholly reorganized. 2 only,
             exclusively, solely, unexceptionally, categorically,
             unequivocally, unambiguously, explicitly:  The success or
             failure of the plan depends wholly on you.

   whoop     n.  1 shout, shriek, yell, roar, bellow, hoot, (battle or war)
             cry, war-whoop, outcry, scream, screech, squeal, yelp, yowl,
             howl, bark; cheer, hurrah, huzzah; Colloq holler:  At his whoop
             of joy we knew he had passed the exam.

             --v.  2 shout, shriek, yell, roar, bellow, hoot, cry (out),
             scream, screech, squeal, yelp, yowl, howl, bark; cheer, hurrah,
             huzzah; Colloq holler:  He heard the tribesmen whooping as they
             descended on the fort.

   whopping  adj.  1 huge, great, enormous, colossal, gigantic, immense,
             tremendous, prodigious, monstrous, thumping, mammoth, massive,
             Brobdingnagian:  With that whopping Great Dane of yours in the
             kitchen there's no room to move about. 2 flagrant, outrageous,
             extravagant, terrible, awful:  Jones tells such whopping lies I
             don't know when to believe him.

23.4 wicked...
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   wicked    adj.  1 evil, bad, immoral, amoral, unprincipled, sinful,
             impious, irreligious, blasphemous, profane, sacrilegious,
             ungodly, godless, diabolic(al), satanic, Mephistophelian,
             demonic, demoniac(al), hellish, infernal, accursed, damnable,
             fiendish, ghoulish:  How wicked must one be to murder one's own
             child? She has done many wicked things, but this was the worst.
             2 depraved, dissolute, villainous, black-hearted, iniquitous,
             horrible, horrid, hideous, heinous, beastly, base, low, vile,
             debased, degenerate, perverse, perverted, corrupt, foul,
             offensive, abominable, disgraceful, shameful, dreadful, awful,
             gross, gruesome, grim, appalling, grisly, loathsome, lawless,
             unrepentant, unregenerate, incorrigible, criminal, felonious,
             rascally, knavish, terrible, egregious, execrable:  The Deluge
             was regarded as divine vengeance on a wicked world.  He was a
             wicked man, in league with the devil himself. 3 dirty,
             pornographic, filthy, erotic, obscene, lewd, offensive,
             indecent, prurient, smutty, rude, taboo, blue, coarse, bawdy,
             vulgar, salacious, licentious, nasty, X-rated, Colloq US
             raunchy:  The townspeople took the wicked books and burnt them
             all.  4 vicious, beastly, savage, nasty, bad, violent, mean,
             cruel:  Graham has a wicked temper. The boys were subjected to
             the most wicked treatment. 5 naughty, mischievous, impish, sly,
             devilish, rascally, roguish, scampish, puckish; vexatious,
             exasperating, annoying, irritating, irksome, trying, galling,
             bothersome:  What trouble have those wicked children got
             themselves into now?  It is wicked of you to make pig noises
             every time I mention Bertha. 6 foul, offensive, pernicious,
             baleful, mephitic, disgusting, revolting, sickening, repulsive,
             repellent, nauseous, repugnant, rotten, pestilential, noxious:
             That liniment the doctor prescribed has a wicked odour.  7
             expert, ingenious, superior, superb, superlative, outstanding,
             masterful, masterly, skilful, deft, adept:  That chap Gough
             plays a wicked game of tennis.

   wide      adj.  1 spacious, roomy, ample, extensive, broad:  The road is
             wide enough for two cars to pass. If the book is set in wider
             type, it will have more pages. 2 broad, extensive,
             comprehensive, encyclopedic or encyclopaedic, inclusive,
             far-reaching, wide-ranging, widespread:  He has wide interests,
             from music to archaeology to sport.  3 extreme, considerable,
             substantial, sizeable, major, big, large; widespread:  There
             have been wide fluctuations in market prices.  4 wide of the
             mark. off the mark, astray, deviant, deviating, off (the)
             target, not on target, inappropriate:  Forecasts from analysts
             were based on erroneous assumptions and proved to be very wide
             of the mark.

             --adv.  5 astray, afield, wide of the mark, off the mark, off
             (the) target, to one side:  He took careless aim and the shot
             went wide.  6 all the way, as much as possible, fully,
             completely, to the utmost:  The dentist said, 'Open wide'. When
             I heard the drill, I was suddenly wide awake.

   widely    adv.  1 extensively, thoroughly, universally, everywhere,
             generally, by many:  In the days when it was widely believed
             that the earth was flat, perhaps it was. 2 to a large or a great
             extent, greatly, largely, very much, extremely, considerably,
             substantially:  Opinions differ widely regarding the origin of
             the universe.

   widen     v.  distend, dilate, spread, stretch, enlarge, increase, expand;
             extend, broaden, supplement, add to, augment:  It will be
             necessary to widen the opening to allow insertion of the device.
             We are planning to widen the news coverage we provide our
             readers.

   width     n.  1 breadth, wideness, compass, broadness, span; diameter,
             calibre, bore; measure; Nautical beam:  What is the standard
             width of railway track in this country? The width of the
             cannon-ball is three inches. 2 reach, scope, range, breadth,
             extent, extensiveness:  There is an impressive width of choice
             at the restaurant.

   wield     v.  1 flourish, swing, brandish, wave, handle, use, employ:  He
             wields that machete as if he means business.  2 exercise, have,
             employ, exert, use, utilize:  Since Juan is the one who wields
             the power, he is the one to deal with.

   wife      n.  mate, helpmeet, helpmate, spouse, bride, partner, Colloq
             better half, little woman, the missis or missus, old lady or
             woman, ball and chain, Slang trouble and strife:  Doesn't your
             wife mind your going out every night?

   wild      adj.  1 undomesticated, untamed, unbroken, savage, feral:  The
             only four-legged animals inhabiting the island were wild pigs.
             2 uncultivated, uninhabited, waste, desert, desolate, virgin,
             unpopulated, empty, trackless, barren, lifeless; deserted:  The
             cottage overlooks an expanse of wild moorland.  3 savage,
             uncivilized, barbarous, primitive, rude, uncultured,
             uncultivated, brutish, barbaric, fierce, ferocious:  Some early
             explorers studied the wild people they encountered in far-off
             lands. 4 uncontrolled, unrestricted, unrestrained, untrammelled,
             unbridled, unfettered, unshackled, free, unchecked, lively,
             impetuous, unconventional, undisciplined, disobedient,
             insubordinate, self-willed, wayward, mutinous, rowdy(ish),
             boisterous, unruly, tumultuous, turbulent, tempestuous,
             uproarious; uncontrollable, unmanageable, ungovernable,
             intractable, unrestrainable:  Peter led quite a wild youth. We
             cannot cope with their wild behaviour after they have had too
             much to drink. 5 mad, maniac(al), crazed, crazy, irrational,
             distracted, frenzied, frantic, distraught, hysterical, raving,
             raging, unhinged, demented, delirious; berserk; run amok or
             amuck:  William had a wild look about him. Nellie has been
             driven wild by the pressures of business. 6 exciting, excited,
             vehement, passionate, romantic, turbulent, chaotic, tempestuous,
             reckless, madcap:  At the time, Ernest was having a wild love
             affair with Charles's widow. 7 absurd, irrational, unreasonable,
             extravagant, fantastic, imprudent, foolish, foolhardy,
             impractical, impracticable, unpractical, unworkable, ridiculous,
             reckless, silly, giddy, flighty, madcap, outrageous,
             preposterous, bizarre, strange, odd, peculiar, Colloq offbeat:
             He lost thousands on some wild scheme for reducing shipping
             costs by filling bubble packing with helium. 8 tousled,
             wind-blown, unkempt, dishevelled, untidy, disordered,
             disorderly, messed-up, Colloq mussed-up:  Her hair was in wild
             disarray.  9 enthusiastic, avid, eager, agog, Colloq crazy, mad,
             daft, dotty, Brit potty, Slang nutty, nuts:  I'm just wild about
             Harry, And Harry's wild about me.

