fee d|ing bot|tle (feeding bottles ) also feeding-bottle N‑COUNT A feeding bottle is a plastic bottle with a special rubber top through which a baby can suck milk or other liquids. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use nursing bottle
fee d|ing ground (feeding grounds ) N‑COUNT The feeding ground of a group of animals or birds is the place where they find food and eat. □ The mud is a feeding ground for large numbers of birds.
feel ◆◆◆ /fiː l/ (feels , feeling , felt )
1 V‑LINK If you feel a particular emotion or physical sensation, you experience it. □ [V adj] I am feeling very depressed. □ [V adj] I will always feel grateful to that little guy. □ [V adj] I remember feeling sick. □ [V n] Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. □ [V n] You won't feel a thing. □ [V as if] I felt as if all my strength had gone. □ [V like] I felt like I was being kicked in the teeth every day.
2 V‑LINK [no cont] If you talk about how an experience or event feels , you talk about the emotions and sensations connected with it. □ [V adj] It feels good to have finished a piece of work. □ [V adj] The speed at which everything moved felt strange. □ [V as if] Within five minutes of arriving back from holiday, it feels as if I've never been away. □ [V like ] It felt like I'd had two babies instead of one.
3 V‑LINK [no cont] If you talk about how an object feels , you talk about the physical quality that you notice when you touch or hold it. For example, if something feels soft, you notice that it is soft when you touch it. □ [V adj] The metal felt smooth and cold. □ [V adj] The ten-foot oars felt heavy and awkward. □ [V like ] When the clay feels like putty, it is ready to use. ● N‑SING Feel is also a noun. □ He remembered the feel of her skin. □ Linen raincoats have a crisp, papery feel.
4 V‑LINK [no cont] If you talk about how the weather feels , you describe the weather, especially the temperature or whether or not you think it is going to rain or snow. □ [V adj] It felt wintry cold that day.
5 VERB If you feel an object, you touch it deliberately with your hand, so that you learn what it is like, for example what shape it is or whether it is rough or smooth. □ [V n] The doctor felt his head. □ [V n] When dry, feel the surface and it will no longer be smooth. □ [V wh] Feel how soft the skin is in the small of the back. □ [V prep/adv] Her eyes squeezed shut, she felt inside the tin, expecting it to be bare.
6 VERB [no cont] If you can feel something, you are aware of it because it is touching you. □ [V n] Through several layers of clothes I could feel his muscles. □ [V n prep/adv] He felt her leg against his.
7 VERB If you feel something happening, you become aware of it because of the effect it has on your body. □ [V n v-ing] She felt something being pressed into her hands. □ [V n inf] He felt something move beside him. □ [V pron-refl -ed] She felt herself lifted from her feet. □ [be V -ed] Tremors were felt 250 miles away.
8 VERB If you feel yourself doing something or being in a particular state, you are aware that something is happening to you which you are unable to control. □ [V pron-refl inf] I felt myself blush. □ [V pron-refl v-ing] If at any point you feel yourself becoming tense, make a conscious effort to relax. □ [V n inf] I actually felt my heart quicken. [Also V n v-ing]
9 VERB [no cont] If you feel the presence of someone or something, you become aware of them, even though you cannot see or hear them. □ [V n] He felt her eyes on him. □ [V n] Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. □ [V that] I could feel that a man was watching me very intensely. □ [V n v-ing] He almost felt her wincing at the other end of the telephone.
10 VERB [no cont] If you feel that something is the case, you have a strong idea in your mind that it is the case. □ [V that] I feel that not enough is being done to protect the local animal life. □ [V adj that] I feel certain that it will all turn out well. □ [V n to-inf] She felt herself to be part of a large business empire. □ [V pron-refl n] I never felt myself a real child of the sixties.
11 VERB [no cont] If you feel that you should do something, you think that you should do it. □ [V that] I feel I should resign. □ [V that] He felt that he had to do it. □ [V -ed to-inf] You need not feel obliged to contribute. □ [V + under ] They felt under no obligation to maintain their employees.
12 VERB [no cont] If you talk about how you feel about something, you talk about your opinion, attitude, or reaction to it. □ [V + about ] We'd like to know what you feel about abortion. □ [V adj/adv + about ] She feels guilty about spending less time lately with her two kids. □ [V n + about ] He feels deep regret about his friend's death.
13 VERB If you feel like doing something or having something, you want to do it or have it because you are in the right mood for it and think you would enjoy it. □ [V like v-ing] Neither of them felt like going back to sleep. □ [V like n] Could we take a walk? I feel like a little exercise.
14 VERB If you feel the effect or result of something, you experience it. □ [V n] The charity is still feeling the effects of revelations about its one-time president. □ [be V -ed] The real impact will be felt in the developing world.
15 N‑SING The feel of something, for example a place, is the general impression that it gives you. □ The room has a warm, cosy feel. ● PHRASE If you get the feel of something, for example a place or a new activity, you become familiar with it. □ He wanted to get the feel of the place.
16 → see also feeling , felt
17 feel free → see free
▸ feel for
1 PHRASAL VERB If you feel for something, for example in the dark, you try to find it by moving your hand around until you touch it. □ [V P n] I felt for my wallet and papers in my inside pocket. □ [V adv/prep P n] I slumped down in my usual armchair and felt around for the newspaper.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you feel for someone, you have sympathy for them. □ [V P n] She cried on the phone and was very upset and I really felt for her.
feel|er /fiː lə r / (feelers )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] An insect's feelers are the two thin stalks on its head with which it touches and senses things around it.
2 N‑PLURAL If you put out feelers , you make careful, quiet contacts with people in order to get information from them, or to find out what their reaction will be to a suggestion. □ When vacancies occur, the office puts out feelers to the universities.
fee l-good also feelgood
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A feel-good film is a film which presents people and life in a way which makes the people who watch it feel happy and optimistic. □ …a bright and enjoyable feelgood romance.
2 PHRASE When journalists refer to the feel-good factor , they mean that people are feeling hopeful and optimistic about the future. □ There were signs of the feel-good factor after the election result.
feel|ing ◆◆◇ /fiː l I ŋ/ (feelings )
1 N‑COUNT A feeling is an emotion, such as anger or happiness. □ [+ of ] It gave me a feeling of satisfaction. □ I think our main feeling would be of an immense gratitude. □ He was unable to contain his own destructive feelings.
2 N‑PLURAL [oft with poss] Your feelings about something are the things that you think and feel about it, or your attitude towards it. □ [+ about ] She has strong feelings about the alleged growth in violence against female officers. □ [+ of ] I think that sums up the feelings of most discerning and intelligent Indians. □ He made no real secret of his feelings to his friends.
3 N‑PLURAL [usu poss N ] When you refer to someone's feelings , you are talking about the things that might embarrass, offend, or upset them. For example, if you hurt someone's feelings , you upset them by something that you say or do. □ He was afraid of hurting my feelings. □ He has no respect, no regard for anyone's feelings.
4 N‑UNCOUNT Feeling is a way of thinking and reacting to things which is emotional and not planned rather than logical and practical. □ He was prompted to a rare outburst of feeling. □ …a voice that trembles with feeling.
5 N‑UNCOUNT Feeling for someone is love, affection, sympathy, or concern for them. □ [+ for ] Thomas never lost his feeling for Harriet. □ It's incredible that Peter can behave with such stupid lack of feeling.
6 N‑COUNT If you have a feeling of hunger, tiredness, or other physical sensation, you experience it. □ I also had a strange feeling in my neck. □ [+ of ] He experienced feelings of claustrophobia from being in a small place.
7 N‑UNCOUNT Feeling in part of your body is the ability to experience the sense of touch in this part of the body. □ After the accident he had no feeling in his legs.
8 N‑COUNT [oft N that] If you have a feeling that something is the case or that something is going to happen, you think that is probably the case or that it is probably going to happen. □ I have a feeling that everything will come right for us one day. □ [+ about ] You have a feeling about people, and I just felt she was going to be good.
9 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N that] Feeling is used to refer to a general opinion that a group of people has about something. □ There is still some feeling in the art world that the market for such works may be declining. □ It seemed that anti-Fascist feeling was not being encouraged.
10 N‑SING If you have a feeling of being in a particular situation, you feel that you are in that situation. □ [+ of ] I had the terrible feeling of being left behind to bring up the baby while he had fun.
11 N‑SING If you have a feeling for something, you have an understanding of it or a natural ability to do it. □ Try to get a feeling for the people who live here. □ You seem to have a feeling for drawing.
12 N‑SING If something such as a place or book creates a particular kind of feeling , it creates a particular kind of atmosphere. □ [+ of ] That's what we tried to portray in the book, this feeling of opulence and grandeur.
13 → see also feel
14 PHRASE Bad feeling or ill feeling is bitterness or anger which exists between people, for example after they have had an argument. □ [+ between ] There's been some bad feeling between the two families.
15 PHRASE Hard feelings are feelings of anger or bitterness towards someone who you have had an argument with or who has upset you. If you say ' no hard feelings ', you are making an agreement with someone not to be angry or bitter about something. □ [+ between ] I don't want any hard feelings between our companies. □ He held out his large hand. 'No hard feelings, right?'
16 CONVENTION You say ' I know the feeling ' to show that you understand or feel sorry about a problem or difficult experience that someone is telling you about. [SPOKEN , FEELINGS ]
17 PHRASE If you have mixed feelings about something or someone, you feel uncertain about them because you can see both good and bad points about them. SYNONYMS feeling NOUN 2
opinion: I wasn't asking for your opinion, Dick.
view: You should also make your views known to your local MP.
attitude: His attitude made me angry.
belief: It is our belief that improvements in health care will lead to a stronger economy. PRAGMATICS feelings
In this dictionary, the label FEELINGS indicates that you use the word or expression to show how you feel about a situation, a person, or a thing. An example of a word with this label is unfortunately.
feel|ing|ly /fiː l I ŋli/ ADV [ADV after v] If someone says something feelingly , they say it in a way which shows that they have very strong feelings about what they are saying. □ 'It's what I want,' she said feelingly.
fee -paying ADJ [usu ADJ n] Fee-paying is used to talk about institutions or services which people have to pay to use, especially ones which are often provided free. □ …fee-paying schools. □ …fee-paying postgraduate students.
feet /fiː t/ Feet is the plural of foot .
feign /fe I n/ (feigns , feigning , feigned ) VERB If someone feigns a particular feeling, attitude, or physical condition, they try to make other people think that they have it or are experiencing it, although this is not true. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] One morning, I didn't want to go to school, and decided to feign illness. □ [V -ed] 'Giles phoned this morning,' Mirella said with feigned indifference. [Also V to-inf]
feint /fe I nt/ (feints , feinting , feinted ) VERB In sport or military conflict, if someone feints , they make a brief movement in a different direction from the one they intend to follow, as a way of confusing or deceiving their opponent. □ [V prep/adv] I feinted to the left, then to the right. □ [V ] They feinted and concentrated forces against the most fortified line of the enemy side.
feisty /fa I sti/ ADJ If you describe someone as feisty , you mean that they are tough, independent, and spirited, often when you would not expect them to be, for example because they are old or ill. □ At 66, she was as feisty as ever.
fe|lici|tous /f I l I s I təs/ ADJ If you describe a remark or idea as felicitous , you approve of it because it seems particularly suitable in the circumstances. [FORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ Her prose style is not always felicitous; she tends to repetition.
fe|lic|ity /f I l I s I ti/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Felicity is great happiness and pleasure. [LITERARY ] □ …joy and felicity.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Felicity is the quality of being good, pleasant, or desirable. [LITERARY ] □ …his conversational manner and easy verbal felicity.
fe|line /fiː la I n/ (felines )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Feline means belonging or relating to the cat family.
2 N‑COUNT A feline is an animal that belongs to the cat family. □ The 14lb feline is so fat she can hardly walk.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use feline to describe someone's appearance or movements if they are elegant or graceful in a way that makes you think of a cat. [LITERARY ] □ She moves with feline grace.
fell /fe l/ (fells , felling , felled )
1 Fell is the past tense of fall .
2 VERB [usu passive] If trees are felled , they are cut down. □ [be V -ed] Badly infected trees should be felled and burned.
3 VERB If you fell someone, you knock them down, for example in a fight. □ [V n] …a blow on the forehead which felled him to the ground.
4 in one fell swoop → see swoop
fel|la /fe lə/ (fellas ) also feller N‑COUNT You can refer to a man as a fella . [INFORMAL ] □ He's an intelligent man and a nice fella.
fel|la|tio /fəle I ʃioʊ/ N‑UNCOUNT Fellatio is oral sex which involves someone using their mouth to stimulate their partner's penis.
fel|low ◆◆◇ /fe loʊ/ (fellows )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use fellow to describe people who are in the same situation as you, or people you feel you have something in common with. □ She discovered to her pleasure, a talent for making her fellow guests laugh. □ Even in jail, my fellow inmates treated me with kindness.
2 N‑COUNT A fellow is a man or boy. [INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ By all accounts, Rodger would appear to be a fine fellow.
3 N‑PLURAL Your fellows are the people who you work with, do things with, or who are like you in some way. [FORMAL ] □ People looked out for one another and were concerned about the welfare of their fellows.
4 N‑COUNT A fellow of an academic or professional association is someone who is a specially elected member of it, usually because of their work or achievements or as a mark of honour. □ [+ of ] …the fellows of the Zoological Society of London.
fe l|low fee l|ing also fellow-feeling N‑UNCOUNT Fellow feeling is sympathy and friendship that exists between people who have shared similar experiences or difficulties.
fel|low|ship /fe loʊʃ I p/ (fellowships )
1 N‑COUNT A fellowship is a group of people that join together for a common purpose or interest. □ …the National Schizophrenia Fellowship. □ At Merlin's instigation, Arthur founds the Fellowship of the Round Table.
2 N‑COUNT A fellowship at a university is a post which involves research work. □ He was offered a research fellowship at Clare College.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Fellowship is a feeling of friendship that people have when they are talking or doing something together and sharing their experiences. □ …a sense of community and fellowship.
fel|on /fe lən/ (felons ) N‑COUNT A felon is a person who is guilty of committing a felony. [LEGAL ] □ He's a convicted felon.
felo|ny /fe ləni/ (felonies ) N‑COUNT In countries where the legal system distinguishes between very serious crimes and less serious ones, a felony is a very serious crime such as armed robbery. [LEGAL ] □ He pleaded guilty to six felonies.
felt /fe lt/
1 Felt is the past tense and past participle of feel .
2 N‑UNCOUNT Felt is a thick cloth made from wool or other fibres packed tightly together.
fe lt-ti p (felt-tips ) N‑COUNT A felt-tip or a felt-tip pen is a pen which has a piece of fibre at the end that the ink comes through.
fem. fem. is a written abbreviation for female or feminine .
fe|male ◆◆◇ /fiː me I l/ (females )
1 ADJ Someone who is female is a woman or a girl. □ …a sixteen-piece dance band with a female singer. □ Only 13 per cent of consultants are female.
2 N‑COUNT Women and girls are sometimes referred to as females when they are being considered as a type. □ Hay fever affects males more than females.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Female matters and things relate to, belong to, or affect women rather than men. □ …female infertility. □ …a purveyor of female undergarments.
4 N‑COUNT You can refer to any creature that can lay eggs or produce babies from its body as a female . □ Each female will lay just one egg in April or May. ● ADJ Female is also an adjective. □ …the scent given off by the female aphid to attract the male.
5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A female flower or plant contains the part that will become the fruit when it is fertilized. □ Figs have male and female flowers.
femi|nine /fe m I n I n/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Feminine qualities and things relate to or are considered typical of women, in contrast to men. □ …male leaders worrying about their women abandoning traditional feminine roles. □ …a manufactured ideal of feminine beauty.
2 ADJ Someone or something that is feminine has qualities that are considered typical of women, especially being pretty or gentle. [APPROVAL ] □ I've always been attracted to very feminine, delicate women. □ The bedroom has a light, feminine look.
