Ww
W , w /dʌ b ə ljuː/ (W's, w's )
1 N‑VAR W is the twenty-third letter of the English alphabet.
2 W or w is an abbreviation for words beginning with w, such as 'west' or 'watt'.
wacko /wæ koʊ/ ADJ If you say that someone is wacko , you are saying in an unkind way that they are strange and eccentric. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Lampley was obviously completely wacko.
wacky /wæ ki/ (wackier , wackiest ) also whacky ADJ If you describe something or someone as wacky , you mean that they are eccentric, unusual, and often funny. [INFORMAL ] □ …a wacky new television comedy series.
wad /wɒ d/ (wads ) N‑COUNT A wad of something such as paper or cloth is a tight bundle or ball of it. □ [+ of ] …a wad of banknotes. □ [+ of ] …a wad of cotton soaked in cleaning fluid.
wad|ding /wɒ d I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Wadding is soft material which is put around things to protect them, for example in packing.
wad|dle /wɒ d ə l/ (waddles , waddling , waddled ) VERB To waddle somewhere means to walk there with short, quick steps, swinging slightly from side to side. A person or animal that waddles usually has short legs and a fat body. □ [V prep/adv] McGinnis pushed himself laboriously out of the chair and waddled to the window. [Also V ]
wade /we I d/ (wades , wading , waded )
1 VERB If you wade through something that makes it difficult to walk, usually water or mud, you walk through it. □ [V prep/adv] Rescuers had to wade across a river to reach them.
2 VERB To wade through a lot of documents or pieces of information means to spend a lot of time and effort reading them or dealing with them. □ [V + through ] It has taken a long time to wade through the 'incredible volume' of evidence.
▸ wade in or wade into PHRASAL VERB If someone wades in or wades into something, they get involved in a very determined and forceful way, often without thinking enough about the consequences of their actions. □ [V P ] They don't just listen sympathetically, they wade in with remarks like, 'If I were you…'. □ [V P n] Police waded into a crowd of protesters.
wad|er /we I də r / (waders )
1 N‑COUNT A wader is a bird with long legs and a long neck, which lives near water and feeds on fish. There are several different kinds of waders.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Waders are long rubber boots which cover all of the legs and are worn by fishermen when they are standing in water.
wadge /wɒ dʒ/ → see wodge
wadi /wɒ di/ (wadis ) N‑COUNT A wadi is a river in North Africa or Arabia which is dry except in the rainy season. [TECHNICAL ]
wa d|ing pool (wading pools ) N‑COUNT A wading pool is a shallow artificial pool for children to play in. [AM ] in BRIT, use paddling pool
wa|fer /we I fə r / (wafers )
1 N‑COUNT A wafer is a thin crisp biscuit which is usually eaten with ice cream.
2 N‑COUNT A wafer is a circular, thin piece of special bread which the priest gives people to eat in the Christian service of Holy Communion.
wa fer-thi n ADJ [ADJ n, v-link ADJ ] Wafer-thin means extremely thin and flat. □ Cut the fennel into wafer-thin slices.
waf|fle /wɒ f ə l/ (waffles , waffling , waffled )
1 VERB If you say that someone waffles , you are critical of them because they talk or write a lot without actually making any clear or important points. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V ] My teacher often tells me I waffle. □ [V + about ] There was some bloke on the phone waffling about an airline ticket. ● PHRASAL VERB Waffle on means the same as waffle . □ [V P ] Whenever I open my mouth I don't half waffle on. ● N‑UNCOUNT Waffle is also a noun. □ He writes smug, sanctimonious waffle.
2 VERB If someone waffles on an issue or question, they cannot decide what to do or what their opinion is about it. [AM ] □ [V + on ] He's waffled on abortion and gay rights. □ [V ] He kept waffling and finding excuses not to close the deal. [Also V + about/over ]
3 N‑COUNT A waffle is a kind of square cake made of batter with squares marked on it. Waffles are usually eaten with syrup poured over them.
waft /wɒ ft, wæ ft/ (wafts , wafting , wafted ) VERB If sounds or smells waft through the air, or if something such as a light wind wafts them, they move gently through the air. □ [V prep/adv] The scent of climbing roses wafts through the window. □ [V n prep/adv] A slight breeze rose, wafting the heavy scent of flowers past her. ● N‑COUNT Waft is also a noun. □ [+ of ] A waft of perfume drifted into Ingrid's nostrils.
wag /wæ g/ (wags , wagging , wagged )
1 VERB When a dog wags its tail, it repeatedly waves its tail from side to side. □ [V n] The dog was biting, growling and wagging its tail.
2 VERB If you wag your finger, you shake it repeatedly and quickly from side to side, usually because you are annoyed with someone. □ [V n] He wagged a disapproving finger.
3 VERB If you wag your head, you move it from side to side, often because you are unhappy about a situation. □ [V n] He wags his head unhappily.
wage ◆◇◇ /we I dʒ/ (wages , waging , waged )
1 N‑COUNT Someone's wages are the amount of money that is regularly paid to them for the work that they do. □ His wages have gone up. □ This may end efforts to set a minimum wage well above the poverty line.
2 VERB If a person, group, or country wages a campaign or a war, they start it and continue it over a period of time. □ [V n] …the three factions that had been waging a civil war. COLLOCATIONS wage NOUN 1
adjective + wage : average, minimum, weekly; decent, high, low
verb + wage : earn, receive; pay, raise, set SYNONYMS wage NOUN 1
pay: …their complaints about their pay and conditions.
earnings: Average weekly earnings rose by 1.5% in July.
remuneration: $31,000 is a generous remuneration.
income: Over a third of their income comes from comedy videos.
waged /we I dʒd/
1 Waged is the past tense and past participle of wage .
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Waged workers receive money regularly for doing a job. Waged work is work that you are paid to do. □ …the influx of women into the waged workforce. □ They want secure, waged employment.
wa ge pack|et (wage packets ) N‑COUNT People's wages can be referred to as their wage packet . [mainly BRIT ] □ They work long hours in order to take home a fat wage packet. in AM, usually use paycheck
wa|ger /we I dʒə r / (wagers , wagering , wagered )
1 VERB If you wager on the result of a horse race, football match, or other event, you give someone a sum of money which they give you back with extra money if the result is what you predicted, or which they keep if it is not. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V + on ] Just because people wagered on the Yankees did not mean that they liked them. □ [V n + on ] He never wagered money on games involving his own team. ● N‑COUNT Wager is also a noun. □ [+ on ] There have been various wagers on certain candidates since the Bishop announced his retirement.
2 VERB If you say that you will wager that something is the case, you mean you are confident that it is the case. □ [V that] She was willing to wager that he didn't own the apartment he lived in.
wag|gle /wæ g ə l/ (waggles , waggling , waggled ) VERB If you waggle something, or if something waggles , it moves up and down or from side to side with short quick movements. □ [V n] He was waggling his toes in his socks. □ [V ] …puppet animals with eyes that move and ears that waggle.
wag|on /wæ gən/ (wagons ) in BRIT, also use waggon 1 N‑COUNT A wagon is a strong vehicle with four wheels, usually pulled by horses or oxen and used for carrying heavy loads.
2 N‑COUNT A wagon is a large container on wheels which is pulled by a train. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use freight car
3 PHRASE Someone who is on the wagon has stopped drinking alcohol. [INFORMAL ] □ I'm on the wagon for a while. Cleaning out my system.
4 → see also station wagon
wag|tail /wæ gte I l/ (wagtails ) N‑COUNT A wagtail is a type of small bird which moves its tail quickly up and down as it walks.
wah-wah /wɑː wɑː/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] In music, wah-wah is used to describe the sound produced by covering and uncovering the open end of a brass instrument. This sound can also be produced electronically, especially when playing the electric guitar. □ He played some wah-wah guitar.
waif /we I f/ (waifs ) N‑COUNT If you refer to a child or young woman as a waif , you mean that they are very thin and look as if they have nowhere to live. □ …a dirty-faced waif of some five or six years.
wail /we I l/ (wails , wailing , wailed )
1 VERB If someone wails , they make long, loud, high-pitched cries which express sorrow or pain. □ [V ] The women began to wail in mourning. □ [V + for ] …a mother wailing for her lost child. ● N‑COUNT Wail is also a noun. □ [+ of ] Wails of grief were heard as visitors filed past the site of the disaster.
2 VERB If you wail something, you say it in a loud, high-pitched voice that shows that you are unhappy or in pain. □ [V with quote] 'Now look what you've done!' Shirley wailed. □ [V that] Primrose, stupefied by tiredness, began to wail that she was hungry. [Also V + about ]
3 VERB If something such as a siren or an alarm wails , it makes a long, loud, high-pitched sound. □ [V ] Police cars, their sirens wailing, accompanied the lorries. ● N‑UNCOUNT Wail is also a noun. □ [+ of ] The wail of the bagpipes could be heard in the distance. ● wail|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ Our artillery opened up and we heard a fearful wailing and screeching.
waist /we I st/ (waists )
1 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your waist is the middle part of your body where it narrows slightly above your hips. □ Ricky kept his arm round her waist. □ He was stripped to the waist. ● -waisted COMB □ Sarah looked slender-waisted, fragile and very beautiful.
2 N‑COUNT The waist of a garment such as a dress, coat, or pair of trousers is the part of it which covers the middle part of your body. ● -waisted COMB □ …high-waisted dresses.
waist|band /we I stbænd/ (waistbands ) N‑COUNT A waistband is a narrow piece of material which is sewn on to a pair of trousers, a skirt, or other item of clothing at the waist in order to strengthen it.
waist|coat /we I stkoʊt, we skət/ (waistcoats ) N‑COUNT A waistcoat is a sleeveless piece of clothing with buttons which people usually wear over a shirt. [BRIT ] in AM, use vest
waist|line /we I stla I n/ (waistlines )
1 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your waistline is your waist measurement. □ A passion for cooking does not necessarily have to be bad for your waistline.
2 N‑COUNT The waistline of a piece of clothing is the place where the upper and lower parts are sewn together, which is near to your waist when you wear it.
wait ◆◆◆ /we I t/ (waits , waiting , waited )
1 VERB [no passive] When you wait for something or someone, you spend some time doing very little, because you cannot act until that thing happens or that person arrives. □ [V + for ] I walk to a street corner and wait for the school bus. □ [V + for ] Stop waiting for things to happen. Make them happen. □ [V to-inf] I waited to see how she responded. □ [V ] Angus got out of the car to wait. □ [V n] We will have to wait a week or so before we know whether the operation is a success. □ [V -ing] He told waiting journalists that he did not expect a referendum to be held for several months. [Also V n + for ] ● wait|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ The waiting became almost unbearable.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A wait is a period of time in which you do very little, before something happens or before you can do something. □ [+ for ] …the four-hour wait for the organizers to declare the result.
3 VERB [usu cont] If something is waiting for you, it is ready for you to use, have, or do. □ [V + for ] There'll be a car waiting for you. □ [+ for ] When we came home we had a meal waiting for us. □ [V to-inf] Ships with unfurled sails wait to take them aboard. [Also V ]
4 VERB [no cont] If you say that something can wait , you mean that it is not important or urgent and so you will deal with it or do it later. □ [V ] I want to talk to you, but it can wait. □ [V ] Any changes will have to wait until sponsors can be found.
5 VERB You can use wait when you are trying to make someone feel excited, or to encourage or threaten them. □ [V + until ] If you think this all sounds very exciting, just wait until you read the book. □ [V ] As soon as you get some food inside you, you'll feel more cheerful. Just you wait.
6 VERB Wait is used in expressions such as wait a minute , wait a second , and wait a moment to interrupt someone when they are speaking, for example because you object to what they are saying or because you want them to repeat something. [SPOKEN ] □ [V n] 'Wait a minute!' he broke in. 'This is not giving her a fair hearing!'
7 VERB If an employee waits on you, for example in a restaurant or hotel, they take orders from you and bring you what you want. □ [V + on ] There were plenty of servants to wait on her. □ [V + at ] Each student is expected to wait at table for one week each semester.
8 PHRASE If you say that you can't wait to do something or can hardly wait to do it, you are emphasizing that you are very excited about it and eager to do it. [SPOKEN , EMPHASIS ] □ We can't wait to get started. □ It's gonna be great. I can hardly wait.
9 PHRASE If you tell someone to wait and see , you tell them that they must be patient or that they must not worry about what is going to happen in the future because they have no control over it. □ We'll have to wait and see what happens. □ …a wait-and-see attitude.
▸ wait around in BRIT, also use wait about PHRASAL VERB If you wait around or wait about , you stay in the same place, usually doing very little, because you cannot act before something happens or before someone arrives. □ [V P + for ] The attacker may have been waiting around for an opportunity to strike. □ [V P to-inf] I waited around to speak to the doctor. □ [V P ] …the ghastly tedium of waiting about at the airport.
▸ wait in PHRASAL VERB If you wait in , you deliberately stay at home and do not go out, for example because someone is coming to see you. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V P + for ] If I'd waited in for you I could have waited all day.
▸ wait on PHRASAL VERB If you are waiting on something, you are waiting for it to happen, for example before you do or decide anything. [AM ] □ [V P n] Since then I've been waiting on events.
▸ wait up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you wait up , you deliberately do not go to bed, especially because you are expecting someone to return home late at night. □ [V P + for ] I hope he doesn't expect you to wait up for him. □ [V P ] Don't wait up.
2 PHRASAL VERB [usu imper] If you ask someone to wait up , you are asking them to go more slowly or to stop and wait for you. [AM , INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] I was running down the hill shouting, 'Michael, Michael, man, wait up'.
wait|er /we I tə r / (waiters )
1 N‑COUNT A waiter is a man who works in a restaurant, serving people with food and drink.
2 → see also dumb waiter
wai t|ing ga me (waiting games ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you play a waiting game , you deal with a situation by deliberately doing nothing, because you believe you will gain an advantage by acting later, or because you are waiting to see how other people are going to act. □ He's playing a waiting game. He'll hope to hang on until the pressure is off.
wai t|ing list (waiting lists ) N‑COUNT [oft on N ] A waiting list is a list of people who have asked for something which cannot be given to them immediately, for example medical treatment, housing, or training, and who must therefore wait until it is available. □ [+ for ] There were 20,000 people on the waiting list for a home.
wai t|ing room (waiting rooms ) also waiting-room N‑COUNT A waiting room is a room in a place such as a railway station or a clinic, where people can sit down while they wait.
wait|ress /we I trəs/ (waitresses , waitressing , waitressed )
1 N‑COUNT A waitress is a woman who works in a restaurant, serving people with food and drink.
2 VERB A woman who waitresses works in a restaurant serving food and drink. □ [V ] She had been working in a pub, cooking and waitressing. ● wait|ress|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ She does a bit of waitressing as a part-time job.
waive /we I v/ (waives , waiving , waived )
1 VERB If you waive your right to something, for example legal representation, you choose not to have it or do it. □ [V n] He pleaded guilty to the murders of three boys and waived his right to appeal.
2 VERB If someone waives a rule, they say that people do not have to obey it in a particular situation. □ [V n] The art gallery waives admission charges on Sundays.
waiv|er /we I və r / (waivers ) N‑COUNT A waiver is when a person, government, or organization agrees to give up a right or says that people do not have to obey a particular rule or law. □ [+ of ] …a waiver of constitutional rights.
wake ◆◇◇ /we I k/ (wakes , waking , woke , woken ) The form waked is used in American English for the past tense. 1 VERB When you wake or when someone or something wakes you, you become conscious again after being asleep. □ [V ] It was cold and dark when I woke at 6.30. □ [V + to ] Bob woke slowly to sunshine pouring in his window. □ [V to-inf] She woke to find her dark room lit by flashing lights. □ [V n] She went upstairs to wake Milton. ● PHRASAL VERB Wake up means the same as wake . □ [V P ] One morning I woke up and felt something was wrong. □ [V n P ] At dawn I woke him up and said we were leaving.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing, with poss] The wake of a boat or other object moving in water is the track of waves that it makes behind it as it moves through the water. □ [+ of ] Dolphins sometimes play in the wake of the boats.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A wake is a gathering or social event that is held before or after someone's funeral. □ A funeral wake was in progress.
4 PHRASE If one thing follows in the wake of another, it happens after the other thing is over, often as a result of it. □ The governor has enjoyed a huge surge in the polls in the wake of last week's convention.
5 PHRASE [usu with poss] Your waking hours are the times when you are awake rather than asleep. □ It was work which consumed most of his waking hours.
6 PHRASE If you leave something or someone in your wake , you leave them behind you as you go. □ Adam stumbles on, leaving a trail of devastation in his wake.
7 PHRASE If you are following in someone's wake , you are following them or their example. □ In his wake came a waiter wheeling a trolley. □ …the endless stream of female artists who released albums in her wake.