             --n.  10 Usually, wilds. wasteland, wilderness, desert,
             vastness, emptiness, Colloq sticks, middle of nowhere, back of
             beyond:  His idea of adventure was to trek through the wilds of
             Hyde Park.

   wile      n.  Often, wiles. trick, stratagem, ruse, artifice, subterfuge,
             dodge, trap, snare, manoeuvre, ploy, contrivance, move, gambit,
             plot, scheme, machination, Colloq (little) game:  You won't get
             far trying to work your wiles on me, young lady.

   wilful    adj.  1 intentional, deliberate, voluntary, conscious, intended,
             purposeful, premeditated, US willful:  The jury decided that
             such a wilful act of vandalism must be punished.  She is accused
             of wilful neglect of her children. 2 stubborn, headstrong,
             pigheaded, obstinate, mulish, inflexible, adamant, obdurate,
             intransigent, unyielding, self-willed, ungovernable,
             recalcitrant, unruly, immovable, intractable, dogged,
             determined, refractory, uncompromising, wayward, perverse,
             contrary:  Jim is far too wilful, and tends to have a tantrum if
             he fails to get his own way.

   will      n.  1 desire, wish, longing, liking, inclination, disposition,
             drive, purposefulness, purpose, intent, intention, resolve,
             commitment, resolution, determination; will-power:  Where
             there's a will there's a way. Some believe that taking
             medication is against God's will. Marguerite seems to have lost
             the will to live. 2 choice, wishes, desire, inclination:  He was
             forced to submit against his will.  3 (last will and) testament,
             last wishes:  In accordance with his will, Josiah was buried at
             sea.  4 at will. as or when (one) pleases or wishes or thinks
             fit(ting), at (one's) desire or whim or pleasure or discretion:
             If he brings his own car, then he can leave at will.

             --v.  5 want, desire, wish, choose, see fit, make, compel,
             force, command, order, ordain, require:  When she willed him to
             appear, there was a flash of lightning and he was there. 6
             leave, bequeath, devise, hand down or on, pass on, transfer;
             settle upon or on:  My great-uncle Philip willed me his
             collection of 19th-century theatre memorabilia.

   willing   adj.  agreeable, acquiescent, compliant, amenable, consenting,
             assenting, passive, complaisant, docile, ready, well-disposed,
             happy, content, pleased, delighted, enthusiastic, avid, eager,
             zealous, Colloq game:  Albert might not have thought up the
             pranks, but he was a willing accomplice.

   willingly adv.  readily, happily, contentedly, gladly, cheerfully,
             amenably, agreeably, freely, passively, docilely, of (one's) own
             accord or free will, on (one's) own, ungrudgingly, by choice,
             voluntarily, unhesitatingly, nothing loath, eagerly,
             enthusiastically, zealously, avidly, Colloq at the drop of a
             hat:  We did not coerce him in any way - he went along quite
             willingly.  You can rely on Hubert to give willingly and
             generously to support any good cause.

   willowy   adj.  1 lissom or lissome, pliant, lithe, flexible, supple,
             limber, loose-limbed:  Everyone enjoys watching the willowy
             athletes training for the Olympics. 2 slim, slender, graceful,
             sylphlike, svelte, thin, long-limbed, clean-limbed:  How does
             Jeanne keep her willowy figure without dieting?

   willy-nilly
             adv.  1 whether one likes it or not, inevitably, necessarily, of
             necessity, perforce, whether or no, like it or not, nolens
             volens, bon gr‚, mal gr‚:  Having borrowed the money, you must,
             willy-nilly, repay it.

             --adj.  2 necessary, unavoidable, inevitable, involuntary:  He
             joked about a willy-nilly choice, meaning one offering no
             alternatives.

   wilt      v.  1 sag, droop, wither, shrink, shrivel (up or away),
             diminish:  My house-plants wilted because they weren't watered.
             2 sag, droop, bow, weaken, sink, wane, wither, lose courage or
             nerve, flag, dwindle, languish:  The lad wilted under the stern
             glare of the headmaster.

   wily      adj.  shrewd, cunning, crafty, sly, artful, guileful, clever,
             foxy, vulpine, disingenuous, shifty, scheming, plotting,
             calculating, designing, sharp, canny, deceitful, deceiving,
             deceptive, treacherous, perfidious, false, double-dealing,
             dishonest, underhand(ed), tricky, smooth, slick, slippery, oily,
             unctuous, Scots and No. Eng. pawky, Colloq cagey, crooked,
             two-timing, Slang chiefly Brit fly:  Rats are wily and cunning,
             and have to be taken seriously.

   win       v.  1 come (in or out) first, carry the day, conquer, overcome;
             carry off (the palm), finish first (in), achieve first place
             (in), triumph (in), be victorious (in), be the victor (in), gain
             a victory (in), prevail (in), succeed (in), take first prize
             (in), Colloq bring home the bacon:  Which team is more likely to
             win today? We seem to have won the battle but not the war. 2
             gain, carry off or away, attain, acquire, get, obtain, secure,
             procure, receive, collect, net, bag, earn, realize, pick up,
             glean:  Look at all those trophies Gillian has won playing golf!
             3 win over. influence, sway, incline, persuade, charm, prevail
             upon, convert, induce, bring round or around, convince:  Don't
             think that Gilbert can be won over without a strong argument.

             --n.  4 victory, conquest, triumph, success:  So far this season
             we have recorded six wins and one loss for the Surrey Scouts.

   wind°     n.  1 breeze, zephyr, puff, gust, breath, draught, light air,
             current (of air):  A gentle wind wafted our little boat across
             the bay.  2 puffery, bombast, rodomontade, bluster, boasting,
             braggadocio, vain speech, blather, (idle or empty) talk,
             fustian, nonsense, twaddle, humbug, babble, gibberish, Colloq
             gab, hot air, claptrap, hogwash, rot, hooey, boloney, Slang Brit
             (load of (old)) cobblers:  I went there for advice and all I got
             was a lot of wind.  3 gas, flatulence, windiness, flatus,
             borborygmus (= 'stomach rumbling (as from gas)'), heartburn,
             Taboo slang fart (= 'anal release of gas'):  I have to take a
             pill to relieve this wind.  4 before the wind.  Nautical
             downwind, off the wind:  We were racing before the wind with
             every scrap of sail flying.  5 break wind.  Taboo slang fart:
             It is considered rude to break wind.  6 get or have wind of.
             hear of, learn of, come to know, pick up, be made or become
             aware of, gather, understand, hear on the grapevine, Colloq hear
             tell of:  We got wind of the company's plans to close this
             plant.  7 get or have the wind up. take fright, become
             frightened or afraid or apprehensive:  When I heard a window
             being raised I got the wind up.  8 in the wind. around, about,
             rumoured, in the air, detectable, discernible, discoverable,
             imminent, impending, approaching, close (at hand), about to
             happen or take place or occur, afoot, in the offing, near, on
             the way, Colloq Brit on the cards, US in the cards:  We knew
             that a change was in the wind, but never expected the chairman
             to resign. 9 off the wind. See 5, above.  10 on the or a wind.
             Nautical upwind, windward, to the wind, into (the teeth or the
             eye of) the wind; near the wind Because 'Syrena' was a sloop,
             she could sail closer on the wind than the schooner. 11 put the
             wind up. scare, frighten, alarm:  The leakage at the nuclear
             plant really put the wind up everyone living in the area. 12
             sail close or near to the wind. take risks, throw caution to the
             winds, play with fire, skate on thin ice, take (one's) life in
             (one's) hands, Colloq stick (one's) neck out, Slang go for
             broke:  One nude scene is highly salacious, and we think the
             director is sailing very close to the wind by including it. 13
             take the wind out of (someone's) sails. deflate (someone),
             disconcert (someone), destroy (someone's) advantage, ruin
             (someone's) superiority or supremacy or ascendancy:  It rather
             took the wind out of her sails when he announced that he was
             leaving anyway.

   windэ     v.  1 turn, bend, twist, snake, worm, twine, zigzag, slew,
             swerve, loop, coil, curve, meander, ramble, veer:  The river
             winds along the valley floor.  2 reel, roll, spiral, turn,
             twist, curl, coil, wrap, twine, wreathe; crank (up), wind up:
             The streamers are wound around the columns for decoration.  3
             wind down.  a taper off, slow down, diminish, reduce, close out,
             slacken or slack off (on), ease (up on), decrease, cut back or
             down (on); wind up:  They were going to wind down their
             sportswear department, but then business suddenly perked up. b
             relax, become calm or tranquil, calm down, cool off or down,
             regain (one's) equilibrium, ease up or off, Colloq unwind, let
             (one's) hair down, take it easy:  It takes me a couple of days
             to wind down from the hectic activity in the office. 4 wind up.
             a terminate, conclude, come or bring to an end or a close or a
             conclusion, end (up), close down or up, finish (up), wrap up;
             liquidate, settle:  After calmly winding up his affairs, Evan
             sailed off in his boat and was never seen again. b end up,
             finish (up), become ultimately:  I understand that Sally wound
             up as a bar girl in Tampico.  c excite, innervate, energize,
             stimulate, invigorate, stir up:  After getting us all wound up
             about that weekend party in Paris, she called the whole thing
             off. d agitate, fluster, disconcert, ruffle:  Don't let such
             trifles get you so wound up.  e See 3 (a), above.

   windfall  n.  bonanza, godsend, stroke of (good) fortune, serendipitous
             find, boon, piece of (good) luck, jackpot, (lucky) strike:  The
             sale of the house provided a windfall that saved them from
             imminent bankruptcy.