3 ADJ In some languages, a feminine noun, pronoun, or adjective has a different form from a masculine or neuter one, or behaves in a different way.
femi|nin|ity /fe m I n I n I ti/
1 N‑UNCOUNT A woman's femininity is the fact that she is a woman. □ …the drudgery behind the ideology of motherhood and femininity.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Femininity means the qualities that are considered to be typical of women. □ …this courageous German tennis star's unique blend of strength and femininity.
femi|nism /fe m I n I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Feminism is the belief and aim that women should have the same rights, power, and opportunities as men. □ …Barbara Johnson, that champion of radical feminism.
femi|nist /fe m I n I st/ (feminists )
1 N‑COUNT A feminist is a person who believes in and supports feminism. □ Only 16 per cent of young women in a 1990 survey considered themselves feminists.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Feminist groups, ideas, and activities are involved in feminism. □ …the concerns addressed by the feminist movement.
femi|nize /fe m I na I z/ (feminizes , feminizing , feminized ) in BRIT, also use feminise VERB To feminize something means to make it into something that involves mainly women or is thought suitable for or typical of women. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] …their governments' policies of feminizing low-paid factory work. □ [V -ed] …a feminised pinstriped suit.
femme fa|tale /fæ m fətɑː l/ (femmes fatales ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If a woman has a reputation as a femme fatale , she is considered to be very attractive sexually, and likely to cause problems for any men who are attracted to her.
fe|mur /fiː mə r / (femurs ) N‑COUNT Your femur is the large bone in the upper part of your leg.
fen /fe n/ (fens ) N‑VAR Fen is used to refer to an area of low, flat, wet land, especially in the east of England. □ …the flat fen lands near Cambridge.
fence ◆◇◇ /fe ns/ (fences , fencing , fenced )
1 N‑COUNT A fence is a barrier between two areas of land, made of wood or wire supported by posts. □ Villagers say the fence would restrict public access to the hills.
2 VERB If you fence an area of land, you surround it with a fence. □ [V n] The first task was to fence the wood to exclude sheep. □ [V -ed] Thomas was playing in a little fenced area full of sand.
3 N‑COUNT A fence in show jumping or horse racing is an obstacle or barrier that horses have to jump over.
4 PHRASE If one country tries to mend fences with another, it tries to end a disagreement or quarrel with the other country. You can also say that two countries mend fences . □ [+ with ] Washington was last night doing its best to mend fences with the Europeans, saying it understood their concerns.
5 PHRASE If you sit on the fence , you avoid supporting a particular side in a discussion or argument. □ They are sitting on the fence and refusing to commit themselves.
▸ fence in
1 PHRASAL VERB If you fence something in , you surround it completely with a fence. □ [V P n] He plans to fence in about 100 acres of his ranch five miles north of town.
2 PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If you are fenced in by someone or something, they are so close to you that you are unable to move or leave. □ [be V -ed P ] She was basically fenced in by what the military wanted to do. □ [V -ed P ] He put his hand on the post behind her so that he had her fenced in and could look down on her.
fenc|ing /fe ns I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Fencing is a sport in which two competitors fight each other using very thin swords. The ends of the swords are covered and the competitors wear protective clothes, so that they do not hurt each other.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Materials such as wood or wire that are used to make fences are called fencing . □ …old wooden fencing.
fend /fe nd/ (fends , fending , fended ) VERB If you have to fend for yourself, you have to look after yourself without relying on help from anyone else. □ [V + for ] The woman and her young baby had been thrown out and left to fend for themselves.
▸ fend off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you fend off unwanted questions, problems, or people, you stop them from affecting you or defend yourself from them, but often only for a short time and without dealing with them completely. □ [V P n] He looked relaxed and determined as he fended off questions from the world's media. □ [V n P ] He had struggled to pay off creditors but couldn't fend them off any longer.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you fend off someone who is attacking you, you use your arms or something such as a stick to defend yourself from their blows. □ [V P n] He raised his hand to fend off the blow. [Also V n P ]
fend|er /fe ndə r / (fenders )
1 N‑COUNT A fender is a low metal wall built around a fireplace, which stops any coals that fall out of the fire from rolling onto the carpet. □ …a brass fender.
2 N‑COUNT A fender is the same as a fireguard .
3 N‑COUNT The fenders of a car are the parts of the body over the wheels. [AM ] in BRIT, use wing 4 N‑COUNT The fender of a car is a bar at the front or back that protects the car if it bumps into something. [AM ] in BRIT, use bumper 5 N‑COUNT The fenders of a boat are objects which hang against the outside and protect it from damage when it comes next to a harbour wall or another boat.
feng shui /fʌŋ ʃwe I / N‑UNCOUNT Feng shui is a Chinese art which is based on the belief that the way you arrange things within a building, and within the rooms of that building, can affect aspects of your life such as how happy and successful you are.
fen|nel /fe n ə l/ N‑UNCOUNT Fennel is a plant with a crisp rounded base and feathery leaves. It can be eaten as a vegetable or the leaves can be used as a herb.
fe|ral /fe rəl, f I ə r-/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Feral animals are wild animals that are not owned or controlled by anyone, especially ones that belong to species which are normally owned and kept by people. [FORMAL ] □ …feral cats.
fer|ment (ferments , fermenting , fermented ) The noun is pronounced /fɜː r ment/. The verb is pronounced /fə r me nt/. 1 N‑UNCOUNT Ferment is excitement and trouble caused by change or uncertainty. □ The whole country has been in a state of political ferment for some months.
2 VERB If a food, drink, or other natural substance ferments , or if it is fermented , a chemical change takes place in it so that alcohol is produced. This process forms part of the production of alcoholic drinks such as wine and beer. □ [V ] The dried grapes are allowed to ferment until there is no sugar left and the wine is dry. □ [V n] Manufacturers ferment the yeast to produce a more concentrated product. ● fer|men|ta|tion /fɜː r mente I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Yeast is essential for the fermentation that produces alcohol.
fern /fɜː r n/ (ferns ) N‑VAR A fern is a plant that has long stems with feathery leaves and no flowers. There are many types of fern.
fe|ro|cious /fəroʊ ʃəs/
1 ADJ A ferocious animal, person, or action is very fierce and violent. □ …a ferocious guard-dog. □ The police had had to deal with some of the most ferocious violence ever seen on the streets of London.
2 ADJ A ferocious war, argument, or other form of conflict involves a great deal of anger, bitterness, and determination. □ Fighting has been ferocious. □ A ferocious battle to select a new parliamentary candidate is in progress.
3 ADJ If you describe actions or feelings as ferocious , you mean that they are intense and determined. □ Lindbergh was startled at the ferocious depth of anti-British feeling.
fe|roc|ity /fərɒ s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT The ferocity of something is its fierce or violent nature. □ The armed forces seem to have been taken by surprise by the ferocity of the attack.
fer|ret /fe r I t/ (ferrets , ferreting , ferreted )
1 N‑COUNT A ferret is a small, fierce animal which is used for hunting rabbits and rats.
2 VERB If you ferret about for something, you look for it in a lot of different places or in a place where it is hidden. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V about/around ] She nonetheless continued to ferret about for possible jobs. □ [V prep] She ferreted among some papers.
▸ ferret out PHRASAL VERB If you ferret out some information, you discover it by searching for it very thoroughly. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] The team is trying to ferret out missing details. □ [V n P ] I leave it to the reader to ferret these out. WORD HISTORY ferret
Ferret comes from Old French furet meaning 'little thief', from Latin fūr , meaning 'thief'.
Fer|ris wheel /fe r I s wiːl/ (Ferris wheels ) also ferris wheel N‑COUNT A Ferris wheel is a very large upright wheel with carriages around the edge of it which people can ride in. Ferris wheels are often found at theme parks or funfairs. [AM ] in BRIT, use big wheel
fer|rous /fe rəs/ ADJ [ADJ n] Ferrous means containing or relating to iron. □ …ferrous metals. □ …ferrous chloride.
fer|rule /fe ruːl, [AM ] -r ə l/ (ferrules ) N‑COUNT A ferrule is a metal or rubber cap that is fixed onto the end of a stick or post in order to prevent it from splitting or wearing down. [FORMAL ]
fer|ry /fe ri/ (ferries , ferrying , ferried )
1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A ferry is a boat that transports passengers and sometimes also vehicles, usually across rivers or short stretches of sea. □ They had recrossed the River Gambia by ferry.
2 VERB If a vehicle ferries people or goods, it transports them, usually by means of regular journeys between the same two places. □ [V n prep/adv] Every day, a plane arrives to ferry guests to and from Bird Island Lodge. □ [V n amount] It was still dark when five coaches started to ferry the miners the 140 miles from the Silverhill colliery. □ [V n with adv] A helicopter ferried in more soldiers to help in the search. [Also V n]
fer|ry|boat /fe riboʊt/ (ferryboats ) N‑COUNT A ferryboat is a boat used as a ferry.
fer|tile /fɜː r ta I l, [AM ] -t ə l/
1 ADJ Land or soil that is fertile is able to support the growth of a large number of strong healthy plants. □ …fertile soil. □ …the rolling fertile countryside of East Cork. ● fer|til|ity /fɜː r t I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ He was able to bring large sterile acreages back to fertility.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A fertile mind or imagination is able to produce a lot of good, original ideas. □ …a product of Flynn's fertile imagination.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A situation or environment that is fertile in relation to a particular activity or feeling encourages the activity or feeling. □ …a fertile breeding ground for this kind of violent racism.
4 ADJ A person or animal that is fertile is able to reproduce and have babies or young. □ The operation cannot be reversed to make her fertile again. ● fer|til|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ Doctors will tell you that pregnancy is the only sure test for fertility.
fer|ti|lize /fɜː r t I la I z/ (fertilizes , fertilizing , fertilized ) in BRIT, also use fertilise 1 VERB When an egg from the ovary of a woman or female animal is fertilized , a sperm from the male joins with the egg, causing a baby or young animal to begin forming. A female plant is fertilized when its reproductive parts come into contact with pollen from the male plant. □ [be V -ed + with ] Certain varieties cannot be fertilised with their own pollen. □ [V n] …the normal sperm levels needed to fertilise the female egg. □ [V -ed] Pregnancy begins when the fertilized egg is implanted in the wall of the uterus. [Also V n with n] ● fer|ti|li|za|tion /fɜː r t I la I ze I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ The average length of time from fertilization until birth is about 266 days.
2 VERB To fertilize land means to improve its quality in order to make plants grow well on it, by spreading solid animal waste or a chemical mixture on it. □ [V n] The faeces contain nitrogen and it is that which fertilises the desert soil. □ [V -ed] …chemically fertilized fields.
fer|ti|liz|er /fɜː r t I la I zə r / (fertilizers ) in BRIT, also use fertiliser N‑VAR Fertilizer is a substance such as solid animal waste or a chemical mixture that you spread on the ground in order to make plants grow more successfully. □ …farming without any purchased chemical, fertilizer or pesticide.
fer|vent /fɜː r v ə nt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A fervent person has or shows strong feelings about something, and is very sincere and enthusiastic about it. □ …a fervent admirer of Morisot's work. □ …the fervent hope that matters will be settled promptly. ● fer|vent|ly ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ Their claims will be fervently denied.
fer|vour /fɜː r və r / in AM, use fervor N‑UNCOUNT Fervour for something is a very strong feeling for or belief in it. [FORMAL ] □ They were concerned only with their own religious fervour.
fes|ter /fe stə r / (festers , festering , festered )
1 VERB If you say that a situation, problem, or feeling is festering , you disapprove of the fact that it is being allowed to grow more unpleasant or full of anger, because it is not being properly recognized or dealt with. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V ] Resentments are starting to fester. □ [V -ing] …the festering wounds of rejection.
2 VERB If a wound festers , it becomes infected, making it worse. □ [V ] The wound is festering, and gangrene has set in. □ [V -ing] Many of the children are afflicted by festering sores.
fes|ti|val ◆◆◇ /fe st I v ə l/ (festivals )
1 N‑COUNT A festival is an organized series of events such as musical concerts or drama productions. □ Numerous Umbrian towns hold their own summer festivals of music, theatre, and dance. □ I had just returned from the Cannes Film Festival.
2 N‑COUNT A festival is a day or time of the year when people have a holiday from work and celebrate some special event, often a religious event. □ …the Hindu festival of Diwali.
fes|tive /fe st I v/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is festive is special, colourful, or exciting, especially because of a holiday or celebration. □ The town has a festive holiday atmosphere.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Festive means relating to a holiday or celebration, especially Christmas. □ The factory was due to shut for the festive period.
fe s|tive sea|son N‑SING People sometimes refer to the Christmas period as the festive season .
fes|tiv|ity /fest I v I ti/ (festivities )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Festivity is the celebration of something in a happy way. □ There was a general air of festivity and abandon.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Festivities are events that are organized in order to celebrate something. □ The festivities included a huge display of fireworks.
fes|toon /festuː n/ (festoons , festooning , festooned ) VERB [usu passive] If something is festooned with , for example, lights, balloons, or flowers, large numbers of these things are hung from it or wrapped around it, especially in order to decorate it. □ [be V -ed + with/in ] The temples are festooned with lights.
feta /fe tə/ N‑UNCOUNT Feta is a type of salty white cheese made from goats' or sheep's milk. It is traditionally made in Greece.
fe|tal /fiː t ə l/ → see foetal
fetch /fe tʃ/ (fetches , fetching , fetched )
1 VERB If you fetch something or someone, you go and get them from the place where they are. □ [V n] Sylvia fetched a towel from the bathroom. □ [V n n] Fetch me a glass of water. □ [V n + for ] The caddie ran over to fetch something for him.
2 VERB If something fetches a particular sum of money, it is sold for that amount. □ [V n] The painting is expected to fetch between two and three million pounds.
3 → see also far-fetched , fetching
fetch|ing /fe tʃ I ŋ/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as fetching , you think that they look very attractive. □ Sue was sitting up in bed, looking very fetching in a flowered bedjacket.
fete /fe I t/ (fetes , feting , feted ) also fête
1 N‑COUNT A fete is an event that is usually held outdoors and includes competitions, entertainments, and the selling of used and home-made goods.
2 VERB [usu passive] If someone is feted , they are celebrated, welcomed, or admired by the public. □ [be V -ed] Anouska Hempel, the British dress designer, was feted in New York this week at a spectacular dinner.
fet|id /fe t I d, fiː -/ in BRIT, also use foetid ADJ [usu ADJ n] Fetid water or air has a very strong unpleasant smell. [FORMAL ] □ …the fetid river of waste. □ …the fetid stench of vomit.
fet|ish /fe t I ʃ/ (fetishes )
1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] If someone has a fetish , they have an unusually strong liking or need for a particular object or activity, as a way of getting sexual pleasure. □ …rubber and leather fetishes. □ …fetish wear for sexual arousal.
2 N‑COUNT If you say that someone has a fetish for doing something, you disapprove of the fact that they do it very often or enjoy it very much. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ What began as a postwar fetish for sunbathing is rapidly developing into a world health crisis.
3 N‑COUNT In some cultures, a fetish is an object, especially a carved object, which is considered to have religious importance or magical powers.
fet|ish|ism /fe t I ʃ I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Fetishism involves a person having a strong liking or need for a particular object or activity which gives them sexual pleasure and excitement.
fet|ish|ist /fe t I ʃ I st/ (fetishists ) N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A fetishist is a person who has a strong liking or need for a particular object or activity in order to experience sexual pleasure and excitement. □ …a foot fetishist.
fet|lock /fe tlɒk/ (fetlocks ) N‑COUNT A horse's fetlock is the back part of its leg, just above the hoof.
fet|ter /fe tə r / (fetters , fettering , fettered )
1 VERB If you say that you are fettered by something, you dislike it because it prevents you from behaving or moving in a free and natural way. [LITERARY , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [be V -ed] …a private trust which would not be fettered by bureaucracy. □ [V n] The black mud fettered her movements.
2 N‑PLURAL You can use fetters to refer to things such as rules, traditions, or responsibilities that you dislike because they prevent you from behaving in the way you want. [LITERARY , DISAPPROVAL ]
fet|tle /fe t ə l/ PHRASE If you say that someone or something is in fine fettle , you mean that they are in very good health or condition. [INFORMAL ] □ You seem in fine fettle.
fe|tus /fiː təs/ → see foetus
feud /fjuː d/ (feuds , feuding , feuded )
1 N‑COUNT A feud is a quarrel in which two people or groups remain angry with each other for a long time, although they are not always fighting or arguing. □ …a long and bitter feud between the state government and the villagers.
2 VERB If one person or group feuds with another, they have a quarrel that lasts a long time. You can also say that two people or groups feud . □ [V + with ] He feuded with his ex-wife. □ [V ] Their families had feuded since their teenage daughters quarrelled two years ago.
feu|dal /fjuː d ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Feudal means relating to the system or the time of feudalism. □ …the emperor and his feudal barons.
feu|dal|ism /fjuː dəl I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Feudalism was a system in which people were given land and protection by people of higher rank, and worked and fought for them in return.
fe|ver /fiː və r / (fevers )
1 N‑VAR If you have a fever when you are ill, your body temperature is higher than usual and your heart beats faster. □ My Uncle Jim had a high fever. □ Symptoms of the disease include fever and weight loss.