▸ wake up
1 PHRASAL VERB If something such as an activity wakes you up , it makes you more alert and ready to do things after you have been lazy or inactive. □ [V P n] A cool shower wakes up the body and boosts circulation. [Also V n P ]
2 → see also wake 1
▸ wake up to PHRASAL VERB If you wake up to something, you become aware of it. □ [V P P n] People should wake up to the fact that people with disabilities have got a vote as well.
wake|ful /we I kfʊl/ ADJ Someone who is wakeful finds it difficult to get to sleep and wakes up very often when they should be sleeping. ● wake|ful|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ It is never a good idea to take sleeping tablets regularly for this kind of wakefulness.
wak|en /we I kən/ (wakens , wakening , wakened ) VERB When you waken , or when someone or something wakens you, you wake from sleep. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] The noise of a door slamming wakened her. □ [V ] Women are much more likely than men to waken because of noise. ● PHRASAL VERB Waken up means the same as waken . □ [V n P ] 'Drink this coffee–it will waken you up.' □ [V P ] If you do waken up during the night, start the exercises again.
wa ke-up call (wake-up calls )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A wake-up call is a phone call that you can book through an operator or at a hotel to make sure that you wake up at a particular time.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you say that something is a wake-up call to a person or group of people, you mean that it will make them notice something and start to take action. □ [+ to ] The Ambassador said he hoped the statement would serve as a wake-up call to the government.
walk ◆◆◆ /wɔː k/ (walks , walking , walked )
1 VERB When you walk , you move forward by putting one foot in front of the other in a regular way. □ [V ] Rosanna and Forbes walked in silence for some while. □ [V prep/adv] She turned and walked away. □ [V n] They would stop the car and walk a few steps. □ [V n + to ] When I was your age I walked five miles to school.
2 N‑COUNT A walk is a journey that you make by walking, usually for pleasure. □ I went for a walk. □ He often took long walks in the hills.
3 N‑SING A walk of a particular distance is the distance which a person has to walk to get somewhere. □ [+ to ] It was only a three-mile walk to Kabul from there. □ [+ from ] The church is a short walk from Piazza Dante.
4 N‑COUNT A walk is a route suitable for walking along for pleasure. □ There is a 2 mile coastal walk from Craster to Newton.
5 N‑SING A walk is the action of walking rather than running. □ She slowed to a steady walk.
6 N‑SING Someone's walk is the way that they walk. □ George, despite his great height and gangling walk, was a keen dancer.
7 VERB If you walk someone somewhere, you walk there with them in order to show politeness or to make sure that they get there safely. □ [V n prep/adv] She walked me to my car.
8 VERB If you walk your dog, you take it for a walk in order to keep it healthy. □ [V n] I walk my dog each evening around my local streets.
9 to be walking on air → see air
10 to walk tall → see tall
▸ walk away PHRASAL VERB If you walk away from a problem or a difficult situation, you do nothing about it or do not face any bad consequences from it. □ [V P + from ] The most appropriate strategy may simply be to walk away from the problem. □ [V P ] No one knows you're a part of this. You can just walk away.
▸ walk away with PHRASAL VERB If you walk away with something such as a prize, you win it or get it very easily. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V P P n] Enter our competition and you could walk away with £10,000.
▸ walk in on PHRASAL VERB If you walk in on someone, you enter the room that they are in while they are doing something private, and this creates an embarrassing situation. □ [V P P n] I walked in on him chatting to a woman on webcam.
▸ walk into
1 PHRASAL VERB If you walk into an unpleasant situation, you become involved in it without expecting to, especially because you have been careless. □ [V P n] He's walking into a situation that he absolutely can't control.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you walk into a job, you manage to get it very easily. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] When I left school, I could walk into any job.
▸ walk off with PHRASAL VERB If you walk off with something such as a prize, you win it or get it very easily. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V P P n] The delighted pensioner walked off with a £2,000 prize.
▸ walk out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you walk out of a meeting, a performance, or an unpleasant situation, you leave it suddenly, usually in order to show that you are angry or bored. □ [V P + of ] Several dozen councillors walked out of the meeting in protest. □ [V P ] Mr. Mason walked out during the performance.
2 PHRASAL VERB If someone walks out on their family or their partner, they leave them suddenly and go to live somewhere else. □ [V P + on ] Her husband walked out on her.
3 PHRASAL VERB If workers walk out , they stop doing their work for a period of time, usually in order to try to get better pay or conditions for themselves. □ [V P ] Nationwide industrial action began earlier this week, when staff at most banks walked out.
▸ walk over PHRASAL VERB If someone walks over you, they treat you very badly. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] Do you think you can walk over me? Well, you won't, ever! SYNONYMS walk VERB 1
stride: He turned abruptly and strode off down the corridor.
wander: They wandered off in the direction of the nearest store.
stroll: Afterwards, we strolled back and settled down with the newspapers.
march: He marched into the kitchen without knocking.
walk|about /wɔː kəbaʊt/ (walkabouts ) N‑COUNT A walkabout is a walk by a king, queen, or other important person through a public place in order to meet people in an informal way. [mainly BRIT ] □ He was ambushed by angry protesters during a walkabout in Bolton. ● PHRASE If a king, queen, or other important person goes walkabout or goes on a walkabout , he or she walks through crowds in a public place in order to meet people in an informal way. [BRIT ] □ The Prime Minister insisted on going walkabout in Belfast.
walk|er /wɔː kə r / (walkers )
1 N‑COUNT A walker is a person who walks, especially in the countryside for pleasure or in order to keep healthy.
2 N‑COUNT A walker is a special kind of frame which is designed to help babies or people who are ill or who have a disability to walk. □ She eventually used a cane, then a walker, and finally was confined to the house.
walkie-talkie /wɔː ki tɔː ki/ (walkie-talkies ) N‑COUNT A walkie-talkie is a small portable radio which you can talk into and hear messages through so that you can communicate with someone far away.
walk|ing /wɔː k I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Walking is the activity of taking walks for exercise or pleasure, especially in the country. □ Recently I've started to do a lot of walking and cycling. □ …a walking holiday.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use walking in expressions like a walking disaster or a walking dictionary in order to emphasize, for example, that someone causes a lot of disasters, or knows a lot of difficult words. [HUMOROUS , EMPHASIS ] □ He was a walking encyclopaedia.
wa lk|ing stick (walking sticks ) N‑COUNT A walking stick is a long wooden stick which a person can lean on while walking.
Walk|man /wɔː kmən/ (Walkmans ) N‑COUNT A Walkman is a small cassette player with light headphones which people carry around so that they can listen to music, for example while they are travelling. [TRADEMARK ]
wa lk of li fe (walks of life ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] The walk of life that you come from is the position that you have in society and the kind of job you have. □ One of the greatest pleasures of this job is meeting people from all walks of life.
wa lk-on ADJ [ADJ n] A walk-on part in a play or film is a very small part which usually does not involve any speaking. □ He and his family have walk-on parts in the latest film.
walk|out /wɔː kaʊt/ (walkouts )
1 N‑COUNT A walkout is a strike.
2 N‑COUNT If there is a walkout during a meeting, some or all of the people attending it leave in order to show their disapproval of something that has happened at the meeting. □ The commission's proceedings have been wrecked by tantrums and walkouts.
walk|over /wɔː koʊvə r / (walkovers ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you say that a competition or contest is a walkover , you mean that it is won very easily.
wa lk-up (walk-ups ) N‑COUNT A walk-up is a tall apartment block which has no lift. You can also refer to an apartment in such a block as a walk-up . [AM ] □ She lives in a tiny fifth floor walk-up in New York's East Village.
walk|way /wɔː kwe I / (walkways ) N‑COUNT A walkway is a passage or path for people to walk along. Walkways are often raised above the ground.
wall ◆◆◆ /wɔː l/ (walls )
1 N‑COUNT A wall is one of the vertical sides of a building or room. □ [+ of ] Kathryn leaned against the wall of the church. □ The bedroom walls would be painted light blue. □ She checked the wall clock. ● -walled COMB □ …a glass-walled elevator.
2 N‑COUNT A wall is a long narrow vertical structure made of stone or brick that surrounds or divides an area of land. □ He sat on the wall in the sun.
3 N‑COUNT The wall of something that is hollow is its side. □ [+ of ] He ran his fingers along the inside walls of the box.
4 N‑COUNT A wall of something is a large amount of it forming a high vertical barrier. □ [+ of ] She gazed at the wall of books. □ [+ of ] I was just hit by a wall of water.
5 N‑COUNT You can describe something as a wall of a particular kind when it acts as a barrier and prevents people from understanding something. □ [+ of ] The police say they met the usual wall of silence.
6 → see also cavity wall , dry-stone wall , fly-on-the-wall , hole-in-the-wall , off-the-wall , retaining wall , sea wall , stonewall , wall-to-wall
7 PHRASE [usu cont] If you say that you are banging your head against a wall , you are emphasizing that you are frustrated because someone is stopping you from making progress in something. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ I appealed for help but felt I was always banging my head against a wall. □ I wondered if I was banging my head against a brick wall.
8 PHRASE If you have your back to the wall , you are in a very difficult situation and can see no way out of it. [INFORMAL ] □ Their threat to hire replacement workers has the union with its back to the wall.
9 PHRASE If you say that something or someone is driving you up the wall , you are emphasizing that they annoy and irritate you. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ The heat is driving me up the wall. □ I sang in the bath and drove my parents up the wall.
10 PHRASE If a person or company goes to the wall , they lose all their money and their business fails. [INFORMAL ] □ Even quite big companies are going to the wall these days.
11 a fly on the wall → see fly
12 the writing is on the wall → see writing
▸ wall in PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If someone or something is walled in , they are surrounded or enclosed by a wall or barrier. □ [be V -ed P ] He is walled in by a mountain of papers in his cluttered Broadway office.
wal|la|by /wɒ ləbi/ (wallabies ) N‑COUNT A wallaby is an animal similar to a small kangaroo. Wallabies live in Australia and New Guinea.
wall|covering /wɔː lkʌvər I ŋ/ (wallcoverings ) also wall covering N‑VAR A wallcovering is a material such as wallpaper that is used to decorate the walls on the inside of a building.
walled /wɔː ld/ ADJ If an area of land or a city is walled , it is surrounded or enclosed by a wall. □ …a walled rose garden.
wal|let /wɒ l I t/ (wallets ) N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] A wallet is a small flat folded case, usually made of leather or plastic, in which you can keep banknotes and credit cards.
wall|flower /wɔː lflaʊə r / (wallflowers )
1 N‑COUNT A wallflower is a plant that is grown in gardens and has sweet-smelling yellow, red, orange, or purple flowers.
2 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a wallflower , you mean that they are shy and do not get involved in dancing or talking to people at social events.
wal|lop /wɒ ləp/ (wallops , walloping , walloped ) VERB If you wallop someone or something, you hit them very hard, often causing a dull sound. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n prep] Once, she walloped me over the head with a frying pan. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Wallop is also a noun. □ With one brutal wallop, Clarke flattened him.
wal|low /wɒ loʊ/ (wallows , wallowing , wallowed )
1 VERB If you say that someone is wallowing in an unpleasant situation, you are criticizing them for being deliberately unhappy. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + in ] His tired mind continued to wallow in self-pity.
2 VERB If a person or animal wallows in water or mud, they lie or roll about in it slowly for pleasure. □ [V + in ] Never have I had such a good excuse for wallowing in deep warm baths.
wall|paper /wɔː lpe I pə r / (wallpapers , wallpapering , wallpapered )
1 N‑VAR Wallpaper is thick coloured or patterned paper that is used for covering and decorating the walls of rooms. □ [+ in ] …the wallpaper in the bedroom.
2 VERB If someone wallpapers a room, they cover the walls with wallpaper. □ [V n] We were going to wallpaper that room anyway.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Wallpaper is the background on a computer or phone screen. [COMPUTING ] □ … pre-installed wallpaper images.
Wa ll Street ◆◇◇ N‑PROPER Wall Street is a street in New York where the Stock Exchange and important banks are. Wall Street is often used to refer to the financial business carried out there and to the people who work there. [BUSINESS ] □ On Wall Street, stocks closed at their second highest level today. □ Wall Street seems to be ignoring other indications that consumers are spending less.
wa ll-to-wa ll
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A wall-to-wall carpet covers the floor of a room completely.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use wall-to-wall to describe something that fills or seems to fill all the available space. □ …television's wall-to-wall soccer coverage.
wal|ly /wɒ li/ (wallies ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a wally , you think that they are stupid or foolish. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
wal|nut /wɔː lnʌt/ (walnuts )
1 N‑COUNT Walnuts are edible nuts which have a wrinkled shape and a hard round shell that is light brown in colour. □ …chopped walnuts.
2 N‑VAR A walnut or a walnut tree is a tree on which walnuts grow. ● N‑UNCOUNT Walnut is the wood of this tree. □ …a handsome walnut desk.
wal|rus /wɔː lrəs/ (walruses ) N‑COUNT A walrus is a large, fat animal which lives in the sea. It has two long teeth called tusks that point downwards.
waltz /wɔː lts/ (waltzes , waltzing , waltzed )
1 N‑COUNT [oft in names] A waltz is a piece of music with a rhythm of three beats in each bar, which people can dance to. □ …Tchaikovsky's 'Waltz of the Flowers'.
2 N‑COUNT A waltz is a dance in which two people hold each other and move around the floor doing special steps in time to waltz music. □ Arthur Murray taught the foxtrot, the tango and the waltz.
3 VERB If you waltz with someone, you dance a waltz with them. □ [V + with ] 'Waltz with me,' he said, taking her hand. □ [V + around ] Couples are waltzing round the wooden floor. [Also V ]
4 VERB If you say that someone waltzes somewhere, you mean that they do something in a relaxed and confident way. [INFORMAL ] □ [V adv/prep] She's probably got herself a new man and gone waltzing off with him.
wan /wɒ n/ ADJ If you describe someone as wan , you mean that they look pale and tired. [LITERARY ] □ He looked wan and tired.
wand /wɒ nd/ (wands ) N‑COUNT A wand is the same as a magic wand . □ You can't simply wave a wand and get rid of nuclear weapons.
wan|der /wɒ ndə r / (wanders , wandering , wandered )
1 VERB If you wander in a place, you walk around there in a casual way, often without intending to go in any particular direction. □ [V prep/adv] They wandered off in the direction of the nearest store. □ [V n] Those who do not have relatives to return to are left to wander the streets and sleep rough. ● N‑SING Wander is also a noun. □ [+ around ] A wander around any market will reveal stalls piled high with vegetables.
2 VERB If a person or animal wanders from a place where they are supposed to stay, they move away from the place without going in a particular direction. □ [V adv/prep] Because Mother is afraid we'll get lost, we aren't allowed to wander far. □ [V ] To keep their bees from wandering, beekeepers feed them sugar solutions.
3 VERB If your mind wanders or your thoughts wander , you stop concentrating on something and start thinking about other things. □ [V ] His mind would wander, and he would lose track of what he was doing.
4 VERB If your eyes wander , you stop looking at one thing and start looking around at other things. □ [V prep/adv] His eyes wandered restlessly around the room.
wan|der|er /wɒ ndərə r / (wanderers ) N‑COUNT A wanderer is a person who travels around rather than settling in one place.
wan|der|ing /wɒ ndər I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Wandering is used to describe people who travel around rather than staying in one place for a long time. [LITERARY ] □ …a band of wandering musicians.
wan|der|ings /wɒ ndər I ŋz/ N‑PLURAL [usu with poss] Someone's wanderings are journeys that they make from place to place without staying in one place for a long time. □ On his wanderings he's picked up Spanish, Italian, French and a smattering of Russian.
wan|der|lust /wɒ ndə r lʌst/ N‑UNCOUNT Someone who has wanderlust has a strong desire to travel. □ His wanderlust would not allow him to stay long in one spot.
wane /we I n/ (wanes , waning , waned )
1 VERB If something wanes , it becomes gradually weaker or less, often so that it eventually disappears. □ [V ] While his interest in these sports began to wane, a passion for rugby developed. □ [V -ing] …her mother's waning strength.
2 wax and wane → see wax
3 PHRASE If something is on the wane , it is becoming weaker or less. □ In 1982, with his career prospects on the wane, he sold a script for £5,000.