   windy     adj.  1 blustery, blowing, blowy, breezy, gusting, gusty, wild,
             squally, tempestuous; windswept:  It is quite windy today. I
             waited at that windy corner for you and you never showed up! 2
             talkative, long-winded, garrulous, wordy, verbose, prolix,
             loquacious, rambling, voluble, fluent, effusive, glib, turgid,
             bombastic, pompous, longiloquent:  Potter does tend to be windy
             at times.

   winner    n.  victor, champion, prizewinner, title-holder, conqueror,
             conquering hero, Colloq champ:  The winner will receive a new
             car.

   winning   adj.  1 engaging, attractive, alluring, captivating, endearing,
             prepossessing, winsome, bewitching, fetching, taking,
             enchanting, pleasing, delightful, charming, amiable, friendly,
             pleasant, sweet:  Maggie's winning ways are a tremendous asset
             to making friends.  2 triumphant, conquering, victorious,
             successful:  The winning team is invited to dine at the Red
             Lion.

   wintry    adj.  1 hiemal, brumal, hibernal; icy, snowy, freezing, frozen,
             frosty, cold, frigid, bitter (cold), chilly, chilling, piercing,
             cutting, glacial, Siberian, arctic, hyperborean:  It was cold
             and the sky was clear and wintry with premonitions of frost. 2
             cold, frigid, chilly, cool, chilling, glacial:  She got a very
             wintry reception from Dan's parents, who disliked the idea of
             their living together. 3 forbidding, bleak, dismal, cheerless,
             dreary, harsh, unfriendly, ugly, menacing, ominous, threatening,
             dark:  His comment about her age evoked only a wintry look from
             Margot.

   wipe      v.  1 Sometimes, wipe off or out or up. rub, clean (off or out
             or up), cleanse; dry (off or out or up), dust (off), mop (up),
             swab, sponge (off or up):  For God's sake, wipe your nose!
             Please wipe the crumbs off the table when you've finished
             eating. Stop crying and wipe up the spilt milk. 2 Often, wipe
             off. remove, erase, take off or away, get rid of:  Wipe that
             grin off your face, stranger.  3 wipe out. kill (off),
             annihilate, massacre, destroy, finish (off), dispose of,
             eradicate, obliterate, exterminate, do away with, stamp out, get
             rid of, remove, wipe off the face of the earth:  Scientists have
             succeeded in wiping out smallpox.

   wiry      adj.  muscular, sinewy, lean, lank, thin and strong, tough and
             flexible:  He was a stocky and wiry little man, rather like a
             short-legged terrier.

   wisdom    n.  1 sagacity, sageness, judgement, discernment, reason,
             prudence, judiciousness, (common) sense, insight, penetration,
             sapience, understanding, rationality, clear-sightedness,
             clear-headedness, perspicacity, perspicuity, percipience,
             perception, perceptiveness, intelligence, acuteness, acumen,
             astuteness, sharpness, shrewdness, long-headedness:  At least
             she had the wisdom not to shoot the intruder. Allen's wisdom
             stems from long experience in such matters. 2 knowledge,
             learning, erudition, lore, scholarship, enlightenment:  The
             wisdom of the ages is locked away in these books.

   wise      adj.  1 sage, sagacious, judicious, reasonable, commonsensical,
             prudent, sensible, insightful, sapient, understanding, rational,
             sound, clear-sighted, clear-headed, discerning, perspicacious,
             perspicuous, percipient, perceptive, intelligent, acute, astute,
             sharp, shrewd, crafty, clever, bright, quick-witted, smart,
             brilliant, long-headed, Colloq brainy:  Among the wisest of men
             were Solomon, Confucius, Buddha, and, perhaps, Aristotle. 2
             knowledgeable, learned, enlightened, informed, erudite;
             (well-)educated, knowing, well-read, well-versed, lettered,
             scholarly:  We saw to it that they escaped, and the police were
             none the wiser.  Wise heads prevailed at the college on what
             constituted worthwhile research. 3 well-advised, advisable,
             judicious, sensible, expedient, reasonable, strategic, tactful,
             tactical, prudent, politic, discreet, diplomatic,
             well-thought-out, well-considered, proper, fitting, appropriate,
             meet:  Do you think it wise to punish the child so severely?  4
             put wise (to). inform or advise or warn (of or about):  If you
             must know how he found out, it was Myrna who put him wise.  Did
             she also put him wise to where the money is hidden? 5 wise to.
             aware or knowledgeable or informed of or about, sensitive to, on
             to or onto, Colloq in the know about:  You are wrong if you
             think she isn't wise to your little tricks.  Get wise to what's
             going on, Man.

             --v.  6 wise up (to). become informed or aware (of or about),
             wake up (to), Colloq get wise (to) or in the know (about):  If
             Cooley doesn't wise up, he'll be in deep trouble. Was it you who
             wised Meg up to the fact that Tom no longer cares?

   wisecrack n.  1 joke, quip, rejoinder, witticism, pun, barb, jest, gibe or
             jibe, Colloq gag; dig:  Everything is a potential subject for a
             wisecrack.

             --v.  2 joke, quip, pun, gibe or jibe:  Get serious and stop
             wisecracking for a change.

   wise guy  n.  wiseacre, smart alec or aleck, Archaic witling, Colloq
             know-all or know-it-all, Brit Clever Dick or cleverdick, Slang
             smarty-pants, smarty, Brit smart-arse, US smart-ass,
             wisenheimer:  There's always some wise guy waiting to make a
             clever remark.

   wish      v.  1 desire, want; yearn, crave, long, hope, hanker, have a
             mind, (have a) fancy, choose, care:  I wish you'd go now. If you
             had Aladdin's lamp, what would you wish for? 2 require, request,
             demand, order, specify:  Did you wish lemon or milk in your tea?
             3 foist or force or thrust or impose upon, Colloq fob off on or
             upon, palm off on:  The job of treasurer was wished on me when
             Jock left.

             --n.  4 desire, request, whim, want, craving, longing,
             hankering:  Your every wish is my command.  5 desire, longing,
             craving, need, yearning, hankering, passion, keenness, thirst,
             appetite, hunger, whim, urge, liking, fondness, fancy,
             preference, predisposition, disposition, inclination, Colloq
             yen, Slang itch:  She expressed a wish for nightingale tongues,
             truffles, and champagne.

   wishy-washy
             adj.  1 neither here nor there, undecided, indecisive,
             irresolute, half-hearted, shilly-shallying, tergiversating,
             vacillating, uncertain, of or having mixed feelings, of two
             minds:  Make up your mind and stop being so wishy-washy about
             everything!  2 feeble, weak, watery, watered down, thin, vapid,
             flat, bland, runny, diluted, tasteless, insipid, flavourless,
             stale:  Isabel served me some wishy-washy tea and sent me on my
             way.

   wisp      n.  shred, scrap, strand, thread, snippet, tuft, lock:  The
             laboratory matched the wisp of hair found in the victim's hand
             with the hair of the suspect.

   wistful   adj.  1 melancholy, mournful, sad, morose, sorrowful,
             disconsolate, heartsick, forlorn, woeful, woebegone, desirous,
             longing, yearning:  She gave a last, wistful look at the
             aeroplane as it rose into the clouds. 2 thoughtful,
             contemplative, pensive, absent-minded, detached, absorbed, in a
             brown study, preoccupied, meditating, meditative, reflective,
             ruminating, ruminative, dreamy, dreaming, day-dreaming, musing:
             Some might have misinterpreted his wistful gaze at her
             photograph.

   wit       n.  1 intelligence, brains, mind, (common) sense, judgement,
             understanding, discernment, wisdom, sagacity, insight,
             astuteness, cleverness, Slang savvy:  He hasn't the wit to know
             when he's being insulted.  2 humour, drollery, levity, joking,
             repartee, raillery, facetiousness, waggishness, badinage,
             repartee, jocularity, wordplay, paronomasia; amusement,
             entertainment:  Some say that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.
             3 comedian, comedienne, humorist, comic, wag, joker, farceur,
             farceuse, punster, madcap, zany; parodist, satirist,
             caricaturist; Colloq pundit, card, character:  In the face of
             such a devastating remark, even the club wit was struck dumb.

   witch     n.  1 sorceress, enchantress, magician, sibyl, pythoness;
             warlock:  The witches prophesied that Macbeth would be king.  2
             hag, fury, battleaxe, crone, gorgon, Medusa, ogress, Xanthippe,
             shrew, virago, harridan, fishwife, termagant, Archaic beldam or
             beldame, Offensive old bag, bitch:  How could you stand living
             with the old witch for so many years?