2 → see also hay fever , rheumatic fever , scarlet fever
3 N‑COUNT A fever is extreme excitement or nervousness about something. □ Angie waited in a fever of excitement.
fe |ver blis|ter (fever blisters ) N‑COUNT Fever blisters are small sore spots that sometimes appear on or near someone's lips and nose when they have a cold. [AM ] in BRIT, usually use cold sore
fe|vered /fiː və r d/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Fevered is used to describe feelings of great excitement, and the activities that result from them. [WRITTEN ] □ Meg was in a state of fevered anticipation. □ …fevered speculation over the leadership.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If a person is fevered , or they have a fevered brow, they are suffering from a fever. [LITERARY ] □ …her fevered brow.
fe|ver|ish /fiː vər I ʃ/
1 ADJ Feverish activity is done extremely quickly, often in a state of nervousness or excitement because you want to finish it as soon as possible. □ Hours of feverish activity lay ahead. The tents had to be erected, the stalls set up.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Feverish emotion is characterized by extreme nervousness or excitement. □ …a state of feverish excitement.
3 ADJ If you are feverish , you are suffering from a fever. □ A feverish child refuses to eat and asks only for cold drinks. □ She looked feverish, her eyes glistened. ● fe|ver|ish|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ He slept feverishly all afternoon and into the night.
fe |ver pi tch N‑UNCOUNT [oft at N ] If something is at fever pitch , it is in an extremely active or excited state. □ Campaigning is reaching fever pitch for elections on November 6.
few ◆◆◆ /fjuː / (fewer , fewest )
1 DET You use a few to indicate that you are talking about a small number of people or things. You can also say a very few . □ I gave a dinner party for a few close friends. □ Here are a few more ideas to consider. □ She was silent for a few seconds. ● PRON Few is also a pronoun. □ Doctors work an average of 90 hours a week, while a few are on call for up to 120 hours. □ A strict diet is appropriate for only a few. ● QUANT Few is also a quantifier. □ There are many ways eggs can be prepared; here are a few of them. □ …a little tea-party I'm giving for a few of the teachers.
2 ADJ You use few after adjectives and determiners to indicate that you are talking about a small number of things or people. □ The past few weeks of her life had been the most pleasant she could remember. □ …in the last few chapters. □ A train would pass through there every few minutes at that time of day.
3 DET You use few to indicate that you are talking about a small number of people or things. You can use 'so', 'too', and 'very' in front of few . □ She had few friends, and was generally not very happy. □ Few members planned to vote for him. □ Very few firms collect the tax, even when they're required to do so by law. ● PRON Few is also a pronoun. □ The trouble is that few want to buy, despite the knockdown prices on offer. □ …a true singing and songwriting talent that few suspected. ● QUANT Few is also a quantifier. □ Few of the volunteers had military experience. ● ADJ Few is also an adjective. □ …spending her few waking hours in front of the TV. □ His memories of his father are few.
4 N‑SING The few means a small set of people considered as separate from the majority, especially because they share a particular opportunity or quality that the others do not have. □ This should not be an experience for the few. □ …a system built on academic excellence for the few.
5 PHRASE You use as few as before a number to suggest that it is surprisingly small. [EMPHASIS ] □ One study showed that even as few as ten cigarettes a day can damage fertility.
6 PHRASE Things that are few and far between are very rare or do not happen very often. [EMPHASIS ] □ In this economic climate new ideas were few and far between.
7 PHRASE You use no fewer than to emphasize that a number is surprisingly large. [EMPHASIS ] □ No fewer than thirteen foreign ministers attended the session.
fey /fe I / ADJ If you describe someone as fey , you mean that they behave in a shy, childish, or unpredictable way, and you are often suggesting that this is unnatural or insincere. [LITERARY ] □ Her fey charm and eccentric ways were legendary.
fez /fe z/ (fezzes ) N‑COUNT A fez is a round, red hat with no brim and a flat top.
ff.
1 In a book or magazine, when ff. is written it refers to the page or line mentioned and two or more pages or lines after it. □ …p. 173 ff.
2 In a piece of music, ff is a written abbreviation for fortissimo .
FGM /e f dʒiː e m / N‑UNCOUNT FGM is the practice of cutting off some or all of the outer sex organs of a girl or woman. FGM is an abbreviation for 'female genital mutilation'. □ …to encourage schools to teach pupils about FGM.
fi|an|cé /fiɒ nse I , [AM ] fiː ɑːnse I / (fiancés ) N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] A woman's fiancé is the man to whom she is engaged to be married.
fi|an|cée /fiɒ nse I , [AM ] fiː ɑːnse I / (fiancées ) N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] A man's fiancée is the woman to whom he is engaged to be married.
fi|as|co /fiæ skoʊ/ (fiascos ) N‑COUNT If you describe an event or attempt to do something as a fiasco , you are emphasizing that it fails completely. [EMPHASIS ] □ The blame for the Charleston fiasco did not lie with him. □ It was a bit of a fiasco.
fiat /fiː æt, fai -/ (fiats ) N‑COUNT [oft by N ] If something is done by fiat , it is done because of an official order given by someone in authority. [FORMAL ] □ He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.
fib /f I b/ (fibs , fibbing , fibbed )
1 N‑COUNT A fib is a small, unimportant lie. [INFORMAL ] □ She told innocent fibs like anyone else.
2 VERB If someone is fibbing , they are telling lies. [INFORMAL ] □ [V ] He laughs loudly when I accuse him of fibbing.
fi|bre /fa I bə r / (fibres ) in AM, use fiber 1 N‑COUNT A fibre is a thin thread of a natural or artificial substance, especially one that is used to make cloth or rope. □ If you look at the paper under a microscope you will see the fibres. □ …a variety of coloured fibres.
2 N‑VAR A particular fibre is a type of cloth or other material that is made from or consists of threads. □ The ball is made of rattan–a natural fibre.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Fibre consists of the parts of plants or seeds that your body cannot digest. Fibre is useful because it makes food pass quickly through your body. □ Most vegetables contain fibre.
4 N‑COUNT A fibre is a thin piece of flesh like a thread which connects nerve cells in your body or which muscles are made of. □ …the nerve fibres.
fibre|glass /fa I bə r glɑːs, -glæs/ in AM, use fiberglass 1 N‑UNCOUNT Fibreglass is plastic strengthened with short, thin threads of glass.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Fibreglass is a material made from short, thin threads of glass which can be used to stop heat escaping.
fi |bre op|tics The spelling fiber optics and fibre optic are also used in American English. 1 N‑UNCOUNT Fibre optics is the use of long thin threads of glass to carry information in the form of light.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Fibre optic means relating to or involved in fibre optics. □ …fibre optic cables.
fi|broid /fa I brɔ I d/ (fibroids ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Fibroids are lumps of fibrous tissue that form in a woman's womb, often causing pain. [MEDICAL ]
fi|brous /fa I brəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A fibrous object or substance contains a lot of fibres or fibre, or looks as if it does. □ …fibrous tissue.
fibu|la /f I bjʊlə/ (fibulae ) N‑COUNT Your fibula is the outer bone of the two bones in the lower part of your leg. [MEDICAL ]
fick|le /f I k ə l/
1 ADJ If you describe someone as fickle , you disapprove of them because they keep changing their mind about what they like or want. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The group has been notoriously fickle in the past. ● fick|le|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the fickleness of businessmen and politicians.
2 ADJ If you say that something is fickle , you mean that it often changes and is unreliable. □ Orta's weather can be fickle.
fic|tion /f I kʃ ə n/ (fictions )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Fiction refers to books and stories about imaginary people and events, rather than books about real people or events. □ Immigrant tales have always been popular themes in fiction. □ Diana is a writer of historical fiction.
2 → see also science fiction
3 N‑UNCOUNT A statement or account that is fiction is not true. □ The truth or fiction of this story has never been truly determined.
4 N‑COUNT If something is a fiction , it is not true, although people sometimes pretend that it is true. □ Is the idea of 'true love' a fiction in itself?
fic|tion|al /f I kʃən ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Fictional characters or events occur only in stories, plays, or films and never actually existed or happened. □ It is drama featuring fictional characters.
fic|tion|al|ize /f I kʃənəla I z/ (fictionalizes , fictionalizing , fictionalized ) in BRIT, also use fictionalise VERB To fictionalize an account of something that really happened means to tell it as a story, with some details changed or added. □ [V n] We had to fictionalize names. □ [V -ed] …a fictionalised account of a true and horrific story.
fic|ti|tious /f I kt I ʃəs/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Fictitious is used to describe something that is false or does not exist, although some people claim that it is true or exists. □ We're interested in the source of these fictitious rumours.
2 ADJ A fictitious character, thing, or event occurs in a story, play, or film but never really existed or happened. □ The persons and events portrayed in this production are fictitious.
fid|dle /f I d ə l/ (fiddles , fiddling , fiddled )
1 VERB If you fiddle with an object, you keep moving it or touching it with your fingers. □ [V + with ] Harriet fiddled with a pen on the desk.
2 VERB If you fiddle with something, you change it in minor ways. □ [V + with ] She told Whistler that his portrait of her was finished and to stop fiddling with it.
3 VERB If you fiddle with a machine, you adjust it. □ [V + with ] He turned on the radio and fiddled with the knob until he got a talk show.
4 VERB If someone fiddles financial documents, they alter them dishonestly so that they get money for themselves. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n] He's been fiddling the books.
5 N‑VAR Some people call violins fiddles , especially when they are used to play folk music. □ Hardy as a young man played the fiddle at local dances.
6 PHRASE Someone who is as fit as a fiddle is very healthy and full of energy. □ I'm as fit as a fiddle–with energy to spare.
7 PHRASE If you play second fiddle to someone, your position is less important than theirs in something that you are doing together. □ She hated the thought of playing second fiddle to Rose.
▸ fiddle around in BRIT, also use fiddle about 1 PHRASAL VERB If you fiddle around or fiddle about with a machine, you do things to it to try and make it work. □ [V P + with ] Two of them got out to fiddle around with the engine. [Also V P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone is fiddling around with or fiddling about with something, you mean that they are changing it in a way that you disapprove of. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V P P n] They're fiddling around with the budget.
fid|dler /f I dlə r / (fiddlers ) N‑COUNT A fiddler is someone who plays the violin, especially one who plays folk music.
fid|dling /f I dəl I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Fiddling is the practice of getting money dishonestly by altering financial documents. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Salomon's fiddling is likely to bring big trouble for the firm.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Violin playing, especially in folk music, is sometimes referred to as fiddling .
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe something as fiddling if it is small, unimportant, or difficult to do. □ …the daunting amount of fiddling technical detail.
fid|dly /f I dəli/ (fiddlier , fiddliest ) ADJ [oft ADJ to-inf] Something that is fiddly is difficult to do or use because it involves small or complicated objects. [BRIT ] □ It was a time-consuming and fiddly job. □ Fish can be fiddly to cook.
fi|del|ity /f I de l I ti/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Fidelity is loyalty to a person, organization, or set of beliefs. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] I had to promise fidelity to the Queen.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Fidelity is being loyal to your husband, wife, or partner by not having a sexual relationship with anyone else. □ Wanting fidelity implies you're thinking about a major relationship.
3 N‑UNCOUNT [with poss] The fidelity of something such as a report or translation is the degree to which it is accurate. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the fidelity of these early documents.
fidg|et /f I dʒ I t/ (fidgets , fidgeting , fidgeted )
1 VERB If you fidget , you keep moving your hands or feet slightly or changing your position slightly, for example because you are nervous, bored, or excited. □ [V ] Brenda fidgeted in her seat. ● PHRASAL VERB Fidget around and fidget about mean the same as fidget . □ [V P ] There were two new arrivals, fidgeting around, waiting to ask questions.
2 VERB If you fidget with something, you keep moving it or touching it with your fingers with small movements, for example because you are nervous or bored. □ [V + with ] He fidgeted with his tie.
fidg|ety /f I dʒ I ti/ ADJ Someone who is fidgety keeps fidgeting, for example because they are nervous or bored.
fi|du|ci|ary /f I duː ʃiəri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Fiduciary is used to talk about things which relate to a trust, or to the people who are in charge of a trust. [LEGAL ] □ They have a case against their directors for breach of fiduciary duty.
fief /fiː f/ (fiefs ) N‑COUNT In former times, a fief was a piece of land given to someone by their lord, to whom they had a duty to provide particular services in return.
field ◆◆◇ /fiː ld/ (fields , fielding , fielded )
1 N‑COUNT A field is an area of grass, for example in a park or on a farm. A field is also an area of land on which a crop is grown. □ [+ of ] …a field of wheat. □ They went for walks together in the fields.
2 N‑COUNT A sports field is an area of grass where sports are played. □ …a football field. □ The player was helped from the field with ankle injuries.
3 N‑COUNT A field is an area of land or sea bed under which large amounts of a particular mineral have been found. □ …an extensive natural gas field in Alaska.
4 N‑COUNT A magnetic, gravitational, or electric field is the area in which that particular force is strong enough to have an effect. □ Electromagnetic fields from electric power lines might increase the risk of cancer.
5 N‑COUNT A particular field is a particular subject of study or type of activity. □ [+ of ] Exciting artistic breakthroughs have recently occurred in the fields of painting, sculpture and architecture. □ She is said to be one of the leading experts in her field.
6 N‑COUNT A field is an area of a computer's memory or a program where data can be entered, edited, or stored. [COMPUTING ] □ Put your postcode into the website search field to find local support services.
7 N‑COUNT You can refer to the area where fighting or other military action in a war takes place as the field or the field of battle . □ [+ of ] We never defeated them on the field of battle. □ …the need for politicians to leave day-to-day decisions to commanders in the field.
8 N‑COUNT Your field of vision or your visual field is the area that you can see without turning your head. □ Our field of vision is surprisingly wide.
9 N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb, usu sing] The field is a way of referring to all the competitors taking part in a particular race or sports contest. □ Going into the fourth lap, the two most broadly experienced riders led the field.
10 ADJ [ADJ n] You use field to describe work or study that is done in a real, natural environment rather than in a theoretical way or in controlled conditions. □ I also conducted a field study among the boys about their attitude to relationships. □ Our teachers took us on field trips to observe plants and animals, firsthand.
11 VERB [usu cont] In a game of cricket, baseball, or rounders, the team that is fielding is trying to catch the ball, while the other team is trying to hit it. □ [V ] When we are fielding, the umpires keep looking at the ball. [Also V n]
12 VERB If you say that someone fields a question, you mean that they answer it or deal with it, usually successfully. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V n] He was later shown on television, fielding questions.
13 VERB If a sports team fields a particular number or type of players, the players are chosen to play for the team on a particular occasion. □ [V n] England intend fielding their strongest team in next month's World Youth Championship.
14 VERB If a candidate in an election is representing a political party, you can say that the party is fielding that candidate. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V n] The new party aims to field candidates in elections scheduled for next year.
15 → see also coalfield , minefield , playing field , snowfield
16 PHRASE If someone is having a field day , they are very busy doing something that they enjoy, even though it may be hurtful for other people. □ In our absence the office gossips are probably having a field day.
17 PHRASE Work or study that is done in the field is done in a real, natural environment rather than in a theoretical way or in controlled conditions. □ The zoo is doing major conservation work, both in captivity and in the field.
18 PHRASE If you say that someone leads the field in a particular activity, you mean that they are better, more active, or more successful than everyone else who is involved in it. □ When it comes to picking up awards they lead the field by miles.
19 PHRASE If someone plays the field , they have a number of different romantic or sexual relationships. [INFORMAL ] □ He gave up playing the field and married a year ago. SYNONYMS field NOUN 1
land: Good agricultural land is in short supply.
meadow: Its forests and meadows also make it great for country walks.
paddock: The family kept horses in the paddock in front of the house.
pasture: The cows are out now, grazing in the pasture.
field|er /fiː ldə r / (fielders ) N‑COUNT A fielder is a player in cricket, baseball, or rounders who is fielding or one who has a particular skill at fielding. □ The fielders crouch around the batsman's wicket.
fie ld event (field events ) N‑COUNT A field event is an athletics contest such as the high jump or throwing the discus or javelin, rather than a race.
fie ld-glasses also field glasses N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Field-glasses are the same as binoculars . [FORMAL ]
fie ld hand (field hands ) N‑COUNT A field hand is someone who is employed to work on a farm. [mainly AM ]
fie ld ho ck|ey N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Field hockey is an outdoor game played on a grass field between two teams of 11 players who use long curved sticks to hit a small ball and try to score goals. [AM ] in BRIT, use hockey
fie ld ma r|shal (field marshals ) also field-marshal N‑COUNT ; N‑TITLE A field marshal is an officer in the army who has the highest rank.
fie ld mouse (field mice ) also fieldmouse N‑COUNT A field mouse is a mouse with a long tail that lives in fields and woods.
fie ld sport (field sports ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Hunting, shooting birds, and fishing with a rod are referred to as field sports when they are done mainly for pleasure.
fie ld-test (field-tests , field-testing , field-tested ) also field test VERB If you field-test a new piece of equipment, you test it in a real, natural environment. □ [V n] We've field-tested them ourselves and are happy that they work.
field|work /fiː ldwɜː r k/ also field work N‑UNCOUNT Fieldwork is the gathering of information about something in a real, natural environment, rather than in a place of study such as a laboratory or classroom. □ …anthropological fieldwork.
fiend /fiː nd/ (fiends )
1 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a fiend , you mean that they are extremely wicked or cruel. [WRITTEN ] □ A tearful husband repeated calls for help in catching the fiend who battered his wife.