4 VERB [usu cont] When the moon is waning , it is showing a smaller area of brightness each day as it changes from a full moon to a new moon. □ [V ] The moon was waning, and each day it rose later.
wan|gle /wæ ŋg ə l/ (wangles , wangling , wangled ) VERB If you wangle something that you want, you manage to get it by being clever or persuading someone. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] We managed to wangle a few days' leave. □ [V n] He had wangled his way into the country without a visa. □ [V n n] I asked the Captain to wangle us three tickets to Athens. □ [V n + for ] Amanda had wangled a job for Robyn with the council.
wank /wæ ŋk/ (wanks , wanking , wanked ) VERB To wank means to masturbate. [BRIT , VERY RUDE ] ● N‑SING Wank is also a noun.
wank|er /wæ ŋkə r / (wankers ) N‑COUNT If someone calls a man a wanker , they do not like him and they think he is very stupid or unpleasant. [BRIT , VERY RUDE , DISAPPROVAL ]
wan|na /wɒ nə/ Wanna is used in written English to represent the words 'want to' when they are pronounced informally. □ I wanna be married to you. Do you wanna be married to me?
wanna|be /wɒ nəbiː/ (wannabes ) also wannabee N‑COUNT [usu n N , N n] If you call someone a wannabe , you are saying in an unkind way that they are trying very hard to be like another person or group of people. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a feeble James Dean wannabe.
want ◆◆◆ /wɒ nt/ (wants , wanting , wanted )
1 VERB [no cont, no passive] If you want something, you feel a desire or a need for it. □ [V n] I want a drink. □ [V n] Ian knows exactly what he wants in life. □ [V to-inf] People wanted to know who this talented designer was. □ [V n to-inf] They began to want their father to be the same as other daddies. □ [V n v-ing] They didn't want people staring at them as they sat on the lawn, so they put up high walls. □ [V n -ed] He wanted his power recognised. □ [V n n] I want my car this colour. □ [V n adj/prep] And remember, we want him alive.
2 VERB [no cont, no passive] You can say that you want to say something to indicate that you are about to say it. □ [V to-inf] Look, I wanted to apologize for today. I think I was a little hard on you.
3 VERB [no cont, no passive] You use want in questions as a way of making an offer or inviting someone to do something. □ [V n] Do you want another cup of coffee? □ [V to-inf] Do you want to leave your bike here?
4 VERB [no cont, no passive] If you say to someone that you want something, or ask them if they want to do it, you are firmly telling them what you want or what you want them to do. □ [V n] I want an explanation from you, Jeremy. □ [V n to-inf] If you have a problem with that, I want you to tell me right now. □ [V to-inf] Do you want to tell me what all this is about? □ [V n adv/prep] I want my money back!
5 VERB [no cont, no passive] If you say that something wants doing, you think that it needs to be done. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V v-ing] Her hair wants cutting.
6 VERB [no cont, no passive] If you tell someone that they want to do a particular thing, you are advising them to do it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V to-inf] You want to be very careful not to have a man like Crevecoeur for an enemy.
7 VERB [usu passive] If someone is wanted by the police, the police are searching for them because they are thought to have committed a crime. □ [be V -ed + for ] He was wanted for the murder of a magistrate. ● want|ed ADJ [ADJ n] □ He is one of the most wanted criminals in Europe.
8 VERB If you want someone, you have a great desire to have sex with them. □ [V n] Come on, darling. I want you.
9 VERB If a child is wanted , its mother or another person loves it and is willing to look after it. □ [be V -ed] Children should be wanted and planned. □ [V n] I want this baby very much, because it certainly will be the last.
10 N‑SING A want of something is a lack of it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …a want of manners and charm.
11 N‑PLURAL [usu with poss] Your wants are the things that you want. □ [+ of ] Supermarkets often claim that they are responding to the wants of consumers.
12 PHRASE If you do something for want of something else, you do it because the other thing is not available or not possible. □ [+ of ] Many of them had gone into teaching for want of anything better to do.
▸ want out PHRASAL VERB If you want out , you no longer want to be involved in a plan, project, or situation that you are part of. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] We've had enough, John. We want out.
wa nt ad (want ads ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] The want ads in a newspaper or magazine are small advertisements, usually offering things for sale or offering jobs. [mainly AM ]
want|ing /wɒ nt I ŋ/ ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you find something or someone wanting , they are not of as high a standard as you think they should be. □ He analysed his game and found it wanting. [Also + in ]
wan|ton /wɒ ntən/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A wanton action deliberately causes harm, damage, or waste without having any reason to. □ …this unnecessary and wanton destruction of our environment.
2 ADJ If someone describes a woman as wanton , they disapprove of her because she clearly enjoys sex or has sex with a lot of men. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the idea that only wanton women have sexual passions.
WAP /wæ p/ N‑UNCOUNT WAP is a system which allows devices such as mobile phones to connect to the internet. WAP is an abbreviation for 'Wireless Application Protocol'.
war ◆◆◆ /wɔː r / (wars )
1 N‑VAR A war is a period of fighting or conflict between countries or states. □ He spent part of the war in the National Guard. □ They've been at war for the last fifteen years.
2 N‑VAR War is intense economic competition between countries or organizations. □ The most important thing is to reach an agreement and to avoid a trade war.
3 N‑VAR If you make war on someone or something that you are opposed to, you do things to stop them succeeding. □ [+ against ] She has been involved in the war against organised crime. □ [+ on ] …if the United States is to be successful in its war on corruption.
4 → see also civil war , Cold War , council of war , warring
5 PHRASE If a country goes to war , it starts fighting a war. □ Do you think this crisis can be settled without going to war?
6 PHRASE If two people, countries, or organizations have a war of words , they criticize each other because they strongly disagree about something. [JOURNALISM ] □ [+ with ] Animal rights activists have been engaged in a bitter war of words with zoos. [Also + between ]
7 to lose the battle but win the war → see battle
war|ble /wɔː r b ə l/ (warbles , warbling , warbled )
1 VERB When a bird warbles , it sings pleasantly. □ [V ] The bird continued to warble. □ [V n] A flock of birds was already warbling a cheerful morning chorus.
2 VERB If someone warbles , they sing in a high-pitched, rather unsteady voice. □ [V ] She warbled as she worked. □ [V n] …singers warbling 'Over the Rainbow'.
war|bler /wɔː r blə r / (warblers ) N‑COUNT Warblers are a family of small birds that have a pleasant song.
wa r chest (war chests ) N‑COUNT A war chest is a fund to finance a project such as a political campaign. □ Governor Caperton has the largest campaign war chest.
ward /wɔː r d/ (wards , warding , warded )
1 N‑COUNT A ward is a room in a hospital which has beds for many people, often people who need similar treatment. □ A toddler was admitted to the emergency ward with a wound in his chest.
2 N‑COUNT A ward is a district which forms part of a political constituency or local council. □ [+ of ] …the marginal wards of Reading Kentwood and Tilehurst West.
3 N‑COUNT A ward or a ward of court is a child who is the responsibility of a person called a guardian, or of a court of law, because their parents are dead or because they are believed to be in need of protection. □ [+ of ] Alex was made a ward of court.
▸ ward off PHRASAL VERB To ward off a danger or illness means to prevent it from affecting you or harming you. □ [V P n] She may have put up a fight to try to ward off her assailant. □ [V P n] Mass burials are now under way in an effort to ward off an outbreak of cholera. [Also V n P ]
war|den /wɔː r d ə n/ (wardens )
1 N‑COUNT A warden is a person who is responsible for a particular place or thing, and for making sure that the laws or regulations that relate to it are obeyed. □ [+ at ] He was a warden at the local parish church. □ Game wardens were appointed to enforce hunting laws in New Hampshire.
2 → see also traffic warden
3 N‑COUNT The warden of a prison is the person in charge of it. [AM ] □ A new warden took over the prison. in BRIT, use governor
war|der /wɔː r də r / (warders ) N‑COUNT A warder is someone who works in a prison supervising the prisoners. [BRIT ] in AM, use guard
ward|robe /wɔː r droʊb/ (wardrobes )
1 N‑COUNT A wardrobe is a tall cupboard or cabinet in which you can hang your clothes.
2 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's wardrobe is the total collection of clothes that they have. □ Her wardrobe consists primarily of huge cashmere sweaters and tiny Italian sandals.
3 N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] The wardrobe in a theatre company is the actors' and actresses' costumes. □ In the wardrobe department were rows of costumes.
-ware /-weə r / COMB -ware combines with nouns to refer to objects that are made of a particular material or that are used for a particular purpose in the home. □ …boxes of cheap glassware.
ware|house /weə r haʊs/ (warehouses ) N‑COUNT A warehouse is a large building where raw materials or manufactured goods are stored until they are exported to other countries or distributed to shops to be sold.
wa re|house club (warehouse clubs ) N‑COUNT A warehouse club is a large shop which sells goods at reduced prices to people who pay each year to become members of the organization that runs the shop.
ware|hous|ing /weə r haʊz I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Warehousing is the act or process of storing large quantities of goods so that they can be sold or used at a later date. □ All donations go towards the cost of warehousing.
wares /weə r z/ N‑PLURAL Someone's wares are the things that they sell, usually in the street or in a market. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ Vendors displayed their wares in baskets or on the ground.
war|fare /wɔː r feə r /
1 N‑UNCOUNT Warfare is the activity of fighting a war. □ …the threat of chemical warfare.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Warfare is sometimes used to refer to any violent struggle or conflict. □ Much of the violence is related to gang warfare. □ At times party rivalries have broken out into open warfare.
wa r game (war games )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] War games are military exercises that are carried out for the purpose of training, and that are designed to imitate a real war as closely as possible.
2 N‑COUNT A war game is a game in which model soldiers are used to recreate battles that happened in the past. War games can also be played on computers.
war|head /wɔː r hed/ (warheads ) N‑COUNT A warhead is the front part of a bomb or missile where the explosives are carried. □ …nuclear warheads.
war|horse /wɔː r hɔː r s/ (warhorses ) also war-horse , war horse N‑COUNT You can refer to someone such as an old soldier or politician who is still active and aggressive as a warhorse .
war|like /wɔː r la I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Warlike people seem aggressive and eager to start a war. □ The Scythians were a fiercely warlike people.
war|lord /wɔː r lɔː r d/ (warlords ) N‑COUNT If you describe a leader of a country or organization as a warlord , you are critical of them because they have achieved power by behaving in an aggressive and violent way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He had been a dictator and a warlord who had oppressed and degraded the people of the South. □ He was the most feared warlord during the Liberian civil war.
warm ◆◆◇ /wɔː r m/ (warmer , warmest , warms , warming , warmed )
1 ADJ Something that is warm has some heat but not enough to be hot. □ Because it was warm, David wore only a white cotton shirt. □ Dissolve the salt in the warm water.
2 ADJ Warm clothes and blankets are made of a material such as wool which protects you from the cold. □ They have been forced to sleep in the open without food or warm clothing. ● warm|ly ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed] □ Remember to wrap up warmly on cold days. □ …warmly dressed.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Warm colours have red or yellow in them rather than blue or green, and make you feel comfortable and relaxed. □ The basement hallway is painted a warm yellow.
4 ADJ A warm person is friendly and shows a lot of affection or enthusiasm in their behaviour. □ She was a warm and loving mother. □ I would like to express my warmest thanks to the doctors. ● warm|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ New members are warmly welcomed. □ He greeted me warmly.
5 VERB If you warm a part of your body or if something hot warms it, it stops feeling cold and starts to feel hotter. □ [V n] The sun had come out to warm his back. □ [V n] She went to warm her hands by the log fire.
6 VERB If you warm to a person or an idea, you become fonder of the person or more interested in the idea. □ [V + to ] Those who got to know him better warmed to his openness and honesty.
▸ warm down
1 PHRASAL VERB If you warm down after doing a physical activity, you do special exercises to help relax your muscles and joints. □ [V P ] He always warms down after training.
2 → see also warm-down
▸ warm up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you warm something up or if it warms up , it gets hotter. □ [V n P ] He blew on his hands to warm them up. □ [V P n] All that she would have to do was warm up the pudding. □ [V P ] The weather had warmed up.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you warm up for an event such as a race, you prepare yourself for it by doing exercises or by practising just before it starts. □ [V P ] In an hour the drivers will be warming up for the main event.
3 → see also warm-up
4 PHRASAL VERB When a machine or engine warms up or someone warms it up , it becomes ready for use a little while after being switched on or started. □ [V P ] He waited for his car to warm up. □ [V P n] We spent a frustrating five minutes while the pilot warmed up the engines. [Also V n P ]
5 PHRASAL VERB If a comedian or speaker warms up an audience or the audience warms up , the audience is prepared for the main show or speaker by being told jokes, so that they are in a good mood. □ [V P n] They would always come out and warm up the audience. □ [V P ] The crowd began to warm up.
wa rm-bloo ded ADJ A warm-blooded animal, for example a bird or a mammal, has a fairly high body temperature which does not change much and is not affected by the surrounding temperature.
wa rm-down (warm-downs ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A warm-down is a series of special exercises that you do after doing a physical activity to help relax your muscles and joints.
wa rm-hea rted ADJ A warm-hearted person is friendly and affectionate.
war|monger /wɔː r mʌŋgə r / (warmongers ) N‑COUNT If you describe a politician or leader as a warmonger , you disapprove of them because you think they are encouraging people to start or join a war. [DISAPPROVAL ]
warmth /wɔː r mθ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT The warmth of something is the heat that it has or produces. □ [+ of ] She went further into the room, drawn by the warmth of the fire.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The warmth of something such as a garment or blanket is the protection that it gives you against the cold. □ The blanket will provide additional warmth and comfort in bed.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Someone who has warmth is friendly and enthusiastic in their behaviour towards other people. □ He greeted us both with warmth and affection.
wa rm-up (warm-ups ) N‑COUNT [usu sing, N n] A warm-up is something that prepares you for an activity or event, usually because it is a short practice or example of what the activity or event will involve. □ [+ for ] The exercises can be fun and a good warm-up for the latter part of the programme. □ [+ for ] The criticism was merely a warm-up for what is being prepared for the finance minister.
warn ◆◆◇ /wɔː r n/ (warns , warning , warned )
1 VERB If you warn someone about something such as a possible danger or problem, you tell them about it so that they are aware of it. □ [V n that] When I had my first baby, friends warned me that children were expensive. □ [V n + of/about ] They warned him of the dangers of sailing alone. □ [V that] Analysts warned that Europe's most powerful economy may be facing trouble. □ [V + of ] He also warned of a possible anti-Western backlash.
2 VERB If you warn someone not to do something, you advise them not to do it so that they can avoid possible danger or punishment. □ [V n to-inf] Mrs. Blount warned me not to interfere. □ [V with quote] 'Don't do anything yet,' he warned. 'Too risky.' □ [V n with quote] 'Keep quiet, or they'll all come out,' they warned him. □ [V n + against ] I wish I'd listened to the people who warned me against having the operation.
▸ warn off PHRASAL VERB If you warn someone off , you tell them to go away or to stop doing something because of possible danger or punishment. □ [V n P ] The police warned the intruder off. □ [V n P n] The band's management have warned them off late nights. [Also V n P v-ing, V P n]
warn|ing ◆◇◇ /wɔː r n I ŋ/ (warnings )
1 N‑COUNT [oft N that, N to-inf] A warning is something which is said or written to tell people of a possible danger, problem, or other unpleasant thing that might happen. □ The minister gave a warning that if war broke out, it would be catastrophic. □ [+ for ] The week's second severe weather warning for heavy rain was issued yesterday.
2 N‑VAR [oft without N ] A warning is an advance notice of something that will happen, often something unpleasant or dangerous. □ The soldiers opened fire without warning. □ With no warning, he was fired from his job.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Warning actions or signs give a warning. □ She ignored the warning signals. □ Some fog warning signs had been put up with flashing yellow lights. COLLOCATIONS warning NOUN 1
noun + warning : health, safety; flood, travel, weather; government
adjective + warning : dire, stark, stern; repeated
verb + warning : give, issue, sound; heed, ignore SYNONYMS warning NOUN 1
threat: He may be forced to carry out his threat to resign.
caution: There was a note of caution for the Treasury in the figures.
alarm: The other man rang the alarm bell.
alert: Due to a security alert, this train will not be stopping at Oxford Circus.
omen: Her appearance at this moment is an omen of disaster.
wa r of ne rves N‑SING A war of nerves is a conflict in which the opposing sides try to make each other feel less confident. □ [+ between ] …the continuing war of nerves between the army and the leadership.
warp /wɔː r p/ (warps , warping , warped )
1 VERB If something warps or is warped , it becomes damaged by bending or curving, often because of the effect of heat or water. □ [V ] The firm makes floors that won't shrink or warp. □ [V n] It should have prevented rain water warping the door trim.
2 VERB If something warps someone's character, it damages them or it influences them in a bad way. □ [V n] I never had any toys, my father thought that they would warp my personal values. □ [V n] Their lives have been warped by war.
3 N‑COUNT [n N ] A warp in time or space is an imaginary break or sudden change in the normal experience of time or space. □ The house retains much of its original detailing without being stuck in a time warp.