   withdraw  v.  1 draw back, retract, pull back, recoil, shrink back:  He
             would suddenly withdraw into his cocoon whenever she said the
             name, 'Elsie'. 2 retract, recall, take back, cancel, rescind,
             recant, disavow, disclaim, abjure, void, annul, go back on, back
             down (on):  If she doesn't withdraw that remark, I shall sue her
             for slander.  3 pull out, extract, remove, Technical retrude:
             Afterwards, she withdrew the knife, washed it, and replaced it
             in the rack. The dentist withdrew the bad tooth. 4 retire,
             retreat, go, repair:  After dinner, we withdrew to the
             drawing-room for brandy and cigars.  5 leave, depart, go, make
             (oneself) scarce, absent (oneself), retire:  We waited till the
             servants withdrew before exchanging news about Cora.

   withdrawn adj.  1 reserved, detached, distant, standoffish, aloof, shy,
             diffident, bashful, timid, timorous, introverted, taciturn,
             reticent, silent, quiet, retiring, shrinking:  Why is Henry
             acting so withdrawn tonight?  2 remote, distant, isolated,
             solitary, hidden, secluded, private, out-of-the-way, reclusive:
             Sarah and Ben have led a withdrawn existence since the children
             married and moved away.

   withering adj.  destructive, devastating, death-dealing, murderous,
             deadly:  The enemy laid down a withering barrage of machine-gun
             fire.

   withhold  v.  1 hold or keep back, retain, reserve, restrain, control,
             repress, check, hide, conceal:  He could withhold his anger no
             longer.  2 hold or keep back, deduct, retain, reserve:  The
             company is required to withhold a percentage of wages and
             salaries for taxes.

   withstand v.  resist, oppose, stand (up to), face, defy, confront, combat,
             grapple with, fight (against), cope with, hold out against,
             weather, suffer, survive, tolerate, take, bear, last through,
             endure, brave, Colloq Brit stick:  Can Brian withstand the
             pressure of his new job? Our small force withstood the attack
             for days.

   witness   n.  1 observer, onlooker, spectator, viewer, eyewitness,
             bystander, watcher, Rare earwitness:  Were you a witness to what
             took place here?  2 deponent, testifier, corroborating witness,
             corroborator:  The defence will call its witnesses today.  3
             bear witness (to or of). testify (to), attest (to), be or give
             or provide or furnish or constitute evidence or proof or
             testimony (of or to), verify, confirm, corroborate, show, prove:
             The bent poker bears witness to the violence of the attack.

             --v.  4 see, observe, watch, look on or at, view, behold, mark,
             note, notice, take in, Colloq spot, catch:  I did witness the
             way they looked at each other.  5 countersign, sign, certify,
             endorse, substantiate, document, certificate:  Would you mind
             witnessing our signatures, Miss Cabot?  6 See 3, above.

   witticism n.  pun, quip, play on words, bon mot, jest, joke, epigram,
             clever remark, sally, Archaic or literary conceit, Colloq gag,
             one-liner:  Clive is just as likely to utter a witticism as say
             something excruciatingly banal.

   witty     adj.  ingenious, subtle, clever, humorous, sarcastic, sardonic,
             piquant, humorous, comic(al), farcical, ludicrous, facetious,
             amusing, jocular, waggish, droll, funny:  Corbett, not ready
             with his usual witty riposte, shouted an obscenity at the bus
             driver.

   wizened   adj.  wrinkled, shrunken, shrivelled (up), withered, gnarled,
             dried up, wilted, faded, wasted:  The wizened old crone is his
             grandmother.

23.5 woe...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   woe       n.  trouble, hardship, adversity, misery, anguish, tribulation,
             calamity, trial, wretchedness, grief, unhappiness, desolation,
             dolour, melancholy, gloom, depression, sadness,
             disconsolateness, misfortune, affliction, sorrow, distress:  How
             much more woe could beset one small family?

   woebegone adj.  troubled, miserable, anguished, wretched, grief-stricken,
             unhappy, desolate, doleful, dolorous, melancholy, melancholic,
             gloomy, mournful, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, sad, glum,
             crestfallen, chap-fallen, lugubrious, downcast, disconsolate,
             unfortunate, star-crossed, afflicted, distressed, woeful,
             forlorn, downhearted, broken-hearted, heartbroken, disheartened,
             Slang US bummed out:  Timmy has been so woebegone since his
             puppy was stolen!

   woman     n.  1 female, lady; girl:  Elvira was the first woman to be
             elected to the board.  2 wife, spouse, bride, lady-love,
             sweetheart, lady, girl, girlfriend, mistress, concubine, mate,
             helpmeet, helpmate, partner, Colloq sweetie, better half, little
             woman, the missis or missus, old lady or woman, ball and chain,
             Slang trouble and strife:  In this scene, Porgy tells Bess that
             she is his woman, now and forever. 3 lass, maid, maiden, miss,
             lassie, Slang gal, dame, bird, skirt, chick, bit of fluff,
             broad, piece (of work), number, baggage, moll, popsy:  The
             soldiers went into town to try to find some women for an
             evening's entertainment. 4 domestic, housekeeper, maid, cleaning
             woman or lady, maidservant, chambermaid, handmaiden, abigail,
             lady-in-waiting, Brit charwoman, Colloq Brit char, daily:  They
             have a woman who comes in every other day.

   wonder    n.  1 marvel, prodigy, phenomenon, spectacle, rarity, sight,
             curiosity, miracle, Slang knockout, stunner, mind-blower,
             mind-boggler, trip:  Surely, the wheel must rank high among the
             wonders of technology.  And still he gazed, and still the wonder
             grew, / That one small head could carry all he knew. 2 awe,
             astonishment, admiration, amazement, wonderment, surprise,
             stupefaction, fascination:  Facsimile transmission, which used
             to excite so much wonder, is now used in offices all over the
             world.

             --v.  3 ponder, muse, meditate, think, theorize, conjecture,
             puzzle, query, question, inquire, be inquisitive, be curious,
             ask oneself, speculate, cudgel (one's) brains:  I wondered if I
             would be invited to the dance. Have you ever wondered what makes
             the world go round? 4 marvel (at), goggle, gawk, gape, stare, be
             awed, be thunderstruck, be amazed, be astonished:  We wondered
             at the death-defying skills of the trapeze artistes.  5 wonder
             about. question or doubt the sanity or reason or reasonableness
             of:  I wondered about Tammy after that streaking episode.

   wooded    adj.  sylvan, forested, bosky, tree-covered, woody, timbered:
             We rested and had our lunch in the coolness of a wooded glen.

   wooden    adj.  1 wood, woody, ligneous, xyloid:  The wooden cabinet for
             the kitchen is almost finished.  2 stiff, rigid, artificial,
             clumsy, stilted, unnatural, awkward, ungainly, spiritless,
             unanimated, dead, lifeless, dry, passionless, unimpassioned,
             impassive, vacant, empty, colourless, expressionless, deadpan:
             The understudy gave a wooden performance as Uncle Vanya.  3
             unintelligent, block-headed, stupid, dull, insensitive,
             slow-witted, dull-witted, obtuse, oafish, doltish, tiny-minded,
             dim-witted, dunderpated, Colloq thick, wooden-headed,
             knuckle-headed:  Clancy has some pretty wooden ideas about how
             to run a business.

   woolly    adj.  1 fleecy, woollen, wool-bearing, laniferous, lanate or
             lanose, lanuginose or lanuginous, downy, fuzzy, shaggy,
             flocculent or floccose, flocky:  He was wearing a woolly hat.
             After two days one test tube contained a woolly precipitate. 2
             hazy, fuzzy, unclear, obscure(d), foggy, indistinct, confused,
             vague, cloudy, clouded, nebulous, ill-defined:  My recollection
             of the event is a bit woolly after all these years.

   word      n.  1 (little) talk, (brief) conversation, chat, discussion,
             consultation, dialogue, huddle, parley, t€te-…-t€te, chit-chat,
             confabulation, conference, interview, Colloq powwow, confab:
             Could I have a word with you before you leave for the day?  2
             news, intelligence, information, facts, data, report, story,
             tidings, account, communiqu‚, bulletin, dispatch or despatch,
             advice, message, Colloq low-down, Slang info, dope, Brit gen, US
             poop:  Have you had any word about the situation in the Middle
             East?  3 name, term, designation, locution, appellation,
             expression, phrase:  What is the word for 'write' in Greek?  4
             promise, pledge, vow, oath, (solemn) word of honour,
             undertaking, assurance, warrant, guarantee or guaranty,
             warranty:  You have my word that I won't mention this to anyone.
             5 utterance, expression, declaration, statement:  Let me give
             you a word of warning, my friend.  6 suggestion, hint,
             scintilla, bit:  I promise that I won't breathe a word of this
             to anyone.  7 command, order, signal, direction, instruction,
             Colloq US high sign:  I shall not press the red button till you
             give the word.  8 in a word. succinctly, briefly, in brief, in a
             few words, concisely, in short, in summary, in sum, not to mince
             words, to make a long story short, when all is said and done, in
             the final analysis, not to beat about the bush, Colloq in a
             nutshell:  His bedside manner was, in a word, menacing.  9
             words.  a quarrel, dispute, argument, unpleasantness:  Paul and
             Kitty had words and are not on speaking terms.  b lyrics, book,
             libretto, text:  Did Irving Berlin write the words as well as
             the music to his songs?