2 N‑COUNT [n N ] Fiend can be used after a noun to refer to a person who is very interested in the thing mentioned, and enjoys having a lot of it or doing it often. □ …if you're a heavy coffee drinker or strong-tea fiend.
fiend|ish /fiː nd I ʃ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A fiendish plan, action, or device is very clever or imaginative. [INFORMAL ] □ …a fiendish plot. ● fiend|ish|ly ADV [usu ADV adj] □ This figure is reached by a fiendishly clever equation.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A fiendish problem or task is very difficult and challenging. [INFORMAL ] □ …the fiendish difficulty of the questions. ● fiend|ish|ly ADV [ADV adj] □ America's trade laws are fiendishly complex.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A fiendish person enjoys being cruel. □ This was a fiendish act of wickedness.
fierce ◆◇◇ /f I ə r s/ (fiercer , fiercest )
1 ADJ A fierce animal or person is very aggressive or angry. □ They look like the teeth of some fierce animal. ● fierce|ly ADV □ 'I don't know,' she said fiercely.
2 ADJ Fierce feelings or actions are very intense or enthusiastic, or involve great activity. □ Standards are high and competition is fierce. □ The town was captured after a fierce battle with rebels at the weekend. □ He inspires fierce loyalty in his friends. ● fierce|ly ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] □ He has always been ambitious and fiercely competitive.
3 ADJ Fierce conditions are very intense, great, or strong. □ The climbers were trapped by a fierce storm which went on for days.
fiery /fa I əri/ (fieriest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as fiery , you mean that it is burning strongly or contains fire. [LITERARY ] □ A helicopter crashed in a fiery explosion in Vallejo.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use fiery for emphasis when you are referring to bright colours such as red or orange. [LITERARY , EMPHASIS ] □ The flowers provided a fiery bright red display.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe food or drink as fiery , you mean that it has a very strong hot or spicy taste. [WRITTEN ] □ …a fiery combination of chicken, chillies and rice.
4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as fiery , you mean that they express very strong emotions, especially anger, in their behaviour or speech. [WRITTEN ]
fi|es|ta /fie stə/ (fiestas ) N‑COUNT A fiesta is a time of public entertainment and parties, usually on a special religious holiday, especially in Spain or Latin America.
fife /fa I f/ (fifes ) N‑COUNT A fife is a musical instrument like a small flute.
fif|teen ◆◆◆ /f I ftiː n/ (fifteens ) NUM Fifteen is the number 15. □ In India, there are fifteen official languages.
fif|teenth ◆◆◇ /f I ftiː nθ/
1 ORD The fifteenth item in a series is the one that you count as number fifteen. □ …the invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century.
2 FRACTION A fifteenth is one of fifteen equal parts of something.
fifth ◆◆◇ /f I fθ/ (fifths )
1 ORD The fifth item in a series is the one that you count as number five. □ Joe has recently returned from his fifth trip to Australia.
2 FRACTION A fifth is one of five equal parts of something. □ India spends over a fifth of its budget on defence.
fi fth co l|umn|ist (fifth columnists ) N‑COUNT A fifth columnist is someone who secretly supports and helps the enemies of the country or organization they are in.
fif|ti|eth ◆◆◇ /f I ftiəθ/ ORD The fiftieth item in a series is the one that you count as number fifty. □ He retired in 1970, on his fiftieth birthday.
fif|ty ◆◆◆ /f I fti/ (fifties )
1 NUM Fifty is the number 50. □ Fifty years is a long time in journalism.
2 N‑PLURAL When you talk about the fifties , you are referring to numbers between 50 and 59. For example, if you are in your fifties , you are aged between 50 and 59. If the temperature is in the fifties , the temperature is between 50 and 59 degrees. □ I probably look as if I'm in my fifties rather than my seventies.
3 N‑PLURAL The fifties is the decade between 1950 and 1959. □ He began performing in the early fifties.
fi fty-fi fty
1 ADV [ADV after v] If something such as money or property is divided or shared fifty-fifty between two people, each person gets half of it. [INFORMAL ] □ The proceeds of the sale are split fifty-fifty. ● ADJ Fifty-fifty is also an adjective. □ The new firm was owned on a fifty-fifty basis by the two parent companies.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If there is a fifty-fifty chance of something happening, it is equally likely to happen as it is not to happen. [INFORMAL ] □ You've got a fifty-fifty chance of being right.
fig /f I g/ (figs )
1 N‑COUNT A fig is a soft sweet fruit that grows in hot countries. It is full of tiny seeds and is often eaten dried.
2 N‑VAR A fig or a fig tree is a tree on which figs grow.
fig.
1 In books and magazines, fig. is used as an abbreviation for figure in order to tell the reader which picture or diagram is being referred to. □ Draw the basic outlines in black felt-tip pen (see fig. 4).
2 In some dictionaries and language books, fig. is used as an abbreviation for figurative .
fight ◆◆◆ /fa I t/ (fights , fighting , fought )
1 VERB If you fight something unpleasant, you try in a determined way to prevent it or stop it happening. □ [V n] More units to fight forest fires are planned. □ [V + against ] I've spent a lifetime fighting against racism and prejudice. ● N‑COUNT Fight is also a noun. □ [+ against ] …the fight against drug addiction.
2 VERB If you fight for something, you try in a determined way to get it or achieve it. □ [V + for ] Our members are willing to fight for a decent pay rise. □ [V to-inf] I told him how we had fought to hold on to the company. □ [V n prep/adv] The team has fought its way to the cup final. ● N‑COUNT Fight is also a noun. □ [+ for ] I too am committing myself to continue the fight for justice.
3 VERB If an army or group fights a battle with another army or group, they oppose each other with weapons. You can also say that two armies or groups fight a battle. □ [V n + over/for ] The two men fought a battle over land and water rights. □ [V n + with ] In the latest incident police fought a gun battle with a gang. □ [V n + for/over ] Clans had fought each other for centuries over ownership of pastures. [Also V , V n]
4 VERB If a person or army fights in a battle or a war, they take part in it. □ [V ] He fought in the war and was taken prisoner by the enemy. □ [V + for ] If I were a young man I would sooner go to prison than fight for this country. □ [V n] My father did leave his university to fight the Germans. □ [V n prep/adv] Last month rebels fought their way into the capital. ● fight|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ More than nine hundred people have died in the fighting.
5 → see also dogfight
6 VERB If one person fights with another, or fights them, the two people hit or kick each other because they want to hurt each other. You can also say that two people fight . □ [V + with ] As a child she fought with her younger sister. □ [V n] I did fight him, I punched him but it was like hitting a wall. □ [V n + for ] He wrenched the crutch from Jacob, who didn't fight him for it. □ [V ] I refuse to act that way when my kids fight. □ [V n] You get a lot of unruly drunks fighting each other. ● N‑COUNT Fight is also a noun. □ [+ with ] He had had a fight with Smith and bloodied his nose.
7 VERB If one person fights with another, or fights them, they have an angry disagreement or quarrel. You can also say that two people fight . [INFORMAL ] □ [V + with ] She was always arguing with him and fighting with him. □ [V n] Gwendolen started fighting her teachers. □ [V + about/over , V n prep] Mostly, they fight about paying bills. [Also V ] ● N‑COUNT Fight is also a noun. □ We think maybe he took off because he had a big fight with his dad the night before.
8 VERB If you fight your way to a place, you move towards it with great difficulty, for example because there are a lot of people or obstacles in your way. □ [V n prep/adv] I fought my way into a carriage just before the doors closed.
9 N‑COUNT A fight is a boxing match. □ The referee stopped the fight.
10 VERB To fight means to take part in a boxing match. □ [V ] In a few hours' time one of the world's most famous boxers will be fighting in Britain for the first time. □ [V n] I'd like to fight him because he's undefeated and I want to be the first man to beat him. □ [V n + for ] I'd like to fight him for the title.
11 VERB If you fight an election, you are a candidate in the election and try to win it. □ [V n] The former party treasurer helped raise almost £40 million to fight the election campaign.
12 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can use fight to refer to a contest such as an election or a sports match. [JOURNALISM ] □ …the fight for power between the two parties.
13 VERB If you fight a case or a court action, you make a legal case against someone in a very determined way, or you put forward a defence when a legal case is made against you. □ [V n] Watkins fought his case in various courts for 10 years. □ [V n] The newspaper is fighting a damages action brought by the actress.
14 N‑UNCOUNT Fight is the desire or ability to keep fighting. □ I thought that we had a lot of fight in us.
15 VERB If you fight an emotion or desire, you try very hard not to feel it, show it, or act on it, but do not always succeed. □ [V n] I desperately fought the urge to giggle. □ [V + with ] He fought with the urge to smoke one of the cigars he'd given up a while ago. □ [V to-inf] He fought to be patient with her.
16 PHRASE If you describe someone as fighting fit , you are emphasizing that they are very fit or healthy. [BRIT , EMPHASIS ] □ After a good night's sleep I feel fighting fit again.
17 PHRASE Someone who is fighting for their life is making a great effort to stay alive, either when they are being physically attacked or when they are very ill. □ He is still fighting for his life in hospital.
18 to fight a losing battle → see battle
▸ fight back
1 PHRASAL VERB If you fight back against someone or something that is attacking or harming you, you resist them actively or attack them. □ [V P ] The teenage attackers fled when the two men fought back. □ [V P + against ] We should trust the judicial system to fight back against corruption.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you fight back an emotion or a desire, you try very hard not to feel it, show it, or act on it. □ [V P n] She fought back the tears. [Also V n P ]
▸ fight off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you fight off something, for example an illness or an unpleasant feeling, you succeed in getting rid of it and in not letting it overcome you. □ [V P n] Unfortunately these drugs are quite toxic and hinder the body's ability to fight off infection. □ [V P n] All day she had fought off the impulse to phone Harry. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you fight off someone who has attacked you, you fight with them, and succeed in making them go away or stop attacking you. □ [V P n] The woman fought off the attacker. [Also V n P ]
▸ fight out PHRASAL VERB If two people or groups fight something out , they fight or argue until one of them wins. □ [V n P ] Instead of retaliating, he walks away leaving his team-mates to fight it out. □ Malcolm continued to fight it out with Julien from his self-imposed exile in Paris. [V P n + with ] COLLOCATIONS fight VERB
1
fight + noun : cancer, crime, terrorism
3
fight + noun : battle, war
fight|back /fa I tbæk/ N‑SING A fightback is an effort made by a person or group of people to get back into a strong position when they seem likely to lose something such as an election or an important sports match. [BRIT , JOURNALISM ] □ Rotherham staged a tremendous second-half fightback to secure victory. in AM, use comeback
fight|er ◆◇◇ /fa I tə r / (fighters )
1 N‑COUNT A fighter or a fighter plane is a fast military aircraft that is used for destroying other aircraft.
2 N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a fighter , you approve of them because they continue trying to achieve things in spite of great difficulties or opposition. [APPROVAL ] □ From the start it was clear this tiny girl was a real fighter.
3 N‑COUNT A fighter is a person who physically fights another person, especially a professional boxer. □ …a tough little street fighter.
4 → see also firefighter , freedom fighter , prize fighter
fi g leaf (fig leaves )
1 N‑COUNT A fig leaf is a large leaf which comes from the fig tree. A fig leaf is sometimes used in painting and sculpture to cover the genitals of a naked body.
2 N‑COUNT People sometimes refer disapprovingly to something which is intended to hide or prevent an embarrassing situation as a fig leaf . [JOURNALISM , DISAPPROVAL ] □ This deal is little more than a fig leaf for the continued destruction of the landscape.
fig|ment /f I gmənt/ (figments ) PHRASE If you say that something is a figment of someone's imagination , you mean that it does not really exist and that they are just imagining it. □ The attack wasn't just a figment of my imagination.
fig|ura|tive /f I gərət I v, [AM ] -gjər-/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you use a word or expression in a figurative sense, you use it with a more abstract or imaginative meaning than its ordinary literal one. □ …an event that will change your route–in both the literal and figurative sense. ● fig|ura|tive|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Europe, with Germany literally and figuratively at its centre, is still at the start of a remarkable transformation.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Figurative art is a style of art in which people and things are shown in a realistic way. □ His career spanned some 50 years and encompassed both abstract and figurative painting.
fig|ure ◆◆◆ /f I gə r , [AM ] -gjər/ (figures , figuring , figured )
1 N‑COUNT A figure is a particular amount expressed as a number, especially a statistic. □ We need a true figure of how many people in this country haven't got a job. □ It will not be long before the inflation figure starts to fall. □ Government figures suggest that two thirds of adults are obese or overweight.
2 N‑COUNT A figure is any of the ten written symbols from 0 to 9 that are used to represent a number.
3 N‑PLURAL An amount or number that is in single figures is between zero and nine. An amount or number that is in double figures is between ten and ninety-nine. You can also say, for example, that an amount or number is in three figures when it is between one hundred and nine hundred and ninety-nine. □ Inflation, which has usually been in single figures, is running at more than 12%. □ Crawley, with 14, was the only other player to reach double figures.
4 N‑COUNT You refer to someone that you can see as a figure when you cannot see them clearly or when you are describing them. □ She waited, standing on the bridge, until his figure vanished against the grey backdrop of the Palace.
5 N‑COUNT In art, a figure is a person in a drawing or a painting, or a statue of a person. □ …a life-size bronze figure of a brooding, hooded woman.
6 N‑COUNT Your figure is the shape of your body. □ Take pride in your health and your figure. □ Janet was a natural blonde with a good figure.
7 N‑COUNT Someone who is referred to as a figure of a particular kind is a person who is well-known and important in some way. □ The movement is supported by key figures in the three main political parties.
8 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] If you say that someone is, for example, a mother figure or a hero figure , you mean that other people regard them as the type of person stated or suggested. □ Sometimes young lads just need to turn to a mother figure for a bit of a chat and reassurance.
9 N‑COUNT In books and magazines, the diagrams which help to show or explain information are referred to as figures . □ If you look at a world map (see Figure 1) you can identify the major wine-producing regions.
10 N‑COUNT In geometry, a figure is a shape, especially a regular shape. [TECHNICAL ] □ Draw a pentagon, a regular five-sided figure.
11 VERB If you figure that something is the case, you think or guess that it is the case. [INFORMAL ] □ [V that] She figured that both she and Ned had learned a lot from the experience.
12 VERB If you say ' That figures ' or ' It figures ', you mean that the fact referred to is not surprising. [INFORMAL ] □ [V ] When I finished, he said, 'Yeah. That figures'.
13 VERB [no passive] If a person or thing figures in something, they appear in or are included in it. □ [V + in ] Human rights violations figured prominently in the report. [Also V + as ]
▸ figure on PHRASAL VERB If you figure on something, you plan that it will happen or assume that it will happen when making your plans. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n/v-ing] Jack worked hard to build his business, but he hadn't figured on so many obstacles.
▸ figure out PHRASAL VERB If you figure out a solution to a problem or the reason for something, you succeed in solving it or understanding it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P wh] It took them about one month to figure out how to start the equipment. □ [V P n] They're trying to figure out the politics of this whole situation. □ [V n P , V P that] I don't have to be a detective to figure that out. SYNONYMS figure NOUN
2
digit: Her phone number differs from mine by one digit.
number: We were only one number away from winning the jackpot.
numeral: …a flat, square wristwatch with classic Roman numerals.
4
outline: He could see only the hazy outline of the goalposts.
form: …the form of the body.
silhouette: …the distinctive silhouette of his ears.