4 N‑SING In weaving, the warp is the threads which are held in a frame or machine called a loom while another thread is passed across through them. Compare weft .
wa r paint also warpaint N‑UNCOUNT War paint is the paint which some groups of people used to decorate their faces and bodies before they fought a battle.
war|path /wɔː r pɑːθ, -pæθ/ PHRASE If you say that someone is or has gone on the warpath , you mean that they are angry and getting ready for a fight or conflict. [INFORMAL ] □ I had warned the children that daddy was on the warpath.
war|plane /wɔː r ple I n/ (warplanes ) also war plane N‑COUNT A warplane is an aircraft that is designed to be used for fighting, for example to attack other aircraft or to drop bombs.
war|rant /wɒ rənt, [AM ] wɔː r-/ (warrants , warranting , warranted )
1 VERB If something warrants a particular action, it makes the action seem necessary or appropriate for the circumstances. □ [V n] The allegations are serious enough to warrant an investigation. ● war|rant|ed ADJ □ Do you think this fear is warranted?
2 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A warrant is a legal document that allows someone to do something, especially one that is signed by a judge or magistrate and gives the police permission to arrest someone or search their house. □ [+ for ] Police confirmed that they had issued a warrant for his arrest. □ …a search warrant.
3 → see also death warrant
wa r|rant of|fic|er (warrant officers ) N‑COUNT A warrant officer is a person in the army, the air force, or the marines who is above the rank of sergeant and below the rank of lieutenant. In the United States Navy, a warrant officer is above the rank of petty officer and below the rank of ensign.
war|ran|ty /wɒ rənti, [AM ] wɔː r-/ (warranties ) N‑COUNT [oft under N ] A warranty is a written promise by a company that, if you find a fault in something they have sold you within a certain time, they will repair it or replace it free of charge. □ …a twelve month warranty. □ The equipment is still under warranty.
war|ren /wɒ rən, [AM ] wɔː r-/ (warrens )
1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A warren is a group of holes in the ground which are connected by tunnels and which rabbits live in.
2 N‑COUNT If you describe a building or an area of a city as a warren , you mean that there are many narrow passages or streets. □ [+ of ] …a warren of narrow streets.
war|ring /wɔː r I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] Warring is used to describe groups of people who are involved in a conflict or quarrel with each other. □ The warring factions have not yet turned in all their heavy weapons. □ …warring brothers and sisters.
war|ri|or /wɒ riə r , [AM ] wɔː r-/ (warriors ) N‑COUNT A warrior is a fighter or soldier, especially one in former times who was very brave and experienced in fighting.
war|ship /wɔː r ʃ I p/ (warships ) N‑COUNT A warship is a ship with guns that is used for fighting in wars.
wart /wɔː r t/ (warts ) N‑COUNT A wart is a small lump which grows on your skin.
wart|hog /wɔː r thɒg, [AM ] -hɔːg/ (warthogs ) N‑COUNT A warthog is a wild pig with two large teeth that curve upwards at the sides of its mouth. Warthogs live in Africa.
war|time /wɔː r ta I m/ also war-time N‑UNCOUNT [oft in N , N n] Wartime is a period of time when a war is being fought. □ …his wartime experiences in France.
wa r wid|ow (war widows ) N‑COUNT A war widow is a woman whose husband was killed while he was in the armed forces during a war.
wary /weə ri/ (warier , wariest ) ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are wary of something or someone, you are cautious because you do not know much about them and you believe they may be dangerous or cause problems. □ [+ of ] People did not teach their children to be wary of strangers. □ [+ about ] They were very wary about giving him a contract. ● wari|ly /weə r I li/ ADV [usu ADV with v] □ She studied me warily, as if I might turn violent.
was /wəz, STRONG wɒz, [AM ] wʌz/ Was is the first and third person singular of the past tense of be .
wash ◆◇◇ /wɒ ʃ/ (washes , washing , washed )
1 VERB If you wash something, you clean it using water and usually a substance such as soap or detergent. □ [V n] He got a job washing dishes in a pizza parlour. □ [V n prep] It took a long time to wash the mud out of his hair. □ [V n with adv] Rub down the door and wash off the dust before applying the varnish. ● N‑COUNT Wash is also a noun. □ That coat could do with a wash. □ The treatment leaves hair glossy and lasts 10 to 16 washes.
2 VERB If you wash or if you wash part of your body, especially your hands and face, you clean part of your body using soap and water. □ [V ] They looked as if they hadn't washed in days. □ [V n] She washed her face with cold water. □ [get V -ed] You are going to have your dinner, get washed, and go to bed. ● N‑COUNT Wash is also a noun. □ She had a wash and changed her clothes.
3 VERB If a sea or river washes somewhere, it flows there gently. You can also say that something carried by a sea or river washes or is washed somewhere. □ [V prep/adv] The sea washed against the shore. □ [V n with adv] The force of the water washed him back into the cave. [Also V n prep]
4 N‑SING The wash of a boat is the wave that it causes on either side as it moves through the water. □ [+ from ] …the wash from large ships.
5 VERB If a feeling washes over you, you suddenly feel it very strongly and cannot control it. [WRITTEN ] □ [V + over ] A wave of self-consciousness can wash over her when someone new enters the room.
6 VERB If you say that an excuse or idea will not wash , you mean that people will not accept or believe it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V ] He said her policies didn't work and the excuses didn't wash. □ [V + with ] If they believe that solution would wash with the Haitian people, they are making a dramatic error.
7 → see also washing
8 PHRASE If you say that something such as an item of clothing is in the wash , you mean that it is being washed, is waiting to be washed, or has just been washed and should therefore not be worn or used. [INFORMAL ] □ Your jeans are in the wash.
9 to wash your dirty linen in public → see dirty
10 to wash your hands of something → see hand ➊
▸ wash away PHRASAL VERB If rain or floods wash away something, they destroy it and carry it away. □ [V P n] Flood waters washed away one of the main bridges in Pusan. [Also V n P ]
▸ wash down
1 PHRASAL VERB If you wash something, especially food, down with a drink, you drink the drink after eating the food, especially to make the food easier to swallow or digest. □ [V n P ] He took two aspirin immediately and washed them down with three cups of water. [Also V P n]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you wash down an object, you wash it all, from top to bottom. □ [V P n] The prisoner started to wash down the walls of his cell. [Also V n P ]
▸ wash out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you wash out a container, you wash the inside of it. □ [V P n] It was my job to wash out the fish tank.
2 PHRASAL VERB If dye or dirt washes out , it can be removed by washing. □ [V P ] With permanent tints, the result won't wash out.
3 PHRASAL VERB If rain washes out a sports game or other event, it spoils it or prevents it from continuing. □ [V P n] Rain washed out five of the last seven games.
4 → see also washed-out , washout
▸ wash over PHRASAL VERB If something someone does or says washes over you, you do not notice it or it does not affect you in any way. □ [V P n] The television headlines seemed to wash over her without meaning anything.
▸ wash up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you wash up , you wash the plates, cups, cutlery, and pans which have been used for cooking and eating a meal. [BRIT ] □ [V P ] I ran some hot water and washed up. □ [V P n] I bet you make breakfast and wash up their plates, too. [Also V n P ] in AM, use wash the dishes 2 PHRASAL VERB If you wash up , you clean part of your body with soap and water, especially your hands and face. [AM ] □ [V P ] He headed to the bathroom to wash up. in BRIT, use wash 3 PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If something is washed up on a piece of land, it is carried by a river or sea and left there. □ Thousands of herring and crab are washed up on the beaches during every storm. □ [V -ed P ] The fossils appear to be an early form of seaweed washed up on a beach.
4 → see also washed up , washing-up
wash|able /wɒ ʃəb ə l/ ADJ Washable clothes or materials can be washed in water without being damaged. □ Choose washable curtains.
wash|basin /wɒ ʃbe I s ə n/ (washbasins ) also wash basin N‑COUNT A washbasin is a large bowl, usually with taps for hot and cold water, for washing your hands and face. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use sink
wash|cloth /wɒ ʃklɒθ, [AM ] -klɔːθ/ (washcloths ) N‑COUNT A washcloth is a small cloth that you use for washing yourself. [AM ] in BRIT, use flannel , facecloth
wa shed-ou t also washed out
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Washed-out colours are very pale. □ He stared at me out of those washed-out blue eyes.
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone looks washed-out , they look very tired and lacking in energy. □ She looked washed out and listless.
wa shed u p also washed-up ADJ If you say that someone is washed up , you mean that their career or success has ended. [INFORMAL ] □ He's all washed up, but he still yells at everyone.
wash|er /wɒ ʃə r / (washers )
1 N‑COUNT A washer is a thin flat ring of metal or rubber which is placed over a bolt before the nut is screwed on.
2 N‑COUNT A washer is the same as a washing machine . [INFORMAL ]
wash|ing /wɒ ʃ I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Washing is a collection of clothes, sheets, and other things which are waiting to be washed, are being washed, or have just been washed. □ …plastic bags full of dirty washing.
wa sh|ing line (washing lines ) N‑COUNT A washing line is a strong cord which you can hang wet clothes on while they dry.
wa sh|ing ma|chine (washing machines ) N‑COUNT A washing machine is a machine that you use to wash clothes in.
wa sh|ing pow|der (washing powders ) N‑VAR Washing powder is a powder that you use with water to wash clothes. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use soap powder , laundry detergent
wa shing-u p
1 N‑UNCOUNT To do the washing-up means to wash the plates, cups, cutlery, and pans which have been used for cooking and eating a meal. [BRIT ] □ Martha volunteered to do the washing-up. in AM, use wash the dishes 2 N‑UNCOUNT Washing-up is the plates, cups, cutlery, and pans which you have to wash after a meal. [BRIT ] □ …a brimming bowl of washing-up. in AM, use dirty dishes , the dishes
wa shing-u p liq|uid (washing-up liquids ) N‑VAR Washing-up liquid is a thick soapy liquid which you add to hot water to clean dirty dishes. [BRIT ] in AM, use dishwashing liquid , dish soap
wash|out /wɒ ʃaʊt/ (washouts ) N‑COUNT If an event or plan is a washout , it fails completely. [INFORMAL ] □ The mission was a washout.
wa sh-rag (wash-rags ) also washrag N‑COUNT A wash-rag is the same as a washcloth . [AM ]
wash|room /wɒ ʃruːm/ (washrooms ) N‑COUNT A washroom is a room with toilets and washing facilities, situated in a large building such as a factory or an office block.
wash|stand /wɒ ʃstænd/ (washstands ) N‑COUNT A washstand is a piece of furniture designed to hold a bowl for washing your hands and face in, which was used in former times before washbasins had taps on them.
wasn't /wɒ z ə nt, [AM ] wʌ z-/ Wasn't is the usual spoken form of 'was not'.
wasp /wɒ sp/ (wasps ) N‑COUNT A wasp is an insect with wings and yellow and black stripes across its body. Wasps have a painful sting like a bee but do not produce honey.
WASP /wɒ sp/ (WASPs ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] WASP is used to refer to the people in American society whose ancestors came from northern Europe, especially England, and who are considered to have a lot of power and influence. WASP is an abbreviation for 'White Anglo-Saxon Protestant'. [AM , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a WASP with a Yale degree.
wasp|ish /wɒ sp I ʃ/ ADJ A waspish remark or sense of humour is sharp and critical.
wast|age /we I st I dʒ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Wastage of something is the act of wasting it or the amount of it that is wasted. □ [+ of ] …a series of measures to prevent the wastage of water. □ There was a lot of wastage and many wrong decisions were hastily taken.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Wastage is the process by which part of someone's body gets weaker or smaller because they are very ill or have not eaten enough. □ This can lead to bodily weakness and muscle wastage.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Wastage refers to the number of people who leave a company, college, or other organization, especially before they have completed their education or training. [BRIT ] □ British universities have very little wastage and their graduates are good.
4 → see also natural wastage
waste ◆◆◇ /we I st/ (wastes , wasting , wasted )
1 VERB If you waste something such as time, money, or energy, you use too much of it doing something that is not important or necessary, or is unlikely to succeed. □ [V n v-ing] There could be many reasons and he was not going to waste time speculating on them. □ [V n + on ] I resolved not to waste money on a hotel. □ [V n] The system wastes a large amount of water. ● N‑SING Waste is also a noun. □ [+ of ] It is a waste of time going to the doctor with most mild complaints. □ [+ of ] I think that is a total waste of money.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Waste is the use of money or other resources on things that do not need it. □ The packets are measured to reduce waste. □ I hate waste.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Waste is material which has been used and is no longer wanted, for example because the valuable or useful part of it has been taken out. □ Congress passed a law that regulates the disposal of waste. □ Up to 10 million tonnes of toxic wastes are produced every year in the U.K… □ …the process of eliminating body waste.
4 VERB If you waste an opportunity for something, you do not take advantage of it when it is available. □ [V n] Let's not waste an opportunity to see the children. □ [V -ed] It was a wasted opportunity.
5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Waste land is land, especially in or near a city, which is not used or looked after by anyone, and so is covered by wild plants and rubbish. □ Yarrow can be found growing wild in fields and on waste ground.
6 N‑PLURAL [adj N ] Wastes are a large area of land, for example a desert, in which there are very few people, plants, or animals. □ [+ of ] …the barren wastes of the Sahara.
7 → see also wasted
8 PHRASE If something goes to waste , it remains unused or has to be thrown away. □ Mexican cookery is economical, she says. Nothing goes to waste.
9 to waste no time → see time
▸ waste away PHRASAL VERB If someone wastes away , they become extremely thin or weak because they are ill or worried and they are not eating properly. □ [V P ] Persons dying from cancer grow thin and visibly waste away. COLLOCATIONS waste NOUN
2
verb + waste : eliminate, reduce; hate
3
noun + waste : food, household
adjective + waste : hazardous, nuclear, radioactive, toxic; domestic, industrial
verb + waste : dispose of, dump; recycle VERB 1
waste + noun : effort, energy, money, time
waste|basket /we I stbɑːsk I t, -bæsk-/ (wastebaskets ) N‑COUNT A wastebasket is the same as a wastepaper basket . [AM ]
wast|ed /we I st I d/
1 ADJ A wasted action is one that is unnecessary. □ I'm sorry you had a wasted journey.
2 ADJ Someone who is wasted is very tired and weak, often because of an illness. □ They look too wasted to care about much.
wa ste dis|pos|al (waste disposals ) N‑COUNT A waste disposal or a waste disposal unit is a small machine in a kitchen sink that chops up vegetable waste. [BRIT ] in AM, use garbage disposal
waste|ful /we I stfʊl/ ADJ Action that is wasteful uses too much of something valuable such as time, money, or energy. □ [+ of ] This kind of training is ineffective, and wasteful of scarce resources. □ Try to avoid wasteful duplication of effort.
waste|land /we I stlænd/ (wastelands )
1 N‑VAR [oft adj N ] A wasteland is an area of land on which not much can grow or which has been spoiled in some way. □ The pollution has already turned vast areas into a wasteland.
2 N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] If you refer to a place, situation, or period in time as a wasteland , you are criticizing it because you think there is nothing interesting or exciting in it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ of ] …the cultural wasteland of Franco's repressive rule.
waste|paper bas|ket /we I stpe I pə r bɑːsk I t, -bæsk-/ (wastepaper baskets ) N‑COUNT A wastepaper basket is a container for rubbish, especially paper, which is usually placed on the floor in the corner of a room or next to a desk.
wast|ing /we I st I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] A wasting disease is one which makes you gradually become thinner and weaker.
wast|rel /we I strəl/ (wastrels ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a wastrel you mean that they are lazy and spend their time and money on foolish things. [LITERARY ]
watch
➊ LOOKING AND PAYING ATTENTION
➋ INSTRUMENT THAT TELLS THE TIME
➊ watch ◆◆◆ /wɒ tʃ/ (watches , watching , watched )
→ Please look at categories 15 and 16 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 VERB If you watch someone or something, you look at them, usually for a period of time, and pay attention to what is happening. □ [V n] The man was standing in his doorway watching him. □ [V n inf] He watched the waiter prepare the coffee he had ordered. □ [V n v-ing] Chris watched him sipping his brandy. □ [V ] I watched as Amy ate a few nuts.
2 VERB If you watch something on television or an event such as a sports match, you spend time looking at it, especially when you see it from the beginning to the end. □ [V n] I'd stayed up late to watch the film. □ [V n] They spent a great deal of time watching television.
3 VERB If you watch a situation or event, you pay attention to it or you are aware of it, but you do not influence it. □ [V n] Human rights groups have been closely watching the case. □ [V ] Annoyed commuters could only watch as the departure time ticked by.
4 VERB If you watch people, especially children or animals, you are responsible for them, and make sure that they are not in danger. □ [V n] Parents can't be expected to watch their children 24 hours a day.
5 VERB If you watch someone, you follow them secretly or spy on them. □ [V n] Ella was scared that someone was watching her.
6 VERB If you tell someone to watch a particular person or thing, you are warning them to be careful that the person or thing does not get out of control or do something unpleasant. □ [V n] You really ought to watch these quiet types. □ [V n] If you're watching the calories, don't have mayonnaise.