             --v.  10 put (forth), say, couch, express, phrase, utter, state,
             term, style, set forth:  Had you worded your complaint in
             politer language, you might have spared yourself a punch in the
             eye.

   wording   n.  phraseology, language, phrasing, choice of words, word
             choice:  From the confused wording of this note I cannot tell
             whether you are coming to my party or not.

   wordy     adj.  verbose, prolix, rambling, long-winded; pleonastic,
             redundant, garrulous, windy, talkative, loquacious:  This
             contract is too wordy and could be cut to two pages. Try to make
             your replies less wordy.

   work      n.  1 labour, toil, effort, drudgery, travail, exertion,
             industry:  Few people make it to the top and stay there without
             hard work.  2 employment, business, occupation, vocation,
             calling, profession, trade, line, m‚tier, career, livelihood,
             job, post, position, situation:  Does your work as a test pilot
             interfere much with your home life?  3 task, function, duty,
             assignment, charge, responsibility, chore, commission,
             undertaking, stint:  When you are finished with that work, clean
             out the cellar.  4 feat, achievement, creation, accomplishment,
             opus, handiwork, oeuvre, production, composition, piece,
             master-work, masterpiece, chef-d'oeuvre, magnum opus, output:
             Some of Edwin's recent works have won prizes.  5 in work. in
             production, under way, being done, in the works, being planned,
             in the planning stage(s):  The budget has been approved and the
             project is already in work.  6 out of work. unemployed, idle,
             jobless, at liberty, between engagements, available, free, Brit
             redundant, Colloq Brit on the dole, US on or collecting
             unemployment:  How long have you been out of work?

             --v.  7 labour, toil, exert oneself, sweat, moil, slave (away),
             peg away, slog (away):  His father worked in the mines from the
             age of nine till he died of black-lung disease at forty. 8 till,
             plough, farm, cultivate:  Would he have been healthier and
             longer-lived had he worked the land? 9 have a job, hold (down) a
             post or position, earn a living, be employed:  His wife works as
             a designer in a Parisian fashion house.  10 control, manage,
             manipulate, manoeuvre, wield, handle, operate, use, make use of,
             utilize, exploit, deal with, bring into play:  Are you sure you
             know how to work all those dials and buttons?  11 function,
             operate, run, go, develop, turn out, Colloq pan out:  Are you
             sure that the plan is working to your advantage?  12 function,
             operate, run, go:  The drill works better if you turn on the
             power.  13 knead, mould, form, fashion, shape; mix, stir,
             incorporate:  Work the clay into long, narrow strips. Try to
             work the colour in with your fingers.. 14 manoeuvre, manipulate,
             guide:  See if you can work him over into a corner where you can
             grab him. 15 operate, use, employ, put to (good or effective)
             use, wield, manipulate, ply, apply, exploit:  Tanya must have
             worked her magic on Eustace to make him that docile.  16 bring
             about, effect, accomplish, carry out or off, make, produce,
             achieve, engender, beget, create, do, put through, execute,
             fulfil, effectuate, implement, realize:  I doubt that the new
             sports centre will work many changes in the area. 17 work in.
             find time or space for, include, insert, introduce, fit in,
             squeeze in, accommodate:  I'll try and work in your comments
             when I write up my report.  18 work on. wheedle, coax,
             importune, press, Brit pressurize, US pressure; influence,
             persuade, act on, prevail upon, induce, dispose, urge:  Keep
             working on him to try to change his mind.  19 work out.  a
             exercise, do callisthenics, do aerobics, warm up, do setting-up
             exercises, do (one's) daily dozen, jog, lift weights, train,
             drill:  I try to work out for an hour every day.  b Often, work
             out at or to. equal, total (up to), result in, amount to, come
             to:  Let's see - that works out at one car for every 4.7 people.
             c clear up, resolve, solve, Slang Brit and New Zealand suss out:
             Thaddeus is old enough to work out his own problems. Can they
             work out their differences? d evolve, develop, succeed, prosper,
             come out all right, prove satisfactory, go well, be effective,
             Colloq pan out:  How can you be so sure that everything will
             work out?  e formulate, work up, contrive, draw up, detail,
             plan, develop, devise, put together, elaborate, expand, enlarge
             (on):  The captain worked out a way for them to escape.  20 work
             up.  a excite, make excited, agitate, inflame, enkindle, arouse,
             rouse, stir, move, animate, incite, spur, Colloq fire (up), get
             (someone) (all) steamed or hopped or het up:  Those
             fire-and-brimstone preachers used to get the people all worked
             up. b prepare, (make or get) ready, whip into shape, develop,
             come up with, write up, put together, produce, turn out:  Can
             you work up that proposal in time for Monday's meeting?  c
             advance, ascend, rise, move up or ahead or on:  In no time at
             all, Greg worked his way up from assembler to foreman.  d See 19
             (e), above.

   worker    n.  labourer, working man or woman, workman, hand, employee,
             artisan, craftsman, tradesman, white-collar worker, blue-collar
             worker, proletarian, breadwinner, wage-earner:  It seems
             unlikely that the workers would strike for longer hours and less
             pay.

   workmanship
             n.  handicraft, craft, craftsmanship, artistry, art, technique,
             handiwork, skill, skilfulness, mastery, US artisanship:  One
             cannot help but admire the workmanship in those marquetry
             tabletops.

   works     n.pl.  1 plant, factory, workshop, shop, mill:  We were taken on
             a tour of the works to see how the marble is carved. 2
             mechanism, machinery, workings, (moving or working) parts;
             clockwork, Colloq innards, insides, Slang guts:  We once had a
             clock with all the works exposed.  3 the works.  a everything,
             the lot, Colloq the whole kit and caboodle, the whole shooting
             match, everything but the kitchen sink, Chiefly US and Canadian
             the whole shebang:  We ordered two hamburgers with the works.  b
             a thrashing, a beating, a drubbing, a battering, a flogging, a
             lambasting:  When he refused to tell them where the money was
             hidden, they gave him the works.

   world     n.  1 earth, planet, sphere, globe, Terra; universe, cosmos,
             existence, creation, life:  Do you believe the world is round?
             Buckland lives in his own, private world. 2 humanity, mankind,
             people, the human race, society, the public, men, humankind,
             everybody, everyone, the world at large:  We know what he thinks
             of the world, but what does the world think of him? 3 area,
             sphere, domain, community, clique, crowd, circle, fraternity,
             faction, set, coterie:  What value does the art world place on
             Longchamps' paintings?  4 period, time, age, era, epoch,
             time(s):  They have produced an excellent series of programmes
             on the ancient world. 5 bring into the world.  a deliver, have,
             give birth to, beget, Rare or dialect birth:  Grandmother
             brought sixteen children into the world.  b deliver, midwife:
             The town family doctor brought hundreds of children into the
             world in his long career. 6 for all the world. precisely,
             exactly, in all respects, in every respect, in every way, just:
             He behaved for all the world like a man possessed by the devil.
             7 on top of the world. ecstatic, delighted, elated, happy,
             exultant, overjoyed, rapturous, Brit in the seventh heaven, US
             in seventh heaven, Colloq on cloud nine, Brit over the moon:
             George has been on top of the world ever since Prudence agreed
             to marry him. 8 out of this world. marvellous, wonderful,
             exceptional, unbelievable, incredible, excellent, superb, Colloq
             great, smashing, fantastic, fabulous, Slang out of sight,
             far-out, Brit magic, US to the max:  The place we stayed at
             Ibiza was out of this world!

   worldly   adv.  1 mundane, earthly, terrestrial, temporal, physical,
             carnal, fleshly, corporeal, human; lay, non-spiritual,
             non-religious, civic, secular, profane:  Theo indulged in
             worldly pleasures in the fleshpots of the continent.  Veronica
             put aside worldly things and took the veil. 2 urbane, suave,
             sophisticated, cosmopolitan, worldly-wise, Slang with it, hip,
             cool:  Behind that worldly manner is the heart of a peasant.

   worn      adj.  1 shabby, threadbare, tatty, tattered, ragged, frayed:
             Burt wears an old, worn tweed jacket when he's around the house.
             2 haggard, drawn:  He looked anxiously at his mother's thin,
             worn face.  3 worn out. tired, fatigued, exhausted, frazzled,
             spent, jaded, played out, haggard, drawn, the worse for wear,
             Colloq dog-tired, all in, done in, Slang dead (on one's feet),
             beat, US pooped:  I was completely worn out from climbing those
             stairs.

   worried   adj.  fearful, apprehensive, anxious, distressed, nervous,
             uneasy, anguished, disquieted, agonized, agonizing, distraught,
             on edge, on tenterhooks, ill at ease, troubled, fretful,
             agitated, perturbed, upset, suffering:  The two worried mothers
             waited at the police station for news of their children.

   worry     v.  1 be anxious, be fearful, be concerned, fret, agonize, be
             distressed, be vexed, Colloq stew, bite or chew (one's) nails,
             go or get grey, get grey hair, Slang sweat blood, US sweat
             bullets:  I worry about you when you stay out so late.  2 annoy,
             irk, pester, nettle, harry, harass, tease, bother, tantalize,
             torment, plague, hector, badger, nettle, gall, peeve, Colloq
             hassle:  The police have been worrying me the way a dog worries
             a bone.