-figure COMB [ADJ n] -figure combines with a number, usually 'five', 'six', or 'seven', to form adjectives which say how many figures are in a number. These adjectives usually describe a large amount of money. For example, a six-figure sum is between 100,000 and 999,999. □ Columbia Pictures paid him a six-figure sum for the film rights.
fi g|ure ei ght (figure eights ) N‑COUNT A figure eight is the same as a figure of eight . [AM ]
figure|head /f I gə r hed, [AM ] -gjə r -/ (figureheads )
1 N‑COUNT If someone is the figurehead of an organization or movement, they are recognized as being its leader, although they have little real power. □ The President will be little more than a figurehead.
2 N‑COUNT A figurehead is a large wooden model of a person that was put just under the pointed front of a sailing ship in former times.
fi gure-hugging ADJ Figure-hugging clothes fit very close to the body of the person who is wearing them. Figure-hugging is usually used to describe clothes worn by women.
fi g|ure of ei ght (figures of eight ) N‑COUNT A figure of eight is something that has the shape of the number 8, for example a knot or a movement done by a skater. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use figure eight
fi g|ure of spee ch (figures of speech ) N‑COUNT A figure of speech is an expression or word that is used with a metaphorical rather than a literal meaning. □ Of course I'm not. It was just a figure of speech.
fi g|ure skat|ing N‑UNCOUNT Figure skating is skating in an attractive pattern, usually with spins and jumps included.
figu|rine /f I gəriː n, [AM ] -gjər-/ (figurines ) N‑COUNT A figurine is a small ornamental model of a person.
fila|ment /f I ləmənt/ (filaments ) N‑COUNT A filament is a very thin piece or thread of something, for example the piece of wire inside a light bulb.
filch /f I ltʃ/ (filches , filching , filched ) VERB If you say that someone filches something, you mean they steal it, especially when you do not consider this to be a very serious crime. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] I filched some notes from his wallet.
file ◆◆◇ /fa I l/ (files , filing , filed )
1 N‑COUNT A file is a box or a folded piece of heavy paper or plastic in which letters or documents are kept. □ He sat behind a table on which were half a dozen files. □ [+ of ] …a file of insurance papers.
2 N‑COUNT A file is a collection of information about a particular person or thing. □ [+ on ] We already have files on people's tax details, mortgages and poll tax. □ [+ of ] You must record and keep a file of all expenses.
3 VERB If you file a document, you put it in the correct file. □ [be V -ed] They are all filed alphabetically under author.
4 N‑COUNT In computing, a file is a set of related data that has its own name.
5 VERB If you file a formal or legal accusation, complaint, or request, you make it officially. □ [V n] A number of them have filed formal complaints against the police. □ [V + for ] I filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery a few months later.
6 VERB When someone files a report or a news story, they send or give it to their employer. □ [V n] Catherine Bond filed that report for the BBC from Nairobi.
7 VERB When a group of people files somewhere, they walk one behind the other in a line. □ [V prep/adv] Slowly, people filed into the room and sat down.
8 N‑COUNT A file is a hand tool which is used for rubbing hard objects to make them smooth, shape them, or cut through them.
9 VERB If you file an object, you smooth it, shape it, or cut it with a file. □ [V n] Manicurists are skilled at shaping and filing nails.
10 → see also nail file , rank and file
11 PHRASE Something that is on file or on someone's files is recorded or kept in a file or in a collection of information. □ His fingerprints were on file in Washington. □ We'll keep your details on file. □ It is one of the most desperate cases on her files.
12 PHRASE A group of people who are walking or standing in single file are in a line, one behind the other. □ We were walking in single file to the lake.
fi le-sharing also file sharing N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] File-sharing is a method of distributing computer files, for example files containing music, among a large number of users. [COMPUTING ] □ …legal action to close down file-sharing sites offering music for free.
fil|ial /f I liəl/ ADJ [ADJ n] You can use filial to describe the duties, feelings, or relationships which exist between a son or daughter and his or her parents. [FORMAL ] □ His father would accuse him of neglecting his filial duties.
fili|bus|ter /f I l I bʌstə r / (filibusters , filibustering , filibustered )
1 N‑COUNT A filibuster is a long slow speech made to use up time so that a vote cannot be taken and a law cannot be passed. [mainly AM ] □ The senator has threatened a filibuster to block the bill.
2 VERB If a politician filibusters , he or she makes a long slow speech in order to use up time so that a vote cannot be taken and a law cannot be passed. [mainly AM ] □ [V ] They simply threatened to filibuster until the Senate adjourns. □ [V n] A group of senators plans to filibuster a measure that would permit drilling.
fili|gree /f I l I griː/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] The word filigree is used to refer to delicate ornamental designs made with gold or silver wire.
fi l|ing cabi|net (filing cabinets ) N‑COUNT A filing cabinet is a piece of office furniture, usually made of metal, which has drawers in which files are kept.
fil|ings /fa I l I ŋz/
1 N‑PLURAL [usu n N ] Filings are very small pieces of a substance, especially a metal, that are produced when it is filed or cut. □ …iron filings. □ …metal filings.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Court filings are cases filed in a court of law. [AM , AUSTRALIAN ] □ In court filings, they argued that the settlement was inadequate.
Fili|pi|no /f I l I piː noʊ/ (Filipinos )
1 ADJ Filipino means belonging or relating to the Philippines, or to its people or culture.
2 N‑COUNT A Filipino is a person who comes from the Philippines.
fill ◆◆◇ /f I l/ (fills , filling , filled )
1 VERB If you fill a container or area, or if it fills , an amount of something enters it that is enough to make it full. □ [V n + with ] Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a slow boil. □ [V n] She made sandwiches, filled a flask and put sugar in. □ [V + with ] The boy's eyes filled with tears. □ [V ] While the bath was filling, he padded about in his underpants. ● PHRASAL VERB Fill up means the same as fill . □ [V n P ] Pass me your cup, Amy, and I'll fill it up for you. □ [V P + with ] Warehouses at the frontier between the two countries fill up with sacks of rice and flour. [Also V P , V P n]
2 VERB If something fills a space, it is so big, or there are such large quantities of it, that there is very little room left. □ [V n] He cast his eyes at the rows of cabinets that filled the enormous work area. □ [V n] The text fills 231 pages. ● PHRASAL VERB Fill up means the same as fill . □ [V P n] …the complicated machines that fill up today's laboratories. [Also V n P ] ● filled ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] □ …four museum buildings filled with historical objects. ● -filled COMB □ …the flower-filled courtyard of an old Spanish colonial house.
3 VERB If you fill a crack or hole, you put a substance into it in order to make the surface smooth again. □ [V n + with ] Fill small holes with wood filler in a matching colour. □ [V n] The gravedigger filled the grave. ● PHRASAL VERB Fill in means the same as fill . □ [V n P ] If any cracks have appeared in the tart case, fill these in with raw pastry. [Also V P n]
4 VERB If a sound, smell, or light fills a space, or the air, it is very strong or noticeable. □ [V n] In the parking lot of the school, the siren filled the air. □ [V n + with ] All the light bars were turned on which filled the room with these rotating beams of light. ● -filled COMB □ …those whose work forces them to be in dusty or smoke-filled environments.
5 VERB If something fills you with an emotion, or if an emotion fills you, you experience this emotion strongly. □ [V n + with ] I admired my father, and his work filled me with awe and curiosity. □ [V n] He looked at me without speaking, and for the first time I could see the pride that filled him.
6 VERB If you fill a period of time with a particular activity, you spend the time in this way. □ [V n] If she wants a routine to fill her day, let her do community work. [Also V n + with ] ● PHRASAL VERB Fill up means the same as fill . □ [V P n] On Thursday night she went to her yoga class, glad to have something to fill up the evening. [Also V n P ]
7 VERB If something fills a need or a gap, it puts an end to this need or gap by existing or being active. □ [V n] She brought him a sense of fun, of gaiety that filled a gap in his life.
8 VERB If something fills a role, position, or function, they have that role or position, or perform that function, often successfully. □ [V n] The company develops internal candidates to fill management roles.
9 VERB If a company or organization fills a job vacancy, they choose someone to do the job. If someone fills a job vacancy, they accept a job that they have been offered. □ [V n] The unemployed may not have the skills to fill the vacancies on offer. □ [V n] A vacancy has arisen which I intend to fill.
10 VERB When a dentist fills someone's tooth, he or she puts a filling in it. □ [V n] …children having teeth filled due to decay.
11 VERB If you fill an order or a prescription, you provide the things that are asked for. [mainly AM ] □ [V n] A pharmacist can fill any prescription if, in his or her judgment, the prescription is valid.
12 to fill the bill → see bill
▸ fill in
1 PHRASAL VERB If you fill in a form or other document requesting information, you write information in the spaces on it. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V n P ] If you want your free copy of the magazine, fill this form in. □ [V P n] Fill in the coupon and send it first class to the address shown. in AM, usually use fill out 2 PHRASAL VERB If you fill in a shape, you cover the area inside the lines with colour or shapes so that none of the background is showing. □ [V P n] When you have both filled in your patterns, you may want to share these with each other. □ [V n P ] With a lip pencil, outline lips and fill them in.
3 PHRASAL VERB If you fill someone in , you give them more details about something that you know about. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n P ] I didn't give Reid all the details yet–I'll fill him in. □ [V n P + on ] He filled her in on Wilbur Kantor's visit.
4 PHRASAL VERB If you fill in for someone, you do the work or task that they normally do because they are unable to do it. □ [V P + for ] Small firms rely on agencies to fill in for absent permanent staff.
5 PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If you are filling in time, you are using time that is available by doing something that is not very important. □ [V P n] That's not a career. She's just filling in time until she gets married.
6 → see also fill 3
▸ fill out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you fill out a form or other document requesting information, you write information in the spaces on it. [mainly AM ] □ [V P n] Fill out the application carefully, and keep copies of it. [Also V n P ] in BRIT, usually use fill in 2 PHRASAL VERB If a fairly thin person fills out , they become fatter. □ [V P ] A girl may fill out before she reaches her full height.
▸ fill up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you fill up or fill yourself up with food, you eat so much that you do not feel hungry. □ [V P + on/with ] Fill up on potatoes, bread and pasta, which are high in carbohydrate and low in fat. □ [V pron-refl P + with ] When you are happy about yourself you won't need to fill yourself up with food.
2 PHRASAL VERB A type of food that fills you up makes you feel that you have eaten a lot, even though you have only eaten a small amount. □ [V n P ] Potatoes fill us up without overloading us with calories.
3 → see also fill 1 , fill 2 , fill 6
fill|er /f I lə r / (fillers )
1 N‑VAR Filler is a substance used for filling cracks or holes, especially in walls, car bodies, or wood.
2 N‑COUNT You can describe something as a filler when it is being used or done because there is a need for something and nothing better is available. [INFORMAL ]
3 → see also stocking filler
fil|let /f I l I t, [AM ] f I le I / (fillets , filleting , filleted )
1 N‑VAR [oft N n] Fillet is a strip of meat, especially beef, that has no bones in it. □ …fillet of beef with shallots. □ …chicken breast fillets. □ …fillet steak.
2 N‑COUNT A fillet of fish is the side of a fish with the bones removed. □ …anchovy fillets. □ I ordered a fine fillet of salmon.
3 VERB When you fillet fish or meat, you prepare it by taking the bones out. □ [V n] Don't be afraid to ask your fishmonger to fillet flat fish.
fill|ing /f I l I ŋ/ (fillings )
1 N‑COUNT A filling is a small amount of metal or plastic that a dentist puts in a hole in a tooth to prevent further decay. □ The longer your child can go without needing a filling, the better.
2 N‑VAR The filling in something such as a cake, pie, or sandwich is a substance or mixture that is put inside it. □ Spread some of the filling over each pancake.
3 N‑VAR The filling in a piece of soft furniture or in a cushion is the soft substance inside it. □ …second-hand sofas with old-style foam fillings.
4 ADJ Food that is filling makes you feel full when you have eaten it. □ Although it is tasty, crab is very filling.
fi ll|ing sta|tion (filling stations ) N‑COUNT A filling station is a place where you can buy petrol and oil for your car. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use gas station
fil|lip /f I l I p/ (fillips ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If someone or something gives a fillip to an activity or person, they suddenly encourage or improve them. [WRITTEN ] □ [+ to/for ] The news gave a fillip to the telecommunications sector.
fil|ly /f I li/ (fillies ) N‑COUNT A filly is a young female horse.
film ◆◆◆ /f I lm/ (films , filming , filmed )
1 N‑COUNT A film consists of moving pictures that have been recorded so that they can be shown at the cinema or on television. A film tells a story, or shows a real situation. [mainly BRIT ] □ Everything about the film was good. Good acting, good story, good fun. in AM, use movie 2 VERB If you film something, you use a camera to take moving pictures which can be shown on a screen or on television. □ [V n] He had filmed her life story. □ [V ] Considering the restrictions under which she filmed, I think she did a commendable job.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Film of something is moving pictures of a real event that are shown on television or on a screen. □ They have seen news film of families queueing in Russia to buy a loaf of bread.
4 N‑VAR A film is the narrow roll of plastic that is used in some cameras to take photographs. □ The photographers had already shot a dozen rolls of film.
5 N‑UNCOUNT The making of cinema films, considered as a form of art or a business, can be referred to as film or films . [mainly BRIT ] □ Film is a business with limited opportunities for actresses. □ She wanted to set up her own company to invest in films.
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A film of powder, liquid, or oil is a very thin layer of it. □ The sea is coated with a film of raw sewage.
7 N‑UNCOUNT [usu adj N ] Plastic film is a very thin sheet of plastic used to wrap and cover things. [BRIT ] □ Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for 24 hours. in AM, use plastic wrap , Saran wrap 8 → see also clingfilm COLLOCATIONS film NOUN 1
noun + film : action, documentary, feature, horror, sci-fi, war
adjective + film : animated, classic, short
verb + film : direct, make, produce, shoot; watch
film|ic /f I lm I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Filmic means related to films. [FORMAL ] □ …a new filmic style.
film|ing /f I lm I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Filming is the activity of making a film including the acting, directing, and camera shots. □ Filming was due to start next month.
fi lm-maker (film-makers ) also filmmaker N‑COUNT A film-maker is someone involved in making films, in particular a director or producer. [mainly BRIT ]
film noir /f I lm nwɑː r / (films noir ) N‑VAR Film noir refers to a type of film or a style of film-making which shows the world as a dangerous or depressing place where many people suffer, especially because of the greed or cruelty of others. □ …a remake of the 1947 film noir classic, Kiss of Death.
fi lm star (film stars ) N‑COUNT A film star is a famous actor or actress who appears in films. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use movie star
filmy /f I lmi/ (filmier , filmiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] A filmy fabric or substance is very thin and almost transparent. □ …filmy nightgowns.
filo /fiː loʊ/ or filo pastry N‑UNCOUNT Filo or filo pastry is a type of light pastry made of thin layers. It is traditionally used in Greek cooking.
Filo|fax /fa I ləfæks/ (Filofaxes ) N‑COUNT A Filofax is a type of personal filing system in the form of a small book with pages that can easily be added or removed. [TRADEMARK ]
fil|ter /f I ltə r / (filters , filtering , filtered )
1 VERB To filter a substance means to pass it through a device which is designed to remove certain particles contained in it. □ [V n] The best prevention for cholera is to boil or filter water, and eat only well-cooked food.
2 N‑COUNT A filter is a device through which a substance is passed when it is being filtered. □ …a paper coffee filter.
3 N‑COUNT A filter is a device through which sound or light is passed and which blocks or reduces particular sound or light frequencies. □ You might use a yellow filter to improve the clarity of a hazy horizon.
4 VERB If light or sound filters into a place, it comes in weakly or slowly, either through a partly covered opening, or from a long distance away. □ [V + into/through ] Light filtered into my kitchen through the soft, green shade of the cherry tree.
5 VERB When news or information filters through to people, it gradually reaches them. □ [V + through to ] It took months before the findings began to filter through to the politicians. □ [V + through ] News of the attack quickly filtered through the college. □ [V in ] …as indications filter in from polling stations. □ [V + out of ] …the horror stories which were beginning to filter out of Germany.
6 N‑COUNT A traffic filter is a traffic signal or lane which controls the movement of traffic wanting to turn left or right. [BRIT ]
▸ filter out PHRASAL VERB To filter out something from a substance or from light means to remove it by passing the substance or light through something acting as a filter. □ [V P n] Children should have glasses which filter out UV rays. □ [V n P + of/from ] Plants and trees filter carbon dioxide out of the air and produce oxygen. [Also V n P ]
fi l|ter ti p (filter tips ) N‑COUNT A filter tip is a small device at the end of a cigarette that reduces the amount of dangerous substances that pass into the smoker's body. Filter tips are cigarettes that are manufactured with these devices.
filth /f I lθ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Filth is a disgusting amount of dirt. □ Tons of filth and sewage pour into the river every day.