7 N‑COUNT A watch is a period of carefully looking and listening, often while other people are asleep and often as a military duty, so that you can warn them of danger or an attack. □ I had the first watch that May evening.
8 PHRASE If someone keeps watch , they look and listen all the time, while other people are asleep or doing something else, so that they can warn them of danger or an attack. □ Jose, as usual, had climbed a tree to keep watch.
9 PHRASE If you keep watch on events or a situation, you pay attention to what is happening, so that you can take action at the right moment. □ U.S. officials have been keeping close watch on the situation.
10 PHRASE You say ' watch it ' in order to warn someone to be careful, especially when you want to threaten them about what will happen if they are not careful. □ 'Now watch it, Patsy,' the Sergeant told her.
11 PHRASE If someone is on watch , they have the job of carefully looking and listening, often while other people are asleep and often as a military duty, so that they can warn them of danger or an attack. □ Apart from two men on watch in the engine-room, everyone was asleep.
12 PHRASE If you are on the watch for something, you are expecting it to happen and you therefore pay attention to events so that you will notice it when it does happen. □ [+ for ] Environmentalists will be on the watch for damage to wildlife.
13 PHRASE If someone is being kept under watch , they are being guarded or observed all the time.
14 PHRASE You say to someone ' you watch ' or ' just watch ' when you are predicting that something will happen, and you are very confident that it will happen as you say. □ You watch. Things will get worse before they get better.
15 to watch your step → see step
▸ watch for or watch out for PHRASAL VERB If you watch for something or watch out for it, you pay attention so that you notice it, either because you do not want to miss it or because you want to avoid it. □ [V P n] We'll be watching for any developments. □ [V P P n] He called out to them to watch out for the unexploded mine.
▸ watch out PHRASAL VERB If you tell someone to watch out , you are warning them to be careful, because something unpleasant might happen to them or they might get into difficulties. □ [V P ] You have to watch out because there are land mines all over the place.
▸ watch out for → see watch for
▸ watch over PHRASAL VERB If you watch over someone or something, you pay attention to them to make sure that nothing bad happens to them. □ [V P n] The guards were originally hired to watch over the houses as they were being built.
➋ watch ◆◇◇ /wɒ tʃ/ (watches ) N‑COUNT A watch is a small clock which you wear on a strap on your wrist, or on a chain. SYNONYMS watch VERB ➊1
look: She turned to look at him.
see: I saw a man making his way towards me.
peer: He watched the Customs official peer into the driver's window.
stare: Tamara stared at him in disbelief, shaking her head.
watch|dog /wɒ tʃdɒg, [AM ] -dɔːg/ (watchdogs ) N‑COUNT [N n] A watchdog is a person or committee whose job is to make sure that companies do not act illegally or irresponsibly. □ …an anti-crime watchdog group funded by New York businesses.
-watcher /-wɒtʃə r / (-watchers ) COMB -watcher combines with nouns to form other nouns that refer to people who are interested in a group of animals or people, and who study them closely. □ The bird-watchers crept about in the bushes. □ Royal-watcher Mary Hayes said: 'It looks like it is going to be an unhappy time for the Queen.'
watch|ful /wɒ tʃfʊl/ ADJ Someone who is watchful notices everything that is happening. □ The best thing is to be watchful and see the doctor for any change in your health.
-watching /-wɒtʃ I ŋ/ COMB -watching combines with nouns to form other nouns which refer to the activity of looking at a group of animals or people and studying them because they interest you. □ Whale-watching has become a growth leisure industry. □ He is said to have invented the sport of celebrity-watching.
watch|man /wɒ tʃmən/ (watchmen )
1 N‑COUNT A watchman is a person whose job is to guard a building or area.
2 → see also nightwatchman
watch|tower /wɒ tʃtaʊə r / (watchtowers ) N‑COUNT A watchtower is a high building which gives a person a good view of the area around the place that they are guarding.
watch|word /wɒ tʃwɜː r d/ (watchwords ) N‑COUNT [oft with poss] Someone's watchword is a word or phrase that sums up their attitude or approach to a particular subject or to things in general. □ Caution has been one of Mr Allan's watchwords.
wa|ter ◆◆◆ /wɔː tə r / (waters , watering , watered )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Water is a clear thin liquid that has no colour or taste when it is pure. It falls from clouds as rain and enters rivers and seas. All animals and people need water in order to live. □ Get me a glass of water. □ …the sound of water hammering on the metal roof. □ …a trio of children playing along the water's edge.
2 N‑PLURAL You use waters to refer to a large area of sea, especially the area of sea which is near to a country and which is regarded as belonging to it. □ The ship will remain outside Chinese territorial waters. □ [+ of ] …the open waters of the Arctic Ocean.
3 N‑PLURAL [adj N ] You sometimes use waters to refer to a situation which is very complex or difficult. □ …the man brought in to guide him through troubled waters. □ The country may be in stormy economic waters.
4 VERB If you water plants, you pour water over them in order to help them to grow. □ [V n] He went out to water the plants.
5 VERB If your eyes water , tears build up in them because they are hurting or because you are upset. □ [V ] His eyes watered from the smoke.
6 VERB If you say that your mouth is watering , you mean that you can smell or see some nice food and you might mean that your mouth is producing a liquid. □ [V ] …cookies to make your mouth water.
7 → see also mouth-watering
8 PHRASE When a pregnant woman's waters break , the fluid in her womb that surrounds the baby passes out of her body, showing that the baby is ready to be born. A doctor or midwife can break a woman's waters so that the birth can begin. □ My waters broke at six in the morning and within four hours Jamie was born.
9 PHRASE If you say that an event or incident is water under the bridge , you mean that it has happened and cannot now be changed, so there is no point in worrying about it any more. □ He was relieved his time in jail was over and regarded it as water under the bridge.
10 PHRASE If you are in deep water , you are in a difficult or awkward situation. □ I could tell that we were getting off the subject and into deep water.
11 PHRASE If an argument or theory does not hold water , it does not seem to be reasonable or be in accordance with the facts. □ This argument simply cannot hold water in Europe.
12 PHRASE If you are in hot water , you are in trouble. [INFORMAL ] □ The company has already been in hot water over high prices this year.
13 PHRASE If you pour cold water on an idea or suggestion, you show that you have a low opinion of it. □ City economists pour cold water on the idea that the economic recovery has begun.
14 PHRASE If you test the water or test the waters , you try to find out what reaction an action or idea will get before you do it or tell it to people. □ You should be cautious when getting involved and test the water before committing yourself.
15 like water off a duck's back → see duck
16 to take to something like a duck to water → see duck
17 to keep your head above water → see head
▸ water down
1 PHRASAL VERB If you water down a substance, for example food or drink, you add water to it to make it weaker. □ [V P n] He was careful to check that his suppliers were not watering down the product. □ [V n P ] I bought a water-based paint, then decided to water it down even more.
2 VERB If something such as a proposal, speech, or statement is watered down , it is made much weaker and less forceful, or less likely to make people angry. □ [be V -ed P ] Proposed legislation affecting bird-keepers has been watered down.
3 → see also watered-down
water|bed /wɔː tə r bed/ (waterbeds ) also water bed N‑COUNT A waterbed is a bed which consists of a plastic case filled with water.
wa |ter bird (water birds ) N‑COUNT A water bird is a bird that swims or walks in water, especially lakes and rivers. There are many kinds of water bird.
wa ter-borne also waterborne
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A water-borne disease or infection is one that people can catch from infected water.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Something that is water-borne travels or is transported on water. □ …a waterborne safari down the Nile. □ Environmental pressures are strengthening the case for waterborne freight.
wa |ter bot|tle (water bottles )
1 N‑COUNT A water bottle is a small container for carrying water to drink on a long journey.
2 → see also hot-water bottle
wa |ter buf|fa|lo (water buffaloes or water buffalo ) N‑COUNT A water buffalo is an animal like a large cow with long horns that curve upwards. In some countries water buffalo are kept for their milk and are used to draw ploughs.
wa |ter butt (water butts ) N‑COUNT A water butt is a large barrel for collecting rain as it flows off a roof. [BRIT ] in AM, use rain barrel
wa |ter can|non (water cannons or water cannon ) N‑COUNT A water cannon is a machine which shoots out a large, powerful stream of water. It is used by police to break up crowds of people who are protesting or fighting.
wa |ter chest|nut (water chestnuts ) N‑COUNT A water chestnut is the thick bottom part of the stem of a plant which grows in China. It is used in Chinese cookery.
water|colour /wɔː tə r kʌlə r / (watercolours ) in AM, use watercolor 1 N‑VAR Watercolours are coloured paints, used for painting pictures, which you apply with a wet brush or dissolve in water first. □ …a collection of rich paintings in watercolour, acrylic and oil.
2 N‑COUNT A watercolour is a picture which has been painted with watercolours. □ …a lovely watercolour by J. M. W. Turner.
wa |ter cool|er (water coolers )
1 N‑COUNT A water cooler is a machine that dispenses drinking water, especially in an office. [mainly AM ]
2 N‑SING Water cooler is used in expressions that refer to the informal conversations that people have in their office or workplace. □ Three out of four Americans watched Roots, and then the next day could talk about race relations at the water cooler.
water|course /wɔː tə r kɔː r s/ (watercourses ) also water course N‑COUNT A watercourse is a stream or river, or the channel that it flows along. [FORMAL ]
water|cress /wɔː tə r kres/ N‑UNCOUNT Watercress is a small plant with white flowers which grows in streams and pools. Its leaves taste hot and are eaten raw in salads.
wa tered-do wn also watered down
1 ADJ If you describe something such as a proposal, speech, or statement as watered-down , you mean that it is weaker or less forceful than its original form. □ The British government introduced a watered-down version of the proposals.
2 → see also water down
water|fall /wɔː tə r fɔːl/ (waterfalls ) N‑COUNT A waterfall is a place where water flows over the edge of a steep, high cliff in hills or mountains, and falls into a pool below. □ …Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall.
wa |ter fea|ture (water features ) N‑COUNT A water feature is something such as an artificial pond or waterfall, usually in a garden.
water|fowl /wɔː tə r faʊl/ (waterfowl ) N‑COUNT Waterfowl are birds that swim in water, especially ducks, geese, and swans.
water|front /wɔː tə r frʌnt/ (waterfronts ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A waterfront is a street or piece of land which is next to an area of water, for example a harbour or the sea. □ They went for a stroll along the waterfront.
wa |ter hole (water holes ) also waterhole N‑COUNT In a desert or other dry area, a water hole is a pool of water where animals can drink.
wa |ter|ing can (watering cans ) N‑COUNT A watering can is a container with a long spout which is used to water plants.
wa |ter|ing hole (watering holes ) N‑COUNT You can refer to a pub or bar where people go to drink and meet their friends as a watering hole . □ I was in my favorite watering hole, waiting for the game to start.
wa |ter jump (water jumps ) N‑COUNT A water jump is a fence with a pool of water on the far side of it, which people or horses jump over as part of a race or competition.
wa |ter lily (water lilies ) also waterlily N‑COUNT A water lily is a plant with large flat leaves and colourful flowers which floats on the surface of lakes and rivers.
water|line /wɔː tə r la I n/ (waterlines ) also water line N‑COUNT [usu sing] The waterline is a line, either real or imaginary, on the side of a ship representing the level the water reaches when the ship is at sea. □ Ray painted below the waterline with a special anti-rust paint.
water|logged /wɔː tə r lɒgd, [AM ] -lɔːgd/ also water-logged ADJ Something such as soil or land that is waterlogged is so wet that it cannot absorb any more water, so that a layer of water remains on its surface. □ The match is off because of a waterlogged pitch.
wa |ter main (water mains ) N‑COUNT A water main is a very large underground pipe used for supplying water to houses and factories.
water|mark /wɔː tə r mɑː r k/ (watermarks )
1 N‑COUNT A watermark is a design which is put into paper when it is made, and which you can only see if you hold the paper up to the light. Banknotes often have a watermark, to make them harder to copy illegally.
2 → see also high-water mark
wa |ter mead|ow (water meadows ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Water meadows are wet fields of grass near a river, which are often flooded. [mainly BRIT ]
water|melon /wɔː tə r melən/ (watermelons ) N‑VAR A watermelon is a large round fruit with green skin, pink flesh, and black seeds.
water|mill /wɔː tə r m I l/ (watermills ) also water mill N‑COUNT A watermill is a mill powered by a water wheel.
wa |ter pis|tol (water pistols ) N‑COUNT A water pistol is a small toy gun which shoots out water.
wa |ter polo N‑UNCOUNT Water polo is a game played in a swimming pool in which two teams of swimmers try to score goals with a ball.
water|proof /wɔː tə r pruːf/ (waterproofs , waterproofing , waterproofed )
1 ADJ Something which is waterproof does not let water pass through it. □ Take waterproof clothing–Orkney weather is unpredictable.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Waterproofs are items of clothing which do not let water in. [mainly BRIT ] □ For staying dry you'll want nice lightweight waterproofs to wear over your leathers.
3 VERB [usu passive] If something is waterproofed , it is treated so that water cannot pass through it or damage it. □ [be V -ed] The whole boat has been totally waterproofed.
wa |ter rate (water rates ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] In Britain, the charges made for the use of water from the public water supply are known as the water rates .
wa ter-resistant ADJ Something that is water-resistant does not allow water to pass through it easily, or is not easily damaged by water. □ Microfibre fabrics are both water-resistant and windproof.
water|shed /wɔː tə r ʃed/ (watersheds )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If something such as an event is a watershed in the history or development of something, it is very important because it represents the beginning of a new stage in it. □ [+ in ] The election of Mary Robinson in 1990 was a watershed in Irish politics.
2 N‑COUNT The watershed is a time before which television broadcasters have agreed not to show programmes unsuitable for children, for example programmes that contain scenes of sex or violence. [BRIT ] □ The advert should only be shown after the 9pm watershed.
water|side /wɔː tə r sa I d/ N‑SING [oft N n] The waterside is the area beside a stretch of water such as a river or lake. □ Her garden stretches down to the waterside.
wa ter-ski (water-skis , water-skiing , water-skied ) also waterski VERB If you water-ski , you stand on skis in the water while being pulled along by a boat. □ [V ] The staff will be happy to help arrange for you to swim, sail, or water-ski. ● water-skiing N‑UNCOUNT □ He offered to teach them water-skiing.
wa ter-so luble also water soluble ADJ Something that is water-soluble dissolves in water. □ Vitamin C is water soluble. □ …oat bran and other water-soluble fibres.
wa |ter sup|ply (water supplies ) N‑COUNT The water supply in an area is the water which is collected and passed through pipes to buildings for people to use. □ The town is without electricity and the water supply has been cut off.
wa |ter ta|ble (water tables ) N‑COUNT The water table is the level below the surface of the ground where water can be found. □ Environmentalists say that diverting water from the river will lower the water table.
water|tight /wɔː tə r ta I t/ also water-tight
1 ADJ Something that is watertight does not allow water to pass through it, for example because it is tightly sealed. □ The flask is completely watertight, even when laid on its side.
2 ADJ A watertight case, argument, or agreement is one that has been so carefully put together that nobody will be able to find a fault in it. □ The police had a watertight case. They even got his fingerprints from that glass cabinet.
wa |ter tow|er (water towers ) N‑COUNT A water tower is a large tank of water which is placed on a high metal structure so that water can be supplied at a steady pressure to surrounding buildings.
wa |ter vole (water voles ) N‑COUNT A water vole is a small furry animal that can swim. Water voles live in holes in the banks of rivers. [mainly BRIT ]
water|way /wɔː tə r we I / (waterways ) N‑COUNT A waterway is a canal, river, or narrow channel of sea which ships or boats can sail along.
wa |ter wheel (water wheels ) also waterwheel N‑COUNT A water wheel is a large wheel which is turned by water flowing through it. Water wheels are used to provide power to drive machinery.
water|works /wɔː tə r wɜː r ks/ (waterworks ) N‑COUNT A waterworks is a building where a supply of water is stored and cleaned before being distributed to the public.
wa|tery /wɔː təri/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is watery is weak or pale. □ A watery light began to show through the branches. □ Martha managed to produce a dim, watery smile.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe food or drink as watery , you dislike it because it contains too much water, or has no flavour. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …watery stew.
3 ADJ Something that is watery contains, resembles, or consists of water. □ Emma's eyes went red and watery.
watt /wɒ t/ (watts ) N‑COUNT A watt is a unit of measurement of electrical power. □ Use a 3 amp fuse for equipment up to 720 watts. □ …a 100-watt lightbulb.
watt|age /wɒ t I dʒ/ N‑UNCOUNT The wattage of a piece of electrical equipment is the amount of electrical power which it produces or uses, expressed in watts.
wat|tle /wɒ t ə l/ N‑UNCOUNT Wattle is a framework made by weaving thin sticks through thick sticks which is used for making fences and walls. [BRIT ] □ …the native huts of mud and wattle. □ …wattle fencing.
wave ◆◆◇ /we I v/ (waves , waving , waved )
1 VERB If you wave or wave your hand, you move your hand from side to side in the air, usually in order to say hello or goodbye to someone. □ [V + to/at ] He waved at the waiter, who rushed to the table. □ [V ] He grinned, waved, and said, 'Hi!'. □ [V n] Elaine turned and waved her hand lazily and left. [Also V n prep] ● N‑COUNT Wave is also a noun. □ [+ of ] Steve stopped him with a wave of the hand. □ Paddy spotted Mary Ann and gave her a cheery wave.