             --n.  3 concern, care, responsibility; problem, bother, trouble,
             affliction, irritation, annoyance, vexation:  I cannot see why
             that is your worry. I am sorry to hear about your financial
             worries. 4 anguish, anxiety, uneasiness, unease, nervousness,
             distress, apprehension, disquiet, perturbation, agitation,
             upset, misgiving:  Your association with that crowd has caused
             your mother and me a great deal of worry.

   worsen    v.  1 increase, exacerbate, heighten, intensify, aggravate:  The
             recent rains have worsened the drainage problem.  2 weaken,
             deteriorate, decline, degenerate, decay, slip, sink, slide,
             fail, disintegrate, take a turn for the worse, get worse, go
             from bad to worse, Colloq go downhill:  Her condition continues
             to worsen.

   worship   v.  1 venerate, revere, reverence, extol, honour, exalt, praise,
             admire, adore, adulate, glorify, deify, idolize, be devoted to,
             pay homage to, bow down before, kneel before, put on a pedestal:
             When he arrived, he found the people worshipping huge stone
             idols.

             --n.  2 veneration, reverence, adoration, devotion, homage,
             honour, respect, esteem, exaltation, praise, admiration,
             adulation, glorification, deification, idolatry:  A healthy
             respect for security should not be confused with the worship of
             money.

   worth     n.  quality, merit, value, advantage, benefit, good, importance,
             significance, usefulness:  You have underestimated Roberta's
             worth to the community.

   worthless adj.  1 valueless, unimportant, insignificant, inessential or
             unessential, dispensable, disposable, paltry:  His contribution
             to the work of the committee proved utterly worthless.  2
             pointless, bootless, silly, inane, vain, unavailing, useless,
             futile, fruitless, unproductive, unprofitable:  It is worthless
             to try to salvage that wreck.  3 cheap, valueless, tawdry, poor,
             trashy, rubbishy, shabby, wretched, Colloq tinny, crappy,
             cheesy, Slang chintzy:  The deceased's handbag contained only a
             few items of worthless jewellery.

   worthwhile
             adj.  1 profitable, justifiable, productive, gainful, rewarding,
             fruitful, cost-effective, remunerative:  Would it be worthwhile
             to buy up that land as a long-term investment?  2 useful,
             valuable, good, helpful, beneficial, worthy, beneficent,
             desirable, exemplary, matchless, honourable, upright, sterling,
             irreproachable:  Brian Smith is one of the most worthwhile
             people I met at university.

   worthy    adj.  1 worthwhile, deserving, meriting, meritorious,
             praiseworthy, good, estimable, qualified, creditable:  He is a
             worthy recipient of the honour.  2 See worthwhile, 2, above.

             --n.  3 dignitary, personage, notable, eminence, luminary:  The
             dinner was attended by all the local worthies.

   wound     n.  1 damage, hurt, injury, trauma, traumatism; laceration,
             puncture, cut, gash, slash, lesion, bruise, contusion:  We
             dressed and bandaged the wounds of the victims.  2 slight,
             damage, injury, harm, blow, distress, mortification, torment,
             torture, anguish, pain, insult:  Hugh takes the slightest
             criticism as a deep wound to his self-esteem.

             --v.  3 damage, harm, injure, hurt, traumatize; cut, slash,
             gash, lacerate, slit, stab, shoot, Colloq wing:  He was wounded
             in the leg in the war.  4 slight, distress, damage, mortify,
             insult, hurt, pain, grieve, offend, aggrieve, wrong:  I was
             terribly wounded by the things she said about me.

23.6 wrap...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


   wrap      v.  1 Sometimes, wrap up. swathe, swaddle, bind, cover, enwrap,
             envelop, wind, enshroud, shroud, enfold, fold, muffle, enclose,
             sheathe, encase; pack, package, do up, gift-wrap:  Wrap up well
             - it's cold outside. I've just finished wrapping some Christmas
             presents. 2 wrapped up in. immersed in, submerged in, buried in,
             absorbed in, engrossed in, bound up in, involved in, occupied
             with or by or in, engaged in, dedicated to, devoted to:  While
             Irma is completely wrapped up in her grandchildren, Henry is
             wrapped up in his books. 3 wrap up.  a complete, conclude,
             finish, end, bring to a close, terminate, wind up, settle, tidy
             up:  We'll be able to wrap things up in an hour and go home.  b
             Wrap up! Be silent!, Be quiet!, Stop talking!, Hold your
             tongue!, Slang Shut up!, Shut your face!, Shut your trap!, Shut
             your mouth!, Brit Put a sock in it!:  He would have kept on
             wittering away if she hadn't told him to wrap up.

             --n.  4 stole, shawl, mantle, poncho, serape, cloak, cape:
             Sonia adjusted her evening wrap before going out to dinner.

   wrapper   n.  1 housecoat, robe, dressing-gown, bathrobe, kimono,
             negligee, lounging robe, peignoir, US house-dress:  Peggy threw
             on a wrapper and went to answer the door.  2 envelope, package,
             packing, wrapping, covering, jacket, case, casing, container:
             Throw the wrapper in the dustbin.

   wreak     v.  inflict, exercise, exert, carry out, bring (to bear), visit,
             effect, work, unleash, execute, impose, force, vent, let go:
             The tribesmen wreaked vengeance on the hill people for
             destroying their farms.

   wreck     v.  1 destroy, ruin, devastate, demolish, smash, shatter, spoil,
             dash (to pieces), reduce to nothing, turn into scrap,
             annihilate:  He drove my motor-bike into a tree and wrecked it.
             2 sink, scuttle, run aground, founder, capsize:  The ship was
             wrecked on a reef near Rarotonga.

             --n.  3 hulk, shipwreck, ruins:  The wreck finally rusted away
             to nothing.  4 mess, disaster, ruin; havoc:  That man made a
             wreck of her life.  5 destruction, loss, sinking, devastation,
             foundering, grounding, capsize, capsizing, disabling,
             disablement, wrecking; demolition, demolishing, levelling,
             tearing down, razing, pulling down, obliteration:  The wreck of
             the Titanic was a major news event in 1912. The wreck of the old
             tower block is scheduled for next month.

   wreckage  n.  debris, fragments, remains, rubble, ruin(s):  The wreckage
             of the building is being searched for survivors.

   wrench    v.  1 yank, twist, jerk, force, pull, tug, tear, wring, rip,
             wrest:  The gun was wrenched from my grasp, breaking my finger.
             2 strain, sprain, twist, overstrain:  After she wrenched her
             ankle on the ladder, Mary couldn't walk for a week. 3 extract,
             wrest, wring, force, pry, draw:  The only way they could wrench
             the information from Michael was by torturing him.

             --n.  4 yank, twist, jerk, pull, tug, rip:  One wrench at the
             doorknob and it came off in my hand.  5 pang, pain, agony,
             torture, blow, ache, throe, anguish, sadness, grief, heartbreak:
             The severest wrench at my heartstrings came when we had to part.
             6 Brit spanner, shifting spanner, adjustable spanner, US monkey
             wrench:  We need metric wrenches to work on your car.

   wrestle   v.  battle, fight, struggle, tussle, strive:  After thirty years
             Garth wrestled his way to the top in the company.

   wretch    n.  1 scoundrel, blackguard, worm, villain, cur, beast, dog,
             swine, rogue, good-for-nothing, knave, varlet, scallywag or
             scalawag, rascal, rapscallion, Archaic caitiff, whoreson, Colloq
             rat, stinker, louse, creep, Slang bastard, Brit rotter, bounder,
             blighter, US bum:  That wretch not only stole my wife but asked
             me for money to support her! 2 unfortunate, poor fellow or chap,
             miserable creature, poor devil, pilgarlic, Slang poor bastard or
             son of a bitch, Brit poor bugger or sod, US sad sack:  The poor
             wretch cannot keep a job and lives off others' charity.

   wretched  adj.  1 miserable, awful, terrible, atrocious, deplorable,
             Colloq lousy, rotten:  We had the most wretched weather
             throughout our holiday.  2 unhappy, sad, miserable, woebegone,
             woeful, dismal, downhearted, heartbroken, broken-hearted,
             heartsick, dejected, depressed, melancholic, melancholy,
             mournful, disconsolate, inconsolable, doleful, cheerless,
             crestfallen, joyless, desolate:  If you want to see a wretched
             human being, look at a boy whose dog is lost. 3 pitiable,
             pathetic, sorry, pitiful, hapless, hopeless, unfortunate,
             miserable:  The poor in these tropical paradises are some of the
             most wretched people on earth. 4 vile, shameful, scurvy,
             underhand(ed), treacherous, contemptible, despicable, base, low,
             mean, paltry, mean-spirited, detestable:  It was hard to see how
             the people could support such a wretched little demagogue.

   wriggle   v.  1 wiggle, wobble, shake, tremble, quiver, jiggle, waggle,
             writhe, twist, fidget:  She managed to wriggle free of the ropes
             and run away. The dog was wriggling with excitement at seeing
             its master. 2 twist, squirm, snake, worm, writhe, slither,
             crawl:  He wriggled through the narrow opening into the
             strongroom.