2 N‑UNCOUNT People refer to words or pictures, usually ones relating to sex, as filth when they think they are very disgusting and rude. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The dialogue was all filth and innuendo.
filthy /f I lθi/ (filthier , filthiest )
1 ADJ Something that is filthy is very dirty indeed. □ He never washed, and always wore a filthy old jacket.
2 ADJ If you describe something as filthy , you mean that you think it is morally very unpleasant and disgusting, sometimes in a sexual way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The play was full of filthy foul language.
3 filthy rich → see rich
fil|tra|tion /f I ltre I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Filtration is the process of filtering a substance. □ [+ of ] This enzyme would make the filtration of beer easier. □ …water filtration systems.
fin /f I n/ (fins )
1 N‑COUNT A fish's fins are the flat objects which stick out of its body and help it to swim and keep its balance.
2 N‑COUNT A fin on something such as an aeroplane, rocket, or bomb is a flat part which sticks out and which is intended to help control its movement.
fi|nal ◆◆◆ /fa I n ə l/ (finals )
1 ADJ In a series of events, things, or people, the final one is the last one. □ They will hold a meeting in a final attempt to agree a common position. □ This is the fifth and probably final day of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. □ On the last Saturday in September, I received a final letter from Clive.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Final means happening at the end of an event or series of events. □ The countdown to the Notting Hill Carnival is in its final hours.
3 ADJ If a decision or someone's authority is final , it cannot be changed or questioned. □ The judges' decision is final. □ The White House has the final say.
4 N‑COUNT The final is the last game or contest in a series and decides who is the winner. □ …the Scottish Cup Final.
5 → see also quarter-final , semi-final
6 N‑PLURAL The finals of a sporting tournament consist of a smaller tournament that includes only players or teams that have won earlier games. The finals decide the winner of the whole tournament. □ They have a chance of qualifying for the World Cup Finals.
7 N‑PLURAL [oft poss N ] When a student takes his or her finals , he or she takes the last and most important examinations in a university or college course. □ Anna sat her finals in the summer. COLLOCATIONS final NOUN 5
verb + final : contest, play; make, qualify for, reach; lose, win
fi|na|le /f I nɑː li, -næ li/ (finales ) N‑COUNT The finale of a show, piece of music, or series of shows is the last part of it or the last one of them, especially when this is exciting or impressive. □ … the finale of Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony. □ Tonight's light show is the grand finale of a month-long series of events.
fi|nal|ise /fa I nəla I z/ → see finalize
fi|nal|ist /fa I nəl I st/ (finalists ) N‑COUNT A finalist is someone who reaches the last stages of a competition or tournament by doing well or winning in its earlier stages. □ The twelve finalists will be listed in the Sunday Times.
fi|nal|ity /fa I næ l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT Finality is the quality of being final and impossible to change. If you say something with finality , you say it in a way that shows that you have made up your mind about something and do not want to discuss it further. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Young children have difficulty grasping the finality of death.
fi|nal|ize /fa I nəla I z/ (finalizes , finalizing , finalized ) in BRIT, also use finalise VERB If you finalize something such as a plan or an agreement, you complete the arrangements for it, especially by discussing it with other people. □ [V n] Negotiators from the three countries finalized the agreement in August. □ [V n + with ] They have not finalized the deal with the government.
fi|nal|ly ◆◆◇ /fa I nəli/
1 ADV [ADV before v] You use finally to suggest that something happens after a long period of time, usually later than you wanted or expected it to happen. □ The food finally arrived at the end of last week and distribution began. □ Finally, after ten hours of negotiations, the gunman gave himself up.
2 ADV You use finally to indicate that something is last in a series of actions or events. □ The action slips from comedy to melodrama and finally to tragedy.
3 ADV You use finally in speech or writing to introduce a final point, question, or topic. □ And finally, a word about the winner and runner-up.
fi|nance ◆◆◇ /fa I næns, f I næ ns/ (finances , financing , financed )
1 VERB When someone finances something such as a project or a purchase, they provide the money that is needed to pay for them. □ [V n] The fund has been used largely to finance the construction of federal prisons. □ [be V -ed + by ] Government expenditure is financed by taxation and by borrowing. ● N‑UNCOUNT Finance is also a noun. □ They are seeking finance for a major scientific project.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Finance is the commercial or government activity of managing money, debt, credit, and investment. □ …a major player in the world of high finance. □ The report recommends an overhaul of public finances. □ A former Finance Minister and five senior civil servants are accused of fraud.
3 N‑VAR [oft with poss] You can refer to the amount of money that you have and how well it is organized as your finances . □ Be prepared for unexpected news concerning your finances. □ Finance is usually the biggest problem for students. COLLOCATIONS finance NOUN
2
noun + finance : government
adjective + finance : corporate, public; shaky, strained; sound
3
noun + finance : consumer, household, mortgage, vehicle
adjective + finance : personal, private
verb + finance : arrange, provide, raise; secure VERB 1
finance + noun : acquisition, deal, project, purchase
finance + adverb : privately, publicly
fi |nance com|pa|ny (finance companies ) N‑COUNT A finance company is a business which lends money to people and charges them interest while they pay it back. [BUSINESS ]
fi|nan|cial ◆◆◆ /fa I næ nʃ ə l, f I n-/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Financial means relating to or involving money. □ The company is in financial difficulties. □ …the government's financial advisers. ● fi|nan|cial|ly ADV [ADV adj/-ed, ADV after v] □ She would like to be more financially independent. SYNONYMS financial ADJ
economic: The pace of economic growth is picking up.
budgetary: There are huge budgetary pressures on governments to reduce their armed forces.
monetary: Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.
fiscal: …in 1987, when the government tightened fiscal policy.
fi|na n|cial ad|vi s|er (financial advisers ) N‑COUNT A financial adviser is someone whose job it is to advise people about financial products and services. [BUSINESS ]
fi|na n|cial con|su lt|ant (financial consultants ) N‑COUNT A financial consultant is the same as a financial adviser . [BUSINESS ]
fi|na n|cial se r|vices The form financial service is used as a modifier. N‑PLURAL A company or organization that provides financial services is able to help you do things such as make investments or buy a pension or mortgage. [BUSINESS ] □ …voluntary organisations that provide independent advice to consumers on financial services. □ …financial service companies.
fi|na n|cial yea r (financial years ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A financial year is a period of twelve months, used by government, business, and other organizations in order to calculate their budgets, profits, and losses. Financial year is often used in business to compare with the calendar year . [BRIT , BUSINESS ] □ …33,000 possible job losses in the coming financial year. in AM, use fiscal year
fi|nan|ci|er /fa I næ nsiə r , f I n-/ (financiers ) N‑COUNT A financier is a person, company, or government that provides money for projects or businesses. [BUSINESS ]
finch /f I ntʃ/ (finches ) N‑COUNT A finch is a small bird with a short strong beak.
find ◆◆◆ /fa I nd/ (finds , finding , found )
1 VERB If you find someone or something, you see them or learn where they are. □ [V n] The police also found a pistol. □ [V n n] I wonder if you could find me a deck of cards? [Also V n + for ]
2 VERB If you find something that you need or want, you succeed in achieving or obtaining it. □ [V n] So far they have not found a way to fight the virus. □ [V n n] He has to apply for a permit and we have to find him a job. □ [V n + for ] Does this mean that they haven't found a place for him?
3 V-PASSIVE If something is found in a particular place or thing, it exists in that place. □ [be V -ed] Fibre is found in cereal foods, beans, fruit and vegetables.
4 VERB If you find someone or something in a particular situation, they are in that situation when you see them or come into contact with them. □ [V n v-ing] They found her walking alone and depressed on the beach. □ [V n -ed] She returned to her east London home to find her back door forced open. □ [V n prep/adv] Thrushes are a protected species so you will not find them on any menu.
5 VERB If you find yourself doing something, you are doing it without deciding or intending to do it. □ [V pron-refl prep/adv] It's not the first time that you've found yourself in this situation. □ [V pron-refl v-ing] I found myself having more fun than I had had in years. □ [V pron-refl adj] It all seemed so far away from here that he found himself quite unable to take it in.
6 VERB If you find that something is the case, you become aware of it or realize that it is the case. □ [V that] The two biologists found, to their surprise, that both groups of birds survived equally well. □ [V n adj] At my age I would find it hard to get another job. □ [V n to-inf] We find her evidence to be based on a degree of oversensitivity. □ [V n n] I've never found my diet a problem.
7 VERB When a court or jury decides that a person on trial is guilty or innocent, you say that the person has been found guilty or not guilty. □ [be V -ed adj] She was found guilty of manslaughter and put on probation for two years. □ [V n adj] When they found us guilty, I just went blank.
8 VERB You can use find to express your reaction to someone or something. □ [V n adj] We're sure you'll find it exciting! □ [V n adj] I find it ludicrous that nothing has been done to protect passengers from fire. □ [V n n] But you'd find him a good worker if you showed him what to do.
9 VERB If you find a feeling such as pleasure or comfort in a particular thing or activity, you experience the feeling mentioned as a result of this thing or activity. □ [V n + in ] How could anyone find pleasure in hunting and killing this beautiful creature? □ [V n + in ] I was too tired and frightened to find comfort in that familiar promise.
10 VERB If you find the time or money to do something, you succeed in making or obtaining enough time or money to do it. □ [V n] I was just finding more time to write music. □ [V n] My sister helped me find the money for a private operation.
11 N‑COUNT [usu adj N ] If you describe someone or something that has been discovered as a find , you mean that they are valuable, interesting, good, or useful. □ Another of his lucky finds was a pair of candle-holders. □ His discovery was hailed as the botanical find of the century.
12 → see also finding , found
13 PHRASE If you find your way somewhere, you successfully get there by choosing the right way to go. □ After a while I pulled myself to my feet and found my way to the street.
14 PHRASE If something finds its way somewhere, it comes to that place, especially by chance. □ It is one of the very few Michelangelos that have found their way out of Italy.
15 to find fault with → see fault
16 to find one's feet → see foot
▸ find out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you find something out , you learn something that you did not already know, especially by making a deliberate effort to do so. □ [V P wh] It makes you want to watch the next episode to find out what's going to happen. □ [V P that] I was relieved to find out that my problems were due to a genuine disorder. □ [V P n] Yesterday, the men's families held a news conference in their campaign to find out the truth. □ [V n P ] As soon as we found this out, we closed the ward. [Also V P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you find someone out , you discover that they have been doing something dishonest. □ [V n P ] Her face was so grave, I wondered for a moment if she'd found me out.
find|er /fa I ndə r / (finders ) N‑COUNT You can refer to someone who finds something as the finder of that thing. □ The finder of a wallet who takes it home may be guilty of theft.
fin de siè|cle /fæ n də sie klə/ also fin-de-siècle ADJ [ADJ n] Fin de siècle is used to describe something that is thought to be typical of the end of the nineteenth century, especially when it is considered stylish or exaggerated. [WRITTEN ] □ …fin de siècle decadence.
find|ing /fa I nd I ŋ/ (findings )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Someone's findings are the information they get or the conclusions they come to as the result of an investigation or some research. □ Manufacturers should take note of the findings and improve their products accordingly.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl, usu with poss] The findings of a court are the decisions that it reaches after a trial or an investigation. □ The government hopes the court will announce its findings before the end of the month.
fine
➊ ADJECTIVE USES
➋ PUNISHMENT
➊ fine ◆◆◇ /fa I n/ (finer , finest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use fine to describe something that you admire and think is very good. □ There is a fine view of the countryside. □ This is a fine book. □ …London's finest art deco cinema. ● fine|ly ADV [ADV -ed] □ They are finely engineered boats.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that you are fine , you mean that you are in good health or reasonably happy. □ Lina is fine and sends you her love and best wishes.
3 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you say that something is fine , you mean that it is satisfactory or acceptable. □ The skiing is fine. □ Everything was going to be just fine. □ It's fine to ask questions as we go along, but it's better if you wait until we have finished. ● ADV Fine is also an adverb. □ All the instruments are working fine.
4 CONVENTION You say ' fine ' or ' that's fine ' to show that you do not object to an arrangement, action, or situation that has been suggested. [FORMULAE ] □ If competition is the best way to achieve it, then, fine. □ If you don't want to give it to me, that's fine, I don't mind.
5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is fine is very delicate, narrow, or small. □ The heat scorched the fine hairs on her arms. ● fine|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Chop the ingredients finely and mix them together.
6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Fine objects or clothing are of good quality, delicate, and expensive. □ We waited in our fine clothes.
7 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A fine detail or distinction is very delicate, small, or exact. □ The market likes the broad outline but is reserving judgment on the fine detail. ● fine|ly ADV [usu ADV -ed, oft ADV after v] □ They had to take the finely balanced decision to let the visit proceed. ● fine|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …a sense of quality and fineness of detail.
8 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A fine person is someone you consider good, moral, and worth admiring. [APPROVAL ] □ He was an excellent journalist and a very fine man.
9 ADJ When the weather is fine , the sun is shining and it is not raining. □ He might be doing a spot of gardening if the weather is fine.
➋ fine ◆◇◇ /fa I n/ (fines , fining , fined )
1 N‑COUNT A fine is a punishment in which a person is ordered to pay a sum of money because they have done something illegal or broken a rule.
2 VERB If someone is fined , they are punished by being ordered to pay a sum of money because they have done something illegal or broken a rule. □ [be V -ed] She was fined £300 and banned from driving for one month. □ [V n] This school has set a precedent by fining pupils who break the rules. COLLOCATIONS fine NOUN ➋1
noun + fine : parking, speeding, traffic; library
adjective + fine : heavy, hefty, maximum; unpaid
verb + fine : impose, issue; face, pay, receive SYNONYMS fine ADJ
➊2
healthy: We need to lead more balanced lives to be healthy and happy.
well: I'm not very well today, I can't come in.
fit: An averagely fit person can master easy ski runs within a few days.
➊ 3
satisfactory: I never got a satisfactory answer.
all right: 'How was school?'—'It was all right.'
okay: I guess for a fashionable restaurant like this the prices are okay.
fi ne a rt (fine arts )
1 N‑VAR Painting and sculpture, in which objects are produced that are beautiful rather than useful, can be referred to as fine art or as the fine arts . □ He deals in antiques and fine art. □ …the university of Cairo's faculty of fine arts.
2 PHRASE If you have got something down to a fine art , you are able to do it in a very skilful or efficient way because you have had a lot of experience of doing it.
fi ne pri nt N‑UNCOUNT In a contract or agreement, the fine print is the same as the small print .
fin|ery /fa I nəri/ N‑UNCOUNT If someone is dressed in their finery , they are wearing the elegant and impressive clothes and jewellery that they wear on special occasions. [LITERARY ] □ …the guests in all their finery.
fi|nesse /f I ne s/ N‑UNCOUNT If you do something with finesse , you do it with great skill and style. □ …handling momentous diplomatic challenges with tact and finesse.
fi ne-too th comb also fine tooth comb PHRASE If you say that you will go over something with a fine-tooth comb or go through something with a fine-tooth comb , you are emphasizing that you will search it thoroughly or examine it very carefully. [EMPHASIS ]
fi ne-tu ne (fine-tunes , fine-tuning , fine-tuned ) VERB If you fine-tune something, you make very small and precise changes to it in order to make it as successful or effective as it possibly can be. □ [V n] We do not try to fine-tune the economy on the basis of short-term predictions. ● fine-tuning N‑UNCOUNT □ There's a lot of fine-tuning to be done yet.
fin|ger ◆◆◇ /f I ŋgə r / (fingers , fingering , fingered )
1 N‑COUNT Your fingers are the four long thin parts at the end of each hand. □ She suddenly held up a small, bony finger and pointed across the room. □ She ran her fingers through her hair. □ There was a ring on each of his fingers.
2 → see also light-fingered
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The fingers of a glove are the parts that a person's fingers fit into.
4 N‑COUNT [n N ] A finger of something such as smoke or land is an amount of it that is shaped rather like a finger. □ [+ of ] …a thin finger of land that separates Pakistan from the former Soviet Union. □ Cover the base with a single layer of sponge fingers.
5 → see also fish finger
6 VERB If you finger something, you touch or feel it with your fingers. □ [V n] He fingered the few coins in his pocket. □ [V n] Self-consciously she fingered the emeralds at her throat.
7 PHRASE If you get your fingers burned or burn your fingers , you suffer because something you did or were involved in was a failure or a mistake. □ He has had his fingers burnt by deals that turned out badly. □ Mr Walesa burned his fingers by promising he would give every Pole 100m zlotys to start a business.