2 VERB If you wave someone away or wave them on, you make a movement with your hand to indicate that they should move in a particular direction. □ [V n adv/prep] Leshka waved him away with a show of irritation.
3 VERB If you wave something, you hold it up and move it rapidly from side to side. □ [V n] Hospital staff were outside to welcome him, waving flags and applauding. □ [V n adv/prep] She was apt to raise her voice and wave her hands about. ● -waving COMB □ Hundreds of banner-waving demonstrators took to the streets. □ …a flag-waving crowd.
4 VERB If something waves , it moves gently from side to side or up and down. □ [V ] …grass and flowers waving in the wind.
5 N‑COUNT A wave is a raised mass of water on the surface of water, especially the sea, which is caused by the wind or by tides making the surface of the water rise and fall. □ …the sound of the waves breaking on the shore.
6 N‑COUNT If someone's hair has waves , it curves slightly instead of being straight.
7 N‑COUNT A wave is a sudden increase in heat or energy that spreads out from an earthquake or explosion. □ [+ of ] The shock waves of the earthquake were felt in Teheran.
8 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Waves are the form in which things such as sound, light, and radio signals travel. □ Sound waves, light waves, and radio waves have a certain frequency.
9 N‑COUNT If you refer to a wave of a particular feeling, you mean that it increases quickly and becomes very intense, and then often decreases again. □ [+ of ] She felt a wave of panic, but forced herself to leave the room calmly.
10 N‑COUNT A wave is a sudden increase in a particular activity or type of behaviour, especially an undesirable or unpleasant one. □ [+ of ] …the current wave of violence. □ …an even newer crime wave.
11 → see also long wave , medium wave , Mexican wave , new wave , short-wave , tidal wave
wave|band /we I vbænd/ (wavebands ) N‑COUNT A waveband is a group of radio waves of similar length which are used for particular types of radio communication.
wave|length /we I vleŋθ/ (wavelengths )
1 N‑COUNT A wavelength is the distance between a part of a wave of energy such as light or sound and the next similar part. □ [+ of ] Sunlight consists of different wavelengths of radiation.
2 N‑COUNT A wavelength is the size of radio wave which a particular radio station uses to broadcast its programmes. □ [+ of ] She found the wavelength of their broadcasts, and left the radio tuned to their station.
3 PHRASE If two people are on the same wavelength , they find it easy to understand each other and they tend to agree, because they share similar interests or opinions. □ It's great to work with people who are on the same wavelength.
wave|let /we I vlət/ (wavelets ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Wavelets are small waves on the surface of a sea or lake. [LITERARY ]
wa|ver /we I və r / (wavers , wavering , wavered )
1 VERB If you waver , you cannot decide about something or you consider changing your mind about something. □ [V ] Some military commanders wavered over whether to support the coup. □ [V ] Coleman has never wavered in his claim that he is innocent.
2 VERB If something wavers , it shakes with very slight movements or changes. □ [V ] The shadows of the dancers wavered continually.
wavy /we I vi/ (wavier , waviest )
1 ADJ Wavy hair is not straight or curly, but curves slightly. □ She had short, wavy brown hair.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A wavy line has a series of regular curves along it. □ The boxes were decorated with a wavy gold line.
wax /wæ ks/ (waxes , waxing , waxed )
1 N‑VAR Wax is a solid, slightly shiny substance made of fat or oil which is used to make candles and polish. It melts when it is heated. □ There were coloured candles which had spread pools of wax on the furniture. □ She loved the scent in the house of wax polish.
2 VERB If you wax a surface, you put a thin layer of wax onto it, especially in order to polish it. □ [V n] We'd have long talks while she helped me wax the floor.
3 VERB If you have your legs waxed , you have the hair removed from your legs by having wax put on them and then pulled off quickly. □ [have n V -ed] She has just had her legs waxed at the local beauty parlour. □ [V n] She would wax her legs, ready for the party.
4 N‑UNCOUNT Wax is the sticky yellow substance found in your ears.
5 VERB If you say that someone, for example, waxes lyrical or waxes indignant about a subject, you mean that they talk about it in an enthusiastic or indignant way. □ [V adj] He waxed lyrical about the skills and commitment of his employees. □ [V adj] Tom sat himself down and waxed eloquent about all the advantages of the new plan.
6 PHRASE If something waxes and wanes , it first increases and then decreases over a period of time. □ Portugal and Spain had possessed vast empires that waxed and waned.
wa xed pa |per N‑UNCOUNT Waxed paper is the same as wax paper .
wax|en /wæ ks ə n/ ADJ A waxen face is very pale and looks very unhealthy. [LITERARY ]
wa x pa|per N‑UNCOUNT Wax paper is paper that has been covered with a thin layer of wax. It is used mainly in cooking or to wrap food. [AM ] in BRIT, use greaseproof paper
wax|work /wæ kswɜː r k/ (waxworks )
1 N‑COUNT A waxwork is a model of a person, especially a famous person, made out of wax.
2 N‑COUNT A waxworks is a place where waxworks are displayed for the public to look at. Waxworks is both the singular and the plural form.
waxy /wæ ksi/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is waxy looks or feels like wax. □ Choose small waxy potatoes for the salad. □ …the waxy coating on the insect's body.
way ◆◆◆ /we I / (ways )
1 N‑COUNT [N to-inf] If you refer to a way of doing something, you are referring to how you can do it, for example the action you can take or the method you can use to achieve it. □ [+ of ] Another way of making new friends is to go to an evening class. □ I worked myself into a frenzy plotting ways to make him jealous. □ I can't think of a worse way to spend my time. □ There just might be a way. □ 'All right, Mrs Bates,' she said. 'We'll do it your way'.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu adj N ] If you talk about the way someone does something, you are talking about the qualities their action has. □ She smiled in a friendly way. □ [+ of ] He had a strange way of talking.
3 N‑COUNT [oft in N ] If a general statement or description is true in a particular way , this is the form of it that is true in a particular case. □ Computerized reservation systems help airline profits in several ways. □ She was afraid in a way that was quite new to her.
4 N‑COUNT You use way in expressions such as in some ways , in many ways , and in every way to indicate the degree or extent to which a statement is true. □ In some ways, the official opening is a formality. □ She described her lover as 'perfect in every way'.
5 N‑PLURAL The ways of a particular person or group of people are their customs or their usual behaviour. □ He denounces people who urge him to alter his ways. □ He said he was against returning to old authoritarian ways.
6 N‑SING [with poss] If you refer to someone's way , you are referring to their usual or preferred type of behaviour. □ In her usual resourceful way, she has started her own business. □ Direct confrontation was not his way.
7 N‑COUNT You use way to refer to one particular opinion or interpretation of something, when others are possible. □ I suppose that's one way of looking at it. □ [+ of ] With most of Dylan's lyrics, however, there are other ways of interpreting the words. □ Sometimes, the bank manager just doesn't see it your way.
8 N‑COUNT You use way when mentioning one of a number of possible, alternative results or decisions. □ There is no indication which way the vote could go. □ The judge could have decided either way.
9 N‑SING The way you feel about something is your attitude to it or your opinion about it. □ I'm terribly sorry–I had no idea you felt that way.
10 N‑SING If you mention the way that something happens, you are mentioning the fact that it happens. □ I hate the way he manipulates people. □ You may remember the way each scene ended with someone looking pensive or significant.
11 N‑SING You use way in expressions such as push your way , work your way , or eat your way , followed by a prepositional phrase or adverb, in order to indicate movement, progress, or force as well as the action described by the verb. □ [+ into ] She thrust her way into the crowd. □ [+ into ] He thought we were trying to buy our way into his company.
12 N‑COUNT The way somewhere consists of the different places that you go through or the route that you take in order to get there. □ [+ to ] Does anybody know the way to the bathroom? □ I'm afraid I can't remember the way. □ We're not even a third of the way there.
13 N‑SING If you go or look a particular way , you go or look in that direction. □ As he strode into the kitchen, he passed Pop coming the other way. □ They paused at the top of the stairs, doubtful as to which way to go next. □ Could you look this way?
14 N‑SING You can refer to the direction you are travelling in as your way . [SPOKEN ] □ She would say she was going my way and offer me a lift.
15 N‑SING If you lose your way , you take a wrong or unfamiliar route, so that you do not know how to get to the place that you want to go to. If you find your way , you manage to get to the place that you want to go to. □ The men lost their way in a sandstorm and crossed the border by mistake.
16 N‑COUNT You talk about people going their different ways in order to say that their lives develop differently and they have less contact with each other. □ When we each went our separate ways I began to learn how to do things for myself. □ You go your way and I'll go mine.
17 N‑SING If something comes your way , you get it or receive it. □ Take advantage of the opportunities coming your way in a couple of months. □ If I run into anything that might interest you, I'll send it your way.
18 N‑SING [in/out of N ] If someone or something is in the way , they prevent you from moving forward or seeing clearly. □ 'You're standing in the way,' she said. 'Would you mind moving aside'. □ Get out of my way!
19 N‑SING You use way in expressions such as the right way up and the other way around to refer to one of two or more possible positions or arrangements that something can have. □ The flag was held the wrong way up by some spectators. □ It's important to fit it the right way round.
20 ADV [ADV adv/prep] You can use way to emphasize, for example, that something is a great distance away or is very much below or above a particular level or amount. [EMPHASIS ] □ Way down in the valley to the west is the town of Freiburg. □ These exam results are way above average.
21 N‑PLURAL [num N ] If you split something a number of ways , you divide it into a number of different parts or quantities, usually fairly equal in size. □ When she retires her job is to be split three ways. □ Splitting the price six ways had still cost them each a bundle. ● COMB [ADJ n] Way is also a combining form. □ …a simple three-way division.
22 N‑SING Way is used in expressions such as a long way , a little way , and quite a way , to say how far away something is or how far you have travelled. □ Some of them live in places quite a long way from here. □ A little way further down the lane we passed the driveway to a house.
23 N‑SING Way is used in expressions such as a long way , a little way , and quite a way , to say how far away in time something is. □ Success is still a long way off. □ August is still an awfully long way away.
24 N‑SING You use way in expressions such as all the way , most of the way and half the way to refer to the extent to which an action has been completed. □ He had unscrewed the caps most of the way. □ When was the last time you listened to an album all the way through?
25 PHRASE You use all the way to emphasize how long a distance is. [EMPHASIS ] □ He had to walk all the way home.
26 PHRASE You can use all the way to emphasize that your remark applies to every part of a situation, activity, or period of time. [EMPHASIS ] □ Having started a revolution, we must go all the way.
27 PHRASE If someone says that you can't have it both ways , they are telling you that you have to choose between two things and cannot do or have them both. □ Countries cannot have it both ways: the cost of a cleaner environment may be fewer jobs.
28 PHRASE You say by the way when you add something to what you are saying, especially something that you have just thought of. [SPOKEN ] □ The name Latifah, by the way, means 'delicate'. □ By the way, how did your seminar go?
29 PHRASE You use by way of when you are explaining the purpose of something that you have said or are about to say. For example, if you say something by way of an introduction , you say it as an introduction. □ 'I get very superstitious about things like that,' she said by way of explanation.
30 PHRASE If someone changes their ways or mends their ways , they permanently improve their behaviour or their way of doing something. □ What can be done to encourage convicted offenders to change their ways?
31 PHRASE If you clear the way , open the way , or prepare the way for something, you create an opportunity for it to happen. □ The talks are meant to clear the way for formal negotiations on a new constitution. □ The decision could open the way for other children to sue their parents.
32 PHRASE If you say that someone takes the easy way out , you disapprove of them because they do what is easiest for them in a difficult situation, rather than dealing with it properly. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ It is the easy way out to blame others for our failure.
33 PHRASE You use either way in order to introduce a statement which is true in each of the two possible or alternative cases that you have just mentioned. □ The sea may rise or the land may fall; either way the sand dunes will be gone in a short time.
34 PHRASE If you say that a particular type of action or development is the way forward , you approve of it because it is likely to lead to success. [APPROVAL ] □ …people who genuinely believe that anarchy is the way forward.
35 PHRASE If someone gets their way or has their way , nobody stops them doing what they want to do. You can also say that someone gets their own way or has their own way . □ She is very good at using her charm to get her way.
36 PHRASE If one thing gives way to another, the first thing is replaced by the second. □ First he had been numb. Then the numbness gave way to anger.
37 PHRASE If an object that is supporting something gives way , it breaks or collapses, so that it can no longer support that thing. □ The hook in the ceiling had given way and the lamp had fallen blazing on to the table.
38 PHRASE If you give way to someone or something that you have been resisting, you stop resisting and allow yourself to be persuaded or controlled by them. [WRITTEN ] □ It seems the President has given way to pressure from the hardliners.
39 PHRASE If a moving person, a vehicle, or its driver gives way , they slow down or stop in order to allow other people or vehicles to pass in front of them. [BRIT ] □ Give way to traffic coming from the left. in AM, use yield
40 PHRASE If you say that someone or something has a way of doing a particular thing, you mean that they often do it. □ Bosses have a way of always finding out about such things.
41 PHRASE If you say that a person has a way with something or someone, you mean that that person seems to have a natural skill or instinct for dealing with them. [mainly SPOKEN , APPROVAL ] □ Constance doesn't have a way with words like you do.
42 PHRASE You use in no way or not in any way to emphasize that a statement is not at all true. [EMPHASIS ] □ A spokesman insisted the two events were 'in no way related'.
43 PHRASE If you say that something is true in a way , you mean that although it is not completely true, it is true to a limited extent or in certain respects. You use in a way to reduce the force of a statement. [VAGUENESS ] □ In a way, I suppose I'm frightened of failing. □ It made things very unpleasant in a way.
44 PHRASE If you say that someone gets in the way or is in the way , you are annoyed because their presence or their actions stop you doing something properly. □ 'We wouldn't get in the way,' Suzanne promised. 'We'd just stand quietly in a corner.'
45 PHRASE To get in the way of something means to make it difficult for it to happen, continue, or be appreciated properly. □ [+ of ] She had a job which never got in the way of her leisure interests.
46 PHRASE If you know your way around a particular subject, system, or job, or if you know your way about it, you know all the procedures and facts about it. □ He knows his way around the intricate maze of European law.
47 PHRASE If you lead the way along a particular route, you go along it in front of someone in order to show them where to go. □ She grabbed his suitcase and led the way.
48 PHRASE If a person or group leads the way in a particular activity, they are the first person or group to do it or they make the most new developments in it. □ Sony has also led the way in shrinking the size of compact-disc players.
49 PHRASE If you say that someone or something has come a long way , you mean that they have developed, progressed, or become very successful. □ He has come a long way since the days he could only afford one meal a day.
50 PHRASE You can use by a long way to emphasize that something is, for example, much better, worse, or bigger than any other thing of that kind. [EMPHASIS ] □ It was, by a long way, the worst meeting I have ever attended.
51 PHRASE If you say that something is a long way from being true, you are emphasizing that it is definitely not true. [EMPHASIS ] □ She is a long way from being the richest person in Britain.
52 PHRASE If you say that something goes a long way towards doing a particular thing, you mean that it is an important factor in achieving that thing. □ [+ towards/to ] Although not a cure, it goes a long way towards making the patient's life tolerable.
53 PHRASE If you say that someone has lost their way , you are criticizing them because they do not have any good ideas any more, or seem to have become unsure about what to do. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Why has the White House lost its way on tax and budget policy?
54 PHRASE When you make your way somewhere, you walk or travel there. □ He made his way home at last.
55 PHRASE If one person or thing makes way for another, the first is replaced by the second. □ He said he was prepared to make way for younger people in the party.
56 PHRASE If you say there's no way that something will happen, you are emphasizing that you think it will definitely not happen. [EMPHASIS ] □ There was absolutely no way that we were going to be able to retrieve it.
57 PHRASE You can say no way as an emphatic way of saying no. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ Mike, no way am I playing cards with you for money.
58 PHRASE You use in the way of or by way of in order to specify the kind of thing you are talking about. □ Latvia is a country without much in the way of natural resources. □ Meetings held today produced little in the way of an agreement. □ The man with whom she maintains a relationship provides nothing by way of support.
59 PHRASE If you are on your way , you have started your journey somewhere. □ He has been allowed to leave the country and is on his way to Britain. □ By sunrise tomorrow we'll be on our way.