             --n.  3 wiggle, zigzag, wavy line, Colloq squiggle, squiggly
             line:  The page had no writing on it, only a lot of wriggles.  4
             wriggling, writhing, squirm, squirming, wiggle, wiggling,
             shaking, trembling, quiver, quivering, shimmying, waggle,
             waggling, twisting, twist:  Don't confuse that rhythmic wriggle
             of the hips with dancing.

   wrinkle°  n.  1 crease, fold, line, furrow, crinkle, crow's-foot,
             corrugation, pucker, ridge:  She hasn't a wrinkle on her face -
             but then she's only nine.

             --v.  2 crease, fold, line, furrow, crinkle, corrugate, pucker,
             gather, ruck, crimp, screw up, rumple, crumple:  I love the way
             you wrinkle your nose when you're perplexed.

   wrinkleэ  n.  dodge, gimmick, device, ploy, ruse, scheme, trick, idea,
             plan, plot, stunt, way, approach, technique, method, Slang
             chiefly Brit wheeze:  Leave it to Edmund to come up with a new
             wrinkle for fleecing pensioners.

   write     v.  1 pen, scribble, get off, dash off; indite, inscribe, make
             out:  I was writing you a note when you phoned. She wrote out a
             cheque for њ1000. 2 correspond (with), send a letter or a note
             or a postcard or US also a postal card, communicate (with):  You
             don't write home often enough. Write and let me know when you
             get a job. 3 compose, create, make up, author:  We saw the house
             in which Elgar wrote the 'Enigma' Variations.  4 write down.  a
             register, list, catalogue, note, make a note or notation,
             record, transcribe, set or jot or take down, note, put in
             writing, put in black and white:  The teacher was known for
             Irish bulls like, 'All absent students must write down their
             names'. b derogate, decry, disparage, put down, minimize, make
             little of, play down, detract, belittle:  Cumberland's
             contributions have been written down by his critics.  5 write
             off. delete, cancel, disregard, ignore, forgive, forget (about),
             annul, eradicate, erase:  The bad debts have been written off.

   writer    n.  author, novelist, litt‚rateur, essayist, man of letters,
             scribe, scribbler, wordsmith, freelancer, penny-a-liner, hack,
             Grub Streeter, journalist, newsman, reporter, correspondent,
             member of the fourth estate, (gossip) columnist, stringer, Brit
             paragraphist, US paragrapher, Colloq pen-pusher, pencil-pusher,
             sob sister, Brit journo:  These days all those who know how to
             write call themselves writers.

   writing   n.  1 handwriting, longhand, penmanship, script, calligraphy or
             chirography, scribble:  I sometimes have trouble reading your
             writing.  2 Sometimes, writings. (literary) work(s),
             composition, theme, book, article, critique, criticism, review,
             editorial, column, expos‚, essay, poetry, poem, novel,
             non-fiction, fiction, document, letter, correspondence,
             publication, Chiefly Brit journalism leading article or leader,
             Chiefly US journalism op-ed article:  Her writing has been
             widely published. Poe's writings are collected in this book. 3
             literature, belles-lettres, letters:  I don't agree that British
             writing has declined since 1900.

   wrong     adj.  1 improper, unjust, unfair, injudicious, unethical,
             terrible, foul, awful, bad, immoral, sinful, evil, iniquitous,
             villainous, wicked, vile, diabolic(al), infernal, fiendish,
             corrupt, dishonest, reprehensible, abominable, dreadful,
             dishonourable, blameworthy, naughty, shameful, disgraceful,
             opprobrious, criminal, felonious, illegal, illicit, unlawful,
             illegitimate, Colloq crooked:  They believe that all war is
             wrong. It was wrong of you to come here while my husband was
             away. 2 mistaken, in error, erroneous, incorrect, inaccurate,
             imprecise, inexact, fallacious, askew, false, wide of the mark;
             strange, odd, peculiar, curious; Colloq off target or US also
             off the target, Brit off beam, US off the beam:  The answers to
             these four questions were all wrong. You certainly have some
             wrong ideas about me. 3 incorrect, improper, unsuitable:  They
             must have given us the wrong baby at the hospital.  4
             inappropriate, inapt, improper, indecorous, unseemly, unfitting,
             unacceptable, undesirable, incongruous, unbecoming, out of
             place, ill-considered, wrong-headed, imprudent, misguided,
             inexpedient, impolitic, infelicitous, Colloq out of line:  You
             saw nothing wrong in inviting girls to stay with you in your
             rooms? Your mother thinks she's the wrong girl for you. 5 out of
             order, not working, faulty, awry, amiss, the matter, defective,
             imperfect, unsound, flawed, deficient:  Considering the noise my
             car makes, there must be something wrong.  6 opposite, reverse,
             incorrect, improper:  That is the wrong direction to the post
             office.

             --adv.  7 awry, imperfectly, incorrectly, improperly,
             inappropriately, amiss, badly, wrongly, Scots and No. Eng. and
             literary agley, Colloq out of sync:  You've wired up the video
             all wrong.  8 go wrong.  a go astray, falter, fail, lapse, err,
             fall from grace, go to the bad, deteriorate, go downhill,
             backslide, regress, retrogress, recidivate:  Her father was
             convinced that she would go wrong if she went into the theatre.
             b fail, malfunction, break down, miscarry, backfire, fall
             through, Colloq flop, come to grief, go kaput, Brit go phut:
             The entire plan went wrong when Clara started screaming.

             --v.  9 abuse, mistreat, injure, misuse, maltreat, ill-use,
             ill-treat, discredit, asperse, calumniate, malign, dishonour,
             impose upon, take advantage of, harm, damage, oppress:  He
             believes he was wronged by his commanding officer.

   wry       adj.  1 distorted, contorted, twisted, lopsided, deformed,
             crooked, aslant, one-sided, askew, bent, tilted, off-centre:  He
             is afflicted by a rheumatic disorder, which gives his neck a wry
             appearance. 2 dry, droll, witty, sardonic, sarcastic,
             ironic(al), amusing; perverse, fey; Scots pawky:  Bill has a wry
             sense of humour that does not appeal to everyone.

24.0 Y
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24.1 yank...
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   yank      v.  1 jerk, jolt, tug, wrench, snatch, hitch:  He yanked the
             chair from beneath me just as I sat down.

             --n.  2 jerk, jolt, tug, wrench, snatch, hitch:  Give two yanks
             on the rope when you want me to pull you up.

   yap       v.  1 bark, yelp:  Their dog was yapping away all night.  2
             gabble, babble, blither or blather, chatter, jabber, tattle,
             prattle, prate, Colloq chiefly Brit witter, natter, Slang jaw,
             run on, US run off at the mouth:  I wish she'd stop her yapping
             and give me some peace.

             --n.  3 mouth, Slang trap, gob, US bazoo:  If only Sam would
             shut his big yap once in a while!

   yardstick n.  measure, benchmark, criterion, standard, gauge, basis,
             touchstone, scale, exemplar:  We thought she sang beautifully,
             but then we had no yardstick against which to judge.

   yarn      n.  1 thread, fibre, strand:  I haven't enough yarn to finish
             knitting these socks.  2 tale, story, account, narrative,
             anecdote; tall tale, fable, fabrication, fiction, cock-and-bull
             story, Colloq whopper, Brit fishing story, US fish story, fish
             tale:  The old salt had many yarns to spin during the long
             evenings by the fire.

24.2 yearly...
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   yearly    adv.  1 annually, perennially, every year, once a year, year
             after year, year in (and) year out, regularly:  We watch the
             Canada geese migrate north yearly.  2 per year, per annum, by
             the year, each year:  What is the interest rate yearly?