8 PHRASE If you cross your fingers , you put one finger on top of another and hope for good luck. If you say that someone is keeping their fingers crossed , you mean they are hoping for good luck. □ I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they turn up soon.
9 PHRASE If you say that someone did not lay a finger on a particular person or thing, you are emphasizing that they did not touch or harm them at all. [EMPHASIS ] □ I must make it clear I never laid a finger on her.
10 PHRASE If you say that a person does not lift a finger or raise a finger to do something, especially to help someone, you are critical of them because they do nothing. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ She never lifted a finger around the house. □ They will not lift a finger to help their country.
11 PHRASE If you point the finger at someone or point an accusing finger at someone, you blame them or accuse them of doing wrong. □ He said he wasn't pointing an accusing finger at anyone in the government or the army.
12 PHRASE If you tell someone to pull their finger out or to get their finger out , you are telling them rudely that you want them to start doing some work or making an effort. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Isn't it about time that you pulled your finger out?
13 PHRASE If you put your finger on something, for example a reason or problem, you see and identify exactly what it is. □ He could never quite put his finger on who or what was responsible for all this.
14 PHRASE If someone or something slips through your fingers , you just fail to catch them, get them, or keep them. □ Money has slipped through his fingers all his life. □ You mustn't allow this golden opportunity to slip through your fingers.
15 to have green fingers → see green
16 finger on the pulse → see pulse
fin|ger|ing /f I ŋgər I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Fingering is the method of using the most suitable finger to play each note when you are playing a musical instrument, especially the piano.
finger|mark /f I ŋgə r mɑː r k/ (fingermarks ) N‑COUNT A fingermark is a mark which is made when someone puts a dirty or oily finger onto a clean surface.
finger|nail /f I ŋgə r ne I l/ (fingernails ) also finger-nail N‑COUNT Your fingernails are the thin hard areas at the end of each of your fingers.
finger|print /f I ŋgə r pr I nt/ (fingerprints , fingerprinting , fingerprinted )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Fingerprints are marks made by a person's fingers which show the lines on the skin. Everyone's fingerprints are different, so they can be used to identify criminals. □ The detective discovered no fewer than 35 fingerprints. ● PHRASE If the police take someone's fingerprints , they make that person press their fingers onto a pad covered with ink, and then onto paper, so that they know what that person's fingerprints look like. □ They were photographed and had their fingerprints taken.
2 VERB [usu passive] If someone is fingerprinted , the police take their fingerprints. □ [be V -ed] He took her to jail, where she was fingerprinted and booked.
finger|tip /f I ŋgə r t I p/ (fingertips ) also finger-tip
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your fingertips are the ends of your fingers. □ The fat and flour are rubbed together with the fingertips as for pastry.
2 PHRASE If you say that something is at your fingertips , you approve of the fact that you can reach it easily or that it is easily available to you. [APPROVAL ] □ I had the information at my fingertips and hadn't used it.
fi nger|tip sea rch (fingertip searches ) N‑COUNT When the police carry out a fingertip search of a place, they examine it for evidence in a very detailed way. □ [+ of ] Officers continued a fingertip search of the area yesterday.
fin|icky /f I n I ki/ ADJ If you say that someone is finicky , you mean that they are worried about small details and are difficult to please. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Even the most finicky eater will find something appetizing here.
fin|ish ◆◆◇ /f I n I ʃ/ (finishes , finishing , finished )
1 VERB When you finish doing or dealing with something, you do or deal with the last part of it, so that there is no more for you to do or deal with. □ [V v-ing] As soon as he'd finished eating, he excused himself. □ [V n] Mr Gould was given a standing ovation and loud cheers when he finished his speech. ● PHRASAL VERB Finish up means the same as finish . [AM ] □ [V P n] We waited a few minutes outside his office while he finished up his meeting.
2 VERB When you finish something that you are making or producing, you reach the end of making or producing it, so that it is complete. □ [V n] The consultants had been working to finish a report this week. ● PHRASAL VERB Finish off and, in American English, finish up mean the same as finish . □ [V P n] Now she is busy finishing off a biography of Queen Caroline. □ [V P n] …the amount of stuff required to finish up a movie.
3 VERB When something such as a course, film, or sale finishes , especially at a planned time, it ends. □ [V + at/on/by ] The teaching day finishes at around 4pm. □ [V n] When a play finishes its run, the costumes are hired out to amateur dramatics companies. [Also V ]
4 VERB You say that someone or something finishes a period of time or an event in a particular way to indicate what the final situation was like. You can also say that a period of time or an event finishes in a particular way. □ [V + by ] The two of them finished by kissing each other goodbye. □ [V + with ] The evening finished with the welcoming of three new members. □ [V n adj/adv] He finished the day two holes up. □ [V n adj/adv] The last track finishes this compilation beautifully. [Also V n + by , V n prep, V prep]
5 VERB If someone finishes second, for example, in a race or competition, they are in second place at the end of the race or competition. □ [V ord] He finished second in the championship four years in a row.
6 VERB To finish means to reach the end of saying something. □ [V ] Her eyes flashed, but he held up a hand. 'Let me finish.'
7 N‑SING [with poss] The finish of something is the end of it or the last part of it. □ I intend to continue it and see the job through to the finish. □ From start to finish he believed in me, often more than I did myself.
8 N‑COUNT The finish of a race is the end of it. □ [+ of ] Win a trip to see the finish of the Tour de France! □ It was a close finish but I won.
9 N‑COUNT If the surface of something that has been made has a particular kind of finish , it has the appearance or texture mentioned. □ The finish and workmanship of the woodwork was excellent.
10 → see also finished
11 PHRASE If you add the finishing touches to something, you add or do the last things that are necessary to complete it. □ Workers put the finishing touches on the pavilions.
▸ finish off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you finish off something that you have been eating or drinking, you eat or drink the last part of it with the result that there is none left. □ [V P n] Kelly finished off his coffee. □ [V n P ] He took the bottle from her hands and finished it off in one long swallow.
2 PHRASAL VERB If someone finishes off a person or thing that is already badly injured or damaged, they kill or destroy them. □ [V n P ] They meant to finish her off, swiftly and without mercy.
3 → see finish 2
▸ finish up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you finish up in a particular place or situation, you are in that place or situation after doing or experiencing several things. □ [V P v-ing] They had met by chance at university and finished up getting married. □ [V P prep] He's probably going to finish up in jail for business fraud.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you finish up something that you have been eating or drinking, you eat or drink the last part of it. □ [V P n] Finish up your drinks now, please. [Also V n P ]
3 → see also finish 1 , finish 2
▸ finish with PHRASAL VERB If you finish with someone or something, you stop dealing with them, being involved with them, or being interested in them. □ [V P n] My boyfriend was threatening to finish with me.
fin|ished /f I n I ʃt/
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] Someone who is finished with something is no longer doing it or dealing with it or is no longer interested in it. □ One suspects he will be finished with boxing.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] Something that is finished no longer exists or is no longer happening. □ I go back on the dole when the shooting season's finished.
3 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] Someone or something that is finished is no longer important, powerful, or effective. □ Her power over me is finished. □ He confessed: 'I thought I was finished.'
fi n|ish|ing line (finishing lines ) or finish line N‑COUNT In a race, the finishing line is the place on the track or course where the race officially ends.
fi n|ish|ing school (finishing schools ) N‑VAR A finishing school is a private school where rich or upper-class young women are taught manners and other social skills that are considered to be suitable for them. □ …a Swiss finishing school. □ My parents wanted to send me to a finishing school.
fi|nite /fa I na I t/
1 ADJ Something that is finite has a definite fixed size or extent. [FORMAL ] □ Only a finite number of situations can arise. □ The fossil fuels (coal and oil) are finite resources.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A finite clause is a clause based on a verb group which indicates tense, such as 'went', 'is waiting', or 'will be found', rather than on an infinitive or a participle. Compare non-finite .
Finn /f I n/ (Finns ) N‑COUNT The Finns are the people of Finland.
Finn|ish /f I n I ʃ/
1 ADJ Finnish means belonging or relating to Finland or to its people, language, or culture.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Finnish is the language spoken in Finland.
fir /fɜː r / (firs ) N‑VAR A fir or a fir tree is a tall evergreen tree that has thin needle-like leaves.
fire
➊ BURNING, HEAT, OR ENTHUSIASM
➋ SHOOTING OR ATTACKING
➌ DISMISSAL
➊ fire ◆◆◇ /fa I ə r / (fires , firing , fired )
→ Please look at categories 18 to 20 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 N‑UNCOUNT Fire is the hot, bright flames produced by things that are burning. □ They saw a big flash and a huge ball of fire reaching hundreds of feet into the sky. □ Many students were trapped by smoke and fire on an upper floor.
2 N‑VAR Fire or a fire is an occurrence of uncontrolled burning which destroys buildings, forests, or other things. □ 87 people died in the fire. □ A forest fire is sweeping across portions of north Maine this evening. □ Much of historic Rennes was destroyed by fire in 1720.
3 N‑COUNT A fire is a burning pile of wood, coal, or other fuel that you make, for example to use for heat, light, or cooking. □ There was a fire in the grate. □ After the killing, he calmly lit a fire to destroy evidence.
4 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A fire is a device that uses electricity or gas to give out heat and warm a room. [mainly BRIT ] □ The gas fire was still alight. in AM, usually use heater 5 VERB When a pot or clay object is fired , it is heated at a high temperature in a special oven, as part of the process of making it. □ [be V -ed] After the pot is dipped in this mixture, it is fired.
6 VERB When the engine of a motor vehicle fires , an electrical spark is produced which causes the fuel to burn and the engine to work. □ [V ] The engine fired and we moved off.
7 VERB If you fire someone with enthusiasm, you make them feel very enthusiastic. If you fire someone's imagination, you make them feel interested and excited. □ [V n] …the potential to fire the imagination of an entire generation. □ [V n + with ] It was Allen who fired this rivalry with real passion. □ [be V -ed + with ] Both his grandfathers were fired with an enthusiasm for public speaking.
8 N‑UNCOUNT You can use fire to refer in an approving way to someone's energy and enthusiasm. [APPROVAL ] □ I went to hear him speak and was very impressed. He seemed so full of fire.
9 PHRASE If an object or substance catches fire , it starts burning. □ The aircraft caught fire soon after take-off.
10 PHRASE If something is on fire , it is burning and being damaged or destroyed by an uncontrolled fire. □ The captain radioed that the ship was on fire.
11 PHRASE If you say that someone is playing with fire , you mean that they are doing something dangerous that may result in great harm for them and cause many problems. □ Those who even venture to think about mass layoffs are playing with fire.
12 PHRASE If you set fire to something or if you set it on fire , you start it burning in order to damage or destroy it. □ They set fire to vehicles outside that building. □ Lightning set several buildings on fire.
13 to have irons on the fire → see iron
14 like a house on fire → see house
15 there's no smoke without fire → see smoke
▸ fire up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you fire up a machine, you switch it on. □ [V P n] Put on a helmet, fire up your engine and head out on the open road. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you fire someone up , you make them feel very enthusiastic or motivated. □ [V P n] The president knows his task is to fire up the delegates. [Also V n P ]
➋ fire ◆◆◇ /fa I ə r / (fires , firing , fired )
→ Please look at category 16 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 VERB If someone fires a gun or a bullet, or if they fire , a bullet is sent from a gun that they are using. □ [V n] Seven people were wounded when soldiers fired rubber bullets to disperse crowds. □ [V n] The gun was fired and Beaton was wounded a second time. □ [V + on ] Seventeen people were killed when security forces fired on demonstrators. □ [V ] They were firing. I screamed at them to stop. ● fir|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ The firing continued even while the protestors were fleeing.
2 N‑UNCOUNT You can use fire to refer to the shots fired from a gun or guns. □ His car was raked with fire from automatic weapons. □ The two were reportedly killed in an exchange of fire during a police raid.
3 VERB If you fire an arrow, you send it from a bow. □ [V n] He fired an arrow into a clearing in the forest.
4 VERB If you fire questions at someone, you ask them a lot of questions very quickly, one after another. □ [V n] They were bombarded by more than 100 representatives firing questions on pollution.
5 PHRASE If you draw fire for something that you have done, you cause people to criticize you or attack you because of it. □ The council recently drew fire for its intervention in the dispute.
6 PHRASE If someone holds their fire or holds fire , they stop shooting or they wait before they start shooting. □ Devereux ordered his men to hold their fire until the ships got closer.
7 PHRASE If you hold fire in a situation, you delay before taking action. □ Their plan was to hold fire until they could appoint someone on a permanent basis.
8 PHRASE If you are in the line of fire , you are in a position where someone is aiming their gun at you. If you move into their line of fire , you move into a position between them and the thing they were aiming at. □ He cheerfully blows away any bad guy stupid enough to get in his line of fire. □ The man and his son had been pushed into the line of fire by their captors.
9 PHRASE If you open fire on someone, you start shooting at them. □ Then without warning, the troops opened fire on the crowd.
10 PHRASE If you return fire or you return someone's fire , you shoot back at someone who has shot at you. □ The soldiers returned fire after being attacked.
11 PHRASE If you come under fire or are under fire , someone starts shooting at you. □ The Belgians fell back as the infantry came under fire.
12 PHRASE If you come under fire from someone or are under fire , they criticize you strongly. □ The president's plan came under fire for including spending cuts.
13 to fire from the hip → see hip
▸ fire away PHRASAL VERB If someone wants to say or ask something, you can say 'fire away' as a way of showing that you are ready for them to speak. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] 'May I ask you something?'—'Sure. Fire away.'
▸ fire off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you fire off a shot, you send a bullet or other missile from a gun. □ [V P n] A gunman fired off a volley of shots into the air. □ [V n P ] …an illustration of a guy firing a huge cannon off into the distance.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you fire off a letter, question, or remark, you send or say it very quickly, often as part of a series. □ [V P n] He immediately fired off an angry letter to his ministry colleagues.
➌ fire /fa I ə r / (fires , firing , fired ) VERB If an employer fires you, they dismiss you from your job. □ [V n] If he hadn't been so good at the rest of his job, I probably would have fired him. □ [be V -ed] She was sent a box of chocolates along with a letter saying she was fired. ● fir|ing N‑COUNT □ There was yet another round of firings.
fi re alarm (fire alarms ) N‑COUNT A fire alarm is a device that makes a noise, for example with a bell, to warn people when there is a fire.
fire|arm /fa I ə rɑː r m/ (firearms ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Firearms are guns. [FORMAL ] □ He was also charged with illegal possession of firearms. □ He was jailed for firearms offences.
fire|ball /fa I ə r bɔːl/ (fireballs ) N‑COUNT A fireball is a ball of fire, for example one at the centre of a nuclear explosion.
fire|bomb /fa I ə r bɒm/ (firebombs , firebombing , firebombed )
1 N‑COUNT A firebomb is a type of bomb which is designed to cause fires.
2 VERB To firebomb a building, vehicle, or place means to set fire to it using a firebomb. □ [V n] Protestors firebombed the embassy building yesterday. ● fire|bombing (firebombings ) N‑VAR □ The homes bore evidence of firebombing.
fire|brand /fa I ə r brænd/ (firebrands ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a firebrand , especially someone who is very active in politics, you mean that they are always trying to make people take strong action. □ …his reputation as a young firebrand.
fire|break /fa I ə r bre I k/ (firebreaks ) also fire break N‑COUNT A firebreak is an area of open land in a wood or forest that has been created to stop a fire from spreading.
fi re bri|gade (fire brigades ) N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] The fire brigade is an organization which has the job of putting out fires; used especially to refer to the people who actually fight the fires. □ Get everyone out and call the fire brigade.
fire|cracker /fa I ə r krækə r / (firecrackers ) N‑COUNT A firecracker is a firework that makes several loud bangs when it is lit.