60 PHRASE If something happens on the way or along the way , it happens during the course of a particular event or process. □ You may have to learn a few new skills along the way.
61 PHRASE If you are on your way or well on your way to something, you have made so much progress that you are almost certain to achieve that thing. □ I am now out of hospital and well on the way to recovery.
62 PHRASE If something is on the way , it will arrive soon. □ The forecasters say more snow is on the way. □ She is married with twin sons and a third child on the way.
63 PHRASE You can use one way or another or one way or the other when you want to say that something definitely happens, but without giving any details about how it happens. [VAGUENESS ] □ You know pretty well everyone here, one way or the other.
64 PHRASE You use one way or the other or one way or another to refer to two possible decisions or conclusions that have previously been mentioned, without stating which one is reached or preferred. □ We've got to make our decision one way or the other. □ I didn't really care one way or another.
65 PHRASE You use the other way around or the other way round to refer to the opposite of what you have just said. □ You'd think you were the one who did me the favor, and not the other way around.
66 PHRASE If something or someone is on the way out or on their way out , they are likely to disappear or to be replaced very soon. □ The British seaside holiday is apparently on the way out.
67 PHRASE If you go out of your way to do something, for example to help someone, you make a special effort to do it. □ He was very kind to me and seemed to go out of his way to help me.
68 PHRASE If you keep out of someone's way or stay out of their way , you avoid them or do not get involved with them. □ I'd kept out of his way as much as I could. □ He warned the army to stay out of the way of the relief effort.
69 PHRASE When something is out of the way , it has finished or you have dealt with it, so that it is no longer a problem or needs no more time spent on it. □ The plan has to remain confidential at least until the local elections are out of the way.
70 PHRASE If you go your own way , you do what you want rather than what everyone else does or expects. □ In school I was a loner. I went my own way.
71 PHRASE You use in the same way to introduce a situation that you are comparing with one that you have just mentioned, because there is a strong similarity between them. □ My parents are together and, if anything, closer than ever. In the same way, I also feel closer to both of them.
72 PHRASE You can use that way and this way to refer to a statement or comment that you have just made. □ Some of us have habits few people know about and we keep it this way. □ We have a beautiful city and we pray it stays that way.
73 PHRASE You can use that way or this way to refer to an action or situation that you have just mentioned, when you go on to mention the likely consequence or effect of it. □ Keep the soil moist. That way, the seedling will flourish.
74 PHRASE If an activity or plan is under way , it has begun and is now taking place. □ A full-scale security operation is now under way. □ The court case got under way last autumn.
75 PHRASE Every which way and any which way are used to emphasize that something happens, or might happen, in a lot of different ways, or using a lot of different methods. [AM , also BRIT , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ He re-ran the experiment every which way he could.
76 PHRASE Every which way is used to emphasize that things move in a lot of different directions or are arranged in a lot of different positions. [AM , also BRIT , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ …cars parked every which way.
77 PHRASE You can say ' Way to go ' to show that you are pleased or impressed by something someone has done. □ As he left, the fans broke into applause and someone called out 'Way to go, Mike'.
78 to see the error of your ways → see error
-way /-we I /
1 COMB -way combines with numbers to form adjectives that describe a means of communication that functions or takes place between the stated number of people. □ …a two-way radio. □ …a system of three-way communication.
2 → see also one-way , two-way
way|lay /we I le I , [AM ] -le I / (waylays , waylaying , waylaid ) VERB If someone waylays you, they stop you when you are going somewhere, for example in order to talk to you, to steal something from you, or to attack you. □ [V n] The trucks are being waylaid by bandits. □ I'm sorry, Nick, I got waylaid.
wa y of li fe (ways of life )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing, oft poss N , adj N ] A way of life is the behaviour and habits that are typical of a particular person or group, or that are chosen by them. □ [+ of ] Mining activities have totally disrupted the traditional way of life of the Yanomami Indians.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe a particular activity as a way of life for someone, you mean that it has become a very important and regular thing in their life, rather than something they do or experience occasionally. □ [+ for ] She likes it so much it's become a way of life for her.
wa y-ou t ADJ If you describe someone or something as way-out , you are critical of them because they are very unusual, often in a way that is very modern or fashionable. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ They will not allow your more way-out ideas to pass unchallenged.
way|side /we I sa I d/ (waysides )
1 N‑COUNT The wayside is the side of the road. [LITERARY ]
2 PHRASE If a person or plan falls by the wayside , they fail or stop before they complete what they set out to do. □ Amateurs fall by the wayside when the going gets tough.
wa y sta|tion (way stations )
1 N‑COUNT A way station is a place where people stop to eat and rest when they are on a long journey.
2 N‑COUNT A way station is a small station between two large stations on a railway. [AM ]
way|ward /we I wə r d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a person or their behaviour as wayward , you mean that they behave in a selfish, bad, or unpredictable way, and are difficult to control. □ …wayward children with a history of severe emotional problems.
WC /dʌ b ə ljuː siː / (WCs ) N‑COUNT A toilet is sometimes referred to as a WC , especially on signs or in advertisements for houses, flats, or hotels. WC is an abbreviation for 'water closet'. [BRIT ]
we ◆◆◆ /w I , STRONG wiː/ We is the first person plural pronoun. We is used as the subject of a verb. 1 PRON A speaker or writer uses we to refer both to himself or herself and to one or more other people as a group. You can use we before a noun to make it clear which group of people you are referring to. □ We ordered another bottle of champagne. □ We students outnumbered our teachers.
2 PRON We is sometimes used to refer to people in general. □ We need to take care of our bodies.
3 PRON A speaker or writer may use we instead of 'I' in order to include the audience or reader in what they are saying, especially when discussing how a talk or book is organized. [FORMAL ] □ We will now consider the raw materials from which the body derives energy.
weak ◆◆◇ /wiː k/ (weaker , weakest )
1 ADJ If someone is weak , they are not healthy or do not have good muscles, so that they cannot move quickly or carry heavy things. □ I was too weak to move or think or speak. □ His arms and legs were weak. ● weak|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ 'I'm all right,' Max said weakly, but his breathing came in jagged gasps. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Symptoms of anaemia include weakness, fatigue and iron deficiency.
2 ADJ If someone has an organ or sense that is weak , it is not very effective or powerful, or is likely to fail. □ Until the beating, Cantanco's eyesight had been weak, but adequate. □ She tired easily and had a weak heart.
3 ADJ If you describe someone as weak , you mean that they are not very confident or determined, so that they are often frightened or worried, or easily influenced by other people. □ You have been conditioned to believe that it is weak to be scared. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Many people felt that admitting to stress was a sign of weakness.
4 ADJ If you describe someone's voice or smile as weak , you mean that it not very loud or big, suggesting that the person lacks confidence, enthusiasm, or physical strength. □ His weak voice was almost inaudible. ● weak|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ He smiled weakly at reporters.
5 ADJ If an object or surface is weak , it breaks easily and cannot support a lot of weight or resist a lot of strain. □ The owner said the bird may have escaped through a weak spot in the aviary. □ Swimming is helpful for bones that are porous and weak.
6 ADV A weak physical force does not have much power or intensity. □ The molecules in regular liquids are held together by relatively weak bonds. ● weak|ly ADV [ADV adj/-ed, ADV after v] □ The mineral is weakly magnetic.
7 ADJ If individuals or groups are weak , they do not have any power or influence. □ The council was too weak to do anything about it. ● N‑PLURAL The weak are people who are weak. □ He voiced his solidarity with the weak and defenceless. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ It made me feel patronised, in a position of weakness.
8 ADJ A weak government or leader does not have much control, and is not prepared or able to act firmly or severely. □ The changes come after mounting criticism that the government is weak and indecisive. □ The chief editorial writer also blames weak leadership for the current crisis. ● weak|ly ADV □ …the weakly-led movement for reform. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Officials fear that he might interpret the emphasis on diplomacy as a sign of weakness.
9 ADJ If you describe something such a country's currency, economy, industry, or government as weak , you mean that it is not successful, and may be likely to fail or collapse. □ The weak dollar made American goods relative bargains for foreigners. ● weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss] □ [+ of ] The weakness of his regime is showing more and more.
10 ADJ If something such as an argument or case is weak , it is not convincing or there is little evidence to support it. □ Do you think the prosecution made any particular errors, or did they just have a weak case? ● weak|ly ADV □ His efforts to refute these 'stereotypes' are weakly argued. ● weak|ness (weaknesses ) N‑VAR □ …the strengths and weaknesses of the government's case.
11 ADJ A weak drink, chemical, or drug contains very little of a particular substance, for example because a lot of water has been added to it. □ …a cup of weak tea. □ …a very weak bleach solution.
12 ADJ Your weak points are the qualities or talents you do not possess, or the things you are not very good at. □ Geography was my weak subject. □ [+ on ] His short stories tend to be weak on plot. ● weak|ness N‑VAR □ His only weakness is his temperament.
13 → see also weakness
weak|en ◆◇◇ /wiː kən/ (weakens , weakening , weakened )
1 VERB If you weaken something or if it weakens , it becomes less strong or less powerful. □ [V n] The recession has weakened so many firms that many can no longer survive. □ [V ] Family structures are weakening and breaking up.
2 VERB If your resolve weakens or if something weakens it, you become less determined or less certain about taking a particular course of action that you had previously decided to take. □ [V ] Jennie weakened, and finally relented. □ [V n] The verdict hasn't weakened his resolve to fight the charges against him.
3 VERB If something weakens you, it causes you to lose some of your physical strength. □ [V n] Malnutrition obviously weakens the patient.
4 VERB If something weakens an object, it does something to it which causes it to become less firm and more likely to break. □ [V n] A bomb blast had weakened an area of brick on the back wall.
wea k-knee d ADJ If you describe someone as weak-kneed , you mean that they are unable or unwilling to do anything because they are influenced by a strong emotion such as fear. [INFORMAL ] □ He would need all his authority to keep the weak-kneed volunteers from bolting.
weak|ling /wiː kl I ŋ/ (weaklings ) N‑COUNT If you describe a person or an animal as a weakling , you mean that they are physically weak. [DISAPPROVAL ]
weak|ness /wiː knəs/ (weaknesses )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you have a weakness for something, you like it very much, although this is perhaps surprising or undesirable. □ [+ for ] Stephen himself had a weakness for cats. □ His one weakness, apart from aeroplanes, is ice cream.
2 → see also weak
weal /wiː l/ (weals ) N‑COUNT A weal is a swelling made on someone's skin by a blow, especially from something sharp or thin such as a sword or whip. [BRIT ] in AM, use welt
wealth ◆◇◇ /we lθ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Wealth is the possession of a large amount of money, property, or other valuable things. You can also refer to a particular person's money or property as their wealth . □ Economic reform has brought relative wealth to peasant farmers.
2 N‑SING If you say that someone or something has a wealth of good qualities or things, you are emphasizing that they have a very large number or amount of them. [FORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] …such a wealth of creative expertise.
wealthy /we lθi/ (wealthier , wealthiest ) ADJ Someone who is wealthy has a large amount of money, property, or valuable possessions. □ …a wealthy international businessman. ● N‑PLURAL The wealthy are people who are wealthy. □ …a measure to raise income taxes on the wealthy.
wean /wiː n/ (weans , weaning , weaned )
1 VERB When a baby or baby animal is weaned , its mother stops feeding it milk and starts giving it other food, especially solid food. □ [V n] When would be the best time to start weaning my baby? □ [V n + off ] Phil took the labrador home and is weaning him off milk on to meat.
2 VERB If you wean someone off a habit or something they like, you gradually make them stop doing it or liking it, especially when you think is bad for them. □ [V n + from ] It has been good for him to be gradually weaned from depending on me.
weap|on ◆◆◇ /we pən/ (weapons )
1 N‑COUNT A weapon is an object such as a gun, a knife, or a missile, which is used to kill or hurt people in a fight or a war. □ …nuclear weapons.
2 N‑COUNT A weapon is something such as knowledge about a particular subject, which you can use to protect yourself or to get what you want in a difficult situation. □ I attack politicians with the one weapon they don't have, a sense of humor.
weap|on|ize /we pəna I z/ (weaponizes , weaponizing , weaponized ) in BRIT, also use weaponise VERB If a substance or material is weaponized , it is used as a weapon or made into a weapon. If an area is weaponized , it is used as a location for weapons. □ [V n] They were close to weaponizing ricin - a lethal plant toxin. □ [V n] …the plan to weaponize outer space.
wea|pon|ry /we pənri/ N‑UNCOUNT Weaponry is all the weapons that a group or country has or that are available to it. □ …rich nations, armed with superior weaponry.
wea pons-grade ADJ [ADJ n] Weapons-grade substances such as uranium or plutonium are of a quality which makes them suitable for use in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. □ …equipment which can produce weapons-grade uranium.
wea p|ons of mass de|stru c|tion N‑PLURAL Weapons of mass destruction are biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons.
wear ◆◆◇ /weə r / (wears , wearing , wore , worn )
1 VERB When you wear something such as clothes, shoes, or jewellery, you have them on your body or on part of your body. □ [V n] He was wearing a brown uniform. □ [V n] I sometimes wear contact lenses. □ [V n] She can't make her mind up what to wear.
2 VERB If you wear your hair or beard in a particular way, you have it cut or styled in that way. □ [V n prep/adv] She wore her hair in a long braid. □ [V n] He wore a full moustache.
3 VERB If you wear a particular expression, that expression is on your face and shows the emotions that you are feeling. □ [V n] When we drove through the gates, she wore a look of amazement.
4 N‑UNCOUNT You use wear to refer to clothes that are suitable for a certain time or place. For example, evening wear is clothes suitable for the evening. □ The shop stocks an extensive range of beach wear.
5 N‑UNCOUNT Wear is the amount or type of use that something has over a period of time. □ You'll get more wear out of a hat if you choose one in a neutral colour.
6 N‑UNCOUNT Wear is the damage or change that is caused by something being used a lot or for a long time. □ …a large, well-upholstered armchair which showed signs of wear.
7 VERB If something wears , it becomes thinner or weaker because it is constantly being used over a long period of time. □ [V ] The stone steps, dating back to 1855, are beginning to wear. □ [V adj] Your horse needs new shoes if the shoe has worn thin or smooth.
8 VERB You can use wear to talk about how well something lasts over a period of time. For example, if something wears well , it still seems quite new or useful after a long time or a lot of use. □ [V adv] Ten years on, the original concept was wearing well.
9 PHRASE If one person in a couple, especially the woman, wears the pants , or in British English wears the trousers , they are the one who makes all the decisions. [INFORMAL ] □ She may give the impression that she wears the trousers but it's Tim who makes the final decisions.
10 PHRASE [usu cont] If your patience or temper is wearing thin , you are becoming annoyed and are likely to get angry soon. □ He was sympathetic at first but his patience soon wore thin.
11 PHRASE [usu cont] If you say that something is wearing thin , you mean that people do not find it funny or interesting any more and are becoming annoyed with it, because they have seen or heard it so many times. □ Some of Wilson's eccentricities are beginning to wear thin.
12 PHRASE If you say that someone is the worse for wear , you mean that they are tired, ill, or in a bad state because they have been very active, been through a difficult experience, or been drinking alcohol. [INFORMAL ] □ He arrived on January 9, disheveled and much the worse for wear.
▸ wear away PHRASAL VERB If you wear something away or if it wears away , it becomes thin and eventually disappears because it is used a lot or rubbed a lot. □ [V P n] It had a saddle with springs sticking out, which wore away the seat of my pants. □ [V P ] The softer rock wears away. [Also V n P ]
▸ wear down
1 PHRASAL VERB If you wear something down or if it wears down , it becomes flatter or smoother as a result of constantly rubbing against something else. □ [V P n] Extreme changes in temperature can wear down the top layer of your skin. □ [V P ] The machines start to wear down, they don't make as many nuts and bolts as they used to. □ [V n P ] Elephants wear the tusk down faster than they can grow it.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you wear someone down , you make them gradually weaker or less determined until they eventually do what you want. □ [V P n] They hoped the waiting and the uncertainty would wear down my resistance. □ [V n P ] He believed that he could wear her down if he only asked often enough.
▸ wear off PHRASAL VERB If a sensation or feeling wears off , it disappears slowly until it no longer exists or has any effect. □ [V P ] For many the philosophy was merely a fashion, and the novelty soon wore off. □ [V P ] Now that the initial shock was wearing off, he was in considerable pain.
▸ wear on PHRASAL VERB If you say that time wears on , you mean that it passes, especially when it seems to pass slowly. □ [V P ] As the day wore on, Brand found himself increasingly impressed.
▸ wear out
1 PHRASAL VERB When something wears out or when you wear it out , it is used so much that it becomes thin or weak and unable to be used any more. □ [V P ] Every time she consulted her watch, she wondered if the batteries were wearing out. □ [V n P ] Horses used for long-distance riding tend to wear their shoes out more quickly. □ [V P n] He wore out his shoes wandering around Mexico City.