             --adj.  3 annual, perennial, once-a-year, regular:  Those yearly
             migrations told us when to plant the first crop.

   yearn     v.  long, pine, ache, hanker, itch, hunger, thirst, crave, have
             a craving, desire, wish, want, fancy, prefer:  I yearn to see
             the green-clad hills of home once more, Before my vessel bears
             me from this mortal shore.

   yell      v.  1 shout, scream, bellow, howl, screech, yowl, roar, bawl,
             caterwaul, squall, yelp, Colloq holler:  'Stop yelling at your
             sister!', shouted my father.

             --n.  2 shout, scream, cry, bellow, howl, screech, yowl, roar,
             caterwaul, squall, yelp, Colloq holler:  I think I heard a yell
             for help.

   yeomanly  adj.  yeoman, workmanlike, useful, staunch, courageous, loyal,
             dedicated, faithful, steadfast, unswerving, unwavering, firm,
             sturdy, reliable, solid:  Carruthers certainly did a yeomanly
             job on reorganizing the system.

   yes-man   n.  toady, sycophant, toad-eater, time-server, hanger-on,
             lickspittle, bootlicker, truckler, flunkey, courtier, jackal,
             spaniel, lap-dog, Taboo slang Brit arse-kisser, arse-licker, US
             ass-kisser, ass-licker, US brown-noser:  He surrounds himself
             with yes-men, then says he refuses to take no for an answer.

   yet       adv.  1 as yet, (up) till or until now, so far, thus far,
             hitherto, to the present (time):  She hasn't arrived yet.  2
             still, up to this time, up to now, even now, till or until now,
             to this day:  She was there earlier and I think she's there yet.
             3 moreover, furthermore, besides, further, still:  He made yet
             another excuse.  4 in the future, in time to come, later,
             eventually:  Despite the life I've led, I might yet get to
             heaven.  5 still, notwithstanding, anyway, anyhow, nonetheless,
             nevertheless, regardless, in spite of or despite everything,
             just or all the same, even so, after all, US still and all:
             Despite the life I've led, I might get to heaven yet.

             --conj.  6 notwithstanding, in spite of or despite it or that or
             the fact, still, nevertheless, but:  He goes out every night,
             yet never oversleeps in the mornings.

24.3 yield...
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   yield     v.  1 surrender, give up (the fight or struggle), give in,
             knuckle under, submit, cede, cry quits, throw in the towel or
             the sponge, capitulate, succumb, raise the white flag:  The
             captain of the enemy company asked if we would yield.  2 give
             up, surrender, give over, hand in or over, abandon, relinquish,
             renounce, cede:  We agreed to yield our arms to the enemy.  3
             agree, consent, comply, concede, relent, assent, give way,
             accede, concur:  He did his best to persuade me, and I finally
             yielded.  4 earn, return, pay, bring in, supply, generate,
             produce, net:  She has investments that yield more than 15% a
             year.

             --n.  5 return, production, output, revenue, takings, gate,
             earnings, income, proceeds, profit, gain:  The yield from that
             operation is not even enough to pay the rent.

   yielding  adj.  1 pliant, flexile, flexible, pliable, soft, plastic,
             fictile, elastic, resilient, supple, springy, bouncy, spongy,
             rubbery:  The frame is of a yielding material that gives way
             under pressure.  2 accommodating, docile, submissive, amenable,
             tractable, compliant, obedient, flexible, acquiescent,
             agreeable, obliging, manageable, manipulable:  He wanted a wife
             with a yielding temperament who would tolerate his foibles.

24.4 young...
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   young     adj.  1 youthful, teenage(d), adolescent, prepubescent,
             pubescent, juvenile, minor, junior, under age:  Would you
             believe that she has young children?  2 boyish, girlish;
             immature, callow, green, inexperienced, unfledged, uninitiated,
             unsophisticated, childlike, innocent, na‹ve:  This programme may
             contain material unsuitable for young ears.  3 childish,
             puerile, infantile, babyish, US sophomoric:  He's too young to
             invite to the party.

             --n.  4 offspring, babies, issue, little ones, progeny, litter,
             brood; children:  The cat's young should stay with her for a few
             weeks.

   youth     n.  1 childhood, boyhood, girlhood, young manhood, young
             womanhood, prepubescence, pubescence, adolescence, salad days;
             immaturity, minority:  In our youth we do many foolish things we
             might later regret.  2 child, youngster, schoolchild, teenager,
             teen, minor, juvenile, adolescent; boy, schoolboy, stripling,
             young boy or man, lad, laddie, whippersnapper; girl, lass,
             lassie, schoolgirl, maid, maiden, Literary damsel, demoiselle,
             mademoiselle, Colloq kid, (little) shaver, US and Canadian tad,
             Slang teeny-bopper, Brit sprog:  As youths, they used to spend
             time at rock concerts.  3 children, youngsters, juveniles,
             adolescents, young people, young, Colloq kids:  The youth of
             today have little respect for their elders.

24.5 yucky...
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   yucky     adj.  yukky or US also yuchy, disgusting, repugnant, repellent,
             unappetizing, vomit-provoking, sick-making, ill-making,
             nauseous, nauseating, revolting, foul, mucky, revolting,
             beastly, awful, Slang Brit grotty:  We get this yucky mess at
             school that we call 'mystery meat'.

   yummy     adj.  delicious, mouth-watering, luscious, appetizing, tasty,
             toothsome, savoury, delectable, ambrosial, Colloq scrumptious:
             At our school tuck shop we get the most yummy ice-cream.

25.0 Z
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25.1 zany...
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   zany      adj.  1 clownish, mad, wild, frolicsome, sportive, playful, gay,
             merry, slapstick, crazy, funny, comic(al), amusing, hilarious,
             absurd, nonsensical, ludicrous, silly, foolish, inane, Colloq
             wacky, loony, madcap, crackpot, nutty, goofy, US kooky:  The
             buskers put on the zaniest show I have seen for some time.

             --n.  2 clown, comic, jester, fool, joker, buffoon, wag,
             comedian, merry andrew, laughing-stock, Slang nut, US screwball:
             The two zanies kept the crowd in stitches while the pickpockets
             stole their wallets.

   zap       v.  destroy, kill, slaughter, annihilate, murder, slay,
             assassinate, liquidate, erase; shoot, electrocute, Slang rub
             out, polish off, knock off, bump off, snuff (out), waste, hit,
             US ice:  The baddies got zapped by the ray gun, one after the
             other.

25.2 zealot...
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   zealot    n.  fanatic, extremist, radical, bigot, maniac, militant:  We
             have to deal with ruthless zealots who are willing to die for
             their cause.

   zealotry  n.  fanaticism, extremism, radicalism, bigotry, militantism,
             terrorism, single-mindedness, monomania, fervour, frenzy,
             hysteria, obsession, obsessiveness:  Their attacks on innocent
             civilians show how far their zealotry can take them.

   zenith    n.  meridian, summit, acme, apex, vertex, apogee, high point,
             top, peak, pinnacle:  The dictator reached the zenith of his
             power very quickly.

   zero      n.  1 nil, null, nothing, nought or naught, aught, cipher,
             Cricket duck, Colloq nix, US goose-egg, nada, niente, Slang Brit
             (sweet) Fanny Adams or F.A., bugger-all, US zilch:  Temperatures
             have remained below zero all day. The visiting team won three
             games, we won zero. 2 (rock) bottom, nadir:  On a scale of one
             to ten, she is a zero.  3 nobody, nothing, nonentity, Slang US
             nebbish, bupkis:  That fellow she married is a real zero.

             --v.  4 zero in on. focus on, pinpoint, fix on, home in on,
             concentrate on, bring to bear on:  We zeroed in on the problem
             and then rapidly found the answer.

   zest      n.  1 spice, relish, gusto, tang, pepper, ginger, piquancy,
             pungency, edge, bite, flavour, Colloq zing, zip, pizazz:  Put in
             a little of my home-made sauce to add some zest.  2 eagerness,
             zestfulness, exuberance, appetite, interest, enthusiasm, hunger,
             thirst:  Where does Sidney get his zest for life?

25.3 zone...
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   zone      n.  area, quarter, district, region, sector, section, sphere,
             belt, territory, province, realm, domain, precinct, bailiwick,
             department, terrain, circle, locality, locale, Slang US turf:  A
             duty-free zone will allow for quicker transshipment of goods.
             The northern and southern hemispheres each have a frigid,
             temperate, and torrid zone.

   zoo       n.  1 zoological garden, menagerie, Tiergarten, (safari) park:
             When I was a child, I enjoyed going to the zoo almost as much as
             I do now. 2 madhouse, mess; chaos, pandemonium, bedlam, Colloq
             US three-ring circus, Chinese fire-drill:  When my husband and
             the three children get ready in the morning the kitchen is like
             a zoo.