-fired /-fa I e r d/ COMB [usu ADJ n] -fired combines with nouns which refer to fuels to form adjectives which describe power stations, machines, or devices that operate by means of that fuel. □ …coal-fired power stations. □ Most of the food is cooked on a large wood-fired oven.
fi re de|part|ment (fire departments ) N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] The fire department is an organization which has the job of putting out fires. [AM ] in BRIT, use fire service
fi re drill (fire drills ) N‑VAR When there is a fire drill in a particular building, the people who work or live there practise what to do if there is a fire.
fi re-eater (fire-eaters ) N‑COUNT Fire-eaters are performers who put flaming rods into their mouths in order to entertain people.
fi re en|gine (fire engines ) N‑COUNT A fire engine is a large vehicle which carries firefighters and equipment for putting out fires. [BRIT ] in AM, usually use fire truck
fi re es|cape (fire escapes ) also fire-escape N‑COUNT A fire escape is a metal staircase on the outside of a building, which can be used to escape from the building if there is a fire.
fi re ex|tin|guish|er (fire extinguishers ) also fire-extinguisher N‑COUNT A fire extinguisher is a metal cylinder which contains water or chemicals at high pressure which can put out fires.
fire|fight /fa I ə r fa I t/ (firefights ) N‑COUNT A firefight is a battle in a war which involves the use of guns rather than bombs or any other sort of weapon. [JOURNALISM ] □ U.S. Marines had a firefight with local gunmen this morning.
fire|fighter /fa I ə r fa I tə r / (firefighters ) also fire fighter , fire-fighter N‑COUNT [usu pl] Firefighters are people whose job is to put out fires.
fire|fighting /fa I ə r fa I t I ŋ/ also fire fighting , fire-fighting N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Firefighting is the work of putting out fires. □ There was no fire-fighting equipment.
fire|fly /fa I ə r fla I / (fireflies ) also fire fly N‑COUNT A firefly is a type of beetle that produces light from its body.
fire|guard /fa I ə r gɑː r d/ (fireguards ) also fire-guard N‑COUNT A fireguard is a screen made of strong wire that you put round a fire so that people cannot accidentally burn themselves.
fi re hy|drant (fire hydrants ) also fire-hydrant N‑COUNT A fire hydrant is a pipe in the street from which fire fighters can obtain water for putting out a fire.
fire|light /fa I ə r la I t/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft the N ] Firelight is the light that comes from a fire. □ In the firelight his head gleamed with sweat.
fire|man /fa I ə r mən/ (firemen ) N‑COUNT A fireman is a male firefighter whose job is to put out fires.
fire|place /fa I ə r ple I s/ (fireplaces ) N‑COUNT In a room, the fireplace is the place where a fire can be lit and the area on the wall and floor surrounding this place.
fire|power /fa I ə r paʊə r / N‑UNCOUNT The firepower of an army, ship, tank, or aircraft is the amount of ammunition it can fire. □ America has enough firepower in the area to mount sustained air strikes.
fire|proof /fa I ə r pruːf/ ADJ Something that is fireproof cannot be damaged by fire. □ …fireproof clothing.
fi re-retardant ADJ Fire-retardant substances make the thing that they are applied to burn more slowly. □ …fire-retardant foam.
fi re sale (fire sales )
1 N‑COUNT A fire sale is an event in which goods are sold cheaply because the shop or storeroom they were in has been damaged by fire.
2 N‑COUNT [oft N n] If you describe a sale of goods or other assets as a fire sale , you mean that everything is being sold very cheaply. □ They're likely to hold big fire sales to liquidate their inventory.
fi re ser|vice (fire services ) N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] The fire service is an organization which has the job of putting out fires. [BRIT ] □ Crowds of youths prevented the fire service from dealing with the blaze. in AM, use fire department
fire|side /fa I ə r sa I d/ (firesides ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you sit by the fireside in a room, you sit near the fire. □ …winter evenings by the fireside. □ …cosy fireside chats.
fi re sta|tion (fire stations ) N‑COUNT A fire station is a building where fire engines are kept, and where firefighters wait until they are called to put out a fire.
fire|storm /fa I ə r stɔː r m/ (firestorms ) also fire storm
1 N‑COUNT A firestorm is a fire that is burning uncontrollably, usually in a place that has been bombed.
2 N‑COUNT If you say that there is a firestorm of protest or criticism, you are emphasizing that there is a great deal of very fierce protest or criticism. [AM , EMPHASIS ] □ The speech has resulted in a firestorm of controversy.
fi re truck (fire trucks ) N‑COUNT A fire truck is a large vehicle which carries fire fighters and equipment for putting out fires. [AM , AUSTRALIAN ] in BRIT, usually use fire engine
fire|wall /fa I ə r wɔːl/ (firewalls ) N‑COUNT A firewall is a computer system or program that automatically prevents an unauthorized person from gaining access to a computer when it is connected to a network such as the internet. [COMPUTING ] □ New technology should provide a secure firewall against hackers.
Fire|Wire /fa I ə r wa I ə r / N‑UNCOUNT FireWire is a type of connection on a computer that allows you to attach another piece of equipment such as a printer. [COMPUTING , TRADEMARK ] □ I have an old external drive with a FireWire connection.
fire|wood /fa I ə r wʊd/ N‑UNCOUNT Firewood is wood that has been cut into pieces so that it can be burned on a fire.
fire|work /fa I ə r wɜː r k/ (fireworks ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Fireworks are small objects that are lit to entertain people on special occasions. They contain chemicals and burn brightly or attractively, often with a loud noise, when you light them. □ …a firework display.
fi r|ing line (firing lines ) also firing-line
1 N‑COUNT If you are in the firing line in a conflict, you are in a position where someone is aiming their gun at you. □ Any hostages in the firing line would have been sacrificed.
2 N‑SING [usu in/out of N ] If you say that someone is in the firing line , you mean that they are being criticized, blamed, or attacked for something. □ Foreign banks are in the firing line too.
fi r|ing squad (firing squads ) N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A firing squad is a group of soldiers who are ordered to shoot and kill a person who has been found guilty of committing a crime. □ He was executed by firing squad.
firm ◆◆◆ /fɜː r m/ (firms firmer , firmest )
1 N‑COUNT A firm is an organization which sells or produces something or which provides a service which people pay for. □ The firm's employees were expecting large bonuses. □ [+ of ] …a firm of heating engineers.
2 ADJ If something is firm , it does not change much in shape when it is pressed but is not completely hard. □ Fruit should be firm and in excellent condition. □ Choose a soft, medium or firm mattress to suit their individual needs.
3 ADJ If something is firm , it does not shake or move when you put weight or pressure on it, because it is strongly made or securely fastened. □ If you have to climb up, use a firm platform or a sturdy ladder. ● firm|ly ADV [ADV -ed, ADV after v] □ The front door is locked and all the windows are firmly shut.
4 ADJ If someone's grip is firm or if they perform a physical action in a firm way, they do it with quite a lot of force or pressure but also in a controlled way. □ The quick handshake was firm and cool. □ He managed to grasp the metal, get a firm grip of it and heave his body upwards. ● firm|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ She held me firmly by the elbow and led me to my aisle seat.
5 ADJ If you describe someone as firm , you mean they behave in a way that shows that they are not going to change their mind, or that they are the person who is in control. □ [+ with ] She had to be firm with him. 'I don't want to see you again.' □ Perhaps they need the guiding hand of a firm father figure. ● firm|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ 'A good night's sleep is what you want,' he said firmly.
6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A firm decision or opinion is definite and unlikely to change. □ He made a firm decision to leave Fort Multry by boat. □ It is my firm belief that partnership between police and the public is absolutely necessary. ● firm|ly ADV [ADV -ed, ADV after v] □ He is firmly convinced that it is vital to do this.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] Firm evidence or information is based on facts and so is likely to be true. □ There's unlikely to be firm news about the convoy's progress for some time.
8 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use firm to describe control or a basis or position when it is strong and unlikely to be ended or removed. □ A goalkeeping mistake put Dagenham in firm control of the first half. ● firm|ly ADV [ADV -ed, ADV after v] □ This tradition is also firmly rooted in the past.
9 ADJ If a price, value, or currency is firm , it is not decreasing in value or amount. □ Cotton prices remain firm and demand is strong. □ The shares held firm at 280p. ● firm|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the firmness of the dollar against other currencies.
10 PHRASE If someone stands firm , they refuse to change their mind about something. □ The council is standing firm against the barrage of protest.
▸ firm up
1 PHRASAL VERB If you firm up something or if it firms up , it becomes firmer and more solid. □ [V P n] This treatment helps tone the body, firm up muscles and tighten the skin. □ [V n P ] I now go swimming five times a week, which helps firm me up. □ [V P ] The mixture will seem too wet at this stage, but it will firm up when chilled.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you firm something up or if it firms up , it becomes clearer, stronger, or more definite. □ [V P n] Looking to the future, the Government will firm up their plans for a cleaner, greener, safer Britain. □ [V P ] At least the bank situation had firmed up. [Also V n P ]
3 PHRASAL VERB If a financial institution firms up the price or value of something, they take action to protect and maintain its price or value. □ [V P n] OPEC has agreed to freeze its global oil production slightly in order to firm up crude prices. COLLOCATIONS firm NOUN 1
noun + firm : accountancy, consulting, investment, law, private equity; building, energy, engineering
adjective + firm : architectural, financial, legal, pharmaceutical; large, medium-sized, small
verb + firm : found, set up SYNONYMS firm NOUN 1
company: Sheila found some work as a secretary in an insurance company.
business: The company was a family business.
concern: If not a large concern, Queensbury Nursery was at least a successful one.
corporation: …multi-national corporations. ADJ 2
hard: He shuffled his feet on the hard wooden floor.
solid: The snow had melted, but the lake was still frozen solid.
stiff: His waterproof trousers were brand new and stiff.
rigid: …rigid plastic containers.
fir|ma|ment /fɜː r məmənt/
1 N‑SING The firmament is the sky or heaven. [LITERARY ] □ There are no stars in the firmament.
2 N‑SING If you talk about the firmament in a particular organization or field of activity, you mean the top of it. □ He was rich, and a rising star in the political firmament.
firm|ware /fɜː r mweə r / N‑UNCOUNT In computer systems, firmware is a set of commands which are stored on a chip rather than as part of a program, because the computer uses them very often. [COMPUTING ]
first ◆◆◆ /fɜː r st/ (firsts )
1 ORD The first thing, person, event, or period of time is the one that happens or comes before all the others of the same kind. □ She lost 16 pounds in the first month of her diet. □ …the first few flakes of snow. □ Two years ago Johnson came first in the one hundred metres. ● PRON First is also a pronoun. □ The second paragraph startled me even more than the first. □ We did exercises to improve my car control. The first was to drive on ice.
2 ADV [ADV with v] If you do something first , you do it before anyone else does, or before you do anything else. □ I do not remember who spoke first, but we all expressed the same opinion. □ First, tell me what you think of my products. □ Routine questions first, if you don't mind.
3 ORD When something happens or is done for the first time, it has never happened or been done before. □ This is the first time she has experienced disappointment. □ It was the first occasion when they had both found it possible to keep a rendezvous. ● ADV [ADV with v] First is also an adverb. □ Anne and Steve got engaged two years after they had first started going out.
4 N‑SING An event that is described as a first has never happened before and is important or exciting. □ [+ for ] It is a first for New York. An outdoor exhibition of Fernando Botero's sculpture on Park Avenue.
5 PRON The first you hear of something or the first you know about it is the time when you first become aware of it. □ We heard it on the TV last night–that was the first we heard of it.
6 ADV [ADV before v] You use first when you are talking about what happens in the early part of an event or experience, in contrast to what happens later. □ When he first came home he wouldn't say anything about what he'd been doing. ● ORD First is also an ordinal. □ She told him that her first reaction was disgust.
7 ADV [ADV after v] In order to emphasize your determination not to do a particular thing, you can say that rather than do it, you would do something else first . [EMPHASIS ] □ Marry that fat son of a fat cattle dealer? She would die first!
8 ADV You use first when you are about to give the first in a series of items. □ Certain guidelines can be given. First, have a heating engineer check the safety of the system.
9 ORD The first thing, person, or place in a line is the one that is nearest to you or nearest to the front. □ Before him, in the first row, sat the President. □ First in the queue were two Japanese students.
10 ORD You use first to refer to the best or most important thing or person of a particular kind. □ The first duty of any government must be to protect the interests of the taxpayers. □ Imagine winning the local lottery first prize of £5,000.
11 ORD First is used in the title of the job or position of someone who has a higher rank than anyone else with the same basic job title. □ …the First Lord of the Admiralty. □ …the first mate of a British tanker.
12 N‑COUNT In British universities, a first is an honours degree of the highest standard. □ [+ in ] …an Oxford Blue who took a First in Constitutional History.
13 PHRASE You use first of all to introduce the first of a number of things that you want to say. □ The cut in the interest rates has not had very much impact in California for two reasons. First of all, banks are still afraid to loan.
14 PHRASE You use at first when you are talking about what happens in the early stages of an event or experience, or just after something else has happened, in contrast to what happens later. □ At first, he seemed surprised by my questions. □ I had some difficulty at first recalling why we were there.
15 PHRASE If you say that someone or something comes first for a particular person, you mean they treat or consider that person or thing as more important than anything else. □ There's no time for boyfriends, my career comes first.
16 PHRASE If you learn or experience something at first hand , you experience it yourself or learn it directly rather than being told about it by other people. □ He saw at first hand the effects of the recent heavy fighting.
17 PHRASE If you say that you do not know the first thing about something, you are emphasizing that you know absolutely nothing about it. [EMPHASIS ] □ You don't know the first thing about farming.
18 PHRASE If you put someone or something first , you treat or consider them as more important than anything else. □ Somebody has to think for the child and put him first.
19 PHRASE You say ' first things first ' when you are talking about something that should be done or dealt with before anything else because it is the most important. □ Let's see if we can't find something to set the mood. First things first; some music.
20 first and foremost → see foremost
-first /-fɜː r st/ COMB [ADV after v] -first combines with nouns like 'head' and 'feet' to indicate that someone moves with the part that is mentioned pointing in the direction in which they are moving. □ He overbalanced and fell head first.
fi rst ai d N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] First aid is simple medical treatment given as soon as possible to a person who is injured or who suddenly becomes ill. □ There are many emergencies which need prompt first aid treatment. □ …a first aid kit.
fi rst born also first-born N‑SING [oft N n] Someone's first born is their first child. □ She was my first-born.
fi rst-cla ss also first class
1 ADJ If you describe something or someone as first-class , you mean that they are extremely good and of the highest quality. □ The food was first-class. □ She has a first-class brain and is a damned good writer.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use first-class to describe something that is in the group that is considered to be of the highest standard. □ He officially announced his retirement from first-class cricket yesterday. □ Harriet graduated with a first class degree in literature.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] First-class accommodation on a train, aeroplane, or ship is the best and most expensive type of accommodation. □ He won himself two first-class tickets to fly to Dublin. □ …first-class passengers. ● ADV [ADV after v] First-class is also an adverb. □ She had never flown first class before. ● N‑UNCOUNT First-class is the first-class accommodation on a train, aeroplane, or ship. □ He paid for and was assigned a cabin in first class.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] In Britain, first-class postage is the quicker and more expensive type of postage. In the United States, first-class postage is the type of postage that is used for sending letters and postcards. □ Two first class stamps, please. ● ADV [ADV after v] First-class is also an adverb. □ It took six days to arrive despite being posted first class.
fi rst cou s|in (first cousins ) N‑COUNT [oft with poss] Someone's first cousin is the same as their cousin . Compare second cousin .
fi rst de|gree (first degrees ) N‑COUNT People who have gained a higher qualification after completing a basic university degree such as a BA or a BSc refer to that basic degree as their first degree . □ He was born in Zimbabwe where he completed his first degree in economics.
fi rst-degree
1 ADJ [ADJ n] In the United States, first-degree is used to describe crimes that are considered to be the most serious of their kind. For example, first-degree murder is when a murder is planned before it is carried out. □ He pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree robbery.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A first-degree burn is one of the least severe kind, where only the surface layer of the skin has been burnt.
fi rst e ver also first-ever ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is the first ever one of its kind has never happened before. □ It's the first-ever meeting between leaders of the two countries.
fi rst floo r (first floors )
1 N‑COUNT The first floor of a building is the floor immediately above the one at ground level. [BRIT ] in AM, use second floor 2 N‑COUNT The first floor of a building is the one at ground level. [AM ] in BRIT, use ground floor
fi rst frui ts N‑PLURAL The first fruits of a project or activity are the earliest results or profits. □ [+ of ] The deal is one of the first fruits of a liberalization of foreign investment law.
fi rst ha nd also first-hand , firsthand
1 ADJ [ADJ n] First hand information or experience is gained or learned directly, rather than from other people or from books. □ School trips give children firsthand experience not available in the classroom. ● ADV [ADV after v] First-hand is also an adverb. □ We've been through Germany and seen first-hand what's happening there.
2 at first hand → see first
fi rst la dy (first ladies ) N‑COUNT The First Lady in a country or state is the wife of the president or state governor, or a woman who performs the official duties normally performed by the wife.
fi rst la n|guage (first languages ) N‑COUNT Someone's first language is the language that they learned first and speak best; used especially when someone speaks more than one language.
first|ly /fɜː r stli/ ADV You use firstly in speech or writing when you want to give a reason, make a point, or mention an item that will be followed by others connected with it. □ The programme is behind schedule as a result, firstly, of increased costs, then of technical problems.
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