2 PHRASAL VERB If something wears you out , it makes you feel extremely tired. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n P ] The past few days had really worn him out. □ The young people run around kicking a ball, wearing themselves out. □ [V P n] The effect of the continuous attacks has been to wear out his troops.
3 → see also worn out
wear|able /weə rəb ə l/
1 ADJ Wearable clothes are practical, comfortable, and suitable for ordinary people to wear, rather than being very unusual or extreme. □ It's fashionable but wearable, and it's easy to look after.
2 ADJ A wearable electronic device is designed to be worn on the body. □ …wearable technology.
wear and tear /weə r ən teə r / N‑UNCOUNT Wear and tear is the damage or change that is caused to something when it is being used normally. □ [+ on ] …the problem of wear and tear on the equipment in the harsh desert conditions.
wear|er /weə rə r / (wearers ) N‑COUNT [n N ] You can use wearer to indicate that someone is wearing a certain thing on a particular occasion or that they often wear a certain thing. □ These suits are designed to protect the wearer from cold shock as they enter the water. □ The mascara is suitable for contact lens wearers. [Also + of ]
wear|ing /weə r I ŋ/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you say that a situation or activity is wearing , you mean that it requires a lot of energy and makes you feel mentally or physically tired. □ She finds the continual confrontation very wearing.
wea|ri|some /w I ə r I səm/ ADJ If you describe something as wearisome , you mean that it is very tiring and boring or frustrating. [FORMAL ] □ …a long and wearisome journey. □ Sympathising with him eventually becomes somewhat wearisome.
wea|ry /w I ə ri/ (wearies , wearying , wearied , wearier , weariest )
1 ADJ If you are weary , you are very tired. □ Rachel looked pale and weary. □ …a weary traveller.
2 ADJ If you are weary of something, you have become tired of it and have lost your enthusiasm for it. □ [+ of ] They're getting awfully weary of this silly war.
3 VERB If you weary of something or it wearies you, you become tired of it and lose your enthusiasm for it. [FORMAL ] □ [V + of ] The public had wearied of his repeated warnings of a revolution that never seemed to start. □ [V n] The political hysteria soon wearied him and he dropped the newspaper to the floor.
wea|sel /wiː z ə l/ (weasels ) N‑COUNT A weasel is a small wild animal with a long thin body, a tail, short legs, and reddish-brown fur.
weath|er ◆◆◇ /we ðə r / (weathers , weathering , weathered )
1 N‑UNCOUNT The weather is the condition of the atmosphere in one area at a particular time, for example if it is raining, hot, or windy. □ The weather was bad. □ I like cold weather. □ Fishing is possible in virtually any weather. □ …the weather conditions.
2 VERB If something such as wood or rock weathers or is weathered , it changes colour or shape as a result of the wind, sun, rain, or cold. □ [V ] Unpainted wooden furniture weathers to a grey colour. □ [be V -ed] This rock has been weathered and eroded. [Also V n] ● weath|ered ADJ □ The facade of the building was a little weathered. □ The man had a worn, weathered face.
3 VERB If you weather a difficult time or a difficult situation, you survive it and are able to continue normally after it has passed or ended. □ [V n] The government has weathered its worst political crisis.
4 to weather the storm → see storm
5 PHRASE If you say that someone is making heavy weather of a task, you are critical of them because they are doing it in an inefficient way and are making it seem more difficult than it really is. [BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Some of the riders in this section made heavy weather of the cross-country race.
6 PHRASE If you say that you are under the weather , you mean that you feel slightly ill. □ I was still feeling a bit under the weather. USAGE weather
Weather
is an uncountable noun. Don’t use ‘a’ with it. Don’t say, for example, ‘
We are expecting a bad weather
’. Say ‘We are expecting bad weather
’. □
They completed the climb despite appalling weather
.
wea ther-beaten also weatherbeaten
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If your face or skin is weather-beaten , it is rough with deep lines because you have spent a lot of time outside in bad weather. □ …a stout man with a ruddy, weather-beaten face.
2 ADJ Something that is weather-beaten is rough and slightly damaged after being outside for a long time. □ They would look out through the cracks of their weather-beaten door.
wea th|er fore|cast (weather forecasts ) N‑COUNT A weather forecast is a statement saying what the weather will be like the next day or for the next few days. □ What's the weather forecast for tomorrow?
wea th|er fore|cast|er (weather forecasters ) N‑COUNT A weather forecaster is a person whose job is to study weather conditions and make reports predicting what the weather will be like for the next few days.
wea th|er girl (weather girls ) N‑COUNT A weather girl is a young woman who presents weather forecasts at regular times on television or radio.
weather|man /we ðə r mæn/ (weathermen ) also weather man N‑COUNT A weatherman is a man who presents weather forecasts at regular times on television or radio.
weather|proof /we ðə r pruːf/ ADJ Something that is weatherproof is made of material which protects it from the weather or keeps out wind and rain. □ Use a weatherproof rucksack to carry your camera and lenses around in.
wea th|er sta|tion (weather stations ) N‑COUNT A weather station is a place where facts about the weather are recorded and studied.
wea th|er vane (weather vanes ) N‑COUNT A weather vane is a metal object on the roof of a building which turns round as the wind blows. It is used to show the direction of the wind.
weather|woman /we ðə r wʊmən/ (weatherwomen ) also weather woman N‑COUNT A weatherwoman is a woman who presents weather forecasts at regular times on television or radio.
weave /wiː v/ (weaves , weaving , wove , woven ) The form weaved is used for the past tense and past participle for meaning 4 . 1 VERB If you weave cloth or a carpet, you make it by crossing threads over and under each other using a frame or machine called a loom. □ [V n] They would spin and weave cloth, cook and attend to the domestic side of life. □ [V ] In one room, young mothers weave while babies doze in their laps. ● wo|ven ADJ [usu ADJ n] □ …woven cotton fabrics. ● weav|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ When I studied weaving, I became intrigued with natural dyes.
2 N‑COUNT A particular weave is the way in which the threads are arranged in a cloth or carpet. □ Fabrics with a close weave are ideal for painting.
3 VERB If you weave something such as a basket, you make it by crossing long plant stems or fibres over and under each other. □ [V n] Jenny weaves baskets from willow she grows herself. ● wo|ven ADJ [usu ADJ n] □ The floors are covered with woven straw mats.
4 VERB If you weave your way somewhere, you move between and around things as you go there. □ [V prep] The cars then weaved in and out of traffic at top speed. □ [V n + through ] He weaves his way through a crowd.
5 VERB If you weave details into a story or design, you include them, so that they are closely linked together or become an important part of the story or design. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n + into ] She weaves imaginative elements into her poems. □ [V n with together ] Bragg weaves together the histories of his main characters.
weav|er /wiː və r / (weavers ) N‑COUNT A weaver is a person who weaves cloth, carpets, or baskets.
web ◆◇◇ /we b/ (webs ) The spelling Web is also used for meaning 3 . 1 N‑COUNT A web is the thin net made by a spider from a sticky substance which it produces in its body. □ …the spider's web in the window.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A web is a complicated pattern of connections or relationships, sometimes considered as an obstacle or a danger. □ [+ of ] He's forced to untangle a complex web of financial dealings. □ [+ of ] They accused him of weaving a web of lies and deceit.
3 N‑PROPER The Web is the same as the World Wide Web . [COMPUTING ]
webbed /we bd/ ADJ [ADJ n] Webbed feet or toes have a piece of skin between the toes. Water birds have webbed feet.
web|bing /we b I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Webbing is strong material which is woven in strips and used to make belts or straps, or used in seats to support the springs.
web|cam /we bkæm/ (webcams ) also Webcam N‑COUNT [usu sing] A webcam is a video camera that saves real-time images and video to a computer or streams them through a computer network. [COMPUTING ]
web|cast /we bkɑːst, -kæst/ (webcasts ) also Webcast N‑COUNT A webcast is an event such as a musical performance which you can listen to or watch on the internet. [COMPUTING ]
web|i|nar /we b I nɑː r / (webinars ) N‑COUNT A webinar is an interactive seminar conducted over the internet. [COMPUTING ]
web|log /we blɒg, [AM ] -lɔːg/ also Web log , web log (weblogs ) N‑COUNT A weblog is the same as a blog . [COMPUTING ]
web|master /we bmɑːstə r , -mæst-/ (webmasters ) also Webmaster N‑COUNT [usu sing] A webmaster is someone who is in charge of a website, especially someone who does that as their job. [COMPUTING ]
we b page (web pages ) also Web page N‑COUNT A web page is a set of data or information which is designed to be viewed as part of a website. [COMPUTING ]
web|site ◆◇◇ /we bsa I t/ (websites ) also Web site , web site N‑COUNT A website is a set of data and information about a particular subject which is available on the internet. [COMPUTING ]
web|space /we bspe I s/ N‑UNCOUNT Webspace is computer memory that you can use to create web pages. [COMPUTING ] □ There's also 5Mb of webspace so that you can create your own personal web site.
wed /we d/ (weds , wedded ) The form wed is used in the present tense and is the past tense. The past participle can be either wed or wedded . 1 VERB [no cont] If one person weds another or if two people wed or are wed , they get married. [JOURNALISM , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V n] In 1952 she wed film director Roger Vadim. □ [V ] The couple wed late at night in front of just nine guests.
2 → see also newlywed , wedded
Wed. also Weds. Wed. is a written abbreviation for Wednesday . □ Our big task for tomorrow (Wed.) is to get them exit visas.
we'd /w I d, STRONG wiːd/
1 We'd is the usual spoken form of 'we had', especially when 'had' is an auxiliary verb. □ Come on, we'd better get back now.
2 We'd is the usual spoken form of 'we would'. □ I don't know how we'd have managed without her!
wed|ded /we d I d/
1 ADJ If you are wedded to something such as an idea, you support it so strongly or like it so much that you are unable to give it up. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] Conservationists are mostly wedded to preserving diversity in nature.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Wedded means the same as married . [FORMAL ] □ He proposed she become his lawfully wedded wife.
wed|ding ◆◇◇ /we d I ŋ/ (weddings ) N‑COUNT A wedding is a marriage ceremony and the party or special meal that often takes place after the ceremony. □ Most Britons want a traditional wedding. □ …a wedding present. □ …the couple's 22nd wedding anniversary.
we d|ding band (wedding bands ) N‑COUNT A wedding band is the same as a wedding ring .
we d|ding cake (wedding cakes ) N‑VAR A wedding cake is a large cake, usually decorated with icing, that is served at a wedding reception.
we d|ding dress (wedding dresses ) N‑COUNT A wedding dress is a special dress that a woman wears at her wedding.
we d|ding ring (wedding rings ) N‑COUNT A wedding ring is a ring that you wear to show that you are married.
wedge /we dʒ/ (wedges , wedging , wedged )
1 VERB If you wedge something, you force it to remain in a particular position by holding it there tightly or by fixing something next to it to prevent it from moving. □ [V n] I shut the shed door and wedged it with a log of wood. □ [V n adj] We slammed the gate after them, wedging it shut with planks.
2 VERB If you wedge something somewhere, you fit it there tightly. □ [V n prep] Wedge the plug into the hole.
3 N‑COUNT A wedge is an object with one pointed edge and one thick edge, which you put under a door to keep it firmly in position.
4 N‑COUNT A wedge of something such as fruit or cheese is a piece of it that has a thick triangular shape.
5 PHRASE If someone drives a wedge between two people who are close, they cause ill feelings between them in order to weaken their relationship. □ I started to feel Toby was driving a wedge between us.
6 PHRASE If you say that something is the thin end of the wedge , you mean that it appears to be unimportant at the moment, but that it is the beginning of a bigger, more harmful development. [BRIT ] □ I think it's the thin end of the wedge when you have armed police permanently on patrol.
wed|lock /we dlɒk/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Wedlock is the state of being married. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
2 PHRASE If a baby is born in wedlock , it is born while its parents are married. If it is born out of wedlock , it is born at a time when its parents are not married. [FORMAL ]
Wednes|day /we nzde I , -di/ (Wednesdays ) N‑VAR Wednesday is the day after Tuesday and before Thursday. □ Come and have supper with us on Wednesday, if you're free. □ Did you happen to see her leave last Wednesday? □ David always collects Alistair from school on Wednesdays. □ On a Wednesday afternoon, the shop was shut.
wee /wiː / (wees , weeing , weed )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Wee means small in size or extent. [SCOTTISH , INFORMAL ] □ He just needs to calm down a wee bit.
2 VERB To wee means to urinate. Wee is an informal word used especially by children. [BRIT ] □ [V ] He said he wanted to wee. ● N‑VAR Wee is also a noun. □ The baby has done a wee in his potty.
weed /wiː d/ (weeds , weeding , weeded )
1 N‑COUNT A weed is a wild plant that grows in gardens or fields of crops and prevents the plants that you want from growing properly. □ …a garden overgrown with weeds.
2 N‑VAR Weed is a plant that grows in water and usually forms a thick floating mass. There are many different kinds of weed. □ Large, clogging banks of weed are the only problem.
3 VERB If you weed an area, you remove the weeds from it. □ [V n] Caspar was weeding the garden. □ [V ] Try not to walk on the flower beds when weeding or hoeing. ● weed|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ She taught me to do the weeding.
▸ weed out PHRASAL VERB If you weed out things or people that are useless or unwanted in a group, you find them and get rid of them. □ [V P n] He is keen to weed out the many applicants he believes may be frauds. □ [V n P ] A small group of neo-Nazis have infiltrated the ranks. We must weed them out as soon as possible.
weed|killer /wiː dk I lə r / (weedkillers ) N‑VAR Weedkiller is a substance you put on your garden to kill weeds.
weedy /wiː di/ (weedier , weediest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A weedy place is full of weeds.
2 ADJ If you describe someone as weedy , you are criticizing them because they are thin and physically weak. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
week ◆◆◆ /wiː k/ (weeks )
1 N‑COUNT A week is a period of seven days. Some people consider that a week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday. □ I had a letter from my mother last week. □ This has been on my mind all week. □ I know a wonderful restaurant where we can have lunch next week.
2 N‑COUNT A week is a period of about seven days. □ Her mother stayed for another two weeks. □ Only 12 weeks ago he underwent major heart transplant surgery. □ Three million people will visit theatres in the annual six-week season.
3 N‑COUNT Your working week is the hours that you spend at work during a week. □ It is not unusual for women to work a 40-hour week. □ …workers on a three-day week.
4 N‑SING The week is the part of the week that does not include Saturday and Sunday. □ …the hard work of looking after the children during the week.
5 N‑COUNT You use week in expressions such as 'a week on Monday', 'a week next Tuesday', and 'tomorrow week' to mean exactly one week after the day that you mention. □ The deadline to publish the document is a week tomorrow. □ The 800 metre final is on Monday week.
6 N‑COUNT You use week in expressions such as 'a week last Monday', 'a week ago this Tuesday', and 'a week ago yesterday' to mean exactly one week before the day that you mention. □ She returned home to Leicestershire a week last Sunday.
7 weeks on end → see end
week|day /wiː kde I / (weekdays ) N‑COUNT A weekday is any of the days of the week except Saturday and Sunday. □ If you want to avoid the crowds, it's best to come on a weekday.
week|end ◆◆◇ /wiː ke nd/ (weekends ) N‑COUNT A weekend is Saturday and Sunday. □ She had agreed to have dinner with him in town the following weekend. □ He told me to give you a call over the weekend.
week|end|er /wiː ke ndə r , [AM ] -endər/ (weekenders ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] A weekender is someone who goes to a place or lives at a place only at weekends. □ He converted his barns into cottages for weekenders.
week|ly ◆◇◇ /wiː kli/ (weeklies )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A weekly event or publication happens or appears once a week or every week. □ Each course comprises 10-12 informal weekly meetings. □ We go and do the weekly shopping every Thursday. □ …a weekly newspaper. ● ADV [ADV after v] Weekly is also an adverb. □ The group meets weekly. □ …a magazine published weekly since 2 January 1909.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Weekly quantities or rates relate to a period of one week. □ In addition to my weekly wage, I got a lot of tips.
3 N‑COUNT A weekly is a newspaper or magazine that is published once a week. □ Two of the four national daily papers are to become weeklies.
week|night /wiː kna I t/ (weeknights ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] A weeknight is the evening or night of a weekday. [mainly AUSTRALIAN ] □ …the half-hour weeknight show.
wee|nie /wiː ni/ (weenies ) → see wienie
weep /wiː p/ (weeps , weeping , wept )
1 VERB If someone weeps , they cry. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] She wanted to laugh and weep all at once. □ [V -ing] The weeping family hugged and comforted each other. □ [V n] She wept tears of joy. ● N‑SING Weep is also a noun. □ There are times when I sit down and have a good weep.
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